MIGHT AS WELL BE OP

Chapter 507: Genetic Expert

”Why didn’t you say anything until now?”

Kingsley asked, a hint of frustration in his voice. He had hoped, at the very least, to train under a Supreme Monarch, to sharpen his battle instincts and deepen his control over his Concept.

”What was there to say? Would it have changed anything about who I am?”

Anthony replied, his tone calm and composed.

”You could have said something.”

Seraphim interjected with a sigh, still processing the weight of the revelation.

Anthony shrugged lightly, a faint smile playing on his lips.

”You never asked. If you’d inquired about my full name, you would have known. There was never anything to hide.”

But Kingsley and the rest of the team couldn’t really be blamed, after all, everyone here went by their first names and military rank. No one had reason to dig deeper.

Off to the side, the initial shock in Dale’s eyes had long vanished, replaced by a wide, almost sinister grin.

”Why are you grinning like a deranged villain?”

Reynold, standing beside him, asked with a mix of suspicion and amusement.

Dale burst into laughter. ”You’re missing the bigger picture here! Before, we just needed to cling to his coattails. But now? Now we have to hold on for dear life. This is our shortcut to ascension!”

He continued between bouts of laughter.

”And since he’s staying as our team captain, our futures are practically secured! Hahahaha!”

Spectre and Clement exchanged puzzled glances as they watched Dale’s outburst.

With a weary sigh, Reynold offered an explanation.

”He’s always like this, constantly scheming for a quicker path up the military ranks. He tends to forget that none of it matters if he ends up dead on the battlefield.”

Spectre and Clement nodded in understanding. After all, was there anyone in this world with more connections than Anthony?

With either of his parents serving as the Supreme Monarch stationed on this military base, Anthony intended to leverage their authority to save Clement and Spectre from their miserable circumstances.

Moreover, he was fully aware that his recent accomplishments, saving the soldiers and the entire Logistics Department, would soon earn him a promotion.

With that in mind, Anthony planned to have everyone promoted alongside him, consolidating them into a single, unified team.

He had the connections, so why not make full use of them?

Had he ever relied on his parents’ influence or connections since his reincarnation?

In his previous life, he understood the value of connections and had tried to forge as many as possible, but what meaningful ties could someone at his level truly form?

Although this was a military structure, he was confident that with the right words, he could persuade them, especially his mother.

After all, had he ever asked her for anything?

If this was to be his first real request, they would grant it. Of that, he was certain.

”So, tell us, how you’ve been groomed since birth to inherit the mantle of a Supreme Monarch.”

Reynold said with a grin, settling beside Anthony as if anticipating some grand tale of ruthless training and impossible expectations.

”Is that the secret behind your strength?”

Dale chimed in, taking a seat on Anthony’s other side, his tone a mix of curiosity and expectations.

Anthony’s lips twitched slightly, he didn’t even know how to respond.

Groomed?

From birth until his awakening at age ten, he had lived a life of comfort and indulgence, surrounded by luxury and ease. When he did attempt to train on his own, the very people who were supposedly meant to ”groom” him shut it down before he could even begin.

Even after his awakening, life remained effortless, aided by his system and an arsenal of overpowered cheats.

A hard life?

He couldn’t relate.

Anthony could only sigh and speak the truth, there was nothing to be ”groomed.”

He saw the spark of excitement fade from his teammates’ eyes, but he refused to fabricate some dramatic tale just to satisfy their fantasies.

And just like that, Clement and Spectre, monstrous geniuses in their own right, were momentarily forgotten as the group swarmed Anthony with a flood of questions about his parents and grandparents.

After all, it wasn’t every day you met someone personally connected to beings of such stature.

...Well, except in their case, it was every day.

Even with his cultivation rank, enhanced physique, powerful bloodline, and remarkable regeneration, Anthony felt his throat go dry from the endless barrage of questions.

When was the last time I even felt thirst?

He wondered, mildly amused, as he purchased water from the system.

Not that his teammates cared. Their curiosity remained insatiable, and the questions kept coming without pause.

Even Kingsley, the supposed favored son of the universe, chimed in occasionally, tossing in a question here and there like a curious bystander who couldn’t help himself.

”So, Anthony... do you have a fiancée yet?”

Reynold asked with a mischievous smile, his gaze fixed on Anthony.

Anthony’s eyes narrowed at the question, his mind spinning. He vaguely recalled Dale mentioning, on more than one occasion, that Reynold had slept with both male and female phoenixes.

Just as he opened his mouth to respond, Reynold continued smoothly.

”I have a sister, beautiful, talented. I’m sure you two would make a perfect match.”

At those words, Anthony exhaled a quiet breath of relief. For a fleeting moment, he’d genuinely thought Reynold was offering himself.

”Hmph. Your genes don’t even align properly.”

Dale interjected, crossing his arms with mock seriousness.

”In case you didn’t know, human genes are most compatible with vampire genes.”

He immediately launched into a spirited pitch about his three sisters, casually suggesting that Anthony could marry all of them at once.

Reynold let out a snort as he spoke.

”Since when did you become an expert in genetics and interspecies compatibility?”

”It’s common knowledge. Basic genetic facts, everyone knows this little detail.”

Dale shot back with a snort of his own.

The two continued bickering back and forth, completely ignoring Anthony, who sat there watching the exchange in silence, his opinion, it seemed, irrelevant in the face of their matchmaking enthusiasm.

Anthony watched in quiet amusement as the two men shamelessly offered up their sisters in exchange for power and connection.

In a world like Blue Planet, it wasn’t exactly surprising. In fact, he had little doubt their sisters would gladly agree, if they knew the weight of the name behind him.

His gaze shifted to Seraphim.

’Would she offer herself for power too?’

He wondered, studying her quietly.

But Seraphim made no such moves. Through his All Seeing Eyes, Anthony could perceive her emotions with perfect clarity.

Aside from the initial wave of shock she’d felt earlier as a result of the revelation, the only emotion she showed now was quiet reverence for his parents and grandparents.

Nothing more.

Off to the side, Kingsley now sat in calm silence, his expression unreadable, almost as if Anthony’s lineage no longer concerned him in the slightest.

Anthony couldn’t help but glance his way, remembering clearly how Kingsley had once annihilated his own Sky Family using nothing but his bare fists.

Ruthless and resolute.

If not for that, who’s to say he wouldn’t have sealed this so-called ’brotherhood’ once and for all, with a woman... or perhaps women from his family?