Sovereign of the Ashes

The Gallant Federation had long developed countermeasures against the Magus Civilization’s sabotage operations and the widespread use of plague magic.

Sealing off infected planets, evaluating the danger levels of each star domain, aggressively developing vaccines, and conducting regular health screenings of every citizen...

Even in this “battle of wits” against the Magus Civilization’s black mages, the Gallant Federation had grown increasingly adept.

When Leena and the other black mages first entered the Gallant Federation’s territory, they had truly unleashed a storm upon this top-tier civilization.

Many life planets were transformed into death domains, greatly helping the Netherworld Star Domain’s war efforts.

Yet over time, the black mages’ operations behind enemy lines failed to become a decisive force in the Clash of Civilizations.

The Gallant Federation’s response proved remarkably effective. At least in Leena’s eyes, they appeared unnervingly calm, as if they had anticipated this scenario long ago.

Even now on this life planet, Leena did not dare act rashly.

The scale of the protests staged by the federation’s lower classes before her eyes was immense.

It was a sight Leena had never witnessed in Magus World.

The idea that ordinary citizens from the lowest strata of society would dare challenge those in power was something Leena, raised in the environment of Blackhaven, initially found incomprehensible.

However, Leena was a quick learner.

During her years within the federation, she had gradually come to understand its broader systems of governance and control.

This was truly a peculiar civilization. Who knew how many other remarkable civilizations were hidden within the vast Astral Realm?

Leena longed to share her experiences in the Gallant Federation with Sein.

Unfortunately, that wish was unlikely to be fulfilled anytime soon—unless the Magus Civilization’s vanguard forces managed to push this far.

Taking a deep breath, she ignored the massive parade going on before her.

After discreetly releasing some of her modified plague virus, Leena left the city and moved on to her next target.

The protesting federal citizens remained unaware that the federation’s highest authorities had enacted the very policies they were denouncing for their own protection.

The travel restriction was intended to stop the Magus Civilization’s black mages from moving freely and inflicting even greater harm on the federation’s society.

But even without them roaming, the unchecked movement of plague carriers was terrifying enough.

To date, only a handful of plague outbreaks had appeared in the central regions of the federation’s star domain. Whenever they did, they were swiftly eradicated, thanks to the Gallant Federation’s efforts.

At present, most black mages remained confined to star domains near the frontlines.

Some chose to bide their time, waiting for the Magus Civilization’s main forces to arrive. They positioned themselves as internal collaborators ready to coordinate with external assaults and hasten the war’s conclusion.

However, for the vast majority of black mages, their operational space continued to shrink, often ending in capture by the Gallant Federation.

The war between the Magus Civilization and the Gallant Federation was not one-sided. Instead, it had become a prolonged tug-of-war.

Even in star domains where the Magus Civilization held a clear advantage, the Gallant Federation refused to yield ground easily.

Most black mages, including Leena, remained unaware of the recent deployment of the “Infinity Light” in the Saitos Star Domain.

Even so, these hidden operatives could keenly sense that their chances of survival were steadily diminishing.

Regarding another issue raised during the protests, the military’s use of clones was to quickly resolve manpower shortages.

While the Gallant Federation possessed large numbers of low-grade robots and drone swarms to serve as cheap cannon fodder, its warships and airships still required human operators.

Even vessels capable of autonomous flight and combat needed a small crew to oversee their operation.

One major advantage of clones lay in their flexibility and adaptability, which far surpassed that of ordinary robots.

Another unspoken benefit was economic—clone soldiers spared the federal military enormous expenses in subsidies, casualty compensation, and related costs.

Concerns among ordinary citizens that clones might destabilize federal society held little weight with either the military or the political leadership.

Genetically engineered clone soldiers could reach combat readiness in just three years, with highly refined battle skills.

Their lifespans were deliberately capped at twenty, thirty, or fifty years.

Compared to ordinary citizens who had not even finished compulsory education by age twenty, the advantage was undeniable.

Moreover, once the war ended, these clones would be either destroyed outright or left to die. In the eyes of many federal leaders, clones were not even considered human.

Truth rested solely in the hands of the few.

What the federation’s lower classes opposed most fiercely was precisely what best suited the Gallant Federation’s current situation.

Leena had been lying low on Steelwave for two years.

She was not the only black mage infiltrating this life planet. Dozens of others, ranging from Rank One to Rank Three, were scattered across it.

Their primary role was to support Leena.

In addition, if a federal fleet detected anomalies here, they would serve as sacrificial pawns, drawing the fleet’s attention and covering her escape.

There was no warmth among black mages—only mutual exploitation and endless betrayal.

Then again, Leena treated her subordinates relatively well.

While she would abandon or sacrifice lower-ranking black mages without hesitation when danger arose, she never exploited them financially.

For example, the spoils taken from dead planets held little value for her, so she quietly permitted lower-ranking black mages to take them.

This set her apart from certain utterly wicked high-ranking black mages who, after gorging themselves on the Gallant Federation’s resources, would then turn around and prey on their own subordinates.

Such greed and repulsiveness were truly revolting.

Lower-ranking black mages were human as well, possessing their own judgment and sense of right and wrong.

As a result, many black mages drawn by Leena’s reputation chose to serve this “nicer” Rank Four powerhouse.

Two years later, violent explosions erupted in a satellite city on Steelwave, sending rolling plumes of smoke into the sky.

The incident was merely the opening act.

Almost immediately afterward, a chain of explosions accompanied by a plague outbreak spread across Steelwave.

The plague virus, continuously upgraded by the Magus Civilization and personally refined by Leena, could transform and command undead creatures.

Leena began with only a handful of black mages on Steelwave, yet within a single week, they had spawned over two million undead troops.

On top of that, the size of this legion was expected to continue growing.

Despite years of careful planning and preparation, the Gallant Federation found itself incapable of resolving the catastrophe unfolding on this life planet in the short term.

According to Leena’s projections, the life planet would become a desolate wasteland within two months.