MIGHT AS WELL BE OP

Chapter 1220: Shrewd

“Now, back in the Acarnis Galaxy, there were potions, skill books, and all that,” Nathaniel continued. “Here, such things don’t exist. So, if you deplete your Origin Essence, you can only absorb it from the ambient Origin Essence present, and when you get injured, you can only heal yourself through various other means,” he stated calmly. “And if you have any Mana Potions, Stamina Potions, or the like, those are no different from trash now, as they work on the concept of Mana, and Mana isn’t the energy source of this Galaxy.”

As he said those words, his blue eyes shifted towards Anthony as he wanted to see his reaction. After all, many Ascendants had spent fortunes on artifacts, potions, and countless other resources, only for them to become completely useless upon Ascension.

But the reaction he expected never came. After all, Anthony wasn’t one to walk around carrying potions he never needed. Infinite Mana had ensured he had never drunk a Mana Potion since his reincarnation, his regeneration had made him never use a Healing Potion in his life, and his Beginning Of All Things Physique had ensured Anthony had never even considered a Stamina Potion.

“You don’t seem surprised. It seems you didn’t waste your wealth on such things,” Nathaniel remarked. Although he didn’t say it aloud, during his own time, he had spent over ninety percent of his personal wealth acquiring potion after potion from every race imaginable, only for them all to become worthless.

He had nearly cried back then. After all, he could have spent that fortune on artifacts instead, but he hadn’t.

“I already anticipated that the Upper Galaxy wouldn’t use Mana as its primary energy, so I didn’t bother,” Anthony replied as he lied through his teeth.

While he had expected the Upper Galaxy to possess a different energy source, he simply had never bothered with potions because he rarely carried any unless he bought them from the System. But Anthony couldn’t exactly open his mouth and tell the Founder that he possessed Infinite Mana, could he?

‘Besides, I wonder if my Infinite Mana ability will be converted into Infinite Origin Essence,’ Anthony thought to himself, his senses shifting towards his Core as he noticed his Origin Essence had already burned through nearly half its reserves.

‘The System needs to finish updating as quickly as possible,’ Anthony thought to himself, knowing it was currently making those changes.

“I suppose you’re smart as well, not merely talented and arrogant like so many others,” the Sword Ruler replied with a smile and a nod.

“Anything else?” Anthony asked.

“Not really. Aside from the fact that the technology here is far more primitive, so don’t expect any form of technology to work here,” the Sword Ruler stated.

Anthony nodded, unbothered by details like that, as he knew he could always purchase gadgets that functioned regardless from the System Shop.

“Unlike the Acarnis Galaxy, where the races are divided into Top, Mid, and Low, no such divisions exist here. Although some races are naturally stronger than others, as it is impossible for every race to be completely equal, that doesn’t mean they can simply wipe out the weaker races whenever they please. Every race possesses its own powerful forces,” the Founder began to explain once again.

“As for how many races exist within our Realm, I personally don’t know. I’ve encountered people from countless different races. Also, expect to see Dragons and the like here, although they are in the minority, as those you encounter are either descendants of Ascendants or Ascendants themselves,” his tone remained calm and collected. “Although, there are a few particularly prominent races within the Realm.”

With that, Nathaniel listed several of the prominent races and clans while also identifying the four opponents Anthony had faced earlier according to their race, allowing Anthony to gain a much better understanding of them.

Anthony didn’t speak. He didn’t ask any questions. He simply listened, as the Sword Ruler was the only reliable source of information he had at the moment until he reached the so-called Heavenly Library.

“We Humans possess considerable power here, so don’t think everyone looks down on Humans the way the other races in the Acarnis Galaxy did,” Nathaniel explained.

“That is good to hear,” Anthony replied with an amused tone.

After all, back in the Acarnis Galaxy, only his parents, grandparents, Vega’s parents, and Lucian’s parents were among the top Humans capable of standing alongside the strongest races.

It was genuinely refreshing to hear that Humans here could hold their own against anyone. Truly, it was a breath of fresh air, and Anthony couldn’t wait to see how Humanity measured up.

“Speaking of Humans, whatever chains bound you because of the Class you awakened at the age of ten no longer apply, so you can learn different things if you truly want to. From now on, your awakened Class is essentially useless, aside from the skills and abilities that came with it, of course,” the Founder revealed.

Anthony nodded. His current Class was Anomaly, so he had never been restricted the way Irene or Collins had been.

“Also, I can’t sense your Bloodline Grade, which is strange,” the Founder frowned as his eyes shifted towards Anthony.

Personally, he was already planning how to gather resources, rob a few people if necessary, and upgrade Anthony’s Bloodline to the Perfect Grade. After all, if Anthony was already this monstrous, he couldn’t begin to imagine how powerful he would become after obtaining a Perfect Grade Bloodline.

As for anything lower, why would he settle for anything less for the first descendant to ascend in such an unimaginably long time?

“That is because I possess a Perfect Grade Bloodline,” Anthony replied without concealing his Bloodline Grade.

Nathaniel’s eyes widened in pure shock as he nearly came to a halt mid-motion.

“How? When?” he fired off both questions.

“Almost two years ago, from the ruins of an ancient civilization I explored,” Anthony stated with a calm smile as he lied through his teeth, since he simply couldn’t reveal his true source.

He wasn’t worried about Nathaniel doubting him. Klaus and Amara had found a Primordial Grade Bloodline in such a place, so why couldn’t another ancient civilization contain a Perfect Grade Bloodline?

Nathaniel didn’t know what to think of Anthony. Handsome to a fault, intelligent, ridiculously talented, and now he was being told that the boy was unbelievably lucky as well.

Nathaniel’s thoughts couldn’t help but drift back to his own Ascension. Unlike Anthony, who had managed to grasp Origin Essence to a certain extent almost immediately, he hadn’t. Although he had fought desperately, he had ultimately been captured and turned into a slave.

He had remained a slave for five centuries before finally escaping. Even then, he had spent countless years fighting through brutal battles just to obtain a High Grade Bloodline before eventually advancing to a Perfect Grade Bloodline more than three thousand years later.

He couldn’t help but sigh as he recalled his own beginning, which had been vastly different from that of his descendant.

While it might sound as though he wasn’t talented, only Anthony was the first person ever to escape a Slave Contract in the entire history of the Ecliptica Galaxy. That alone spoke volumes about how absurdly difficult escaping one truly was.

Besides, those who became slaves, while not treated as literal slaves, were still slaves nonetheless, as they couldn’t reject missions or refuse any order given to them. Furthermore, the overwhelming majority required over two thousand years before they could finally free themselves from their Slave Contracts.

But Null Nathaniel had accomplished that feat in only a quarter of that time, a testament to the kind of man he was and to just how shrewd, cunning, and extraordinarily talented he truly was.