MIGHT AS WELL BE OP Chapter 8: Talk with parents

"You truly are my little monster, aren't you?" his father chuckled. Anthony replied, "I could have pushed for a higher rank, but I didn't want to risk damaging my Foundation. Besides, I was dividing my time between magic and the sword, so I wasn't focused solely on Cultivation."

His parents were pleased by their son's wisdom in maintaining a proper balance. However, the mood in the room suddenly grew heavy.

"Since you have increased your rank, there are matters you must understand, as you will soon be sent out into the world," his father stated with a stern expression. His mother’s face also darkened with gravity.

The father began his explanation. "I am certain you are aware of the demons and the monsters we battle on a daily basis, so I will skip that. Instead, I will discuss something you won't find in the library books you've read."

"Something else?" Anthony asked curiously.

"The Forsaken Cult," his mother revealed.

Anthony had never heard of the Forsaken Cult, so he remained silent and listened intently.

"They are a coalition of various races who have pledged themselves to the demons to facilitate the world's destruction. They have existed for two million years now. Other cults existed before them, and while we always managed to eradicate them, a new group inevitably arises to take their place. They are as relentless as the demons themselves," his father explained.

"Their primary methods are assassination, slaughter, and theft. They aim to topple powerful houses and snuff out rising talents. They are involved in trafficking, kidnapping, and the enslavement of children to bolster their own ranks," his mother added.

"Do you understand why I am sharing this with you?" the father asked, waiting for his son's acknowledgment.

Anthony reflected for a moment before answering, "To remain vigilant. To never trust blindly and to never let my guard down."

"Correct! It gladdens me that my son understands. There is no room for mercy on the battlefield, Anthony. A split second of hesitation means death. Never check your sword; never halt your magic. Always press the attack."

"I once had a companion—my best friend, in fact—whom I trusted with my life. For seventy years, we faced every hardship together. We never faltered and always emerged victorious. Yet, I was betrayed. It turned out he had been a member of the Forsaken Cult from the start. His sole mission was to infiltrate my inner circle and earn my trust. On the day of his betrayal, we fought to the death. After I slaughtered all the accomplices he brought to kill me, we both perished on that battlefield."

Anthony’s mind reeled. Father died? he thought in shock, but before he could speak, his father continued.

"However, your grandmother intervened and restored my life. Your grandfather arrived just in time to bring my body to your mother, who utilized a specific skill to resurrect me. My own father had warned me just as I am warning you now, but I failed to listen and paid the ultimate price."

"That is how the rumors started regarding your mother possessing a skill to revive the dead. She denied everything, and as time passed, people grew skeptical, though no one truly knows the answer."

"The lesson is this: do not trust anyone who is not bound by a loophole-free mana contract or by blood. Do not pay the same price I did."

Anthony was lost in thought. He had suspected that some people would side with the demons—it seemed inevitable given a seven-million-year invasion—but his father's story was unexpected. A best friend spending seventy years on a deep-cover mission was a staggering concept; in his previous life, seventy years was an entire lifetime.

Finally, he looked at his father and bowed deeply. "I will not fail the Patriarch."

It was the first time he addressed his father as the Patriarch, recognizing the gravity of the moment and responding with the appropriate formality.

His parents smiled and questioned him about his training. After he answered, they insisted on filling his space ring with resources like potions, which he later moved into his system inventory.

Back in his room, he settled his mind and began strategizing his next move.

He had intended to take things slowly, but it appeared the difficulty was set to 'abysmal' from the start. He realized that for the demons to persist for seven million years, they had to be more than just common pests. He sighed, yet his resolve remained unshaken.

I've already reached A-rank, he thought. I wonder if I can identify the one who cursed me.

Sitting down, he triggered his Omniscient skill to search for his curser. His consciousness expanded, viewing the world from a high vantage point as he filtered for the information he sought. He glimpsed a hazy figure inside a coffin, radiating a dense, dark aura that appeared to exceed the SSS-rank. While he couldn't pinpoint the exact rank, it was definitely beyond that level. He recognized the nature of that dark energy: 'Chaos,' the signature of demons and those who trade their souls for power.

He attempted to get a clearer image, but his current mana rank limited the full authority of the skill. He deactivated it with a sigh, having expected such a hurdle. Then, a new idea struck him: he would use the All-Seeing Eyes.

Activating the All-Seeing Eyes, he peered into the past. Watching the events unfold from a third-person perspective, he saw it—the same coffin and the same individual.

The culprit was a human belonging to the Forsaken Cult. As the person's identity and data flooded his mind, he ended the skill.

It turned out the individual who cursed him was currently suffering from a severe backlash and was trapped in a deep sleep. He had sealed himself away to prevent further damage to his soul.

The question of why he was cursed still lingered; such a thing doesn't happen without a reason.

He activated the All-Seeing Eyes once more, delving further into the past to the moment the man conceived the plan. There, the truth was revealed. This was the same man who had sent his father's best friend on that seventy-year mission. When the mission failed and the "friend" died while the father survived, the man sought vengeance. He had raised his father's best friend like a son, purposely avoiding the sale of his soul so the boy could use normal mana and infiltrate the family undetected.

(This was a common tactic of the Forsaken Cult; not all members sold their souls, allowing them to use standard mana and move freely in society.)

The man had placed the curse on Anthony just one week after his birth. Ten years later, the man suffered a backlash from the curse that caused his lifespan to plummet. To survive, he used an Ancient-rank artifact, similar to the one used for the curse, to seal himself in stasis.

Anthony was stunned. The mastermind behind his father's near-death experience had been alive all this time, hidden from the world.

Anthony’s eyes turned icy. You had better stay in that coffin and wait for me, he thought grimly. I'm coming to collect what is owed. With that final thought, he drifted off to sleep.