Chapter 943: Over-Prepared and Spells

The group of Black-bellied Spiders had seemingly plotted against Sein from the very beginning.

Although they had not yet reached their designated ambush point, they sprang into action the moment Sein voiced his doubt.

Sharp, cold threads wove into a deadly net, slicing through the air toward him.

With the sheer cutting power of these webs, even a body of steel would have been shredded into pieces.

Unfortunately for them, Sein was no steel man—he was a Rank Three grand mage, far more formidable and resilient than any metal!

Sein could tell these spiders and demihumans were definitely native to the Magus World.

In a world where human mages and knights reigned supreme, it was inconceivable that they were ignorant of the consequences of attacking a mage.

For these dark creatures to dare strike at a Rank Three mage, they had to be either recklessly bold or disastrously overconfident.

In terms of strength, only the leader of the Black-bellied Spiders and the elderly Rank Three demihuman posed any real threat to Sein.

The Rank One and Rank Two creatures did not warrant so much as a second glance from him.

Years of sparring with Rank Three grand mages from the Divine Tower of Astral Sun and other divine towers had proven useful.

Sein had already anticipated the ambush of these strange underground creatures.

As soon as the dark spiders launched their attack, Sein transformed into a blazing inferno.

The elemental body that Rank Two mages possessed had become exponentially powerful following Sein’s advancement to Rank Three.

For the first time in centuries, the perpetual darkness of Baras Underground City was pierced by a searing, blinding light.

The sudden brilliance disoriented the underground creatures, leaving them unable to track Sein’s movements, let alone attack him.

In his Flame Demon form, Sein evaded the sharp webs with ease and charged straight for the Rank Three spider.[1]

Instead of wasting time on the smaller fry, he targeted their leader, the clear mastermind behind this ambush.

Yet, as Sein advanced, he noticed something unusual.

While the Rank One and Rank Two demihumans and spiders displayed unrestrained hostility, the elderly Rank Three demihuman hesitated.

It did not rush to attack Sein like the others. Instead, it looked rather conflicted.

It was almost as if it did not want to fight Sein at all.

Beyond fearing Sein’s strength, it was likely even more afraid of the divine tower backing him.

Sein could not care less about the thoughts of these underground creatures.

Two Rank Three creatures and a handful of Rank One and Two were hardly a challenge for him.

The trials he had faced during the Gumo Plane War were far more grueling than this.

Even if the spiders had some hidden tricks up their sleeves, Sein felt confident in his ability to break through safely.

The divine tower badge pinned to his chest had begun faithfully recording the unfolding events.

Once he returned to the surface, he could easily use the badge to summon reinforcements or report directly to the divine towers.

A god statue hidden deep in the Magus World’s underground, huh?

Surely, the tower masters, particularly Dark Flame, would undoubtedly find this discovery intriguing!

As Sein surged forward in his Flame Demon form, aiming for the Rank Three spider, a spatial fluctuation appeared to his right.

Yuri appeared, fully equipped and piloting the Burning Flame Unit. Behind her, thirteen standard mechas under her control materialized, one after another.

While Sein had made significant strides in recent years, Yuri had also been steadily progressing.

The majority of the standard mecha units were recent creations, assembled by Sein and Yuri collaboratively over the past few decades.

Each mecha boasted combat power on par with a Rank One creature.

Yuri skillfully controlled the thirteen mechas—a notable increase in number compared to previous years.

As Sein lunged at the Rank Three spider, Yuri positioned herself to intercept the swarm of underground creatures converging from all sides.

The massive spider that dared to attack Sein proved to be a formidable opponent.

Even after Sein unleashed two rounds of “Scorching Fire Lotus”—a devastating spell imbued with the power of Ashen Flame—the spider managed to deflect the attacks with its reinforced exoskeleton.

Scorching Fire Lotus was a Rank Three offensive spell Sein had developed over decades of research, inspired by his battles with Adrian, the Rank Three grand mage from the Divine Tower of Astral Sun.

The spell did not require lengthy incantations. Much like the fireball spells used by Rank One mages, it was designed to be instantaneous.

What set Scorching Fire Lotus apart was its pyro elemental power source—the Ashen Flame, which Sein had obtained upon reaching Rank Three.

Unlike the conventional pyro elemental magic Sein had previously wielded, the Scorching Fire Lotus carried the unique properties of Ashen Flame—corrosive, inextinguishable, and capable of disintegrating muscle tissue.

This combination made it an exceptionally lethal, single-target spell, particularly effective against unsuspecting opponents without active energy shields.

The Rank Three Spider likely had not expected Sein to unleash such devastating power while surrounded by dark creatures.

Sein was not one of those frail mages who relied solely on long-range attacks.

𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

In the Magus World, any mage who advanced to Rank Two or higher would make an effort to address their weaknesses, particularly in close-quarters combat.

Sein’s body-tempering experiments were one such method, while other mages had developed their own unique approaches.

The intelligence and adaptability of Magus World mages ensured they would not be sitting ducks when cornered by enemies.

To assume otherwise would be both arrogant and foolish.

The Rank Three Spider quickly realized its mistake the moment Sein transformed into his Flame Demon form.

The Scorching Fire Lotus spell was merely the appetizer Sein served on this battlefield.

Fire Cloud Burst, Molten Magma Raid, Light Rain Prairie, Fiery Ballad!

Like a one-man arsenal of destruction, Sein unleashed one devastating spell after another in rapid succession.

Some of these spells were ones he had mastered long ago. However, with his promotion to Rank Three, their destructive power and range had grown exponentially.

Others were the fruits of his recent research, refined through sparring sessions with Rank Three grand mages from neighboring divine towers over the years.

Today was finally the perfect opportunity to test them in a real battle!

Despite being a Rank Three grand mage, Sein could not cast certain exceptionally powerful spells on a whim.

Most spells required incantation, as well as elemental spices.

What allowed Sein to unleash such an overwhelming barrage of devastating spells in rapid succession was a combination of his immense mental focus, vast mana reserves, and—most crucially—his exceptional equipment!

Fighting an alchemist as well-prepared as Sein was nothing short of a nightmare.

Adrian, Janice, and other divine tower mages had learned this the hard way over the past few decades.

Many of the magic artifacts Sein carried were preloaded with powerful spells, ready to be activated instantly.

Take his defenses, for example. Since the beginning of the battle, Sein had not uttered a single incantation for a protective spell. Yet, his body was shielded by three layers of elemental barriers.

The first two barriers came from the rings on either hand, while the third was generated by a button on his magic robe.

A closer look would reveal just how over-prepared Sein was.

He wore six magic rings—each with its own distinct function!

It was clear that the near-death experiences of the Gumo Plane War had left a lasting impact on him.

It had motivated Sein to fortify himself in every possible way over the years that followed.

Now, this unfortunate group of underground creatures was learning firsthand the kind of despair Adrian, Janice, and the other divine tower mages had felt when faced with Sein’s relentless onslaught.

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