MIGHT AS WELL BE OP

Chapter 989: Familiar Love

Before Lucian and Anthony could speak again, blurs filled the air as sonic booms erupted around the two of them and the unconscious Aaaninja. The very next moment, Vespera and Riven arrived beside Lucian and hugged him immediately, pulling him into a tight embrace without hesitation.

Their hands tightened around his body as they held him closer with a force that could have shattered a planet, but Lucian was durable enough to endure it without discomfort, he simply smiled and wrapped his arms around his parents as he drowned in the overwhelming warmth of parental love and care that he had nearly lost forever.

Riven Darkheart’s eyes were bloodshot, and one could tell he was using every ounce of his willpower to hold back his tears, as for Vespera Darkheart, she had already broken into tears, which flowed freely down her cheeks without restraint. Lucian did not speak, he simply remained silent as he gently patted his mother’s back, after all, one could never truly comprehend the agony a parent would feel watching their child die in real time before their very eyes, yet being rendered utterly powerless and incapable of intervening.

Riven and Vespera Darkheart had never felt so powerless in all their lives. They had attempted to rush toward Lucian the moment the backlash began, the very instant he started coughing blood and weakening before their eyes, but a force greater than anything they had ever witnessed held everyone back. Even Klaus and Amara, despite all their overwhelming power, could not move as they were bound in place by a greater authority that transcended their comprehension.

”I’m sor... sorry, Lucian, I should... I should have come... I should have been there for you... I should have been...” Vespera Darkheart cried as she spoke, her voice trembling and low, her demeanor as a Planetary-level powerhouse at the Apexus Mana Rank vanishing entirely, because at this moment she was nothing more than a mother who had nearly lost her only child.

A child she had spent centuries trying to conceive, enduring disappointment, hope, and determination before finally bringing him into existence.

”I’m fine, Mom,” Lucian stated with a gentle smile on his face as he continued patting his mother’s back in an attempt to calm her trembling form. Riven did not speak, but his eyes, trembling posture, and intense stare conveyed far more than any words he could have uttered aloud, the silent vow of a father who would never allow such helplessness to repeat itself.

Veronica simply stood at the side as she wiped her tears away, she had almost lost her boyfriend, her former lover had died in battle, and now her current one had nearly followed the same tragic path; she could not possibly be cursed, right?

Yet despite the turmoil in her thoughts, she could only cry quietly from a distance of several meters away, after all, she was not exactly family yet, so she remained respectfully at the side, allowing the Darkheart family to have their moment without intruding upon it.

Lucian’s black eyes shifted toward Veronica, and although he wanted to go to her and reassure her as well, she would have to wait while he steadied his mother’s heart first.

As for Aaaninja, Zachary and Nyxss were already beside him, their faces pale and grim as they imagined the worst possible outcome. They had witnessed Aaaninja’s final attack against Lucian Darkheart, and after that, they had seen him call upon something far beyond their understanding in a desperate attempt to save Lucian from True Death.

”What is wrong with my son? Why is he unconscious?” Nyxss stated as her hand trembled while she caressed Aaaninja Chronisynth Eternos’ face, her every motion filled with profound love and maternal care, her eyes darting across every inch of his body as she searched for any physical abnormality or visible injury.

Zachary raised a hand as mana pulsed around it in a controlled wave, then he placed his palm against Aaaninja’s abdomen as he carefully channeled his mana into his son’s body in an attempt to assess his internal state, but the moment his mana made contact with Aaaninja’s body, it was immediately forced out as Aaaninja’s passive defensive mechanism activated automatically.

Even in this state, floating midair and unconscious, his body remained suspended on its own without any external support, his subconscious control maintaining his position flawlessly.

”His body is rejecting my mana,” Zachary stated as his frown deepened, he had intended to channel his energy inward to determine whether there was any internal damage, but the automatic defense system prevented any intrusion whatsoever.

Anthony, who had already stepped aside to give both the Darkheart and Eternos families some space, decided to step forward once more. He walked toward Zachary and Nyxss, who were visibly distressed, and he smiled at them, not a condescending smile nor a mischievous one, but a calm and reassuring smile, the kind a doctor would offer to anxious parents after a successful and delicate surgery.

With that composed expression, he spoke, ”your son is perfectly fine, he is merely mentally exhausted from pushing himself far beyond the norm,” he stated as he carefully explained Aaaninja’s condition so that his parents would not succumb to panic or despair.

However, Nyxss, who had already assumed the worst possible scenario, immediately misunderstood his explanation, and her misunderstanding was entirely understandable, after all, she had never once seen her son faint before, the only time he had ever been unconscious was during ordinary sleep, never in a situation like this, so her shock and fear were perfectly justified.

”My son is in a coma?” Nyxss immediately exclaimed, her eyes widening in horror, ”how long will he remain like this before he returns to us? A decade? A century?” she continued, because no matter how advanced and magical their world appeared to be, the enigma of a coma still remained a troubling and unresolved matter even at their extraordinary power levels.

Anthony could not help but sigh softly, wondering how his earlier explanation had somehow transformed into the idea of a coma, ”no, Mrs. Nyxss, I meant that he will awaken in only a couple of hours, two at the minimum and ten at the maximum,” he reiterated calmly, clarifying his words with deliberate precision.

Zachary and Nyxss could not help but release a collective sigh of relief upon hearing this clarification, the crushing weight upon their chests lifting instantly. Nyxss carefully adjusted her hold on her son before carrying him gently and ascending into the sky, seeking a quieter place where he could rest undisturbed.

Anthony then shot upward toward his parents and Collins, coming to a stop beside them as they observed the unfolding situation from a distance in the sky. They had never truly needed to worry about such circumstances, because their son, Anthony, had always been absurdly and overwhelmingly powerful beyond reasonable measure.

”Baby monster, do you not think that at the very least you should possess some weakness, so that your mother and I can come and save you for once at least?” Michael could not help but remark as he watched the various families immerse themselves in familiar affection below.

Anthony smiled silently for a brief moment before replying, ”but Mom already saved me a few years ago when the Demons kidnapped the students,” he stated calmly.

”Please, your mother told me it was the Demons who needed saving instead, as you had already wiped them out entirely, she merely ended up saving your classmates,” Michael responded immediately without hesitation.

Anthony simply shook his head and said nothing further, and even Mitchelle and Collins remained silent, as there was nothing more to add at this particular moment.

Altheria, Aura Nova, and Vega were watching quietly from the side, and at some point during the emotional commotion, Romulus, who had been seated comfortably atop Vega’s head, had already disappeared, and as for where he had gone, none of the girls had the slightest idea.