MIGHT AS WELL BE OP - Chapter 686

Chapter 686: Freeze

Anthony’s eyes narrowed as Klaus’ words sank into him, their meaning heavy and sharp. He had already anticipated that something like this would happen sooner rather than later. In truth, he would have been more surprised if Klaus had simply let things go.

But could he truly win against Klaus?

The question pressed hard against his mind. Anthony didn’t know the answer himself. He had at his disposal a vast arsenal, a plethora of skills, techniques, and abilities acquired through his system sign-in and ones of his creation. But who was to say that Klaus, with his terrifyingly broken class, didn’t possess just as many, if not more?

Although his chances of winning were entirely unknown, one truth remained unshakable: he could not decline. To refuse would not only dishonor himself but also reveal weakness before the man whose approval he sought. More importantly, since his reincarnation, had he ever run away from a battle? The answer was a resounding no. And this moment would not be the one to break that record.

As his mind twisted in thought, his Mental Calculation ability, nested under his Sense Dome, flared to life. Instantly, it delivered him a warning of grim reality. His mind snapped back into focus just in time to register the danger.

A fist was already tearing toward his head with ridiculous speed, fast enough to tear apart the air around it.

Anthony’s reflexes surged, his head whipping to the side as he dodged cleanly. The blow sliced through the space where his skull had been a heartbeat ago. A thunderous boom followed as the wind barrier shattered, ringing in his ears like an explosion.

But Klaus wasn’t done. No sooner had Anthony evaded than an elbow snapped outward without hesitation, the speed even greater than before, sharp and merciless.

Anthony frowned, his instincts surging. He took a half-step back, his Sense Dome boosting his reaction time, allowing him to sense the trajectory of the attack a fraction of a second before it happened. Even so, the next blow came.

A fist crashed squarely into his gut.

The impact was devastating. The air poured out of Anthony’s lungs as though streams of water had been forced through a broken dam. The force drove him backward, his body helpless against the inertia. He flew like a broken kite, his frame smashing against the trunk of a colossal tree. The ground trembled violently at the collision, yet the tree itself remained unshaken, neither toppling nor cracking. Its leaves did not even rustle, as though mocking the force of the impact and refusing to acknowledge it.

Anthony straightened slowly, rising from the ground with a calm composure, though his insides still roared from the blow. It had been a long time since he had taken such a direct hit, and Klaus’ sudden burst of speed had genuinely caught him off guard.

He wasn’t foolish enough to delude himself into thinking he could match Klaus in raw physicality, whether in strength or in speed. But he had hoped, at the very least, that Klaus would restrain himself to a comparable level.

Anthony’s sharp gaze snapped forward, locking onto Klaus, only to see a foot already arcing toward his temple with bone-crushing intent. But Anthony had sensed it long before.

He dropped instantly, his body lowering, and Klaus’ foot sliced past the space his head had occupied. This time, Anthony didn’t settle for evasion alone. His own foot shot outward like a striking viper, aimed directly at Klaus’ ankle with lethal precision.

But Klaus had already anticipated. His figure blurred and vanished, leaving Anthony’s kick to meet nothing but empty air.

Anthony’s eyes darted upward. His Sense Dome screamed a warning, and he saw Klaus descending from above.

A fist plummeted downward, blazing through the air like a falling comet, aimed directly for his shoulder. Anthony’s body moved instinctively, twisting aside with fluid grace, narrowly escaping the crushing strike. He moved like an agile predator, quick and efficient.

In a blink, he widened the distance between them, coming to a halt with his gaze fixed upon Klaus. To his surprise, Klaus was staring back at him with an expression Anthony hadn’t expected, one that looked almost as if he were staring at a monster.

‘He must be shocked by my battle experience,’ Anthony thought, though he quickly discarded the notion before it distracted him.

Still, he understood the source of Klaus’ reaction. Although the man had not gone all out, the fact that Anthony could match him blow for blow, adjusting seamlessly to each shift in tempo, was enough to warrant surprise.

They locked eyes. Black abyssal irises met blue sky ones, each reflecting the other’s resolve.

Then, in an instant, they both moved. The earth beneath them cracked and shattered as they launched forward, colliding like rampaging behemoths.

Anthony abandoned restraint. Holding back would be sheer foolishness here. He was fighting a man who could very well be the strongest in the galaxy and universe. Against such a foe, hesitation meant death.

His strength and speed peaked, every ounce of his physical prowess drawn to the surface. His movements blurred into near invisibility, his strikes flowing in seamless transitions, attack into defense, defense into counter, counter into attack.

But Klaus handled it all with effortless superiority. He blocked, redirected, and nullified every blow with a single arm, while his other hand remained casually in his pocket. His movements carried a terrifying ease, as if he were humoring a child.

A concussive burst shattered the air. Fist met palm with maddening force, the collision birthing shockwaves that split the ground beneath their feet. Ravines cracked open, the forest shaking under the tremors as blurred afterimages filled the space around them.

‘This is useless,’ Anthony realized grimly as he fought.

His Battle Experience skill granted him knowledge and instincts that far surpassed Klaus’s. In terms of pure experience, Anthony held the upper hand. But it was meaningless if he lacked the speed and strength to capitalize on it.

‘What’s the use of combat experience if my opponent can simply overwhelm me with sheer might?’

The truth was bitter but undeniable. Klaus was matching him in physical qualities simply because he wanted to. If Klaus chose to unleash greater speed and strength, Anthony would be overwhelmed instantly. And he knew it.

Which meant this battle could not be decided with fists and feet alone. It had to be a contest of abilities.

Almost as if reading his mind, Klaus’ speed spiked again, surpassing any level Anthony could hope to touch at his current level. His fist blurred forward, a deadly strike aimed at Anthony’s ribs.

Anthony could not react physically. But his Sense Dome, upgraded to absurd heights after the touch of Limit Breaker, was no ordinary ability. It warned him long before the attack was made, showing him what was to come. With that foreknowledge, Anthony tapped into another facet of the Sense Dome ability.

Freeze

Instantly, Klaus’ body halted mid-motion. His fist froze inches from Anthony’s ribs, his figure locked in the air as though time itself had been shackled. His descent was arrested, his movement stolen. For Klaus, the world had stopped and he didn’t know it.

This was the Freezing Ability of the Sense Dome: a power capable of pausing any being or object within its range, regardless of mana rank, physical strength, or existential level. For three full seconds, the target would remain immobilized, vulnerable, and bound.

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