Sovereign of the Ashes

The Magus Civilization had suffered a crushing defeat in the Saitos Star Domain. Over a billion troops were wiped out, and even an overlord-class being fell.

Although the Magus Alliance deliberately suppressed the news, some information inevitably leaked out, sending shockwaves through every battlefield where the Magus Civilization was engaged.

This included the fronts around the Shadowbat Civilization, where Sein was stationed.

When Sein received the news, his mood grew noticeably heavier. Even while conducting experiments, he found it difficult to maintain his usual patience.

This state of mind likely stemmed from a deep sense of helplessness in the face of overwhelming, irresistible power.

If the Gallant Federation could erase an entire Saitos Star Domain, then it certainly possessed the ability to reduce the Shadowbat Star Domain to nothing as well.

To annihilate an entire medium-sized star domain...!

That was truly terrifying. The level of power involved was almost impossible to comprehend.

With Sein’s current Rank Five strength, destroying a microplane on his own posed little difficulty.

Even a low-level plane could be completely erased by him, though that would require time and effort.

But the Saitos Star Domain was different. It was a vast medium-sized star domain.

Otherwise, it could not have supported such enormous deployments of Magus Civilization and Magus Alliance legions!

The fact that even an overlord-level being had perished under that attack proved that this secret weapon of the Gallant Federation far exceeded the destructive limits of a Rank Seven overlord.

Was this the true depth of a top-tier civilization?

At times, Sein could not help but feel fortunate that he had not been stationed on the Saitos Star Domain battlefield.

Otherwise, he would not even know how he died.

Rank Five beings were still painfully insignificant in the Clash of Civilizations.

The Gallant Federation’s Infinity Light must have some sort of limitations. Otherwise, they would’ve unleashed it at the very beginning of the war.

And if it could truly be used without restraint, the Magus Civilization would’ve had no chance. The frontlines would’ve collapsed long ago.

The Astral Realm ultimately maintains a balance. Judging from the current state of the battlefields across all star domains, the Magus Civilization still holds the overall advantage in this clash.

The truly wise, powerful, and far-sighted leaders of the Magus Civilization have not lost their composure... so what am I worrying about?

Sein shook his head inside one of the laboratories within the Ashen Fortress, his lips curling in faint self-mockery.

Sometimes, seeing too much was not necessarily a good thing.

Sein currently stood somewhere in the middle of the Magus Civilization’s hierarchy, a position that granted him access to information far beyond the reach of low-ranking beings.

At times, Sein found himself envying the Rank One and Rank Two mages of the Divine Tower of Ashes.

After completing war missions that lasted anywhere from a decade to several decades, those low-ranking mages were granted permission to return to Magus World to recuperate.

They did not need to concern themselves with conflicts on the plane or star domain level. Their focus was limited to completing assigned tasks.

With greater power came greater responsibility, and Sein had far more to consider.

He had to think not only for himself, but also about how to lead the Divine Tower of Ashes and the others under his command through the Clash of Civilizations, ensuring their survival and securing greater gains on the battlefield.

The path of seeking truth had no end. For now, Sein’s foremost priority was simply survival.

After setting aside these unproductive thoughts, Sein received a report from a scout mage of his divine tower stationed outside Marvelous Plane.

The allied forces of Arid Expanse World and Aquaria had begun making major moves once again!

***

The actions of Arid Expanse World and Aquaria were clearly tied to the events in the Saitos Star Domain.

If even Sein and other Magus Civilization powerhouses were aware of what had happened there, then the Gallant Federation, as the instigator, would naturally be spreading the news throughout its own civilization.

And this was not limited to the star domain battlefield where Sein and his allies were stationed.

The Gallant Federation forces had become unusually active across all frontlines!

It was as though they were preparing to unleash a second wave of Infinity Light, pushing forward to reclaim the star domains now occupied by the Magus Civilization.

Sein, however, remained calm in the face of Arid Expanse World and Aquaria’s movements.

He knew that Grandmaster Feylis was already on her way to a nearby star domain.

Feylis was not headed toward Marvelous Plane. Her destination lay on the Shadowbat Civilization frontline, where Gregory was fighting. That region was the true core of Arid Expanse World’s main legion deployment.

On Marvelous Plane, the sea races led by White Stella were more than enough to support Sein.

Not long after, Sein received another message. This one was from his mentor, Lorianne.

She informed him that she had arrived in the vicinity of Blue Star.

Given Lorianne’s average combat strength, Grandmaster Feylis chose not to deploy her to the front lines.

Instead, she was stationed near Blue Star, overseeing resource transfers and logistical coordination.

It was pretty much the same kind of work Sein himself had once handled behind the Grand Eye Demon World Star Domain battlefield.

Along with Lorianne’s message came over ten high-grade magic potions, which were delivered shortly afterward by powerful members of the sea races.

All of them had been refined by Lorianne over the past few years, including two body-tempering potions she had never attempted before.

Lorianne’s grasp of body-tempering technique was limited. These potions were experimental formulas she had developed through her own research, drawing inspiration from discussions with her seniors and mentor over the years.

Their actual effectiveness remained uncertain.

Aside from Sein, nearly every member of the Verdant Flame Faction also received them.

Sein paused in thought, then selected several specimen materials he had recently collected and stashed them inside a space ring.

He then summoned Yuri and handed the ring over to her.

“Go to Blue Star and deliver this ring to my mentor,” he instructed.

Since Lorianne had thoughtfully sent him high-grade magic potions, Sein felt it only proper, as her apprentice, to return the gesture.

He was not sure whether such frequent exchanges between mentor and apprentice were common in other Magus World factions.

Regardless, receiving the potions Lorianne had personally refined for him still warmed his heart.

Clutching the space ring, Yuri nodded.

“Understood.”

***

As the combined forces of Arid Expanse World and Aquaria steadily advanced toward the battlefronts surrounding the Shadowbat Civilization, Sein and the others remained unaware that a heated dispute had recently erupted among the mid and high-ranking figures of these two seemingly united medium-sized world civilizations.

The core of the conflict was that a Rank Four powerhouse from Arid Expanse World, who had barely escaped the Marvelous Plane battlefield, returned to the rear and publicly denounced Aquaria’s forces as dishonorable.

He accused them of secretly abandoning the Marvelous Plane front, claiming that their retreat had directly led to the disastrous defeat there.

The Rank Five Sand Crocodile had been defeated on that battlefield, and nearly all the Rank Four and above beings who perished alongside it were powerhouses from Arid Expanse World.

While Aquaria’s lower-tier legions had suffered heavy losses, their core forces largely withdrew intact. Moreover, only two of their Rank Fours had perished.

To Arid Expanse World, abandoning allies in the midst of battle was utterly intolerable!