The trip to Calypto took 2 months even with the starship using the best transportation techniques in the universe.

Not only did it cruise through the starry sky at an insane speed surpassing any 4th class being, it also traveled through three different long-distance teleportation arrays while doing so.

Cross-sector teleportation arrays were widely available in the Grand Heavens Boundary, but all those to Eden, Soul World, and the Beast Domain had been manually cut now that the Nox succeeded in breaching the three sectors.

Teleportation arrays were an immense convenience to the masses, but they were also an easy way to infiltrate the universe. These teleportation arrays were precisely how Nox geniuses like the Saint King were able to arrive in the Divine Realm.

Rather than the safety of those who lived in the invaded domains, keeping the Nox out of the remaining ones was more important to those in power.

Nevertheless, other than the speed of the journey itself, this starship voyage didn't vary much from Damien's usual trips through the starry sky. Whenever he could, he'd leave the ship and bind any Dead Stars he saw in the vicinity. And whenever he came across a lower world or beginner world, he would bind it too.

After all, the difficulty of doing so was the same. Unless the World Core had gained spirituality, it would be dominated by his Celestial Authority.

In consequence, Damien's mana capacity skyrocketed once again. The amount of World Force he could control didn't increase substantially, but the force itself became more dense. It was slowly becoming viable to utilize in combat again.

Still, 2 months wasn't much time, and the starship didn't wait for anyone. As it was rather tiring to Warp back into the moving ship every time he left it, Damien only got a few chances to perform this high-speed farming.

And finally, the starship crossed into Eden.

As the Plant Race's domain, Eden was known for its luscious worlds covered in beautiful greenery and life aura. Yet, none of those scenes could be witnessed anymore.

Eden was submerged in desolation.

Nearly every world the starship passed was charred black and destroyed. Some were even in pieces, their debris floating aimlessly in the starry sky.

Only when the ship reached Calypto was a hint of the Sector's previous wonder present.

But even this wonder had been corrupted.

Calypto was a large planet with a diameter of roughly 300,000 kilometers. This size meant that, if placed between Earth and the Moon, it would almost encapsulate all of the present space.

Only a world of this level would the Nox choose as an Infected Source World.

The world itself was painted in the color green. Even the ocean waters were dyed a similar greenish-white color after being influenced by the atmosphere.

But rather than the luscious and lively green one would usually see in Eden, this green stunk of infection. It was a disgusting color that corrupted the planet's previous atmosphere.

They were only a few tens of thousands of kilometers away from the planet, and at this time, the operation commander summoned the present geniuses to the main cabin of the ship.

"Everyone here has been roughly briefed about the situation, but I will reiterate one more time for safety. Today, we are not here to destroy the Infected Source World; none of you possess the power to do so. Instead, our mission is to distract the Nox forces residing in this world for 2 months to prevent them from aiding the main force on Throh while the main operation takes place." The commander spoke sternly.

"You will be split into teams of five and dispatched to various locations along the world. A world map, as well as general details on both characteristics of the world and those residing in it, have been sent to your academy emblems. Double tapping the emblem will allow you to view it."

The commander glanced over the 5,000 geniuses present with a stern face. At a time like this, there was no room for error.

2 months was an incredibly short period of time, and expecting mere students who hadn't grown into their strength yet to assist in this mission was something he never agreed with.

But there was no choice. Heaven's Army didn't have enough leeway to split their attention to both Throh and Calypto.

The strength of these students wasn't much weaker than Heaven's Army's forces, but their experience with war and slaughter was far too lacking.

Regardless, there wasn't another option for them. The only thing he could do was watch over them and keep as many of them alive as possible.

"There is no overarching plan for this mission as the goal is distraction rather than destruction. Depending on your drop point, you will be given a series of tasks to complete, but this is it. Keep in mind that this is not just a test of your power, but also your integrity, will, and tactical intelligence! Move wisely to accomplish your missions, and if you find yourself with time remaining, use it to destroy the enemy!"

"We touch ground in 3 hours. Use this time to get acclimated with your teammates and prepare yourself!"

With those words, the commander left the main cabin and returned to the starship's control room.

