Earth's Greatest Magus

Six weeks earlier.

Emery’s Dark Avatar crossed into the Beta Quadrant, entering Sector Two-a region more commonly known as the Nephilim Sector.

It was a place few outsiders could claim familiarity with.

The sector contained over a dozen solar systems and hundreds of advanced civilizations, yet real authority rested in the hands of the Twelve Nephilim Families and their many subfamilies. Their bloodlines, power structures, and ancient accords rendered the entire region a highly restricted domain. To most factions, the Nephilim Sector was less a destination and more a wall-one that could only be approached through carefully sanctioned gateways.

There were only a handful of locations officially open to the public. Among them stood Ebiru Neo.

Ebiru Neo was not merely a city-it was a phenomenon.

Spanning nearly three times the size of the Golden City, it was one of the largest metropolitan hubs in the Magus Universe. More than five billion inhabitants called it home, and nearly eighty percent of them were Nephilim citizens. The rest were carefully vetted elites, merchants, scholars, and envoys who had earned the privilege to exist within its borders.

The city itself was a spectacle of overwhelming scale.

Flying vehicles filled the skies in endless streams, weaving between towering skyscrapers etched with glowing runes. Dozens of massive portal gates shimmered across different districts, each stabilized by complex formation arrays. Technology and magic intertwined seamlessly-spell matrices reinforced steel structures, while artificial intelligences worked alongside rune-based systems to govern traffic, security, and commerce.

The city radiated authority, wealth, and quiet menace.

The Dark Avatar lingered here.

For a time, he observed, listened, and searched.

He reached out to representatives from Golden City-one of Rosia’s intelligence networks, once responsible for monitoring Klea’s movements. Unfortunately, they had nothing meaningful to offer.

Klea had not been seen in Ebiru Neo for nearly three years.

In fact, since her arrival in the Nephilim Sector fifteen years ago, she had spent most of her time within far more exclusive regions-places that even the Dark Avatar could not enter without drawing attention. Ebiru Neo, it seemed, had merely served as a gateway, a neutral hub where Klea occasionally met individuals from outside the sector before disappearing back into Nephilim-controlled territories.

Information about her time here was scarce by design.

The official statement from the Nephilim authorities claimed that Klea was currently in secluded training and could not be disturbed.

Unwilling to accept that dead end, the Dark Avatar widened his search.

He traced her known interactions within the Magus Alliance Guild, reached out to formation masters she had once collaborated with, and discreetly visited establishments where she was rumored to shop or dine. Each lead confirmed the same frustrating truth-Klea had been here, but she had never stayed long enough to leave a trail worth following.

Eventually, the Dark Avatar was forced to acknowledge the reality before him. This search could not be completed alone.

####

Three weeks ago,

The long-awaited assistance finally arrived.

The meeting place was one of the most exclusive hotels in Ebiru Neo.

A colossal skyscraper rose straight into the clouds, its surface layered with shimmering runes and high-grade security formations that bent light and perception alike. This was not merely a place of luxury-it was a stronghold disguised as commerce, reserved for dignitaries, heirs of great factions, and beings whose identities alone carried weight.

Even approaching the entrance required verified authorization.

When Emery’s Dark Avatar attempted to pass through the front gate, a pale barrier of light flickered into existence, scanning his forged credentials. The response was immediate.

Access denied.

Security formations hummed softly, locking onto him.

The Dark Avatar felt irritation rise. His emotions, far less restrained than Emery’s true body, surged dangerously close to the surface. For a brief moment, he considered simply forcing his way in and dealing with the

consequences afterward.

Before that thought could become action, a calm voice interrupted through the tension.

“He is the Duchess’s friend. Let him through.”

The command cut cleanly through the tension.

The Dark Avatar turned toward the voice.

Mechanical eyes met his gaze.

Recognition struck instantly, followed by genuine surprise.

A smile spread across his face. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”

“Glad to see you too,” the man replied.

It was Atlas.

The half-machine magus who had survived countless trials alongside Emery in the past. The last time they had met was after the Celestial Trials, over two decades ago. Back then, Atlas had been bound to extensive mechanical augmentations and forced servitude, his body more construct than flesh.

Now, he was different.

Aside from a single mechanical eye and a few thin metallic plates embedded along his temple, the rest of those brutal modifications were gone. The fierce, war-machine aura that once surrounded him had faded, replaced by something quieter and more refined. The man standing before Emery was a Magus-realm cultivator dressed in a simple, well-tailored suit, his presence controlled and

composed.

“Come,” Atlas said, turning. “Follow me.”

Emery stepped forward without hesitation.

They passed through multiple security layers, each more sophisticated than the

last, before entering a private elevator that rose silently toward the highest levels of the tower. When the doors finally opened, two Grand Magus stood

guard before a sealed suite.

The doors opened.

Inside waited two figures.

One stood at the rear of the room, motionless as a shadow. His presence was restrained, but unmistakably heavy-a powerful Grand Magus whose strength pressed subtly against the air itself.

The other sat comfortably at the center of the room.

A woman.

She wore a glamorous outfit. Elegant and confident.

She radiated authority without effort.

“It’s been a while,” she said, her lips curving into a knowing smile.

The woman was Jinkan Nephilim-Duchess and heir to one of the top three Nephilim families, the Amarhikks.

The Dark Avatar took a seat opposite her. Atlas seated himself nearby, and the arrangement alone drew a faint smile from Emery. It confirmed that Atlas was not here as one of Jinkan’s subordinates-but as a guest, just like him.

“I hope you’re pleased,” Jinkan said with a playful smile. “He usually ignores my invitations. But when he heard you’d be here, he came immediately.” Jinkan studied Emery closely, her gaze lingering as if she were peeling back

layers one by one. A faint crease appeared between her brows as she spoke.

“I’m fairly certain my intelligence reports said you returned from your travels already having advanced into the Grand Magus Realm.”

If it had been Emery’s true body, he might have answered directly.

But this was his Dark Avatar.

Playful. Elusive. Deliberately misleading.

He smiled faintly and shrugged.

“Perhaps your intelligence division needs a larger budget.”

Jinkan’s lips curved in amusement. She let out a soft laugh, then shifted her

attention toward Atlas.

“I know you’re curious as well,” she said lightly. “Go on. Share with me what you

found.”

Atlas’s mechanical eye brightened, intricate runes flickering as it activated.

For a moment, the room seemed to still.

“There is no manifestation of a cosmic body,” Atlas said calmly. “There is a

residual trace of cosmic energy, but unless he is employing a high-level concealment technique, he has not yet entered the Grand Magus Realm.” Jinkan chuckled, shaking her head. “I don’t believe that for a moment,” she said,

turning back to Emery. “Care to tell us the truth?”

“I will,” Emery replied evenly. “If you can help me.”

For the first time, Jinkan’s expression faltered.

Her smile softened into a faint pout, as if a favored toy had just been snatched

away. She leaned back in her chair.

“You’re here because of your girlfriend, dont you?”

Her tone darkened. “Unfortunately… I have bad news.”