Sovereign of the Ashes

When Sein returned to Radbow World, the low-level plane had transformed completely while he was away.

Having stayed securely under the Magus Civilization’s control ever since his arrival, the world had gradually developed into a key resource hub, serving as a vital transit point for Magus World’s supply lines to the Grand Eye Demon World front as the Magus Civilization pressed its massive offensive.

Back when Sein and his allies had fought here, resources had been scarce.

Wounded mages and knights sometimes could not even afford to finish a potion in one go. They had to drink half and save the rest for later.

Now, the knights and mages of the Divine Tower of Ashes stationed here no longer lacked supplies.

Since the Magus Civilization’s rewards had not yet arrived, Sein had instructed Marie to distribute magicoins and combat points to all participating mages in the name of the Divine Tower of Ashes.

He was not the only one doing so; the other two knightly orders were doing the same thing.

Rank Four powerhouses possessed enormous wealth, especially after surviving multiple interplanar wars. Their fortunes were beyond what most beings of Rank Three and below could even imagine.

By now, two of Radbow World’s three planar rings had completely shattered, and the last inner ring still bore the damage Sein had inflicted years ago.

Many of the Magus Civilization’s knights and mages newly arriving at the Radbow battlefield had already heard tales of the Tower Master of Ashes.

When they asked about him, the mages who had been stationed on this low-level plane from the start would often point to the damaged planar ring beyond the horizon to show the tower master’s power.

War airships were now often seen flying in and out of Radbow World.

What had once been a chaotic, war-ravaged world was now beginning to show faint signs of recovery and order.

At present, there were no Rank Four or higher Magus Civilization powerhouses left on the plane.

Those who had come earlier to support the defense had already led their legions back to the frontlines of this star domain.

Only a few familiar faces who had fought alongside Sein remained.

Several large space fortresses dedicated to hauling supplies had been stationed nearby.

To avoid unwanted suspicion, the Huusian King had already withdrawn his legions from Radbow World. They were currently resting in an asteroid belt just outside the plane.

Sein was not worried that the Huusian King or his people would ever pose a threat to the growing stockpile of supplies on Radbow World.

After surviving such a brutal war together, their interests were now deeply tied.

The Huusians had also lost countless soldiers, and even two Rank Four powerhouses, in this campaign. Aware of that, Sein made sure his divine tower sent some supplies their way as well.

Back at the Ashen Fortress, he had barely caught his breath when Marie came looking for him.

She had been an incredible help to him over the years by managing both the construction and the daily operations of the divine tower academy, while also overseeing the command center of the Divine Tower of Ashes.

The tower had nurtured many capable mages in various fields by now, but Sein trusted Marie above anyone else.

He preferred to leave the most important matters in her hands, and she rarely let him down.

This time, however, Marie was not here for a reunion. She came with serious business.

“The mages from the Divine Tower of Deep Blue have suffered heavy losses in this war, and much of our support came from those Summoners,” she reported. “So I’ve taken the liberty of allocating a portion of the magicoins you left behind. I’ve already sent them to Casillas, a demigod-level Summoner from their tower, as compensation for their losses.”

Sein nodded. “Those Summoners may not be under my command, but they played a big part in the defense. You did the right thing, Marie. It’s only a small portion of the funds I left behind anyway. I’ll consider it a token of gratitude for their help.”

The amount she had allocated to the Deep Blue Summoning Divine Tower came to about two million magicoins—a trivial sum to Sein these days.

Ever since the Clash of Civilizations began, the mission rewards distributed by the Magus Civilization to its divine towers and knightly orders had been just as profitable as the spoils of past interplanar wars.

This was a time of chaos and plunder, where unimaginable fortunes could be made overnight.

For those who survived and completed their assigned missions, wealth followed naturally.

And for many lower-ranking beings, war was the fastest path to rank up.

Over the years of war, Sein had also felt his body tempering progress accelerate more than ever before.

Every serious injury pushed him to unlock a new layer of potential within his body.

Even the questions that had long troubled him in his pursuit of truth would sometimes spark sudden insights in the midst of battle, as he channeled vast surges of elemental energy.

After finishing her report on the Divine Tower of Ashes’ recent affairs, Marie was about to take her leave.

Though beings of Rank Four and above were often revered as “gods” by lesser creatures, Sein knew that was far from the truth.

At the very least, he still felt exhaustion, experienced joy and sorrow, and certainly lacked anything resembling omniscience or omnipotence.

Having served by Sein’s side for so long, Marie could tell he was not in the best condition and needed rest.

But before she could excuse herself, Sein brought up another matter.

“The Frost Crystal Silkworm, that foreign god defending Radbow World... It’s still alive, right? Where is it now?” he asked.

“I think it’s recuperating in one of the asteroid belts beyond the plane,” Marie replied. “From what I’ve heard, it’s currently in a pupation state.”

“Send it a share of the resources too,” Sein said. “Its legion suffered heavy losses in this war too. Give them supplies worth... about a million magicoins.

“Tell the Frost Crystal Silkworm I’m quite interested in the chrysalis shell it sheds,” he added.

“Understood,” Marie replied.

Once she realized he had nothing more to say, she took her leave.

The Frost Crystal Silkworm had survived the Radbow World defense not because of its strength, but because of its rare ability to cocoon itself when critically wounded.

To Sein, that ability reminded him of a Phoenix’s rebirth through fire.

Of course, it could not compare to a Phoenix’s true rebirth, but the effect was similar enough.

Still, he found the process extremely fascinating.

As the final layer it shed, the Frost Crystal Silkworm’s chrysalis likely held the secrets of its metamorphosis.

As an alchemist, Sein also recognized the shell as a valuable treasure.

In fact, it was an ideal material for crafting new sets of magic robes.