Sovereign of the Ashes

Nexon’s intelligent robots all carried distinctive names.

More than names, they were actually codenames—identities forged into them from the moment of their creation.

When the robotic forces around Sein launched their charge, the intelligent robots advanced without a hint of hesitation.

The ordinary robots, bound strictly to commands, naturally showed no sign of emotion.

Sein moved with them too, but did not release Yuri right away.

Instead, he positioned himself behind a vast legion of standard units.

The Gallant Federation’s energy barrage seemed endless, but Nexon’s intelligent robots pressed forward with fierce determination.

By the time Sein reached the front lines, the vanguard had already clashed with the federal fleet in close combat.

The breakthrough was largely thanks to Titanfang.

On the battlefield, the roles of commander and vanguard leader were absolutely critical.

He had not felt this as strongly before, since most of the interplanar wars he had fought in had ended in crushing victories, with his side being the stronger one.

But now, things were different with Nexon’s robots on the weaker side.

Titanfang led the charge with conviction and courage.

It was through its unyielding leadership and example that the other high-level robots found the resolve to follow.

Rank Six creatures represented the strongest power below the overlord-level beings.

Since the Gallant Federation had not deployed any overlord-class fleets here, Titanfang could still carve a path forward.

The fighting in the distance was none of Sein’s concern. His top priority was his own survival.

Setting his course toward Titanfang and the other high-tier intelligent robots, Sein quickly activated a magic array. Several layers of magical shields spread around him in a wide radius.

Combined with the defensive magic artifacts in his possession, Sein was now encased in more than ten protective layers.

Even as he reinforced his own defenses, he did not neglect the robots around him. They were his allies now.

Magus World mages were experts in area-of-effect spells, and many of Sein’s shields could expand wide enough to cover the robot legions nearby.

A blinding golden light pulled his gaze to the left front.

It was the legion led by the Rank Five robot known as Gilded Beast.

Most of the robots under it shared nearly identical designs and specifications. They even bore a close resemblance to its own form.

What set this legion apart was that many of its units were awakened, serving as leaders within their own ranks.

The golden radiance came from the unique formations and assault tactics employed by Gilded Beast’s forces.

This was no horde of mindless cannon fodder. Their specialized models allowed them to form distinct formations and fight in unique ways.

Thanks to their matching models, Gilded Beast’s subordinates could interlock their four paws to form a curved formation.

Of all the Nexon robot legions Sein had encountered, the one led by Gilded Beast was easily among the most impressive.

If he recalled correctly, Gilded Beast was also a high-tier intelligent robot closely aligned with Titanfang.

As for Impact, the Rank Four intelligent robot on Sein’s right, the legion under its command was mediocre at best. It was nowhere near as impressive as the one led by Gilded Beast.

Gilded Beast and its forces managed to push forward a considerable distance, suffering only minimal losses thanks to their unique curved formation.

Impact’s legion, however, quickly broke apart in bursts of violent explosions under the federation’s relentless beam barrage.

Sein instinctively shifted closer to Gilded Beast’s position during the breakout.

Staying near the stronger units was clearly the best way to increase his odds of survival.

***

Throughout history, as part of the Magus Civilization, Sein had always relied on its formidable magic and advanced alchemy to rain devastating strikes against enemies on the battlefield.

He had never imagined that one day, the same fate would befall him.

As a technological civilization, the Gallant Federation’s mastery of concentrated firepower surpassed even that of the Magus Civilization!

The truth was, top-tier civilizations rarely had obvious weaknesses.

And even if they did, their deep foundations and advanced development concepts usually allowed those flaws to be covered or mitigated.

The Magus Civilization’s mages, for instance, were not proficient in close combat. That very flaw gave rise to the knight profession, which was reinforced by hordes of enslaved creatures serving as cannon fodder, along with countless alchemy-based war machines.

The Gallant Federation’s pride was its mighty fleets, but those same fleets became cumbersome and vulnerable when confronted by agile, high-level lifeforms.

To compensate, the federation developed vast robot legions and mobile suit forces capable of close combat.

But in this battle, the federation seemed wary of interference or even betrayal among its other robot legions.

As a result, the forces tasked with eliminating Nexon’s robots contained very few low-tier robots as cannon fodder units.

Instead, the defensive backbone of the battlefield was made up of gun turrets and self-propelled artillery.

On top of that, more than ten massive interstellar fortresses were present in the area, each serving as a formidable defensive pillar.

In a clash involving hundreds of Rank Four and higher combatants on both sides, Sein’s individual strength felt insignificant.

At this scale, only Rank Six beings like Titanfang or Skyhold could truly sway the tide of battle.

Reckless, headlong charges would not do. Sein could never predict when, or from where, an enhanced energy beam might shoot him down.

That uncertainty about his life and safety made him feel extremely uneasy.

Simply put, he preferred wars where his side had absolute superiority and plenty of fallback routes! Just like the Pyreling World War or the White Sand World War.

Now, though, his situation reminded him uncomfortably of his days adrift in Faeloria before he had advanced to Rank Four.

The helplessness of not being in control of his fate left him no choice but to grit his teeth and push forward.

The one silver lining was the real-time analysis from the Faceless Mask. With it, Sein could quickly assess the firepower distribution of each federation sector ahead of him, giving him a critical edge in reaction speed.

Even a difference of seconds, or fractions of a second, could mean a massive reduction in damage taken.

By contrast, the Nexon robots, lacking such ability, were gambling purely on luck in this kind of breakout battle.

Yes, the deciding factor for them was no longer strength, but luck.

Only a few, including Titanfang and Sein, could push their odds slightly higher than the rest by relying on their own strength.