MIGHT AS WELL BE OP-Chapter 996: Too Ugly

lAaaninja’s eyes fluttered open, his Eyes Of Genesis blessing the world with their mesmerizing beauty, the first thing his gaze fell upon was Nyxss, who was staring directly at him as though he would disappear at any moment, her expression fragile despite her immeasurable power, beside her sat her husband, Zachary.

Everything seemed clearer to Aaaninja, brighter, slower, and more beautiful, every detail of existence unfolding before him with impossible clarity, but before he could even begin to properly process any of this, Nyxss immediately drew him in for a hug as she spoke, "you’re awake," her voice low, filled with motherly love and extreme relief, her hands trembling ever so slightly as she held him, she didn’t care about how she looked despite the overwhelming power she possessed, all she cared about was her son and his well being.

Zachary simply smiled as she spoke, his expression calm and proud, "welcome back, son," he stared at Aaaninja with a fatherly smile, his eyes filled with warmth, relief, and silent reassurance that words alone could never fully convey.

"How are you feeling? Are you having a headache? Any pain? Any problem with your body or soul?" Nyxss asked as she fired off numerous questions without pause, her concern evident in every word she spoke, although she had been told by Anthony that Aaaninja was fine and was simply adjusting to whatever he had gained, she still asked Aaaninja personally, it was always best to hear it directly from her son’s mouth rather than rely solely on the words of others.

"I’m fine, Mom. No need to worry," Aaaninja spoke gently as he adjusted himself midair from his lying position into a sitting position, then moved and sat on one of the nearby chairs with controlled ease, "I hope I didn’t make any of you worry too much," he added as a soft and reassuring smile appeared on his lips, attempting to ease their concerns.

His eyes shifted to Altheria, who was sitting at the side and staring at him silently, her gaze calm and filled with unspoken emotion, he simply stared back at her with a gentle smile and nodded without saying anything. Although he said nothing, his smile conveyed more than words ever could, carrying reassurance, familiarity, and quiet understanding.

"Welcome back," Anthony’s voice echoed from the side as he stared at the now awakened Aaaninja, his tone calm yet clearly pleased.

The next moment, Aaaninja’s thoughts seemed to snap back to his last memory and the reason why he fainted; Lucian. His eyes immediately snapped to the seat Lucian sat on since this sparring began, and there Lucian sat and stared at Aaaninja with a wide grin on his face, his posture relaxed as though nothing serious had ever happened.

Aaaninja heaved a sigh of relief, a tension he didn’t realize he held leaving his body, then his gaze shifted to Anthony, who was also staring at him with a wide smile.

"With the way you rushed and saved me, I would have thought you had a secret crush on me, you know," Lucian joked as his grin widened further, his tone light and teasing.

Aaaninja paused for a moment at Lucian’s words, his expression still, then for the first time in what seemed like forever, he burst out laughing, "HAHAHAHAHAH!" He clutched his stomach as he laughed out loud without restraint, his laughter genuine and unfiltered, echoing through the surroundings.

"It’s nice to see you haven’t changed," Aaaninja spoke as his laughter reduced gradually, wiping the small tears that formed at the corners of his eyes, "but even if I was into men, what makes you think I would have a crush on you, you are simply too ugly," he stated as he joked back without missing a beat, his tone calm yet filled with playful mockery.

Lucian Darkheart paused, not expecting such a reply from Aaaninja at all, in fact, he wasn’t sure he had ever seen this Time Celestial laugh out loud like this before, sure the guy smiled and talked normally, but laughing like he just did, openly and freely? Probably not, this moment alone felt rare.

"Although words aren’t enough, all I can say is, thank you for saving me," Lucian finally spoke as he could do nothing but express his sincere gratitude through simple words, his usual arrogance momentarily absent.

Aaaninja stayed silent for a moment, his expression thoughtful, then spoke calmly, "no need to worry about it, it wasn’t like I was the only one that saved you, Anthony was among those who helped. If he hadn’t intervened, you would have been stuck at the mortal rank permanently," he stated, his tone neutral and factual.

Lucian simply smiled and nodded, acknowledging the truth in those words, then the moment passed, and his usual personality resurfaced as he spoke again, "so, how do you feel after losing to me?" he asked casually, as though he wasn’t just thanking Aaaninja moments ago.

Aaaninja paused for a second, slightly caught off guard by the sudden shift, then his expression returned to calm composure, "if I was a sore loser, I would have said I would have won if it wasn’t because of that last ability you used," he began to speak honestly, "but I’m not a sore loser, besides, if we sparred again, you would lose before you could even blink," he stated with calm confidence and certainty, his tone carrying no arrogance, only absolute conviction.

Lucian was about to give a sarcastic reply, his lips parting to speak, but before he could say anything, an overwhelming amount of mana suddenly poured into the planet they were on with immense and terrifying force, the sudden surge shaking the very foundation of their surroundings, everyone’s gaze snapped upwards instantly, their expressions turning serious as they wondered what was happening.

The next moment, the mana converged around Aaaninja, pouring into his mana core and body with immense and unstoppable force, the density alone distorting the surrounding air. Nobody hesitated, they all vanished in a blink as they immediately put distance between themselves and Aaaninja as though he had suddenly become the center of a dangerous phenomenon.

"Is it...?" Aura Nova’s voice came as she stared at the phenomenon unfolding before her eyes, her expression filled with shock and anticipation.

"Breaking through his Mana Rank? Most definitely," Vega replied as she stared intently at the phenomenon, her voice calm yet filled with certainty.

Zachary and Nyxss stared with pride filled eyes and expressions, their hearts swelling with emotion, after all, why wouldn’t they be proud of their son ascending beyond his previous limitations.

The planet they seemed to be within began to shake violently as the amount of mana pouring into Aaaninja’s mana core surpassed anything a planetary core could naturally contain, although the planet itself wasn’t directly receiving the mana, as it was being poured into Aaaninja’s mana core, the planet still received part of its pressure as a medium since Aaaninja was existing within it at that moment.

The air screamed violently, the clouds tore backwards as though fleeing, the sky trembled as more and more mana poured into the planet without pause, the very environment reacting to the overwhelming influx of power.

Aaaninja simply floated and enjoyed the feeling without a single change in expression, his face calm and composed, he seemed to enter a trance state as his Mana Rank began to skyrocket in real time, ascending continuously without resistance.