Ignoring the Higher and Lesser aliens that had appeared over the horizon, Victoria focused on the Elites unleashing a merciless beating.

Like before, the most dangerous characteristic of these Elites was their ability to manipulate the cold.

Unfortunately for them, the train's heating generators worked non-stop, heating up the nearby atmosphere and rendering their biggest strength useless.

Roar!

The nearest Elites released mighty roars, meeting Victoria's assault.

Fueled by anger, she effortlessly danced between their strikes, delivering her own. From the outside it looked like she had a personal brawl with this specific race of aliens.

"Take this!" Ava shouted, making her hammer as light as a feather, as she jumped high in the sky. The moment her weapon began to come down, she increased its weight as much as she could.

Its weight went from one ton to several.

BOOM!

The ground beneath her feet shattered under the power of the impact. The Elite that had dared to take the hit was barely left standing.

"I—I am sure that I can take this attack!" Enzo shouted, witnessing Ava's power. Testing his new technique, he went towards the nearest Higher aliens and let them attack him.

While he felt the force of their strikes, it was far from being enough to wound him severely.

"HAHAHA! It really works!" He exclaimed in happiness, using his gauntlet to crush their heads.

At the same time, Leo witnessed everything becoming slower. His improved reflexes were coming in handy.

Meanwhile, a pile of burnt corpses had piled around Amelia. Her power had spiked severalfold now that she commanded stronger electricity.

'The training is bearing fruit.' Michael concluded with a chuckle.

Using both Berserker and Dash, he was able to match the Elites effortlessly. A grand achievement for someone in the Early Expert realm.

Of course they weren't the only ones fighting; the other soldiers stationed at the train also played their role.

Less than an hour later the turrets on the train ceased. The last alien had fallen to the cold ground.

"There are some interesting individuals." Alice nodded in acknowledgment. It was a good sign that she wasn't needed in the battle.

"Glory to Mankind!"

With their short celebration finished, the soldiers loaded the corpses on the train before continuing their journey.

As a reward for their services, they were allowed to take a bite out of the defeated aliens. Sadly, Michael, as well as members of his faction, already had consumed the meat of such creatures.

The only exception was Amelia. Naturally, she didn't hesitate to take a bite.

"I have reviewed your performance. I can say that I am pleasantly surprised." Alice praised her troops. The report to the Lord was going to be positive.

"Did Alice just praise us?"

"You idiot, she was speaking to those that showed results. We were simply cowering at the back."

The common soldiers knew that their presence paled in comparison to the Masters and the Experts, but didn't dare complain.

Fortunately, the rest of the trip passed uneventfully. There weren't any ambushes or disasters that threatened the safety of the train.

"We are about to dock!"

With the escort of the cargo completed, all that was left was to get the reinforcements and bring them to Azura City.

"This place looks… nothing like Azura City." Leo sighed grimly. Unlike the major settlement, this city looked hopeless, almost abandoned.

The only people that looked healthy were the soldiers stationed on the walls. The civilians, meanwhile, looked malnourished with heavy bags under their eyes.

"This is what happens when a planet becomes a war zone." Michael replied somberly.

"Civilians who had led normal lives until now found themselves with a lack of resources. Everything valuable gets sent to the top of the military chain, and since the military is the thing keeping the city operating, no one can complain."

He had become witness to how fast even the most prosperous cities changed when an alien threat was nearby. Children go to bed hungry, common men are exploited for their labor, and women are mistreated.

'Even if the powerful individuals that misuse their power are partially to blame for these outcomes, the core of the problem is the aliens. Once they are gone, everything else can be mended back into place.'

Since the city was relatively small, the word that the Azure troops had arrived spread fast. The Heavenly Pact members approached them in a timely manner.

"Bryce!" A warm smile appeared on Michael's face when he saw the old man. He had been worried that with the breach in the asteroid belt, his plans for coming to help Neptune would be put on hold.

"Why are you looking at me like you didn't expect me to return?" Bryce said joyfully, stroking his overgrown beard.

"Even if I am worried about Earth, we humans won't get anywhere in the war if we don't go on the offensive. This is what you taught in the brief time we interacted with each other." The old man added.

A second later another familiar figure appeared. This was Claire, she had naturally followed her grandfather.

"Why do you always learn the wrong lessons? It would be better if you retired before something happened to you." She complained with a pout, making her grandfather laugh.

Seeing their friendly chatter, a lightbulb went off in Michael's head.

'The reason Claire, also known as White Angel, was so cold and distant in my past life must be because her grandfather had perished.' He realized, apparently, his meddling with the natural order of events had created many changes.

'...This is a nice change indeed.' His smile appeared warmer.

After the Heavenly Pact's members introduced themselves to Alice, they all boarded the train and began their journey back to Azura City.

Guessing that no threats were going to appear on their way, Michael was about to cultivate. That was until someone knocked on the door of his room.

"Bryce?" With an arched brow, he wondered what the old man wanted.

"Since everybody on the train is bored, I think it's the perfect time to fulfill my wish!" Bryce exclaimed with a mischievous smile.

"Wish?" Michael needed a second to remember how the old man had wished him to take his granddaughter on a date if the circumstances aligned.

With a chuckle, Michael asked. "Are you still hell-bent on that?"

"Of course, the love life of my granddaughter is very important!" Bryce frowned. "Just one date is all I ask of you!"

Trying to get sympathy points, he added. "After all, I am old and don't have much time to live. I want to see my Sunshine happy!"

'Old people really are no different from kids…' Heaving a sigh, Michael massaged his temples.

"Alright, since you are so persistent, I will ask her out."

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