Chapter 694: Stubborn Man
As the final second ticked away, Anthony suddenly appeared beside Voryss, his form still enveloped within the shimmering dome of protection. The instant he materialized, however, the dome shattered soundlessly, its fragments dissolving into non-existence as though they had never been.
Anthony stood there with an absent look in his eyes, his outward expression calm and collected, but his mind was a storm of thoughts and questions.
’These two... they actually destroyed the Pinnacle Realm,’ he thought, struggling to grasp the scale of what had just occurred.
A realm that existed above the level of a galaxy in strength, one revered for its ability to endure forces no ordinary cosmos could withstand, had collapsed in less than a single minute.
’What’s with the power scaling of this universe?’ he mused, his thoughts spinning. ’And the terrifying thing is... I don’t even think they were going all out yet.’
He exhaled slowly, deciding it was better to let such thoughts slip away for now. It wasn’t as though he could change anything. Right?
In the next moment, Klaus, Voryss, and Anthony vanished from the outer fringes of the galaxy. Their forms flickered through the void and reappeared upon the barren surface of a desolate planet, a world long devoid of life or history. Its silence and emptiness stood in stark contrast to the chaos they had left behind.
"It was a nice spar, Miss Beast," Klaus remarked with a calm smile. The battle intent that had once burned in his abyssal eyes had vanished, replaced by the composure of the man himself.
"The name is Voryss, not Beast," she replied evenly. Her demeanor was regal, her tone smooth yet subtly commanding, radiating the air of a queen who accepted no disrespect.
"How about we fight to our hearts’ content next time?" Klaus pressed, his voice casual but edged with anticipation. "No restraints. No holding back. First to die loses. I’m certain someone of your caliber could resurrect herself whenever she desired."
"I don’t have the time to entertain you, human," Voryss said coolly, her molten orange gaze locked on Klaus, refusing to lower her guard even for an instant.
"Call me Klaus," he intoned softly, undeterred.
Voryss did not respond immediately. She studied him in silence, her expression unchanged, until she finally spoke.
"Are your kind not extinct? How are you still alive?" she asked.
Anthony, standing silently to the side, could not help but notice the weight behind her question. It was as though she had momentarily forgotten his presence entirely, her focus locked solely on Klaus. Anthony did not interrupt; he simply observed, listening carefully.
’Is Voryss referring to Klaus’s Primordial Human Bloodline?’ Anthony reasoned, his mind piecing together the question.
"There’s always an exception to everything," Klaus replied calmly, his voice steady.
Voryss said nothing more on the matter, but she took note of his name and his face, etching them into memory. She resolved to investigate later. After all, how could a human of such caliber exist, and yet she had never once heard whispers of his existence until now?
At last, her attention shifted to Anthony, she immediately lowered herself onto one knee and bowed before him with solemn reverence.
"I have done as you ordered, Master," she said, her voice respectful, her bearing flawless. "I await your next command."
Anthony remained silent for a moment, his expression unreadable. Finally, he spoke.
"There is no next task. When I require you, I will summon you again. You may return for now."
"As you command, Master," Voryss replied, her voice even softer now, like silk bound with obedience.
She rose gracefully to her feet, sparing Klaus a brief glance, before turning her gaze back toward Anthony. With another bow, she extended her hand. Space itself groaned and tore apart at her gesture, the void ripping open like a curtain. Without hesitation, she stepped through the tear, her form fading into nothingness. Her overwhelming presence vanished along with her, leaving the galaxy once again untouched by her shadow.
Anthony’s gaze slid toward Klaus, who stood unmoving, still staring at the space Voryss had disappeared into. The void sealed itself seamlessly, the universe stitching its fabric back together.
"You do realize that’s a form of cheating," Anthony said suddenly, his tone teasing. "Staring at another woman when you’re already married."
Klaus blinked once before his eyes shifted to Anthony, his voice calm but firm. "You’re hardly in a position to define what constitutes cheating and what doesn’t. You’ve been single your whole life, and only recently started dating my daughter for a handful of months. Compared to my epochs of dating and marriage experience, what exactly could you possibly know?"
"You sound... defensive," Anthony replied, a mischievous smile tugging at his lips.
"And you sound... delusional," Klaus retorted, not missing a beat, his expression unshaken.
For a moment, silence stretched between them, heavy and unbroken. Neither spoke, the air tense yet not hostile, until Anthony finally broke the stillness.
"So," he said with careful deliberation, "since I’ve proven that I possess the ability and the power to defeat the Demon King whenever he chooses to appear, do I now have your blessing to be with Vega?"
Klaus remained silent for several heartbeats, his gaze unyielding, before finally replying. "You’ve only passed one of my many tests."
’What a stubborn man,’ Anthony thought bitterly, though he dared not speak it aloud.
Then Klaus tilted his head slightly, his eyes narrowing with genuine curiosity. "How did you make it happen?"
Anthony raised an eyebrow. "Make what happen?"
"Voryss," Klaus said. "Not even your parents were meant to encounter her. She doesn’t reside within this galaxy, nor does she answer to anyone within it. How did you come into contact with her? And more importantly, how did you compel her to become your servant?"
The question puzzled even him. To Klaus, it was inconceivable. Voryss’s status was far beyond that of anything in this galaxy, and yet Anthony, still a mere child in the span of cosmic existence, had bent her will.
Anthony smiled faintly at the question, though he knew he could never reveal the truth. He couldn’t very well admit that he had acquired Voryss as a reward from his mysterious sign-in system, could he?
But refusing to tell the truth did not mean he had to lie.
"We all have our secrets, Klaus," Anthony said calmly. "Just as you’ve chosen to keep the full details of your class hidden, I too have things I must keep to myself. But I will say this, my class is not the Magic Swordsman class everyone assumes it to be. It is something else entirely. As for what it truly is... well, you’re welcome to uncover that for yourself."
Klaus shook his head slowly, choosing not to push the matter further. For him, the events of today, this so-called "spar" with Anthony, had gone remarkably well.
After all, he had experienced forty-five uninterrupted seconds of battle with someone who could keep up with him, despite the fact that he had not even gone all out.
And the most exhilarating part? He knew for certain that Voryss had not taken him seriously either.
’I wonder if I will have the chance to meet her again,’ Klaus thought.
It was not infatuation that stirred within him, nor love, nor even attraction. No, his thoughts carried no hint of romance.
What burned within him was the yearning of a warrior, the insatiable desire to cross blades with someone who could finally allow him to fight without restraint, to battle with his whole being, heart and soul.
That was what he sought. Nothing more, nothing less.