Sovereign of the Ashes

Sometimes, the relationship between two adversaries could change in just the blink of an eye.

Moments before, they had been fighting each other, yet now they had become friends.

The skeletal dragon, outwardly only Rank Two but potentially stronger in reality, was thrilled to learn that Leena knew how to return them to the Undead World.

Its excitement was so great that even the two towering plant giants could barely hold it down.

The skeletal dragon was not the only one that would be returning to its homeplane.

Being a considerably powerful creature in the Undead World, it had once ruled over its own territory.

However, several thousand years had passed so it was likely that other undead sovereigns had already claimed its lands.

Creatures of the Undead World were fiercely territorial.

When Sein and his comrades entered the graveyard earlier, they found themselves besieged by an undead horde, led by an undead knight, angered by their intrusion into their domain.

Accustomed to its freedom, the skeletal dragon disliked the idea of serving as a mount for other undead sovereigns but was also equally averse to the thought of aimlessly drifting through the Undead World like a lost ghost.

Given a choice, it would prefer to lead its own band of “minions”, reclaim its territory in the Undead World, and search for golden treasures to decorate its lair.

The undead creatures inhabiting the graveyard differed significantly from the skeletal dragon.

Skeletal dragon, having existed for eons, was a pure creature of the Undead World.

In contrast, the undead creatures within the graveyard were naturally occurring beings after their death, with none older than two thousand years.

Due to the thick necromantic fog in the graveyard, these creatures had evolved naturally.

Due to the innate tendency of the undead to follow the powerful, they had, generation after generation, served the mightiest skeletal dragon here as its loyal subordinates.

Consider the undead knight, for instance, who had existed for more than 1,300 years. The nature of undead creatures enabled them to surpass the typical lifespan limits of Rank One knights and mages in the Magus World, thus making their longevity truly enviable.

Even the recently awakened skeletal dragon could not pinpoint the exact number of the undead creatures in the graveyard but it was estimated between ten to twenty thousand.

Transporting such a huge number back to the Undead World was no minor endeavor.

Leena had begun studying the teleportation array. Before departing, she even requested a substantial quantity of energy crystals from the skeletal dragon.

“Keeping a teleportation passage that can accommodate tens of thousands of undead open is a significant undertaking. You’re not expecting us to cover the cost of the energy crystals, are you?” Leena asked, furrowing her brow.

For some mysterious reasons, Sein could see a hint of reluctance flicker across the dragon’s skeletal face.

After retrieving a considerable stash of energy crystals from a random crypt and noticing Leena’s continued dissatisfaction, the skeletal dragon tentatively asked, “Would soul crystals work?”

Leena rubbed her chin and pondered for a moment before replying, “The energy efficiency of soul crystals isn’t as high as that of energy crystals, but they are still a viable energy source. They should work.”

“Let’s use soul crystals then!” the skeletal dragon exclaimed in relief.

Energy crystals were scarce resources for the skeletal dragon, yet soul crystals were comparatively abundant.

Throughout the past six thousand years, the intermediate and low-level undead creatures within the graveyard had been replaced over time for a few generations.

Given these cycles, one could only imagine the abundance of soul crystals that had been generated, along with several highly coveted soul essences.

In the Undead World, the undead sovereigns often used soul crystals or soul essences as currency for their transactions.

As undead beings, these creatures demonstrated superior efficiency in absorbing soul crystals compared to their flesh and blood counterparts.

Meanwhile, Leena was busy modifying the summoning array. Her deep involvement in this project stemmed from her own pressing needs.

As a black mage wanted by major divine towers and orders of the knights, clearing her name and accompanying Sein to the main continent of the Magus World presented significant challenges.

Even in the Western Archipelago, Leena found herself mostly confined to Blackhaven.

The repercussions of killing knights and mages of equivalent rank in the Magus World were severe, and not easily dismissed by the tower master of any divine towers.

Even if Lorianne were willing to assist Sein with this, she would not only have to merely address this, but this also involved the foundational laws of the entire Magus World and the rules of the divine towers.

After decades in Blackhaven, Leena was acutely aware of the complexity of her situation.

How, then, could she remain with Sein while circumventing the stringent laws of the divine towers?

The emergence of the skeletal dragon from the Undead World offered Leena a better solution.

The Undead World, a significant vassal of the Magus World, boasted laws that were intricately intertwined and harmoniously developed with those of the Magus World.

The power of laws was a domain that only powerhouses of Rank Four and above in the Magus World contemplate; creatures of Rank Four and below rarely, if ever, engage with it.

For the billions of beings below Rank Four, one privilege they could enjoy was being able to summon undead creatures from the Undead World to the Magus Wold easiercompared to other realms.

This convenience arose directly from established laws.

Moreover, representing the supreme overlords of the Undead World, and acting on behalf of its billions of inhabitants, numerous contracts—both equal and unequal—have been signed with the Magus World, facilitating various forms of cooperation.

Within the Magus World, the black mages of Blackhaven indeed experienced considerable suppression and ostracism from the major divine towers and orders of the knights.

However, this influence waned once they left the Magus World.

The black mages of Blackhaven often initiated interplanar wars, targeting distant, weaker planes.

Due to Blackhaven’s limited resources, these conflicts were typically smaller in scale and commitment compared to those orchestrated by conventional divine towers and knightly orders.

Additionally, the black mages of Blackhaven did not prioritize sustainability in their conquests. Their approach typically involved swift invasions, rampant looting, and swift retreats.

Moreover, Blackhaven’s black mages maintained the right to liaise with the other planes affiliated with the Magus Alliance.

The Undead World, with its intrinsic connection to death, held particular appeal for them.

Not only did these black mages often summon creatures from the Undead World, but they also ventured there to gather essential resources.

While the status and authority of Blackhaven’s black mages might not match those of normal mages within the vassal realms of the Magus Alliance, their presence was generally unchallenged by the members of the alliance.

Leena planned to leverage the skeletal dragon and the access it provided to the Undead World to facilitate more frequent interactions with Sein.

If frequent meetings in the Magus World proved challenging, they could rendezvous in the Undead World.

Fortunately, both Sein and Leena excelled in pyro magic and also possessed certain talent in the umbra magic and necromancy.