Sovereign of the Ashes

The second-hand space fortress trading market, located northwest of the Capiche Business Alliance, was more chaotic than the rest of the alliance.

Space fortresses and war airships constantly drifted and flew overhead, each showing signs of wear, with scratches and dents marring their metal exterior.

Below those floating giants, the ground was cluttered with vast metal platforms. From a distance, they resembled an endless metallic mountain range.

According to Zaka, their guide, this second-hand space fortress trading market also boasted an expansive underground area where numerous space fortresses and large war platforms lay dormant.

Some space fortresses found new owners here if they could be made operational.

Others, unable to find buyers or when price negotiations fell through, were eventually shipped beyond the Magus World—to the broader markets of the Magus Alliance or even outside the Magus Civilization.

Space fortresses manufactured by the Magus World enjoyed a sterling reputation across the Magus Alliance and had recently begun to make their mark in the wider star domains beyond the alliance.

Almost every foreign god in the Magus Alliance took pride in owning a space fortress produced in the Magus World, even if it was second-hand and cost many magicoins.

For them, possessing a space fortress was a matter of pride and a status symbol.

It was an unwritten rule within the Magus Alliance that only extraplanar foreign gods who owned a private space fortress were considered members of the third class and above.

Those without were seen merely as slaves within the Magus Civilization, with their inclusion in the alliance serving more as a token of exploitation than an honor.

Putting aside the additional benefits that came with owning a space fortress, these massive war platforms constructed by the mages of the Magus World stood as a premier creation within their region in the Astral Realm.

This was precisely why other planes outside the alliance, which typically had minimal interaction with the Magus World, showed such significant interest in these war platforms.

Today, the Magus Civilization’s space fortresses were in high demand, sold widely both within and outside the Magus Alliance.

Virtually every divine tower and knightly order in the Magus World owned one or several space fortresses.

While some divine tower masters might not currently possess one, it was almost a given they would in the future.

This was because having a space fortress significantly reduced the initial investment required for interplanar warfare, thus maximizing war benefits.

For instance, if Lorianne had owned a space fortress during the Verdant Leaf World War, she could have saved nearly a million magicoins in various expenses, simplifying the logistics of interplanar conflict.

Clearly, owning a space fortress sooner rather than later was advantageous—even essential—though they came with a hefty price tag.

The sheer size of the second-hand space fortress trading market overwhelmed Sein.

He also realized that he lacked a clear understanding of the diverse models and characteristics of space fortresses available in the Magus World.

It seemed likely that his mentor also faced the same challenge.

At the moment, Lorianne and Master Cipher were walking side by side.

Sein also noticed that Lorianne was grabbing onto Master Cipher’s arm—perhaps out of nervousness or concern for the money that was about to fly out of her wallet.

Even the cheapest second-hand space fortress here would cost no less than a million magicoins.

Naturally, Lorianne could not purchase a worn-out space fortress; she needed to buy a decent one but that required money.

Master Zaka, who was leading the way, seemed exceedingly familiar with the market.

Unfazed by the mountains of steel surrounding him, he led the group directly to the western end of the market.

As they were flying, Master Zaka explained, “The most recent entries into this second-hand market usually go through a registration process on the west side. I’ll take you there first, so if you are interested in any relatively new models in better condition, you can get your hands on them immediately.”

The Rank Four mage named Zaka was well-acquainted with Lorianne and had a good sense of her financial capabilities. He could pinpoint the type of fortress that would suit her needs almost effortlessly.

Lorianne remained silent and simply followed as they flew toward the western part of the market.

After some time, they arrived at a large open area that was notably cleaner and offered a broader field of vision compared to the rest of the market.

Dozens of large space fortresses, each with an average diameter exceeding ten thousand meters, were docked throughout this white expansive space that could be considered a “plain”.

They varied in color and style but were noticeably cleaner and in better condition than those Sein had previously seen.

They also had fewer scratches and signs of wear and tear.

In the center of this plain, a massive teleportation conveyor belt hummed with activity.

A space fortress was slowly advancing on this belt, moving toward the underground space beneath the plain.

A black hole, tens of thousands of meters wide, gaped like a colossal maw on the plains—it was unclear how many space fortresses it had “swallowed” over time, and the true extent of this second-hand marketplace remained a mystery.

Layers of specialized magic detection light waves continuously scanned the slowly moving space fortress, seemingly conducting a thorough inspection.

Around the fortress, hundreds of full-fledged mages in white robes flitted in and out.

These mages, employed by the Capiche Business Alliance, were staff members of the second-hand space fortress trading market, tasked primarily with inspection and maintenance.

”Of the thirty-seven space fortresses currently docked here, two are high-end, sixteen are mid-tier and nineteen are low-end. Shall we take a look at the Blazing Space Fortress first? It was decommissioned by the Desert Kingdom of Jehannah three years ago and arrived here last year,” Zaka suggested politely.

The Blazing Space Fortress was categorized as high-end, initially part of a customized batch made for the Desert Kingdom of Jehannah thousands of years ago.

Since it wasn’t exclusively built, its price was somewhat lower.

Despite the lower price, it was still a costly purchase, mainly aimed at entities of Rank Five and above in the Magus World.

The crystal ball data revealed significant damage to this second-hand Blazing Space Fortress, yet its selling price was still comparable to that of a brand-new mid-tier model, albeit slightly cheaper than a standard mid-tier model.

Given this, Lorianne would rather purchase a new mid-tier space fortress. Her finances were tight, but she was not so short on funds that a difference of a few hundred thousand magicoins would deter her.

Master Zaka’s polite inquiry was a mark of respect for Lorianne as a fellow mage and friend.

He was well aware that Lorianne’s primary interest lay in the mid-tier offerings of the second-hand space fortress trading market.

“Huh? Why is this space fortress here?” Lorianne interrupted Master Zaka before he could continue his presentation, pointing in surprise at a message displayed on the crystal ball.

The image Lorianne indicated was a bluish-purple space fortress. Its condition appeared superior, showing less wear and tear than typical mid-tier fortresses. More importantly, its price was reasonable.

However, it seemed... very familiar.

Sein leaned over to glimpse the fortress on the crystal ball and froze, recognition dawning on his face.

“That’s... Thunder Fortress?” he asked.