Sovereign of the Ashes

“They say volcanic dust covers the entire plane, but it’s really only partial,” Sein remarked, gazing into the hazy sky above.

At the fortress base, it had been harder to discern, but now, standing on the Akre Plains, Sein could see faint traces of light filtering through the dark clouds of volcanic dust.

The varying thickness of the clouds allowed occasional rays of sunlight to pierce through and reach the ground, bringing a faint glimmer of brightness back into the world.

Still, the overall atmosphere of Gumo Plane remained oppressive and gray.

Only a small portion of the world’s light and heat now came from the sun. Most of them emanated from the active volcanoes scattered across the plane.

For instance, around the vast Akre Plains, three massive volcanoes dominated the landscape, primarily located to the northwest and southwest.

In addition, there were numerous smaller volcanoes, many of which, according to Sein’s understanding, were created by the Goul Groundworms.

Before the Magus Civilization’s invasion, Gumo Plane had been a vibrant world of abundant sunlight, lush vegetation, and far fewer sulfur-reeking volcanoes.

Sein’s musings went unnoticed by the surrounding knights, but they caught the attention of a yellow-robed Rank One mage.

“That’s right, Master Sein. When this plane’s volcanic activity first surged a few years ago, the sky was oppressively dark,” the mage chimed in.

“But after years of war—especially after the Divine Tower of Dark Flame deployed space fortresses to punch countless holes through the sky—the volcanic dust has thinned considerably,” the mage, whose name was Nolan, added respectfully.

“Oh? I didn’t expect you to be so observant. Not bad,” Sein replied, praising the Rank One mage.

Many mages, especially those newly promoted to Rank One, were often preoccupied with the raw power of magic, dedicating their studies to advanced spell models or specific academic disciplines.

Few, like Nolan, took the time to carefully observe their surroundings, reflecting on truths and mysteries that extended beyond their immediate focus.

This rare quality distinguished such mages as individuals with higher potential and a purer, more genuine desire to seek the truth compared to their peers.

Other mages often required years of training and accumulated experience to reach the same level of awareness and insight.

For Nolan, who did not appear to be more than two hundred years old, this kind of perceptiveness was remarkable, and it was no surprise that Sein commended him.

Understanding the importance of recognizing the strengths of those under his command, Sein took the time to better acquaint himself with the mages and knights he would be leading.

The five Rank One mages, including Nolan, all hailed from the Alveroth Empire.

It was no surprise, as the Divine Tower of Dark Flame was located close to the Alveroth Empire.

Many mages in the surrounding region were very likely to join the Alveroth Empire after advancing to Rank One, given its stronger magic capabilities and richer learning environment.

Sein had once visited the Alveroth Empire and was deeply impressed by the achievements of this magic empire.

However, the Alveroth Empire’s high success rate in advancing initiates to full-fledged mages and its steep cost of survival meant that many mages spent their entire lives toiling to earn magicoins.

Given its proximity to the Divine Tower of Dark Flame and the ongoing interplanar war, the divine tower naturally drew a considerable number of mages from the Alveroth Empire eager to participate in the conflict.

Meanwhile, the thirty or so knights hailed from various orders within the Ylli Knight Alliance’s territory.

In this sense, the Divine Tower of Dark Flame was strategically situated in a location that was far from unfavorable.

While it might not attract a large number of full-fledged mages seeking long-term registration, its location made it easier to recruit hedge mages and knights for war than other divine towers.

After gaining a better understanding of the knights and mages under his command, Sein paid no heed to the two thousand enslaved creatures assigned as cannon fodder to his group by the Divine Tower of Dark Flame.

Calling them cannon fodder was no exaggeration.

These enslaved creatures were pitifully inadequate compared to the plant and centaur legions under the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring’s command during its campaigns.

They were thin and frail—far weaker than the minotaurlings from the Centaurworld.

This stark difference reflected the Divine Tower of Dark Flame’s limited ability to deploy more elite enslaved legions to Gumo Plane for the ongoing conflict.

In the end, Sein divided the enslaved creatures into smaller groups and distributed them among the knights and mages under his command.

The five Rank One mages, in particular, received larger groups to provide added protection, as they lacked Sein’s robust physique and formidable melee combat abilities.

On the chaotic battlefield, these mages primarily served as support in the rear.

The Rank One knights, on the other hand, were led by Reina and Natalya.

With two powerful knights resembling powerful t-rexes leading the charge, Sein felt no need to worry about the knights’ safety.

By the fifth day of Sein’s arrival on the Akre Plains, the first signs of a large-scale battle had begun to emerge.

***

In the dimly lit alchemy tent, Sein stood with a scalpel in hand, carefully dissecting the two-meter-long Goul Groundworm sprawled on the table before him.

The bodies of these oversized, earthworm-like creatures were essentially long strips of flesh, devoid of eyes or mouths.

Their metabolism and respiration depended solely on the numerous pores on the surface of their bodies.

With their ability to divide and reproduce, the Goul Groundworms were as resilient as cockroaches on the battlefield.

Their exceptional burrowing skills also enabled them to evade enemies with remarkable ease.

However, their greatest weakness was their extreme aversion to sunlight.

The surface of the Gumo Plane, with its three suns, had always been an inhospitable zone for these underground creatures.

Now, with the sky shrouded in volcanic dust, the Goul Groundworms had begun to adapt to the surface.

Even so, the faint light that managed to seep through the thick clouds continued to cause them discomfort, significantly reducing their combat effectiveness.

As Sein worked, he concluded that his pyro elemental spells would likely be ineffective against these native creatures.

Their ability to traverse volcanic regions and even trigger large-scale eruptions suggested a natural resistance to the pyro element.

However, his long-neglected lumen elemental magic would be a potent weapon against them.

Sein’s thoughts were interrupted as the ground beneath him rumbled violently. The ear-piercing wail of elemental alarms echoed through the air.

The decisive battle had begun!