Sovereign of the Ashes

“Is this a creature from the Neisse Civilization?” Sein mused, studying the unconscious figure that fit the beauty standards of the Magus World, albeit with slight peculiarities.

Unfortunately, the engineer from Neisse Civilization that Sein captured was in no state to respond to his question.

Though capable of piloting a mecha with a combat power that matched peak of Rank One, or even Rank Two creature, the unconscious engineer had a relatively low life level herself.

Sein estimated that she had barely reached Rank One, yet physically, she seemed even more delicate than a typical mage from the Magus World.

After taking a close look at the strange oval-shaped bump that was barely concealed underneath her long red hair, Sein casually tossed her behind him, where the surrounding plant creatures swiftly ensnared her with their vines.

The vines wrapped themselves tightly around her, exposing the shape of her body. Sein could tell that she had a rather good figure.

Of course, Sein harbored no other inappropriate thoughts amidst the chaos of battle.

Aside from the oval bump on her forehead, he noted that the creatures of the Neisse creature bore little difference from humans of the Magus World.

Any further similarities or differences would necessitate a thorough anatomical study through dissection.

For the time being, the engineer from Neisse Civilization became one of his prized captures, a living engineer no less, which considerably augmented her value.

In addition to securing the engineer, Sein stored the pink mecha, which had been twisted out of shape by a great force, in his space bangle.

The battlefield was littered with broken mechas of various sizes, some only a few meters tall, others towering over twenty or thirty meters.

Sein’s space bangle, already partly filled, was nearly at capacity after he added the damaged pink mecha. As a result, he was forced to selectively collect only specific parts from the debris.

Sein’s primary interest lay in the pyro elemental creatures scattered across the battlefield.

At this point in time, the value of these mechas was still a mystery to Sein as he was unfamiliar with these peculiar metallic constructs created by this foreign civilization.

He was merely curious about these towering and powerful man-made constructs as an alchemist.

In contrast, the value of the pyro elemental creatures inhabiting the Viridian Venom Flame World, which abided by natural laws and underwent passive evolution, was apparent to him.

Whether it was their fur, scales, blood, or eyes, all parts of pyro elemental creatures held significant value. Among these, the heart cores were the most prized.

Since arriving in the Viridian Venom Flame World to join the war, Sein had collected dozens of these pyro elemental heart cores.

While the majority were from creatures below Rank One, he also secured two or three cores from Rank One creatures on a mission with mages from the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring two years ago.[1]

Sein’s personal collection from the Viridian Venom Flame World was modest, given his limited time spent on combat missions.

However, the battlefields surrounding the main base were littered with the remains of hundreds of thousands of fallen pyro elemental creatures!

It was literally a treasure trove for the mages stationed there.

The challenge, however, was that many of these creatures had been dragged deep into the ground by the sea of vines which were absorbing their bodies and even heart cores.

Whether their remains would ever resurface, and if so, retain their value, remained uncertain.

For many of these lesser pyro elemental creatures, fertilizing the land might be their final contribution to the battlefield.

***

The conflict near the main base had raged for over two months since Sein’s arrival.

Initially, Sein attributed the turning tide of the war solely to Master Lorianne’s intervention.

Yet, as the war unfolded and more information came to light, it became clear that the Magus World Army’s shift to a counteroffensive stance was the result of various factors.

Lorianne’s strength as a Rank Four mage and the effects of her forbidden spell were undeniable catalysts.

However, the war’s dynamics also shifted due to the return of over ten thousand mages and hundreds of thousands of enslaved creatures from the eastern, northern, and northwestern fronts to reinforce their ranks.

Sein, being stationed at the southern front, was not aware of the massive reinforcement until much later.

At a higher level, Rank Five mage Gregory made a decisive move to confront Anridar the Venom Flame Demon King and the silver mecha in the central battlefield of the Viridian Venom Flame World.

With the support of his junior, Bernice, and two space fortresses providing long-range fire support, Gregory was able to repel the Anridar and the silver mecha this time.

Based on reports from various battlefields, the return of Feylis or additional support from the Magus Civilization Army from other planes were not necessary.

The combined might of the four divine towers and the three mages of Rank Four and above appeared sufficient to quell the resistance of the Viridian Venom Flame World.

The unexpected emergence of the Neisse Civilization’s mecha army did complicate the Divine Tower of Verdant Flame’s original plans to occupy the Viridian Venom Flame World within the given time limit.

Despite the challenges, the rewards matched the heightened difficulties.

These mechas, as Sein later learned, could be sold to the Steel City of the Magus World at a good price.

In terms of value, a mecha matched a pyro elemental creature of equivalent strength.

Looking at the bigger picture, it was likely that several Rank Three grand mages in the Magus World had already deduced that the presence of over two million mechas, hidden deep within the lava sea of the Viridian Venom Flame World, indicated the existence of Neisse Civilization’s other strategic warehouses out there.

The resources of the Neisse Civilization stored within the warehouse in this world became one of the valuable spoils for the Magus Civilization Army.

Initially, some mages worried that the large number of participants in this interplanar war would mean scarce spoils for each. Now, it seemed like such concerns were unfounded.

1. Author’s Note: When prey is taken down collaboratively, the spoils are typically distributed fairly—some may receive heart cores, others scales or different parts, but most of the time, everyone just takes what they need. ☜