Sovereign of the Ashes

Relocating from this experimental base was no simple matter that could be resolved with a few words.

The Gallant Federation legions facing Sein and the others were no pushovers. They certainly would not stand idly by and allow them to leave.

Meanwhile, after a brief lull, the angel robot legion and other federal fleets began launching full-scale assaults against the energy barriers in front of them.

After enduring millions of years of erosion, the strength of these energy barriers was undoubtedly far weaker than it had been in their prime.

Sein and the other Magus World powerhouses had hesitated to forcibly destroy the barriers mainly because large-scale damage might trigger a catastrophic collapse of the secret realm itself.

Research suggested that the lifeforms of the Eiyurant Papillon Civilization from tens of millions of years ago were deeply attuned to nature and water elements.

Otherwise, they would not have cultivated the ancestors of Blue Star—their pets.

The transformation of this secret realm into its current desolate, sandy state was clearly the result of the passage of time.

At its peak, this subspace secret realm might well have been a lush, thriving world, filled with fragrant flowers and birdsong.

Its present state indirectly confirmed that the environmental laws governing this world were already on the verge of collapse.

Unfortunately, neither the angel-type robots nor the newly arrived federal fleets cared in the slightest about preserving ancient ruins.

Under the concentrated fire of the angelic legion and the federal fleet, the energy barrier outside the experimental base gradually began to crack, spreading fractures like shattered glass.

Seeing this, Sein activated the Faceless Mask and entered his peak combat state.

Holding back at such a critical moment would have been foolish.

In addition to becoming a demonic figure wreathed in violent Ashen Flame, standing firm on the battlefield, Sein also kept a super magic bomb and the Magic Cube ready as contingencies.

The super magic bomb, refined and upgraded once again, could surely threaten even Rank Six beings!

This would be Sein’s first time using such a high-tier elemental bomb. Coupled with its one-time-use nature, unforeseen complications or collateral damage were still possible.

As for the Magic Cube, Sein had already activated it, intending to take advantage of its unique properties that made it especially effective against robots.

Although the eight-winged Fermera also fell under the category of robots, Sein could not be certain whether the angel-type robots produced by the Gallant Federation were fundamentally the same as Nexon’s intelligent robots.

Because of that, he could not be entirely sure whether the Magic Cube would be effective against Fermera.

As Sein activated the Faceless Mask and prepared for battle, Master Howard also ignited the blue lamp in his hand after ordering the other mages to evacuate the experimental base.

Judging by the attributes it radiated, this world-class secret treasure—whose origin even Master Howard did not know—appeared to contain hydro, lumen, and an unknown law power.

At the same time, Black Oblivion, Qixiu, and Hanliu also activated their true dragon forms on the battlefield, fully prepared for combat.

Although all three of them were only Rank Fours, they more than made up for it with an array of powerful artifacts and their exceptionally hard, resilient dragon scales.

As a species that stood at the apex of the Astral Realm’s food chain, the three dragonkins were far more effective in battle than any research-oriented Rank Four mages.

The number and overall quality of Gallant Federation legions appearing near this experimental base far exceeded anything they had encountered before.

“This is amazing! Haha, I’m all fired up!” Hanliu, the youngest among them, was now wreathed in a distinctive crimson flame that covered his entire body.

He was also the most active in the fight against the Gallant Federation.

Perhaps because pyro-attribute creatures naturally embraced destruction, Hanliu appeared far more bloodthirsty than Black Oblivion and Qixiu.

“Don’t stray too far. Be ready to move southwest immediately—our fallback hideout is in that direction,” Sein transmitted tersely to the dragonkins.

***

The Netherworld Star Domain front...

In response to the Gallant Federation’s provocative offensives across multiple star domain battlefields, the Magus Civilization had recently launched a series of aggressive countermeasures.

The Infinity Light unleashed upon the Saitos Star Domain had indeed greatly boosted the Gallant Federation’s morale, placing immense pressure on many planes within the Magus Alliance.

However, its impact was limited for the true decision-makers of the Magus Civilization and the small number of top-tier entities within the alliance.

Overall, the war situation across the various star domains remained highly favorable for the Magus Civilization.

While a few isolated star domains still found themselves at a disadvantage, these were only exceptions.

Across the combined territories of both warring civilizations, Magus World continued to hold a dominant position, controlling nearly two-thirds of the overall territory.

For example, the Netherworld Star Domain front had now largely been reduced to a logistical transit hub.

Odin, the Divine King of Titans, had left long ago with tens of millions of titans in an assault against the other star domains controlled by the Gallant Federation.

On the federation’s side, two overlord-class war fleets and a single overlord-class mobile suit were dispatched, yet none of them could withstand Odin’s might.

Clad in the Thunder God’s Armor and wielding Gungnir, Odin stood as the brightest star within the Magus Civilization’s ranks in this Clash of Civilizations.

His brilliance and unparalleled battle record surpassed even those of the Magus Civilization’s knight overlords and soul overmages.

Recently, however, Odin’s advance had been temporarily halted outside a medium-sized star domain.

The Gallant Federation was no pushover. In addition to deploying a super fleet comparable to Rank Eight lifeforms, they had unveiled a special overlord-class fortress known as the “Ark” in this Clash of Civilizations.

Shrouded in a crystalline blue energy barrier, the Ark could even withstand the full force of Gungnir thrown by Odin.

It was the appearance of this Ark that finally slowed the momentum of the titan’s offensive.

Even so, the titans felt little real pressure from the Ark’s emergence.

Unlike living beings, a fortress was just a lifeless object.

Leaving aside other countermeasures, the titan legion could simply bypass this medium-sized star domain and seek new battlefields elsewhere.

Meanwhile, the Ark and the other Gallant Federation fleets could do little more than trail behind the titans, choking on the dust they kicked up.

Because of this, an overlord like Hela was able to temporarily withdraw from the frontlines and return to the Netherworld Star Domain front to report for duty.

That was where her aunt, Bev, was.

Hela had two paternal aunts, but Bev was the one she interacted with most often and felt closest to.

Although her other aunt treated her well, Hela subconsciously feared her.

Bev, on the other hand, always radiated a warmth like the sun.