Sovereign of the Ashes

Skyhold had not yet lost consciousness.

When Sein arrived, its two glowing eyes flickered to life.

After learning that Titanfang had sent him to treat it, Skyhold fell silent for a long moment.

The destruction of Nexon and the death of their father had profoundly shaken both war machines, leaving lasting changes in them.

“I don’t know exactly how to use this Magic Cube, or how it can help with your recovery,” Sein admitted, frowning slightly as he pulled out a faintly glowing cube from his robe.

This unfinished world-class secret treasure clearly held real significance for Nexon’s intelligent robots.

The moment Sein revealed it, he immediately sensed a shift in Skyhold’s aura. Its eyes flared brighter.

“I’ve never used the Magic Cube myself, but since it is something Father left behind...” Skyhold’s voice trailed off as it summoned another robot through its unique communication network.

A high-tier intelligent pale blue robot came forward, with a pair of metallic wings on its back.

Skyhold’s survival during the escape from Nexon was thanks in no small part to this robot, which had risked everything to carry it to safety.

Its name was Hypersonic. True to its name, it excelled in speed and aerial maneuverability.

The Gallant Federation’s robotics standards were indeed impressive.

When Hypersonic arrived, it carried a massive red metal skeleton in its hands.

Sein recognized it instantly. It was the exoskeleton he had received at the BHR678 Space Station, the final gift Dr. Bell had prepared for Skyhold.

Unlike Titanfang, who had wasted no time equipping its half-body mechanical armor during the last battle, Skyhold had refrained from using its upgrade part right away.

Beyond the crimson exoskeleton, Hypersonic made several trips, hauling back various mechanical tools Sein could not identify, along with crates of high-grade energy blocks.

They were likely the top-tier ones used by the federal military. When converted into the energy essence of the Magus World, each one was equivalent to Rank Three Energy Essence.

As for crystals more valuable than Rank Three essence... they were produced only by beings at Rank Four or higher and were known as “divine relics” instead of basic energy sources.

The crimson exoskeleton was positioned directly above the solution where Skyhold’s battered head was submerged, surrounded by mechanical devices and energy blocks.

Special conduits extended from several energy block containers, channeling power straight into Skyhold’s repair vessel.

Once Skyhold was ready, Sein pushed the Magic Cube forward.

Without any real effort on his part, the cube floated over Skyhold and began to radiate brilliant light in all directions.

Within that glow, Sein sensed faint but unmistakable traces of the power of laws.

No wonder Dr. Bell had been so stunned and excited when he first saw the light orb Sein had brought from Magus World.

The light radiating from the cube now felt strikingly similar to that orb’s power!

But its radiance was weaker, and it lacked the “vitality” Sein had once felt from the light orb.

As for the exact nature of this difference, or the secret it held, that was not something Sein could decipher yet.

Still, the Faceless Mask carefully recorded every detail.

When Sein had the time and energy in the future, he could always revisit these records for deeper study.

Skyhold’s body began to transform.

The crimson exoskeleton above it began to reshape itself.

Countless nearby components drifted toward Skyhold as if moved by a will of their own. They fused with the exoskeleton, gradually forming Skyhold’s new body.

The high-quality energy blocks Hypersonic had brought here were consumed at an astonishing speed.

The cabin temperature spiked, and even the hauler’s metal flooring began to warp and melt.

Yet Sein paid little attention to the dwindling materials and energy. His eyes were locked on Skyhold’s new body as it took shape before him.

The Faceless Mask continued to record everything.

With Skyhold’s reconstruction unfolding in front of him, Sein was essentially gaining a complete blueprint of its entire body below its head.

***

The reconstruction of Skyhold’s new body took more than ten days.

During this time, the robots that had escaped Nexon continued along their set course.

They were close to leaving the star domain where their home planet was, though their pace was painfully slow.

The R7 Fleet, which had clashed fiercely with Sein and the others inside the Nexon Star Domain, did not immediately give chase.

Instead, they were busy clearing out the remnants that had yet to break through and escape.

This was their latest mission from the headquarters.

And even if they had chosen to pursue, the R7 Fleet was too battered to risk a desperate battle against Titanfang and the surviving intelligent robots.

The robots had suffered catastrophic losses, with Skyhold reduced to nothing but a head.

But the R7 Fleet was no better.

Trapped in Nexon Star Domain, they were forced to deal with robots that detonated their hidden backup energy reserves at the slightest provocation.

These self-detonations inflicted severe casualties and threw the federal forces into chaos.

Ironically, the self-destruct protocols had originally been designed as a countermeasure against the Magus Civilization.

No one had expected that, one day, it would be the Gallant Federation itself that suffered from the bitter fruit of that design...

***

It was about two days after Skyhold completed its body reconstruction when Titanfang finally returned from its outer engagement.

Compared to when it had first led the breakout, the number of Rank Four or higher intelligent robots that came back with it was clearly reduced.

Even Titanfang itself sustained new damage across its body.

The half-mechanical armor Dr. Bell had gifted it now bore a deep gash across the shoulder blade.

“We have temporarily repelled that federal fleet,” Titanfang said to Skyhold, who was now back on its feet, and to Sein nearby. “But at our current cruising speed, we’ll find ourselves in trouble again soon. We must accelerate!”