Immediately after, the academy emblems of the present geniuses began to shine. An array of lines lit up the room, connecting each emblem to another.

These lines led the geniuses to their team members. Damien and Zara had a line connecting them as well, and together, they moved to meet the rest of their group.

'It's nice that we were placed together. Is this the Director's work?' Damien wondered as he walked.

The Director was truly favoring him to influence the team pairings on an important mission like this for his sake, not that he minded at all.

It only took a bit of walking for the duo to meet with the rest of their group. The other three had seemingly already met prior to the mission, considering how they were standing together chatting.

When Damien and Zara arrived, the three immediately gave them a once-over.

"So these are the two newbies coming with us? A pretty boy and his toy? How sad."

The one who spoke was a woman with bronze skin and a sleek yet toned build. Her black hair was pulled up in a long ponytail that draped halfway down her back.

"A-ah! You can't say that about people, Synth! How many times has the instructor told you not to judge people by their appearance?!" A girl next to her condemned.

Unlike the first who had a more masculine vibe, this girl was small and cute, almost like a doll. She had shining blonde hair and equally golden eyes, a rosy blush settling on her pale skin as she shyly spoke.

"Whatever. It's not like they'll do anything about it, right? Ash, you need to grow some balls. That shy personality of yours doesn't fit you." The woman named Synth replied.

As the two spoke, Damien succinctly made a mental note to put this Synth woman in her place once they landed on Calypto. He couldn't allow someone so unruly to interfere with his judgement.

While he did so, the third person in their group walked up to him with an apologetic smile.

"I'm sorry about her. She has a tendency to speak without thinking. The instructors have been trying to quell her rebellious nature for years, but nothing they do seems to stick."

"Don't worry about it," Damien replied. "If even the instructors in the Hell Hole couldn't fix her, then it can't be helped."

The man nodded wryly and put out his hand. "My name is Tyler, by the way. I'm a level 300 Contractor. I'm able to tame beasts and fuse their power into my body."

'This Tyler guy..his power is similar to that Hun Fang brat. I wonder how those siblings are doing now..?'

Damien shook off his thought and instead shook Tyler's outstretched hand, replying in kind, "Damien Void. I'm not willing to reveal my class, but I'm especially skilled in Spatial Laws and Dimensional Magic."historical

He kept his explanation short and didn't mention his level, knowing that doing so would be counterintuitive. As Zara followed his lead and introduced herself, he looked over at the other two.

'Their levels aren't bad..the mana emanating from their bodies surpasses what you'd expect from an average level 300. Also, they definitely aren't what they seem at all.'

"What are you looking at, creep?" Synth sneered, interrupting his observation.

Damien glanced at her with a bored look. "What, are you too stupid to understand my intent? Tyler here was smart enough to introduce himself to his teammates. What about you?"

"Tch. Synth, level 315, Mechanist. That's all you need to know." Synth replied with a disgruntled scoff.

"H-hi! I'm Ash. I'm a level 313 Berserker. Please take care of me!" The blonde-haired girl followed.

"Berserker?!" Damien blurted out in surprise. He'd met plenty of people whose personalities juxtaposed their classes, but this one had to be the most severe case.

"Y-yes.." Ash replied sheepishly.

Damien shrugged. "Well, if you're strong you're strong. Looking at the three of you, it seems your party composition is pretty solid already."

Ash was a Berserker, a frontline fighter who could double as a tank. Tyler was a Contractor, and while his power involved fusing with beasts, he played the mid-range combatant role since he could respond properly to most situations with his varied skillset. Finally, Synth was a Mechanist. Damien first learned of this class type from Lynn Carter in Niflheim. Essentially, people of this class type were technomancers with various control abilities. Synth was clearly the long-ranged damage dealer and crowd controller of the group.

Together, they had an airtight formation and routine that they probably followed ever since they'd been placed together.

Considering that Damien and Zara arrived and ruined this synchronicity as unknowns, Damien almost felt like he could forgive them for their obviously unwelcoming atmosphere.

Though, that atmosphere wouldn't remain for long.

He wouldn't allow it to.

After all, since when was he someone who'd agree to be part of a team he didn't lead?