Sovereign of the Ashes

After spending some time in Reyno Star City, Sein returned to Magus World with Black Oblivion.

The countless space fortresses docked outside the city left him feeling a bit envious, but for now, his main focus was still on building his divine tower.

Massive war platforms like space fortresses could only be considered after his divine tower had recruited enough full-fledged mages to operate them.

Otherwise, even if he bought one, there would not be enough people to operate it.

On top of that, the outrageous cost, often over tens of millions of magicoins, was not something to be taken lightly.

Sein still had that huge divine tower loan hanging over him, with no clear repayment plan in sight.

With how cautious he was, he would not even think about buying a space fortress unless he had a sizable pile of funds ready.

That was why the war against White Sand World needed to be moved up the list and pushed forward as soon as possible.

***

Upon returning to Magus World, Sein parted ways with Black Oblivion at the planar barrier.

Black Oblivion transformed into a pitch-black flood dragon and soared toward the western region, while Sein made his way back to the Divine Tower of Ashes in the southeast.

The vast, boundless planar barrier could block foreign invaders and alien creatures, but it had no effect on native beings like Sein.

As he passed through it, Sein felt a familiar warmth wash over him, like returning to his mother’s embrace.

This was the rhythm of the world’s will.

Since ascending to Rank Four, Sein could vaguely sense Magus World’s will.

“Is that the Wonder of Sea and Sky mentioned in the records of Sky City’s archives? I can’t believe I actually got to see it with my own eyes.” Sein stared at the vast expanse of azure tidal mist rising from the southern seas, glowing almost as brightly as the sun and moon.

The Wonder of Sea and Sky, as recorded in Sky City, typically appeared in the South Sea of Magus World and occurred only once every two thousand years.

It was a spectacular phenomenon, born from the rare fusion of Magus World’s laws and unique natural forces.

***

When Sein returned to the Divine Tower of Ashes, Master Wenger immediately had someone deliver the latest construction report.

On the once barren, blackened land, a massive foundation now rose hundreds of meters from the ground.

Yes, that towering structure was only the foundation.

According to the blueprints Master Wenger had shared with him, the Divine Tower of Ashes would reach nearly two thousand meters into the sky once completed.

And that was just the part above the surface.

Including the structure built deep into the underground and magma layer below, Sein’s tower would easily surpass the height of any other divine tower.

No wonder the costs were through the roof.

Still, Wenger had clearly planned ahead, leaving room for future expansion and upgrades during the initial construction.

In other words, Sein could easily continue expanding his divine tower later on.

Aside from the base of his divine tower, the artificial lake Tourmaline had been digging was also starting to take shape. The next phase would focus on diverting water into it.

Creating a lake was nowhere near as technically demanding as building a divine tower, and with Tourmaline commanding an army of sea creatures and giant sea kings, the work was moving at an impressive pace.

Although the depths of Ashenreach were filled with highly concentrated pyro elemental energy, they were also rich in hydro elements.

Underground rivers and groundwater slowly filled the massive artificial lake, and right before Sein’s eyes, a new ecosystem was starting to form.

Alongside this huge lake, Tourmaline was currently busy working on a shipping route connecting the area to the Verdant Wave Canal.

It was not that she had suddenly realized the value of the Verdant Wave Canal or wanted to help make the Divine Tower of Ashes more prosperous.

She was not that far-sighted.

Tourmaline simply figured that once the canal was linked, it would be easier for her to haul things back from Jewel Bay and spend time playing in the Boundless South Sea.

When Sein saw her, she was in the middle of digging a pit.

On the other side of the Verdant Wave Canal, large numbers of sea kings were busy working on the embankment.

Worried that seawater intrusion could cause an ecological crisis, the Byrne Empire had sent in knights and mages to oversee and guide the sea races in excavating the new waterway.

After all, the Byrne Empire was the biggest stakeholder in the Verdant Wave Canal and had benefited greatly from its construction.

As for the pit Tourmaline was digging, it was meant to be her “nest”.

Sein had to admit that she had absolutely no natural talent for construction.

She definitely had the brute strength, but none of the finesse.

So far, all she had managed was a giant hole in the ground, and Sein still could not figure out how it was supposed to resemble a “home”.

It stood in stark contrast to the Crystal Palace beneath Sea God Bay, which Sein had visited years ago. That stunning underwater city was practically a work of art.

According to Tourmaline, that palace had been built under her older sister’s supervision.

Clearly, compared to Tourmaline’s chaotic methods, her sister had a much better grasp of architecture.

Still, despite the crude hole she had dug and the dirt smeared across her body and face, Tourmaline looked genuinely happy.

Lou, the half-undead girl, was quietly perched on one of her dragon horns. Whenever Sein was not around, Lou would usually spend time with Tourmaline.

On her other horn, Sev was resting peacefully.

The owl had advanced to Rank Two while in Faeloria. Although its wings remained gray, the feathers on its belly had turned completely white. The promotion had significantly enhanced both its strength and appearance.

In the near future, Sein planned to head west to the magic beast forest to see if he could recruit a few more owls like Sev.

Part of the reason was to keep Sev entertained, but more importantly, this type of magic beast was naturally intelligent.

Back in Mystralora City, black mages had specifically bred them to serve as guardians of the academy.

Sein also had another practical reason—he did not have the extra money to buy alchemy puppets.

“Sein, what do you think of the home I built? It is almost done!” Tourmaline said proudly, showing off her handiwork.

Sein looked at the enormous dirt pit and smiled, nodding in amusement. Then he took out the gift he had brought back for her from Reyno Star City—a massive sapphire crown.

To be honest, Sein was not particularly good at picking out gifts because he rarely gave anyone anything.

The crown was not exactly Tourmaline’s style, but the massive gem set at its center was enough to spark her excitement.

It came from a hydro elemental plane and could enlarge objects, store items, and amplify hydro elemental energy for Rank Three creatures or below.

It had cost Sein twenty thousand magicoins.

He bought it on impulse after catching sight of the rare water gem embedded in the center.

Tourmaline’s way of thinking was, as always, delightfully strange.

Although the crown was meant to be worn on her head, she blinked twice, shrank her body slightly, then enlarged the crown to its full size and slipped it onto one of her dragon claws—wearing it like a ring.

Strangely enough, it looked perfectly natural!

“Sein, what should we name our home?” Tourmaline asked, tilting her head up at him.

“You name it. You built it,” Sein replied.

“How about Crescent Bay?” she suggested.

The artificial lake Tourmaline had built did resemble a crescent moon, so the name felt appropriate.

“Sure,” Sein said with a nod.

Sea God Bay. Jewel Bay. Crescent Bay.

This would be Tourmaline’s third home.