MIGHT AS WELL BE OP

Chapter 1198: Thank You!!!

Anthony and the team continued the card game as they discussed various other matters amongst themselves. But as they talked, Seraphim asked a question as though she had seen through the real reason why Anthony was visiting them in the first place.

“So, Anthony, can I ask why you came to visit us? For some reason, I don’t think you came here for no reason at all,” Seraphim asked as her green eyes rose to meet Anthony’s sky-blue ones.

Hearing Seraphim’s words, both Dale and Reynold paused for a brief moment before continuing their movements. Although they were surprised by Seraphim’s words, they weren’t too surprised, as they had guessed as much all along, but they simply weren’t certain.

“It seems you guys guessed as much all along,” Anthony spoke with a sigh.

“We had some idea, but nothing concrete,” Reynold replied as he sat in a lotus position on the ground.

Anthony stayed silent for a moment before speaking. “I’m leaving,” he said, his tone flat and direct.

Seraphim, Dale, and Reynold paused again as they heard the words that had just left Anthony’s mouth. Their minds spun with countless thoughts and calculations as they silently tried to process what they had just heard.

“So you really are leaving the Military,” Dale stated, his tone noticeably lower than before.

“Not just the Military, but the Acarnis Galaxy itself,” Anthony corrected the Vampire’s assumption.

Anthony’s words caused another wave of silence, but this time it was a much heavier one as their mouths hung open in complete disbelief. They were no longer oblivious to the existence of other Galaxies as they had been in the past. After all, far too much had happened over the past months for them to remain ignorant.

“Are you heading to the God’s Galaxy? Is there something in particular you are looking for there?” Reynold asked as his thoughts instinctively drifted toward another Lower Galaxy instead of an Upper Galaxy.

Anthony shook his head as he began to speak. “You guys remember our first mission together, right? The Executioner guy who came from a Higher Galaxy but only came down here because he was running from something,” he asked.

The trio nodded as they remembered it vividly. How could they not? Seraphim had died during that mission and had only been brought back to life through the Soulpen Sovereign’s pen. It was a memory that had long since engraved itself into each of their minds.

“That’s the type of Galaxy I’m going to, an Upper Galaxy,” Anthony clarified as he went on to explain things about the Ascension and everything related to it. He also explained that both the Demon King and God were searching for ways to force their own Ascension, which was one of the major reasons behind the previous war that had just ended with their deaths.

The more he spoke, the more Dale, Seraphim, and Reynold felt as though their jaws were going to hit the ground. After Anthony finished explaining everything, it took them quite a while before they finally returned to their senses.

Anthony had decided there was nothing to hide regarding the Upper Galaxies. The more people who knew about them, the better. He could only guess whether the top-tier races within the Acarnis Galaxy, such as the Celestial Race, already knew about the Ascension. If they didn’t, then that would be Aaaninja’s responsibility to inform them when the time came.

“I know this is selfish to ask, but I’m going to ask anyway,” Dale spoke. “Can we come too?” His question was direct as he made no attempt to beat around the bush.

Anthony shook his head as he replied, “It is possible to bring people with me, but I’m not taking anyone with me.” He paused for a moment before continuing. “For one, getting to the Upper Galaxies resets my strength, meaning I might become nothing more than a Mortal Rank when I get there, so I won’t be able to protect any of you. Secondly, although this sounds harsh, it’s the reality: you guys don’t have the potential to reach the Planetary Level. With talent like that, how do you expect to train and fight up there when you haven’t even completely dominated things down here?”

Anthony’s words sounded sharp, but he was simply speaking bluntly instead of sugar-coating the truth. Sometimes the truth hurt precisely because it needed to be heard.

Hearing Anthony’s words, they could only remain silent as they knew deep down they could never reach the Planetary Level. They understood better than anyone how sluggish their own cultivation and training had been over the years. Although they still improved, the rate of that improvement was painfully slow, especially when compared to Anthony’s incomprehensible growth.

“Besides, Dale, if I remember correctly, you have wives and children here,” Anthony continued speaking. “Are you planning on abandoning them the first chance you get?” His voice rose above its normal volume for only a fraction of a second before returning to its usual calmness.

Although parents abandoned their children for various reasons, Anthony was not someone who could ever do such a thing. Even if he had the opportunity to Ascend or pursue greater heights, he would willingly delay it until his own child was old enough and strong enough to survive without depending on him.

“When do you leave?” Seraphim asked calmly.

“In a month,” Anthony replied just as calmly.

“What about Vega, Spectre, Clement, and the rest?” Reynold asked.

“They’re coming too. Kingsley as well. It’s up to them when they decide to come and say their goodbyes to you guys,” Anthony answered truthfully.

“Everyone is leaving, huh?” Seraphim asked rhetorically. Her mind couldn’t help but drift back to the very first time they had met Anthony, how he had immediately become the team captain, and how he had casually demonstrated that he possessed every single elemental affinity. Looking back now, perhaps all the signs had been there from the very beginning.

With that, she rose to her feet with a gentle smile before immediately making a full ninety-degree bow as she spoke, “Thank you for everything you’ve done for me and everyone else thus far. Because of you, we were able to become Colonels, a Military Rank that would have taken us decades to achieve on our own. Thank you!!!” Her words were completely sincere, carrying gratitude that came from the bottom of her heart.

Dale and Reynold also rose to their feet before bowing as well. Neither of them spoke a single word because Seraphim had already expressed everything they wished to say. Although they were deeply saddened that Anthony was leaving, they also understood the harsh reality.

At the end of the day, they were being held back by the limits of their own talent. Unless they stumbled upon some ancient ruin, inherited an unimaginable legacy, or obtained a heaven-defying artifact capable of rewriting their destiny, there was simply nothing they could do about it, and they had long since come to terms with that fact.