Sovereign of the Ashes

Before the special magic altar deep beneath the Divine Tower of Ashes, Sein met Lorthisra, who had manifested her form through divine power.

The Spider Queen appeared to be in excellent health. From the moment they met, Sein could tell she was in a great mood.

“So, you’ve been to the frontlines too. How was it?” the Spider Queen asked.

She was still wearing her favorite crystal stiletto heels.

As Sein’s gaze fell upon her delicate toes at the end of those long, slender legs, he was reminded of the first time they met back in the Divine Tower of Dark Flame’s underground territory.

“It was far dangerous than any interplanar wars I’ve ever experienced. I almost couldn’t make it back alive,” Sein admitted.

Whether he was referring to his infiltration of the Gallant Federation or the desperate defense of Radbow World, the wars involving the federation had proven far deadlier than ordinary interplanar conflicts.

The danger had been beyond his control. A single stroke of bad luck could have meant certain death.

For Rank Four beings, the chances of survival in a war between top-tier civilizations were still far too slim a chance.

That was why Sein had hurried back to Magus World—to regroup, recover, and push toward a breakthrough to Rank Five as soon as possible.

As for the spoils from the Sapphire Scorpionfly Plane, Sein felt that his priorities were different from mages like Jimmy.

Wealth and opportunity only mattered if one lived long enough to enjoy them.

His calm, measured attitude made the Spider Queen raise her chin slightly, studying him anew.

It had indeed been a long time since they last spoke. Their previous exchange had ended on somewhat tense terms when Lorthisra asked to study the Faceless Mask, a request Sein had declined.

However, Sein heard that she had provided Leena significant help during her breakthrough to Rank Four.

For that, he once again owed her a debt of gratitude.

At times, this powerful being from Blackhaven was not entirely without compassion.

Neither Sein nor the Spider Queen was particularly good at small talk or at currying favor.

When they met, their conversations were focused and to the point.

Sein spoke briefly about his recent experiences—forming an alliance with the Huusians through marriage, befriending the Nexon intelligent robots, and traveling to the Grand Eye Demon World’s star domain to join the war.

With a cold-blooded powerhouse like the Spider Queen, appealing to her loyalty was pointless.

Their alliance was one of mutual benefit, nothing more.

The Spider Queen needed a Rank Four mage like Sein to handle certain matters on her behalf, and the location of his divine tower in Ashenreach made him particularly useful.

In return, Sein often needed to rely on the Spider Queen’s influence and resources.

It was no exaggeration to say that without her support, the Divine Tower of Ashes could not have expanded to its current scale in such a short time!

When she heard about Sein’s alliance with the Huusians through marriage, the Spider Queen only raised an eyebrow.

But her expression finally shifted to one of visible surprise when she learned that he had befriended the Nexon intelligent robots, and even possessed the Magic Cube—a world-class secret treasure vital to their entire race.

Though she had been away from Magus World for years, Lorthisra had certainly heard of the intelligent robots that had joined the Magus Alliance, such as Skyhold and Aetherend.

The fact that Sein possessed the Magic Cube made it clear his relationship with those robots went far beyond simple friendship.

“Hand over the Magic Cube and I’ll grant you anything you desire!” the Spider Queen demanded without hesitation.

Sein only shook his head and replied, “I’m sure you know that’s impossible, Lady Lorthisra.”

“The Magic Cube is a reward I received from the Magus Civilization. If it suddenly appeared in your possession, what would others think?” he asked.

As expected, the Spider Queen could not resist her impulse to claim any rare treasure she came across.

Before revealing the Magic Cube to her, Sein had already considered all the possible scenarios. In the end, he chose to be frank with her.

The stronger one’s power, the more seriously the Spider Queen regarded them.

Back then, Sein’s life had hung by a thread, entirely at her whim, and he could do nothing but obey.

Now, the gap between them had narrowed. In time, he might even stand as her equal.

At this point, harming him would be no different from cutting off her own arm.

“Rank Four, yet already in possession of two world-class secret treasures... You really are a lucky bastard,” the Spider Queen said with a mix of envy and disbelief.

To provoke such a reaction from the undisputed mistress of Blackhaven, Sein had indeed become someone extraordinary in Magus World.

One could only imagine what the black mages would think if they witnessed this scene.

After catching up, Sein also learned what the Spider Queen had been occupied with during her years away.

Over the years, the Spider Queen had proven herself a master of multitasking.

On one hand, she had been cultivating her faith system in Faeloria.

On the other hand, she had been steadily expanding her influence across the Gallant Federation’s battlefields.

Her physical body currently resided in Savage Worlds, a medium-sized star domain within the Magus Alliance’s territory, located not far from the Gallant Federation’s frontlines.[1]

Beyond her dark creatures under her direct control, the Spider Queen commanded vast legions of followers throughout Savage Worlds.

These included the Fallen Dark Elves, Fallen Blood Elves, and various extraplanar creatures who had pledged allegiance to her faith.

Together, these forces formed a truly formidable army. Combined with Lorthisra’s Rank Six strength, their overall power rivaled that of mid-tier Magus World powers such as the Elemental Gate or the Knights’ Edict.

Given her status in Blackhaven and her longstanding ties to the Byrne Empire, it was highly likely that Lorthisra possessed more than one world-class secret treasure.

By consolidating her strength in Savage Worlds, Lorthisra clearly intended to take part in the Clash of Civilizations and secure a share of the spoils.

It was also from her that Sein learned many of the planes within Savage Worlds fell under the jurisdiction of the Western Archipelago and the Byrne Empire.

Apparently, numerous knight legions from both regions directly employed elite Rank One or higher savage beasts from Savage Worlds as their mounts.

Sir Klopp, for instance, once had a Rank Six Howling Moon Silver Wolf King as his companion mount.

The Ancient Sacred Silver Wolf World was among the most renowned medium-sized planes within Savage Worlds.

As for the Byrne Empire, aside from its fearsome Dragon Knight Legion and the slightly weaker sub-dragon legions, it also commanded countless armies of savage beasts.

In the development of the knight profession, the Byrne Empire was indeed leading in Magus World.

Lorthisra’s followers would likely join forces with either the Western Archipelago or the Byrne Empire next.

That would be yet another major battlefield, away from both the Netherworld Star Domain and the Grand Eye Demon World.

Lorthisra even extended an invitation to Sein, encouraging him to apply for deployment to that battlefront as well.

With her protection, Sein knew he would fare far better than navigating the Clash of Civilizations alone.

1. Translator’s Note: Savage Worlds has been mentioned only once back in Chapter 539. It was the star domain where House Jobbs imported their rare slaves. ☜