Sovereign of the Ashes

Chapter 894: Fat-Burning Secret Technique

Just as the native creatures of the Phantom Cloud Plane could unleash explosive power in times of crisis, the inhabitants of Magus World and other planes had their own methods—often even more diverse.

For example, mages like Sein could temporarily boost their power by burning their internal mana and focus reserves.

However, the consequences were severe—at best, they would experience mental focus shrinkage.

At worst, the overexertion could lead to a demotion in rank or even death. After all, mages were known for their weak constitutions.

Similarly, knights could overdraw their bloodline and cellular power to achieve short-term bursts of strength, but the cost was just as steep.

Prolonged weakness, demotion in rank, or even permanent bloodline damage were common repercussions.

At least, they did not have to worry about accidentally losing their lives like mages.

Of course, Reina and Natalya had their own desperate techniques to rely on, but the one Sein developed during his research in the Phantom Cloud Plane utilized fat as a source of energy.

If the human body were likened to a flame, its temperature would represent its strength. To make the flame burn brighter, one would typically throw more firewood into it.

For knights and mages, this firewood often came in the form of focus, mana, bloodline power, or life force.

However, using such resources came at the cost of burning oneself out.

Fat, on the other hand, was an energy-dense fuel source.

The fat in Reina’s body, after Sein’s extensive research, was found to have a purity and energy density far beyond that of most creatures!

In fact, it was comparable to the energy contained within high-grade energy crystals.

This discovery shed light on Reina’s years of energy accumulation—and how much she must have eaten to reach such reserves.

The energy stored in her fat was undoubtedly the highest-quality “firewood” available.

Though Reina burned some fat during combat and training, the amount she consumed paled in comparison to her massive reserves and her usual intake.

This explained why Reina’s parents had been steadily gaining weight, while Reina had “slimmed down” slightly after spending time with Sein and frequently participating in his body tempering experiments.

Sein’s newly developed explosive combat technique for Reina relied on burning fat.

Since the technique was still not perfected, Sein needed to assist Reina in activating it using specialized pyro elemental energy.

The pair had tested this technique once, shortly after its creation.

At that time, burning just the amount of fat equivalent to Reina’s thumb caused her excruciating pain.

After all, this method worked by forcibly igniting the fat in her body using pure pyro elemental energy, rather than gently extracting the stored energy through the body’s natural process.

The results, however, delighted Sein. The burst of power unleashed by burning Reina’s fat was beyond anything he could have imagined.

For Reina, though, the experience was nothing short of a nightmare—an agony she never wished to endure again.

When Sein experimented with the technique on himself, he confirmed the excruciating level of pain, though it was less intense due to his lower fat reserves.

Interestingly, he discovered that after the burst of power unleashed through fat burning, the body would enter a temporary state of pain and weakness but gain permanent improvements in constitution.

This finding made this technique a form of body tempering, developed by Sein.

Regardless of how far his peers in the Verdant Flame Faction had progressed in body tempering, Sein had undoubtedly made a significant step forward, expanding upon the groundwork laid by Feylis.

If Bernice and Gregory were to learn of his progress, they would likely regard him with approval.

Back when Reina participated in the Ylli Knight Alliance’s arena challenges, she had lost twice.

When she suffered her second defeat, she had already mastered the fat-burning burst technique but chose not to use it.

Had Reina activated this technique, Sein believed that she might have secured a victory.

However, her deep-seated fear of the agonizing process led her to avoid using the technique altogether.

If not for Sein’s insistence, Reina would likely never have used the technique again—even in a life-or-death situation.

The mere memory of having her fat forcefully and unreservedly burned was enough to make Reina shiver every time it crossed her mind.

It was no surprise that Reina’s fear of Sein had only grown stronger over time.

Reina gulped nervously, her black eyes darting nervously downward.

Sein was right. The most dangerous threat they faced was not the demigod-level Ground Dragon but the vast river of silver runes below, which grew increasingly ominous and enigmatic.

From the moment they had first come into contact with the silver runes, these runes had begun vibrating slightly.

Now, with the demigod-level Ground Dragon and Magus World powers clashing within and around the magma river, the silver runes vibrated with far greater intensity.

Mysterious and oppressive fluctuations radiated from the depths of the magma river that pointed toward an unseen, distant expanse.

Who knew how far this river of magma stretched?

Having spent years by Master Lorianne’s side, Sein immediately recognized these inexplicable fluctuations as the power of laws—a hallmark of Rank Four and above beings!

There was no time left for hesitation.

After Reina nodded resolutely, Sein swiftly moved to her side.

A vivid red-orange flame ignited in his hand.

“Let me give you a hand!” Sein declared before slamming the flame directly onto Reina’s back.

The special flame not only activated the Fat-Burning Secret Technique but also allowed Reina to power up quicker.

If an ordinary fat-burning technique was like setting fire to the pile of fats stored in Reina’s body, Sein’s method was akin to dousing that firewood with a ladle of hot oil before igniting it!

Nevertheless, Sein exercised precise control, knowing Reina’s physical limits better than she herself did.

“OWWW!!!”

A roar erupted from Reina’s throat, resonating like the bellow of a real dragon.

The pain, fury, and sheer volume of her cry reverberated with such intensity that it resembled a sonido elemental attack—far surpassing the Ground Dragon’s earlier roar.

RUMBLE!

The deafening sound dislodged massive chunks of black rock from the rocky ceiling of this underground space, sending them crashing into the magma river and stirring fiery waves.

Sein and the others’ presence further agitated the already raging magma river and the densely packed silver runes!