Supreme Paragon Reborn: Humanity's Rise To Galactic Supremacy-Chapter 317: Indomitable Expansion

Upon waking up, Michael immediately went towards the lounge to meet with the others. Devil was now safely resting in his soul. Despite having fought alongside the new recruits before, Michael still refused to trust them with the evolution of his soul weapon.

His eyes immediately locked onto Robert, who seemed to be obsessively talking to a holographic image.

"Yes, I am fine. No, there is no need to worry—"

Leaning closer, Michael noticed that the man was speaking with Livia. Since the two were a couple, she had been worried about him.

Though the Lord didn’t keep the connection for long. After spotting Michael, he bid Livia farewell and ended the call.

"Good morning!" Robert greeted cheerily.

The man didn’t seem any different than his time on Venus. Even after becoming a Transcendent Lord, there wasn’t even a trace of ill intent being radiated from his body.

It didn’t take long for the whole Indomitable Alliance to gather. Once it did, Karson surprised everybody as he suddenly moved into the spotlight before bowing deeply.

"I know that it’s too little too late. But still I wish to apologize for my outburst on Neptune."

He was referring to the time he had panicked and claimed that Michael had met his doom only to be punched by his superior Stephen and made to run laps for discipline reasons.

Whatever the man had gone through, it was clear he had matured significantly. The crew accepted his sincere apology.

"To think that we will be working together after all this time." Master Roy exclaimed. He still remembered how Michael’s foresight on Triton had saved countless of his troops.

Alice sighed. "I still remember the time when we were your superiors. To think that so many of you now rival us in the Grandmaster realm."

Noah scoffed. "Rival? No way, my instincts tell me we don’t stand a chance against them."

Of course, they were referring to Victoria, Claire, and Richard, as they were of the same realm. As for Michael, even if he was technically a Late Grandmaster, the aura he emitted made him indistinguishable from a Lord.

As before, Skylar and Luis started the briefing, having thoroughly researched the next faction they were about to face.

"Heavens!"

When they entered the room, however, their breath hitched. From their perspective, the Indomitable Alliance seemed to have doubled its members in a single day... And it now had three Lords among its ranks to boot.

Skylar was visibly relieved. She had been worried about whether Michael’s faction could truly make it into the later rounds of the tournament. Now, however, there was no doubt in her mind.

Since the news that the Indomitable Alliance had gained new members had not yet been made public, eluding even her. Skylar familiarized herself with the others by asking how far they had progressed in their cultivation.

"Let me get this straight... Robert and Cayson are Transcendent Lords, Iris is a Radiant Lord, Noah and Alice are Late Grandmasters, Evelyn and Stephen are Middle Grandmasters, Karson and Natalia are Late Masters, and Roy is a Middle Master?"

Her body began to tremble uncontrollably, to the point that Luis had to calm her down.

Though all reason fell on deaf ears, how could she be calm? Most of the population regarded the Indomitable Alliance as a faction worthy of a spot in the top ten... And now their strength had seemingly quadrupled overnight! 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

Considering that she and Luis were the only reporters who knew about this sudden change, she could already taste the recognition and fame they would earn if they documented the unprecedented rise.

’We can use this to our advantage.’ She realized, finally getting her emotions under control.

"Since the tournament is single-elimination and has 128 factions participating, we know it will conclude within seven rounds. Fortunately, the first and second rounds will pit the Indomitable Alliance against smaller factions. The data shows they’re slightly stronger than the Eternal Blade, your last opponent... But considering your new members, it should be a walk in the park."

Her expression grew sterner.

"But after the second round, the faction’s numbers will have dropped significantly, which means the time before your next battle will be shorter... Unless, of course, the Emperor plans to deliberately extend the rest period."

She paused briefly.

"Regardless of what happens, use this downtime to train and become familiar with your battle styles before it’s too late. After this, the difficulty will increase several times over. Now, as for the next faction you’ll face—"

While Skylar relayed every bit of intel she had gained on the Unbroken Chain, the faction they were going to face. Scarlett silently neared her brother.

Her eyes looked heavier than usual, though she didn’t display any kind of external signs of fatigue.

"Good morning. Use this to energize yourself." She flashed him a charming smile, giving him a warm cup of tea.

He arched an eyebrow at the unexpected gesture. Before he could respond, however, Scarlett gently put a finger over his lips, guiding his head to rest back on the sofa.

Then, moving behind him, she placed her soft hands on his rough shoulder blades, soothing his muscles with a gentle massage.

’Am I imagining it, or does she seem more affectionate than usual?’ Michael wondered.

Naturally, he was oblivious to the reason. After Scarlett had truly glimpsed, for the first time, what her brother had been enduring all this time, thanks to Devil’s battle lesson. She came to the realization of how much she had taken him for granted.

Sure, she knew that fighting in a war was terrible, but being a teenager, she hadn’t truly understood the implications... Until she had been pushed to her limit. Now her mother’s sleepless nights suddenly made perfect sense.

To add insult to injury, her brother wasn’t much older than her. The two were barely two years apart, and most of the population would still consider Michael in his teenage years, despite having entered adulthood.

He had faced the worst the world had to offer, while Scarlett had remained oblivious all this time. Age wasn’t an excuse... She realized she had truly been an ignorant girl.

’I don’t blame him for being reluctant to teach me how to fight. I haven’t earned that privilege.’

She thought dejectedly.

’Goodness... even now, I feel like I’m barely accomplishing anything. His back is so ridiculously sturdy that it feels like I’m massaging pure metal. Does he even feel anything?

Michael, meanwhile, wore a rare expression of relaxation. Scarlett’s touch was soothing enough to allow his mind to unwind. Though since he wasn’t facing her, she didn’t realize it.

Gradually, her eyes began to burn with unwavering determination.

’No more waiting. I will keep getting stronger so that when you want to look at me, you won’t be glancing backwards!’

Despite how it sounded, these weren’t the thoughts of a delusional teenage girl... But of someone who had faced death and managed to recover in less than a single day.

Michael’s stubbornness wasn’t unique to him. It was a defining trait of his entire bloodline.

Eventually, the briefing concluded. Standing up and drawing the attention of everyone in the room, Michael felt more relaxed than ever.

"We will make full use of this time. I will put you all through hellish training to forge each of you into unwavering soldiers."

Everybody gulped audibly, a chill running down their spines.

Though his tone was as calm as a lake, his eyes told a different tale.

After all, he was facing the Lords, meaning whatever lay ahead was so ruthless that even they would find themselves struggling.