Sovereign of the Ashes

The Green Spikefur King was less intelligent than the skeletal dragon.

By the time Sein and the others located it, the hedgehog was fighting at one of the battlefronts.

The Order of the Blackrock’s elite Terrabound Drake Legion had already swept through, pushing deeper into the Wild Gorilla Army’s territory.

The Green Spikefur King was accompanied by ordinary knights from the Order of the Blackrock and enslaved creatures.

Its green spikes were now bloody, with chunks of flesh from its victims stuck on them.

Dozens of gashes of varying depths marred Green Spikefur King’s body, with two particularly severe wounds—one in its lower abdomen and the other on the right side of its back.

The extent of these injuries on a creature known for its formidable defense highlighted just how intense the confrontation had been.

Nevertheless, this colossal green hedgehog, native to the Verdant Wilderness Forest, boasted inherent plant-based regenerative abilities.

Despite its grievous condition, it let out a piercing shriek, indicating some remaining strength.

Currently, the Green Spikefur King and a contingent of enslaved creatures from the Order of the Blackrock were besieging about three thousand Wild Gorillas.

The formidable assault by the Terrabound Drake Legion had fragmented the Wild Gorilla Army into smaller groups scattered across the battlefield.

The ensuing legions of enslaved creatures and ordinary knights made up the main force battling these besieged Wild Gorillas.

By the time Sein and the others arrived, they saw the Green Spikefur King and the other plant creatures under its command being exploited as cannon fodder by the knights from the Order of the Blackrock.

During an interplanar war, it was common for any knight or mage to command the extraplanar enslaved creatures on the battlefield that were temporarily leaderless, even if the latter had a higher life level.

The Green Spikefur King, though not branded by Lorianne and therefore not technically an enslaved creature of the Magus World, still found itself being commanded and exploited by knights from the Order of the Blackrock.

This was less surprising given that the green hedgehog, never having left its home plane before, was undoubtedly overwhelmed by its sudden involvement in such a large-scale, intense interplanar conflict.

Gods of Rank Four and above began appearing on the battlefield one after another.

Both the Magus World and Wild Gorilla World had deployed tens of millions of troops, all vastly more elite and powerful than the Verdant Wilderness World’s native creatures.

In such a situation, even a demigod-level creature like Green Spikefur King could find itself in trouble.

Despite being caught up in the confusion and exploited by the Order of the Blackrock, the hedgehog was still relatively fortunate; it had not fallen in battle.

The arrival of Sein and his support legion had indeed alleviated some of the pressure on the Order of the Blackrock on the frontline.

This was not the time for divine towers and knightly orders to squabble over spoils, given the vast number of Wild Gorilla legions confronting them and their staunch resistance.

The remains of the Wild Gorillas on the battlefield were all sources of high-quality flesh and blood that would undoubtedly be retrieved by the divine towers and knightly orders later.

The primary goal for all knights and mages was to work together and establish a firm foothold in this world as swiftly as possible.

The mixed legion, tens of thousands strong and composed of undead and plant creatures, as well as lesser aquatic races, seemed insignificant once dispersed across the vast expanse of the battlefield.

However, the presence of three demigod-level creatures—Sanchez, Kingfisher, and the plant giant—drew considerable attention.

The Kingfisher and the plant giant hastened to the battlefield where the Green Spikefur King was fighting.

Despite their injuries, their tactical positioning in the divided skirmish offered them a considerable advantage.

Tears welled up in the Green Spikefur King’s eyes.

Under Leena’s command, Sanchez brought a contingent of undead creatures and charged toward another larger battle group.

This old schemer had managed to conserve the most strength among the demigods present.

The Order of the Blackrock had previously assisted Sein and his group. Now, Sein and Leena were reciprocating, assisting them in turn.

There was no end in sight to this fierce battle.

For the Magus World Army, including forces from the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring, other divine towers, and various knightly orders, this conflict marked the initial phase of their campaign against the Wild Gorilla World.

***

Sein spent three months on the chaotic battlefield.

He found himself straying away from the main force of the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring twice, though not from any recklessness on his part.

On the front lines, the unpredictable nature of battle often meant that the forces could lose their bearings.

