Michael was pleasantly surprised. This was the first time he managed to get his hands on a treasure. Apparently, the system recognized the powerful item and bound it to his soul. Just like Devil's Tongue and Heaven's Judgment.

Eagerly he inspected the treasure.

[Cursed Mirror]

[Rank: Legendary]

[Description: When the treasure is fed blood, it forcibly pulls nearby individuals into it. Escape is reserved solely for the last standing. The range and potency of the treasure's effect are determined by the soul strength of the blood's owner. (Single-use only)]

Michael nodded in satisfaction. While it would be for the best if things didn't escalate to a level where he had to activate it, it wouldn't hurt to have a trump card.

"Is this what you wanted?" Victoria asked curiously, peeking over his shoulder, as she scanned the treasure.

"Yes." He smiled warmly. "I will make sure to repay you in the future."

She shook her head. "Don't, rather than a favor, think of it as a gift for helping me thus far."

Despite knowing how valuable the treasure was, Victoria wouldn't stoop so low as to demand compensation from him. Not after everything Michael had done for her.

He waved his hand dismissively. "Even if you say that, I will make sure to repay you."

Making sure that Victoria wasn't looking, he stored the treasure in his soul. Since the oval mirror was small, he could pretend he had hidden it in his pocket, not arousing suspicion.

"But I am curious how the effect of the treasure will benefit you." Victoria exclaimed. Although she knew that Michael was stronger than normal for his realm, she had yet to grasp the full extent of his soul power. It was only natural she struggled to comprehend how the treasure could be of use.

"Let's say that it's a surprise tool that will help us later." Michael chuckled, unwilling to elaborate further.

In a timely manner they went back to the settlement they were currently taking shelter in.

"A hundred more laps!" Grandmaster Stephen commanded in a cold tone, intending to push Karson to his limits.

Since the arrogant Master had tried to stir chaos when the soldiers had hidden from the deadly swarm, his superior was now making sure to discipline his subordinate. Each time they liberated a new settlement, the man would have to do hundreds of laps around it.

"Ugh!"

Karson grunted, his face drenched in sweat. By now he had long started to regret stating that Michael had perished in the swarm due to his arrogance.

Even worse, with Michael now officially being a Master, Karson couldn't look down on him. Just by a sheer glance, he knew that the gap between them was so vast that he would never be able to compare.

Scared of getting harsher punishments, he didn't dare to meet Michael's gaze.

"Serves him right." Victoria's lips curled upwards, enjoying the spectacle to the fullest.

As it turned out, she hated when someone ridiculed Michael.

The troops made use of the moment to rest their bodies before departing. Neptune's blizzards weren't going to stay calm forever, so they had to capitalize on the opportunity and cover as much ground as possible.

Just when they were about to set forth to their new destination, Azure's Lord contacted them again.

"The Lords have reached a consensus. Given that most of the funnel has already been established, the united army will march toward Neptune's dark side." The Lord announced.

"Thanks to your efforts, the brigade will cover the distance that would have normally taken months in about a week, reaching your position in that time. Since we, the Lords, will be leading the expedition, you need not concern yourselves with freeing the remaining settlements. We will handle the rest."

After a brief pause, he added.

"Congratulations. With this, you have completed your primary objective. Now only the two additional missions remain. Locating the enemy, Lord… And eliminating Vespera's troops. Don't contact me again until you have accomplished both of these tasks."

Not bothering to hear his subordinate's opinions, the Lord cut the connection after he relayed his command.

"So we managed to create the funnel." Grandmaster Noah sighed in relief.

Regardless of how powerful a cultivator was, traversing the dark side of the planet with numerous swarms lingering close was no easy feat.

Before them, numerous campaigns had been launched, all with the same goal. Armies filled with experienced fighters, united in hopes of forcing the aliens back.

Although a few settlements had indeed been liberated the hard way, the death toll had always been monstrous, often reaching into the tens of thousands of casualties. Creating the fear many held for the swarm.

This was why the Lords had changed their plans. Rather than sending more soldiers to march toward their deaths, they picked a stealthier approach, deploying a small infiltration unit instead.

After all, these soldiers had a history of sneaking into Celestia under the nose of an Overlord and lived to tell the tale.

Fortunately, Vespera and Azure's chosen had done their job diligently, achieving something that would have otherwise cost the lives of millions of soldiers.

"It's good that we have carried out our duty. But we won't be able to hide that we don't plan to fight our brethren much longer." Alice bit her nail, wondering what the best course of action was.

"Withdrawal is an option." Michael said, catching their attention. "Just like we wanted, we succeeded in helping humanity. Even if we don't lift a finger from now on, the chances of us taking the planet are pretty high."

Michael was basically suggesting that the Grandmasters take advantage of their status and flee the planet. It wouldn't be hard to find a small shuttle capable of carrying their squad.

"That could work. The Lord did send us the reward for the mission up front." Noah nodded thoughtfully.

Angering a Lord usually wasn't wise. However, if they were to go far from Neptune, the Lord's influence shouldn't be able to reach them.

Naturally, they discussed the matter with Vespera's troops.

By the end it was decided that Stephen would be the only Grandmaster remaining from Vespera, as the other two would take the personnel that wanted to retreat with them to a faraway planet.

As for the remainder of the soldiers, they made the decision to investigate the location of the enemy Lord. After all, such an individual could hinder the army marching toward the heart of Neptune's dark side.

Unsurprisingly, Michael decided to stay on the planet a bit longer. While the others argued about how to evade the Lord's senses, he had something else in mind.

Certain he had unraveled the Lords' strategy, he wouldn't shy away from using it against them…

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