The soldiers stationed under Alice's orders quickly gathered, tension thick in the air.

Fortunately, she appeared calm. After seeing a General tier alien come close to their settlement, she had become certain that an invasion was soon going to happen.

'I just hope that nothing above General shows up.' She prayed, clenching her fists tightly.

"Glory to Mankind!" The personnel saluted in absolute respect.

While Azure was most likely going to be attacked by fearsome aliens, that didn't mean they hadn't prepared themselves for the worst.

There were seven Grandmasters, all of the Late stage, capable of rivaling and surpassing General aliens solo. That didn't count the Masters, Experts, and numerous Adepts ready to fight to the death.

With the reinforcements that had come from Triton, the city was more powerful than ever.

'Would the Lord join the battle?' Michael wondered, glancing at the center of the city.

While the Lord's help would be invaluable, he felt like the ruler wasn't going to make a move for now.

'It's important to gauge the strength of the army. We would soon be going on the offensive after all. Not to mention that the Lord has to conserve their power for the threats above General.' Michael figured.

Leaving their posts, the army mounted the outer walls of Azure. Their sights set on the far horizon, waiting in anticipation.

GRRR!

A few seconds later, Michael used Perfect Vision to peek past the powerful blizzards. There he began to make out numerous silhouettes that were slowly approaching them. Surprisingly, all he saw were Lower aliens.

"They must be sending their weakest forces to see how we will react." He mused.

Upon entering the soldiers' range of fire, the order was given in unison.

"Free fire!"

Instantly the sky lit up as the artillery went off, bringing hellfire to the alien troops.

"They are weak!"

"Keep firing until every single one dies!"

Witnessing how easily these Lower aliens were falling against their onslaught lifted the spirits of the soldiers.

Yet one of the leaders didn't share their enthusiasm. Alice bit on her nail, feeling like something was amiss.

"What is happening?" She murmured. They had expected great resistance, not cannon fodder to assault their city.

Forget Grandmasters; as things stood, even the Masters could be absent from joining, and it would not result in a single casualty on their side.

Several minutes later, a graceful mecha returned from the raging blizzard, descending in the city.

This was Claire. Knowing her mecha skills, she had been sent to observe the enemy ranks.

"Report." Alice ordered with a frown.

Claire shook her head. "All Lower aliens. Not even a single Higher in sight. It's like they are using us to get rid of their weakest members."

The Grandmaster was doubtful. What was she missing?

"Maybe they are using them as a distraction?" Michael overheard their discussion and suggested.

Alice's eyes darkened. The idea had crossed her mind, but the whole perimeter of the city was secured; there were no blind spots.

Just when she was about to discuss their next moves with the other Grandmasters, they all received a call.

There wasn't a holograph of the individual, yet they all knew the caller was the Lord.

"This is a direct order. Pick your most promising personnel and head towards Celestia. I will keep the city operational."

Understandably, the Grandmasters were puzzled. Celestia was without a doubt the strongest city on Neptune, so why would they need to head there for support?

"Somehow the aliens have coordinated with each other. Simultaneously, each base is being surrounded by Lower aliens that charge with no regard for their lives. At the same time, a portal has been discovered close to Celestia. It is of utmost importance that we close it regardless of how many casualties we experience."

The Lord was silent for a few seconds, contemplating if telling them the information could backfire in some way.

"If the readings are correct, the portal is of the General tier."

Shudder!

The backs of the Grandmasters instantly broke into cold sweat. They could deal with one individual General, but a portal meant that with time hundreds if not thousands of such creatures would soon walk on the surface of Neptune.

If that were allowed to pass, the planet would be lost without a doubt. Even Lords wouldn't be able to travel safely.

In an unfortunate coincidence, Elina had stopped observing Michael by now. If she had remained, the Lord of Celestia would have paid handsomely for her assistance.

After exchanging looks, the Grandmasters sprang into action. Leaving the common soldiers to deal with the Lower aliens, they picked their best personnel.

Naturally, strength wasn't the only factor. What was most important was their mental toughness. When they learned what they were up against, they would have to keep their psyche steady.

Unsurprisingly, Michael and his squad were picked. They proved to be mentally tough after all.

Boarding a train in a timely manner, they left Azure in the Lord's hands before going full throttle ahead towards Celestia.

"Can you tell us where we are going?" Now that the train had gone off, the gathered personnel asked.

Unsurprisingly, they were on edge. It was virtually unheard of for every Grandmaster in Azure to head in the same direction. Much less when the city was under siege.

"It's the Lord's orders; we will tell you when the time is right."

The explanation was far from satisfactory, yet seeing the frustration on the Grandmasters' faces, no one dared to press for details.

These were higher-ups' orders; no one was stupid enough to go against them.

Michael, anticipating the worst, gathered the people close to him.

"Whatever happens, I suggest we stay close to each other."

Out of everyone, Bryce seemed the most unconcerned. Stroking his overgrown beard, he exclaimed, "Now this is exciting!"

Enzo instantly agreed. "It's like we are going on a secret mission!"

Amelia and Claire let out a sigh.

Leo was too anxious to speak. And Ava puffed her chest in pride; she would never fall victim to fear again, regardless of what she was up against.

"Is there a reason why you want us to stay close?" Victoria questioned with an arched brow. By now, she had learned that Michael was always hiding more than he ever let on.

"No reason." He replied with a warm smile on his face.

There was no way he could explain to them the quest he had just gotten.

[Quest: Survive]

[Difficulty: Insane]

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