Sovereign of the Ashes-Chapter 1652: Cube Upgrade

As the battle between the Magus Civilization and the Gallant Federation raged ever more fiercely in the starry skies beyond the secret realm, Master Howard and his team stationed at the Yellow Sand Base II within the subspace faced pressure far greater than before.

The federation’s newly arrived special operations fleet joined the siege against the experimental base.

However, by the time they arrived, Master Howard and his group had already received word that Magus Civilization reinforcements were on the way.

The situation was somewhat better than it had been earlier.

Moreover, not all of the Gallant Federation’s fleet committed itself to the siege.

After a period of reconnaissance and exploration, the federation concluded that the Magus Civilization had not yet made deep progress in exploring these ruins.

Thus, while maintaining a blockade around Yellow Sand Base II, the Gallant Federation also dispatched its own research vessels to explore other regions of the subspace.

During this period, Agent Bond, the Gallant Federation operative responsible for operations within this secret realm, proposed that the missing Rank Five Magus World mage and the cube-shaped robot captured in their reconnaissance footage should become their next primary targets.

Regardless of the cost, the federal fleet had to locate them!

Even if they were dead, their remains were to be brought back to him.

Bond’s instincts were exceptionally sharp.

Using the federation’s advanced communication networks and data-analysis systems, Bond directly accessed the central intelligence database and retrieved a large volume of information on Sein.

It was clear that the federation had already deemed him a major threat!

Two entries on his “resume” in the database stood out in particular: his infiltration into federation-controlled territory to subvert Nexon intelligent robots, and his participation in the annihilation of a highly decorated black ops fleet during the Grand Eye Demon World campaign.

Bond only learned of the Nexon intelligent robots’ defection after proactively requesting access to the classified information from the federation’s special department using his current clearance.

This information proved to be the most critical!

Bond, however, was unaware that Sein possessed the Magic Cube. That unfinished world-class secret treasure had never drawn serious attention from the Federation’s high command, especially after Michaelis Bell and his team perished at the federation’s apocalyptic weapon.

Bond’s true focus lay elsewhere—Sein’s unique ability to communicate with and influence robots.

That cube-shaped robot was highly likely an original lifeform of this top-tier civilization’s ruins.

If the Magus Civilization mage named Sein managed to uncover any core secrets of the Eiyurant Papillon Civilization, then Bond and his team’s operation would be considered a failure.

“While exploring this subspace, we must locate those missing mages at all costs,” Bond said coldly.

“According to General Harry, who’s currently besieging the Yellow Sand Base II, no new Magus Civilization combat units have broken through recently. So where the hell did they go?”

He slammed his fist onto the table.

Unfortunately, no one present could answer that question.

***

Outside the secret realm, legions numbering in the tens of millions were locked in chaotic, all-out combat.

Inside the secret realm, Master Howard and his colleagues continued their grueling defense against the Gallant Federation’s siege.

Meanwhile, Sein led Black Oblivion, Grethel, and the others deeper into the heart of the secret realm.

Along the way, they gathered vast quantities of research materials and precious relics.

Their days were both fulfilling and exhilarating.

With HALL-E serving as their guide, and experts such as Grethel and Master Gilbert handling reconnaissance and analysis, Sein and the rest made new discoveries almost everywhere they went.

Such efficiency was a dream for any mage.

About a year and a half into their advance toward the heart of the secret realm, Sein alone had already obtained three fragments of world-class secret treasures.

The Faceless Mask proved invaluable during this period.

With its formidable reconnaissance abilities, Sein managed to uncover more secret treasure fragments than anyone else.

Next came Qixiu, the seemingly unassuming Rank Four geo-attribute dragonkin. During later explorations of the ruins, he even took out a geomantic compass[1].

This ancient-looking compass was something entirely unfamiliar to Sein.

Upon inquiry, it was revealed to be a scouting artifact originating from the Immortal Realm civilization.

With the help of this compass, Qixiu went on to discover two fragments of world-class secret treasures, leaving Black Oblivion green with envy.

Of the three fragments Sein had obtained, two were technological artifacts from the Eiyurant Papillon Civilization, while the third originated from the Black Merlot Civilization.

Sein exchanged the one from the Black Merlot Civilization with Qixiu.

Afterward, he fed all of the fragments over to the Magic Cube, allowing it to devour their law energies.

Even after their law power was stripped away, the fragments retained significant research value, so Sein had no regrets.

After absorbing the law energy from the third fragment, the cube entered another period of dormancy.

Even Sein was unable to reactivate it, which probably suggested that some internal transformation was taking place within it.

This was not an artifact Sein had crafted himself. Even when the Magic Cube had been elevated to the level of a world-class secret treasure, he had not been involved in the process.

That work had been carried out by the higher authorities of the Magus Civilization, leaving Sein somewhat uncertain about its current condition.

When Sein’s group reached an area known as the Steel Ruins, the Magic Cube finally began to stir.

Upon awakening, its surface grew more crystalline, radiating a mysterious blue-violet glow that seemed to come from within.

As its master, Sein quickly learned that the cube had gained a new ability.

“It looks like we’ll be visiting Nexon’s intelligent robots much more often from now on,” Sein said as he turned to Yuri. “The cube can now not only be empowered and wielded by you, but it can also split into multiple smaller cubes, granting power enhancements to several robots at once.”

Grethel and Roth, who overheard him, could not help but gaze at the cube in his hand with envy.

Grethel could not help but think to herself, Master Sein truly has an astonishing number of treasures. Even his associates are powerful deities in the alliance. It’s hard to believe that he’s only a few thousand years old....

Beyond the ability Sein had just described, the cube had also acquired another, more subtle function: an exceptionally keen sensitivity toward technological artifacts imbued with special law powers.

This discovery proved that the cube was still far from reaching its evolutionary limit!

In fact, this new capability felt like a message directed at Sein—the Magic Cube hungered for more!

And within the vast expanse of the Steel Ruins now stretching out before them lay numerous objects the cube had already faintly detected—targets it yearned to consume.

“This is where I work,” HALL-E said, gesturing toward the endless sea of metal before them.

“Welcome to my home.”

1. Translator’s Note: A geomantic compass, or Luopan, is a complex Chinese magnetic compass used in Feng Shui to analyze and align buildings, objects, and spaces to harmonize energy (Qi) for good fortune, health, and prosperity. This is how it looks like: ☜