Sovereign of the Ashes

Without uttering an incantation, Sein raised his hand and unleashed a shower of lumen elemental rays.

The defining distinction between a Rank Two mage and a Rank One mage lay in their complete mastery of elementalization.

For Rank Two mages, their bodies were fully elementalized, allowing them to cast basic spells instantly, without the need for lengthy incantations or the use of magic spices.

Sein’s pyro elemental power was extraordinarily powerful due to the fusion of Verdant Flame, Everburning Violet Flame, Decomposing Azure Flame, and the special white flame.

Even a basic Pyro Ray unleashed by him carried immense destructive power and unique secondary effects.

In contrast, Sein’s lumen elemental body was less developed. After advancing to Rank Two, his research focus had leaned heavily toward pyro elemental magic, leaving his work in the lumen elemental field underexplored.

As a result, the lumen elemental rays he fired this time were denser but lacked the overwhelming attack power of his towering flame pillar.

Yet, the results were astonishing. The lumen elemental rays proved far more lethal than the flame pillar he conjured earlier.

The barrage of concentrated rays pinned the Goul Groundworm to the ground, thwarting its escape.

The rapid succession of shots nailed the massive worm firmly in place.

Although Sein had not yet reached Rank Three, his years of meticulous research had elevated the potency of his elemental power to remarkable levels.

It was already nearing the degree of elemental transformation typically exclusive to Rank Three mages.

This was evident when, after striking the Goul Groundworm, his lumen elemental rays did not dissipate immediately but instead solidified into light arrows firmly embedded in the ground.

The Goul Groundworm, impaled by these light arrows, thrashed violently, its massive body writhing in vain desperation.

Despite its efforts, it could not escape the trap. The sharp, searing sting of lumen elemental energy only intensified its agony, leaving it as helpless as a fish on a chopping board.

A corrosive sizzling noise emanated from its wounds.

To Sein’s surprise, the corrosive effect of his lumen elemental energy surpassed that of his pyro magic for once.

The flesh around the embedded light arrow promptly turned into acidic fluids.

Sein’s control was impeccable, as always.

He had immobilized the Goul Groundworm without dealing a fatal blow or damaging its valuable crystal heart.

The crushing dominance of a Rank Two creature over a Rank One was undeniable.

The subdued Rank One Goul Groundworm had no chance to retaliate before it was incapacitated.

Sein wasted no time, swiftly flying forward to store the immobile creature in his space ring.

Although the Goul Groundworm appeared lifeless, it was not dead—it had merely entered a state of feigned death.

On the battlefield, Sein’s lumen elemental body made him impossible to ignore.

He radiated like a shiny star in the darkest sky. No matter how much he might have wanted to keep a low profile, his radiance made him a conspicuous target.

The Goul Groundworms might have been powerless against a “lumen elemental being” like Sein, but Gumo Plane was home to many other creatures.

Before long, native creatures of varying shapes and sizes charged toward him from all directions.

While these creatures lacked significant strength, their resolve was anything but weak.

However, before they could even get close to Sein, the majority were swiftly intercepted by Yuri in her Burning Flame Unit.

Over years of assisting Sein in body-tempering experiments, Yuri had honed an acute understanding of his preferences and methods, proving herself an irreplaceable ally on and off the battlefield.

Sein had equipped Yuri’s Burning Flame Unit with a specialized storage device in its lower abdomen. This addition allowed her to store a small number of living creatures alongside other items.

On a chaotic battlefield like this, such a device greatly facilitated the efficient collection of spoils.

Yuri knew exactly how to handle the native creatures that were charging toward her from all directions—capture the wounded alive whenever possible to secure live specimens for Sein’s collection.

When capturing them alive was not an option, she ensured their corpses remained intact for further study.

These native creatures, with their unique physiologies and forms, were ideal specimens for Sein.

For years, Sein had traveled across countless planes within the Magus Alliance, amassing a collection of over one hundred thousand biological specimens.

Fortunately, as an alchemist, Sein had access to an array of spatial storage equipment, including the space conch gifted to him by Tourmaline.

For most Rank Two mages, amassing such an extensive collection of specimens would have been nearly impossible—storing and preserving them alone would pose a significant challenge.

While Sein and Yuri continued gathering specimens amidst the chaotic battlefield, Natalya and Reina were locked in battle with formidable Rank Two opponents.

To breach the Divine Tower of Dark Flame’s defense line, these legions of native creatures were anything but weaklings.

Reina’s opponent was a colossal Goul Groundworm, its massive form spanning over fifty meters in length. It should be more accurate to call it a “ground dragon” than a groundworm.

Even when swung with full force, her Octagonal Hammer could only leave a deep, bloody dent in the Goul Groundworm’s tough flesh.

The creature’s resistance to physical blows was nothing short of astonishing.

Meanwhile, Natalya, positioned closer to Sein, did not face a Goul Groundworm.

Instead, her opponent was a four-legged beast, standing roughly twenty meters tall, and covered in colorful fur.

This beast was not listed among the three dominant races of Gumo Plane, and even Sein did not recognize it from the species catalog distributed by the Divine Tower of Dark Flame.

As for Sein, his opponent was a Moknu, standing about two meters tall.

In addition to their craftsmanship, the Moknu of Gumo Plane had also mastered basic energy manipulation techniques.

Clad in pitch-black metal armor and wielding a silver barrel with bayonet, this Moknu was a Rank Two creature that could be considered a small group leader amidst the chaos of the battlefield.

Had it not been for the blinding glow of Sein’s lumen elemental body, the Moknu might never have spotted him so quickly.

This black-skinned Moknu moved with speed and agility that bordered on the extraordinary.

The silver weapon in its hand could only loosely qualify as an “energy weapon”, but to Sein, an experienced alchemist, it was unremarkable.

Like a silver light cutting through the darkness, the Rank Two Moknu lowered its body and charged toward Sein in a zigzag trajectory at an astonishing speed.

It seemed wary of Yuri’s mecha, which was unleashing a steady barrage of energy rays nearby.

“Interesting,” Sein muttered, his eyes briefly lingering on the Moknu’s silver weapon before shifting to the approaching dark figure.

As dazzling light energy gathered in his hand, Sein locked onto his opponent.

He exhaled softly and mumbled, “It’s been far too long since I’ve used this move. Let’s see if I’ve gotten rusty.”

“Solar Eye!” he declared, and a radiant lumen elemental eye manifested before his palm.

In the blink of an eye, the single eye split into hundreds of smaller ones, flooding the battlefield with an intense radiance that elevated its brightness by several degrees.

Before the Moknu could close the distance, Sein unleashed his spell!

Hundreds of brilliant beams of light erupted from the elemental eyes, streaking through the sky.