Sovereign of the Ashes

Conquering a low-level plane was a whole different beast compared to taking over a microplane.

Bouldrak World was guarded by a Rank Five being, and from the looks of it, there were several Rank Four creatures in that world as well.

Anyone planning to chew on a bone that tough had better be ready to lose a few teeth in the process.

Sein and the other Magus World knights and mages were undoubtedly strong external support for the half-beastman clan.

But Eugene did not dare to treat them like cannon fodder.

If the Magus World legions suffered too many losses in the war, it would spell serious trouble for Eugene. At that point, it might have been better to fight alone than to rely on external help.

That was why the most intense part of the campaign would have to be led by the half-beastmen themselves, no matter the cost.

Even if they had to pave the battlefield with their own blood and corpses, they would force their way into that world.

Compared to the brutal clash expected in the main world, the three subsidiary microplanes would likely be a bit easier to capture, at least once the enemy’s core forces were drawn into the main battle.

Besides, the average combat strength of the Magus World knights and mages far exceeded that of the malnourished half-beastman warriors.

Over five thousand Magus World participants would be split into three groups, each assigned to a different microplane.

They would be backed by nearly a million half-beastman soldiers drawn from the lower ranks.

The risk involved in this campaign still fell within a range that most of the Magus World forces were willing to accept.

Once Sein and the others secured the microplanes, the fiercest phase of the main world war would likely be over.

At that point, they could decide for themselves whether or not to join the main battle in Bouldrak World.

Then again, any low-level plane rich enough to produce a Rank Five creature was bound to draw interest from many.

Sein agreed to Eugene’s plan. As a demigod-level mage, he would take charge as the overall commander of one of the microplane invasion armies.

In addition to the Magus World knights and mages under his command, Eugene also entrusted him with leadership over hundreds of thousands of half-beastman troops.

***

Three massive, pitch-black teleportation gates appeared in the heart of No Man’s Land. They looked like the gaping maws of some monstrous beast, ready to devour whatever passed through.

Before the war began, something interesting took place.

As the spiritual leader of the half-beastmen, Eugene stood before millions of his kin.

He did not speak of the riches that lay beyond those swirling portals.

He did not promise spoils of war or rewards waiting on the other side.

Instead, he spoke of his dreams.

“I have a dream!” Eugene stood high in the sky, his figure visible to all.

“I dream that one day, we half-beastmen will live free and equal in this Beastmen World, all standing under the same sky, worshiping together our great God—Kampas!

“I dream that one day, we will walk proudly across the Du’Nahl Great Wasteland, sit at the same tables as the other tribes, and sing our war songs together.

“I dream that one day, the warm monsoon winds from the Karemdor Steppe will reach our lands too—and they will bring life to our soil, and color to our homes.

“I dream that one day, our children will grow up in a world where they are not judged by the blood in their veins, but by the strength of their character.

“And today, I have another dream!

“I dream that one day, even the Frodo Empire in the east—the darkest, most chaotic slave-trading corner of our world, where I spent fifteen unforgettable years of childhood—will be transformed.

“I dream that one day, all that is ugly will be dragged into the light. Freedom and beauty will descend upon this land, and we, the half-beastmen, will smooth the bumpy road ahead!

“Today, with these dreams in my heart, I march with you, fight with you, and pray to our great God, Kampas. Together, we shall defend the freedom that is ours!

“One day, the golden age of the half-beastmen will come—starting right here, in this No Man’s Land!” Eugene roared, tears streaming down his face.

In that moment, all of No Man’s Land erupted.

The millions of half-beastmen gathered there howled in unison.

“Kampas!”

“Kampas!”

“Kampas!”

The wild howls and chanting of their great god’s name were the war cries of Beastmen World’s warriors, ready to charge into battle and prove their strength.

After delivering that powerful speech, the hunched yet imposing Rank Four half-beastman charged straight into the largest of No Man’s Land’s pitch-black teleportation gates—leading his people exactly as he had vowed to do.

Behind Eugene, millions of half-beastmen surged forward with thunderous roars, following their spiritual leader!

There was not even a second’s pause.

These half-beastmen were poor. They had no massive war platforms like the space fortresses.

They did not have devastating long-range support from mage legions either.

Their weapons were crude. Some of the half-minotaurs were literally wielding wooden totem poles.

Most wore no armor. All they had were their slender body and muscular chests.

In Sein’s eyes, even their shaman priests fell short compared to the orthodox shamans of the pure-blooded beastmen.

And yet, watching these half-beastmen unleash their battle cries as they charged into another world’s battlefield stirred something in him.

He wanted them to win, and he was willing to help them achieve that goal.

Eugene’s dream had struck a chord deep within him, igniting a spark he thought had long been buried under layers of logic and cold reason.

“Let’s move out,” Sein said, turning to the knights and mages gathered behind him.

Of the three microplanes controlled by the Bouldrak World, Eugene had only managed to open access to two.

So in the end, the Magus World support legions were split into two groups instead of three.

Roughly seven hundred thousand half-beastman warriors were assigned to the microplane that Sein would conquer.

At his command, the army surged forward, pouring into the smaller teleportation gate located just to the right of the largest central gate.

Since this was a microplane and not the main world itself, Sein had decided not to bring Tourmaline along.

She remained asleep at the oasis, undisturbed.

***

As they stepped through the dark-hued teleportation gate, the world that unfolded before Sein was a vast plain shrouded in shadow.

This microplane was clearly dominated by geo elemental energy.

Aside from a few weak flesh-and-blood species, most of the native beings born here were geo elemental creatures—the dominant race of this world.