MIGHT AS WELL BE OP

Chapter 459: Checkmate

”I must admit” Anthony said with an air of serene detachment, seated midair as if the very void bowed to his presence, ”family dramas and betrayals, they never fail to entertain. No matter the world”

Corporal Danielʼs gaze lingered on Anthony for several moments before he finally spoke, his voice edged with disbelief.

”What are you doing here?”

Anthony met his eyes with a faint, amused smile. ”Isnʼt it obvious?” he replied coolly. ”Iʼm enjoying the spectacle of a family drama”

His gaze then shifted to the remains of Colonel Vazeryth, now little more than a dissolving puddle of flesh and bone.

The poison had consumed everything: mana, vitality, muscle, and marrow. Such a vile, insidious toxin… truly merciless in its purpose.

”A being who has touched the Exarch Rank is exceedingly rare” Anthony remarked, his voice calm yet laced with intrigue. ”And yet you, Corporal Daniel, managed to kill one, despite only being at Paragon Level 1. Such a feat defies reason. Truly, a deed worthy of reward from the heavens themselves”

His eyes drifted once more to the disintegrated remains of Colonel Vazeryth.

Danielʼs expression hardened, his stance shifting ever so slightly. ”What do you want?” he asked, his tone sharp, his eyes fixed warily on Anthonyʼs every movement.

”Oh, me?” Anthony responded with a hint of feigned innocence. ”I require nothing at all. My attention was fixed on the Severed Crown of Echoes, I hadnʼt anticipated such a dramatic twist in the plot”

His gaze shifted to Corporal Daniel, a curious glint in his eyes.

”But thereʼs something I fail to understand” he continued, his tone thoughtful yet edged with quiet disdain. ”Why did you betray him? The man took you under his wing, offered you a position far from the blood-soaked chaos of the battlefield. I imagine you reaped numerous benefits, both directly and indirectly, through his influence. And yet… you ended his life”

Anthony paused, letting the weight of his words settle.

”All because he chose not to spend his hard-earned military merit to force your breakthrough? To elevate your cultivation rank and hand you a higher post?” Anthony shook his head slightly.

”You wouldnʼt understand!” Corporal Daniel snapped, his voice rising with emotion.

”For years, I did nothing but grunt work, nothing but follow his every command, at his beck and call!”

Anthony raised an eyebrow, utterly unbothered. ”And? Isnʼt that exactly what was expected of you?” he replied coolly. ”The grunt work. The loyalty. The obedience. Had he not taken you under his wing, you wouldʼve died long ago on some nameless mission”

He exhaled, a sigh laced with disappointment slipping through his lips.

”People usually betray others for grand ideals, for power, for revolution, for a future worth burning bridges for. But you? You betrayed him because you lacked the talent to rise on your own. And instead of facing that truth, you blamed the one man who carried you through the aftermath of your downfall”

”HAHAHAHAHA!” Corporal Daniel erupted into maniacal laughter, the sound echoing with bitterness.

”Of course you wouldnʼt understand! Someone like you, born with everything, handed power and prestige without even asking and ever needing to lift a finger, you could never comprehend my suffering!”

Anthony remained composed, his tone unshaken. ”Suffering, is it?” He tilted his head slightly, eyes gleaming with quiet amusement.

”And a point of correction: I wasnʼt given anything, I asked for it. Thatʼs precisely why I have it”

Danielʼs expression twisted with rage. ”It doesnʼt matter what you say. Words wonʼt change a thing. I suppose itʼs time I complete my second mission”

With that, he drew his twin short swords, the air around him thickening as his killing intent surged, rising like a black tide, pressing against the sky itself.

Anthonyʼs gaze lingered on Corporal Daniel, steady and unreadable, before he finally spoke.

”Hoo… so Iʼm your second mission” he said, voice laced with amusement.

”I donʼt know whether your orders were to kill me or bring me back alive, but tell me, arenʼt you being just a little delusional?”

He took a step forward, the weight of his presence alone pressing against the air.

”A beginning-stage Paragon cultivator challenging someone at the peak of the Ecliptic stage? Thatʼs not courage, Daniel. Thatʼs madness dressed as ambition. You donʼt even qualify to die by my sword” he added coldly”

Anthony still made no move to draw his katana. He didnʼt need to. His gaze alone was sharper than steel, and his silence more lethal than blades.

ʼWhat is he planning?ʼ

Anthonyʼs thoughts stirred as he kept his eyes on Corporal Daniel. There wasnʼt a shred of belief in him that Daniel was foolish enough to truly think he could win in a direct confrontation.

No, this wasnʼt blind arrogance. It was preparation.

ʼHe knows he canʼt defeat me. Which means... he has something up his sleeveʼ

Anthonyʼs gaze narrowed, aura subtly shifting.

ʼWhatever tool or technique heʼs been granted... I canʼt allow him the chance to activate itʼ

Corporal Daniel moved with sudden, violent speed, his form blurring as he appeared directly before Anthony.

Without hesitation, his first short sword lunged forward, aiming straight for Anthonyʼs throat with lethal intent.

Anthony didnʼt even bother to block. With effortless grace, he sidestepped the strike, the blade slicing through empty air.

But Daniel pressed on relentlessly, flowing seamlessly into his next attack. His second short sword arced swiftly toward Anthonyʼs abdomen.

Anthony leaned back just half a step, evading the slash with casual ease, his expression betraying no sign of strain.

ʼIs there something Iʼm missing?ʼ

Anthonyʼs mind raced as he observed every move Corporal Daniel made, the twitch of a muscle, the rhythm of his breath, the flicker of his eyes.

He took in it all, dodging each strike with effortless calm and fluid grace.

He searched for the hidden thread, the secret weapon Daniel must be relying on, but found nothing.

ʼCould he really be this delusional?ʼ

As Anthony shifted again, the short sword sliced past his face, mere centimeters away, the cold edge whispering through the air.

ʼHe might be buying time. It doesnʼt matterʼ

Anthonyʼs mind made a swift decision.

ʼI need to end this before whatever heʼs planning can come to fruitionʼ

He refused to wait and risk the unknown, there were too many unpredictable techniques and skills in the world.

With a flicker of thought, the Colonelʼs space ring, still worn on Corporal Danielʼs finger, vanished in an instant and appeared in Anthonyʼs palm before slipping quietly into his systemʼs inventory.

Then, Anthonyʼs hand shot out with blinding speed, far beyond anything Corporal Daniel could track.

Before Daniel could even blink, his head was severed clean from his body.

Anthonyʼs eyes followed Corporal Danielʼs severed head as it soared upward, spinning through the air.

Then, to his shock, the expression on the disembodied face twisted into that same chilling grin, the very one Daniel had worn when confronting Colonel Vazeryth before his death.

Though no sound escaped the headless throat, Anthonyʼs sharp eyes caught the silent whisper, reading the lips clearly.

Checkmate

Before Anthony could even process the words, both his own body and Corporal Danielʼs corpse vanished without a trace.