In the thick of intense combat, it was not practical for Sein to constantly check his crystal ball map for directions either.

Moreover, they were surrounded by allied forces from the Magus World.

Not only the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring’s forces but virtually all the legions that had initially rushed into the Wild Gorilla World found themselves in an entangled mess.

The situation was so chaotic that even the command center of the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring found itself disoriented.

The main force of the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring was actually made up of the thousands of full-fledged mages who were ready to cast spells.

The overall disorder was exacerbated by the lack of systematic and unified command.

Each division from the various divine towers and knightly orders pushed forward, driven by their own agendas.

As per the agreement among several Rank Six powerhouses from the Magus World, those who conquered the most territory and eradicated the most enemy forces would reap the greatest rewards.

Driven by this prospect, the divine towers and orders of the knights pushed forward aggressively.

Over a few months, this near-irrational charge effectively turned the tens of millions from the Wild Gorilla legion gathered here into sieves.

As the Magus World sent its legions into the Wild Gorilla World in successive waves, they initially faced enemy forces that outnumbered them by ten to a hundred times.

This highly utilitarian approach to war greatly motivated every divine tower and knightly order.

Without such a strategy, the Magus Civilization might not have been able to decisively defeat the legions of tens of millions strong led by over twenty Gorilla Gods within three months.

Three months into the conflict, a massive metal continent passed through the space-time rift and entered the Wild Gorilla World.

Supported by the communication channels and firepower of the Magus Civilization’s space fortress, the previously disjointed forces of various divine towers and knightly orders gradually reorganized under their respective commands.

Half a month after the space fortress’ arrival, Sein led his forces back to the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring’s temporary base.

Initially, Sein had commanded over a hundred thousand undead and plant creatures upon entering the Wild Gorilla World.

After doing a head count in the fortress base, he realized that he was left with only about forty thousand in his legion.

Over half of his forces had been eliminated, illustrating the ferocity and brutality of the early stages of the war.

However, these were not the entirety of the forces under Sein’s command.

During his journey back, he had rallied various lost troops, including lesser aquatic races and centaurs.

These groups, lacking direct communication tools like crystal balls due to their status as cannon fodder, typically gravitated toward any familiar command they could find.

The return of nearly sixty thousand troops injected a burst of activity into the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring’s temporary base, strategically positioned on a hillside.

After directing the aquatic races and centaurs to their respective camps, Sein made his way to the command center.

The temporary base was well-equipped. Dozens of towering magic towers had been erected, and magic fences woven from pure mana encircled the perimeter.

The command center itself was housed within a five-story verdant-colored building, with the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring’s space fortress looming behind the hill.

Despite having accompanied Master Lorianne to purchase this space fortress from the Capiche Business Alliance, Sein had never actually set foot inside it.

A small trading bazaar had sprung up beneath the hovering space fortress.

After fighting for months, even the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring’s mages, stationed in relatively safer areas, had amassed a variety of valuable items.

Trading amongst themselves, they sought to maximize the spoils of war, enhancing the overall benefit for everyone involved.

Sein saw not only mages but also knights from other orders stationed nearby.

He led his forces back to the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring’s command center to provide a routine report, and also strategize with other Rank Three grand mages about upcoming battles.

In the absence of Tower Master Lorianne, who had not yet returned to the fortress base, Sein and his fellow Rank Three grand mages were cautious about making significant decisions.

Previously, some newly appointed Rank Three grand mages had been skeptical of Sein’s influence within the divine tower, attributing his authority to the tower master’s favoritism.

However, Sein’s contributions during the Wild Gorilla World War and his covert operations in the Verdant Leaf World had effectively silenced any doubters.

After all, his commendable battle record spoke volumes and could not be faked.

Sein’s kill counts and achievements in this interplanar war were all recorded in his crystal ball and the divine tower badge.

Besides, commanding a legion of over a hundred thousand strong as a mage on the frontline was an exceptional feat.

Thanks to his outstanding achievements, rumors of Sein’s status as a “dual cultivator” began to circulate.

Even the most critical Rank Three grand mages had to admit that Sein, as the tower master’s apprentice, indeed possessed strength comparable to that of many Rank Three beings.