Sovereign of the Ashes

The Baras Underground City welcomed light for the first time in what felt like an eternity.

To the creatures that had long adapted to the darkness and shadows, the blinding light and searing heat emanating from Sein were impossible to ignore.

Almost every inhabitant of Baras City instinctively turned their gaze toward the deepest part of the city.

The dazzling “sun” was now moving toward their goddess’ temple.

***

As Sein pursued the Black-bellied Spider leader, he drew closer to the heart of the city.

The massive stone statue, previously veiled in shadow and mist, gradually emerged into view.

It was a striking depiction of a half-human, half-spider being.

The upper half was that of a stunningly beautiful woman, while the lower half was a grotesque, chilling spider abdomen.

The woman’s face and upper body radiated an innocent, youthful allure, yet her overall demeanor exuded an air of maturity.

The eerie contrast between her seemingly delicate upper form and the unnerving spider abdomen created a dissonant blend of beauty and monstrosity that left a deep impression on Sein’s mind.

Somehow, Sein felt as though this was not the first time he had seen this spider beauty depicted in the stone statue.

Before he could delve deeper into his memory, the two fleeing Rank Three creatures vanished into an enormous shrine in front of the statue.

The shrine was an imposing structure, rising over three hundred meters in height.

It was supported by dozens of stone pillars, each so massive that it would take several people linking hands to encircle one.

Elaborate reliefs and sculptures adorned the pillars, vividly depicting what appeared to be the Spider Goddess’ past deeds and miracles.

The scene of prostrate worship at the base of the pillars depicted a diverse array of devout followers—spiders, demihumans, and extraplanar creatures that Sein could not immediately identify.

To his surprise, he even spotted elf-like figures among them.

It appeared that the Spider Goddess’ influence had extended far and wide.

For beings above Rank Four who had chosen the faith system, the strength of their power was closely tied to the number of their devoted followers.

The longer Sein observed the stone pillars, the more creatures from the Magus World and Magus Alliance he identified among the worshippers depicted on them.

Initially, he had intended to storm into the temple without hesitation, but now he was having second thoughts.

To establish and maintain a faith so deeply entrenched within Magus Civilization, and even converting a significant number of its inhabitants... This was not something any ordinary foreign god could accomplish.

Even Sein doubted that the legendary Rank Seven and above overlords could manage such a feat.

Could this so-called Goddess truly be an overlord?

The thought lingered in his mind, sowing a seed of doubt in his mind.

It was in this moment of hesitation that Sein suddenly recalled where he had seen this statue before.

Back when he was an initiate at the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring, Sein had participated in an investigation mission involving mutant underground magic beasts.

During the mission, he discovered a peculiar statuette of a god among the remains of a mutated beast and handed it over to the divine tower mage overseeing the operation.[1]

Sein never saw that mage again after becoming a full-fledged mage, leading him to surmise that they were not a registered member of the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring but rather an external mage brought in specifically for the investigation.

At the time, Sein had inquired about the statuette’s origin, but the mage had refused to provide any information.

Similarly, during his time as a black magic initiate in Mystralora City, Sein vaguely recalled that the dark creatures residing there appeared to worship a deity.

Yet, at that time, Sein’s life level was too low, and his focus had been entirely on survival and mastering magic. He hadn’t the luxury to delve into the beliefs or daily routines of those dark creatures.

Now, standing before this towering shrine in Baras City, the unease in his heart deepened.

Sein was never the type to act recklessly, and his experience during the Gumo Plane War had only made him more cautious.

The two Rank Three creatures fled into the temple and never came out. Even after Sein waited for half a day, there was no sign of their return or any movement.

The temple remained silent, with only faint murmurs of activity drifting over from the distant parts of Baras City.

Clutching the Viridescent Seeds in his hand and his magic rod tightly in the other, Sein fixed his gaze on the silent temple for a long moment before stepping back.

There was no shame in a strategic retreat.

After all, It was not as though he would not come back.

Although no abnormal spatial fluctuations were detected, the discovery of an evil god’s temple was still a significant contribution to both the Divine Tower of Dark Flame and the Ylli Knight Alliance.

How dare this creature erect a temple to spread her faith in the Magus World!

Although the Spider Goddess had restricted her influence to only dark creatures and lowly demihumans for now, her audacity would still undoubtedly provoke a fierce backlash from the dominant forces of the Magus Civilization, particularly the divine towers and knightly orders.

The Ylli Knight Alliance, known for its uncompromising stance against dark extremists, would undoubtedly take swift and decisive action.

Should the Spider Goddess face the full wrath of this top-tier force within the Magus Civilization, her chances of survival would be slim.

Even if she were an overlord, the Ylli Knight Alliance’s might would surely make her regret setting foot in the Magus World!

Sein’s calculated retreat seemed to confuse those within the temple.

The underground creatures had not anticipated that such a powerful Rank Three mage would choose to withdraw after merely observing the pillars of the temple.

Where was the arrogant confidence this guy had shown when battling overwhelming odds?

The inhabitants of Baras City could not accept Sein’s retreat!

If they allowed him to leave now, it was almost certain that he would return with reinforcements to destroy everything they had painstakingly built.

Spreading faith in the Magus World was never an easy feat.

Baras City had managed to remain hidden for over five centuries, largely due to its remote location deep underground in the northern Ylli Knight Alliance.

If it were to be discovered, the Black-bellied Spider leader and the elderly demihuman would not be the only ones to suffer— even the Goddess they worshipped would face repercussions.

They had only recently been warned by the guardians of the Magus World, yet here they were, stirring up trouble again...

The Baras Underground City had actually been established before the guardians issued their warnings to the Goddess.

Despite the favor she enjoyed within the Magus World and the protection granted by her elders, she might not escape without consequences this time.

If she kept up with this farce, it was entirely possible that every temple she had secretly built in the Magus World would be demolished!

She, of all beings, should have understood that the power of faith derived from Magus World creatures was unmatched in purity, far surpassing that of creatures from other planes.

Even the lower-ranking dark creatures and demihumans of the Magus World, when gathered in sufficient numbers, could generate faith potent enough to make any Astral Realm deity envious.

For this mischievous Goddess—who had already received multiple stern warnings from the guardians—her two primary sources of faith were the underground creatures of the Magus World and the fallen elves of the Elven World.

She longed to extend her influence into the human realm of the Magus World, knowing that faith gathered from humans would be purer and more potent.

Yet, she had refrained from pursuing this ambition so far.

As someone raised in the Magus World, she knew there were some lines she should not cross, even with her considerable strength and an adoptive father whose mere presence could shake the Magus World!

Sein’s initial assumption that this Spider Goddess was an entirely foreign evil deity was not entirely accurate.

This half-human, half-spider entity had at least half Magus World blood in her body.

In other words, she was actually a native.

With her complicated background, it was no wonder that the guardians had been lenient with her.

1. Translator’s Note: This happened in Chapter 167, the statuette was drenched in the Leoarachnid’s stomach juice lol! Nice to see it being mentioned nearly 800 chapters later! ☜