MIGHT AS WELL BE OP Chapter 896: Five

"Let’s drop this gloomy subject and start our trek to the ramen timeline already," Aura Nova declared, her hand sweeping through the air as if to physically brush the topic aside. There was no point in dwelling on her romantic struggles, especially with far more thrilling prospects on the horizon.

As she spoke, every head turned naturally toward Aaaninja. He remained unruffled by their expectations and gave a simple nod. "To start, I won't be able to bring everyone along," he stated flatly.

His admission caused another heavy silence to fall over the group. They stared at him, bewildered, as the excitement that had been surging just moments ago came to a grinding halt.

"What do you mean you can’t take all of us?" Lucian questioned, lifting an eyebrow. "Is it not possible to just tear open a portal and have the whole group cross over at once?"

Letting out a heavy sigh, Aura Nova didn't hide her disappointment. "Why even bring it up if you couldn't bring the whole team?" she grumbled, her enthusiasm for her first timeline excursion shriveling like a plant without water.

Altheria stepped forward before Aaaninja could defend himself, her voice steady and poised. "Could everyone please let him finish his thought before assuming the worst?" she suggested softly. Even though Aaaninja claimed he couldn't take everyone, she never doubted for a second that they would all reach their destination eventually.

The group went still. For a brief second, their eyes remained on Altheria before the silence returned. Without saying more, they turned their attention back to Aaaninja, waiting for his clarification.

"My original plan was to go there alone with Altheria as a date," Aaaninja admitted candidly. "However, since the whole group was gathered, I decided to include you all. I'm fairly certain none of you have experienced crossing into a different timeline before." He paused for a beat before adding, "But as it stands, I can only transport about five people. We are entering an entirely different timeline. Even I don't have the power to bring an endless crowd as if I owned the place."

He concluded his explanation with a faint sigh.

Once more, silence reigned. Then, one by one, the others nodded in understanding. Aaaninja’s reasoning was logical. The mere act of crossing into another timeline solo was a legendary feat. It was debatable if even the Spirit King himself could achieve such a thing with such ease.

"So... who is on your list?" Kingsley inquired, his flat tone and calm expression as unchanging as ever.

Lucian beat Aaaninja to the punch. "Is there even a point in asking?" he remarked dryly. "He mentioned five people. It's obvious he’s going to leave Anthony and me behind while the rest of you go with him."

Aaaninja looked toward Lucian, a thin smile playing on his lips. "You understand me far too well," he noted.

Shaking his head with a sigh, Lucian decided to stop arguing.

"Why are they being left out?" Aura Nova asked, her face twisted in confusion. She truly didn't grasp the logic behind the decision.

"They are capable of making the trip on their own," Aaaninja clarified calmly. "Lucian possesses an ability known as Reality Anchor. He used it to fix a specific law into existence, ensuring that whenever Anthony and I are together, he can manifest before us instantly." He paused again before looking toward the other man. "As for Anthony..." His rainbow-hued, clock-like eyes locked onto him. "I'm not entirely sure how, but I'm confident he will find his way across regardless."

Aaaninja still remembered the events of the Starborn Tournament, where Anthony had somehow traveled seventeen years into the past. Though the mechanics of how Anthony achieved it remained a mystery, that knowledge alone convinced him that a timeline crossing was well within Anthony's power.

"You certainly have a lot of confidence in me," Anthony teased, returning Aaaninja’s look with a grin.

Aaaninja offered no reply. His gaze simply bypassed Anthony to sweep over the rest of the group. "Therefore, I will be taking my girlfriend, Altheria, along with Aura Nova, Veronica, Vega, and Kingsley."

"In that case, we'll see you on the other side," Lucian said, sighing. Personally, he didn't have a specific skill for independent timeline travel yet. 'Perhaps I can develop one?' he mused. Just because his specialty was mimicking skills didn't mean he lacked the creative spark to forge something original.

With a nod toward Anthony and Lucian, Aaaninja turned back to those he was taking. With a mere thought, mana surged from his frame like an invisible gale. A moment later, time particles began to vibrate as if stirred by his very presence. These particles immediately swirled around everyone except for Anthony and Lucian.

Anthony and Lucian simply stood by and watched the process.

The glowing time particles spiraled around the group as the surrounding environment began to warp. Their physical forms started to fade slowly, looking as though they were being wiped from the fabric of reality. Instinctively, they all shut their eyes as the sensation took hold. A second later, they felt a profound, vast, and incomprehensible presence surrounding them. Their eyes flew open.

Flowing before them was a river unlike any they had ever imagined, shimmering with every conceivable color. Countless images danced within its waters—fragments of the past, the present, and unknown futures flickering by in a blur.

"Is this..." Aura Nova’s voice trailed off in sheer amazement, but Vega finished the thought before she could. "The River of Time."

The group stood frozen.

Expressions of shock, disbelief, and wonder took over as they gazed at the river. They slowly turned to look at Aaaninja, marvelling at how he had managed to bring them to such a place. It was common knowledge that only one River of Time existed to govern the universe, the multiverse, and every reality beyond.

Aura Nova and Vega recognized it for different reasons. Aura Nova had consumed enough novels to identify such a legendary phenomenon. Vega, on the other hand, had received the information through her Eyes Of The Universe the moment they arrived.

Instinctively, Aura Nova’s mana began to stir as she tried to trigger her Omniedit ability. However, Aaaninja’s voice cut through the air sharply before she could act.

"Don't," he commanded. "Not if you wish to stay alive. This place is not the Tear in Reality. You must learn to restrain your curiosity." His voice was pitched higher than normal, serving as a clear warning. Aura Nova nodded instantly, pulling back her mana without a word of protest. She knew better than to test the River of Time after such a stern caution.

'Could my father or mother even set foot in a place like this?' Vega wondered to herself. Deep down, she already understood the truth.

They could not.

This was the first time Aaaninja had ever escorted anyone—especially those from the outside world—into this realm. The River of Time itself was aiding him in moving the five of them. Without its direct cooperation, he would have only been able to bring Altheria, just as he had first intended.