Chapter 1688: Ravenous Devouring

“It will last another 53.74

papillon pulses

,” Number Two replied.

A

Papillon Pulse

was a unit of time used by the Eiyurant Papillon Civilization. Converted to Magus World standards, it equated to roughly two sandglasses—about two minutes.

In less than two minutes, the information recorded before Sein’s eyes exceeded what most mages might gain through ten thousand years of exploration!

When threatened by apocalyptical weapons, even Feylis herself would never choose to immediately digest and analyze the secrets behind this collision of forces.

The Burning Flame Unit and Yuri showed no intention of leaving, causing Sein to raise an eyebrow.

Under these circumstances, their assistance to him was practically nonexistent.

Yet Sein did not rebuke them. Every second now was unimaginably precious to him.

To higher-ranking beings, time itself could be stretched.

Not because time truly slowed, but because their reaction speed and thought processes became dramatically faster.

What unfolded in a single second could be subdivided into thousands, sometimes tens of thousands, of moments within their perception!

Sein’s thoughts moved at a terrifying pace. Though his body appeared motionless, the flame in his hands slowly spread, enveloping his entire form.

Mages truly deserved their reputation as “lunatics” among extraplanar beings.

Sein briefly wondered whether Gregory and the others would act the same in his position, but opportunities like this were genuinely once in a lifetime.

As time slipped away and less than a quarter of a papillon pulse remained, Sein forcefully broke his state of immersion, however reluctant he was.

He needed to leave himself enough time to escape safely.

With destruction closing in, Sein asked, “Are you truly not leaving with us?”

“Since the cube previously identified you as a world-class secret treasure, that means you can be taken away,” he urged one last time.

The avatar gave Sein an indifferent glance, then slowly shook its head.

“You chose to remain here and risk destruction rather than leave with the others,” it said calmly. “Surely that is not merely to gather the flame law information you mentioned, right?”

Though it was only an artificial intelligence, the butterfly avatar possessed an unnervingly sharp insight into human nature.

At this point, Sein saw no reason to hide his true intentions any longer.

He extended his right hand, and the Magic Cube flew out from within Fermera.

After the cube exited her body, Fermera clutched her chest. She felt a mix of sadness and relief at parting with it, though her body had largely recovered.

Sein’s eyes gleamed as he stared intently at the cube in his grasp.

“Within this building, there are dozens of world-class secret treasure fragments containing law essences. Even so, nothing among them was more enticing to me than the replica Infinite Energy Device, you, and that crystal sphere,” he said.

“After two upgrades, the chances of a third are slim. I refuse to let this opportunity slip.”

As Sein finished speaking, the Magic Cube in his hand erupted in a dazzling, blinding light.

The violet-blue radiance pouring from it briefly rivaled the two clashing forces outside the skyscraper’s energy barrier.

Yet this was not a physical beam capable of attack or defense. Its light could devour or absorb.

Within this skyscraper, the remaining fragments of secret treasures responded, condensing into streams of lawful light that shot directly toward the cube.

Sein had helped Fermera break through her final firewall and heal all her injuries not merely to gain a Rank Six combatant, but to clear the law energy inside the cube and prepare it for another round of charging and upgrading.

After all, someone already stuffed could hardly force down more food.

Even if Sein could not grant the cube new abilities by absorbing the residual law energies within the Eiyurant Papillon Civilization’s Grandlight Tech Center, simply replenishing its reserves was more than worth it.

As he had said before, he might never find another chance like this again.

When would he ever have another opportunity to find such an immense quantity of technological law energies?

Even if such a chance arose, would the Magus Civilization permit it?

He was not the descendant of an overlord-level being!

And even if he were, he could not openly violate the rules.

On the surface, the Magus Civilization upheld fairness and order.

For example, when numerous secret treasure fragments had been discovered earlier, Sein had not kept them all for himself. He had shared the spoils with Black Oblivion, Gilbert, and even the lower-ranking knights and mages.

They deserved it.

But truly “hoarding” the spoils was only possible in a situation like this!

Despite Sein’s openly self-serving intentions and the Magic Cube’s ravenous devouring, Number Two remained completely indifferent.

It was as if Sein’s actions were of no concern to it at all.

Vast quantities of mana poured from Sein’s hands into the Magic Cube’s core.

At this moment, Sein was acting as the cube’s secondary power source.

They existed in a symbiotic relationship.

When necessary, the cube could transmit energy back to Sein, and in turn, Sein could help amplify the cube’s power.

But time was desperately short, all because the Gallant Federation’s apocalyptical weapon had struck without warning.

Under different circumstances, with Sein’s capabilities and the rapport he had built with the avatar, he might have found far better ways to extract more origin laws within the Grandlight Tech Center.

Now, however, there was no such luxury.

The cube began drawing in not only the precisely located secret treasure fragments scattered throughout the building, but also the very power Number Two itself.

Naturally, Sein left the crystal sphere in its defensive state untouched. He had no intention of shortening his own survival.

More than that, he actively guided the cube to replenish the crystal sphere’s law energy.

The cube’s extraordinary performance finally caused the first visible change in Number Two’s expression.

“This artifact of yours possesses far greater functionality and potential than I had anticipated,” the avatar said.

Its calm, unwavering tone gave no indication that its own power was being drained.

At the same time, law energy from the Infinite Energy device replica buried deep under the building also began flowing toward the cube.

Ironically, this was made possible by the Gallant Federation’s apocalyptical weapon.

More than ninety-nine percent of the energy sustaining the crystal sphere’s defensive barrier originated from that replica.

If not for this, Sein’s Magic Cube would never have been able to reach something buried that deeply.

It was all a matter of perspective. Who could say whether this turn of events was fortunate or disastrous?

“Very well. I will help you one last time. Do not forget your promise,” Number Two said.

With those words, it dissolved into a beam of lawful light.