Sovereign of the Ashes

“You’ve already fought in a battle?” Eileen asked Sein in surprise as they met.

“Yes, we were tasked by the fortress to secure that black volcano. While patrolling, I joined the mages from the Divine Tower of Verdant Flame who found two Rank One pyro elemental creatures,” Sein responded with a nod.

Both Sein and Eileen hailed from the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring, but their experiences since arriving in the Viridian Venom Flame World were quite different.

Eileen and her group had been stationed at the main base of the fortress, contributing to its initial defense and construction.

The impressive base that Sein now saw had been rapidly erected over just a week, thanks in part to their efforts.

Although Eileen’s team was assigned to “defense”, there had not been any significant threats to the base.

The fortress was well-protected by millions of enslaved creatures, forming an almost impregnable barrier.

Moreover, the Magus Civilization was on the offensive, with Sein’s mission at the black volcano being a prime example.

Formidable mages of Rank Two and Three, along with legions of Rank One mages were assigned to combat missions at more distant battle zones in order to eliminate all forms of resistance.

This swift and assertive approach to conflict and territorial control exemplified the indomitable stance of the Magus Civilization in interplanar warfare!

Eileen’s expression revealed a hint of envy for Sein’s experiences over the past week.

She did not inquire about the precise amount of magicoins Sein had earned but assumed that it was likely a substantial sum.

“Most of us from the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring have been assigned to defend and build the main base. But there are others, like you, who are sent out to fight. For instance, Master Jovian was deployed on a mission a week ago and hasn’t returned yet,” Eileen shared.

Sein nodded, understanding the situation. “The base seems almost complete, so there’ll probably be more active operations soon. You’ll likely get your chance to participate in combat missions as well, Eileen,” Sein commented.

Eileen smiled in response. “There are benefits to going out, but staying at the main base has its perks too. I heard a few mages have been injured in the early combat missions. Being at the main base at least ensures safety.”

Sein agreed with Eileen’s point but suddenly remembered something important.

“By the way, the native creatures here have a high resistance to pyro elemental spells. Since that’s your specialty, you’ll need to be extra cautious,” he cautioned.

“Is that so?” Eileen’s expression turned serious as she furrowed her brow.

Eileen was relatively young and had only recently been promoted to Rank One.

This war in the Viridian Venom Flame World was her first experience participating in an interplanar war.

Despite her inexperience, Eileen exhibited considerable courage. Out of nearly a thousand mages in the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring, almost half were academy mages.

Despite being a woman, Eileen was showing potential as a war mage.

Sein held no prejudices against women. After all, Lorianne, Feylis, and Bernice were all formidable female mages.

They were proof that gender had no bearing on a mage’s research direction or power development.

***

Sein’s stay at the main fortress base was brief, lasting only two days before he received a new mission.

At the same time, Eileen and other mages from the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring were also assigned to combat missions.

Sein had been right. The Magus Civilization’s forces were now actively engaging in warfare and expanding their control across the Viridian Venom Flame World.

Unfortunately, Eileen and Sein were not assigned to the same group this time.

Eileen departed westward half a day earlier with over three hundred mages from the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring.

Sein, meanwhile, headed east with two hundred other mages from the same divine tower, joining forces with mages from the Divine Tower of Verdant Flame aboard three war airships.

On board, Sein encountered Jovian, the Rank Two mage, fresh from a mission and ready for the next.

Jovian’s mental focus and mana far surpassed those of an average Rank One mage.

Despite his continuous engagements, he appeared to be in good spirits.

“All mages from the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring, let’s stay connected. If anyone needs assistance, just reach out through the crystal ball,” Jovian advised the group.

Among the two hundred or so mages on the airship, there were eleven Rank Two mages, including Jovian, and two Rank Three mages, one of whom was the dean of the divine tower academy.

Mages from the same tower naturally tended to support each other more during wars.

Mid-war internal auctions and trade fairs were common among mages from the same tower or those with closer relationships.

They would sell or exchange resources and items they did not need for something more useful to them.

Sein and his group’s next mission was to secure the Red Molten River, a special region to the east of the main fortress base.

Despite the initial lack of strong resistance from the native creatures of the Viridian Venom Flame World, certain areas proved to be challenging.

The Red Molten River was one such region.

Frontline scouting mages reported that the Red Molten River was home to at least one Rank Three, several Rank Two, and numerous Rank One creatures.

The Viridian Venom Flame World lacked any dominant species ruling the realm; its societal structure resembled that of the magic beasts in the Magus World.

Powerful pyro elemental creatures occupied territories, drawing in and commanding various lesser pyro elemental creatures, akin to the magic beast forests scattered across the Magus World.

The task of Sein and the invading legions was to eradicate these pyro elemental creatures’ settlements one by one across the vast expanse of the Viridian Venom Flame World.

However, at this stage, the Magus Civilization Legion did not prioritize areas solely inhabited by pyro elemental creatures below Rank One.

Those would be slowly dealt with once they completely controlled the world.

Currently, the primary focus of the Magus Civilization’s forces was on areas controlled by creatures of Rank One and higher, which display a strong resistance.

Despite its name, the Red Molten River appeared as an endless sea of molten lava from a low altitude.

Only from higher up, peering through the dark clouds, could Sein discern the extensive, winding path of this lava river, originating from the eastern lava sea.

This lava river stretched all the way to the vast lava sea between the two continents of the Viridian Venom Flame World.

Rumors circulated among the mages at the main fortress base suggested that the Venom Flame Demon King, the Rank Five creature of the Viridian Venom Flame World, had retreated into this sea of lava after being gravely wounded by Grandmaster Feylis.