Sovereign of the Ashes

The Astral Realm was vast. Strange things could be found everywhere.

A deity like the Tear God, with such an unusual divine ability, might be rare, but it was not beyond reason.

As the name suggested, the Tear God was a deity whose tears possessed unique properties.

From Aribbean’s explanation, Sein learned that in the region around the Vermi Star Domain, the Tear God’s role was somewhat similar to that of an apothecary in the Magus Civilization.

The Tear God Gem currently being auctioned was considered a high-grade restorative item.

Even rarer variants existed, but they rarely circulated. The Tear God only traded those in small quantities with a select few deities with whom he was on good terms.

“His eyes must be extraordinary,” Sein said, stroking his chin. “Otherwise, the tears they produce wouldn’t be so special.”

“I’d love to gouge them out and take a look,” he added casually.

When Sein entered the auction hall earlier, he had sensed three Rank Four beings. He could not help but wonder if one of them might be the Tear God.

Hearing his comment, Aribbean broke out in a cold sweat next to him.

The God of Ashes was truly a powerful deity with a penchant for slaughter.

A grim image surfaced in Aribbean’s mind: in a dim laboratory, the Tear God’s eyeballs were soaking in a porcelain teacup.

Sein, still in his demonic form, casually lifted the cup filled with tea infused with those very eyeballs and took a slow sip, while the eyes inside stared up in silent terror.

Aribbean swallowed hard in fear, then straightened into an even more respectful posture.

“What were you thinking just now?” Sein asked, glancing at him.

“N-Nothing, Your Divinity. I think the next item will be quite stunning. It’d suit Miss Goddess Tourmy very well,” Aribbean added quickly, trying to recover.

Sein’s attention shifted back to the stage.

The Tear God Gem sold quickly. The moment it appeared, bidders swarmed it, driving the price higher and higher until it was finally snapped up.

Now, the auctioneer was presenting a red rose wreath.

It seemed to have been crafted by a skilled demigod artisan, using fairly decent plant materials.

To Sein, a true alchemist, it was nothing more than a decorative piece.

Its enhancement effects were minimal at best.

But Tourmaline’s eyes lit up the moment she saw it.

Noticing her reaction, Sein raised his hand and placed a bid on her behalf.

It was not that expensive—at least, not to him.

As for payment, Sein had plenty of energy crystals on hand, along with soul essences gifted to him years ago by the Phantom Crow King, as well as various common low to mid-tier materials from the Astral Realm.

All of these were widely accepted currencies and could be used almost anywhere.

Since Tourmaline had covered the deposit for the metals earlier, this wreath became Sein’s gift to her.

Before long, it was delivered to their private box.

Tourmaline was practically bouncing with excitement and immediately placed it on her head.

She had a good eye—the wreath suited her perfectly, complementing her features with surprising elegance.

Just as Sein completed the transaction with energy crystals, Tourmaline tugged lightly at his robe.

“Does it look nice on me?” she asked.

Sein glanced at her, gave her head a gentle pat, and smiled. “Of course.”

Her eyes curved into crescents as she beamed.

Sein called himself the God of Ashes, while Tourmaline called herself Goddess Tourmy.

Yet here they were—two Rank Four and Rank Five beings—getting excited over a simple floral wreath.

As the auction continued, Sein got a look at many of the star domain’s local goods.

But in the end, this was still a backwater place. Even as the auctioneer’s voice grew hoarse and the atmosphere turned increasingly heated, most of the items failed to catch Sein’s interest.

To him, they were all just ordinary materials.

During the Clash of Civilizations, the Magus Civilization had spared no effort in supplying its knights and mages on the frontlines.

It drew vast resources from the Magus Alliance while constantly looting supply depots of the Gallant Federation across occupied territories.

The scale and quality of those resources far surpassed what even a typical large-sized world could imagine.

So after arriving in a small place like the Vermi Star Domain, it was only natural that Sein found little to impress him.

Still, as the auction moved into its latter half, a few items that managed to catch his interest finally appeared.

Most of them came from beyond this star domain, proving Aribbean’s claim true that many interstellar merchant fleets from distant regions had recently arrived.

One of the highlights was a special liquid known as the Spring Water of Hatred.

This was a peculiar item—once used, it would cause the target to feel an inexplicable sense of aversion and hostility toward another.

Because it involved certain obscure occult forces, the spring water should, in theory, even affect Rank Four and Rank Five beings.

In Sein’s eyes, this was clearly a material that fell under the domain of occultism.

Even when used in its most basic form, it could influence beings of that level.

If he refined it using proper occult techniques and crafted it into a specialized artifact, could it perhaps even affect Rank Six beings?

In recent years, while strengthening his foundation, Sein had also explored other fields of study—particularly curses and occult arts commonly practiced within by the magi.

His mastery was far from deep, but he could still make use of some fundamental techniques.

So when he saw the Spring Water of Hatred, his interest was immediately piqued, and he joined the bidding.

***

In the end, Sein lost the bid and it was not a matter of lacking funds.

Through the Faceless Mask, he sensed two additional Rank Four beings join the bidding, driving the price higher and higher.

At the moment, Sein had not fully recovered, and the Fermera was still heavily damaged.

Under such circumstances, he had no intention of drawing attention to himself and inviting unnecessary trouble.

When on was away from home, keeping a low profile was always the safer choice.

Unexpectedly, after the Spring Water of Hatred, several more items appeared that caught Sein’s interest.

They were similar items, with different properties—the Spring Water of Joy, Spring Water of Vitality, and Spring Water of Putrefaction.

The Spring Water of Joy could induce feelings of happiness and pleasure. It seemed to be an ingredient tied to the law of emotions.

The Spring Water of Vitality could restore the physical condition of Rank Four beings, enhancing cellular activity. It clearly fell under the category of advanced apothecary materials.

The Spring Water of Putrefaction, on the other hand, was offensive in nature. When used in battle, it could stiffen the enemy’s body and inflict a range of negative effects.

All of these spring waters intrigued Sein. He really wanted both the Spring Water of Hatred and Joy in particular.

“Say... Should we just rob them?” Sein asked casually, glancing at Aribbean.

“H-Huh...?” Aribbean blinked, clearly caught off guard by his question.

By the time they were speaking, the Spring Water of Putrefaction had already been sold.

Once again, it was bought by a Rank Four being in one of the private boxes.

Sein looked at the space pirate before him and frowned slightly. For someone in that line of work, he clearly lacked the instincts it demanded.

“...Forget it,” Sein said at last.