Legacy of the Dark Sage

Dimension is a magic construction far more potent than a Magus's Domain. It allows a mage to create a secondary layer around a targeted area and gain control over it. Anything that enters that Dimension will be subjected to the mercy of the mage that created it. Even a Sovereign-level mage would be unable to do a thing once trapped inside.

Nevertheless, Dimensions are not a sure-hit skill. For one thing, one needs time to cast it. From this, if another disrupts the casting of a Dimension, then it can be broken. Of course, it will depend on how the other party disrupts it. The most effective way is to directly attack the caster or counter it by casting another Dimension. However, once a Dimension is completed, the only way to counter it is if another mage successfully attacks it from the outside. Putting a crack in the Dimension veil can allow those trapped inside to escape.

That had been the case when the hooded automaton trapped Kyran in its Dimension. Ruin attacked the veil from the outside, creating a crack large enough for Kyran to slip through.

However, successfully creating a crack on an active Dimension is no easy feat. One must have sufficient magic output to do this. More importantly, one must have the ability to see through a Dimension veil. If not, then it will all be useless, and by the time the caster of the Dimension releases it, those trapped inside will have already died.

There is, however, a rumored way to escape from a Dimension from the inside. But it is, as mentioned— only a rumor. Talks about it are only brought up in hushed discussions; thus, the content of the rumored way cannot be verified.

But that is a discussion reserved for another time.

Ruin's Dimension instantly destroyed the last layer of the automatons' magic barrier.

Not wanting to be trapped, all four hooded automatons immediately dispersed. Utilizing their energy cores to their fullest and casting their ultimate speed-boost spell, they escaped in different directions.

"Cold as always~ you four truly live up to your nature as automatons."

Crackle! Crackle!

A massive crack appeared above, and four trails of black mist seeped out. Each trail slowly turned into huge, ghastly clawed hands and went after the escaping automatons.

"Humph."

The first hooded automaton snorted at the black, ghastly clawed mist hand that came at it. With a wave of its silver and gold scepter, a huge golden magic array appeared behind him.

After which, several golden light beams emerged from the magic array and shot at the ghastly clawed mist hand.

Foom! Foom! Foom!

In the blink of an eye, the ghastly clawed mist hand was riddled with holes.

A similar thing happened to the other automatons.

They cast powerful attacks to counter or destroy the incoming mist hand. But while they were fully engaged in destroying those hands, four bolts of red lightning struck from above, catching them off guard.

Two of the automatons failed to cast a magic barrier and were instantly incinerated by the red lightning, while another barely protected itself. However, because of the slight pause from that move, the mist hand, which had recovered from the initial attacks rendered to it, managed to close the gap and grab hold of the automaton.

Crackling and whirring sounds erupted from the automaton as the black mist enveloped its body in a few seconds. The automaton struggled, but the black mist immediately corroded the automaton's body, turning into a pile of dust that melted into the black mist.

The only automaton that managed to avoid getting destroyed was the first one. It knew what happened to its fellow automatons, but it did not stop and continued to move forward. If it so much as hesitated for a second, Ruin's Dimension would have reached it, and once trapped, then there was no telling what that failure would do.

Ruin definitely would not destroy it that easily. Most likely, it would try to pry information from it, and no matter how much it would resist, it was still only an automaton. After all, there were other ways to take information inside an automaton's body.

'If it came to that, then....' the hooded automaton resolved itself to self-destruct, aiming for mutual destruction if it did get caught.

Of course, that was a last resort. At the moment, the hooded automaton was still in control of the situation. It still had an instant transmission protocol it could employ. It did not use it only because it could only be used once and was supposed to do so after capturing its target.

"I'm a little pissed."

The hooded automaton's pupils contracted, hearing Ruin's voice close to its ear.

"Did you think I am only a decoration?"

Bam! Crackle!

Ruin appeared behind the hooded automaton. His right hand glowed with a brilliant red light as he thrust it directly at the latter's back. The natural physical enhancement of the hooded automaton was rendered ineffective against Ruin's magic as his hand easily pierced through its body.

