MIGHT AS WELL BE OP

Lucian sighed and rested his hand on the seat Anthony had been occupying. Instantly, a duplicate of it appeared, materializing without hesitation. With deliberate ease, he lowered himself into it, settling comfortably.

Aaaninja, followed suit with equal ease, snapped his fingers. Time particles danced obediently to his will as he too replicated Anthony's seat, a subtle display of his mastery over both space and time.

"It turns out the Demon King was sharper than I anticipated," Lucian began, his tone tinged with mild exasperation. "After I called him 'Father-in-law' that one time, it seems he summoned every heir he has ever sired. Sifting through their memories, he discovered the woman I was sleeping with at the time, and he assigned her a mission: to bring me back to him, alive." Lucian paused briefly, the weight of the memory apparent in his measured words.

"Obviously, she failed, otherwise, I wouldn't be sitting here. But in the end… I had to kill her," he concluded, the finality in his voice leaving no room for argument.

Anthony remained silent, as did the others. Aside from Vega, Aaaninja, and Kingsley, nobody present knew the full identity of the Demon King, yet they could easily infer the magnitude of his manipulation and the ruthless precision with which he had exploited his own daughter.

One truth remained universal: children always sought their parents' approval. She could have betrayed Lucian purely for that approval, yet the Demon King was no ordinary parent. His endorsement came entwined with unparalleled power, and the cost of defiance was far too high.

Anthony, observing Lucian, detected a trace of lingering disappointment in the way he referred to the half-demon he had once been involved with. His choice of words, "sleeping with" rather than naming her, hinted at unresolved emotions, perhaps a mixture of regret, frustration, and the lingering bitterness of a relationship that had ended tragically.

No one reacted outwardly to Lucian's revelation of having killed her. In this galaxy, survival was the only currency that mattered. Families waged war over wealth, territory, and resources so frequently that the body count was incalculable. A romantic entanglement, no matter how tragic, paled in comparison to the realities of existence in such a ruthless universe.

"Sounds heartbreaking," Aaaninja remarked. Though he could have teased Lucian mercilessly, the situation warranted restraint. He chose empathy over mockery.

Veronica, standing quietly behind Lucian, offered no reaction. Lucian had already briefed her on the half-demon woman, so there were no shocks left to process. Her attention was divided, her mind preoccupied with navigating the complex interpersonal dynamics between herself and Vega. The current discussion barely registered in her mind.

Anthony's gaze shifted toward Aaaninja, a playful smirk tugging at his lips. "Who would have thought you'd be the first to form a harem?" he asked, the teasing note in his voice unmistakable.

At those words, Lucian erupted into laughter, unable to restrain himself. "Hahahaha! I literally said the exact same thing when we met at the waiting area," he admitted, clutching his stomach as laughter shook his frame.

Aaaninja's lips twitched at their banter. He found himself quietly regretting that he hadn't teased Lucian earlier, thinking, 'I should have been insensitive.' A fleeting moment of self amusement flickered through him.

"This is my girlfriend, Altheria, and the other woman is my teammate, Elyndra," Aaaninja introduced, his tone formal yet measured. "I don't have a harem." Both Elyndra and Altheria acknowledged the gathering with polite nods, noting that only humans were present; they, along with Aaaninja, were the sole non-human representatives of the group.

They paid little attention to the distinction, however. With a graceful wave of their hands, seats materialized beneath them, and they settled with composure.

"What's with everyone suddenly having a girlfriend?" Anthony remarked with a playful sigh, then continued with introductions. "This is my girlfriend, Vega, and my teammate, who is also a close friend, Kingsley."

Kingsley and Vega responded with subtle nods, remaining silent from their seats. They allowed Anthony, Lucian, and Aaaninja to catch up without interruption, observing the exchanges quietly.

"Hoo… things just got interesting," Lucian murmured, a faint smile appearing as he glanced toward Vega. His eyes then shifted toward Veronica, standing behind him. Anthony and Vega immediately registered the glance, understanding that Veronica had relayed some information to Lucian.

Anthony's gaze drifted to Charles, who had become virtually mute during the introductions. "And this is Charles. I'm sure you remember him. This is his teammate, Bill, and a special woman, Aura," Anthony introduced with calm authority.

Aaaninja and Lucian both appeared to dismiss Charles entirely, as though he had no presence in their minds. Their attention immediately fell upon Aura, introduced by Anthony as special.

"You didn't even introduce your own girlfriend as special," Aaaninja spoke with a teasing tone, his multicolored eyes locking with Aura's sky blue ones. The two appraised each other silently, each measuring the other with subtle scrutiny beyond the reach of casual observation.

"It seems we've met another worthy opponent, Lucian," Aaaninja muttered. No words were needed for Lucian to reciprocate; his black eyes remained fixed intently on Aura, conveying assessment and interest in equal measure.

"I hope you two live up to the hype I've heard from Anthony and Charles," Aura said, a small, confident smile gracing her lips. A flicker of battle intent ignited in her eyes briefly before fading.

"A challenge on our first meeting," Lucian mused, his eyes narrowing slightly. Internally, his thoughts spiraled in ways only he could comprehend: 'Has the shameless author introduced another reader? How much money must Aura's alternate self have donated? Has Aaaninja been dethroned from Rank 1 by her? Is my alternate self still Rank 2?'

As a former, and current, reader of 'Might As Well Be OP', he knew precisely how unrestrained the author could be. Aura's presence, in his estimation, was evidence of a newcomer with significant influence, designed to shake the balance of the universe the story operated within.

'I wonder what overpowered ability the author has given her. And it's a woman this time… a nice change, or else it would just be a group of men.' His thoughts continued, spiraling inward. 'The author better not introduce anyone else. Since everyone practically has a lover now, does Aura have a boyfriend?'

He shook his head, dismissing the notion as irrelevant to his immediate concerns. 'We'll see how powerful she is later anyway,' he concluded mentally.