Sovereign of the Ashes

If the knights were considered the kings of solo combat in the Magus World, then the mages were the Magus Civilization’s specialists in mass destruction.

Sein’s mastery of magic, refined through years of relentless research, far exceeded the capabilities of ordinary Rank One mages.

During his Rank One days, he had relied heavily on the Verdant Flame Eye spell as his trump card.

Since advancing to Rank Two and deepening his research into pyro elemental energy, even the spells Sein had relied on during his Rank One stage could now deliver significantly higher damage.

With the aid of his Radiant Heart Magic Rod, Sein’s casting time was dramatically reduced, particularly for spells that harnessed the two special flames he had mastered—the Verdant Flame and the Everburning Violet Flame.

With these flames as core components and the enhancement provided by the Radiant Heart Magic Rod, the destructive power of his spells was greatly amplified.

“Falling Meteorite!”

“Solar Eye!”

“Fire Bats Mass Explosion!”

“Pyro Impact!”

The spells Sein unleashed were all area-of-effect magic with considerable destructive power.

Every pyro element spell cast by Sein carried his unique signature.

For instance, “Falling Meteorite” was a spell familiar to many Pyromancers and Geomancers, summoning a standard crimson meteorite that varied in size based on the mana expended.

However, Sein’s version was different. His “Falling Meteorite” was enveloped in verdant green and violet flames, exhibiting greater destructive power, larger coverage, and a shorter casting time.

In terms of casualties inflicted on the Wild Gorilla Army, Sein even outperformed his mother-in-law, Sia.

Such was the devastating might of magic!

In any interplanar war, creatures of Rank One were relatively rare, and those of Rank Two and above were even rarer.

The Divine Tower of Verdant Spring boasted thousands of full-fledged mages, but only about a hundred were Rank Two spellcasters.

Rank Three mages were even fewer, with their numbers not even reaching double digits.

The same was true for the approaching Wild Gorilla Army. Although they charged from all directions with a show of fierce valor, the majority were still below Rank One in strength.

In contrast, the Wild Gorilla soldiers who descended from the sky and possessed the ability to fly were generally at Rank One or higher.

These were the most formidable adversaries, and many of the magic towers in the fortress base had already trained their fire on them.

Sein’s magic was an effective tool for sweeping through the lower-ranking enemies.

However, when the command center finally sent reinforcements in the form of enslaved creatures and magic beasts, Sein shifted his focus and aimed his magic rod at the stronger Wild Gorilla soldiers descending from the sky.

Coincidentally or perhaps by design, the reinforcements included plant creatures from the Verdant Wilderness World, led by the petite but formidable Kingfisher.

Sein did not see the Green Spikefur King and assumed it was occupied on another part of the battlefield.

The arrival of the demigod-level Kingfisher brought a sense of relief to Sein.

Up until that moment, he had been relying on the cover provided by Natalya and the others while casting his powerful spells, but even with his substantial mana reserves, sustaining such an output indefinitely was impossible.

The presence of a familiar demigod-level ally at his side alleviated some of the pressure on Sein and his group.

In addition to the Kingfisher, Sanchez, the skeletal dragon who had once sustained severe injuries on the Wild Gorilla World battlefield but had since recovered, led a legion of thousands of undead creatures into the battle.

Sanchez and the undead creatures under its command held a unique position within the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring Army.

They were not considered mere cannon fodder because every undead being, from Sanchez itself down to the skeletal minions, was considered to be Leena’s summons.

While the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring’s command center could assign tasks to Leena, it could not directly mobilize or command the undead creatures.

Their soul flames were not branded by the divine tower, making them loyal only to Leena and Sanchez.

Sanchez had not wasted the investment of precious undead soul essence that Sein and Leena had provided either.

After years of recuperation, Sanchez had not only healed but emerged stronger, with a more radiant and powerful soul flame than before.

The wars and widespread carnage waged by the Magus Civilization in the Wild Star Domain had filled the air with an abundance of death energy and necro elemental particles.

While these energy and particles were imperceptible to most living creatures, who would only sense an eerie heaviness in the atmosphere.

However, to purebred undead beings like Sanchez, they were deeply enticing.

For Sanchez, places freshly steeped in violence and bloodshed were a source of invigorating delight.

The undead skeletal dragon felt its soul tremble with exhilaration as it soared through the battlefield.

This peculiar attraction to death-ridden environments and the need for such energy were why many civilizations in the Astral Realm viewed undead creatures as malevolent beings that had to be eradicated.

Some extreme undead sovereigns even led their followers to deliberately commit gruesome massacres and create landscapes littered with dead bodies to fuel their power.

It was no wonder these tendencies had instilled deep-seated fear and resistance throughout countless civilizations in the Astral Realm.

Yet, not all undead creatures were driven by such dark impulses.

Some possessed a peaceful nature, content to slumber for centuries in their tombs.

As long as they remained undisturbed, these creatures could live in near obscurity.

Sanchez, however, did not fit into this category.

The lively skeletal dragon had spent ages in slumber in the subspace on the Knight Continent and now loathed any force that might send it back to sleep.

As it arrived on the battlefield at the western front of the fortress base, Sanchez spread its massive, bone wings—spanning hundreds of meters—and darkened the sky, making an entrance far more dramatic than that of the petite Kingfisher.

For the Wild Gorilla Army, Sanchez was a thorn in their side.

The Wild Gorilla forces that were invading this time were not the weaklings previously encountered in the Sandstorm World and the Lavender Harmony Plane.

This time, they brought numerous demigod-level soldiers and several Rank Four or higher Gorilla Gods.

With Black Oblivion’s lead, Lorianne, and Milena joined the fray too.

Although Sein could not directly observe the clash between these powerful beings, he could see fiery clouds of three different colors raging in the distant sky.

The most intense battle zone was undoubtedly where Black Oblivion fought.

The flood dragon’s long, shadowy form coiled among stormy clouds, locked in combat with a particularly fierce Gorilla God.

Furious dragon roars echoed across the battlefield, reaching even Sein below at the base.

The arrival of the plant legion and skeletal troops eased the pressure on Sein’s side somewhat.

Yet, the Wild Gorilla Army’s assault only intensified.

The magic shield enveloping the fortress base flickered under the relentless onslaught.

Each time the shield dimmed, another wave of elite Wild Gorilla soldiers surged through.

While repelling attacks from two Rank Three Wild Gorillas amidst the chaos, Sein suddenly heard a deep, rumbling roar coming from the eastern side of the fortress.

It was a sound he recognized immediately—the distinctive roar of a certain dragon turtle.