Sovereign of the Ashes-Chapter 944: Stalemate

As the Black-bellied Spider leader bore the brunt of 80% of Sein’s assault, the shock and despair gripping its heart were beyond anything an ordinary creature could fathom.

Its powerful constitution and the exoskeleton fortified by its Goddess’ blessing were woefully insufficient to withstand Sein’s unrelenting barrage of spells.

The mages of the Magus World were renowned and feared for the sheer destructive power of the elemental spells they wielded.

At first, the Black-bellied Spider leader had assumed that its swift, close-combat tactics would allow it and its forces to seize control of the battle’s flow.

Yet, in reality, it was Sein who dictated the tempo of the fight.

As overwhelming as Sein’s magic was, there were inevitable pauses between spells.

Even with his arsenal of magic artifacts, cooldowns and timing gaps offered fleeting opportunities for a counterattack.

For a fleeting moment, the Black-bellied Spider leader spotted an opening amidst Sein’s relentless barrage of magic and charged forward.

However, as it neared, expecting to see panic or hesitation, it instead found Sein completely unfazed.

The spider’s claws, glowing with silver energy, pierced through the final layer of Sein’s three elemental shields. Yet, Sein neither faltered nor retreated.

The Black-bellied Spider leader was sure that its claws had reached Sein, but his Flame Demon body seemed to have rendered the attack almost negligible.[1]

Instead, a massive flaming hand struck the spider leader squarely on the head. The searing touch of Ashen Flame left a scorched imprint on it, filling the air with a foul stench.

Sharp howls and hisses emanated from the creature as it recoiled in pain. It was evident which party had suffered the greater injury.

“What are you waiting for? Do you intend to betray the Goddess?!” the Black-bellied Spider leader screeched at the Rank Three elderly demihuman, its shrill voice echoing through the underground space.

The mention of the “Goddess” seemed to strike a nerve with the old demihuman. The hesitation and conflict on its face gave way to resolute determination.

With a deep breath, the old demihuman stepped forward.

It appeared to play a support role in battle rather than a melee fighter.

The elderly demihuman’s lips moved, chanting with haste as it raised its wooden staff high.

Suddenly, layers of vibrant green halos burst forth, spreading rapidly across the battlefield.

Under the influence of the spell, visible transformations rippled through the underground forces—from the massive Rank Three Black-bellied Spider leader to the smallest Rank Two creatures. Their bodies swelled, and physical enhancements became evident.

“That looks like the berserk war song from Azelia’s homeplane,” Sein murmured thoughtfully.

While the halo effect seemed similar, he quickly realized that it was fundamentally different from the war songs of the beastmen.

The demihumans clearly had their own unique cultivation techniques.

The creatures’ claws and fangs became sharper, their recovery abilities were enhanced. The battlefield’s difficulty level had instantly increased by at least 30%.

But the old demihuman’s abilities did not stop there.

After buffing up its allies, the elderly demihuman paused briefly, clearly out of breath, before swinging its wooden staff once more to launch a long-range attack.

The shaman priests of the Beastmen Plane were not known for their offensive capabilities.

As supportive units, their strength lay in enhancing the overall effectiveness of the beastmen army.

Their primary contributions often involved casting powerful support spells and releasing their contracted familiars onto the battlefield.

Many formidable beastmen shamans were often seen riding their giant familiars, pounding war drums to rally their forces and amplify their combat strength.

The Rank Three old demihuman, in contrast, displayed limited ability to summon familiars. Instead, it relied on energy orbs as a means of attack.

While these orbs didn’t possess overwhelming destructive power, they were efficient and required minimal energy to cast.

Sein’s verdant flame barrier, which he had just cast on himself, now bore small cracks from the demihuman’s attacks.

The Rank Three elderly demihuman clearly possessed considerable power, but its vulnerabilities were just as evident. Its hunched posture and frail frame betrayed its lack of physical resilience.

In contrast, the Black-bellied Spider leader’s exoskeleton appeared robust.

Aside from Sein’s earlier Fiery Hand spell, which inflicted substantial damage, the spider’s defenses pretty much rendered Sein’s other spells ineffective.

Sein changed his strategy. He transformed into a blazing meteor, charging directly at the elderly demihuman.

The Rank One and Rank Two demihumans attempted to form a defensive wall, but the pyro elemental energy radiating from Sein’s body forced them to retreat.

Seeing that Sein had set its sights on it, the old demihuman was not overly alarmed.

It had lived long enough to accumulate vast experience in battle.

The wooden staff in its hand struck the ground with force, conjuring layer upon layer of wooden elemental fences, forming a barrier to cage Sein.

Even though Sein’s Ashen Flame was explosively powerful, the barriers inevitably slowed his speed.

At the same time, the Rank Three Black-bellied Spider leader rushed to intercept Sein.

The Black-bellied Spider leader understood that it stood no chance against Sein alone, so it had to protect the elderly demihuman at all costs.

When Sein, in his flaming meteor form, finally broke through the elemental cage, the Black-bellied Spider leader positioned itself in front of the old demihuman like a wall of flesh.

Enhanced by the green halo, the Black-bellied Spider leader had grown to nearly a hundred meters in size.

Its sinister black eyes, now enlarged and brimming with strange energies, gleamed menacingly.

With the discerning eyes of an alchemist, Sein immediately recognized the spider's eyes as extraordinary alchemy materials, and he fully intended to claim them.

A raging fiery hand reached out once more, aiming for the Black-bellied Spider leader’s head.

These two underground Rank Three creatures possessed offensive, defensive, and supportive capabilities, forcing Sein to brace himself for a prolonged battle without any external support.

Perhaps he had grown accustomed to fighting alongside Natalya and Reina, Sein suddenly found himself missing their presence in combat.

With their combined strength, especially Reina’s devastating bursts of power and crushing hammer blows, the Black-bellied Spider leader would likely have fallen quickly.

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As Sein contemplated the best way to finish the fight, his unrelenting power continued to drive the two Rank Three creatures into desperation.

“We need the power of the Goddess!” the elderly demihuman said to the Black-bellied Spider leader through a special communication method.

Beyond solving the immediate issue with Sein, the old demihuman’s deeper concern lay with the terrifying might of the divine tower backing Sein.

If a Rank Three grand mage were to perish here, the divine towers would never let the matter rest.

Not to mention, Sein was no ordinary mage; he was a dean. He was not like the unfortunate soul who had mistakenly wandered into Baras Underground City three hundred years ago and quietly killed by them.

Only the Goddess they worshiped could possibly stand against the immense pressure exerted by a divine tower of the Magus World.

A glint of cold resolve flashed in the Black-bellied Spider leader’s dark eyes as it silently agreed with the old demihuman’s suggestion.

Together, they retreated in unison toward the temple at the heart of the city.

Their sudden withdrawal, coupled with the scattering of nearby Rank Two creatures, made Sein suspicious.

At some point, he had taken out the pack of Viridescent Seeds in his possession.

It was not easy for Rank Four or higher beings from the Magus World to enter other planes. Likewise, it was even more challenging for foreign gods to come into the Magus World.

Sein doubted that this so-called “Goddess” could simply appear in this world.

After a brief pause to assess the situation, Sein made his decision. Confident in his own strength, he pursued the two creatures.

Curiosity burned within him. He was determined to uncover the identity of the Goddess who was bold enough to spread her faith within the Magus World.

1. Please take note that there is a term change for "Demon" and "Devil". For more information, please visit the footnote of Chapter 910. ☜