Sovereign of the Ashes

Sein followed Lorianne and approached the Fire-Breathing Dragon King.

In contrast to the dragon’s immense size, stretching tens of meters, Sein and Lorianne, each under two meters tall, seemed minuscule.

Yet, it was these two seemingly insignificant human mages from the Magus World who compelled the Fire-Breathing Dragon King to simmer in silent fury, enduring the humiliating treatment usually reserved for enslaved captives.

Lorianne flew toward a specific spot on the dragon’s neck with Sein following behind her, then examined it closely before pointing at a large crimson scale.

“This spot will do for today,” she decided.

The chosen scale was over half a meter wide. According to Lorianne, it could expand to a colossal size of several hundred meters wide when the dragon was in its combat form.

A verdant green elemental hand materialized in front of her. Under the dragon’s resentful gaze, it pried off the scale, causing a pained grunt from it as blood began to flow out of the wound.

Lorianne had a vessel ready to collect the dragon blood.

“This amount of blood is more than enough for you to temper your body. Be careful when you’re using it. The blood of a demigod is potent, so make sure you don’t hurt yourself,” she warned Sein.

Sein nodded. Observing the discarded scale, he commented, “Even the scale of this peak Rank Three creature is a rare treasure. I bet I can use it in my alchemy experiments...”

“Feel free to take as many scales as you need along with the dragon blood. This demigod-level creature is more resilient than you think. It won’t succumb easily,” Lorianne offered generously.

“Oh, right. This is for you as well. It was formed through Gregory’s efforts when he was tempering his body in the Viridian Venom Flame World. It should prove beneficial,” she added, presenting Sein with a turquoise green crystal.

The crystal was exceptionally large and unique, spanning over two meters in width.

When Sein laid eyes upon the crystal, he was dazzled. The verdant flame energy on its surface resonated with the verdant flame factors in Sein’s body.

The Verdant Flame Crystal intrigued Sein more than the demigod-level dragon blood.

While Sein remained uncertain of the dragon blood’s body tempering effect, the Verdant Flame Crystal sparked his desire for further exploration and research.

It was a crystal formed with the elemental power of a Rank Five being, leaving Sein awestruck as he recalled the formidable physique and strength Master Gregory had demonstrated during the interplanar war.

For someone of Sein’s caliber, it was the ultimate form of elemental energy.

Although Grandmaster Feylis was even more powerful, Sein had little knowledge of her true capabilities, having never witnessed her in combat.

After acquiring the dragon blood and the Verdant Flame Crystal, Lorianne led Sein higher into the divine tower.

This time, there were no gifts. Lorianne understood that spoiling Sein too much would hinder his growth instead.

Having progressed from a lower-ranking mage herself, she knew the importance of moderation in guidance.

As they ascended, Lorianne introduced to Sein her collection and some of the laboratory equipment.

Rather than bragging, she was actually trying to broaden Sein’s horizons.

Being mentored by a Rank Four mage, Sein was privy to knowledge and experiences rare for Rank One or even Rank Two mages.

In a way, Lorianne was granting him access to intellectual riches.

After exploring Lorianne’s extensive laboratories, Sein grew curious about the scope of her experiments and inquired, “Master Lorianne, could you tell me more about that world laboratory you mentioned before?”

Lorianne paused momentarily before responding, “The world laboratory is among my proudest experimental ventures. It’s the most advanced mystery of truth I’m delving into. As my apprentice, you’re entitled to some insight.”

“Follow me. The world laboratory is on the divine tower’s highest floor, where my biggest laboratory is situated,” Lorianne told Sein.

Upon reaching the highest floor of the divine tower, they entered a semi-open space capped with an elemental barrier.

Though termed a laboratory, it struck Sein more as an immense, boundless, verdant, and lush garden.

The elemental barrier acting as the laboratory’s roof seemed to conceal further enigmas.

After staring at the elemental barrier for a long time, Sein thought it seemed rather familiar.

“Heh, did you notice it too?” Lorianne chuckled. She had been quietly observing Sein.

Sein appeared thoughtful. He had a hunch about it, but he was not quite sure about his speculation.

“That barrier... it reminds me of a planar barrier,” Sein ventured, with a hint of uncertainty.

“Exactly. It’s inspired by the planar barrier of a complete plane. This barrier helps the life forms within to better acclimate to their surroundings,” Lorianne explained.

“Moreover, it allows me to adjust the fundamental particles and elemental concentrations in the world laboratory so that I can influence the evolutionary trajectory and pace of the living beings inside!” Her voice went a few notes higher, betraying her excitement.

Though Lorianne remained composed, Sein detected a fervor in her eyes, the sort mages display when discussing the core of their studies.

Without a doubt, the world laboratory stood as Lorianne’s magnum opus.

Here, she wielded control over life, akin to a goddess!

Upon their entry, the plant creatures within this “artificial planar barrier” took notice.

They murmured softly, akin to a babbling infant, and displayed gestures of reverence.

These creatures had extremely adorable appearances, and they definitely reminded Sein of the activator fairies he had read about before in books.

“Master Lorianne, have you achieved the power to create a world?” Sein asked, awestruck.

Lorianne burst out laughing upon hearing his question.

“Hardly! The world laboratory currently sustains only fewer than three hundred thousand plant creatures. It still can’t sustain other types of creatures. So, it’s far from being a complete plane governed by well-established laws. I still have a lot to work on, but for the time being, it’s good enough for basic experimental purposes.”

“Do you remember the legion of two hundred thousand plant creatures we deployed during the Viridian Venom Flame World war? Their seeds were cultivated here,” Lorianne explained proudly.