Sovereign of the Ashes

Trying to control a Rank Five creature was no simple feat.

Although there had been cases of Rank Four or higher enslaved beings being traded within the Magus Alliance, it always took insanely advanced Soul Enslavement techniques and a full suite of control measures to keep them in check.

Although the Spider Queen was well-versed in soulology, controlling a Rank Five entity was still a challenge for her.

If it were that easy, she would not have gone to such extreme lengths just to deal with the Moonlit Cat Goddess.

As for the Goddess of Wealth, the plan was to keep her sealed away at the very bottom of Purgatory for now.

Only the chains at that level were strong enough to restrain an intermediate deity and block off any chance of her sending any kind of distress signal to the outside world.

To that end, the demons had built a massive temple complex on the third level of Purgatory for the Spider Queen.

Honestly, at this point, everything that belonged to the Spider Queen kind of felt like it was Sein’s too.

Since she could not descend into this world personally, and with Sein carrying the Silver Spider Ring as her official representative, he could stroll through the temple like it was his own backyard.

Looking at it now, Sein pretty much had a foothold in every level of Purgatory.

“I heard the Dark Lady, who’s supposedly on good terms with the demon clan, could be down here on this level too. How come I’ve never seen her around?” Sein mumbled to himself as he walked through the newly completed temple.

The Dark Lady’s strength was comparable to that of the Bloodwar Monarch.

In fact, she might even be slightly stronger since the Bloodwar Monarch had suffered some critical injuries in the past.

In any case, getting involved with a native powerhouse of such a caliber too early might not be a good idea because the Dark Lady was just curious about the outside world—she was not desperate to leave this place like the demons.

Fortunately, the Dark Lady and the other native deities had no clue how powerful the Magus Civilization really was or how likely it was to launch a full-scale conquest of this world someday.

If they did, Sein and the Spider Queen would be in serious trouble.

Of all the deities in Faeloria, the one who truly understood the potential danger was the Elemental God.

It was the only one that had sensed the real danger that Sein and the heretical power he represented might bring to this plane.

That was why it had tried so hard to convince the God of Justice and the Dark Lady to join forces with it.

Unfortunately, Faeloria’s divine factions had been at odds for so long that cooperation was not something that came easily.

Maybe it would take the arrival of the Magus Civilization Army for the billions of beings and countless deities in Faeloria to finally realize they needed to stand together.

“The fact that this world’s forces are so fragmented is exactly why it’s perfect for us to infiltrate.”

Lorthisra’s voice came from the Silver Spider Ring.

She let out a soft chuckle and added, “As for the Dark Lady... Someone that powerful isn’t someone a little guy like you should be thinking about. Just focus on reaching Rank Four as soon as you can. You don’t have much time left.”

It was clear she was in a good mood, even though she spoke to Sein with her usual condescending tone.

“Not much time left? What’s that supposed to mean?” Sein asked with a frown.

“Haven’t you heard anything about the impending war with the Gallant Federation?”

Sein thought back to what he had seen in Wild Gorilla World and nodded.

“Well, yes, I’ve heard a bit about that,” he replied.

“The war might break out sooner than anyone expected,” Lorthisra said with a sigh. She was also aware that her adoptive father had just recently captured a Graveborn.

“In a war like that, even Rank Four and above beings can only do their best to survive. This isn’t some skirmish between two planes or one of those interplanar wars you’ve been part of before. This is a full-scale clash between two top-tier civilizations. Tens of thousands of planes and countless races will all be dragged into it.”

“If you’re not Rank Four by then, you’ll just be cannon fodder. Being a demigod-level mage only makes you a slightly tougher target than the rest,” she added with a rare note of seriousness in her voice.

After hearing that, Sein’s excitement about returning to the Magus World quickly faded.

The Gallant Federation was over ten times stronger than Faeloria.

His experience in Faeloria this time had already pushed him to his limits—how could he possibly stand a chance in a war against something even more powerful?

There really was no end to learning and chasing strength.

***

Sein did not pay much attention to how the Spider Queen planned to “discipline” the Goddess of Wealth. Lorthisra had her own methods for making someone submit.

Besides, the chains from the depths of Purgatory made escape impossible anyway.

After giving it some thought, Lorthisra eventually came up with her own plan for handling the goddess.

Sein had pitched the idea of using Aurelia’s unique divine abilities to generate income, but Lorthisra had only chuckled in response.

While she was impressed by Sein’s creativity, she did not believe the Goddess of Wealth would obediently turn into their personal cash cow.

In the end, Lorthisra still chose to deal with her in her own way.

If Aurelia knew what was good for her, the Spider Queen might even let her live.

***

The day of departure came quickly, and the Succubus Queen personally showed up to see Sein off.

Alongside her were the Goddess of Doom, Morvanya, and the Goddess of Luck, Tyvera.

With Sein leaving, the still-young Arcanists and the various academies in Purgatory would need the Purgatory demons’ support.

The Succubus Queen agreed to Sein’s request without hesitation. Morvanya and Tyvera also promised to keep an eye on things.

The Godslayers had made quite a stir during this cycle of the Avatar Crisis.

There had been at least five successful god hunts this time.

But to Sein’s knowledge, only two individuals had reestablished contact with the organization afterward.

Even then, they were so cautious that no one had been able to figure out where they were hiding.

A successful god hunt did not guarantee ascension to goodhood—it was only the first step to achieving that.

Some might see those who abandoned their friends and families after a successful god hunt as selfish, but others might view it as a necessary act of self-preservation.

Regardless, this round of the Avatar Crisis had been brutal on the demons as well.

Beyond the many lesser demons lost during the battles at Purgatory’s borders, two demon kings—both at the level of weak deities—had also fallen.

Every Avatar Crisis was a trial for Faeloria’s deities and the factions they belonged to.

As luck would have it, when the Succubus Queen and the others came to see Sein off, they ended up witnessing a grand spectacle alongside him.

It was the kind of event that typically only unfolded at the very end of an Avatar Crisis—but for Sein, this was his second time seeing it.