Sovereign of the Ashes

The Arriba Interstellar Chamber of Commerce had long been actively purchasing the wreckage of Gallant Federation fleets and mobile suits.

As a top-tier civilization, the Gallant Federation’s ships and mobile suits contained various alloys and advanced technological secrets coveted by civilizations throughout the Astral Realm.

The Arriba was a purely commercial organization. Influenced by its founding principles, it would do its best to meet the needs of even beings from microplanes, as long as they could afford to pay.

It would never exploit a trading partner simply because they were too weak. Nor would it force sales on others or outright swindle them out of their assets.

It was precisely because of this that the Arriba Chamber of Commerce’s reputation in the surrounding star domains had grown increasingly strong in recent years.

The vast majority of plane civilizations were willing to do business with it.

In the war between the Magus Civilization and the Gallant Federation, countless bystanders were waiting on the sidelines, ready to feast on whatever ruins and wreckage both sides left behind, regardless of who ultimately won.

The Arriba Chamber of Commerce had always been the largest interstellar broker on this civilizational battlefield.

Now that Sein had also begun collecting scattered federal ship wreckage across this star domain, it remained to be seen whether this would make him a competitor of the Arriba.

However, considering that Sein’s personal capital could not compare to that of the Arriba, there was no real conflict of interest between the two.

Moreover, Sein’s processing capacity was limited. He only chose not to sell his own spoils to the Arriba Chamber of Commerce.

“Our current weakness is the lack of a frontline unit capable of launching heavy assaults on low-level planes,” Sein said to Yuri, who was standing beside the experimental table, before beginning another round of body-tempering experiments.

“I’ve already ordered several sets of spare parts from Steel City through the Arriba Chamber of Commerce. Soon, you’ll be able to tear through the battlefield with Burning Flame again.”

Thanks to the substantial profits from the war and the wealth he had accumulated previously, Sein was now rich enough to buy Yuri more than a single set of mecha components!

By preparing multiple sets of spare parts in advance, Sein ensured that even if the Burning Flame Unit suffered severe damage on the battlefield, she would not be kept out of action for too long.

Although the internal space of Sein’s Magic Cube was already capable of handling simple mechanical and robotic production processes, producing a Rank Four or higher mecha like the Burning Flame Unit was still beyond its current in-house manufacturing capabilities.

Perhaps, after evolving to a higher level in the future, the Magic Cube might gain such extraordinary production abilities.

“Yes, Master,” Yuri replied happily.

The flush on her cheeks revealed just how eager she was to follow Sein back onto the battlefield.

Currently, the only relatively intact part of the Burning Flame Unit was her head, which held valuable data. Once the components arrived, they could simply transplant it over.

Some might argue that, as a body-tempering mage, Sein could also serve as a frontline charger.

In reality, however, Sein had never considered himself a tank.

He was a mage.

Only when absolutely necessary, or when he needed to eliminate an opponent within a short period of time, would he charge forward with his magic scepter and engage in close combat.

With Yuri’s assistance, the body-tempering experiments continued.

One of the key materials used in his experiment this time was the blood-red crystal diamonds Sein had obtained some time ago.

In addition, the primordial sap Sein had collected from the plant creatures of Green God World was also an extremely rare body-tempering material.

Interplanar war truly was the fastest way to plunder resources and wealth!

As long as one could endure the Clash of Civilizations and survive, knights and mages of nearly every rank could obtain the riches they desired.

As the body-tempering experiment progressed, Sein’s skin gradually turned blood-red.

As expected of a treasure forged by forcibly extracting the vital energy of countless living beings from a medium-sized plane, the body-tempering effects of these blood-red crystals were far more pronounced than the body-tempering potions Lorianne had specially brewed for him in the past.

Due to the massive influx of vital energy, Sein’s blood began pumping much faster. As a result, a certain part of his body also stirred awake.

Seeing the obvious change in Sein’s body on the experimental table, Yuri’s pretty face flushed even redder.

It had been too long since she had been intimate with Sein.

Mages were different from knights. Beyond base sensory pleasures, mages pursued a higher form of transcendence on the level of mind and will.

For instance, after every successful experiment, Sein would experience an extraordinary sense of fulfillment.

Only when his mood was just right, or when a sudden impulse struck him, would Sein allow himself to unwind.

