Sovereign of the Ashes

The magic shields before Sein had shattered countless times.

Each time, he managed to conjure a new one just before the old one broke.

For now, this breakout battle was testing the strength of his defenses more than anything else.

Only by sustaining enough shields could Sein withstand the relentless barrage of energy beams long enough to push through.

Even so, he did not miss the chance to showcase his signature magic spell to the Gallant Federation’s sniper fleet straight ahead.

Rank Four mages were considered high-tier combatants on any battlefield, especially in the eyes of lesser beings.

And in the Clash of Civilizations, the largest share of combat always took place on the lower-tier battlefields.

At this crucial stage of the breakout, Sein was unlikely to unleash forbidden-level spells. But ordinary area-of-effect magic was still manageable.

Given Sein’s magic power, federal ships with average defenses struggled to withstand his attacks, even with their energy shields up.

Only the heavily reinforced frigates and the federation’s elite fleets, with combat strength rivaling Rank Four lifeforms, could resist him.

With a flick of his magic rod, Sein unleashed a spell that triggered a chain of explosions in the densely packed swarm of federal drones rushing at him.

Cheap and poorly armored, these drones were designed with one purpose: firepower.

Even a single drone could threaten a Rank One lifeform when fully loaded with ammunition.

In terms of cost-effectiveness, the federation’s drones were more economical than even their lowest-tier robots.

The crowd in front of Sein was released by the three federal patrollers directly ahead.

Those ships looked like specially modified battleships, with honeycomb-like launch ports covering their hulls.

From those openings, the endless wave of drones poured forth.

After wiping out the swarm in front of him with a wave of his hand, Sein lifted his magic rod and pointed it at the three patrollers in the distance.

Three streaks of red and white elemental rays burst from the tip.

Two hit the patrollers that failed to dodge in time. The third shot only grazed the stern of the last ship as it swerved in a desperate emergency maneuver, sparing its core.

Two violent explosions erupted, but they were only a minor interlude that barely drew notice in the chaos of this battlefield.

Though federal ships looked sturdy, their standard models were no match for Sein’s Rank Four power.

Most were machines engineered with precision. Unlike a Rank Four lifeform that could keep fighting with an arm torn off, a single well-placed explosion on a federal vessel could break it or trigger a chain reaction from within.

Sein pressed forward without hesitation after effortlessly destroying two ships, charging straight toward his objective.

As for the patroller that had narrowly escaped with only its stern damaged, Sein had no time to pursue it.

With the Faceless Mask’s aid, Sein could fight at the level of a Rank Five entity.

His tight coordination with Gilded Beast during the breakout made their advance one of the smoother operations among the entire Nexon robot legions.

The Rank Five Gilded Beast showed both sharp intellect and quick reflexes, actively working in sync with Sein.

Within the curved formation of its legion, Sein and Gilded Beast stood out as two bright, unmistakable points.

And on a battlefield like this, standing out meant drawing heavy fire.

Take Titanfang, for example. The Rank Six robot was charging harder than anyone at the forefront, and now under siege from several main federal ships at once.

That fact it could endure such concentrated firepower for so long was proof of its terrifying strength.

It was incredible that Titanfang was still advancing slowly. It had not been stopped, even while hemmed in by several federal fleets.

“Have we located that Magus World infiltrator yet?” asked a federal general in one of the capital ships in the rear.

“Not yet. Target seems to possess exceptional concealing abilities. He can even jam our detection radars,” an officer replied.

“Based on the power fluctuations reported from the front lines, we’ve identified over ten high-energy burst zones that likely mark his activity. Traces of Magus World’s elemental power have also been confirmed in those sectors,” another federal officer added.

Tracking such a small target in the chaos of this battlefield was no easy task, especially when that tricky intruder was still deliberately suppressing his presence.

But combat always left traces. Even Sein’s Faceless Mask could not erase them all.

New orders came down quickly. The destroyers at the rear, already charged with energy, locked onto the coordinates relayed from higher command.

Tens of brilliant energy beams, each carrying power on par with a full-strength strike from a Rank Four or Five lifeform, suddenly tore across the starry battlefield.

But in the chaos where countless projectiles were already flying in every direction, the addition of these new beams barely stood out.

Unsurprisingly, the area where Sein and Gilded Beast fought drew several of the long-range volleys.

Two of them locked straight onto Sein.

The battlefield was far too chaotic for him to focus on just those two beams.

The sheer volume of energy rays directed at him was overwhelming. Even with his elemental body activated and layer upon layer of shields reinforcing him, the pressure was immense.

Only when the Faceless Mask sent a sharp warning did Sein react, scrambling to evade and defend.

But it was too late.

Or rather, his shields had already been worn down too thin.

The two beams punched through. One pierced his shoulder while the other tore through his abdomen.

The blasts were so fierce they vaporized particles as they passed, making even his lawful body stagger.

These were strikes on par with the full-force blows of Rank Four and Rank Five lifeforms!

The ghastly white beam that pierced his abdomen carried Rank Five power, and even with both his elemental form and lawful body active, Sein still felt the pain burn deep.

Yet he did not stop.

With his vitality, a single Rank Five strike was not enough to bring him down.

Even against a Rank Five creature face-to-face, he had the confidence to fight back.

In a battle this brutal, taking a hit or two like that was to be expected.

Another shield rose around him in an instant!

Sein’s eyes hardened behind the Faceless Mask, locked on the path ahead.

Running his hand over the wound on his abdomen, he braced himself and pressed on through the chaotic storm.