The surroundings slowed down to a crawl. Michael watched as the lifeless body of the unfortunate Lord was slowly falling to the ground.

Aside from him and Richard, the other two that had sensed that something was amiss were Victoria and Claire. Both of them were in the process of opening their eyes.

Of course, due to his earlier shout, everybody had been alerted. However, less than a tenth of a second after his shout, the enemy Lord had begun his assault. Michael's crew simply didn't have the time to react.

'Did I overlook something?' Numerous memories of his past life surged in Michael's head. The smallest details most would have missed, trying to connect the dots.

Alas, it was no use. The future had been altered too much by his actions. He wasn't able to arrive at an explanation as to who this Lord was or why he had begun to kill the others.

'It seems the time to improvise is now.' Michael mused, taking a glance at his status after his two recent breakthroughs.

Name: Michael

Soul Realm: Peak Expert

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

• Strength: 2,150

• Agility: 2,150

• Stamina: 2,160

• Spirit: 125,000

• Mind: 24,000

Skill Points: 400

An additional 500 points had been added to his basic attributes thanks to his breakthroughs. Yet it wasn't a significant change that could tip the scales if he were to face a Lord.

Since a frontal confrontation would be deadly, the only option left was to retreat. The powerhouses would battle it out while they withdrew.

With the surroundings starting to move again, Michael glanced at Cyberfang, commanding in a voice that left no room for disobedience.

"Protect them at all costs!"

ROAR!

The eyes of the beast shone crimson, springing into action. Understandably, it first ensured Amelia's safety. After all, she was the only one that could overcharge it with her electricity, increasing their chances of survival.

She didn't linger, connecting her thin wires to the beast. She spared no vitality, unleashing all she could into the beast. Overcharging it beyond its maximum.

ROAR!

Fueled by power, the beast's movements accelerated several times over.

By that point everybody else had fully comprehended what was happening.

"KILL HIM!" The Lord of Vespera bellowed, her slender figure moving in for the kill. She was accompanied by the Lord of Azure.

Due to the urgency of the situation, he didn't have enough time to move the darkness around him, revealing his true form to the world.

"Futile!"

The enemy Lord proclaimed, pouncing on his next target even faster than last time.

Slash!

This time his attack didn't kill his target instantly. Nevertheless, everybody bore witness as the wound he had inflicted began to turn green, shifting the color of the injured Lord's veins, dooming him on the spot.

'Poison! And so potent, this Lord certainly has someone powerful backing him!' Michael concluded.

"HAHAHA!"

A menacing laughter escaped the enemy Lord's maw after ensuring the second kill. By now the remaining Lords were two steps away from unleashing their full might on his body. Even if they were still exhausted from the battle with the Overlord, the advantage of numbers was still apparent.

Knowing this, the Lord changed tactics.

"...!"

"STOP HIM!"

Rather than meeting the Lords' attack, the enemy positioned himself right above the corpse of the Overlord. His jaws opened wide before taking a monstrous bite out of the corpse, filling his body with vitality and newfound power.

'I hope you enjoy my gift!' Sneering internally, the Lord threw a small metal ball right above his head.

From an outsider's perspective, it bore no danger. How could something with the size of a man's fist reprieve any kind of threat?

Yet the second the Lords realized what it was, the color of their faces became paler than a sheet.

"Spiritual Shredder!" Michael realized in dejection. Out of everything that this Lord could have relied on, this was the most dire one!

Much like a thermobaric bomb, the Spiritual Shredder used its surroundings to trigger a combustion. However, unlike the thermobaric bomb, which only utilized oxygen, the Spiritual Shredder drew on the spiritual energy around it. The more potent the energy in the area, the greater the destruction it would unleash.

Now such a thing was deployed right above the corpse of an Overlord! An entity that had been emitting so much spiritual energy that not even ten Lords had been able to absorb it all!

Beep!

Instantly the energy flowed towards the small ball, causing the surroundings to heat up.

At close distances this blast could prove deadly even to Lords!

'Shit!' Not letting emotions cloud his judgment Michael glanced at his crew, wanting to ensure that they weren't in the fatal blast.

Aside from Amelia, Cyberfang had ensured Enzo, Leo, and Bryce's safety. As the weakest members, they had the biggest chance to perish if they were caught in the blow.

Richard had been able to get out of the blast area in time. And surprisingly, he had taken Ava with him. Thanks to her petite body, the Peak Master had judged he could help one of his Boss's women without endangering his safety.

But Victoria and Claire were still in danger. Due to their realm, they had cultivated much closer to the center than the others. They were still in the blast area.

Fortunately, the two appeared to have achieved a breakthrough, putting them at the Peak Master realm. However, while Victoria could potentially now tank the blast, the same couldn't be said for Claire.

Her primary fighting style relied on her mecha. She never intended to face danger without its protective shell, especially since her personal armor was far inferior to Victoria's. After all, her armor was designed to support her body while piloting the mecha, not to withstand a direct blast at full force!

"SUNSHINE!" Bryce, who seemed to have realized this fact, screamed in desperation. No matter how badly he wanted Cyberfang to turn back and take his granddaughter, it wasn't possible. The AI answered Michael's orders only.

'I can't allow grandpa to see me die in combat!' Were her only thoughts. As she watched the blinding light creep ever closer to her figure, threatening to swallow her whole. Rather than concern for her safety, she felt worry for her old man and how devastated he would be if she passed.

She couldn't bear the thought of her grandfather burying his granddaughter. There was no way she could break his heart like that!

Yet did her feelings even matter? In front of a blast of pure destruction, it was meaningless what she thought, as she was going to be slain by the end.

'I am sorry… After all my warnings about how you don't prioritize your safety enough, I will die before you. An ironic end to my life…'

Her eyes narrowed, starting to lose vision from the brightness.

Yet before the blast could connect, a wide back appeared between her and the ever-growing sun, casting a protective shadow over her figure.

"No one dies on my watch." Michael declared coldly.

BOOM!

The next moment the foundations of the city trembled.

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