MIGHT AS WELL BE OP

Chapter 906: Different Definition Of The Peak

Everyone stepped out of the shop as soon as they were done with their payments. As usual, Broth-ben walked ahead of the group, his steps unhurried and calm, while Anthony and his friends followed a couple of steps behind him, their pace relaxed as they moved through the bustling surroundings.

”Aren’t you all abusing reality a bit too much?” Altheria spoke as she walked, her hand held firmly in Aaaninja’s as they moved side by side. Her tone carried mild disbelief mixed with curiosity. ”Aura Nova bent reality, Anthony manipulates reality, and Lucian outright deleted reality. Aren’t you three doing a bit too much just for paying a few spices?” she asked, glancing toward them as she continued walking.

”We merely used the methods available to us,” Aura Nova replied calmly as she shook her head. ”It isn’t as if we already had the spices stored away in our space rings and still went overboard.” She paused briefly before adding with a light laugh, ”Besides, you’re one to talk. Your boyfriend literally made the River of Time pay for him, so don’t even start lecturing us.” Her laughter rang softly as she joked, the mood remaining relaxed.

Veronica’s white eyes shifted toward Kingsley, who walked quietly without uttering a single word. ”What I don’t understand,” she began thoughtfully, ”is how you made your own payment. You don’t have any energy, no mana or anything like that, yet reality still bent, portals opened, and it rained spices, each one etched with your name.” Her words carried genuine confusion as she studied him.

Kingsley’s golden eyes turned toward her. He simply shook his head, clearly unwilling to explain. Everyone stared at him for a brief moment, but seeing that he had no intention of elaborating, they chose not to press him further.

’He truly is the Universe’s favorite child,’ Anthony mused silently as he walked with calm ease. Only he truly understood that the Universe itself had, quite literally, paid on Kingsley’s behalf.

’I wonder what overpowered martial abilities the author gave to this guy,’ Lucian thought as he continued walking. ’I suppose we’ll find out after we’re done with the Ramen Singularity Timeline.’ His thoughts briefly shifted toward the incoming battle that awaited them once this peculiar journey was complete.

”So, Broth-ben, tell us about yourself,” Aura Nova asked from the front, her tone tinged with curiosity. Normally, she would have attempted to analyze the Brothkin without asking his opinion at all, but after her eyes had literally been exploded outward from attempting to analyze Romulus, she had learned her lesson... at least for now. Still, she knew herself well enough to admit that given enough time, that lesson would inevitably fade, swallowed by her irrepressible curiosity.

Aura Nova sensed that Broth-ben was a hidden expert of some sort, but without analyzing him, she couldn’t confirm it. Since she had decided against doing so, she settled for the simpler option: asking directly.

Broth-ben’s steps halted for a brief moment before he continued walking as though nothing had happened. Everyone noticed the pause. He sighed quietly and then began to speak. Normally, he wouldn’t say anything about himself to tourists he guided. Ever since he had started his career as a tour guide, he had never shared anything beyond his name. But he felt it, no, he knew and understood, that Anthony and his group were different, far stronger than most could perceive at a glance.

”There is nothing special about me...” he began slowly. ”I was just like everyone else. I moved from one Simmerium to another, filled with vigor and boundless energy. Back then, I searched endlessly for new recipes, ran toward every volcanic eruption, ventured into countless Endless Broth Seas, and challenged Kings, Emperors, and the greatest chefs from various continents.” He paused, as though reliving those memories within his mind.

Anthony and the rest of the group listened in silence, not a single word interrupting him.

”But now, everything seems dull... to me,” Broth-ben continued. ”I reached the peak of the Ramen Singularity Timeline and uncovered billions of Ramen-making techniques, thousands upon thousands of spices, and innumerable recipes.” As he spoke, Savory energy coiled around his fist. With casual ease, mirroring Anthony’s earlier action, he punched into the air. The space before him exploded outward, tearing through the wind and sending hair and clothes fluttering violently.

”Now, there is no one left to compete with, no one to push me further... if there is even a ’further’ to push toward.” His eyes lifted, fixing on unseen layers of reality that bound the entire Ramen Singularity Timeline together. ”To many, this timeline is filled with life, love, and care, and it truly is. But to me, at this level, it feels like a cage, one I cannot break out of to explore what lies beyond. I wonder if there are other Ramen techniques out there, waiting to be discovered.” He paused once more, his voice softening as he reminisced.

”So, because I had nothing left to do and grew weary of eternal life, I decided to become a tour guide,” he continued. ”I am confident that no one knows the entirety of the Ramen Singularity Timeline better than I do. This way, I can remind myself of the meaning of Ramen, the lower levels I once stood on, the love of Ramen, and the love of the process itself.” A gentle smile appeared on his lips, as though he had finally voiced truths he had kept buried for eons.

Anthony and his friends were mildly surprised by the backstory, though none of it showed on their faces. In truth, they understood his feelings all too well. Many who reached the peak eventually succumbed to boredom when they could not step onto a greater stage. They simply hadn’t expected someone to cure that boredom by becoming a tour guide, though they suspected it was only one of his many reasons.

”Isn’t there anyone you can compete with in Ramen cooking?” Anthony asked as he walked. ”Someone on your level, I mean.”

Broth-ben turned his eyes toward him briefly before replying, ”There was, in the past. But the better I became, the more I defeated them all, until I reached the absolute ceiling of the Ramen Singularity Timeline. I am the only one existing on that level at the moment.” He shook his head lightly as he spoke.

Anthony’s gaze shifted toward Aaaninja as he remarked, ”The River of Time really employed the best possible tour guide for us.”

Aaaninja simply shook his head and made no comment, as he too was clueless about Broth-ben’s true background.

As they continued walking, the team couldn’t help but wonder if they themselves would one day be trapped by the same boredom upon reaching the summit. None of them doubted that they could reach it, they possessed the talent and potential required... well, aside from Altheria and Veronica.

In the end, however, everyone’s definition of the peak was different. Altheria might view the Planetary level as the highest point of power, while Aaaninja and the others saw the Universe itself as the ultimate summit. Lucian and Anthony, on the other hand, gazed even higher, toward the undefined ??? and the Author, whom they considered the true pinnacle of power.