Sovereign of the Ashes

In the previous war, Rank One knights and mages had assisted Sein in besieging the Rank Two plant creature.

Now, it was Sein’s turn to assist the Rank Three experts in besieging a higher-ranked Rank Three plant.

This change demonstrated the teamwork of the Magus World Army in the interplanar war.

Sein did not object to his mother-in-law’s suggestion.

He had participated in the siege of Rank Three creatures back when he was still a Rank One, but at that time, he had been positioned on the periphery, making only minor contributions.

Now, as a Rank Two, he wielded considerable power and influence among his peers.

Sein’s role in this upcoming siege, and the difficulty of the mission, was significantly greater than what was expected of a Rank One combatant.

The Moonlit Willow Tree was an immovable giant plant.

After the outbreak of the Verdant Leaf World War, this Rank Three plant creature had refused several offers of alliance from the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring.

The Divine Tower of Verdant Spring remained amiable to the native plant creatures of the Verdant Leaf World due to Tower Master Lorianne’s natural affinity for plants.

In fact, the tower actively sought to ally with plant creatures that were both valuable for research and gentle in temperament.

However, the war had only been raging for less than a year, and very few native plant creatures had submitted to the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring.

Yet, not a single Rank Three plant had surrendered.

Sein had heard that a Rank Two plant had been captured on the northern frontline and, after being branded a slave, it was transported to the central fortress for transplantation.

The Moonlit Willow Tree, one of the more stubborn Rank Three creatures, was not a bloodthirsty plant that thrived on consuming the flesh and blood of other creatures through its roots.

Instead, it specialized in shredding any Divine Tower of Verdant Spring Army that dared to come within its range, using its razor-sharp, slender, and leafy branches.

Taking part in the siege of such a Rank Three creature carried significant risks, especially given Sein’s mission.

His mother-in-law, Sia, had tasked him with moving around to the back of the Moonlit Willow Tree to predict the energy blasts from the Green Cypress Pine.

The Green Cypress Pine, though similarly immovable, was a massive demigod-level plant.

Its sheer size and power allowed it to launch attacks far beyond its rooted territory, posing a serious threat to any creature that dared come near.

When Lorianne breached the Verdant Leaf World’s planar barrier earlier, she was met with resistance from three demigod-level plants, including the guardian.

Although these three powerful entities eventually failed, their ability to contend with Lorianne through the planar barrier had proven their formidable strength.

They were also among the most challenging obstacles faced by the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring during the Verdant Leaf World War.

For the siege against the Rank Three Moonlit Willow Tree, the western front deployed around fifty combatants.

However, creatures below Rank One were nearly useless against such a massive and deep-rooted plant.

The primary task of the Rank One and higher combatants was simply to sever the Moonlit Willow Tree’s side roots.

Maya did not participate in this particular siege; her mission seemed to involve eliminating another Rank Three plant on the western battlefield alone.

Leading the frontal assault against the Moonlit Willow Tree were Sein’s mother-in-law, Sia, and another Rank Three grand mage from the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring.

With such overwhelming force, Sein saw little danger in this mission.

***

Two days later...

After entering the Moonlit Willow Tree’s attack zone, Sein did not immediately join the battle to cut its roots and branches.

Instead, he continued to conceal his presence and move deeper into the west.

His exceptional ability to restrain his aura and elementalize his body made it difficult for others to detect him as he moved forward.

Sein’s Aura Restraint technique was inspired by Tourmaline, the dragon turtle.

He had studied Tourmaline’s breathing patterns, heart rate, and body elemental frequencies, then combined these observations with the aura restraint and concealment spells from the Magus World to create a unique technique.

His ability had been thoroughly tested during the Knight Continent’s trial, where he successfully evaded creatures with keen senses.

Naturally, avoiding detection by the native creatures of Verdant Leaf World proved even easier.

Sein’s mother-in-law, Sia, was unaware of his unique abilities, as he had not displayed much of them during the previous Thunderfall World War.

Her reason for Sein’s assignment to this “more dangerous” mission was that there were other plans in play.

Sein’s fiancee, Natalya, was also taking part in the siege of the Moonlit Willow Tree.

As a Rank Two knight, her primary role was to be on the front lines, where she assisted in severing several of the tree’s crucial roots.

For some reason, the straight-line distance between Sein and Natalya on the battlefield was notably short. He was positioned behind the Moonlit Willow Tree, while she was diagonally across at its front.

Venturing further west on Verdant Leaf World’s main continent revealed denser forests.

Here, the giant plants towered tens or even hundreds of meters.

However, not all of them possessed intelligence or combat capabilities; most were simply plants.

Only a minority of plants in Verdant Leaf World could develop self-awareness and execute adaptive strategies.

Navigating by a magic map recorded on a crystal ball, Sein eventually reached the rear of the Moonlit Willow Tree.

Ascending high above the forest and gazing eastward, he could see the colossal willow tree, towering hundreds of meters tall with its branches dancing wildly in the breeze. From afar, they looked like dark green silhouettes.

The siege was already in full swing.

From a distance, Sein spotted a crimson flame meteor materializing before the Moonlit Willow Tree—likely the work of his mother-in-law.

Although defeating the Moonlit Willow Tree with overwhelming force was feasible, the real challenge lay in gradually wearing down a Rank Three creature like it, while also addressing the threat posed by Green Cypress Pine, a demigod-level adversary.

Sein’s primary responsibility was the latter.

After reaching the twenty-seventh sandglass in the target area, he detected an unusual surge of energy from the western forest.

Sein quickly captured the direction, magnitude, and velocity of the surge using his crystal ball, and promptly relayed the information to the eastern battlefield.

This energy surge was clearly aimed at the Divine Tower of the Verdant Spring Army, which was engaged in the siege.

After all, the plant creatures of the Verdant Leaf World understood the importance of mutual dependence.

Forewarned by Sein, Sia and her team could now brace more effectively against their enemies.

However, Sein’s immediate concern was how to evade the impact of this demigod-level energy surge himself.