Sovereign of the Ashes

Since Sein and the Rank One and Rank Two mages from the other divine towers were already acquainted from their time during the Regional Inter-Divine Tower Academy War, they had a pleasant time reconnecting with each other.

The competitiveness and ambition that had once marked their relationships now felt like distant memories, faded with time.

Many mages had since dedicated themselves to the pursuit of truth and knowledge, gradually learning to view fame and recognition with increasing detachment.

Sein’s discussions with Gade, Poppuri, and the others largely revolved around their experiences since becoming full-fledged mages over the past few decades.

As a Rank Two mage, Gade stood out as the one with the most experience.

He had already participated in three interplanar wars and had visited two allied planes for short explorations.

If not for the sudden onset of the Wild Gorilla World War, Gade might have embarked on a journey to explore the Magus World by now.

It was common for Magus World mages to start their journeys within the Magus World at Rank Two and explore allied planes when they reached Rank Three.

Sein, who had already traveled half of Magus World as a Rank One mage, remained an exception to the norm.

The others also led vibrant and fulfilling lives as full-fledged mages, much like Gade.

Poppuri from the Divine Tower of Shadow had participated in two interplanar wars, including one against a low-level necro elemental plane.

Meanwhile, the twins from the Divine Tower of Cipher had not participated in any interplanar wars but had visited an exotic Magus Alliance plane known as the Mirror World.

Despite Sein’s outstanding achievements, he found these exchanges with his peers enlightening and wished for more opportunities to share experiences with friends of similar ranks.

In fact, such discussions, whether in the form of salon talks or masquerade gatherings, were popular among the mages of various divine towers.

“I used to think you were an unapproachable person. I still remember how you used that Solar Eye spell of yours to blast the heads of other initiates from my academy,” remarked a Rank One mage from the Divine Tower of Radiant Thunder.

“Well, people change. I won’t deny that I was an unsociable initiate back then,” Sein admitted with a slight smile.

***

While Sein was benefiting from the exchange, someone chose to remain distant.

Despite being a temporary official member of the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring, Leena did not show up to meet Sein’s “friends”.

Leena’s heart was nearly closed off, and her demeanor was more akin to that of the black mages. She was no longer able to engage in meaningful exchanges with others like Sein.

Still, Sein did not forget about Leena.

From Poppuri, he traded resources collected from Thunderfall World and Verdant Leaf World for premium necro elemental magic ingredients and several spellbooks exclusive to the Divine Tower of Death.

He also managed to obtain handwritten notes on occult magic from the twins of the Divine Tower of Cipher, using rare materials acquired during his time on the Knight Continent.

Sein knew what Leena valued and needed most.

Their bond was so strong that a single glance was enough for them to understand each other’s thoughts.

The arrival of additional forces from various divine towers and knightly orders marked the full deployment of the second and third waves of Magus World’s support in Wild Gorilla World.

It was astonishing that such a modest realm could attract so many powerhouses from the Magus World.

The battle in the Wild Gorilla City concluded three weeks after Hephaes, the centaur god, entered the Wild Gorilla World.

The once-great city was reduced to rubble, becoming a mere memory of the past.

Whether future generations of the Wild Gorilla World would even remember its name remained uncertain.

The day before the battle of the Wild Gorilla City ended, the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring’s campaign in Wild Gorilla World also reached a temporary conclusion.

After being pursued by Lorianne and her allies for nearly half a year, Ice Gorilla God was finally cornered and besieged in an obscure valley in the northern region.

Two other Rank Four Gorilla Gods, already weakened from their injuries, were also caught in the same trap.

The battle between these Rank Four and above powerhouses raged for a month.

During this time, Sein remained in the Verdant Spring Space Fortress and could not witness the battle firsthand.

However, according to Lorianne, Hephaes, the newly arrived Rank Four centaur god, had made significant contributions to the battle.

However, it eventually withdrew due to severe injuries, leaving it unclear whether his efforts had earned the trust of Lorianne and her allies.

By the end of the conflict, Lorianne had obtained two Rank Four divine relics and other resources.

It remained uncertain whether other Magus World powerhouses had managed to secure similar gains.

Even if Black Oblivion and the group of magic beast kings did not achieve quite as much as Lorianne, their gains were likely not far behind.

After all, Rank Four creature was not just valuable for its divine relics.

Their divine blood, bones, and flesh were also treasures of immense value, and each of these Gorilla Gods had amassed a substantial hoard of wealth over time.

Truly, war was the fastest path to plundering resources.

The steady influx of resources into the Verdant Spring Space Fortress reassured many mages, including Sein, that the most challenging phases of this medium-sized interplanar war were over.

After all, conquering an ordinary medium-sized realm should not be a brutal battle day after day.

The large-scale skirmishes at the onset and the significant losses faced by the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring and the Order of the Fiery Molten Mountain were more than enough.

Sustaining high casualties indefinitely was not feasible.

If it had been an evenly matched battle of attrition, Master Feylis would never have arranged the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring, with its limited resources, to be among the first to charge into the Wild Gorilla World.

The abundant war spoils had lulled many participating mages into a sense of complacency.

Around the time Wild Gorilla City’s battle concluded, Sein received new orders—they would soon be leaving this medium-sized realm.

“We’re pretty lucky—your grandmaster has secured the rights for us to attack two lower-level planes. Both wars are expected to conclude within three years. Judging by the current state of the Wild Gorilla Clan, we likely won’t face much resistance,” Lorianne informed Sein in the space fortress.

“Will we be working alongside the Order of the Fiery Molten Mountain and the sea legion under White Stella’s command again? If so, even with the resources of two low-level planes, the share we’ll receive might be quite minimal,” Sein remarked.

While the Wild Gorilla World held a significant amount of wealth, by the time it was divided among all, the portions became modest.

It was clear that Feylis had pulled some strings to secure the rights to these two worlds, given how many Magus World powerhouses were now eyeing the nearby planes with interest.

“The Order of the Fiery Molten Mountain won’t be with us for these two battles. White Stella’s sea legion has their own plane to conquer as well. This time, we’ll share the spoils of those low-level worlds with a handful of magic beast kings,” Lorianne clarified.