Chapter 901: Facing The Laws Directly
The rumbling tremors and elemental shockwaves tearing through the surface of Gumo Plane gradually faded for Sein and Reina as they plunged deeper into the molten magma.
Of course, that did not mean they were completely safe.
The primary target of the colossal space fortress was now the silver array buried twenty thousand meters deep within the ground.
No matter how fast Sein and Reina descended, the powerful beams from the fortress still closed in on them, barely missing their mark.
This relentless barrage demonstrated the destructive might of the Magus World’s war platform.
During their descent, the demigod-level Ground Dragon trailing behind played a critical role. Its massive body shielded the Seins and Reina from countless elemental energy beams.
On a battlefield, such a colossal size was an undeniable advantage—until it wasn’t. When an area-of-effect spell was unleashed, the Ground Dragon’s size became a liability.
Fortunately, Sein and Reina were not in the main strike zone of the space fortress.
The relentless waves of attacks began to subside halfway through their descent.
Though the onslaught from above had kept them on edge, the deeper they delved, the more the threat from the skies diminished.
Even so, they were not completely out of danger.
Dark Flame had issued a command to penetrate the core of the Akre Plains, even if it meant sinking the entire continent.
The continuous barrage of energy beams had not only killed two native gods of the Gumo Plane but also plunged the Akre Plains—or perhaps the entire central continent of the Gumo Plane—into violent geological upheaval.
As the space fortress’ cannon gradually fell silent, the Gumo Plane erupted into its second volcanic catastrophe in seven years.
The hopes of the late Moknu High Priest and the Guran Lizard God to restore glory to their races were utterly shattered.
The sheer magnitude of this natural disaster was beyond reversal, even with the vast knowledge and power of Dark Flame.
Drawing from the first mass eruption, it was evident that this new calamity would be even more catastrophic.
The volcanic ash and dust expelled this time would spread farther and wider than ever before. On top of that, the aftermath of the previous eruption remained unresolved.
For the next twenty to thirty years, the lands of the Gumo Plane would remain shrouded in darkness as sunlight would struggle to pierce the thick veil of volcanic ash that now blanketed the skies.
The absence of light for twenty or thirty years would undoubtedly take an unimaginable toll on a plane’s environmental laws!
Countless species and races would be wiped off the face of this low-level world.
Only those creatures that could truly adapt to the harsh, post-disaster conditions would have any hope of survival.
This was also a testament to Gumo Plane’s deep heritage and robust foundation of laws.
If this were a microplane with weaker governing laws, the geological upheaval and natural disasters would have already pushed it into irreversible destruction.
Deep underground, at a depth of twenty thousand meters, Sein and Reina faced life-and-death crises repeatedly.
Despite the danger, Sein’s mind drifted to a divination prediction he had received from Rank Two witch named Marylou back in the Snow Spirit World.[1]
Could this be the “crisis” foretold in her prediction?
Reflecting on her prediction, Sein could not deny that their current predicament was far more than just a disaster.
Even with Sein and Reina’s formidable constitution, the immense seismic upheaval and surging magma were nearly unbearable for them.
Under such extreme conditions, their constitutions evolved passively—refined and strengthened by the formidable planar forces surrounding them.
Sein, whose constitution had long reached the peak of Rank Two creatures, had found himself at a bottleneck despite his superior intellect and the many body-tempering techniques he had developed.
Now, with this, it was clear that he was moving toward an even higher realm of power.
Reina, having recently advanced to Rank Three, naturally possessed the potential for even greater growth.
The seismic forces might have crushed other Rank Three Sky Knights, but Reina happened to wield geo elemental battle qi!
Though she had yet to harness the power of laws like demigod-level knights[2], she could manipulate her battle qi to form a protective space around herself to reduce the impact of the seismic forces.
This space was small and could barely fit both her and Sein.
At that moment, the two found themselves locked in an awkward embrace—though it was Reina who held Sein due to her bigger size.
Although Sein was confident in his constitution after years of tempering his body, he was not sure if he could face the onslaught of the seismic forces directly.
Without Reina cushioning much of the impact and buffering the immense force, he might have met his end here today.
The dangers surrounding them also carried the seeds of great opportunity.
Apart from tempering their bodies, the tremendous seismic forces also offered an unparalleled chance for both Sein and Reina to grow.
For Reina, her innate combat talent and geo elemental battle qi might even allow her to learn something from the pure power of nature and develop new fighting techniques.
From the perspective of Rank Four or above Magus World mages, the essence of planes within the Astral Realm was composed not only of microparticles but also laws.
Laws were the fundamental cornerstone of the Astral Realm, encompassing countless varieties.
For knights and mages of Rank Four and above, mastery of these laws did not come naturally.
Mages, in particular, often acquired the power of laws through observation and meticulous study.
Learning and interacting with laws was the only way to master them fully!
These powerful individuals, who began to comprehend the essence of laws, were often honored with the title of demigod-level mages.
Knights, however, lacked the systematic methods employed by mages.
Instead, many knights unknowingly accessed and utilized the power of laws through relentless combat and instinctual growth.
In other words, the violent geological turbulence beneath the Gumo Plane could be interpreted as the raw manifestation of its seismic laws.
For a demigod-level Geomancer, this phenomenon would be an extremely rare research topic.
Without the advanced research methods of mages, the best way for knights like Reina to comprehend seismic laws was to experience them firsthand.
At this moment, Reina was immersed in the purest power of seismic laws!
Meanwhile, Sein’s situation was not so different.
While he had no strong affinity for geo elemental laws, the magma surging around them was rich in pyro elemental essence.
It was truly a perilous, painful, yet transformative experience.
Still, if given the choice, Sein would have preferred the gentler path to unravel this truth in his laboratory.
Translator’s Notes:
1. This happened in Chapter 873. ☜
2. Demigod-level knights = Peak Rank Three knights. ☜