Sovereign of the Ashes

Battles among lower-tier creatures erupted along the frontline.

Sein, however, focused his attention on the strategic movements of the high-ranking combatants.

The Rank Six Ocean King, entering the fray at the very outset of the clash exceeded Sein’s expectations.

What surprised him even more was Orven’s choice of target. Rather than striking at weaker points in the Magus Civilization’s formations, the young king flew straight toward White Stella, where defenses were strongest and elite forces most heavily concentrated.

White Stella commanded immense prestige among the sea races.

Every law-wielding sea race powerhouse from Magus World present on this battlefield regarded protecting her as a sacred duty.

Naturally, several high-ranking sea kings were positioned around her as an added layer of defense.

Beneath White Stella was the Narwhal Tyrant, a Rank Five sea king.

It appeared even larger than White Stella herself—otherwise, it would not have been capable of carrying her.

Two rows of crystal blue eyes lined either side of the massive creature’s head.

Sensing the approaching threat, the Narwhal Tyrant curled its tail slightly. After letting out a low, distinctive call, dense hydro elemental energy began to gather rapidly around its body.

Riding atop the Narwhal Tyrant’s head, White Stella gently patted its forehead.

The restless sea king gradually calmed as it responded to her presence and power.

“You all head to the other battlefields. I can handle things here,” White Stella said calmly.

Her authority was absolute. At her words, the Narwhal Tyrant and the nearby sea race powerhouses withdrew without hesitation.

The Aquarian troops pressing toward the frontlines followed suit. In the end, only Orven continued flying straight toward White Stella.

The remaining four Rank Five Aquarian powerhouses appeared hesitant to compete with their king for his chosen prey.

Before White Stella and Orven could clash, however, one figure intervened.

It was Orric. He appeared before his younger brother, bare-chested and gripping a pale golden steel trident.

The metallic shark beneath Orven’s feet let out a deafening roar, yet Orric continued to stare at him with a mix of contempt, fury, and bitterness.

The human gaze was truly a strange thing. It could convey so many emotions at once.

Having grown up almost entirely alongside his elder brother, Orven could read Orric’s emotions clearly from his expression alone.

The desire stirred by White Stella’s beauty gradually faded from Orven’s mind. He held his elder brother’s gaze, reassessing the figure before him.

“Why?!” Orric demanded, his voice tight with suppressed fury.

Before this battle, Orric had clashed multiple times with Aquaria’s legions. That was how he had managed to rally several Aquarian powerhouses to his side at the last moment.

However, this was the first time he had seen King Orven since leaving Aquaria.

He had never imagined that in just a few centuries, everything could change so completely.

Orven regarded Orric calmly. Since becoming the Ocean King, he had become more poised.

Perhaps he had always been more thoughtful, more restrained, and more patient than Orric had ever realized.

Despite holding the advantage, Orven was not the least bit smug toward his older brother.

Deep down, he still carried a trace of brotherly affection for Orric—just as Orric had once watched over and protected him.

“I still remember—you were the one who taught me the Ocean King’s royal technique,” Orven said, deflecting Orric’s question by changing the subject.

Orric frowned, trying to grasp what Orven was truly getting at.

“From the day I was born, I was told the Ocean King’s throne would one day be yours. So why did you teach me the royal technique?” Orven asked.

With a frown, Orric replied, “The Ocean King has always had a single heir. Since there are two of us in this generation, teaching you that technique is still in line with tradition.”

He continued, “And if something ever happened to me and there were no successor, you’d still be able to...”

“See? I was nothing more than a backup this whole time!” Orven snapped, cutting him off.

It was the first time in nearly ten thousand years that Orven had ever spoken that way.

Then again, he was the Ocean King now. With the power to do as he pleased, what did it matter if he interrupted Orric?

While Orric left Aquaria, Orven remained behind, enduring immense psychological pressure.

Orven also believed that the Astral Realm was ultimately fair. Having suffered injustice and discrimination in the past, he was now reclaiming everything that had once been denied to him.

The Orric of old had always followed his instincts, doing whatever he pleased. In the end, that path led to failure.

In some ways, it was the outcome he had brought upon himself.

If he had not been so arrogant back then... If he had shown even a bit of caution toward his younger brother... If he had brought more legions from Aquaria instead of leaving alone...

Well, there was no cure for regret in this world. Time was irreversible.

After hearing his younger brother’s true thoughts, Orric fell silent.

Orven did not attribute everything solely to the injustices of his childhood.

Seeing Orric’s silence, Orven smiled faintly and revealed another layer of his motivation.

“The Gallant Federation approached me,” he said. “They offered to help me seize the throne at no cost. They even promised to use their technology to solve the Ocean Kings’ long-standing problem of short lifespans.”

He spread his arms and looked straight at his brother. “Don’t you think a lifespan of just twenty thousand years after ascending the throne is far too short for beings like us?”

Orric had been next in line once; of course he had thought about that.

But his way of thinking had always been worlds apart from Orven’s careful, restrained nature.

Twenty thousand years? Hell, live first—think later.

That was Orric’s mindset.

This was the core difference between the two brothers—one was rugged and impulsive, the other brooding and calculating. One shrugged off consequences, the other weighed every move with care.

Orric remained unswayed by Orven’s words. He snapped his head up and glared hard at his younger brother. “I’ll ask you just one thing!”

“Did you have anything to do with our father’s sudden death?!” he demanded.

At that moment, only White Stella remained nearby. The rest of the Aquarian powerhouses were farther off.

Even so, Orric’s question still caused a flicker of panic to cross Orven’s face.

Taking a deep breath, Orven looked at his brother and replied calmly, “The Gallant Federation needed a test subject to break our so-called short-lived curse.”

“I also had to do some clean up before claiming the throne,” he added.

Orric stared at Orven in stunned silence. Then his eyes widened as the truth sank in.

“You asshole—!”