Sovereign of the Ashes

With the Magic Cube in hand, Sein followed Aetherend and the others into a huge robot warehouse at the heart of the demiplane.

To conserve energy, Skyhold had ordered all ordinary robots that had completed factory setup to remain in standby mode.

Only the awakened intelligent robots were allowed to move freely, living like true beings.

The ones before them were the highest-specification models produced by Skyhold and its team since arriving in the Magus Civilization’s territory.

Most had combat capabilities of Rank One or higher, while a select few could unleash firepower comparable to Rank Three.

The Magic Cube’s ability to awaken intelligence had once been unpredictable and inconsistent.

Now, with the help of the Magus Civilization, it had become a world-class secret treasure with vastly enhanced capabilities.

Under the eager gazes of Aetherend, Skyhold, and the others, Sein activated the cube in his hand.

The cubic artifact spun rapidly before hovering over the countless ordinary robots, emitting a radiant light.

***

Although the Magic Cube’s success rate had risen dramatically, its energy reserves were still finite.

After awakening nearly fifty thousand intelligent robots for Skyhold and the others, the cube finally exhausted its energy and floated back into Sein’s hand.

Its exterior now glowed white. This was a sign of depleted power.

Sein turned toward Skyhold and the others. “The higher a robot’s combat level and the more complex its technology, the more origin energy the cube consumes to awaken it. This time, it could only awaken this many.”

Compared to the entirety of Skyhold’s legions, fifty thousand newly awakened kin seemed like a small addition.

But to Skyhold and the others, it was more than enough!

After all, when they first reached the Magus Civilization, there were only one hundred thousand of them.

This single event had increased their population by half again!

“When will the cube be fully recharged?” Aetherend asked, barely hiding its impatience.

Sein looked at the white cube in his hand and replied, “Basic replenishment is straightforward; ordinary energy crystals will do. But restoring the cube’s origin law power is more complicated. For now, we can only wait for it to recover on its own.”

He had only recently obtained the upgraded cube, and his understanding of its functions was still in the exploratory stage.

In fact, when he first arrived on this demiplane, he had discovered yet another ability.

Beyond granting wisdom, the cube could analyze the physical structure of any robot.

It could even exert a certain degree of control!

The detailed blueprints and production processes of the fifty thousand newly awakened robots, now undergoing changes, were already stored within the Magic Cube.

If Sein wished, he could establish multiple production lines and, with sufficient resources, churn out vast armies of cannon fodder.

Securing a reliable supply of expendable legions had long been one of his concerns.

While Pyreling World sufficed for now, he knew that as the Clash of Civilizations dragged on, he would need to plan ahead and prepare new types of expendable units.

His divine tower’s foundation was still shallow and needed more enslaved planes to supply cannon fodder, so these robots were the perfect solution.

If the Magic Cube could collect and analyze the structures of ordinary low-tier robots, then, in theory, it should also be possible for those of Rank Four and above.

Turning to Aetherend and the others, Sein said, “Once the cube has recovered, I’ll make time to assist you again.”

“By the way, many of your high-level comrades are still wounded, right? With the ongoing Clash of Civilizations, restoring your strength sooner will benefit both you and the Magus Civilization. Though the cube can’t awaken more robots right now, it can still analyze your injuries. Since I’m here, I may as well help examine and treat you all,” he offered.

Aetherend glanced at the Magic Cube in Sein’s hand and replied, “Sure.”

It then led Sein to meet with other advanced intelligent robots, while Skyhold took a small group to guide the newly awakened robots.

Newly awakened robots often faced a range of issues in their early stages—mental confusion, sluggish responses, or even complete system crashes.

They were much like newborn infants who had entered the world without knowing anything.

These robots, too, needed time to grow, learn, and improve.

It was through the process of learning this world that they also discovered meaning in their existence.

And on this journey, they came to realize that they were, in fact, “alive”.

Because Sein commanded the Magic Cube that granted them wisdom, the fifty thousand newly awakened robots all felt a natural affinity toward him.

This bond went beyond control protocols; it came entirely from something deeply heartfelt.

It was as if the cube were their mother... and Sein their father.

***

During subsequent health checks on the higher-tier robots, the cube gathered a wealth of blueprints of them.

However, designing and manufacturing Rank Four or higher robots was clearly beyond their current means.

The cube was not capable of that yet, and some of the required rare metals could not simply appear out of thin air.

For now, its primary function was to assist high-tier robots like Aetherend with damage repair, not replication.

It was during this process that Sein reached a conclusion that left him somewhat disappointed, although it was ultimately only natural.

While the cube could exert some control over newly awakened, ordinary low-tier robots, it could not override the control permissions of Rank Four or higher intelligent robots like Aetherend.

For the time being, Sein would have to focus on nurturing goodwill with them.

After all, he had built trust with these high-tier robots early on. There was no reason to jeopardize that by forcing control through the Magic Cube.

The cube itself was still evolving and improving, as shown by its proactive learning of Nexon robots.

In addition, Sein was experimenting with upgrading it through Magus World’s alchemy.

The complex patterns etched across its surface formed a complex energy-gathering array.

In truth, the cube could replenish the energy used to awaken ordinary robots fairly quickly. But Sein knew better than to hand out benefits too freely all at once.

Since he needed the strength of these intelligent robots, he had to ensure they remained dependent on him.

It was not that Sein was cruel—he had simply always been a pragmatic mage.