Sovereign of the Ashes

After completing the body modification experiment, Lou’s mental state noticeably improved.

While she continued to repeat “Big Brother... Big Brother...” like a mantra, she had begun to formulate other simple phrases.

The only thing that remained unchanged was her clinginess to Sein.

Of course, the improvement of her intelligence and the stabilization of her mental state could not be achieved overnight.

The fact that her condition had already significantly improved after a single experiment was remarkable in itself.

The rest would require time.

Besides, Sein still planned to conduct more experiments on her in the future.

As a half-undead, Lou possessed an extraordinarily high degree of elemental adaptability and inclusiveness.

However, Sein’s interest in experimenting on her was not driven by the potential benefits such a unique existence could offer him.

Rather, it was his innate curiosity as a mage and his obsession with uncovering the mysteries of truth that compelled him forward.

Unfortunately, Lou was still physically weak.

At the very least, Sein needed to wait for her to fully adapt to her current state before continuing with any further modifications.

Beyond that, he also wanted to ensure that the girl who called him “Big Brother” had the ability to defend herself.

After all, strength was the foundation of everything!

This was the only way to ensure that she would never be helplessly subjected to the will of others.

***

The natural environment of the Faeloria Continent, along with its distinctive variety of creatures, was impressive to Sein—a newcomer among foreign Rank Three beings.

Though the dominant Faelorian races were mostly humanoid, this world—like many of the foreign planes Sein had visited—was also home to numerous subspecies.

For instance, deep within the dense primeval forests of the south-central region, there existed Treefolk.

These verdant creatures had their own beliefs and totems, worshiping a deity known as the God of Trees, Sylvio, a towering ancient tree with a human-like face on its trunk.

Naturally, Sein had never encountered Sylvio in person—only the idols constructed by the Treefolk in their settlements within forests.

Unlike Faeloria’s humans, who built magnificent temples in their cities to house and honor their gods, the Treefolk preferred to express their devotion through totem poles in open spaces.

Given that he had already provoked the Church of Bones, Sein decided to leave the God of Trees’ totem poles alone.

He simply observed them from a distance and captured a few Treefolk on the outskirts of the forest for his research.

Despite this world’s well-developed faith system, one should not assume the deities were omnipotent.

Even in Faeloria, conflicts and power struggles existed.

The disappearance of a few Treefolk was hardly something to be concerned about, especially considering that they already had ongoing disputes with human nations and other races dwelling along the forest’s outskirts.

Though no large-scale wars had erupted, frequent skirmishes and territorial struggles were an ever-present reality.

Many creatures on the Faeloria Continent coveted the Green Heart—a valuable resource within the Treefolk’s bodies.

While the Treefolk were peaceful by nature, they were no pushovers.

In addition to Treefolk, Sein gathered specimens from various other intelligent species inhabiting the forest.

Among them were Iriavans, Tuskarrs, Alembrites, and Mirefins.

The Iriavans were winged humanoids, capable of flight, bearing two large wings on their backs.

At first glance, they bore a passing resemblance to the Angels described in Sky City’s records—but the similarities ended there.

Unlike Angels, the majority had gray wings, with only a rare few boasting vibrant, multicolored plumage, marking them as leaders among their kind.

Furthermore, while the Angels in Sky City’s records were described to be ethereal beauties, the Iriavans had sharp, bird-like beaks and facial structures that did not fit the beauty standards of humans.

They were, in essence, nothing more than “avian humanoids”.

The Tuskarrs, on the other hand, were a race of faceless monsters dwelling deep within the forest.

Despite their monstrous appearance, they were physically powerful and organized within a clan-based social structure.

Their individual combat prowess caught Sein’s attention, as they were excellent cannon fodder.

If bred in large numbers, they would no doubt be highly sought after by the Magus World’s divine towers and knightly orders.

In the forest region where Sein had arrived, Tuskarrs were relatively scarce. However, among them, at least ten individuals were “Transcendent Beings”.

It was no surprise that they were able to settle deep within one of the most resource-rich forests.

The Alembrites, a race of brown-scaled Lizardfolk, were of relatively low intelligence.

Their appearance resembled that of the Guran Lizardmen Sein had previously encountered in the Gumo Plane.

However, the Alembrites lacked the ability to manipulate pyro elemental energy, unlike the Guran Lizardmen.

Living in mud dwellings and caverns, clad in tattered leather garments, these creatures exhibited poor elemental affinity, with only a few individuals in any given tribe capable of wielding rudimentary geo elemental attacks.

On the other hand, their reproductive capabilities were exceptional.

If not for environmental limitations such as food scarcity and habitat constraints, the Alembrites would likely grow into an overwhelming population.

Still, in Sein’s estimation, they were inferior to Tuskarrs in terms of their potential as cannon fodder.

The Mirefins, by contrast, were low-intelligence creatures that thrived in the swampy regions of the forest.

Although they were “Fishfolk” like mermaids of the Magus World, the two species were fundamentally different.

The mermaids of the Magus World were graceful, fish-tailed humanoids with natural hydro elemental affinity.

The Mirefins of Faeloria, however, were fish-headed humanoids. They were hideous and almost entirely devoid of elemental affinities.

Moreover, the classification of Mirefins as a low-level intelligent species was not merely Sein’s opinion—it was a widely accepted fact among the Faelorians.

This was due to their primitive, savage nature. Among the intelligent races, the Mirefins were one of the few species known for their cannibalistic tendencies.

The discovery and study of these extraplanar creatures left Sein in awe.

His cognitive understanding expanded daily, along with his ever-growing collection of specimens.

But beyond these surface-level findings, Sein had uncovered a deeper, hidden truth.

Whether it was the Iriavans, the Tuskarrs, the Alembrites, or the Mirefins, they all had their own religious beliefs.

However, unlike the oppressive divine presence Sein had felt in the Church of Bones, the deities of these races did not radiate the same overwhelming divine power.

With one exception—the Faceless Behemoth.

This deity worshiped by the Tuskarrs exuded a faint but tangible pressure, akin to that of a true Rank Four entity.

In contrast, the deities of the remaining races felt like nothing more than weakened versions of Rank Four creatures to Sein.

In fact, he even suspected that they were only demigods.

Upon receiving Sein’s report and hearing his doubts, the Spider Queen extended her divine power across worlds to briefly assess these so-called deities.

The results confirmed Sein’s suspicions.

Though these deities had developed some degree of control over divine power, they were not truly Rank Four entities!

But then—what exactly were they?

Back in the Magus World, the Spider Queen rubbed the bridge of her nose. Despite her vast knowledge, even she found it difficult to draw a definitive conclusion.

These deities were stronger than demigods, yet weaker than Rank Four beings.

Faeloria was proving to be a truly peculiar world!