Sovereign of the Ashes

Baras Underground City was a considerable distance from where Sein first descended into the underground region.

Although the straight-line distance seemed short, the dark underground labyrinth made travel significantly more challenging than on the surface.

Complex stalactite caves, narrow rocky passages, and other natural obstructions greatly slowed Sein’s progress.

It took him an entire month to finally reach Baras City.

During his journey, Sein filled his space rings with specimens of unique flora and fauna that thrived in the underground world.

Rather than the poor terrain, it was Sein’s relentless instinct to collect and gather specimens that greatly affected the speed of his journey.

Unsurprisingly, no abnormal spatial fluctuations were detected along the way.

When Sein finally arrived at Baras City, he could not help but compare it to Mystralora City from his memories.

In terms of size, Baras was on par with Mystralora as it had been in those days.

The only difference was that Mystralora had been built beneath a massive lumenstone vein, so the city was bathed in soft light.

In contrast, Baras was shrouded in darkness.

The only source of illumination was a crimson magma river flowing near the city.

The stark contrast between the dark city and the glowing red river created an eerie, almost menacing atmosphere.

From afar, the city looked like a colossal beast lying in wait within the shadows.

Its oppressive atmosphere might have unnerved most mages from the Magus World, but Sein seemed unfazed.

He simply dusted his magic robe before flying straight toward the city.

As a settlement with a population of hundreds of thousands, Baras naturally had its own elite combat forces.

The unrestrained aura of a Rank Three grand mage like Sein triggered an immediate response from the city’s inhabitants.

The underground creatures in Baras quickly sensed his presence as soon as he appeared above the city.

There were no black mages present here. Instead, Sein was greeted by a group of short, stooped demihumans and a swarm of black, hairy spiders.

The demihumans were extremely ugly by Magus World’s human standards, but their strength was undeniable.

Sein even spotted an elderly Rank Three demihuman clutching a wooden staff. However, the creature appeared frail and seemed to be nearing the end of its lifespan.

On the other hand, the large, pitch-black spiders were likely dark creatures native to the area.

Their sight of them made Sein furrow his brow slightly. Certain past encounters had instilled in him an innate aversion to these creatures.

The spiders’ dark eyes glimmered with a cold cunning.

Among the inhabitants of Magus World, dark creatures were held in even lower regard than sea races, demihumans, or magic beasts.

In most cases, divine tower mages could kill dark creatures without facing any repercussions.

This was largely because these creatures often defied the laws established by the Magus Civilization, much like black mages.

As a result, they were excluded from the protections offered by the civilization.

Sein’s arrival shattered the peace Baras City had enjoyed for centuries. It had been 371 years since any knight or mage from the surface had last visited the city.

While the lower-ranking demihumans and dark creatures likely could not discern Sein’s status, the elderly Rank Three demihuman and the largest Black-bellied Spider certainly could.

Lowering his magic rod as a gesture of peace, Sein made it clear he was not here to pick a fight.

His commanding gaze swept over the creatures gathered atop the city walls. Nearly all of them bowed their heads, unable to withstand the pressure of his powerful aura.

Sein directed his attention to the elderly demihuman and spoke in Magus World’s common tongue.

“I am Sein, the Divine Tower of Dark Flame Academy’s dean. I’ve come to the Underworld on a scouting mission.

“In the past few decades, have there been any unusual occurrences around Baras City? If so, report them to me immediately. This is a directive from the Divine Tower of Dark Flame.”

Although the mission had been issued by the Ylli Knight Alliance—an organization far superior to the Divine Tower of Dark Flame—Sein doubted these underground creatures would recognize its name.

The divine towers, on the other hand, were well-known and greatly feared in the Underworld.

As Sein expected, his declaration stirred murmurs among the creatures gathered below.

Most of the whispering came from the Rank One and Rank Two demihumans, chattering in their respective racial languages.

The forces of Baras City were pretty impressive. Beyond the elderly demihuman and the largest Black-bellied Spider—both possessing Rank Three power—there were dozens of Rank One and Rank Two warriors among them.

After Sein stated his intentions, the calmest among the creatures were the elderly demihuman with the wooden staff and the silent Black-bellied Spider.

However, Sein’s attention was drawn to the peculiar behavior of the smaller spiders behind the Black-bellied Spider.

They continuously scratched the ground with their sharp claws, seemingly nervous.

This subtle detail did not escape Sein, who mentally noted it.

Shifting his gaze toward the heart of Baras City, Sein found his view obscured by darkness and the city’s spiral structure, which twisted deeper into the underground.

Even with his advanced focus, he could only extend his perception a few kilometers ahead.

Beyond that, either the terrain or a peculiar force appeared to block his probing magic.

Sein waited calmly for a few seconds, his face composed, until the elderly Rank Three demihuman finally stepped forward to speak.

“Our Baras City has been peaceful and quiet for decades. We have not heard of any unusual phenomena,” the demihuman began respectfully, also speaking in the Magus World’s common tongue.

“The city is home to seventeen demihuman races, including the Underdwarves, Cavemen, Tuskers, and Maorians, among others. Additionally, we coexist with some dark creatures, such as the Nefarious Spiders and Soul-leeching Spiders. I’m afraid you won’t find any useful clues here, Master Mage.”

Sein’s brow arched slightly at the elderly demihuman’s response.

“Soul-leeching Spiders? Are you referring to the mutant dark creatures that gain power by siphoning souls? I wasn’t aware such a rare species is here in this town,” Sein said.

“I’ve done some research on soul magic myself. Please allow me to collect a few biological specimens of this Soul-leeching Spider,” he added excitedly.

The elderly demihuman hesitated, its expression troubled. “Uh... I’m sorry, Master Mage. Here in Baras, we do not sell our own people or inhabitants...”

Sein waved dismissively and said, “That’s fine. I don’t need live specimens—just some tissue samples or their saliva would suffice.”

Before the old demihuman could respond, the Black-bellied Spider interjected.

Rather than speaking in the Magus World’s common tongue, it emitted sharp, hissing sounds, communicating with Sein through mental focus.

“As the leader of the dark creatures in Baras City, I offer the esteemed divine tower mage a Soul-leeching Spider corpse as a gift. I will speak with the Soul-leeching Spider’s tribal chief regarding this matter. However, all deceased spiders are usually buried in their tribal graveyard. To retrieve one, you’ll need to come with us.”

The Black-bellied Spider gestured toward the pitch-black expanse behind it.

“No problem, it just so happens that I’m curious about your underground city as well.” Sein nodded with a smile.

Escorted by a group of demihumans and dark creatures, Sein descended into the depths of Baras City.

As they ventured deeper into the underground, the sheer scale of Baras City became increasingly apparent to Sein.

The spiraling structure of the city and its population turned out to be far larger than Sein had initially anticipated.

It was a massive underground metropolis, home to over a million inhabitants!

Why had Baras City reported a population of only a few hundred thousand to the surrounding regions?

Sein’s eyes were drawn to the heart of the city, where a colossal, shadowy figure loomed.

It appeared to be a stone statue, standing hundreds of meters tall.

“What’s that?” Sein asked via mental focus, directing the question to a nearby Rank One demihuman, who looked rather reserved and unassuming.

“Oh, that’s our city’s god statue,” the demihuman answered without thinking.

But as the words escaped its lips, its expression froze as though it had just made a grave mistake.

“A god statue? Hah! Since when did the creatures of the Magus World start worshipping gods too?” Sein sneered.

Chaos erupted!

Before Sein could make a move, the Black-bellied Spiders reacted swiftly.