Chapter 269: Spoils of War

An Overlord tier alien was a terrifying existence, a creature that in some cases required several Lords to bring down.

Yet here Michael stood, an Overlord’s severed head in his grasp. Only Ruby had been near him, meaning he had done the majority of the heavy lifting.

“Indomitable Alliance…”

Still watching Michael in awe, some of the soldiers whispered the name of his faction.

They were already members of influential factions, yet they still had acquaintances, friends, and lovers… Warriors who had never made it into the big leagues.

And as they witnessed the rise of the Indomitable Alliance in real time, one conclusion began to take root.

Undoubtedly Michael’s crew was going to enter the big leagues if they hadn’t already. The soldiers knew it was time to strike while the iron was still hot.

Gone was any ridicule that Michael had faced over Victoria and Claire following him around. Now everybody understood… They wanted to become part of his faction at all costs!

Unaware of the shift in mindset Michael had caused by presenting the Overlord’s head as a trophy, he glanced toward Ruby.

“We aren’t leaving the body behind.” He spoke tiredly.

The Overlord’s body still lingered in the battleship. The wisest move was to transport it to a safe location where the crew could cultivate its power.

Ruby’s lips spread into a pained smile.

“Sure, we’ll get it later, but I am not leaving you alone!” She pouted.

Fortunately they didn’t have to wait long before the curious gazes of the army. As the rest of the crew soon appeared.

Claire sprang into action immediately. Exiting her white mecha, she injected Michael with every healing syringe she carried. Then, taking a gentle hold of him, she guided him into the interior of her mecha, where oxygen was being produced.

Considering how exhausted he was, she laid him down. Thankfully, the control room was large enough for people to lie down if necessary.

GASP!

Michael’s chest rose sharply as his senses suddenly flared, his eyes gleaming with newfound vitality. Had he lingered any longer in open space, there would have been a real danger of brain damage from prolonged oxygen deprivation.

Though he was ready to rise, he found his head resting on Claire’s thighs.

Whatever the exhaustion that still plagued his battered physique or the soothing softness of her body radiating a comforting warmth, he found himself reluctant to stand. In the end, he decided to take a breather.

“Ruby told us you want to get the Overlord’s body.” Claire said softly. “The others are getting to it, so you can rest easy.”

Nodding faintly, Michael relaxed.

“How did things go on your fronts?”

She sighed.

“Well, I have to admit, when you told us to distract the Overlords, I was beyond shocked. Double that when I realized I would be the only Grandmaster in my squad. Regardless, we managed to hold them back long enough for the rest of the human troops to wipe them out, though…”

She paused briefly.

“I dare say, the idea of killing one of them never really occurred to anyone… not until you did…”

Michael chuckled.

“I wasn’t alone. Ruby helped.”

Claire giggled charmingly, her fingers running through his hair.

“Of course she did. We know it. You’d never… steal a teammate’s credit…”

Her gaze softened as she whispered too low for him to hear.

“You aren’t that kind of man.”

Per his request, the crew transported the Overlord’s corpse. As for the one Ruby had used to achieve her enlightenment to the Master realm. Sadly, too much time had passed, and its energy had dissipated by now.

Still, acquiring the body of a potent Overlord was an incredible boon.

In combat, whenever Overlords, Monarchs, or Titans. Beings with staggering amounts of spiritual energy appeared. It was forbidden for normal soldiers to handle their bodies.

Everyone had the right to cultivate, of course, but if a Lord or one of the Kings or Queens came to claim the body, soldiers had no right to interfere, since it usually had been brought down through collective effort.

One reason new influential factions rarely emerged was that the strongest individuals hoarded power and refused to share it.

However, with Michael doing the majority of the work and Ruby, a member of his faction, being the only one who assisted him, no one held the right to take the corpse away from him… And no one dared to either.

Because Michael’s mecha had been reduced to ruin, he remained in Claire’s cockpit as she carried him towards the warship. Ruby traveled with Ava, and Victoria ensured that the Overlord’s body wasn’t to be trifled with.

Docking on the battleship, the crew was finally able to take a breather.

Though the grand battle had just ended, it was really only a minor alien attack. The fleet had consisted of merely thirteen battleships. Considering that many more battles were happening across the asteroid belt, it was not surprising that no influential figures came to congratulate them on their victory.

The only reason the Emperor and the faction leaders had appeared at all before was due to formalities with the formation of a new battlefront. According to protocol, they would return only if a threat that the soldiers could not handle emerged.

In simpler terms, it was a blessing that they were not on the ship.

“Hey… isn’t that them?”

But that did not mean Michael’s crew could enjoy any privacy. Having played such a vital role in the battle, there was not a single soldier who did not gaze at them in admiration.

Yet Michael remained unbothered by the rise in fame.

“Let’s make haste.”

The others exchanged glances. Everyone wanted to tell him not to push himself too hard, but no one did.

In the end, they followed his command without hesitation, entered one of the large cultivation chambers, and placed the Overlord’s body at the center as they began their own cultivation.

Michael, unlike the other higher powers, was more than willing to share power with his allies.

Closing his eyes, he instantly entered the cultivation mindset.

[You are in an area with an astonishingly high concentration of spiritual energy. +5,000% cultivation speed applied.]

[Spirit Radiance takes effect. +5,000% cultivation speed applied.]

Gradually seconds blended into minutes that ticked into hours. Eventually several notifications appeared before his eyes.

[You have achieved a breakthrough!]

[Middle Grandmaster → Late Grandmaster]

At long last he was a Late Grandmaster.

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