Chapter 387: Burning Love
Livia’s breath hitched as she observed Robert’s serious expression. Fortunately, the Lord’s bluntness seemed to have worked, catching her completely off guard. Any attempt to hide his intentions would have blown his cover. Robert was well aware of that.
"Oh. My. God." Ava murmured, putting her hands over her lips, the pink hue of her eyes speaking in pure delight.
"This wasn’t what I expected at all." Victoria whispered. Soldiers entering relationships wasn’t uncommon, but proposals certainly were.
"Honestly, they look so good together." Claire admitted quietly, careful not to disturb the moment.
"So, this is what it’s like to propose?" Ruby muttered, intrigued.
For a brief moment, Michael shuddered as the weight of four intense gazes settled on his back, each one reflecting the same expectation for the foreseeable future.
Similarly, Amelia also cast a glance toward Enzo.
"I—I..." After a few seconds of silence, Livia seemed to gather enough courage to speak. "Y—Yes, I will."
"That’s my boy!" Richard shouted at the top of his lungs. Bryce played with his overgrown beard in approval. Leo nodded in sign of his support.
Slowly, Livia’s face turned red.
"Couldn’t you have waited until we were alone?!" She blurted out, showing a rare, embarrassed side of herself.
Robert chuckled before embracing her. "No, I have waited long enough."
For obvious reasons, Michael’s crew gave the engaged couple some privacy, even though Robert would have been a great help in dealing with the aliens in the tunnels. The crew could manage without his help.
Following the coordinates they were given, they traversed the city onto Cyberfang’s back. While Michael could have flown, the rest couldn’t. Not to mention, it was a chance for him to perform mundane actions that kept him in touch with his human side.
"Little brother, I find myself in a predicament. May I speak with you for a moment?" Ruby rested on Cyberfang’s massive head, deep in thought.
Notably, the other three women also seemed to have something on their minds, all of it concerning their emotions and Michael.
Given the massive size of the mechanical beast, no one dared to interrupt their path, allowing them to reach their destination quickly.
"So, this is one of the supposed tunnels?" Richard scoffed. Since becoming Peak Grandmaster, very few things, if any, have faced him.
Michael nodded. "Yes. It was in the middle of being converted into a metro until aliens started emerging, killing the workers left and right. Our job is to locate the possible breach, seal it up, and clear the place of the aliens."
Promptly, he summoned Devil and Heaven’s Judgment.
’Brat! Take note from that Lord and put a ring on the fingers of those beauties!’ Devil remarked. ’Don’t listen to those who say marriage kills passion. The opposite is true! I tell you, sealing the deal with them will make them even more eager to jump on you! If my assumptions are correct, even your titanium bed won’t be able to handle the aftermath!’
Surprisingly, for the first time ever, Heaven’s Judgment seemed to mirror Devil’s assessment.
’Ah, that moment when Robert proposed was so vivid! I could feel my nonexistent heart racing!’ The shotgun blushed. ’I can only imagine the joy of completely merging with one another... The longing desire to devote oneself to bringing warmth to your beloved!’
Devil laughed. ’Ha! So even an overly good fool like you finally agrees... Pleasure is where it’s at!’
Heaven’s Judgment remained unwavering. ’Preposterous! Don’t confuse my ambition for intense affection with your twisted fantasies, you disgraceful fiend!’
Michael was about to retort that he was too young for marriage, especially since it hadn’t been long since he’d entered adulthood. But he quickly reconsidered. Arguing with both of his soul weapons, which were mere reflections of his inner self, would be no different than debating with himself. And he didn’t feel crossing that threshold of insanity was a wise move.
The madness he carried was more than enough for him.
Therefore, he let the two weapons bicker, their chatter merely echoing in the background. Unless they outright shouted, they weren’t supposed to interfere with him.
Eagerly, Michael focused on Heaven’s Judgment and shifted her form, altering her into a shield.
"How did you do that?" Ava asked, surprised. The first time he had changed the shape of his shotgun was after winning the tournament, but back then, everyone had been too shocked to notice the change.
"Long story... Let’s just say that after reaching enlightenment, Heaven’s Judgment evolved into a soul weapon."
Victoria’s eyes narrowed. "You mean to say you’ve commanded two soul weapons now?"
The crew was taken by surprise. They had assumed the shotgun was merely a reward for his efforts. However, even if they overlooked Michael’s clear secrecy about the weapon’s origins, it was still shocking to realize he was capable of wielding two soul weapons simultaneously.
Richard appeared to be the least affected.
’Why do they act so stuck up about it? If the Boss can handle several women at the same time, what’s so surprising about him being able to wield multiple soul weapons?’ The man pondered, though he remained silent. Guessing the joke wouldn’t land well with the crew, especially with Devil not in his true form to back him up.
Soul weapons didn’t just require certain criteria. They also put strain on the user’s spirit. The fact that Michael was able to use two, while most couldn’t even handle one, was extraordinary.
Because this revelation didn’t even rank in the top ten of his most ludicrous achievements. The crew didn’t press him much about it.
As they descended into the tunnel’s depths, Cyberfang’s eyes gleamed with bright light, illuminating the path ahead. The lights in the underground tunnels had been cut off in certain areas.
Even though the darkness wasn’t deep enough to pose a true danger to the crew, given their heightened senses, it was better to be safe than sorry.
Along their path, they stumbled upon numerous mutilated bodies, a grim testament to the true horror of the Hreh’tar.
The unfortunate humans who had been used as breeding hosts for the aliens lay sprawled, merely hollow vessels of their former selves. Their eye sockets, skulls, chests, and abdomens were mercilessly punctured. Most of their organs were missing, consumed by the alien threat, leaving behind only the remains of what had once been life.
The only silver lining was that, since these humans had been simple mortals, their bodies hadn’t given birth to unbelievably strong aliens, nor had they struggled in their final moments, dying in a flash.
"It’s time you rest." Victoria whispered, sending a powerful inferno to the fallen humans they passed, reducing them to ash.
Since her technique was fueled by her spiritual energy, the oxygen consumption was kept to a minimum.
It greatly pained the crew to be unable to retrieve the bodies of their fallen comrades, but they had no choice. These weren’t warriors, but mere workers. They had not been marked for identification in case of death, and their bodies were too mutilated to be recognized by their loved ones.
The fallen would have undoubtedly preferred this outcome, sparing their families the sight of the hollow remains of those they had once loved.
Eventually, twisted forms began to emerge from the darkness, illuminated by Cyberfang’s light.
The crew had encountered a group of aliens.