MIGHT AS WELL BE OP

Anthony's eyes landed on Vivian and Donna for a brief split second before he turned his gaze ahead and calmly exited the trade center. The last time he had checked their cultivation levels, they were at Level Eight of the Ecliptic Mana Rank.

Now, they had both taken another step forward, each of them now standing at the peak of the Ecliptic Mana Rank.

They were ready. One more push, and they would enter the Zenith Rank.

Anthony could feel the subtle enthusiasm hidden behind Donna and Vivian's words as they introduced every part of the guild building, each training room, every specialized equipment, like children eager for praise. They never asked for it aloud, but their tone gave them away.

Anthony only shook his head silently, ignoring the piercing gazes behind his back. All around them, the women within the guild building stared at him like he was some rare creature put on display at a royal zoo.

"Is that the Guild Masters' boyfriend?" one of them whispered.

"Which Guild Master do you think he's dating?" another asked, her eyes wide.

"Guild Master Vivian? Or Guild Master Donna?"

"Maybe both."

"I always thought there wasn't a single being who could match either of the Guild Masters in terms of face card… but it seems men like this really do exist," a woman murmured, visibly impressed.

"I personally think he's single," said another, her eyes practically glowing with hope.

"Planning to have him for yourself?" someone teased.

"Stop dreaming. The fact that he can stand beside the Guild Masters, walk shoulder to shoulder with them, means he has more than just a handsome face," one of them pointed out, dragging one of them back to reality.

"Exactly. Look at you. Average looks, below average strength. A mortal-ranked person might as well challenge paragons to battle and win," another sneered without mercy.

"Love is blind," the hopeful woman muttered.

"Sis, you're the blind one," someone quipped, causing a wave of snickers.

"You should be praying he has a sibling, a brother or sister, it doesn't matter. As long as someone gets to become his in-law," another joked.

"Let me show you how it's done," one of the women declared boldly, flipping her hair. "He won't be able to resist my charm."

Without hesitation, she turned her back to Anthony and summoned a small purse from her space ring. Inside were makeup essentials. She began retouching her foundation, fixing her eyeliner and adjusting her clothes to better highlight her curves. Once satisfied, she put her items back into the ring and turned confidently, striding toward Anthony, Vivian, and Donna like a model approaching the runway.

"Has she gone mad?" one guild member whispered.

"She's going to get fired," said another, eyes wide with disbelief.

"What if she succeeds, though?" another added, her voice low. "That's one step to the peak, one step to being the Vice Guild Master."

All eyes turned sharply to her.

"Too many romance novels have fried your brain," one of them muttered.

But no one else added anything further. They were far too interested in watching the drama unfold.

Would their fantasies remain just that, fantasies? Or would delusion be crowned queen for a day?

The woman approached Anthony with confidence, her hips swaying, her exposed thighs and chest drawing attention with every step. She called out sweetly, her voice laced with artificial innocence.

"Guild Masters, I forgot to inform you about the demon that appeared near the shallow undergro—"

Before she could finish her sentence, she tripped over her own foot. Her body lurched forward, falling straight toward Anthony as her arms stretched out, reaching for his shoulders, pretending it was all instinct, all accident.

'Gotcha… All part of the plan,' she thought triumphantly, her face brimming with expectation.

But just before her hands could touch him, Anthony casually stepped to the side, dodging her like a leaf brushing past the wind. Her body flew past his and hit the floor with a solid thud, crashing onto her side.

The woman blinked, stunned. Her eyes looked up at Anthony, half-expecting him to catch her and say something like, "A beauty like you shouldn't fall."

But those days were behind Anthony.

Before he started dating Vega, he might've caught her. Might've flirted a little. But now? Anthony was a changed man, a faithful one. He didn't go around holding other women, much less letting their scent touch his clothes.

What if he returned to the aircraft and Vega picked up another woman's fragrance? Wouldn't she misunderstand? According to all he had read, women were incredibly gifted at jumping to conclusions.

Donna, Vivian, and Anthony simply stared at the woman lying on the ground, their expressions flat and unreadable. None of them said a word.

Then, with a single wave of Donna's hand, a portal shimmered into existence before them. Donna and Vivian stepped through it calmly, with Anthony following right behind.

As soon as they vanished, laughter erupted across the guild lobby like thunder.

The woman who had fallen stood up without any visible change in expression. She dusted herself off as if nothing had happened, chin held high despite the clear humiliation.

At another location, a portal opened, and Anthony stepped out, flanked by two breathtakingly beautiful women. Their arrival was like something out of myth, divine beings descending into a land trapped in a medieval era.

They had arrived at one of the many orphanages Donna and Vivian had built.

From what Anthony had heard, there were already forty such orphanages scattered across the Human Domains. And that number was growing. Plans were already underway to expand into other Domains entirely.

Anthony wasn't certain how those foreign domains would respond to such expansion, but he didn't ask about their plans. He understood these two well, if they were planning something this ambitious, then they had already accounted for every possible angle.

All around the orphanage, children ran and played joyfully. Some were building sandcastles; others played a game called Dragon and the Princess. A group of boys were playing football off to the side.

Anthony smiled at the sight. He had once been like this, oblivious, carefree, laughing at everything as if the world wasn't secretly drowning him in responsibilities. Of course, that was another world entirely, but the memory still lingered.

When he grew up, life had changed, bills, debts, expectations, the rising cost of simply existing.

'Should I lift all of them into the sky? Let them feel what it's like to fly?' Anthony mused, imagining the wonder in their eyes. But he shook his head and smiled gently, deciding against it. Not now.

"Is there a reason you came, Anthony?" Vivian asked suddenly. Now that the grand tour had come to an end, and her moment of showing off her hard work had concluded, she could finally pose the question that had been on her mind the whole time.

She didn't believe for a second that Anthony had shown up just to drop by and leave.