Sovereign of the Ashes-Chapter 1400: Inspection

The Gallant Federation’s fleets typically operated with decisive efficiency due to strict adherence to orders during missions.

Both fleets moved in exceptionally cohesive combat formations.

In terms of raw strength, they could directly confront two Rank Five entities, and that did not even take into account their ability to quickly summon reinforcements.

The Huusians’ collective power was not much weaker than that of these two federal fleets.

Yet faced with the Gallant Federation’s forceful demand for an inspection, the Huusian King and his direct subordinates did not dare to voice a single word of protest.

***

More than twenty ships detached from the two federal fleets and advanced to carry out close-up scans and inspections of the Huusian vessels.

Though they were called vessels, they were really just transport “junkers” with almost no combat power.

The Huusians were not a technologically advanced race. They relied primarily on their cultivation methods.

While they fielded some fighter aircraft and warships in battle, the vast majority of their strength came from their own innate abilities.

The federal fleet conducted a thorough inspection. Alongside more than twenty specialized recon ships, they deployed no fewer than five thousand soldiers and an even greater number of robots to board the Huusian warships for internal checks.

Most federal soldiers were not cultivators. Instead, they relied entirely on their equipment in combat.

This was not necessarily a weakness.

A creature from a low-level plane might only reach Rank One or Rank Two even after a lifetime of grueling cultivation, with a maximum lifespan of just a few centuries.[1]

Yet, the lower-ranking creatures of the Gallant Federation could easily attain lifespans of several hundred years after birth, thanks to basic benefits like low-grade genetic serums.

The Gallant Federation’s soldiers could rival Rank One lifeforms in combat through external help like specialized combat suits, laser rifles, and other advanced weapons.

Among their arsenal, rare items such as nano cluster bombs and antimatter rifles were strong enough to threaten even Rank Two beings. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

These weapons could be mastered in just two or three years—far easier than toiling away a lifetime in cultivation. Such were the advantages of a technological civilization.

The Gallant Federation’s inspection unit soon reached the starship where Sein was hiding.

By then, he had already stowed away his experimental instruments, which gave off noticeable elemental fluctuations, and had slipped into stealth mode to suppress his aura.

Though most of his injuries had healed, he had no intention of confronting the federal fleet head-on.

In the past, he had Titanfang at his side, as well as the support of over a hundred Rank Four or higher intelligent robots as his elite force, and a legion of more than a hundred million ordinary robots as cannon fodder.

Yet even with those forces, they had been scattered under the federation’s repeated pursuits.

Sein knew nothing good could come from exposing himself now.

Perhaps in his current condition and with the element of surprise, he could strike hard enough to inflict heavy losses on this inspection unit.

But in the end, he would still die, or worse, be captured alive by the Gallant Federation and turned into a specimen on some scientist’s experimental table.

That was not his life’s purpose. He knew his worth could only be realized by returning to the Magus Civilization.

He still had ambitions to chase, ideals to fulfill, and a family waiting for him.

For now, he had to endure for the sake of a brighter future.

And when he finally returned in force to the Gallant Federation, he was certain his circumstances would be the complete opposite of today.

“What’s this place?” asked the two federal soldiers armed with laser rifles, as they appeared above Sein’s quarters.

“It's a compartment above our ship’s boiler room. We rarely go down there. No one’s in there,” a voice replied, but it was not Gwyneira. She rarely showed herself in this area.

“Open the hatch! We need to inspect it!” one of the federal soldiers barked. Though they were not even Rank One lifeforms, they spoke to the Huusians arrogantly.

The hatch swung open, releasing a burst of scalding steam that instantly clouded everyone’s vision.

The two soldiers shifted uncomfortably in the oppressive heat. Their combat suits could block most environmental hazards, but some effects inevitably seeped through.

The frail constitution of these federal soldiers meant their endurance was nothing remarkable.

Hence, most preferred to remain within their steel ships, relying on their advanced weaponry.

As for the cannon fodder, it had always been cheap drones and combat robots.

The two soldiers only lingered downstairs for a moment before heading back up.

They did not even notice Sein standing less than two steps away from them.

Thanks to his aura restraint technique, Sein was not something these two grunts could easily detect.

But when two silver metal boxes descended into the space, his expression shifted.

These boxes barely qualified as robots. Distinct force field ripples spread out from them before being reabsorbed.

Sein quickly deduced that they were using specialized reflective waves to scan for signs of life at close range.

After landing in the compartment, the boxes began moving slowly toward him.

“Huh?” one of the soldiers upstairs exclaimed in surprise.

Just as a tight squeeze gripped his heart, wondering if he had been exposed, he suddenly remembered something. He pulled the now-exhausted Magic Cube from his spatial storage right away.

Sein had always sensed that this treasure of the robots somehow possessed “intelligence”.

It was an alchemist’s intuition, not simply because he knew the Magic Cube could awaken intelligence in robots.

Though the object in his hand emitted no energy fluctuations, the two metal boxes froze the moment it appeared.

The federal soldiers above frowned at their crystal tablets.

“The signal’s gone. Looks like it was a scan error,” one muttered.

The other, more cautious soldier directed the silver box to sweep Sein’s compartment again and again, but each time the results came up blank.

Finally, he shook his head and said, “Let’s move on to the next area.”

Only after the soldiers’ presence faded completely did Sein exhale a long breath of relief.

He glanced down at the ordinary-looking cube in his hand.

1. Author’s Note: In Magus World, Rank One creatures typically live up to a thousand years, thanks to the world’s evolutionary system and civilizational foundation. However, native lifeforms from weaker planes may have natural lifespan limits of only two hundred years or less. This also varies by species; in some cases, creatures from weaker planes can still live over a thousand years, even if their life level remains low. ☜