Sovereign of the Ashes

When Sein reached the location shared through the crystal ball, the battle was already in full swing.

Three Rank One mages, with two being male and one female, were battling at the location, supported by over ten various enslaved creatures.

Their opponents were a formidable pair of Rank One Flame Salamanders, accompanied by a dozen lesser salamanders ranging from intermediate-level to quasi-ranked.

Additionally, a group of weaker pyro elemental creatures, likely vassals of these salamanders, were present.

The two male mages relied predominantly on pyro elemental spells, just like Sein, while the female mage utilized hydro elemental spells.

Given the contrasting nature of pyro and hydro elements, she was inflicting the most damage on the pyro elemental creatures.

Sein did not recognize any of these mages, so he saw no need to greet them.

In these interplanar wars, apart from the generous subsidy provided by the divine towers, the loot collected during battles was also a significant source of income.

In fact, the flesh, scales, and crystal cores of those two Rank One Flame Salamanders promised considerable profit.

Not only that, the two Flame Salamanders and other pyro elemental creatures appeared to be guarding the molten lava pool, and the area was pulsating with intense pyro elemental energy. This suggested the presence of unique pyro resources or even a pyro-attribute crystal mine below.

Pyro elemental creatures in poorly developed civilizations like this preferred to dwell near energy crystal veins or places housing rare treasures.

The other mages and Sein naturally recognized the potential value of these Flame Salamanders and the resources these creatures were trying to guard.

Sein, already aware of the reduced efficacy of pyro elemental spells against these creatures, chose to use lumen magic spells.

His signature spell, the Solar Eye, gradually took form as he rapidly chanted.

The six golden eyes, now more radiant than during his time as a magic initiate, reflected his improved mental focus and mana. Although the spell model remained largely unchanged, its potency had increased by at least thirty percent!

“If I had more time to spare and after promoting to Rank One, I could have significantly enhanced the Solar Eye spell, increasing both its quantity and overall power. But for now, this spell is more than sufficient,” he thought as his Solar Eye spell was formed.

Six brilliant beams of golden light swiftly sliced through the sweltering air, their effectiveness against the pyro elemental creatures far surpassing that of regular pyro elemental spells.

The mages in the Divine Tower of Verdant Flame, Whispering Flame and Floating Flame, primarily practiced pyro elemental spells. This was made quite obvious by the names of these divine towers.

Most full-fledged mages opted to join a divine tower that was aligned with their elemental affinity and personal needs.

For instance, at the Divine Tower of Verdant Flame, full-fledged mages specializing in pyro magic could access a more extensive range of relevant books and resources at a reduced cost. This often led to an imbalanced distribution of elementalists within the tower, with a significant concentration in pyro magic.

Sein’s swift deployment of his Solar Eye magic significantly altered the dynamics of the battle. As the six radiant beams manifested, they immediately targeted the smaller of the two Rank One Flame Salamanders immersed in the lava pool.

Despite the salamanders’ repeated attempts to dive deeper into the lava for escape, they were effectively thwarted by the hydro elemental spell unleashed by the female mage.

The potency of Sein’s Solar Eye spell, renowned for its impressive single-attack capability at Rank One, became evident as it struck the Flame Salamander.

The creature’s chest and abdomen bore the brunt of the attack, with six distinct, bleeding wounds exacerbating its existing injuries.

Unfortunately for them, Sein’s Solar Eye spell was not limited to a single round of assault.

The moment Sein would finish releasing all thirty-six beams of his Solar Eye spell, the outcome of this battle would be determined.

Even with their superior strength as Rank One creatures, they stood no chance against four Rank One mages from the Magus World.

As Sein unleashed the fourth round of his Solar Eye spell, two more full-fledged mages arrived on the scene...

Although the resilience of a Rank One creature significantly surpassed that of creatures below Rank One, there was still a limit to it.

Before an hour had passed, the two Flame Salamanders in the molten lava pond had been pretty much beaten to a pulp.

Sein had anticipated his first Rank One encounter to be a fierce and balanced clash.

To his astonishment, this turned into a one-sided battle, with a group of mages ganging up on the weaker creatures. It made him realize that this was a typical strategy employed in the Magus Civilization’s external conflicts.

The Magus Civilization boasted a notably higher birth rate of creatures above Rank One compared to lesser, weaker civilizations. This superiority was a product of their millennia of development, which has culminated in a remarkably powerful civilization.

Considering the advanced status of the Magus Civilization, any struggle to conquer a lesser world would seem disproportionate. If the Magus Civilization were to find itself evenly matched with a small plane, it would become a laughing stock of the other large and medium-sized civilizations.

Such a display of weakness would be at odds with the powerful and intimidating image the Magus Civilization had cultivated. After all, this image was essential for maintaining its influence and control over thousands of allied planes.

At the conclusion of the battle, seven Rank One mages, including Sein, stood victorious.

The two Rank One Flame Salamanders and their lesser kin had been wiped out, along with the other pyro elemental creatures that were below Rank One.

Aside from one mage who suffered a minor arm injury, the rest, including Sein, emerged nearly unscathed.

The loss of a handful of enslaved creatures at the beginning of the battle went largely unnoticed.

The mages present, aside from Sein, appeared to be Rank One mages from the Divine Tower of Verdant Flame and appeared to be well-acquainted with each other.

Mages were typically known for their sensibility and reason, and this occasion was no different. No one quarreled over the distribution of the two Rank One Flame Salamanders.

Sein’s contribution earned him half the scale armor, an eyeball, and the heart of one of the Flame Salamanders. It was a share he found satisfactory.

The distribution was handled by Luna, the Rank One mage who specialized in hydro elemental spells.

“Are you a mage from the Divine Tower of Floating Flame?” Luna asked casually.

It was normal for her to assume that after seeing Sein’s exceptional use of a lumen magic spell.[1]

“No, I’m with the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring,” Sein replied, as he carefully preserved the heart and eyeball of the defeated Rank One Flame Salamander in his specially formulated yellow embalming fluid.

1. Translator’s Note: The literal translation of Divine Tower of Floating Flame is actually “Divine Tower of Floating Light Flame”. Since flame is luminous, I removed “Light” to improve reading experience. That part of the name is actually why Luna inferred that mages skilled with lumen spells would likely be from Divine Tower of Floating Flame. ☜