Sovereign of the Ashes

The clash between the high-level beings had temporarily concluded, shifting the focus to the ensuing battles among intermediate and low-level creatures.

Since the objective of interplanar war was the occupation and suppression of an entire plane, a handful of creatures of Rank Four and above were not sufficient to fully subdue the entire Viridian Venom Flame World.

The primary task of conquering and subduing this plane fell to the legions numbering in the millions.

Despite the participation of fewer than two hundred thousand mages in this interplanar war, the investment in enslaved creatures was several million strong.

For a low-level world like this one, such a force was overwhelming enough.

Following directives from the crystal ball and the space fortress’ voice transmission system, Sein and the other mages approached a large alloy hatch in an orderly fashion.

Complex magic patterns adorned various corners of the hatch.

Even as a full-fledged mage and alchemist, Sein could not fully recognize or understand the function of all these magic patterns.

It was no surprise, as he still had a long journey ahead of him in the realm of Magus World’s alchemy.

As they waited quietly in front of the hatch, a sudden, intense vibration came from all around the space fortress.

Many of the translucent windows had been shielded with special metals, preventing Sein from clearly seeing the situation outside.

He surmised these vibrations were likely a normal response as their fortress descended toward the Viridian Venom Flame World.

In preparation for the interplanar war, Sein had extensively researched related knowledge, especially in Lorianne’s private library, where he discovered profound and typically inaccessible information.

For instance, he learned about the significance of a plane’s navel.

Serving as the origin of life and generation of laws within that world, it stood as the most important area, also housing the planar will, which could materialize and manifest in various forms.

Beyond the navel, some highly developed worlds that had evolved to significant strength and possessed well-established laws might develop additional unique sites. These included the eye, heart and the lungs of the plane.

However, with Viridian Venom Flame World’s strength and overall standard, it likely only had a navel.

“The breach of the planar barrier happened quicker than what was described in the magic tome from Master Lorianne’s private library. Is it because of our overwhelming strength, or is it because of the Viridian Venom Flame World’s inherent weakness?” Sein wondered.

The mages surrounding Sein maintained a silent, solemn demeanor.

Everyone had either a magic rod or other magic item ready in hand.

It was evident that the mages around Sein were all veterans who had participated in multiple interplanar wars in their past.

These seasoned mages displayed neither worry nor fear on their faces. Instead, a few even showed traces of excitement and anticipation.

For them, the interplanar war was undoubtedly a sumptuous feast.

The space fortress experienced violent vibrations and rumblings for nearly three hours.

Once the landing process stabilized, Sein, guided by the announcements through his crystal ball and the sound transmission system, prepared himself for the battles ahead.

“Sein, can you hear me?” A soft, familiar voice appeared in Sein’s mind. He could recognize that it was Lorianne, his mentor.

“This will be your first experience in an interplanar war. It’s just training for you, so don’t take any unnecessary risks. Stick with the main group and absorb everything happening around you. Do you remember the Viridescent Seeds I gave you? Do not hesitate to use them if you find yourself in grave danger! And lastly, I bid you good luck.”

As soon as Lorianne’s voice faded away, the hatch opened with a creak.

A blast of air greeted Sein before the vast expanse of the Viridian Venom Flame World below, painted in hues of black and red.

From outside, the world seemed less imposing compared to the Magus World. Yet, upon entering, Sein realized its immense scale dwarfed his own relatively minor existence as a Rank One creature.

Without any prompting from the crystal ball or the fortress’ voice transmission system, the full-fledged mages around Sein activated their mana and plunged downward from the space fortress.

Sein followed suit after the mages in front of him had left. He approached the hatch, inhaled the unique sulfur-laden air of the Viridian Venom Flame World, and then leaped forward.

***

Below, the creatures of the Viridian Venom Flame World witnessed three massive space fortresses covered the sky before descending into their homeplane.

The imposing fortresses, their surfaces gleaming with a distinct metallic luster, introduced true terror and power to the native inhabitants

The inhabitants watched as a torrent of terrifying entities poured forth from the fortresses, signaling the true commencement of the invasion.

The legions of horrific creatures emerging predominantly comprised enslaved creatures prepared by various divine towers.

The Divine Tower of Verdant Flame had amassed the most significant number of these enslaved creatures, with more than five million within its space fortress alone.

Renowned for its depth and influence, the Divine Tower of Verdant Flame held the capability to replenish its legions of enslaved creatures promptly, should they deplete.

Unlike the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring, which had yet to participate in interplanar warfare, the Divine Tower of Verdant Flame had a history spanning over a hundred thousand years in Magus World.

It possessed not only a rich supply of enslaved creatures from planes governed by the Magus Alliance, but also enjoyed robust relations with the alliance, which was a key source for acquiring high-quality cannon fodder.

Additionally, the Divine Tower of Verdant Flame exerted control over a dozen other planes, enabling Feylis to conscript vast numbers of cannon fodder from these subjugated planes as needed.

In this interplanar war, the Divine Tower of Whispering Flame also made a considerable contribution, preparing nearly three million legions of enslaved creatures.

The Divine Tower of Floating Flame’s contribution was more modest in comparison, with only a million enslaved creatures that had been expended considerably when they were breaching the planar barrier of the Viridian Venom Flame World.

Nevertheless, these legions were the first to clash with the native creatures, delivering the earliest wave of intimidation and oppression.

The sheer size of the three space fortresses, along with the unending stream of vicious, terrifying enslaved creatures pouring from their lower hatches, drew the focus of the Viridian Venom Flame World’s natives.

In contrast, the relatively smaller mages from the Magus Civilization, who flew out from the upper hatches, went unnoticed by the native creatures.