MIGHT AS WELL BE OP-Chapter 399: Different Darren
Anthony flipped through a few more history books, his eyes scanning each page with growing intensity as he sought to deepen his understanding of the military's structure and history.
After some time, he rose to his feet and began browsing through the free books scattered across the floor.
Among them were cultivation manuals, rare texts that most noble families would guard fiercely, only allowing access after binding contracts sealed with mana.
Yet here, the military displayed them openly, without restriction.
It was a silent testament to just how wealthy and powerful the military truly was.
The soft rustle of turning pages echoed gently through the room, forming a steady rhythm in the quiet space.
Other Lieutenant-ranked soldiers nearby occasionally stole glances at him, curiosity flickering in their eyes.
Was he searching for something specific?
A technique? A secret? Or perhaps something far more important?
Eventually, Anthony grew bored, flipping through page after page without interest.
Having a photographic memory didn't mean he enjoyed reading, it just made it easier to recall things when necessary.
With a soft sigh, he closed the book in his hands and returned it to the shelf.
'I need to do something first'
He thought, his gaze slowly shifting toward the nearby soldiers.
His sapphire-blue, gem-like eyes gleamed faintly as a soft glow pulsed within them.
In an instant, the soldiers' memories were altered, only the moment concerning the mysterious Fountain Pen was rewritten.
Everything else remained untouched.
He didn't want them bothering him when he left.
From the subtle glances they'd been throwing his way, he could already tell they intended to confront him, likely outside, where more eyes and ears could be waiting.
Better they forget, for their sake and his.
'It's getting dark'
Anthony mused as he glanced through a window carved into the wall beside him.
Without moving a muscle, his form flickered, vanishing like a mirage caught in the wind.
He reappeared just outside, standing calmly in front of the grand doors of Floor Zero.
Exiting the Tower of Knowledge was not a matter of walking out, it required only intent.
Anthony had learned this during his time inside.
He also understood something else: no teleportation worked in or out of the tower, not with the Soulpen Sovereign's absurd mastery over space locking everything down.
His own control over space and mana wasn't anywhere near that level, yet.
'I wonder who's stronger… him, or my parents and grandfather'
He thought, his eyes narrowing thoughtfully.
He had once witnessed his parents in battle, fighting the fearsome Eclipsian race.
Even then, he could barely glimpse them, forced to manipulate the time element around his eyes just to perceive their blurring silhouettes mid-fight.
Anthony shook his head, dismissing the wandering thoughts.
He took a step forward, the last light of day casting long shadows across the stone floor beneath his feet.
Anthony's gaze shifted toward the direction of his living quarters.
With a sudden boom, his figure shot into the sky like a streak of lightning, tearing through the fading daylight as he soared through the air.
Mid-flight, a faint tremble echoed from within his space ring.
Without breaking momentum, Anthony reached in and pulled out his phone.
A message blinked on the screen, coordinates sent by Corporal Daniel.
It was the precise location of the living quarters designated for Lieutenant ranked soldiers.
Without hesitation, Anthony adjusted his trajectory, banking left and accelerating toward the new destination.
The wind howled around him as buildings blurred beneath his flight path.
Five minutes later, he hovered above a cluster of structured housing tucked within a military sector, clearly marked for Lieutenants.
With a flicker of his will, his body descended smoothly, touching down at the edge without a sound.
The location turned out to be another floating island, one of many that made up the scattered, sky bound sectors of the military base.
There were no gates. No guards.
This was the military.
Here, everyone was a weapon. Soldiers lived with death constantly at their doorstep.
There was no need for sentries or walls when everyone was ready to kill or die at a moment's notice.
As Anthony stepped forward, heading toward the main structure, dozens of gazes subtly turned in his direction.
He moved with a graceful ease, his stride calm yet commanding.
No one here had seen him before, that much was clear.
And someone with a face like his? Impossible to forget.
Blue eyes and white hair weren't inherently rare.
In this world of mana and mutation, people bore every shade imaginable.
No color alone marked uniqueness.
But the combination of his radiant blue eyes and snow white hair... it had never been seen.
Not once.
Lieutenant ranked soldiers watched him, their expressions a mixture of curiosity and scrutiny.
Some narrowed their eyes, silently flipping through memories to place him.
