MIGHT AS WELL BE OP - Chapter 896

Chapter 896: Five
“Now, let us end this depressing topic and begin the journey to the ramen timeline already,” Aura Nova said, waving her hand dismissively as though physically pushing the subject away. There was no need to continue talking about her love life, especially when there were far more exciting things ahead.

At her words, everyone’s gaze instinctively shifted toward Aaaninja. He met their expectations calmly and simply nodded. “First of all, I can’t take everyone with me,” he said plainly.

His words triggered yet another wave of silence. The group stared at him in confusion, the anticipation that had been building only moments ago suddenly freezing in place.

“What do you mean you can’t take everyone with you?” Lucian asked, arching an eyebrow. “Can’t you just open a portal there and have us all cross over together?”

Aura Nova sighed loudly, disappointment evident on her face. “Why even suggest it in the first place if you couldn’t take everyone?” she muttered, her excitement about exploring a timeline for the first time withering away like an unwatered plant.

Before Aaaninja could respond, Altheria stepped forward, her tone calm and composed. “Can you all allow him to finish speaking before jumping to conclusions?” she said gently. Although Aaaninja had said he couldn’t take everyone, she had never once doubted that they would all eventually reach the timeline together.

Everyone paused. Their eyes lingered on Altheria for a brief moment before silence settled once more. Without another word, their gazes returned to Aaaninja as they decided to wait for his explanation.

“Initially, I wanted to go there with only Altheria as a date,” Aaaninja began honestly. “But since everyone was already here, I decided to involve all of you. I’m certain none of you have ever crossed into another timeline before.” He paused briefly before continuing. “However, right now, I can only take about five people with me. This is a timeline we’re crossing into. Even I can’t just bring an unlimited number of people and cross into it as though I own the place.”

He let out a quiet sigh at the end of his explanation.

Once again, silence followed. Then, slowly, everyone nodded. Aaaninja’s explanation was perfectly understandable. Being able to cross into a timeline alone was already an extraordinary feat. It was unknown whether even the Spirit King himself could accomplish something like that so casually.

“So… who are you taking?” Kingsley asked, his usual calm demeanor and flat tone unchanged.

Before Aaaninja could answer, Lucian spoke up first. “Do you even need to ask?” he said dryly. “He said five people. Obviously, he’ll be leaving Anthony and me behind while he leaves with the rest of you.”

Aaaninja’s eyes shifted toward Lucian, a small smile forming on his lips. “You know me far too well,” he replied.

Lucian sighed and shook his head, choosing not to speak further.

“Why are you leaving them behind?” Aura Nova asked, confusion flickering across her face. She genuinely couldn’t understand the reasoning.

“They’ll be able to make it by themselves,” Aaaninja explained calmly. “Lucian has an ability called Reality Anchor. He used it to anchor a specific law into reality, one that ensures whenever Anthony and I are together, he can instantly appear before us.” He paused briefly before continuing. “As for Anthony…” His rainbow-colored, clock-like eyes shifted toward him. “I’m not sure how, but I know he’ll cross over regardless.”

Aaaninja hadn’t forgotten what had happened during the Starborn Tournament, when Anthony had somehow gone seventeen years back in time. Even though he knew not how Anthony had done it, that knowledge alone was enough to convince him that crossing into another timeline would be well within Anthony’s capabilities.

“So much faith in me,” Anthony replied playfully, meeting Aaaninja’s gaze with a smile.

Aaaninja didn’t respond. His eyes simply moved past Anthony and settled on the rest of the group. “So, I’ll be taking my girlfriend, Altheria, Aura Nova, Veronica, Vega, and Kingsley.”

“We’ll meet you there, then,” Lucian said with a sigh. Personally, he didn’t possess any ability that allowed him to cross timelines on his own. ‘Maybe I can create one?’ he thought to himself. Just because he could copy skills and abilities didn’t mean he lacked the talent to create something entirely new.

Aaaninja nodded toward Anthony and Lucian before turning to the others. With a single thought, mana erupted from his body like an invisible storm. In the next instant, time particles trembled as though awakened by his presence. Without hesitation, those particles wrapped themselves around everyone except Anthony and Lucian.

Anthony and Lucian did nothing but watch.

The time particles coiled around the group, glowing faintly as the world around them began to distort. Slowly, their forms started to vanish, as though they were being erased from reality itself. Everyone instinctively closed their eyes as the sensation overtook them. The next second, they felt something profound around them, something vast and incomprehensible. Their eyes snapped open.

Before them flowed a river unlike anything they had ever seen, a river that shimmered with every color in existence. Images flickered endlessly within its currents, scenes of the past, present, and futures unknown flashing by in rapid succession.

“Is this…” Aura Nova’s lips parted as she murmured in absolute shock, but before she could finish her sentence, Vega spoke. “The River of Time.”

The group froze.

Shock, disbelief, and awe flooded their expressions as they stared at the river. Slowly, their gazes turned toward Aaaninja, wondering how he had managed to bring them here. It was common knowledge that only a single River of Time governed everything, the universe, the multiverse, and all realities beyond.

As for how Aura Nova and Vega recognized it, the reasons differed. Aura Nova had read far too many novels not to recognize such a legendary existence. As for Vega, her Eyes Of The Universe had already relayed the information to her the very moment she appeared.

Aura Nova’s mana stirred instinctively as she attempted to activate her Omniedit ability. But before she could, Aaaninja’s voice rang out sharply.

“Don’t,” he intoned. “If you want to remain alive, that is. This isn’t the Tear in Reality. Know how to keep your curiosity in check.” His tone was higher than usual, carrying unmistakable warning. Aura Nova immediately nodded, suppressing her mana without argument. She knew better than to challenge something like the River of Time after that warning.

‘Can father or mother even step into this place?’ Vega wondered silently. But deep down, she already knew the answer.

No.

For Aaaninja, this was the first time he had ever brought anyone, let alone people from the outside world, into this place. The River of Time itself was assisting him in transporting the five of them. Without its cooperation, only he and Altheria would have been able to make the journey, just as he had originally planned.