Unlike the massive ships the aliens could easily spare, the one Michael was about to board was relatively small in comparison.

The number of soldiers making the brave decision to depart towards Neptune was about 2,000. Quite small compared to Base #1, whose personnel had begun to near a million after the alien invasion.

With everyone seated, the engine of the spaceship emitted a powerful roar before its thrusters started to glow in a red light. Getting the confirmation for departure, its form blurred as it began ascending.

Reaching speeds that would render even the mighty Grandmasters speechless, it broke through the stratosphere, entering the wide cosmos.

"It has been a long time since I flew on a ship." Ava mumbled in amazement, her pink eyes gazing outside the reinforced window like an excited child.

It wasn't just her; except for the few that were scared to fly, most were looking out the windows and at monitors. As they slowly drifted away from the mighty moon, it began to appear smaller and smaller, reaching the size of a tennis ball.

"How long is the journey again?" Enzo sighed, already feeling bored.

"It depends on how many asteroid belts block our path, but the standard time is 3 to 4 days." Victoria answered, she had become familiar with the whole process ahead of time.

"Thank gods!" A large smile appeared on Leo's face before he went to his room and lay on the bed. Michael's training had left him completely exhausted; he was intent on using the time to rest as much as possible.

With a sigh, Enzo began to wander around the ship. Amelia, meanwhile, began to read a book that she had wanted to catch up on for a while.

Ironically enough, while most were anxious about what was awaiting them on Neptune, everyone was bored on the ride there.

The reason for that was simple: cultivation was rendered impossible. To advance in their realm, cultivators needed spiritual energy. However, now that they were in the vastness of the cosmos, there were no planets or moons with the necessary gravitational pull to attract spiritual energy.

In simpler terms, unless someone possessed a treasure capable of storing spiritual energy, cultivation was out of the question.

Michael, despite his cultivating speed, wasn't an exception to the rule; if there was nothing to absorb, it didn't matter how fast he was able to absorb.

Feeling hunger creeping in, he went to the cafeteria.

"The food here is plain!" Ava complained with a frown.

"Be thankful that you are small; you won't have to eat much." Victoria teased, unlike her cute junior, her body needed more nutrition to function.

Michael gazed at the two women that had decided to follow him.

"Something on your mind?"

"No." He shook his head with a chuckle. In reality he was still getting used to the weird feeling of people following him. With his prior life being spent mostly in isolation, it was hard to adjust.

'It's a weird feeling but nice, nonetheless.'

The trip passed peacefully; their base wasn't the only one that sent volunteers towards Neptune. Because of that, a small human fleet formed, scaring off any potential aliens and rogue pirates from raiding their ships.

Several days later Triton became so small it was hard to perceive. In contrast, on the opposite side, Neptune continued to grow in size.

"We are nearing; prepare for turbulence!" The pilot warned, halting the ship's movements.

Unlike Triton, the planet had superior air defenses; it was important to sort out their identity before descending unless they wanted to be blown to bits.

With the formalities over, the ship began to move again, its front gradually turning crimson from the heat generated by the descent. The heat quickly spread around the whole ship. Thankfully, the engineers had designed it to be able to withstand the extreme temperatures of the cosmos.

By now everyone had strapped themselves in their seats; otherwise, they would have lost their footing and toppled to the ground.

After several minutes the ship finally came to a halt, completing its journey.

"..."

An eerie silence settled in the ship, now that they reached their destination.

"We have successfully landed." The pilot announced, causing the soldiers to let out sighs of relief.

"I think I'm going to be sick." One complained with a green face.

"For fuck's sake, go to the toilet!" Another retorted in panic.

'They are coping better than expected.' Michael noted he had expected the soldiers to be getting second thoughts, yet that didn't seem to be the case.

The doors of the shuttle slowly opened, allowing the passengers to get off.

Of course, outside there was a team waiting to inspect the newcomers. The situation at the human settlements here was dire, and no one wanted terrorists with criminal pasts or disguised aliens to make the situation worse.

"Please pass through the scan first. After this, we will conduct a quick body check."

Knowing that resisting would be akin to admitting guilt, leading to execution on the spot, no one argued.

Several hours later, all procedures were completed; with their background checked, they were allowed to step into the settlement.

"We officially welcome the reinforcements from Triton. With your help I am sure that Azura will be able to turn the tides in the war and prosper in the long term."

With Neptune having more than 15 times the surface area of Earth, there was a lot of ground to cover. In order to achieve that, numerous city-like settlements had been established, Azura being one of the largest with millions of occupants.

Without further ado, the reinforced gates creaked open, giving a clear view of the place Michael and his faction would be staying for the foreseeable future.

"I missed this air." Michael mumbled quietly, breathing in deeply. While the planet itself was extremely cold, each settlement had a large protective barrier, keeping both the aliens and the hostile climate outside.

Countless air purifiers were working non-stop, improving the atmosphere. The air Michael was breathing was akin to Earth when it came to purity!

Once done indulging it, he turned toward his faction.

"Let's start our liberation of Neptune, shall we?"

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