MIGHT AS WELL BE OP

Divine Realm

Anthony seated himself in a poised lotus position, his posture exuding an unyielding tranquility.

His aura, a gentle yet commanding force, radiated an ethereal calm, suffusing the surrounding atmosphere with a profound stillness.

The very air seemed to hold its breath, entranced by the serene equilibrium of his presence.

In this meditative state, Anthony's essence flickered intermittently, as though his very existence danced on the precipice of reality.

Time itself seemed to bend, each second stretching into infinity, as he delved deeper into the recesses of his consciousness.

After an indeterminate span, his eyes slowly fluttered open, their depths gleaming with an unmistakable clarity.

A subtle smile curved his lips, carrying with it an aura of quiet confidence, a testament to the revelations uncovered in his introspection.

"I've made the most progress I can within a century"

Anthony mused, rising to his feet with a fluid grace.

His eyes gleamed with a mixture of anticipation and subdued pride.

"I hope this competition doesn't disappoint me after all this training"

Straightening himself, he strode to the door of his house and pushed it open.

The faint creak of the hinges broke the silence as he stepped outside.

The stillness of the surroundings enveloped him as he halted just beyond the threshold.

His gaze ascended toward the endless expanse of the sky, devoid of celestial bodies, where neither sun nor stars graced the heavens.

It was a blank canvas, infinite and unchanging, yet strangely soothing in its void.

A gentle wind stirred, its cool fingers brushing against his face and tugging at his clothes.

It carried with it a faint whisper of the vast unknown, a reminder of the challenges that awaited him beyond this sanctum.

His thoughts sharpened, and his resolve crystallized.

"I don't have much time anymore"

He murmured to himself, his tone laced with both urgency and determination.

"It's time to leave this place"

Then, he summoned his subordinates, engaging them in a brief but deliberate conversation.

In the past, they had refrained from fully exploiting the time dilation properties of the Divine Realm, it had always seemed excessive.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

The notion of enduring such prolonged isolation was inconceivable, especially given their relatively youthful ages.

Even Anthony himself had never utilized the time dilation to its full potential, a fact they were well aware of.

But this time was different.

Witnessing Anthony's resolve as he maximized the time dilation, they found themselves compelled to follow his lead.

Together, they each spent what amounted to a century within the Divine Realm, honing their skills, deepening their understanding, and fortifying their resolve.

They emerged prepared, unyielding and resolute, for whatever trials lay ahead in the wake of Anthony's ambitious journey.

After concluding his discussion with Spectre and the others, Anthony vanished in a brilliant flash of light, leaving behind an air of purpose and quiet determination.

_____________

Null Estate

In a dimly lit chamber, Michael, Mitchelle, Collins, and Irene were engaged in an intense discussion, their voices low yet laden with underlying tension.

"When is your son going to return from his training?"

Collins asked, his voice steady, though his gaze remained fixed, betraying a hint of impatience.

Michael, seated with an air of quiet contemplation, responded, his words tinged with irony.

"Now that he is running late, you're no longer calling him your grandson, but my son"

Collins' expression hardened, and he turned his gaze to Michael.

"You should never have allowed him to train alone. We devised a training plan tailored specifically to his extraordinary talent, yet you let him stray from it, choosing to train on his own"

Michael's response was swift and resolute, his tone firm.

"Father, you know as well as I do the caliber of Anthony's talent. Even had we trained him ourselves since the moment he awakened, he wouldn't be where he is now. Our methods, our resources, cannot forge a Grandmaster of his age. If we had forced him into a mold, he would have become nothing more than an empty vessel, devoid of substance"

Collins' sharp eyes narrowed as he absorbed Michael's words, but the frustration remained clear in his voice.

"I understand Anthony's potential, but this time is different. We have only one year, one year and no more. And out of that, you gave him an entire month to play adventurer. Worse still, he's running late. We're down to the final day, and still, we haven't seen him. Tomorrow we depart, and we don't even know where he is"

Before Michael could retort, Mitchelle's calm voice rang out, cutting through the growing tension.

"Enough, both of you"

Neither Michael nor Collins spoke, both turning to meet Mitchelle's steady gaze.

Mitchelle's eyes softened with understanding as she addressed them both.

"You're both right in your own ways. There's no need to continue this fruitless argument"

She turned her gaze toward Collins, her voice tinged with confidence.

"Father-in-law, even though Anthony is late, I have no doubt he will arrive in time. And when he does, I believe he will surpass every expectation you've set for him with the training you've provided"

Collins remained silent, his furrowed brow the only indication of his lingering concerns.

In the end, he nodded curtly, and the matter seemed to settle for the moment.

They all agreed to wait until the time of departure the following day, recognizing there was little more they could do at this juncture.

Irene, who had remained silent throughout the exchange, let out a soft sigh as she watched the others.

There was nothing she could offer in the way of solutions.

All she could do was watch as they bickered over what was ultimately out of their control.

'As long as he is safe and sound, it doesn't matter'

Irene thought to herself, trying to quell the unease building within.

Though she understood the rationale behind Collins' words, after all, the advancement of the planet itself was at stake, and none of the world's powerhouses would take kindly to Anthony's failure to show up, she couldn't help but feel the weight of their collective concern.

It was true that their own cultivation had grown significantly faster, a result of the strange fruit Anthony had provided them.

They had agreed not to press him about its origins, but it didn't stop them from attempting to glean any information they could.

So far, their efforts had yielded nothing.

Another sigh escaped Irene's lips as she resolved to step away from the discussion. She could always retreat to her chambers to gather her thoughts.

But before she could even rise from her seat, she felt it.

She wasn't the only one.

All of them felt it.

A subtle shift, the very fabric of space bending around them.

Their auras remained calm, but a shared awareness filled the room, an unspoken understanding that whatever was approaching would not be met with fear, only readiness.

None of them moved, confident in their ability to handle whatever threat emerged.

They remained perfectly still, awaiting the unknown.

Then, as if materializing from the very air itself, a figure appeared.

Tall, with a flawless physique, eyes like blue gems that seemed to glow with an otherworldly light, hair as white as snow, and a face that was both handsome and serene.

His aura was as tranquil as the still surface of a lake, exuding an unmistakable calmness and mastery.

Anthony had returned.