"FIRE NOW! DO NOT HESITATE!"
A furious roar echoed through the starship. The speaker's vigor was mirrored by his troops, as within a second, thunderous booms were being emitted from the ship's weaponry.
Tens of brilliant light beams shot through the starry sky, impaling countless smaller starships and even landing a hit on the large enemy command ship behind them.
The ship suddenly veered to the left, narrowly dodging a light beam that almost pierced its hull.
XIU! XIU! XIU! XIU!
The whipping sound of energy attacks flying past was the only thing that populated the ears of those who fought on it.
Small fighter ships whizzed through the starry sky and created an array of dogfights within the space between the larger starships. A few thousand kilometers away, individual troops fought the Nox with their bare bodies exposed to the terrors of deep space.
The chaotic spatial essence in the starry sky swayed as if it was alive, threatening to collapse under the stress of the combined attacks.
Currently, the situation wasn't looking optimistic for the Allied forces.
The Blight Emperor was far too powerful and cunning. The way he moved his troops was extremely unconventional, almost as if he was playing games with the Allied forces.
Sadly, even if he was playing a game, there was nothing that could be done about it.
There were barely any among the current soldiers who could face off against an extreme peak 4th class Nox Avatar. In the first place, this was supposed to be a diversion mission, not an elimination one.
The Blight Emperor's sudden decision to stage a full-force offensive was a great surprise, and one that forced the currently limited forces to face off against the powerhouses of the Infected Source World,
'The Blight Emperor is a cunning man who will attack when we least expect it. We've already lost a third of our troops to his mere few thousand. If the situation continues like this, we will not make it out alive, nor will we accomplish our mission objective. Something needs to be done.'
The commander of the operation, the same man who accompanied Damien and the rest to Calypto, stood with a stern look on his face.
From his vantage point, he could view a majority of the battlefield, and rarely did he see the allied forces pushing forward properly.
'Their numbers are too great for these forces. We need elite squads here to deal with the present Nox completely. It's at least a positive that the situation on the surface has calmed down.'
The commander severely regretted his lack of action during the Stargazer Squad's crisis, but there was truly nothing he could do at the time besides wait and watch.
Bzzt!
A holographic screen appeared before the commander as he was stuck in thought.
"Commander, Instructor Baek Woojin reporting!"
The figure of a stalwart man with tan skin appeared before the commander. He had bags under his eyes as if he hadn't slept for many days, but overall, he didn't look in bad condition.
"Report."
"Yes, sir. The situation on the surface has completely resolved itself, and I have cleared any suspicion of the Stargazer Squad fabricating their achievements. However, there is bad news as well."
"The Nox were able to acquire another Seed. The Seed's current growth is unknown, however, it is sure that they will deploy it on the battlefield within the next few years."
The commander frowned and rubbed his temples. He didn't need this kind of pessimistic information at the moment. The inclusion of a new Seed into the already perilous situation…
He didn't want to think about it.
"Commander, there is one more thing I must report."
Luckily, Baek Woojin didn't plan to let him.
"The situation…may change very soon."
"Hm, what do you—"
RUMBLE!
A shiver ran through the commander's body as a terrifyingly loud rumble spread through the starry sky.
"Don't tell me…"
Calypto itself was shaking.
***
A few minutes ago.
"I see, so that's how the situation is playing out."
Damien's voice rang out solemnly. Currently, he was in conversation with Baek Woojin about the battle for Throh.
"Indeed. My squad is also participating in that battle, so I am able to get real-time updates on how the situation is progressing."
"It's concerning. With the battle reaching a pinnacle soon, the troops will need something to boost their morality, both those in Throh and those fighting the Blight Emperor here."
Damien knew about the importance of morale in a battle with so many troops. If anyone was able to strike a major blow against the Nox in this moment, the zealousness of all troops would skyrocket, and their fortified minds would allow them to fight without fatigue.
'If we can…'
Damien's mind spun as he thought of ways to change the overly pessimistic situation.
'Ah…'
It didn't take long for a lightbulb to go off in his head.
'It may not have been possible before, but…I've been reborn.'
"Instructor Baek, contact the commander and fill him in on Throh's situation. Also, tell him to prepare himself. I'm about to do something major."
Baek Woojin's eyes narrowed. "I don't quite understand your intent, but I will convey it to the Commander. I will watch over your actions. They will be an adequate measure to see whether or not you can hold up your end of our deal."
Damien grinned. "Don't worry. I'll put on a good show."
He teleported away immediately after saying his goodbyes. Within the spatial layers, he sighed to himself.
'Baek Woojin's mind seems stable, and he doesn't seem to notice any anomalies in his memory. As long as I can follow through on my promise, I'll gain an important ally. Still, while the allied forces in Calypto are still in the dark about Zara's identity, the Nox are not. I still haven't completely escaped danger.'
At this point, it was impossible for the Saint Emperor to be unaware of both his and Zara's identities.
It wasn't possible to kill the Saint Emperor or alter his memories, especially when the version of him present was only an Avatar, but Damien had another solution.
'Bring as much heat onto myself as possible to move their attention away from Zara, and…'
Damien made his way to the very center of Calypto. He floated over a body of water and flicked his fingers, erecting Dimensional Walls and splitting the seas.
He descended to the newly revealed ocean floor and placed his hand down.
He closed his eyes and connected to the most prominent yet concealed force in his body.
Ever since he unlocked Samsara Intent, something changed in his connection with the Void. Concepts that used to be blurry and vague became clearer, and it was almost like the comprehension he was being fed increased in grade.
'The Void is above everything, and to understand it, I must first understand all things. However, while all things must exist, they can just as easily fade into nonexistence. The Void is a manifestation of this concept, and before I can return all creation to nothingness, I must first understand the relationships between those concepts already in existence.'
His eyes opened slowly. His swirling purple irises were colored pitch-black.
Wisps of mana matching his eyes converged around his hands. And on his command…
[Spike]
They turned into jagged spikes thousands of kilometers wide that impaled the earth.
The entire world rumbled on impact.
