Chapter 909: Crazy Author

As though remembering something important, Aura Nova spoke, her voice calm yet firm, "Before we begin, I would like us to add a rule. Anthony shouldn’t use his spirit. If he does, then there is no point to this battle."

"You don’t have to worry," Aaaninja replied almost immediately. "Knowing Anthony, he was never going to use Romulus during this battle. During the Starborn Tournament, he only did so because Charles Evander summoned the Spirit King." He paused briefly before continuing, his tone measured. "So as long as you don’t summon anything outrageous, he won’t use it."

Lucian and Kingsley simply nodded in agreement. They already understood the kind of man Anthony was and had no reason to doubt Aaaninja’s words.

Anthony’s eyes suddenly shifted to the side for a brief moment before he let out a quiet sigh. "For how long are you going to stalk us?" he asked calmly.

At his words, the rest of the group fell silent. Instinctively, their senses expanded outward, searching for whatever it was Anthony had detected. Yet no matter how far they extended their perception, they sensed nothing at all. Still, none of them questioned Anthony’s judgment or suggested that he might be mistaken. Doing so would have been no different from insulting him outright.

As though responding directly to Anthony’s question, layers of reality peeled apart like the petals of a blooming lotus. Space rippled, folded, and parted, revealing a man stepping out from within the distortion. He wore a pristine suit, a neatly fitted hat, and a white mask that completely concealed his face. It was StreamGhost.

"It’s been a while, Anthony," StreamGhost spoke, his voice calm and evenly toned as he floated downward with effortless ease. "You’ve finally decided to introduce me to your friends."

The rest of the group immediately went on high alert. None of them had sensed the man’s presence before he appeared, and even now, standing right in front of them, they still couldn’t sense him. If their eyes were not fixed on him, they would not even know he existed. That alone was enough to make every one of them tense, their guards rising instinctively.

’Judging from Anthony’s words, he’s been following us for a while,’ Aura Nova thought to herself as she stared at the enigmatic figure before her.

’What overpowered side character did the Author introduce this time?’ Lucian wondered inwardly, maintaining a composed exterior despite his heightened alertness. The fact that the man knew Anthony didn’t mean he came with good intentions. Even the Demon King knew Anthony, after all.

"It’s a pleasure to meet you all," StreamGhost said politely, bowing slightly as he tipped his hat. "Aaaninja, Aura Nova, Lucian Darkheart, Kingsley, Vega."

Altheria and Veronica couldn’t help but exchange brief glances. They found themselves wondering whether they were invisible or if the masked man simply had no intention of acknowledging them. In truth, StreamGhost did not acknowledge them at all. There were far too many exceptional individuals present for him to bother wasting time on two ordinary people.

Every pair of eyes shifted toward Anthony. He sighed before speaking. "Everyone, this is StreamGhost. As for why he’s here, he’s here to record our battle." He offered no further explanation, clearly uninterested in delving into unnecessary details.

"How long has he been following us?" Kingsley asked, his gaze fixed steadily on the masked man.

"From the moment Aura Nova started closing the Tears in Reality," Anthony answered without hesitation or lies.

The response caused a few frowns to appear among the group. Being unable to sense someone at all was a relatively new experience for them, and it did not sit comfortably.

"Don’t worry," StreamGhost said reassuringly, a calm smile evident in his tone. "You won’t even notice me, just like before. I’ll simply record your battle and then leave to record something more interesting."

Although he had not recorded the Starborn Tournament directly, he had gone back in time afterward to observe it personally, gaining a thorough understanding of everyone involved.

"I love your battles," StreamGhost continued, his smile widening slightly. "Both the ones from the Starborn Tournament and the ones against the Angels. I look forward to seeing more."

"How come Broth-ben didn’t sense him?" Veronica suddenly asked. "Didn’t he reach the peak of the Ramen Singularity Timeline?"

"I’m much more powerful than that guy," StreamGhost replied with a smirk, clearly flexing his superiority. "So it’s normal that he couldn’t sense me." His eyes then shifted toward Aaaninja as he added, "And don’t bother with the River of Time. You won’t be able to sense or spy on me from there either."

Aaaninja’s eyes narrowed slightly. This was the first time he had ever heard of someone being completely beyond the reach of the River of Time. Still, how could the River of Time possibly work on StreamGhost when the man was, in every sense of the word, omnipotent?

"Where is your camera?" Lucian asked, staring intently at StreamGhost. "If you’re here to record, you should at least have one, even if it’s a normal one."

"The human eyes are cameras in their own right," StreamGhost replied calmly. "What could be more accurate or more capable of capturing reality than my eyes?" His gaze then shifted toward Aura Nova. "I didn’t see you at the Starborn Tournament, so I’m rooting for you. And honestly, someone defeating Anthony would make this a huge day for me. Recording the impossible being made possible would be truly satisfying."

Aura Nova did not respond. She remained silent and expressionless, her gaze fixed on the man before her. A strong temptation stirred within her to analyze him, to understand his existence, but she restrained herself. Moments ago, he had stated that even the River of Time could not track him.

A faint smile appeared on Lucian’s face. Although he didn’t know this man, this might be the perfect opportunity to copy his abilities. With that thought, a list of StreamGhost’s abilities appeared before his eyes. The moment Lucian saw it, however, his eyes widened in shock.

StreamGhost possessed only two abilities, and both of them shook Lucian to his very core.

’Has the Author gone crazy?’ Lucian thought incredulously. ’Not even Anthony is this powerful.’ A thrill ran through him. ’But, this is perfect.’

But just as he prepared to move and attempt to copy StreamGhost’s abilities, his system chimed sharply.

[The System asks the Host not to court death]

Lucian froze.

’What do you mean?’ he asked mentally.

[The Anomaly, StreamGhost, possesses an Omnipotence ability that automatically kills anyone who attempts to copy or analyze him. This death is absolute and irreversible]

Lucian stood completely dumbfounded.

’So if I die, I can’t be resurrected?’ he asked.

[Yes, Host]

Lucian let out a slow breath, his excitement vanishing entirely, ’Such a crazy Author,’ he thought to himself.