Legacy of the Dark Sage

"Detecting activities from a high-density energy core..."

MEx-δ 54 muttered as his sensors detected an identified energy signature coming from an automaton that did not pale to their series.

The other MEx-δ series with him also detected an advanced energy core a distance away from their intended destination. Their forehead creased slightly as all of them stopped in their tracks in midair.

Deus, currently observing their movements, frowned slightly after seeing them stop. Not long after, he received a coded message from MEx-δ 54, which deepened his frown.

"A high-density energy core...?

"...!"

Deus's eyes widened as an idea popped into his head.

"Could it be that some of the Ancients' creations are actually in this plane?"

While Deus was lost in his thoughts, Ruin, who was observing him from a distance, also sensed something and turned his attention to the plane below.

Ruin had been staying in Somuli for some time and was quite familiar with its thin magic energy. Thus, whenever there was a sudden burst of magic energy fluctuation in Somuli, he could sense it quite easily as long as the one emitting it was not concealing it. This was not Ruin's innate ability but the nature of his innate magic that made it possible for him to sense such fluctuations.

However, while Deus was shocked by the MEx-δ 54's report about a sudden activity from a high-density energy core, what Ruin sensed was the fluctuation coming from a powerful magic weapon he, along with Layla, had been searching for all this time.

'The Macabre Glacier is here!' Ruin's red eyes lit up in excitement as a huge grin broke out on his face.

As a matter of fact, Ruin had already anticipated that that woman might be in Somuli. He also believed that the rumored Saint of the Eidums was that woman. If not, why would his prey even go through all the trouble of coming to Somuli? He even exposed himself for a brief moment just to protect the Eidums.

But Ruin's train of thought came to an abrupt stop as he noticed something.

'This magic signature...!'

Ruin's red eyes flashed with killing intent as he recognized the magic signature that was also fluctuating near the first one.

'Flos!'

Ruin had completely lost interest in Deus as his mind's eye imagined Flos's annoyingly delicate face smiling at hisprey.

No one could blame Ruin for thinking that Flos had already found Kyran or that they were already engaged in a life-or-death fight. After all, Ruin was quite familiar with Kyran and knew the latter would never allow Cyneah to use the Macabre Glacier. So, why would Ruin sense the Macabre Glacier with Flos?

There were only two scenarios that came to Ruin's twisted mind as to why that happened.

The first scenario was Flos and Kyran, who were currently in a stalemate, and Cyneah, wanting to break that off, summoned the Macabre Glacier. Although Kyran did not appear to be in close proximity to them, he might be concealing his presence again. Ruin gifted Kyran his mark to allow him to sense him. Nevertheless, the latter found a way to counter it.

The second scenario— which Ruin found unacceptable— was that Flos took advantage of Kyran's weakened state and beat him half to death, which then triggered Cyneah to use the Macabre Glacier in order to save him.

Why would Ruin believe Kyran was in a weakened state? Well, he did not know the latter had already made a full recovery after getting beaten up by MEx-δ 54.

Whichever scenario was currently playing out in Somuli, Ruin never considered a third scenario where Flos discovered Cyneah only, and Kyran was not even there. In a way, this was due to Ruin's unwavering belief that Kyran would never allow Flos to get to Cyneah under his watch.

'If you dare touch my prey, I'll ruin you!' Ruin thought through grounded teeth. His killing intent surged as he made his way back to Somuli.

Deus was forced out of his reverie as he sensed a practically tangible killing intent erupting close to his position. What was more, the owner of that killing intent was none other than Ruin!

How did he return to Somuli so soon?

But Deus did not get to dwell on that question when he realized that Ruin had not directed that killing intent at him. Moreover, the latter was rushing toward Somuli.

Deus's eyes narrowed at this as he turned his attention back to Somuli. Doubts surfaced in his mind as to the real reason Ruin was there. For a moment, Deus hesitated on his next course of action. After all, his mission there was to secure that young man suspected to possess the Heart of the Cosmos.

In the end, Deus's curiosity over the Ancients' creation got the best of him as he followed Ruin.

"MEx-δ 54 and 53, split into two groups. MEx-δ 34 to 43, follow MEx-δ 53 and continue searching for the target. MEx-δ 54, lead MEx-δ 44 to 52 to the coordinates where you sensed that energy core and wait for me."

[Yes, master.]

MEx-δ 54 and the rest of the MEx-δ series split up according to Deus's new arrangement and head to their destinations.

Deus and Ruin were not the only ones making their way to Armakea. The other representatives of different Sovereign factions also took notice of Flos's and another powerful presence and went there.

Ultimately, it was only Deus's group who went to the coordinates where the high-density energy core was discovered, while Ruin and the rest went to where Flos was.

This was to be expected. The MEx-δ series only detected the activity of the high-density energy core because they could be said to be related. They also had a certain immunity and sensitivity to Array Formations because of what they were. Thus, the great array formation under the Armakea castle failed to conceal the presence of that high-density energy core to them.

While these things were happening outside, Kyran and Dusk, who were walking down a long winding stairway, felt the surroundings shaking malevolently.

Kyran's eyes narrowed as he sensed his connection with Armak weakened. It was not only him. Some of the automatons he had recently acquired seemed to have suffered some damage following that huge tremor.

"Dark Sage!"

Dusk's shout pulled Kyran out of his thoughts. He then noticed that the stairway on which they were standing started to collapse.

BOOM!

Before any of them could run back up the stairway, the whole surroundings erupted as something massive emerged from below.

Dusk immediately cast a magic barrier before he disappeared, blending into the background. On the other hand, Kyran avoided the falling debris, even using some of it as a foothold while searching for an intact floor.

"Wha— what is happening here? Did I make a wrong turn somewhere and come out the same place?"

Kyran's ears perked after hearing a small voice speak somewhere above his head. He knew at once that the latter was a Spirit. But then his heart sank as the spirit's words registered in his mind.

Based on the spirit's statement, it seemed she had just left a place where a similar situation to Kyran's was playing out.

Where was that place? Where else but at the Royal Family's secret underground shelter?

That did not bode well!

"Hang on!" Kyran told the spirit, who landed on his head.

The spirit did not need to be told twice. She immediately grabbed a few strands of Kyran's hair and held on as if her life depended on it.

No, wait. Removed the 'as if' in that statement because her life truly depended on hanging onto Kyran's hair!

While the spirit could enter the temporary world and escape by herself, she could not possibly leave the creator of that world in such a dire situation. She was not thick-skinned enough to run away. Besides, she had yet to report the situation at the other location. What would Lady Chrysanthemum think of her if she returned without accomplishing her task?

"ALL TRAITORS NEED TO BE VANQUISHED!"

A metallic-sounding yet carrying great momentum reverberated throughout the crumbling surroundings.

CRACK! CRACK! BOOM!

Following that, the massive thing that emerged from below extended something toward Kyran.

Kyran, who had yet to find an intact footing, caught sight of what the massive thing had extended, and his eyes almost popped out of their sockets in shock.

A colossal hand reached out toward him, aiming to crush him to death.

The spirit, who was still holding on to his hair, gaped with wide eyes and mouth open at the hand about to press down on them.

"OH MY—!"

Kyran's eyes turned reddish-purple as he summoned a Void Shield seconds before the colossal hand could touch them.

CRACKLE! CRACKLE!

Kyran had every intention of disintegrating the colossal hand, but for some reason, his Void Shield collided with a barrier that actually ignored the Void magic's nature of nothingness!

BOOM!

Before Kyran could even make sense of how that happened, the momentum of the colossal hand broke the Void Shield and continued to press down on them.