Sovereign of the Ashes

Chapter 1778: Atlan Interstellar Prison

Lorthisra was not entirely sure how Leena had landed herself in the Atlan Interstellar Prison.

The missions Lorthisra carried out were completely different in nature from those undertaken by black mages like Leena.

The wars fought by Lorthisra’s legion were, at their core, direct confrontations with the Gallant Federation on the frontlines.

Leena and the others, however, had primarily been assigned to operations behind enemy lines.

In terms of risk, it was obvious that the black mages—lacking powerful backing—were the ones undertaking far more dangerous missions.

That was unavoidable. The reputation of black mages within Magus World had never been good.

During the Clash of Civilizations, only brutal and high-risk missions like these had the potential to shift the traditional power blocs’ view of them.

Moreover, black mages were naturally more suited to such tasks!

The Magus Civilization’s repeated advances and major victories on the frontlines were closely tied to the large-scale disruptions caused by black mages operating behind enemy lines.

Because of this, some powerhouses on the frontlines had indeed begun to view black mages and black knights in a more favorable light.

Leena had been imprisoned in the Atlan Interstellar Prison roughly twenty-three years ago, which was quite recent.

After hearing of the incident through other channels, Lorthisra had immediately contacted Sein.

In Blackhaven of the Western Archipelago, Leena had always been perceived as one of Lorthisra’s subordinates.

So when Leena was captured, the black mages who knew of it quickly reported the matter to Lorthisra.

It was also pretty nice of Lorthisra to get in touch with Sein right away.

In fact, her decision to contact Sein this time likely had more to do with Leena’s situation than with her desire for Sein’s Sacred Fruit.

“I heard she was arrested for indiscriminately attacking the Magus Civilization legions on the frontlines and severely wounding a Rank Four mage. Things got pretty bad,” Lorthisra explained.

“But I have no idea what exactly she did, or how she lost control and attacked the Magus Civilization forces. Perhaps you should ask her yourself,” she added.

Upon hearing Lorthisra’s words, Sein felt the urge to rush immediately to where Leena was held.

It was the most notorious interstellar prison in the Magus Civilization, holding only the most vicious criminals within its walls.

Devils and demons were “regulars” there.

Beyond that, many black mages and black knights who committed heinous crimes, as well as powerhouses from other star domains who caused massive destruction while under the Magus Civilization’s jurisdiction, were also thrown into the Atlan Interstellar Prison to “reflect” on their actions.

The first Rank Four being Sein had encountered in his youth, the Sandworm King, had been unlucky enough to cross paths with one of Magus World’s guardians.

Had that not happened, the Atlan Interstellar Prison would almost certainly have become its final destination.

In truth, those confined within the Atlan Interstellar Prison were never ordinary beings.

Since the outbreak of the Clash of Civilizations, this interstellar prison had grown even busier.

In addition to Magus Civilization powerhouses like Leena, many foreign beings lurking along the edges of the battlefields between the Magus Civilization and the Gallant Federation, hoping to profit from the clash between the two top-tier civilizations, had also been dragged inside.

The Astral Realm never lacked opportunists!

Take the Rank Six being, Kigard the “Phantom Thief,” for example. He was a powerful Astral Realm entity openly hunted by the Magus Civilization.

During the Clash of Civilizations, he had stolen and looted vast quantities of the Magus Civilization’s war resources.

Rumor had it that an alliance overlord had even issued an order to kill him.

Apparently, Kigard had made off with a treasure that the overlord had hidden away in some demiplane.

What truly amazed people about Kigard was that he robbed not only the Magus Civilization, but also the Gallant Federation!

Centuries ago, he had completely looted a key military warehouse of the federation, emptying its reserves of precious Star Cores.

The Gallant Federation had also issued a warrant for his arrest!

How this man managed to walk the razor’s edge between two top-tier civilizations remained a mystery.

No wonder he had drawn the attention of overlord-level beings. In his own way, he had reason to be proud.

At the same time, Kigard’s exploits had made him something of an idol among wandering deities and interstellar pirates operating around these two top-tier civilizations.

He had quite a following in the surrounding star domains.

Perhaps his actions had become too flamboyant—even Quatar, the largest interstellar pirate group near the Magus Civilization, had issued a kill order for him.

In their public declaration, the Quatar Star Pirates explicitly defined the regions around the Magus Civilization and the Gallant Federation as their territory.

Kigard the Phantom Thief had clearly crossed the line!

The devils and demons of the Quatar Star Pirates were already itching to teach him a lesson.

With so many warrants issued against him, Kigard had indeed kept a low profile for nearly two centuries. There had been no reports of him committing any further crimes.

There were also rumors that this Rank Six being had already been captured and imprisoned in the Atlan Interstellar Prison.

Sein had heard fragments of the Phantom Thief’s story not long after returning to Magus World, though he had largely dismissed them as exaggerated tales.

Still, who would have thought that one day even an “honest” and “upright” mage like himself would have to rush to Atlan Interstellar Prison to rescue someone?

Before ending the communication, the Spider Queen thoughtfully asked whether he required her assistance.

Given how difficult it would be to secure Leena’s release through official channels, Lorthisra clearly meant more... unconventional methods.

Sein was quite surprised that Lorthisra even had a way to arrange for someone to be extracted from the Atlan Interstellar Prison.

But recalling that she resided within a soul tower in Blackhaven, and the influence she had demonstrated in the past, Sein had no reason to doubt her.

He did not immediately respond to her offer. It was not because he suspected Lorthisra would demand the Sacred Fruit as payment.

Rather, he was thinking about Leena’s future. Even if she were smuggled out of the Atlan Interstellar Prison, she might still have nowhere to go in the vast Magus World. Even returning to Blackhaven would be fraught with difficulty.

Moreover, Sein found it difficult to believe that Leena would indiscriminately attack Magus Civilization legions. He knew her well enough to be certain she would never do such a thing. There had to be more to the story.

After politely declining the Spider Queen’s offer, Sein paused only briefly before sending messages to his mentor and others stationed on the frontlines.

He was unfamiliar with the procedures of the Atlan Interstellar Prison. If he were to pursue a formal release, he would likely need to rely on his grandmaster’s connections and influence.

Sein also recalled his meeting with Klopp in Portman World shortly before returning to Magus World.

Given Klopp’s regard for him, he might be able to request assistance from him.

Still, Sein did not rashly contact the knight overlord. This matter might not require drawing on an overlord’s influence. He decided to wait for replies from his mentor and grandmaster first.

Whether due to new developments on the frontlines or other reasons, Lorianne did not respond to Sein’s message immediately.

The delay left him restless. Unable to wait any longer, and deeply concerned for Leena’s safety, Sein headed straight for the Atlan Interstellar Prison.

Under the Magus Alliance’s regulations, as a Rank Five Magus World powerhouse, he was qualified to visit inmates there.

He needed to see Leena for himself and learn what had truly happened.

***

The moment Sein departed Magus World, Tourmaline passed through a teleportation array and returned to Magus World.

“Huh? Where’s Sein?” Tourmaline muttered, holding a gift she had prepared for him as she looked around in confusion.

With Sein already gone, she could no longer sense his presence anywhere in Magus World.