Sovereign of the Ashes

Meanwhile in the perilous Death Valley of the Undead World...

A deathly cloud loomed overhead, a manifestation of the concentrated deathly power and necromantic elements pervading the area.

For the creatures of the Undead World, this valley was the ideal sanctuary for dwelling and resting.

In the past, the Death Valley was dominated by a Peak Rank Two Specter Knight.

However, two years ago, the valley witnessed a change of rulers.

The formidable newcomer not only vanquished the Specter Knight but also led an army of twenty thousand undead creatures, annihilating nearly sixty percent of the valley’s undead inhabitants.

This onslaught resulted in over a hundred thousand undead creatures being buried here, significantly intensifying the concentration of necromantic elements—more so than in any prior decade.

To dominate and to be dominated were common in the expansive realms of the Undead World.

While the majority of the undead creatures preferred to slumber in their tombs, there were always exceptions.

The recent upheaval in the Death Valley, though significant, was minor compared to the broader scope of the Undead World.

A battle involving around only a hundred thousand undead creatures was considered merely a small skirmish.

In contrast, when conflicts involved the divine beings of Rank Four or above, the scale and devastation would be unimaginable, with casualties potentially reaching into the billions.[1]

In the heart of the valley, Sanchez the skeletal dragon sprawled across a clearing where the necromantic energy was most potent, snoring softly.

Two years earlier, it had led its undead legions to claim this Death Valley as its first territorial conquest upon returning to the Undead World.

To Sanchez, conquering the valley was not an end but merely the beginning.

Once restored to its optimal condition, the skeletal dragon planned to continue expanding its territory until it ascended to demigod status.

Suddenly, a subtle shift in elemental energies interrupted Sanchez’s slumber.

As its hollow eye sockets flared to life, hundreds of light blue flames, each the size of a palm, flew toward it and vanished into its nostrils.

These blue flames known as soul flames were vital to the beings of the Undead World, with each flame encapsulating the life of an undead creature.

The ceaseless strife in the Undead World often revolved around the capture of these soul flames.

The weakest of the undead offered up a wisp of their soul flame to the undead sovereign as a sincerest gesture of submission.

In the Undead World, soul flame was a replenishable resource, akin to the constant birth of new lives in the Magus World.

Some soul flames arose from deep within the ground, igniting cold skeletons, potentially marking the rise of a new undead creature.

A deep inhalation of the soul flames filled Sanchez with a comforting warmth. Yet, the skeletal dragon soon detected a peculiar elemental disturbance.

“What are those two little mages from the Magus World up to? Are they whispering sweet nothings to each other through my finger bones?” it grumbled.

“Tsk... They live on the same plane, yet resort to interplanar communication... They must be loaded.”

The skeletal dragon’s remarks went unheard as it remained the sole occupant of the valley.

Soon after, Sanchez detected a distinct surge of necromantic energy emanating from the heart of the valley.

The sudden sound of hooves shattered the silence, resonating through the air.

Approaching on a white skeletal warhorse, an undead knight rode into view. Halting before Sanchez, it respectfully inquired, “My lord, shall we resume our expansion?”

This undead knight was none other than the one who had previously clashed with Sein in a subspace secret realm.

Years had passed since their last encounter, and it was now teetering on the brink of advancing from the peak of Rank One to Rank Two.

His mount, cloaked in a layer of icy veneer, exhaled breaths laced with frost.

“After absorbing nearly half of that Specter Knight’s soul flame, you’ve certainly gained strength,” Sanchez commented after briefly observing the undead knight.

Heaving itself up, Sanchez swung its giant, skeletal tail with vigor.

“Since they’ve already woken me up, I guess it’s time to move my body after sleeping for more than a year... Let’s pay a visit to our neighbors first,” Sanchez suggested.

With that, Sanchez unleashed waves of necromantic energy and soul intimidation that swept across the valley.

This call roused nearly one hundred thousand of its minions. Among them were numerous undead creatures who had achieved Rank One.

Even so, Sanchez was even more formidable! The aura it emitted clearly indicated his ascent to the mid-stage of Rank Three.

It must have held its strength back in the graveyard of the realm, because no matter how fast its growth, it could not have become this powerful so quickly.

Mid-stage Rank Three was hardly the ceiling for his potential; the skeletal dragon, trapped in the secret realm of the Knight Continent for centuries, harbored even greater ambitions.

A chilling light burst forth from Sanchez’s eye sockets.

Under his leadership, the undead creatures of the Death Valley continued their expedition beyond their familiar borders.

***

Sein’s long-distance communication with Leena lasted for three days.

Contrary to Sanchez’s remark, they did not spend the entire time whispering sweet nothings to each other.

On the first day, Sein and Leena did exchange a few affectionate words, but the conversation soon shifted to more scholarly topics.

Over the next two days, they delved deeply into their research on interplanar summoning arrays.

During this exchange, Leena explained her research progress in detail to Sein.

In return, Sein shared the summoning knowledge he had acquired in the Summoner Alliance, pouring a wealth of information into Leena’s eager mind.

While Leena’s immediate grasp of the information was limited, this transfer of knowledge provided her with a substantial foundation to build upon at her own pace.

The resources and mental focus required for such long-distance communication were significant.

The strain prevented Sein and Leena from sustaining their discussions for a more extended period.

After their communication ended, Sein reclined in a chair in his laboratory, feeling physically and mentally depleted.

Yuri, familiar with the equipment in the laboratory, assisted Sein with finalizing his experiment.

Meanwhile, Azelia, the fox maiden Sein had recently taken under his wing, quietly massaged his shoulders.

Sein had to admit that her skills in this area surpassed those of Yuri and Elisa.

Nevertheless, Yuri was indispensable in assisting with experiments, and Elisa was tasked with simpler duties like cleaning the laboratory—beyond just looking pretty.

Though frail in appearance, the fox maiden excelled at giving a massage and taking care of others, suggesting that perhaps House Jobbs had specifically trained her in these skills.

Under her soothing touch, Sein’s tension melted away, and he gradually drifted off to sleep.

Given his recent grueling experimental schedule, it had been a long time since he last slept.

As Sein began to snore softly, Yuri made a silent gesture to the fox maiden, motioning her to leave the laboratory quietly.

Being lower than Rank One in life level, the fox maiden complied without question.

In Sein’s laboratory, the hierarchy was clear—Sein commanded the highest respect, followed by Yuri and Elisa. This meant all of them were positioned to give orders to the newly arrived fox maiden.

The fox maiden obediently exited the room. However, Yuri stayed behind.

She watched Sein, her cheeks tinged with pink and her eyes shimmering with unspoken thoughts.

After a moment of hesitation, she slowly approached Sein.

1. Author’s Note: The wars among the gods in the Undead World can also be perceived as strategic military exercises conducted periodically to identify the elite undead. This is crucial since the ruling civilization of the Undead World, the Magus World, relies heavily on vast legions of expendable troops to assert its dominance over neighboring star domains. Should the undead legions fall short in quality, the higher echelons of the Magus World would not hesitate to exert pressure on the gods of the Undead World, including its overlord master. ☜