Sovereign of the Ashes

Buzz!

A soul-stirring vibration abruptly filled the air.

The azure space-time portal before Sein’s eyes morphed into an endless passage.

This experience reminded Sein of his journey to the Sand World, particularly the moment when he passed through the portal to reach that world.

The discomfort and soul-tearing pain he had previously experienced were now significantly less intense, though still noticeable.

Had Sein not been through a similar ordeal before, he might have overlooked this anomaly.

He could not help but marvel, “Has the space fortress, a masterpiece of the Magus World’s alchemy, been perfected to such an extent in every aspect? Even the disorientating effects of time-space travel seem to be minimized significantly.”

“But then again, it might also be that my promotion to Rank One mage has significantly strengthened both my constitution and mental focus, making this form of travel less strenuous for me,” he mused.

The travel time within the spatial passage felt brief to Sein, seemingly lasting only a month from the moment they entered the azure portal.

Yet, upon emerging at the other end, a message from the Divine Tower of Verdant Flame announced that a year had elapsed in the Materia Astral Realm!

“We are approaching Battle Zone Two on the outskirts of the Neisse Star Domain. Sporadic battles may occur. Please remain calm and stand by in your designated zones,” a calm voice from the space fortress’ main control room instructed, reaching all the full-fledged mages.

It was Master Andres who delivered this announcement.

After another jarring shift, the space fortress emerged from the spatial passage.

As Sein looked out from his room, the vista that unfolded was a star domain alive with numerous stars and intermittent flashes of explosions deep in the starry expanse.

Unlike the “serene order” of the Magus Star Domain, it was visibly more chaotic.

In the distance, a fiery explosion erupted amidst the endless darkness.

Meanwhile, countless metal ruins and debris near the fortress floated into Sein’s view.

Most of these remnants, glowing bluish-white, were unfamiliar to Sein.

However, among the ruins and debris scattered around, Sein recognized a few familiar items crafted by the alchemy of the Magus World.

For instance, he spotted half of a war airship, now scrapped, near a shattered meteorite.

“The war seems quite intense. This is the outskirts of the Neisse Star Domain. If most of the Neisse Star Domain has been occupied by the Magus Civilization as Master Lorianne had said, then this is likely the last desperate resistance of the Neisse Civilization.

“Could this be the smaller half of the Neisse Star Domain that had yet to fall under the Magus Civilization’s control?” Sein wondered internally.

His speculation, as it turned out, was not far from the truth.

As a magus adept in observation and analysis, Sein had correctly surmised that this star domain was indeed the last stronghold of the Neisse Civilization.

Following the trail of frequent explosions and fires, one could reach a large plane known as the Neisse World in about half a year.

That was where the most intense battle between the overlords was taking place.

Grandmaster Feylis the Verdant Flame had mentioned her limited involvement in the Viridian Venom Flame World war.

This restraint was part of a benefit exchange with the Pyro Secret Society.

Feylis, a powerful Rank Six mage, had committed herself to the war in a medium-sized plane adjacent to the Neisse World. Her mission was to assist the Pyro Secret Society in gaining full control of this plane.

The Viridian Venom Flame World, where Sein and his companions were headed, lay on the opposite side of the Neisse World and on the outskirts of the Neisse Star Domain.

Ever since the Magus Civilization completely surrounded the Neisse Star Domain, severing its communication with other civilizations, the Viridian Venom Flame World had been living in constant apprehension.

Anridar the Venom Flame Demon King, a Rank Five creature in the Viridian Venom Flame World, had repeatedly surrendered to the Magus World, expressing its willingness to join the Magus Alliance despite the high cost involved.

Rather than letting it become part of the Magus Alliance and subjecting the plane to a slower, more insidious form of exploitation by the Magus Civilization, Feylis the Verdant Flame preferred a more direct approach.

The Rank Six mage aimed to swiftly exploit the Viridian Venom Flame World to its fullest, extracting every last bit of its value.

Rumors had circulated within the space fortress about the possibility of sporadic battles nearby.

Yet, until the three space fortresses carrying Sein and the others departed from the interstellar teleportation array and reached the vicinity of the Viridian Venom Flame World half a month later, they had not encountered any battles up close.

This left Sein, who harbored a curiosity about the Neisse Civilization, feeling somewhat disappointed.

“I’ve heard that the Neisse Civilization’s main force is an army of constructs. I wonder how unique and special they are,” Sein mused to himself.

The Viridian Venom Flame World was a fiery low-level plane, characterized by its many green venom flames that were visible from the Astral Realm.

In comparison to the grandeur and vastness of the Magus World, it was significantly smaller.

From the vantage point of the space fortress, Sein could clearly see almost the entire Viridian Venom Flame World.

As Grandmaster had revealed during the faction’s gathering, the plane consisted of just two continents separated by a sea of crimson lava.

Its total area was only slightly larger than the Viridescent Land under the influence of the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring in the Magus World.

If he were to draw a comparison, then the Viridian Venom Flame World was akin to a mere grain in size compared to the vast expanse of the Magus World.

Anridar the Venom Flame Demon King was the only creature above Rank Four in this world.

This scarcity indicated that the plane’s overall strength and potential were limited.

Had the Viridian Venom Flame World not been rich in resources essential to the Verdant Flame faction, it might have escaped the notice of the Feylis altogether.

The three massive space fortresses, now hovering beyond the Viridian Venom Flame World, exerted immense pressure on this low-level plane, a place of constant fiery eruptions and bursting lava bubbles.

Anridar the Venom Flame Demon King, acutely aware of its surroundings, felt an almost suffocating pressure as soon as the fortresses appeared.