Chapter 1012: Immense Gains

Yuri’s condition was no better than Sein’s.

In this battle alone, five of her standard-model mechas had been destroyed, with several others severely damaged.

Even the mecha piloted by Yuri herself had sustained as much damage as Sein.

Her Burning Flame Unit had absorbed the brunt of many attacks in his place.

Even the magic alloy crafted in Sky City had failed to fully withstand the God of Brute Force’s final, frenzied assault.

Fortunately, luck had been on their side—the shockwaves from the rampaging god’s strikes had missed the critical components and weapon systems on Yuri’s mecha.

Had those been hit, it was uncertain whether Sein and Yuri would have made it out alive.

This battle had given Sein a harsh reality check—the sheer gap between himself and Rank Four or higher deities was overwhelming.

The gap between Rank Three and Rank Four was far more profound than the mere step between Rank Two and Rank Three.

The ascension from mortal to god was more than just a rank-up.

This painful experience made Sein vow never to challenge a being of higher rank so recklessly again.

Life was precious.

Only by staying alive could he continue to pursue the truth.

***

Setting aside his afterthoughts and amazement at just how powerful their opponent had been, Sein’s gains from this battle were far beyond what could be summarized in mere words.

Participating in a battle between higher-ranking beings and observing them in action up close had elevated Sein’s understanding of elemental energy control to an entirely new level.

The power of laws was something only demigod-level mages could begin to comprehend.

While Sein’s mana reserves and mental focus were still far from reaching the threshold of a demigod-level mage, his newfound insights and deeper understanding meant he could now lay the groundwork for a long-term study into its mysteries.

As for tangible rewards, aside from the blood essence that the Spider Queen had promised him as compensation, she had also agreed to lend him the captive god cocooned in her web for future research.

With such a Rank Four specimen at his disposal, Sein would have no shortage of valuable research materials—including divine blood, divine bones, and divine relics—for the foreseeable future.

As for what the Spider Queen had mentioned—stripping the opponent’s divine abilities and divinity—Sein was not entirely sure what that entailed.

Still, he figured that if he stayed by her side long enough, he would surely have the opportunity to observe and learn.

This was exactly the kind of knowledge that fascinated him...!

Rewards were indeed always proportional to risk.

While Sein was ecstatic about his upcoming research opportunities, the Spider Queen stood before the writhing, cocooned god, her eyes gleaming with a fiendish hunger.

She had, without a doubt, profited more than anyone else from this battle.

The giant ax, still embedded in her neck, was a lower-grade divine artifact.

Since it was imbued with the law of strength, it would make a worthy addition to her collection.

Had it not been for this divine artifact, the God of Brute Force’s desperate counterattack would never have left her in such a sorry state.

Aside from the ax, the leather shorts the God of Brute Force had been wearing were also a treasure.

Although they were not a divine artifact, the Spider Queen could tell at a glance that the leather had come from a Rank Four creature.

Clearly, the God of Brute Force had not been easy prey.

At least within Faeloria, this god had slain others of its own rank, and that leather skin was undoubtedly a trophy from a past kill.

The God of Brute Force lacked the craftsmanship to enhance its leather shorts to the same level.

Nevertheless, it was already fortunate enough to wield a divine artifact giant ax.

Had it been wearing divine artifact-level armor, the battle would have been far more grueling and costly for the Spider Queen.

Beyond these two pieces of equipment, the true prize was the God of Brute Force itself.

Its value extended beyond its physical form—it held knowledge and secrets of this world, buried deep within its mind.

The Spider Queen wanted more than just a fallen god; she wanted the spoils of this world itself!

She drew a sharp breath at the slightest tilt of her head, as a chilling pain radiated from her neck.

Her gaze shifted toward Sein, who still lingered at the edge of the battlefield, seemingly dazed.

“What are you standing there for? Get over here and pull it out!” she barked.

Even now, Sein was powerless to defy her command.

He quickly instructed Yuri to gather dead specimens of Gray-headed Apes before flying to the Spider Queen’s side.

The battle with the God of Brute Force had left her physically drained.

On top of that, she was still expending a great deal of her energy to keep the writhing god suppressed within the spider cocoon.

In her current state, even something as simple as removing the divine artifact embedded in her flesh required Sein’s assistance.

"Hold the ax handle and pull it out with force. With your constitution, you should be able to withstand the recoil. That guy is no longer capable of controlling it."

The Spider Queen’s voice was commanding, her spider legs pressing firmly against the divine cocoon beneath her.

Sein took a deep breath before wrapping his demonic claws tightly around the axe handle.

With deliberate effort, he slowly lifted the giant axe, his formidable constitution allowing him to bear its immense weight.

The moment the blade was pulled out of the Spider Queen’s neck, a sharp metallic clang echoed through the air.

Yet, there was no violent spray of divine blood.

Only a thin smear of shimmering silver liquid stained the blade’s surface.

It was the same hue as the Spider Queen’s long, flowing strands of hair.

After successfully removing the giant ax, Sein dropped the heavy weapon onto the ground beside him, gasping for air from the exertion.

Even though his strength was not on par with a Sky Knight of the same rank, he was still considered strong among Rank Three creatures.

Yet, even with that strength, lifting this giant ax had been incredibly difficult.

How could anyone even swing this thing in battle?

As Sein stared at the weapon, he was reminded of Reina.

He could not help but wonder—with her sheer physique and strength, would she be able to wield this axe?

The Spider Queen had mentioned that the ax contained a trace of the strength law.

Although Reina wielded geo-elemental battle qi, the weapon’s nature might still be compatible with her attributes.

As Sein stood there, deep in thought, staring at the massive weapon, the Spider Queen barked at him again.

It was not that Sein was slow—he was simply overwhelmed by the sheer amount of gains and opportunities that had come from this battle.

Where should he even begin his research?

He sighed in blissful frustration.

Under the Spider Queen’s command and Sein’s swift actions, all traces of the battle in Feymous Canyon were quickly erased.

The lesser creatures that had once inhabited the canyon had long since perished during the two months of divine conflict.

Even a Rank Three Grand Mage like Sein, who had stayed at the battlefield’s edge, had struggled to survive—how could weaker creatures below Rank Three have stood a chance?

As for the ruins of the canyon itself, they became the perfect natural cover.

No one would suspect anything unusual beneath the pile of shattered rocks.

Sein’s top priority was to remove the magic arrays he had previously set up—after all, they were distinctly different from those native to Faeloria.