Sovereign of the Ashes

Fortune favored the bold.

Since advancing to Rank Five, Sein’s progress with his Ashen Flame had stagnated noticeably over the past few years.

This was perfectly normal, as no mage could sustain an exponential rate of growth forever.

Some mages reached their limit at Rank Four, while even fewer managed to advance beyond Rank Five.

It was extremely common for some to remain stuck at the same rank for tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands, of years.

After all, not everyone in the Astral Realm was a genius.

Sein was quite talented and benefited from a supportive faction.

Still, he might remain at Rank Five for tens of thousands of years before achieving another breakthrough.

His grandmaster was only a Rank Six. No matter how innovative a grand apprentice might be, or how exceptional their talent, breaking through again so soon was unrealistic.

The outbreak of the Gallant Federation’s Clash of Civilizations was undoubtedly a turning point for the Magus Civilization, a period in which the younger generation of powerhouses grew by leaps and bounds.

Even so, the trials of the Clash of Civilizations were still not enough.

Sein was not dissatisfied with his progress, yet he could not bring himself to ignore the higher-level, profound principles laid bare before him.

The collision between the Gallant Federation’s apocalyptical weapon and the Eiyurant Papillon Civilization’s energy barrier involved energies and law powers far beyond what even his grandmaster, Feylis, usually encountered.

Did Gilbert and the others fail to realize that such a clash of forces was an opportunity they might never again witness up close in their lifetimes?

Of course not!

Their life levels were too low, and they had not delved deeply into elemental combat laws or related fields. As a result, they could not share Sein’s intense fascination with the truths revealed by this clash of powers.

What captivated Sein now was neither the technological secrets hidden within the Eiyurant Papillon Civilization’s energy barrier nor the lethal laws unleashed by the Gallant Federation’s apocalyptical weapon.

What truly drew him in was the flames born from the collision of these two forces.

Nothing could temper or elevate the Ashen Flame more than a flame like this!

Sein had once considered traveling across the Magus Alliance, collecting rare and exotic flames to broaden his understanding and refine the Ashen Flame.

But now, in the midst of war, it was clear that he no longer had that luxury.

The journeys of law-wielding beings often spanned thousands, or even tens of thousands, of years, sometimes yielding nothing in the end.

With such a rare opportunity now before him, Sein paused only briefly before deciding to take the risk and record this precious moment.

Even if he could not immediately comprehend anything from collisions at such a profound level, preserving it would allow him to study it thoroughly once he returned to his laboratory.

Every individual’s actions shaped the path of growth and the height they ultimately reached.

Sein did not regret the decision he was making now.

Beyond those reasons, he had another motive buried deep within his heart...

In the end, Black Oblivion, his cousins, and Rank Four mages like Gilbert all evacuated the top floor. Sein also released the lower-ranking knights and mages, allowing them to withdraw alongside the others.

There was no reason for those lower-ranking beings to risk their lives alongside him.

Somewhat unexpectedly, HALL-E remained behind.

It was unclear whether it stayed because the Burning Flame Unit had not left.

Since Sein was still there, Yuri, as his servant, naturally could not flee on her own.

In addition to Burning Flame and Yuri, Fermera—whose injuries were rapidly healing with the Magic Cube embedded in her body—also had not left.

Sein now found himself surrounded by robots and technological constructs.

The avatar had mentioned that the emergency escape passage led to the outskirts of the Steel Ruins.

Given the current energy level of the explosion, it should not affect Gilbert and the others.

“While the blast impact and steel storm won’t reach them, they aren’t completely safe,” Sein remarked without turning his head.

Watching the energy barriers within this subspace collapse on a massive scale, and with the enemy’s apocalyptical weapon striking the very heart of the Steel Ruins, Sein could already predict that the next major confrontation between the Magus Civilization and the Gallant Federation would unfold around this area.

When a nest was destroyed, no egg remained intact.

He could only hope that Gilbert and the others would meet Magus Civilization legions first, not the crushing advance of the Gallant Federation fleet.

“How much longer can the energy barrier in front of us hold?” Sein asked.

Although Gilbert and the others had already left, the energy shockwave before them and the long-range strikes from the federation’s apocalyptical weapon had been ongoing for only a short time.

Even so, a relentless torrent of projectiles continued to converge on this location.

The layers of hexagonal energy barriers, which had once appeared incredibly thick, were now riddled with extensive cracks.

The terrifying energy tide that seeped through not only ravaged the top floor of the skyscraper but also inflicted heavy damage on Sein’s shoulder and right arm.

Large portions of Sein’s elemental body had already begun to dissipate.

Yet none of this shook Sein’s resolve in the slightest. He continued to gather the precious data before him as best as he could.

His mind was operating at peak efficiency.

It was true that when one became completely absorbed in a task, even searing pain and mortal danger could be ignored.

The tension and exhilaration of exploring profound truths while standing on the brink of death were exciting. At the same time, it unlocked potential that had never been awakened before.

Whoosh!

A translucent flame slowly ignited on the surface of Sein’s Ashen Flame.

At first glance, the flame looked harmless and unremarkable. Yet only Sein truly understood the terrifying, destructive power it contained, as well as the deep principles woven into its core.

Even Fermera, who remained indifferent in the moment of crisis, turned her beautiful eyes toward the flame flickering between Sein’s fingers with genuine curiosity.

Her internal database and processing systems immediately began analyzing it.

The final result indicated that the highly unstable flame in Sein’s grasp posed a grave threat, even to her.

It was nothing like the super bomb Sein had used to wound her.

This was his origin flame achieving another breakthrough under extreme pressure.

Number Two showed no interest in what Sein was doing.

The ancient Grandlight Tech Center of the Eiyurant Papillon Civilization, long eroded by the passage of time, clearly could not withstand the focused barrage of the Gallant Federation’s apocalyptical weapon.

Once the building was destroyed, Number Two would inevitably vanish along with it.

If it did not even care about its own existence, what else could it possibly care about?