Supreme Paragon Reborn: Humanity's Rise To Galactic Supremacy-Chapter 263: Lessons in Steel

"Failure will not be tolerated! With the asteroid belt breached, there is no doubt the vicious creatures are doing their best to reach Earth and the Golden Tree. We must prevent that from happening at any cost!"

King Arthur said his piece, as did the other faction leaders, all emphasizing the importance of vigilance and warning the gathered soldiers that they must not grow lax, even when taking their experience into account.

For once, Michael had to agree with them.

During his time in Neptune’s resistance, he had encountered both the Etrox, aliens capable of assuming human appearances to deceive their victims, who relied on psychokinesis as their primary means of attack, and the Ro’trah, a species that functioned as a hive mind controlled by a queen.

As for Venus, while the rogue AIs had proven to be the greatest threat, the Hreh’tar were no less dangerous. These beings could use a human body as a source of nourishment, forming a breeding ground for their offspring.

Despite the numerous dangers both planets represented, there was one saving grace, if it could even be called that. Under normal circumstances, it was rare to encounter more than two of the alien races with the potential of conquering the universe at once.

The reasoning was straightforward. The Primordials, acting as leaders of their respective races, had come to a mutual agreement not to interfere if two species were already fighting, lest they provoke the others into ganging up on them. However, the treaty the aliens had formed didn’t include the races they had brutally enslaved, like the one the Etrox had used to assault Triton at the very start of Michael’s second life.

Although it was quite complex, the alien politics gave Michael a certain edge when it came to predicting their actions and knowing what to expect.

However, every rule had now been rendered useless.

In the vast cosmos, there was no guarantee that a soldier wouldn’t find himself surrounded by every alien race there was. Which, in normal circumstances, would mean almost certain death, even for the most experienced soldiers, since each alien race had its own unique strengths that had to be carefully considered.

’Am I being stared at?’ Michael wondered, his gaze inspecting the gathered leaders carefully. From what he could tell, no one was paying him attention, though he couldn’t be sure about Queen Seer, given the blindfold she wore.

’Queen Seer... sadly, besides being an oracle, I never learned what she was truly capable of in my prior life, since she died so abruptly.’

He took a sigh.

’Still, considering what killed her last time, even if she has some technique that could hinder or expose me, she wouldn’t use it, at least not until she has sufficient information.’

Meanwhile, Queen Seer was caught in an internal debate.

’I don’t seem to be hallucinating, nor am I caught in some kind of illusion... Could this man, the one they call Michael, perhaps be the reason fate has been acting so strangely as of late?’

She swallowed, disturbed.

’It’s absurd. There’s no rational explanation for how Michael could possess such a soul while being merely a Grandmaster. It’s not something that can be faked, and I doubt it’s even possible for someone to reverse the state of their body... For goodness’ sake, even the Emperor pales in comparison!’

A bead of sweat trickled down her flawless skin.

’Maybe... Time manipulation? By attaining unparalleled power, he found a way to send his spirit back in time? Is this the kind of monster I am looking at right now? No... I can’t jump to conclusions just yet. Not with so much at stake.’

Taking a deep breath, she masterfully regained her composure.

’If my theory turns out to be true, I’m fortunate I looked at him with my own eyes now. If I had waited for him to grow stronger, it would have been too late... but now...’

A smile tugged her face, not finishing the thought.

Eventually, the leaders had all finished their speeches, marking the gathering to an end.

With a scoff, the Emperor glanced at Michael momentarily.

’So this is the man Nicole recommended we bring along? Very well, I am curious to see what a soldier that caught my daughter’s interest is capable of.’

While most of the faction leaders left to deal with other affairs, King Arthur seemed to have other plans.

Taking heavy steps with a nonchalant expression on his face, he moved past the crowd, the soldiers clearing a way for him without uttering a single word.

He halted before Victoria, his blue eyes meeting hers.

"It hasn’t been long since we last saw each other, yet you seem different now." His voice echoed. "Almost as if you’ve... grown up."

Victoria didn’t shy away from the King’s gaze.

"I have."

"..."

Arthur gestured for her to follow.

"I need to speak with you privately."

Before following, she reassured the crew.

"Don’t bother to wait for me. I have a suspicion that he wants to have a long conversation."

Michael nodded.

"Take care."

With the briefing over, many of the soldiers were eager to form connections, since everyone here was considered part of the elite. However, no one could afford the luxury of socializing yet, everyone had to familiarize themselves with their assigned roles.

"This is the perfect opportunity to fill you in on how to effectively operate a mecha." Claire said, going towards one of the many mecha workshops.

Michael raised an eyebrow.

"Wait, why did we stop in front of your mecha? Aren’t you going to show me how to operate a basic one?"

For mecha riders like Claire, their mechas were considered sacred. Like a home that wouldn’t welcome any random stranger.

"It will be fine. Both of us will fit easily, and since I know the controls like the back of my hand, this will be the best place to teach you the basics."

Finding her explanation reasonable, Michael followed.

His experience with mechas had been somewhat limited, which explained his astonishment when he settled into the cockpit.

Just as Claire had said, the cockpit was spacious enough for both of them to stand comfortably and even lie down, should they wish to. A combat-style seat was surrounded by several neon monitors flickering with different interfaces. The visible cables weren’t the tangled mess he had expected but were instead masterfully organized.

Given the impressive features around him, no one would have blamed him if he had been overwhelmed. But that wasn’t the case. His gaze landed on something that immediately stood out.

"What is this?"

He asked, pointing to a plushie.