"Quick!"

"Deploy the formations!"

"Enhance the defenses!"

Mars' planetoids were in a hurry. Just a few minutes ago, they received a notification from the highest military command.

<Prepare For An All-Out War>

The relative peace was broken forcefully and every soldier was ordered to the frontline.

The military bases on the planetoids quickly sorted themselves into an offensive formation.

The army moved most of its forces to the bases just before the borders. With a single order from above, all the forces would be mobilized in minutes and a full-scale war would erupt.

"Level 7s, 8s, and 9s, all of you need to attend a special conference for your respective level. Your teams will have special targets."

The voice of high-general Skad resounded across the bases.

As millions of men and women moved on the land, thousands of spaceships filled the sky as they delivered the materials to the battlefield.

Weapons, medicine, base equipment, and more continued to be delivered.

The legions of awakeners were prepared to launch a deadly assault on the abyssals.

Viewing the situation through a hologram, High general of Mars, Skad sighed in his heart and turned to the woman in the hologram.

"Sovereign Irene, I'm placing my trust in you." He said in a solemn voice.

Irene Nial nodded at his words and took a long glance at the planetoids' hologram.

After the hologram was cut off, Irene placed her hand on her chest to calm her heart.

Then, she turned on another hologram and looked at the black-haired young man. Holding a hand and a spear, he seemed to be preparing for a battle.

"Sovereign Irene. Thank you for trusting me." Varian said in a sincere tone.

Mobilizing the army of entire mars was no easy feat. Irene would've to convince the other Sovereigns without giving away too much since there was a 'traitor'.

Yet, she did it and she did it fast.

Varian was truly grateful for having such an ally.

In response to his words, Irene, however, merely shook her head.

After the initial shock of Kreo's death faded, she wanted to reprimand Varian for his reckless revenge that created this situation.

But on second thought, she decided against it. Even she couldn't stomach that Kreo would willingly die.

'Mistakes happen, but the consequences of his mistake, the sheer scale of it put mars at risk.' Irene sighed.

One part of her was glad that Varian was this resourceful and strong. Another part was afraid of the consequences of his unconventional actions.

Regardless, her message for this mission remained the same.

"The fate of six billion lives rest in your hands."

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Varian's back straightened up unconsciously.

Even though he tried to be calm, his stiff posture gave away the pressure he was feeling.

Six billion lives

Whatever Varian was personally feeling, anxiety, tension, guiltevery emotion was dwarfed by the weight pressed on him.

"I'm not trusting the boy who took revenge for his lover, I'm trusting the man who risked his life in Pluto to show the world Shadow Guardians are heroes. I'm trusting the hero who saved the world in Valos." Irene looked into his eyes as she said word by word.

Varian took a deep breath and nodded. The whole revenge was like a crash course for him on consequences.

"I'll do my best."

*** *** ***

Flying high in the clouds, the ghost ship reached a major city ruled by a peak level 6 Duke.

Like all other cities in the mirage abyss, this city was also composed of defensive buildings.

The castle of the duke in particular would be able to withstand a few attacks of level 7.

Varian and Sia stood in front of the exit and could attack at any second.

Even though Varian and Sia were powerful, this city had more than a million abyssals.

If he's able to kill them all, then even if none of them was a high awakener, it'd still be a significant loss to the abyssals.

The challenge was that the city stretched for dozens of miles in all directions. With Varian's powers, the area his powers affect were limited.

So, the mass attack depended on Sia. While she concentrated on attacking as much area as possible, Varian would kill the high-ranking abyssals.

Varian exhaled as the door of the ghost ship slowly opened. Beneath the silvery clouds was a giant city.

The city they'd destroy.

"Nervous?" Sia chuckled.

Varian shook his head. "I was almost killed by an abyssal duke three months ago, now I'm going to his home turf to kill him. Feels weird."

Sia grinned with pride as if she was the one who grew so fast.

Varian gave a helpless smile at her reaction and nodded.

