[Quest: Survive]

[Difficulty: Insane]

[Task: Survive the journey!]

[Reward: Epic weapon, 500 Skill Points]

A wave of anxiety washed over Michael. This was the first time he would get a weapon as a reward.

'It worries me that the goal is to survive and not kill or conquer. It's like the system has judged that whatever happens next will be beyond me.' He thought with a frown.

Taking a deep breath, his senses expanded to their utmost limit. If his life was in danger, then so would the lives of those close to him, and he had no intention of letting any of his crew die.

As the trip continued, the tension seemed to only intensify. Once a full day had passed, the Grandmasters gathered the personnel.

By now everybody knew something was amiss; if their superiors had waited for so long before telling them the details of the mission, it was to erase the possibility of deserters.

"What?!"

"Gods!"

"This planet really is a lost cause!"

Unsurprisingly, once the soldiers learned that they were heading towards a General tier portal, they felt their resolve shake.

Michael rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

'Is this the reason for the quest? The portal is indeed a grave danger, but if the Lord of Celestia joins us in battle, we will seal it, as long as we aren't too late.'

He now understood why the Grandmasters had departed in such a timely manner: time was of the essence.

"Do you doubt humanity's might?"

Just when the soldiers were about to descend into panic, a powerful voice silenced them.

It was Noah, arguably the Grandmaster with the strongest aura. His black hair that hid his eyes didn't help his menacing look.

"Did you think taking a planet was going to be easy? Stop bitching and prepare!"

Usually such speech wouldn't have called down the soldiers. However, since all of them were mentally resilient, it was enough to point them on the right track.

With everybody wanting to be ready for what was about to come, they all headed to cultivate. The Indomitable Alliance quickly gathered to discuss their next steps.

"For fuck's sake! If you had listened to me, you would be on Earth now enjoying your retirement!" Claire complained to her grandfather; by her shaky tone it was clear she feared he was going to perish in the upcoming battle.

'They are cautious already; it's not a good idea to frighten them any more,' Michael sighed. At the very least they seem to understand the risks of the mission.

The train neared Celestia, causing the soldiers to let out signs of relief. At the very least it appeared that their journey would go smoothly.

Unfortunately, they had celebrated too early. The sound of alarm resonated in the vehicle, causing horror to rise in the soldiers' hearts.

For the first time the alarm was black in color.

"FUCK!" With a curse, Michael rose from his bed. Ignoring the prior instructions about how he should lock himself in his room when the black alarm sounded, he headed to gather with his people.

'It's just had to happen now that we are separated!' He roared inwardly, summoning Devil's Tongue. Whatever had caused the black alarm to sound wasn't to be underestimated.

"Ava, Victoria, Claire!" Since he was the closest to their quarters, he headed there. His shouts sadly fell on deaf ears; many of the soldiers had descended into pure panic, running amok on the train.

'Brat, stop bothering yourself with others and focus on yourself.' Devil's Tongue advised, catching Michael off guard. Usually the weapon would either demand souls or make jokes. This was the first time Michael had heard his soul weapon speak with such a serious tone.

ROAR!

It didn't take him long to understand the sword's worry. A powerful roar shook the foundation of the ground. The next second Michael was swept off his feet as the force of gravity changed.

The almighty train had been derailed!

BOOM!

Once the vehicle fell on its side, Michael needed a few seconds to adjust. The deadly outside climate instantly began to assault his body.

With the ringing in his ears gone and his vision restored, he saw the reason. The moving fortress was now reduced to a simple wreck.

The train had been broken into several parts; with the heating generators non-operational and the walls broken, the cold reached him easily.

"What happened?"

"Did we just derail?"

While the crash had been catastrophic, the soldiers had thankfully lived. All of them were at the very least Adept realm; a simple crash wasn't enough to kill them.

However, the reason for the train's derailment very well could.

With a frown, Michael used Perfect Vision to peer past the powerful blizzard. Instantly he made out a dozen silhouettes.

All General tier aliens.

'This is a disaster. Even if the Grandmasters could take care of one each, there are still too many unaccounted for!' Trying to keep a level head, he glanced towards Celestia in the far distance.

'The city is too far away to request reinforcements, and the train is a wreck. It will not move again. Did the aliens expect reinforcements to come for Celestia and were prepared to stop us?'

Now the quest began to make sense. He was still a Middle Expert. Between him and a General, the difference was simply too big.

'What are you waiting for? MOVE!' Devil's Tongue ordered. From the weapon's point of view, Michael had to discard everything and get out.

A mouse had no business in a lion's den.

'Are you hesitating because of your crew? Forget about them! This is war! People die every day, it was only a matter of time until you lost some of them!'

It was certainly a surprise. Despite how Devil's Tongue insisted it didn't care for Michael's life, it was now demanding him to get out with his life.

'BRAT! Where are you going?!'

But Michael didn't pay attention to his weapon's words. He didn't linger on the General for more than necessary; his eyes sharpened before heading to inspect the wreckage of the train.

"I haven't come back to lose those close to me again."

He mumbled, his eyes growing crimson.

"Never again… Never again."

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