Legacy of the Dark Sage

From the figure's somewhat deep yet gentle voice, it was hard to determine whether it was a young man or a woman with a deep voice.

It wore a golden hooded robe with white accents that covered its face. On its hand was a two-and-a-half meter high golden staff. The staff's design was plain; however, the golden orb on top of it looked like a miniature sun.

The golden-robed person looked at the surroundings and let out a snort.

"So this is the Plane of the Ancients," it muttered. Then it added in a disappointed tone, "Indeed, there is an abundant flow of magic energy here. However, there doesn't seem to be anything special about it."

Its reaction was based on the scene that greeted it upon its descent. The fiery ball scorched approximately a hundred kilometers of the land below, and when the blinding light descended, it left a hundred-meter crater, making the land look more desolate.

It raised its head, snorted at the Sovereign's Cradle, and said in disdain, "So much for the suppression of the plane's Sovereign. If not for that traitor Ruin teaming up with that lowly human, we have long entered the plane and destroyed it."

The figure recalled how it, together with Deception and another Sovereign, Toad, combined their attack to create a massive flaming ball. Their plan was to shatter the Sovereign's Cradle by overwhelming it with their combined magic. Unfortunately, the lowly human who teamed up with Ruin, actually created a huge clamp that pinned the flaming ball from the outside. Then, Ruin aimed at the flaming ball with the goal of completely destroying it. If not for Toad's timely attack, resulting in a slight deviation in Ruin's aim and attack output, he would have really suceeded in destroying the ball.

With Toad keeping Ruin in check, and Deception taking on the lowly human, the figure managed to aim at the hole Ruin created and force its way toward the Human plane.

Nevertheless, the cradle's suppression took effect the moment the figure entered the plane, albeit, it was only suppressed by one level.

"It seems the Sovereign of this plane is already at the last stretch of its life," the figure sneered. "If not, my level would have gone down to Legendary."

Rumble...!

'Hm?' The figure paused as it glanced at a clearing below where it heard the rumbling noise.

Before it could land on the ground, the clearing exploded, sending several pieces of rubble upward.

The figure instantly veered to the side to avoid the rubbles that came its way. With a slight frown, it raised its golden staff and was about to unleash a magic attack at the spot where the rubbles exploded when a silhouette flashed out from underneath.

Without confirming what the silhouette was, the figure already sensed its approach.

'Humph,' the figure could not help but sneer. It appeared, another lowly human managed to survive the blast it created to descend on the plane.

However, just because the lowly human survived did not mean the figure's attack was not powerful. The only reason the former survived was because the Sovereign's Cradle cushioned most of the latter's attack.

'How bold,' the figure thought and casually cast a magic barrier. 'It appears, humans still remained ignorant about the true horrors in the Lower Realm— guah!'

The figure spat out a mouthful of blood as the magic barrier it cast was shattered and a fist smacked it right on the face.

'Ngh...!'

The force of the smack sent the figure flying. It slammed on the ground and rolled for several meters before finally stopping.

The figure's mind reeled as the pain from the punch it just received seeped into its senses.

"AaaaaAAARGH...!"

Soon, the figure let out pitiful cry from the pain it felt.

'H-How is this possible?' The figure thought in shock as it recalled how the silhoutte it had thought was still meters away, appeared suddenly and sent out a punch.

Frankly, the silhouette's fast movement was not that surprising. Even the lowly human working with Ruin movement were very fast and at times unpredictable. What really shocked the figure was the fact that a simple punch, which did not emit any magic energy actually shattered its magic barrier and landed a solid hit on its face.

"Who—?"

The figure had yet to regain its bearing when the silhouette flashed before it, the latter's leg was raised above for a drop kick.

The figure's eyes narrowed as it pitifully rolled to the side before the silhouette's feet landed.

BOOM!

The ground exploded from the force of the kick, leaving behind a two-meter crater.

The figure was also blown away from the explosion and rolled to the side for another several meters.

'This humiliation...' the figure gritted its teeth. 'Unacceptable!'

BOOM!

The figure's magic pressure erupted as it pierced the staff on its hand on the ground to force itself to stop.

"You will regret acting—guah!"

Before the figure could even say anything, the silhouette already appeared in front and sent out a roundhouse kick, blasting the figure to the side.

The silhouette was obviously Kyran, who survived the figure's descent after getting buried in the ground. At first, he only planned on observing the figure. However, after hearing the latter's monologue, he could not help but come out of hiding and kick its ass.

Kyran admitted feeling somewhat peeved when it said that the Human plane's Sovereign was already in the last stretch of his life. Not to mention, he hated how it called humans as if they were the lowest and weakest creature among different races in all the planes.

Nevertheless, thanks to the figure's monologue, Kyran confirmed Nolan's status. It seemed, the latter managed to hold his own against the Sovereigns with Ruin's help. Kyran's initial guess that the two agreed on a truce and was working together had been correct.

Kyran wore an odd expression as he thought of Ruin. He really could not understand that guy. It felt somewhat awkward knowing that the person who was after his life was now working with his uncle. Kyran's face darkened as he thought of their characters.

They did not agree on something perverse, which likely involved him, so they could work together, right?

Kyran pushed aside the scary thought and focused on the pitiful figure of the Sovereign that descended from the sky. His eyes narrowed after noticing that the figure might looked pitiful, with its white robe now covered smudges of blood, but its body remained intact.

Although Kyran did not use the Draconic magic to amplify his strength, and only used his raw strength, few could withstand his kicks.

The figure finally regained its bearing after the silhouette stopped its assault. It spat some remnant blood on its mouth and stood up while properly sizing up the silhouette.

It admitted that it had been complacent after descending to the Human plane. No one could blame it. After all, Deception told it that the level of the mages in this plane was too weak.

The highest mage level most believed was a Magus, which to them Sovereigns, or to be precise, to both realms, were considered the lowest entry point of a true mage. All those level below a Magus were considered nothing but categorization of how much their magic cores had progressed. Only when an individual turned into a Magus, could one really be called a true mage.

"You are not an ordinary human," the figure said, looking at the human with narrowed eyes.

Its anger from being thrashed already disapated after confirming that the human before it was not ordinary. To be able to break its personal magic and physical defenses to the minimum degree, was proof of it.

"You are the new Dark Sage," the figure continued, still sizing up the human.

Kyran only tilted his head to one side, while also observing the figure. He still could not guess whether the figure was a male or a female— not that it matter. Regardless of the figure's gender, he would show no mercy.

When the human did not respond, the figure chuckled, "You don't have to be secretive about your identity. After all, all the Sovereigns of the Lower Realm has already been talking about your return."

Kyran remained silent. There were things he still did not understand about the existence of different pleanse even after visiting some to train.

It was to be expected because the people Kyran met during his training were also oblivious about the 'outside.'

From what the figure had said, the Human plane was part of the Lower Realm. This already coincides with Kyran's guess based from the small details he heard from True Void and Zephyr.

Then what about the Higher Realm?

Kyran shook his head and reprimandingly thought, 'This is not the time to think about those. Focus on the situation right now.'

The figure straightened its body and said, "Most of the Sovereigns wanted to gain your favor. I am also one of them. We may have started in the wrong side, but let me introduce myself. I am the Sovereign of Light."