Sovereign of the Ashes

“Fine,” Sein agreed without any hesitation.

Setting aside his challenge in helping the Sandworm King, Sein’s primary objective at the moment was to leave the Sand World.

He was not certain about his chances of success, but the Sandworm King did not pressure him for a definitive answer.

A total of thirty-one Grade Two energy crystals were the upfront reward that the Sandworm King had given Sein.

It promised an even more promising reward as a token of appreciation should it successfully join the Magus Alliance.

As an individual who had yet to reach even Rank One, Sein could not fathom what a Rank Four creature might offer him as a token of appreciation.

Nevertheless, Sein did not allow himself to be blinded by the reward in front of him. In fact, he sensed something amiss in the Sandworm King’s warm and cordial behavior.

Their exchange continued for half a day.

Aside from discussions about recommending the Sandworm King to the Magus Alliance, Sein spent the rest of the time boldly asking the Sandworm King about topics that piqued his interest.

Perhaps it was the harsh Sand World environment that had toughened Sein’s spirit and resolve, or maybe it was knowing what the Sandworm King desired that made him considerably more at ease.

Sein asked a wide array of questions about various topics.

For instance, he inquired about the Sandworm King’s origin, the nature of the Astral Realm, the relationships between various planes, and whether the Sandworm King had ever journeyed to other worlds.

Sein’s questions exemplified the spirit of an exceptional spellcaster who sought to explore the truths of the unknown.

Despite being just an initiate, his attitude toward learning and the pursuit had impressed Master Morsidor when they first met.

His mentor had once commented that it surpassed that of many full-fledged black mages.

Faced with Sein’s barrage of questions, the Sandworm King responded selectively.

It refrained from divulging its world of origin or delving too deeply into its experiences in the Astral Realm.

It simply explained that the Astral Realm was a place where all planes coexisted, and one could reach it by ascending through the barrier of each plane.

Sein was exposed to knowledge he had never encountered before, and it expanded his horizons into the boundless Astral Realm and the countless planes that existed within it.

It was through the Sandworm King that Sein learned that each star he observed in the night sky was actually a distinct plane.

This was also true for the three suns of the Sand World, which were essentially three smaller pyro elemental demiplanes around it.

***

Sein departed with satisfaction.

Having received permission from the Sandworm King to depart, he encountered no opposition from the other sandworms in the underground space.

Only after Sein’s figure had disappeared from the sand cave did the soft rustling sounds of sandworms become audible.

Without the thirty-one Grade Two energy crystals, the underground sand cave where the Sandworm King resided appeared considerably dimmer.

The dim environment made Sandworm King, encased in amber, seem even more terrifying.

However, several Grade Two energy crystals that were still embedded in the cave provided limited light sources.

When the rustling sounds ceased, several giant sandworms, each measuring over thirty meters in size, emerged from the corners.

These massive creatures exuded auras comparable to Dedaelon, the vice dean of the Black Magic Academy.

Beneath their menacing fangs, narrow eyes gleamed cunningly, signifying their considerable intelligence.

One of the sandworms made hissing noises, which was their unique method of communication.

“Your Majesty, why did you allow that young magic initiate to leave? Are you not concerned about exposing our presence? And about becoming part of the Magus Alliance...”

“Silence! How dare you question the king’s decision?” Another sandworm growled, its fangs dangerously close to the neck of the questioning sandworm.

The clan structure of the sandworms left no room for weaker members to question the king.

Moreover, the countless sandworms in the underground space could be considered the offsprings of the Sandworm King within the amber.

“The power of the Magus World far surpasses our imagination.” Sandworm King’s telepathic voice came from the amber.

“It’s absurd that I was so naive as to venture through that natural space-time rift, thinking I could have a feast upon the abundant energy of the other side. While I did consume several beings from the Magus World in my initial descent, some even reached Rank Three, I was swiftly taken care of by the guardian of the Magus World.

“That guardian of the Magus World! I suspect she’s already at the peak Rank Six and on the verge of becoming an overlord! In a single strike, she split me into two and banished me from the Magus World like I’m a piece of trash.

“If I hadn’t devoured the other half of my body in time to maintain my essence and because this broken plane aligns better with my power of sand law, I might have perished immediately,” Sandworm King said gloomily.

Sandworm King was an entity that had traversed the Astral Realm for many years.

Even among Rank Four creatures, it was not considered weak.

Yet, after descending into the Magus World, it was swiftly defeated and expelled by the guardian before it could truly grasp the situation or eat its fill.

It was the first time in its 50,000-year lifespan that it had encountered such a terrifying world.

Joining the Magus Alliance was primarily a pragmatic choice as survival was the ultimate goal.

However, Sandworm King’s true desire was to recover and escape from this wretched place.

The coordinates of the Sand World were not far from the Magus World.

It was a broken plane that had long lost its value, thus being abandoned by the Magus Civilization. Even so, this place was still close to the heart of the domain controlled by the Magus Civilization.

For the Sandworm King, as a foreign creature and an entity that had been hunted by the Summer Guardian of the Magus World, this entire land was fraught with danger.

The Sandworm King had thought of escaping to its original star domain through the naturally formed space-time rift. Unfortunately, that rift had been sealed off by the Summer Guardian.

“About a year ago, all of you should have sensed the battle between two demigod-level creatures fighting each other on the other side of that passageway. In my prime, I wouldn’t fear mere demigods, but in my current state, I might not be able to contend with them. Furthermore, I’m concerned about attracting the attention of Rank Four and higher experts from the Magus World.

“By letting that young man go, he can serve as a distraction and buy us time. Joining the Magus Alliance would be beneficial. Even if we can’t join, the slight delay will allow me to take all of you out of this world,” the Sandworm King said.