MIGHT AS WELL BE OP Chapter 7: Training-2

Anthony stepped into a tranquil dimension filled with lush grass, towering trees, and the songs of birds. Closing his eyes, he drew in a deep breath of the crisp air; as he exhaled, he sensed the mana around him. It felt as though the energy was dancing and rejoicing at his presence, for this was the purest essence of all—primordial mana.

After surveying his surroundings, he adjusted the flow of time to a 1:5 ratio, meaning five years spent here would equate to only one year in the outside world. A glowing timer materialized in the sky, marking the beginning of his year-long journey.

He settled into a cross-legged position to begin his cultivation. The velocity at which he absorbed mana was startling; it swirled toward him like a relentless vortex. He felt a surge of gratitude toward the higher being for providing this divine realm. Had he attempted to cultivate like this outside, the sheer scale of the energy disturbance would have caused a massive uproar.

Within thirty minutes, he broke through to F rank. An hour later, he reached F+ rank. Stunned by the progress, he halted his cultivation to inspect his state.

Reaching the peak of F rank in a mere hour was beyond belief. Upon checking his foundation, he found it to be flawless. His unique physique had automatically constructed a perfect foundation for him, leaving him with nothing to do but focus on gathering power.

Closing his eyes once more, he steeled his resolve and poured his full strength into his cultivation. While the mana flowed, he accessed the vast knowledge stored within his bloodline and physique. He distributed this information across his two million mental compartments, though even that vast number struggled to process the sheer volume of data.

Time began to slip away, and eighteen months passed in the blink of an eye. When he finally emerged from his meditative state, he had ascended to B rank. Though several system notifications were waiting for him, he pushed them aside for later. He decided to review them once he exited the realm, though he had wisely assigned one of his mental compartments to handle the daily sign-in process so he wouldn't forfeit any rewards.

His progress might have been even swifter, but the higher his rank climbed, the more astronomical the mana requirements became. Because his physique and bloodline acted like bottomless black holes, cultivating in the outside world might have left him at a mere D- rank. To reach his current level, he needed to absorb volumes of mana that were simply outrageous. Typically, after a breakthrough, he possessed over a hundred times more mana than a standard cultivator of the same rank, and his strength was far superior due to the use of primordial mana.

However, this massive capacity was essentially rendered moot by his passive skill: Infinite Mana. Regardless, he remained indifferent to the redundancy.

One might wonder why he bothered to train at all if he possessed infinite mana. Why not simply spam high-level spells and skills? The answer lay in the limits of his soul and physical vessel.

Each breakthrough served to temper and nourish the body and the soul, thereby extending one's lifespan. Without that structural integrity, he could not simply unleash his power recklessly.

Satisfied with his current rank, he smiled and returned to his rigorous schedule. He began delving into the mountain of knowledge regarding the path of magic, integrating the theories into his body. He analyzed every element and mana particle down to their most basic building blocks, applying these insights to his spellcasting and his identity as a mage. The task seemed endless, but he persevered; he knew he couldn't simply become a god overnight. Another year and a half vanished during this study.

Taking a moment to breathe, he reflected on his former life as a lonely orphan who had worked himself to exhaustion. He had died without friends, only to be reborn here with a family that truly loved him. After a brief moment of reminiscing, he finished his meal and cleared his mind.

His only moments of reprieve were during meals or while bathing; otherwise, his training was relentless.

Following his bath, he realized the divine realm lacked a proper shelter, so he purchased a house from the system. Stepping out into a clearing, he unsheathed the sword his father had gifted him. Guided by the martial knowledge inherent in his physique, he began sword practice. As the months rolled by, he cycled through a variety of weapons: the sabre, the axe, the bow, daggers, short swords, staves, and spears. He mastered them all.

Initially, he had no intention of learning every weapon, but he felt it would be a waste to let the knowledge sit idle. He dedicated months to each discipline, using his mental compartments to constantly review the techniques as he practiced.

In what felt like a heartbeat, another year and a half was gone.

With only six months remaining, he turned his attention back to the untapped portions of his inherited knowledge. Though the information felt infinite, he did not complain. His perfect memory allowed him to internalize everything, weaving the knowledge into the very fabric of his being.

The final half-year passed, and he opened his eyes to find he had reached A+ rank. He had continued to cultivate even while reviewing his knowledge to ensure not a second was wasted. Standing up, he looked toward the sky and gave a respectful bow to the being that might be watching.

“It is time to depart,” he declared. He headed to the basement of his system-bought home and stood before a mirror. “I’ve certainly become more handsome,” he remarked, admiring his toned muscles and defined six-pack. He spent a moment shamelessly appreciating his own physique.

He then changed back into the clothes he had been wearing before entering the realm.

He examined the skills he had awakened upon his advancement. The higher being had placed restrictions on certain abilities, but he wasn't bothered. He hadn't asked for many skills to begin with, which was why he relied on the sign-in system to provide roughly 70% of his arsenal. Though it was a matter of luck—as the remaining 30% could technically outweigh the rest depending on his draws—he didn't dwell on the speculation.

He triggered his new ability: ‘Concealment’.

[Concealment: The host is able to mask his entire existence and all related traces, appearing as though he does not exist at all. This skill can also hide the host’s mana rank or alter it to a level of their choosing.]

(Note: Mana rank is synonymous with power rank.)

The moment the skill was active, his overwhelming aura vanished, replaced by the weak presence of an F- rank.

Next, he claimed another unlocked skill.

[Passive: Battle Experience: Grants the host the collective combat wisdom of every weapon master and mage known to him.]

A flood of combat instincts and tactical memories surged into his mind. It felt as though he had personally fought a thousand wars. His aura shifted again, taking on the subtle edge of a seasoned veteran.

This skill was meant to be paired with another, but it appeared the being had locked the second half. That had been his final wish when choosing the most beneficial system... “Tsk,” he clicked his tongue and exited the house. He then accepted two additional skills earned through his sign-ins.

[The All-Seeing Eyes: Permits the user to see through all things, including the past, the present, the future, illusions, and emotions. The limits of these eyes are defined only by the host's mastery. The ‘Mana Eyes’ skill has been automatically integrated into this ability.]

He was delighted; the eyes provided a suite of both active and passive benefits. It took him several minutes just to calibrate his vision to the new input.

[Infinite Regeneration: The host can heal instantly from any wound. This includes regenerating the head if decapitated or the heart if destroyed. The host can even reconstruct their body from the atomic level.]

He was genuinely stunned by this. He had become as unkillable as a cockroach. He could even use this to feign weakness and lure enemies into a false sense of security. A smirk played on his lips at the thought.

With a single thought, he vanished from the divine realm.