MIGHT AS WELL BE OP Chapter 992: A Lie

Right now, the group had all made their way back to the floating cloud, where they hovered while chatting among themselves. The intense feelings sparked by Lucian's backlash had faded away, and conversations flowed casually once more. All that was left was waiting for Aaaninja to stir, and already more than three hours had slipped by since his collapse.

Still, no one fretted too much over his situation, because Anthony had assured them everything was fine, so it must be. Aaaninja was merely out cold, and with seven hours still ticking on the clock from Anthony's earlier estimate, they just needed to hold out a bit longer.

"Come on, spill it about that ability you pulled off—how in the world did you come up with something like that?" Vega pressed Lucian, who sat close by as the wait for Aaaninja dragged on.

"Yeah, tell us. Now that Anthony and Aaaninja can pull you back from the brink, are you planning to unleash it again?" Veronica jumped in, her earlier tears and sorrow forgotten as curiosity gripped the group over Lucian's mysterious power.

"And that book? It was all fuzzy, but you scribbled in it, and boom—Aaaninja's head was gone," Aura Nova added her voice to the mix.

In that instant, Altheria stood out as the sole young woman staying silent, positioned right next to Aaaninja's limp form, her eyes fixed on him with raw affection and deep feeling. How could she care about some silly power when the man she loved lay senseless right there?

Lucian let out a heavy sigh, a pounding ache building in his head from the barrage of questions from the girls. Though Anthony and Kingsley hadn't grilled him on that final technique, their interest matched the others' just as keenly, and even the elders tuned in with quiet, undeniable focus.

He had no idea how to respond without spilling the real story behind the ability. Aaaninja could perhaps share the truth of his own power, but Lucian's was a whole different beast, carrying its own risks and ripples.

"Sigh... I can't really explain it, because even I was in the dark about the ability's inner workings until I activated it. And right now, with it dormant, I've got zero solid grasp on it. When I wielded it, everything clicked, but without it active, the details just vanish from my mind," Lucian chose to fib instead of clamming up entirely amid the relentless prodding.

Naturally, at their power level, these folks could spot dishonesty through sheer instinct alone, no special skills required, and they even had techniques to outright sniff out falsehoods. Yet, just like them, Lucian wielded a skill that spun his deceptions into seeming truths and cloaked realities as fakes, muddling the line between genuine and made-up.

As for where that skill came from, Lucian had borrowed the idea from Anthony, who had sported a comparable one back in the book's early chapters during his debut Impossible Mission at the Star Academy.

So, nearly all bought into his tale, but sharp ones like Anthony with his All Seeing Eyes, Vega through her Eyes Of The Universe, Amara via her Cause and Effect power, and Klaus with his bottomless insight pierced the deception effortlessly—yet they kept mum, knowing full well that personal abilities were sacred aces up one's sleeve.

Aura Nova and the others took Lucian's word since the ruse fooled them, but the questions kept flying. "Still, why hold back against Anthony? Remember how lopsided your clash with him got—why skip this power to flip the script?" Aura Nova wondered aloud, her thirst for answers overriding her rivalry for once.

Lucian heaved another sigh before answering, "I've been clear from the start: beating Anthony is a lost cause. Aaaninja was my real target, that's why I held the ability for him instead, and mostly because it's a one-shot deal," he laid out steadily, even as his gaze hinted at layers unspoken.

His explanation stunned the crowd for a beat, yet nods of realization rippled through. A force that potent demanded his life as payment, so it made sense he'd never pull it off again. Plus, if Lucian could spam something like that at will, wouldn't they all be doomed from the jump?

"But the biggest reason I skipped it on Anthony? Deep down, I sense that no matter its strength, it probably wouldn't land on him," Lucian wrapped up with conviction, his voice steady and free of hype or hesitation, oddly assured.

That statement made nearly everyone halt once more, unable to shake the sense that Lucian overhyped Anthony way too much. Even Aura Nova thought so, pondering why such a power wouldn't faze him—what monster did Lucian see in Anthony?

Unbeknownst to the rest, though, the ability would fizzle against more than just Anthony—it'd fail on Vega, Klaus, and Amara too. But those three held their tongues, unwilling to bare their bloodline secrets for a quick ego boost or spotlight.

"What a letdown. If only you could fire it off again, I'd love to watch how Anthony dodges or endures it," Aura Nova remarked with a sigh, equal parts bummed and hooked on the what-ifs that stayed out of reach.

Smiles broke across faces at her comment, everyone sharing that itch to witness Anthony's counter and grasp why Lucian always elevated him like an unbreakable barrier.

Though Aura Nova fell quiet after that, her thoughts raced wildly, plotting ways to mimic the ability herself. Even so, she questioned her odds—her own power seemed too narrow and weak to grasp or copy something so vast, defying reason and standard limits.

She shifted her eyes to Lucian and said, "Oh, and congrats on the victory. Looks like you've nailed your big reason for showing up here," her words blending genuine warmth with a hint of rivalry.

Lucian grinned back, replying, "Thanks," a sly curl tugging at his lips. Aaaninja passing out while rescuing him didn't dim the thrill of triumph one bit—after all, he'd dreamed of this for three endless years, running through victory after victory in his head.

Yet he couldn't afford to slack off; during the bout, everyone had surged ahead at insane speeds, transforming beyond belief, and he was sure Aaaninja wouldn't swallow this defeat lightly, not after being driven to the edge like that.