Sovereign of the Ashes

Pew! Pew! Pew!

The barrage of intense energy beams shot down the enslaved creatures that were surging toward the mountain ridge, causing them to fall in waves.

Even the mages positioned behind them were not spared the brunt of the assault.

The limitations of relying solely on mage forces in the Viridian Venom Flame World became increasingly apparent as the war dragged on.

Under normal circumstances, it was usually the knight legions that followed behind the enslaved creatures, not the mages.

Had there been a contingent of over twenty knights charging at this fort alongside Sein and the few mages, the scenario might have been drastically different.

Knights, with their robust physiques and the power of their battle qi, could potentially breach the fort’s defenses in a single concerted charge.

Sein and his fellow mages would not have found themselves in a precarious situation—too close to retreat yet unable to advance due to the overwhelming firepower.

Although Sein had seen considerable improvement in his constitution through the Verdant Flame Body Tempering technique, he was far from matching a knight of equivalent rank in resilience.

Achieving an elemental body with resilience comparable to that of a knight, just like Master Gregory did, would require sustained effort and time.

Moreover, even if Sein’s physique were on par with that of a Rank One knight, he would never risk himself taking the lead in an assault like this!

Confronted with such formidable firepower, even a knight would hesitate without the support of their comrades.

In such circumstances, solo acts of bravery would be tantamount to suicide against the fortifications of Neisse Civilization.

Even the powerful Rank Two female mage, who had initially made significant progress toward the fort, found herself struggling to advance further due to the silver fort’s direct onslaught.

Sein also noticed that she had to resort to activating her elemental body, which shimmered in vivid yellow, while dodging the onslaught.

Although the energy rays from the Neisse Civilization were seen staggering her elemental form, she adeptly evaded the most lethal zones of fire, and saved herself.

Rumble!

Amidst this chaos, Sein found himself against a mountain wall, with a sea of molten lava below and the relentless silver fort above, discharging its deadly rays.

In just a few moments, most of the enslaved creatures that had accompanied them were swiftly decimated.

The harsh realities of interplanar warfare and the fleeting nature of life were starkly apparent in this moment.

A close call with an energy ray left Sein with a slight wound on his cheek.

It punctured his magic shield in an instant, then whizzed past him.

Even the skilled Rank Two female mage found advancing under such intense fire impossible.

Despite the peril, Sein himself remained relatively unscathed.

However, as Sein gazed at the silver fort that was still firing energy beams above them, his face turned grim.

“Let’s prepare to withdraw. This fort’s difficulty exceeds our capabilities, unless I summon reinforcements.” The voice of the Rank Two female mage came through the crystal ball.

She had initially led the charge, vowing to breach the fort’s defenses.

Yet, now, she was also the first to suggest retreating in search of other opportunities.

Some mages might find her actions laughable, but Sein saw wisdom in her decision.

Persisting in a futile endeavor was folly, not bravery.

Sein would have retreated on his own without waiting for her signal.

Regretful sighs from other mages echoed through the crystal ball.

Although everyone was disappointed, none had the audacity to advance under such dire circumstances.

Mages were known for their intellect and rationale. Everyone understood that it was impossible to breach the formidable silver fort with just a little over ten of them.

Sein, too, was ready to withdraw. However, a realization struck him when he looked at the silver fort above them and the space fortress in the distance.

“I believe we can persist a bit longer,” he communicated over the crystal ball.

Silence followed, possibly due to unfamiliarity among the mages in their group or anticipation of a concrete strategy from Sein, lest they proceed blindly.

Sein had a plan. Noticing the inquisitive gaze of the Rank Two female mage that was standing not too far away from him, he asserted, “I can request for fire support from the space fortress. With the fortress’ firepower...”

“With the fortress’ firepower and my Elemental Fire Lotus, we can penetrate this silver fort!” The Rank Two female mage completed Sein’s sentence for him.

“Can you really request help from the space fortress?” The Rank Two mage asked.

Her skepticism was not rooted in distrust of Sein but in the immense effort required to unleash her precious Elemental Fire Lotus spell.

This spell, combining three elemental energies, was costly both in terms of mental focus and rare magic ingredients

As a Rank Two mage with limited resources, she could not afford to deploy such a powerful spell recklessly in battle.

Moreover, her recent success in creating a crack in the fort’s defenses had surely alerted the engineers from Neisse Civilization.

Underestimating the enemy was a mistake she refused to make.

She had borne the brunt of the fort’s attacks more than it appeared, forcing her to activate her elemental body.

“I’m pretty sure I can,” Sein confidently replied.

***

The intensity of resistance from the Neisse Civilization’s engineers within the Blue Fiery Trench had surpassed expectations.

The combination of a formidable mecha army and strategically placed silver forts across the regions presented significant challenges to the advancing Magus Civilization Army.

In response, the command center in the space fortress deliberated deploying the remaining mage formation of ten thousand-strong to the frontline, while also considering reactivating the space fortress to assert control over the battlefield.

Within the fortress’ firepower control center, Selphy, the Rank One mage, took command of fifteen magic cannons positioned on the western flank of the space fortress.

A call to consolidate their firepower had been issued. At the same time, Selphy also received a message from Sein.