Spatial fluctuations covered his body and he disappeared from the clouds miles above the ground.

The next moment, he was in front of the castle.

"Wa-human?!"

"Kill him!"

The guards in front of the castle immediately noticed a man in white. Without hesitation, they launched a fierce offensive.

Hundreds of invisible mind powers reached Varian's mind and tried to pull him into an illusion while a hundred invisible powers shot sharp arrows coated in poison.

As the sky rained arrows and the powers tried to pull him to an illusion, Varian smiled.

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The attacks of level 4, and level 5 felt ticklish.

A long sword appeared in Varian's hand. Lightning arcs crackled as the blade shone with a golden light.

"Wha?"

"He's a high awakener!"

"Retreat!"

"Activate full defense."

As the guards fell back one by one, an abyssal appeared on the tower on top of the castle.

Giving off a fierce killing intent, he looked at the intruder. "Varian!"

The moment the word was spoken, the entire battlefield grew silent except for the cacklings of the lightning.

The guards finally got the chance to carefully see the attacker and they realized it was indeed him.

"Wash your neck and wait! The archduke is comin"

"Yeah, no." Varian swung his sword.

A blinding golden light as the sword shot toward the castle like a comet.

The lightning comet burnt off every abyssal into charcoal before it crashed into the castle.

The metal monster that could withstand the attacks of even high level 7s crumbled like a sand castle.

Hundreds of abyssals were killed in a blink.

The ground trembled as a golden mushroom blew into the sky.

The castle was no more.

Through the dust, Varian saw one thing still standing in the castle.

An altar.

Even though it seemed to have survived due to the layered protection, it's on the verge of breaking down.

Varian put the altar into his space ring and pulled out a spear.

Channeling ice mana into it, he threw it into the sky.

"Done."

The spear emitted a light blue light as it flew higher and higher into the sky. The growing blue light slowly began to take the shape of a phoenix.

When it reached the highest point, the phoenix gazed down at the city and screeched.

Then, the phoenix dived down.

The buildings in the high-class district surrounding the castle were about to escape when the phoenix crashed into them.

Without any resistance, they all froze into popsicles and collapsed to the ground.

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The abyssals that were crucial to the city were wiped out in a single strike.

Varian scanned the buildings and noticed that a dozen abyssals were barely alive thanks to some defensive treasure they used at that last minute.

"No worries, I'll help you."

His level 8 psychic power turned into multiple spears and attacked their minds. They crumbled and died.

"Varian."

A soft voice reached Varian's mind.

"Alright."

Varian's body flashed and he teleported a mile above the city. His mind sense covered the entire city and he locked onto the abyssals escaping through the gates.

"No. You aren't."

Varian's mind power spread like a tsunami and engulfed the abyssals at the gates.

Keeping anxious and ferocious expressions on their faces, they collapsed to the ground as they died midway.

"Go."

As Varian took care of the abyssals escaping, a cold voice sounded from above.

Then, the whole city started to shake.

As if it was experiencing an earthquake, the buildings trembled and the ground cracked.

Watching her powers, Varian clicked his tongue.

The city spread across dozens of miles suddenly changed!

The defensive buildings built with the finest armor were suddenly crushed to the ground.

It didn't matter if it was a two-story or five-story or twenty-story building.

They all ended up as a sheet of metal pressed onto the ground as if a giant hammer crushed them.

And the abyssals were still in the buildings became piles of flesh and blood.

The abyssals on the roads and in open had it worse. They exploded under the huge gravity.

In a matter of seconds, millions of abyssals died from the fierce gravity field.

An important first-tier city of the Mirage Abyss was gone.

Just like that.

"STOP!"

A thunderous roar shook the air as a thick killing filled the sky.

Varian teleported to the ghost ship and Sia entered it shortly after.

Without his instruction, Boo took off and they went to the next city.

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As for the archduke that came in rage? He could only return empty-handed.

But this wasn't the end of the terror.

It was only the beginning of a nightmare.