Sovereign of the Ashes

In the laboratory...

Sein, having just completed his body tempering experiments, examined the data displayed before him.

Focus: 35,756 points

Mana: 35,771 points

Constitution: 27,999 points

In the Magus World, a Rank Three being typically had numerical stats exceeding 10,000 points.

Thanks to his relentless dedication to body tempering experiments since Rank One, Sein’s constitution had been the first to surpass this threshold when he was attempting his breakthrough to Rank Three.

Now, however, both his focus level and mana reserves had overtaken his constitution—a clear sign that he was still a true mage.

Of course, these numbers alone did not truly reflect Sein’s full capabilities.

If he activated his elemental body, his mana reserves would improve.

If he transformed into his demon form, his constitution would increase dramatically.

Attempting to quantify the combat power of a Rank Three being through raw statistics was inherently flawed.

These values served only as a tool for Sein to better understand his physical state.

More than just these three primary stats, Sein’s knowledge of his own body had reached a level of extreme precision.

From the cellular structure to the composition of his tissues and organs, he had meticulously recorded and analyzed every aspect of his physiology.

“Based on my understanding of demigod-level strength, aside from the initial grasp of laws, all three base stats should exceed 70,000 points,” Sein murmured to himself, lowering his head in thought.

Sein was still shirtless, his near-perfect physique on full display.

Years of research into Reina’s perfect evolution had pushed his body tempering and life sciences to an extraordinary level.

As Sein contemplated his findings, Yuri stole occasional glances at him while tidying up the experimental table.

A thought crossed her mind, and suddenly, her face turned scarlet.

Since arriving in Faeloria, Sein had not touched anyone else.

It had been Yuri who tended to him during his moments of respite this entire time.

Consequently, their intimacy had drawn them closer than they had ever been in the Magus World.

In fact, Sein now regarded Yuri as his woman.

When the Succubus Queen offered him a demigod-level demon in exchange for Yuri, Sein rejected the proposal without hesitation.

In the past, back in the Magus World, he had no qualms about allowing Marylou, the Rank Two witch, to conduct her research on Yuri.

But with how he regarded her now, such a thing would never happen again.

Yuri was not the only one whom Sein saw differently; even Azelia, the fox maiden, was more than just a servant to him now.

Years of companionship had turned them into something akin to family.

If there ever came a day when Yuri was no longer there to assist him in his body tempering experiments, or when Azelia was no longer there to take care of him, Sein knew he would miss them dearly.

Without realizing it, they had become an inseparable part of his life.

Since coming to Purgatory, with abundant resources at his disposal and one experiment after another, Sein’s core stats had improved rapidly over the past few decades.

Faeloria’s sheer wealth of resources had even led him to discover several naturally formed treasures in Purgatory capable of permanently enhancing elemental affinity or increasing elemental energy reserves, similar to those he had once acquired through auctions.

Sein’s apothecary skills were not nearly as refined as his alchemy, but with Master Lorianne’s teachings and his own experimental results over the years, he could still concoct potions that enhanced focus and mana levels.

Low success rate did not matter when resources were plentiful!

The Succubus Queen’s generosity in this regard had truly left an impression on him.

Purgatory, unsurprisingly, was rich in pyro elemental resources—a direct result of demons’ fondness for molten magma and sulfur.

There was no place more suited for his rapid growth than this plane.

Setting aside the dangers he faced upon his arrival, Sein’s journey to Faeloria had ultimately proven to be a blessing in disguise.

After concluding his thoughts, he snapped his fingers.

A magic robe formed entirely from pyro elemental energy materialized over his body.

The abundance of focus and his heightened mental activity ensured that Sein’s path of truth-seeking never slowed, even after the physical exhaustion from his recent body tempering experiments.

“Alchemy experiment next, right? Is the equipment all set up?” Sein asked, accepting a glass of energy juice from Yuri.

“It should be ready. Azelia already went ahead and set up everything,” Yuri replied.

“Let’s go then.”

Like a clockwork mechanism that never stopped running, Sein beckoned to Yuri while savoring the energy juice in his hand.

Upon entering the alchemy laboratory, the first thing that caught his attention was a scarlet mask displayed prominently on the experimental table.

Around it, numerous precision instruments and elemental microscopes were carefully positioned, all aimed directly at the mask.

Even at a glance, the unique energy particles within it were enough to captivate any observer.

This was the Demon Mask, a creation Sein had been researching and refining for decades.

Yet, even now, it remained unfinished.

Sein had great expectations for this mask. It was a powerful magic artifact crafted purely by his own hands, without relying on external assistance.

To him, its value surpassed even that of his own Radiant Heart Rod.

During its creation, Sein had even ventured into an entirely new field: sonido magic, something he had never explored before.

As a result, he had gained the ability to cast a few simple Rank One and Rank Two sonido spells.

***

As Sein continued his experimental research, Faeloria’s Avatar Crisis gradually moved beyond its early stages, transitioning into its most intense and chaotic phase.

Nowadays, in Faeloria, the fall of deities and the deaths among them were no longer shocking news.

Since the average lifespan of low-level creatures below Rank One was only a few decades, the Avatar Crisis—which had already lasted for just as long—had caused civilians at the bottom of society to gradually lose their reverence for the deities they once worshiped.

Each Avatar Crisis could be seen as a cycle of reincarnation—a time when Faeloria’s balance of power was reshuffled.

Against this backdrop, the number of those who doubted the gods and sought to ascend beyond them—like the Godslayers—continued to grow.

The major camps no longer had the time or energy to focus on hunting down the Purgatory demons.

Meanwhile, the dragons of the outer seas saw an opportunity in Faeloria’s turmoil.

Seizing the moment, they descended upon the continent in droves, sowing chaos while plundering wealth and resources.

Yet, these dragons were not merely out for treasure.

Adult dragons were incredibly powerful in their own right.

Now that even lowly mortals in the Prime Materia Plane had the chance to slay deities and ascend to godhood, why should these innately superior dragons not do the same?

Among them, Epic-level dragons were numerous, while Legendary dragons were an even greater force to reckon with.

Rather than arriving merely to hoard gold and wealth, it was far more likely that this was just a cover for their true ambitions.

These winged lizards had come to hunt gods.

With the dragons’ involvement, Faeloria plunged even deeper into chaos.

Godslaying, dragon-slaying, and battles against the Purgatory demons... Faeloria was also now witnessing some of the most extraordinary wars between nations in its history.

The sheer number of casualties had already reached the billions.

Faeloria had not yet suffered an invasion from the Magus Civilization, but it was already tearing itself apart from within.