Sovereign of the Ashes

As an alchemist, Sein was no stranger to the concept of a world-class secret treasure.

These treasures represented the pinnacle of craftsmanship that a race or civilization could attain.

Generally, only medium-sized planes and above could produce such extraordinary creations.

The recently destroyed Wild Gorilla World had managed to forge only one world-class secret treasure—the “Gorilla God Hammer”—even after harnessing the collective strength of the entire plane.

None of the powerful Rank Four and above individuals Sein knew, including Lorianne, Gregory, Bernice, and Dark Flame, possessed a world-class secret treasure.

Sein speculated that Grandmaster Feylis might own such a treasure.

However, Lorianne had never mentioned it, and Sein had no access to recordings of his grandmaster’s battles.

World-class secret treasures were unimaginably rare and precious, far beyond the reach of ordinary Rank Four or Rank Five beings.

However, fragments of world-class secret treasures or divine weapons partially imbued with the power of laws were much more accessible and commonly held by these Rank Four and Rank Five creatures.

Sein recalled an instance at a starport auction where he had seen a one-seventh fragment of a world-class secret treasure.

Yet, even that fragment paled in comparison to the square stone slab before him now!

World-class secret treasures varied immensely in quality and power.

Though the stone slab before him was merely a fragment, the aura it radiated far surpassed that of the one he had seen at the auction!

Even the Spider Queen, who had manifested her clone at the site, could not conceal the awe in her eyes.

“It’s just a broken fragment, yet the dense power of laws it holds rivals a medium-tier world-class secret treasure? Imagine how powerful the original must have been...” she murmured with a sigh.

Without hesitation, the Spider Queen moved toward the stone slab.

The energy radiating from the white stone slab was far beyond anything Sein or the others could comprehend or interact with.

Among all the creatures present, only the Spider Queen was qualified to approach it.

“Let’s see what origin laws it holds,” she said, extending her slender hand toward the stone slab embedded in the wall.

The moment the Spider Queen’s fingers touched the stone slab, violent fluctuations erupted.

Blinding white light radiated outward, and Sein thought he saw the Spider Queen’s fair arm being pulled into the slab.

“In addition to possessing spatial power... it also contains the power of ‘fate’?” the Spider Queen exclaimed.

The collision of violent energy and the clash of different laws intensified the turbulence in the surroundings!

The Spider Queen, a master of laws and an incredibly powerful being, remained unfazed.

Unlike the unlucky demihuman who had been sucked into the slab earlier, she began slowly pulling her arm out, engaging in a contest of power with the stone slab itself.

The white stone slab was ultimately a masterless object and merely a broken fragment. Naturally, it could not truly contend with the Spider Queen’s strength.

However, the Spider Queen had descended only in the form of a divine clone.

While she could suppress the stone slab, she could not prevent the violent spatial fluctuations from radiating outward.

Sein immediately realized that these intense fluctuations spelled trouble.

Despite being deep underground, this commotion was bound to attract the attention of knights and mages conducting their investigations nearby.

The four light orbs the Spider Queen had distributed earlier might have been enough to divert attention for a while, but the energy levels released by this collision were far too intense.

Even the blind would notice the anomaly.

Sein knew that hanging around this group of dark creatures now would do him no favors.

If the knights and mages from the knightly orders or divine towers discovered him here, surrounded by god-worshiping underground creatures, there would be no way for him to explain himself—even as the apprentice of a Tower Master.

Moreover, Sein had actively assisted these dark creatures.

Did this mean he would eventually have to flee to Blackhaven in the Western Archipelago and join the Spider Queen in exile?

As Sein mulled over whether to warn the Spider Queen to retreat, her swift reaction exceeded his expectations.

A faint whistling sound escaped her lips.

All the dark creatures and demihumans nearby seemed to receive her divine decree. Without hesitation, they scattered in all directions.

Their movements were not random or panicked; instead, they appeared to be strategically spreading out to draw attention away from the Spider Queen.

Moments later, the sound of intense clashes echoed from a short distance away.

As expected, the elite powerhouses of the major divine towers and knightly orders had been quick to act, arriving in the area with remarkable speed.

“With my divine temple and servants exposed, it’ll be difficult for me to leave the Western Archipelago anytime soon,” the Spider Queen said, flying toward Sein after carefully wrapping the stone slab in her divine power.

“You! Take this slab to Blackhaven for me. In return, I’ll spare your life and even give you a small reward.”

The Spider Queen’s commanding tone left no room for negotiation. Her sharp nails lightly grazed Sein’s neck, making her intentions crystal clear.

Sein swallowed hard and nodded reluctantly, agreeing to her demand.

The Spider Queen chuckled before her divine clone dissolved into golden light and returned to the small silver spider on Sein’s finger.

The stone slab vanished along with her, seemingly absorbed into the silver spider.

To Sein’s surprise, this silver spider, which appeared to be nothing more than a decorative ring, was not only a vessel for the Spider Queen’s divine power but also had spatial storage capabilities.

As the golden light from the Spider Queen and the white light emitted by the stone slab faded, the area was once again plunged into darkness.

Not far away, the sound of battle between the underground creatures and the knights and mages grew louder, drawing closer with each passing moment.

Sein glanced at the silver spider clinging to his finger, sighed, and quietly slipped away.

***

The Spider Queen’s decision to entrust Sein with the white stone slab was, in hindsight, the most prudent option.

With thousands of knights and mages encircling the area, the dark creatures and divine servants she brought here were swiftly annihilated.

None managed to escape.

As a mage, Sein emerged from a shadowy and inconspicuous corner, seamlessly joining the fight against the dark creatures.

During the battle, he and a group of knights and mages successfully killed a Rank Two Soul-leeching Spider.

As part of his spoils, Sein acquired half of the spider’s head and three legs—an achievement that completed the goals he had set when he first arrived at Baras Underground City last year.