Sovereign of the Ashes

“Where shall we go first?” Yuri asked, standing beside Sein on a huge metallic disk in the sky.

As the influence of the Soul Enslavement magic grew, so did Yuri’s obedience and reliance on Sein.

Moreover, Sein did not enforce a strict hierarchy as a master, allowing his daily interactions with Yuri to develop into a more natural and relaxed dynamic.

For instance, Yuri could just inquire about their next destination without the fear of speaking out of turn.

“Let’s head to the Tyron Kingdom first. We’ll continue south in this direction,” Sein decided, using the magic map in his hands as a reference.

The magic map was a more comprehensive illustration of the Magus World. Sein had acquired it at the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring with a whopping 150 magicoins.

At least, it was far more detailed than the one he received from his late mentor, Master Morsidor.

The Tyron Kingdom, situated directly south of the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring, could be considered their neighboring kingdom despite being separated by the Jewel Sea.

Sein had never been to the Tyron Kingdom but heard that it was known for its flourishing magic populace, comparable to the Malgheria Kingdom to the west of the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring.

Traveling through the Tyron Kingdom and beyond three other human nations would lead them to a cluster of volcanoes known as the Pyro Crystal Range.

The volcanoes in the northeastern expanse of the Lysian Alliance were actually a part of the Pyro Crystal Range. The true Pyro Crystal Range extended far beyond expectation.

According to the records found in the divine tower library and the magic map of the Magus World, the Pyro Crystal Range was home to numerous pyro elemental magic beasts and even dragons.

However, one should steer clear of those dragons as they were often bonded to a master.

The life levels of young dragons were at least Rank One, with adults potentially reaching Rank Two.

Their superior life levels and resilient physical bodies placed them at the top of the Magus World’s food chain among the magic beasts.

According to the texts found in the divine tower, these dragons that could devastate cities and destroy nations were mostly raised by a major force in the Magus World, known as the Byrne Empire.

The Byrne Empire’s overall strength in the Magus World surpassed even that of the Pyro Secret Society, thanks to the formidable dragon knights that served as the hallmark of their military might.

Despite being an ancient empire known for its powerful knight army, its prowess in the field of magic was not to be underestimated.

Since ancient times, the Byrne Empire, situated in the central southern part of the Magus World, and the Alveroth Empire in the central northern part had been locked in a relentless struggle for the title of “The Strongest Empire of Magus World”.

One empire was celebrated for its formidable knights, while the other was distinguished by its magical might.

Ironically, despite its reputation as a knightly empire, the Byrne Empire also boasted significant magical might.

Similarly, Alveroth, as a magic empire, also boasted a powerful knight legion, having even developed a griffin army to contend with Byrne Empire’s dragon knights.

The Ylli Knight Alliance had long acted as a buffer between the two dominant human empires of the Magus World. Now, the emergence of numerous forces and divine tower organizations, such as the Pyro Secret Society, had further complicated the landscape.

Without these intermediaries, the two empires might have waged wars against each other long ago.

Then again, the prospect of a civil war within the Magus World was virtually non-existent.

The guardians, along with the upper echelons of various major forces within the Magus World, would try their best to strive for coordination and peace.

It had been nearly two hundred thousand years since the Magus World became a top-tier civilization.

On the surface, the major forces within the Magus World maintained a cohesive front, occasionally collaborating, as illustrated by the impending conclusion of the Neisse Star Domain War.

Upon journeying south from the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring, Sein reached the heart of the Pyro Crystal Range within twenty days.

The blistering heat waves reminded him of his time in the Viridian Venom Flame World, though the Pyro Crystal Range appeared even hotter.

Despite being used as pastures for Byrne Empire’s dragons, this expansive mountain range remained an unclaimed territory, its harsh terrain, and extreme temperatures deterring any human settlement, divine towers, or orders of the knights.

Instead, it attracted Rank One and Two knights and mages like Sein, drawn by the abundance of pyro elemental resources.

The low-level pyro elemental magic beasts were occasionally hunted by the experts in the Magus World.

After advancing to Rank One, Sein only found out that Magus World’s regulation prohibited indiscriminate hunting of magic beasts at Rank One or above by any divine tower mages or knights from the orders of the knights without just cause.

Certain protections had to be in place to preserve the biodiversity of the Magus World.

Without such measures, the formidable knights and mages could easily drive all magic beasts to extinction, given their numbers and power.

The hierarchy of the Magus World was primarily dominated by knights and mages.

Humans were the leaders of this powerful civilization.

Other beings, including magic beasts, demihumans, and aquatic races, occupied a lesser status, essentially bowing to the supremacy of human knights and mages.

Lately, the situation had seen improvement. Magic beasts and aquatic races had found their places within the Magus World, thanks to the efforts of the divine towers in safeguarding their rights and interests.

However, this was not always the case. In the distant past, about two hundred years ago, the fates of the aquatic races, demihumans, and magic beasts were far grimmer—their existences were largely ignored.

Their sole contribution to the powerful Magus Civilization was to be hunted for their magic crystals and harvested for their physical resources.

Sein observed his surroundings with keen interest as he navigated through the Pyro Crystal Range.

The allure of the unknown continually drove mages to delve into the mysteries of the truth.

This was the very first time Sein ventured into the heart of the Pyro Crystal Range, during which he gathered an array of pyro-attribute ores and other materials.

While these finds were not particularly valuable, their novelty held appeal for Sein, especially since many were unfamiliar to him.

His alchemic pursuits often brought him into contact with such metal ores.

The low-grade pyro-attribute materials might not hold significant practical value, yet they possessed a certain allure for collectors.

For instance, Sein meticulously preserved a “Six-tailed Magic Array Flower” as a specimen, storing it in his space equipment.

As Sein stood up and was about to proceed to the next location, a vast shadow enveloped by an intense heat wave soared directly toward him.

“Rank One mage, you have trespassed into our territory. Do not venture further. Please depart from this place,” a voice boomed from the sky, speaking in the common language of the Magus World.