'This was exhausting.' Michael thought tiredly.

'You are quite the monster; it appears I have been underestimating you all this time.' The ragged voice of Devil's Tongue rang out in his head.

'Why am I hearing you talk? Don't tell me something stupid like you have fused with my subconscious.' Michael said.

'You imbecile, there is nothing of the sort! It's just that you are refusing to let go of me even after having your arm broken.' The soul weapon explained. Even in his passed-out state, Michael's hand was gripping the hilt of his weapon tightly.

Sighing inwardly, Michael continued. 'Do you see anything? What is happening to me?'

'...'

The weapon was silent for a few seconds before answering bitterly.

'You are one lucky fucker.' Devil's Tongue said, unwilling to elaborate.

Leaving the weapon aside, Michael focused on waking up. Soon an unbearable pain assaulted his senses again.

Yet aside from that, he felt a strange sensation coursing through his body. Several pairs of soft hands were caressing him.

Cough!

Finally regaining consciousness, he coughed up a handful of blood, opening his eyes.

Instantly he saw Ava, Victoria, and Claire over his body. Their gazes looked intense as they applied all kinds of healing medicine to speed up his recovery process.

"A—Are you awake?" Ava, being the first one to see him open his eyes, questioned.

"More or less." He would have shrugged if he had the strength to move.

"What happened?"

The three women glanced at each other; they all seemed hesitant for some reason.

In the end, Victoria was the one to answer. "After the Generals derailed the train, the Grandmasters got busy killing them. Since there were many unaccounted for, the weaker personnel created teams to slow down the remaining aliens."

She paused for a second.

"We are still counting the dead, and the blizzard isn't making it easier, but we know many died. Still, in the end, we won, and the Generals were dealt with."

Weakly, Michael shifted his gaze to his surroundings. They were still in the underground cave, and there were more soldiers than he could count.

"We are taking shelter from the cold," Claire explained. "After the train wreck stopped burning, the surroundings got cold very fast. This is the only place where we won't freeze to death."

It made sense. While she had a mecha that could fly, it didn't mean Claire would go to Celestia for two reasons. Her grandfather was here, and the place was swarming with Generals.

"As long as we are alive, then it's all good." Michael reasoned with a groan.

"Did you… kill the General?" Ava asked, speaking what had been on everyone's minds.

After all, a General was more or less equal to a Middle Grandmaster if there weren't any external factors at play. While a Master beating a monster of such caliber would be a grand achievement, Michael had killed one while still in the Middle Expert realm.

"It was already tired and wounded from previous fights, plus it underestimated me for most of the fight." He said nonchalantly.

"But yes, I did kill it."

"..."

The three didn't know how to react. Despite the doubt in their hearts, they felt like he was indeed telling the truth.

Unwilling to waste more time, Michael tried to stand up.

"No, you don't."

But before he could, Victoria put her hand on his bare chest and gently pressed him down. With the clothes in the way, they had taken most of them off to reach his injuries.

"You are almost a corpse; you are not going anywhere." She said in a commanding voice that left no room for arguments.

"The cave's floor is wet." He complained.

Hearing his words, Claire lifted his head before putting it on her thighs.

"Better?" She asked with a smile.

'Since she is a Master, she moves faster than me!' Ava gritted her teeth in frustration. She had gotten the same idea but was too slow to react.

From a distance, Bryce pumped up his fist. 'Nice one, Sunshine!'

He approached them eagerly.

"Are you awake, young man?"

"It's good to see you alive, Bryce." Michael smiled warmly.

With his usual playful demeanor gone, Bryce nodded, scanning the surroundings. "Yes… Sadly, a lot didn't have such luck."

The scene of Michael being treated wasn't an anomaly; there were numerous injured soldiers on the brink of death, barely being kept alive with the help of their comrades.

Fighting against such overwhelming forces had proved costly, and they hadn't even reached the General tier portal.

The Indomitable Alliance remained observing from the side; they didn't want to overwhelm Michael, so they didn't swarm him. The only reason the three women were treating his wounds was because they insisted.

And with them being the powerhouses of the group, no one could have stopped them.

Soon after Michael was awakened, Alice appeared.

"I don't know how you did it, but you have my utmost gratitude. If you hadn't been the one to deal with the General, many would have died from its wrath."

It was rare for a Grandmaster to praise an Expert so openly, but considering the strange events recently, no one batted an eye.

"How long are we going to be stuck here for?"

"We have contacted the Lord of Celestia. Our transport will arrive soon, but they could be slowed down by the blizzard."

Michael nodded. After Alice left, his attention shifted to his status. He was curious to see how much he had grown after the fight with the General.

Name: Michael

Soul Realm: Middle Expert

Cybernetics: Indomitable System, Warlock, Dash, Perfect Vision, Spirit Surge, Blink, Bypasser, Parallel Sight

• Strength: 1,400

• Agility: 1,400

• Stamina: 1,660

• Spirit: 80,000

• Mind: 16,000

Skill Points: 0

The use of the 1,000 had clearly powered him up. Of course, once he had defeated the General, he had taken a few bites out of its body, gaining even more skill points, which he put towards his stamina.

Even excluding Warlock, his current attributes were rivaling a Master's.

'Now that makes me curious how much Warlock can increase my stats when I am on the brink of death.' He wondered, deciding to leave it for another day.

A couple of hours passed in somber silence, with the soldiers either treating the injured or mourning the dead.

The entire time, Michael continued to be caressed by the three women who seemed unwilling to leave him alone.

"Our transport has arrived!" One of the Grandmasters stationed outside to keep guard exclaimed in relief.

Instantly, a message appeared before Michael's vision.

[Quest Survive: Completed!]

[Distributing Reward…]

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