Just as Damien expected, quite a chaotic situation was taking place in the Real Plane.
1 hour officially passed from the start of the battle mere seconds after Damien teleported away, and while the reinforcements arrived near the end of the 60th minute, it was still true that they arrived perfectly on time.
A group made up of students and teachers alike appeared at the Vineyard where the original battle took place, only to be faced with a mind-boggling scene.
"The continent…is gone?"
The leading instructor, a subordinate of the commander, looked around, baffled.
It wasn't a matter of the power required to destroy the continent. Most 4th classes, especially those using large-scale attacks with immense mana behind them, possessed the capabilities to destroy a continent.
However, the Vineyard's state was past mere destruction. It was utterly annihilated, and even the waters that rushed in to occupy its former place were divided and morphed by the residual mana from the clash, disallowing the ocean from returning to its natural state.
Right, the previous Vineyard was nothing more than a sinkhole of untold proportions.
And within that harrowing atmosphere, barely any life signatures could be felt,
'There are a few weak life auras deep in the ocean, but other than that…has everyone died?'
The instructor was unable to understand the situation based on what he could see.
"Spread out and track down the source of any life auras in the vicinity. If you find allies, bring them whether dead or alive."
The instructor gave a command and the forces under him immediately complied. As they searched…
HONG!
VOOOOOOOM!
A terrifying fluctuation whooshed past them. Judging by its sheer size which was far greater than the previous Vineyard Continent, an even more catastrophic battle was taking place.
"That direction…is the Willow Continent." The instructor murmured.
"Roaring Tiger Squad, Silver Moon Squad, Dragon Elephant Squad, follow me to the Willow Continent! As for the rest of you, continue the search. If you find anything, report to base. If you encounter survivors, take them back to base and let medical deal with them!"
""Yes, sir!""
A collective affirmation followed his words. The three squads he called for appeared beside him, and without hesitation, he activated a device on his wrist.
Voom!
Spatial fluctuations spread to cover his group. In the next instant, they disappeared.
The teleportation technology was a perk allowed to instructors so they could appear at any location to assist when necessary, but they weren't given to students as they'd allow the students to bypass many difficulties they were supposed to experience on this trip.
Yet, as the instructor reappeared in reality, he had a slight feeling that this restriction didn't affect the Stargazer Squad at all.
Almost every continent had been cleared with their help, and more than that, they'd made a true impact on the war situation.
Their presence allowed the allied forces to push forward without worry, and even greater a contribution was their ability to remove Sebastian from the battlefield.
As the Saint Emperor's personal butler and closest aid, Sebastian was a unit that the currently deployed forces on Calypto couldn't deal with. The ones who had that kind of power were preoccupied in the starry sky, fighting a harrowing war against the Infected Source World's main force.
'But now, that same Sebastian is missing, and Calypto…'
'Is this really something a student can accomplish?'
The instructor had been standing in the air above the Willow Continent for many seconds without moving now. After seeing the sight below him, how could he?
The entire continent was littered with evidence of a battle that had just ended. The splattered remains of countless Nox beings submerged the continent in black slime, and a massive force of Higher Nox rushed through the air in panic, evidently perplexed by something.
"You all have worked together multiple times already, so I'm sure you already understand your roles. Go, fulfill your duties and bring glory to our universe!"
""Yes, sir!""
The three squads immediately descended onto the Willow Continent and began to scour it. Their jobs were split in three. While the Roaring Tiger and Dragon Elephant Squads covered offense and defense, the Silver Moon Squad went to work gathering information and understanding past events based on the residual mana in the air.
While the squads worked, the instructor quietly entered the continent as well.
His form shifted.
His skin turned ashen grey, and his mana took on a sticky black property it didn't usually possess.
The instructor appeared in front of a Higher Nox being in his new form.
"What's happening?! What is this panic?" He shouted in apparent confusion and anger.
"Did you just arrive? A precious seed has been stolen by the enemy! We must find it and convert it before the enemy reinforcements arrive!"
The Higher Nox spilled information without concern for its recipient. In his current form, the instructor was identical to the Nox.
"I see, so something like that happened."
"Quickly help us sea—!"
The instructor's hand shot out. The Higher Nox was bisected and killed in an instant.
"I guess that's all he could provide. Shall I find someone of higher status?"
The instructor spread his awareness over the continent.
From this first target, he already heard multiple concerning words and phrases.
'The Nox have a variety of different 'seeds' with different connotations. I have to find out which one they lost…'
Even the safety of the illustrious Stargazer Squad wasn't as important as finding the existence of a 'seed.'
'Of the multitude of seeds, the Dark God's Seed is the highest, the Yin-Yang Heaven Seed is second, and the Empyrean God Seed is third. The Empyrean God Seed is the Saint King, but the other two have yet to show themselves.'
Among the Nox Seeds, these two were particularly special, not for their rankings, but the connotations behind their abilities. From what Heaven's Army had gathered thus far, if the Nox found those two seeds, they'd acquire enough force to decimate the universe without opposition.
'Even if he was a low-rank Nox, he should've still known about the seed rankings. For that level of panic…'
The seed they were searching for was at least part of the five greater seeds.
'I must find that seed and end its existence before it can bloom.'
The instructor's eyes turned cold.
'The Stargazer Squad…'
According to that Nox, the Seed was stolen by the Stargazer Squad's leader. From what the instructor knew, that boy was sent by a higher-up for some important mission.
'I should learn more about him. If he is hostile, then I will have to eliminate him as well.'
At that time, the instructor received a transmission from his academy emblem.
"Sir, we have found survivors! They look to be members of the Stargazer Squad, but they're barely alive! How should we proceed?"
The instructor's eyes lit up. "Save them by any means necessary! Use Elixirs if need be!"
Those lower squad members likely weren't as powerful as their leader, and if they could be used to gather information…
The mysterious spatial expert who'd been causing a storm on Calypto recently would become far less mysterious.
'I should finish my business here while they heal.'
The instructor's ashen-grey form moved forward, his awareness already locked on a new target.
While Damien knew the situation in the Real Plane was bad, could he have ever predicted it…?
The fact that a member of the Heaven's Army's Hunting Dogs, one of its most illustrious squadrons, had just caught a whiff of his scent…
…and wasn't willing to let it go.