Others simply stared.
His clothing gave him away, fresh, uncreased fabric tailored for a newly promoted officer.
And his careful gaze as he scanned the building confirmed it.
'New blood'
Every Lieutenant knew at least a few Master Sergeants, the rank directly below theirs.
But none could recall seeing a human with that face serving at the lower ranks.
Suddenly, laughter rang out from the side, a light, unexpected sound that stood out in the otherwise disciplined silence of the island.
Anthony's eyes shifted calmly in the direction it came from.
There stood Lieutenant Darren.
The vampire with the perpetually stern face, the same man who had brought Anthony to the military base exactly one year ago.
Back then, he had been all cold stares and clipped commands.
Now, his expression was completely different.
A wide, genuine smile stretched across his face, and a relaxed warmth laced his voice as he strolled over.
"To think you'd climb up to my rank in just a year..."
Darren said, chuckling softly.
"The military's really rolling out the red carpet for you"
His tone was friendly, calm, even inviting. His demeanor a far cry from the rigid, no-nonsense soldier Anthony had met at the Null Estate.
Anyone who had witnessed Darren's behavior back then would never believe this was the same man.
The contrast was too sharp.
Anthony immediately understood the shift in behavior.
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It was the simple reality of military hierarchy.
Those of higher rank rarely joked or mingled with those beneath them.
Orders were given. Obedience followed. Relationships were kept distant, if not cold.
To share laughter, to build camaraderie, one needed power. Rank.
Respect earned through status.
Now that Anthony stood on equal ground, the atmosphere had shifted.
A subtle smile tugged at his lips as he met Darren's gaze.
"Lieutenant Darren. It's been a while"
Anthony said, returning the smile with one of his own.
Darren chuckled, waving a hand dismissively.
"No need for the rank before the name. Those of equal rank usually drop the formalities"
He took a few casual steps forward, the silver gleam of his vampiric fangs flashing beneath the pale moonlight as he smiled.
"Just call me Darren"
His tone was relaxed, but his eyes, sharp and knowing, remained focused on Anthony.
"Come, let me show you around"
Darren said with a grin, turning on his heel.
Anthony followed beside him, hands relaxed at his sides, eyes sharp and observant.
As they walked, Darren introduced the different sectors and a few of the Lieutenants stationed on the floating island.
Anthony paid close attention, not just to names and faces, but to the subtle cues of power.
He quietly gauged the cultivation ranks of his fellow Lieutenants.
They weren't all at the same level.
Some radiated the steady, potent presence of the Mythic rank, while others bore the heavier, more suffocating pressure of the Ecliptic rank.
But one thing united them all, they were killers.
Silent, disciplined, and honed like blades.
Their bloodlust wasn't hidden, merely restrained.
Their senses remained heightened, always alert, even in what was supposed to be a place of rest.
Eventually, Darren brought him to the residential area and opened a door to a row of private rooms.
"You can pick any of the empty ones"
He said with a nod.
Anthony stepped into one.
The room had a simple yet elegant design, clearly built for function but refined in its comfort.
A large, king-sized bed stood at its center. Various pieces of high-grade equipment lined the walls, combat dummies, mana regulators, and a sleek weapon rack.
Off to the side was the real gem: a personal cultivation chamber.
The mana within was thick, pure, and vibrant, so dense it almost shimmered faintly in the air.
It far surpassed anything Anthony had experienced at the Omni-Peak Academy.
With a satisfied exhale, Anthony undressed and stepped into the bath, letting the warm water ease the tension in his muscles.
Afterward, dressed in fresh clothes, he headed down to the mess hall.
There, he shared a meal and light conversation with a few of the Lieutenants Darren had introduced.
Their tones were relaxed, but their eyes always watched, assessing, weighing.
Even in casual moments, this was the military.
And Anthony, knowing he'd be among them for a while, made the effort to familiarize himself with their faces, names, and habits.
After a few hours, he returned to his room and allowed sleep to take him.
But outside his room, the island remained active.
The other Lieutenants didn't sleep.
Most of them sat in deep cultivation, the mana in their rooms pulsing faintly like a second heartbeat.
Rest came only when their bodies demanded it, often after a brutal mission or a prolonged battle.
