Sovereign of the Ashes

After the last federal agent was ripped through by Hanliu’s claws, Black Oblivion and the others approached Sein for further instructions.

At that moment, Sein stood before Master Valerie.

The elderly woman had the slowest reflexes and the weakest combat prowess among everyone present.

Although the clash with the Gallant Federation’s special forces had been brief, she had suffered serious chest injuries.

Master Gilbert had already treated her superficial wounds, but her internal injuries were far more difficult to deal with. After all, the elderly woman’s constitution was not as resilient as that of a knight.

Sein had long noticed the unusual bond between Master Gilbert and Valerie, though they did not appear to be husband and wife.

After distributing several potions to the group, Sein said, “We have no idea what the current situation in the subspace is. We can’t contact Master Howard and the others for now, and we know nothing about how the battlefield will develop.”

“Therefore, I’ve decided to speed up our exploration. We’ll skip any law fluctuation points of lesser value or those that are too far away. For our next destination, we’ll head straight for the very center of the Steel Ruins. I believe some kind of core secret lies there,” he stated.

“And then? What do we do after that?” Gilbert could not help but ask.

Glancing at Gilbert and the injured, weakened Valerie in his arms, Sein replied with a slight frown, “After that, we’ll find a way to rendezvous with the Magus Civilization’s main forces that have entered this subspace.”

Sein’s decision earned the approval of those around him.

The Steel Ruins contained countless treasures, including many fragments of world-class secret treasures waiting to be discovered.

But possessing such treasures meant nothing if they were dead.

Sein’s group had already gained considerable benefits in recent encounters.

Like Master Gilbert, they also wished to rejoin the main forces of Magus World after wandering for so long.

This was precisely why most intelligent beings preferred to band together for mutual support and survival.

***

After swiftly leaving the battle-scarred ruins behind, Sein and his group flew straight toward the very heart of the Steel Ruins.

True to its reputation as the largest prehistoric city within the core secret realm of the Eiyurant Papillon Civilization, the Steel Ruins proved truly formidable.

It took nearly two more months before Sein and his group finally reached its heart.

During that journey, the group discovered a few more Eiyurant Papillon Civilization relic nodes along their route.

All evidence pointed to a clear pattern: the closer they drew to the center, the more frequently they encountered Eiyurant Papillon Civilization artifacts imbued with law powers.

This alone confirmed that the area had definitely once served as the political, economic, and military heart of this ancient top-tier civilization.

About a month earlier, after absorbing the origin law powers of two more artifacts, the Magic Cube entered another dormant metamorphosis phase.

This time, however, it remained partially operable.

Sein and the others could still use it to determine the approximate location of the Eiyurant Papillon Civilization’s central command hub.

Sein could also rely on the cube to track the position of the eight-winged angel and her angel robot forces.

Interestingly, Fermera had never left the Steel Ruins, instead lingering within its central region.

Although her angel robots had awakened rudimentary intelligence, they still appeared to follow Fermera’s command and remained firmly under her control.

The number of angel robots currently under her command was not particularly significant. Sein clearly remembered that at least a million angel robots had entered this subspace.

If all of them could be turned and brought under his control, they would form an absolutely terrifying force.

Previous battles had already proven that the combat effectiveness of angel robots far surpassed that of ordinary cannon-fodder robots.

Sein had heard that the angel race was the most perfect weapon of war.

Whether that claim was truly accurate remained an open question.

Two months later, Sein and his group finally arrived before a towering skyscraper.

In truth, Sein had first glimpsed this colossal structure from afar nearly a month earlier.

Many members of his group had seen the soul towers of Magus World before.

After all, the Rank Four mages had lived for tens of thousands of years.

Without exaggeration, this tower that pierced the clouds rivaled the soul towers of Magus World in both scale and height!

Even more astonishing was the fact that this structure had already been reduced to a visibly damaged state.

And yet, even in that condition, the skyscraper still radiated overwhelming majesty.

One could only imagine how utterly staggering it must have been at its peak!

“That’s...” Grethel and Roth both wore expressions tinged with fervor and excitement.

With their deep expertise in ancient civilizations, they understood that structures of this scale were very likely connected to overlord-level beings.

Both Rank Four mages specialized in the exploration of rare truths, a path that had made their advancement exceptionally arduous.

They might have long since given up any hope of reaching higher realms.

Yet now, the exploration of this top-tier civilization’s secret realm seemed to offer them an opportunity to break through to Rank Five.

Master Gilbert, who was supporting Valerie, wore a faintly grave expression.

Having lived longer than the others, he possessed not only a keen sense of opportunity but also a sharp instinct for danger.

More importantly, he had already detected something amiss. He drew closer to Sein and spoke to him via mental focus.

“The energy field here is highly unusual. This is undoubtedly the core of this subspace.”

“Moreover, I am sensing extremely high concentrations of inert crystals. Within this towering structure, or rather, beneath it, lies an unprecedentedly vast deposit of inert crystal ore,” he added.

“How does it compare to the deposits discovered at the core of Blue Star?” Sein asked.

“They’re far larger and far higher in purity,” Gilbert replied without hesitation.

“You’re saying there’ll be top-grade crystals like the one you gave me before?” Sein asked.

“Definitely. There may even be rarer, more advanced forms of inert crystals. Crystals of that level fall beyond my current knowledge, so this is only speculation,” Gilbert clarified.

“I suggest we don’t enter rashly. We should try to contact the Magus Civilization forces and wait until other powerhouses, especially those of Rank Six or above, arrive before making any decisions,” Gilbert urged cautiously.

The elderly man was no longer driven by the reckless boldness of youth.

Sein did not fault him for this, as the old man’s reasoning was sound.

Still, he shook his head and replied, “We have no way of knowing whether the Magus Civilization or the Gallant Federation legions will arrive here first. Since this towering structure stands at the very center of this subspace, and we are members of the Magus Civilization, it’s our responsibility to explore it first, for the sake of our civilization.”

“If there are any profound secrets here, we can uncover them ahead of time. And if the Gallant Federation forces arrive first, then we’ll find ways to destroy them,” he added.

Faced with Sein’s resolute words, Gilbert could only nod slowly in the end.

Taking a deep breath, Sein lifted his gaze to the towering structure before them and led the group into its depths.