Sovereign of the Ashes

After Bernice triumphantly returned to the space fortress with the remains of the silver mecha with combat capabilities akin to a Rank Four being, Sein sensed a notable easing in the atmosphere for the remainder of the war.

The native pyro elemental creatures of the Viridian Venom Flame World had long lost the capacity to mount any substantial resistance.

Moreover, during his subsequent mission, Sein observed that the Neisse Civilization’s mecha armies appeared to crumble at the slightest challenge.

Similarly, the defensive prowess of the Neisse Civilization’s constructed forts, situated either on the surface or in the depths of the lava sea, had significantly weakened. This diminished strength was starkly evident compared to those Sein had previously faced.

This suggested either a complete breakdown in the morale of the Neisse Civilization creatures or a substantial depletion of their energy reserves within the Viridian Venom Flame World.

Sein surmised that it could possibly be a combination of both factors.

***

Another year and a half had passed...

Ever since Bernice returned to the space fortress, Sein had not seen her fight on the battlefield again.

The towering silver mecha, standing a thousand meters tall within the space fortress, drew much attention.

Bernice, alongside the mages from the Divine Tower of Floating Flame, welcomed other mages to closely examine the imposing construct.

Sein, too, flew near the silver mecha’s neck, hoping to gain some insights from it.

Yet, like many of his peers, Sein’s effort was to no avail. He found the mecha’s complexity beyond his current scope of understanding, even as an alchemist.

While he could decipher the basic energy circuits and access points of Neisse Civilization’s lower-tier constructs, the complex internal circuitry of this colossal silver mecha eluded him.

Sein was unable to determine the composition of its silver exterior, suspecting it to be a type of metal alloy with which he was not familiar.

During his examination, Sein was reminded of the smaller, pink mecha in his space bangle.

It was probably also one of his most valuable trophies from the battlefield of the Viridian Venom Flame World.

Sein was uncertain about the possibility of its repair, but combining it with the engineer he had captured could potentially enhance its value.

As an alchemist, Sein was rather interested in these man-made constructs, despite his limited knowledge of the Neisse Civilization’s mechas.

He saw this pursuit of knowledge as part of an alchemist’s journey of self-improvement.

“Soul Enslavement magic has existed in the Magus World for a long time. When this war is over, I’ll read up on it in the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring’s library. Maybe Master Lorianne’s private library has some useful materials on this topic too,” Sein mused while rubbing his chin.

The engineer Sein had captured was the reason behind his motivation to learn more about the Soul Enslavement magic.

While piloting the pink mecha, the engineer wielded strength that was equivalent to a peak Rank One or even Rank Two mage.

Furthermore, her capabilities extended beyond simply controlling a single mecha.

Sein initially planned to dissect the engineer for research, but he had already studied quite a number of ordinary creatures from the Neisse Civilization.

Although he was still curious about the engineer, he now recognized the value of preserving her life.

Keeping the engineer alive meant he could research deeper into Neisse Civilization’s engineering and technology knowledge through her.

Sein had heard about the mechanics from the Steel City longing to uncover the Neisse Civilization’s technological secrets.

While primarily an elementalist, Sein’s designation did nothing to deter him from exploring this new avenue of knowledge from the perspective of an alchemist and an unraveler of truths.

***

In the wake of a comparatively tranquil period in the war, there were fewer outbound combat missions.

Sein decided to submit a transfer request to the Divine Tower of Floating Flame’s space fortress as a mage from the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring, seeking reassignment from the current war zone.

Thankfully, the commander of the space fortress demonstrated commendable consideration, and approved Sein’s transfer request within just a week.

Sein was not the only one who would be leaving. He was part of a contingent of hundreds of mages from the Divine Tower of Verdant Flame, tasked with the delivery of military supplies back to their home fortress.

Among them was Sein’s senior, Selphy.

“Sein, why the rush to head back to the main fortress? The situation here has significantly calmed, making it a lot safer,” Selphy asked curiously.

Both Sein and Selphy did not inform each other about their imminent departure from this war zone before this.

Sein had intended to inform Selphy of his departure upon approval of his transfer but was taken aback to discover that Selphy had also applied for a transfer.

Hence, they were surprised to see each other’s name on the mission list.

“Well, my belongings and magic beast companion, which has recently advanced to Rank One, are still at the main fortress. Plus, with my mentor stationed there, it’s only fitting I serve in that zone as her apprentice. It has nothing much to do with the danger level here,” Sein explained.

Selphy’s smile widened at Sein’s explanation. “I didn’t know you had a ranked magic beast companion. Is it your familiar? I’d love to meet it.”

“I’m heading back to the home fortress mainly because that’s where my mentor and most of my seniors are. Now that the situation here is under control, it’s time I rejoin them,” she shared.

Selphy’s mentor was Master Andres, one of the deans at the Divine Tower of Verdant Flame.

Sein shook his head in response to Selphy’s question and said, “Sev isn’t exactly my familiar, but the bond we share is as strong as that. Once we’re back, I’ll make sure you two meet.”

“I’ll look forward to it.” Selphy’s eyes crinkled up with her smile.

***

Deep within a trench located in the southern part of the central lava sea in the Viridian Venom Flame World...

Amidst the hot rolling waves, a several-meters-tall pyro elemental creature with the appearance of a huge prawn led a group of other pyro elemental creatures into a grand shrine at the bottom of the trench.

This peculiar looking creature was the current guardian of the Viridian Venom Flame World.

The Magus Civilization Army had placed a bounty amounting to nearly fifty thousand magicoins on it, making it a highly sought-after target among all the Rank Three grand mages participating in the war.

Despite nearly five years since the onset of the war in the Viridian Venom Flame World, this guardian had successfully avoided detection and capture by the Magus Civilization Army.