The changes occurring in Sein’s body at this moment were clearly not due to a sudden whim, but rather the influence of the blood-red crystals he had just absorbed.

For now, this influence did not seem to be a particularly serious side effect. Sein was also constantly sensing the changes taking place deep within his body.

It seemed that a subtle shift had indeed occurred, but to determine exactly what it was, Sein would have to conduct specific experiments and tests later.

Currently, he remained fully focused on absorbing the potion.

As Sein’s body temperature continued to rise and his skin flushed a deeper red, thick steam gradually filled the laboratory.

Within the haze, Sein no longer felt any need to suppress his instincts. He beckoned to Yuri and murmured, “Come here. Sit on me.”

It was not their first time, but Yuri still blushed deeply at his words.

Although she was shy and hesitant, her body was far more honest.

She would not disobey Sein’s command.

The body-tempering experiment was already nearing its end.

As water vapor and steam swirled together, hydro elemental particles began to merge and intertwine.

Sein’s pyro magic grew increasingly intense, becoming fiercer with each passing moment.

Although Yuri had clearly not mastered the profound mysteries of hydro elemental laws, perhaps because she had spent so much time assisting Sein, she was somehow able to fully contain his flames.

Only after this exciting and intense experiment finally settled into calm did the laboratory grow quiet once more...

Yuri lay on the experimental table, breathing heavily. Her custom-made, form-fitting experimental suit was completely soaked.

The fact that Yuri’s clothes had not been dried by the overflowing power of Sein’s flames was proof enough of his exceptional “combat prowess” and outstanding “experimental skill”.

After leaving a restorative potion for Yuri, Sein returned to another experimental table.

An unknown amount of time passed.

After finally recovering her strength, Yuri draped herself in a thin lab coat and returned to Sein’s side.

She found him frowning slightly as he studied several vials of potions and liquid specimens laid out before him.

These must have been substances Sein had just extracted or concocted. Although Yuri was extremely familiar with his laboratory, she had never seen these particular potions before.

However, Yuri did not break the silence. She simply stood quietly beside Sein, careful not to disturb his train of thought.

Only after a long while, when Sein finally seemed to have discovered something, did he sigh in realization and say, “So that’s how it is. These blood essences have such uses after all.”

Yuri sensed that this discovery had something to do with her, so she asked, “Master, have you discovered something?”

Sein sometimes felt bored in the laboratory, but with Yuri by his side, he would occasionally share some of his discoveries during experiments. In doing so, he also deepened his own understanding.

It was also during this process that Yuri gained a much deeper understanding of Sein’s body-tempering research and various experiments.

A high-quality lab assistant like Yuri was not easy to nurture.

Her role in Sein’s laboratory was not merely to keep him company.

In certain areas, under Sein’s guidance, Yuri’s understanding had even surpassed that of an average Rank Four mage.

Glancing at Yuri beside him, Sein replied, “This blood essence not only strengthens the constitution, but also has a significant effect on increasing fertility.”

Hearing this, Yuri’s face lit up. She rubbed her stomach and asked, “Master, you mean to say...”

Sein shook his head. “I can tell your physical condition at a glance. No life has formed in you yet.”

“In fact, our genetic differences make conception extremely difficult. Only by trying more frequently would there be even a slim chance,” Sein explained.

This also showed how difficult it was for high-ranking lifeforms to produce offspring.

A hint of disappointment clearly flashed across Yuri’s face when she heard this.

Meanwhile, Sein was already thinking about something else.

While it would indeed be difficult for Yuri to bear his child, it was a different story for other women from Magus World, such as Leena, Natalya, Reina, and the others...

Leena and Reina had both already ascended to the law-wielding realm and were at a similar life level to him. The success rate of conceiving offspring with them would be higher.

If Sein supplemented that with other items or potions to increase the success rate, it might just be possible!

He had never found a suitable apprentice to carry on his legacy.

Things could not continue like this forever.

Perhaps having an heir could solve that problem.

In truth, the most suitable partner for Sein to have a child with was one of his wives, Natalya.

Both of them possessed demon bloodlines, so theoretically, their chances of successfully producing offspring should be the highest.

Unfortunately, she was still in a coma.

It seemed he could only try with Leena and the others first once he returned...