An automaton's frame made from high-quality materials from the Higher Realm was instantly ruined.

Red lightning converged in Ruin's hand as he dug out the hooded automaton's energy core.

"No... you—!"

The hooded automaton's processing ability short-circuited at Ruin's decision to destroy it without hesitation. Usually, wouldn't one try to pry for information first? He should have wondered why the Higher Realm was interested in his prey, right? So why did he not try to know the truth before destroying them?

As if reading the hooded automaton's last thoughts, Ruin smiled manically, saying, "I don't give a sh*t about your reasons for coming here. You committed a sin for touching my prey; thus, you lot deserved death."

"No—!"

FOOOOOOM!

Ruin's eyes narrowed as an invisible force covered the whole space, sealing all sounds and movements in an instant. It was followed by a translucent veil, meaning he had fallen into a Dimension.

"Don't be reckless, Ruin. We have no quarrel against you."

With the whole space devoid of other sound, the voice that had spoken those words carried an almost stifling pressure even though it seemed to belong to a woman or a young man.

Following this sentence, a brilliant golden light enveloped the hooded automaton that Ruin was on the verge of destroying, and then it disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Ruin's expression turned ghastly as he looked above.

A massive fissure tore through the space above.

From within the fissure, a human figure in an oversized hooded robe could be seen sitting on a floating steel throne. The gentle wind swirled around the figure, lifting its hood slightly.

Surprisingly, the face under the hood belonged to a delicate, beautiful young man. His lashes are long, and his light blue eyes shine with unearthly brilliance. His ash blonde hair is cut with slanted bangs that cover his forehead, and the rest is tied in a thin braid that hangs loosely on his shoulder.

"I thought those automatons sounded familiar," Ruin drawled, looking at the newcomer with a piercing gaze. "So they were your handiwork, Deus."

The young man on the steel throne seemed slightly surprised at how Ruin managed to speak inside his Dimension. But his surprise was fleeting, and his expression turned indifferent in an instant.

"You have not changed one bit," Deus replied after a momentary pause. "And I must say, you're new name suits you."

"I know right?" Ruin replied with a smile that did not meet his eyes. "Where do you think I got the inspiration from?"

Deus sighed, and as he did, the space that constituted his Dimension shook ever so slightly.

"After more than a thousand years and still your twisted belief has not changed."

"Twisted belief, huh? Ah.. haha.. hahaha… Hahahahaha!" Ruin slowly burst into maniacal laughter.

Deus remained emotionless as he watched in silence. Reflected in his light blue eyes was the image of Ruin that had seemingly gone crazy.

After a while, Ruin finally restrained himself and straightened. With a slight hiccup after laughing so hard, he said, "That is a good one. Didn't think you'd develop a humor after all these years…!"

"…!"

Flash!

CRACKLE!

Deus's eyes widened as a flash of thick red lightning broke through his Dimension. After which, another fissure tore through the space close to the one Deus came out from.

A gigantic hand descended from the fissure with lightning speed toward Deus.

A thirty-meter diameter gold magic array appeared beneath Deus's steel throne.

BOOOM!

A thunderous explosion rang out as the gigantic hand collided with Deus.

The following shockwave shattered Deus's Dimension and blew Ruin several hundred meters away.

A cloud of smoke spread out, reducing one's visibility at once.

Whoosh!

A suction force appeared at the center of the explosion as crackling sounds reverberated across the space. It cleared away most of the smoke, revealing a gigantic silver-white human-shaped automaton with golden wings and a long silver spear. Glowing light blue runes covered the side arms and legs of its armor.

Deus stood on the automaton's shoulder, looking unharmed.

The gigantic hand was nowhere to be seen. However, the fissure where it had come out from was still there.

Deus's usually indifferent expression showed a rare scowl as he peered into the fissure.

A face that bore a semblance of Ruin's stared back at Deus, except, instead of appearing human, he had blood-red scales for skin, and a long twisted black horn protruded on his left forehead, while the right one was broken. His eyes were pure black, except for the glowing red slits that stared back at Deus.