Sovereign of the Ashes

The native creatures of the Thunderfall World extended far beyond the blue-skinned Garths.

Although Garths were the predominant species, the Thunderfall World, with its unique environmental laws, nurtured a plethora of other bizarre creatures.

These native beings were primarily electro elemental creatures; however, a few rare species also existed.

At this moment, Sein was pursuing a small creature resembling a three-winged chicken, darting swiftly through the marsh.

Despite its modest life level—only comparable to a high-level magic beast—its speed was remarkable.

A hidden sheen of electric light flickered beneath its mud-coated wings.

Sein could tell that the creature was considerably intelligent and deduced it was likely stationed here to monitor the Thunder Marsh camp.

Other native creatures of the Thunderfall World, like this small creature, still concealed themselves within the Thunder Marsh.

Among them were those of Rank One or Rank Two life levels.

The chase was brief; before the overwhelming disparity in power, the small “chicken” was soon captured alive by Sein’s Verdant Fiery Hand spell.

Despite its rapid escape attempt earlier, the creature revealed a ferocious, bloodthirsty nature once in Sein’s grasp.

Less than half a meter in size, it thrashed violently within Sein’s verdant flame hand.

The searing pain of the verdant flames, rather than subduing it, only fueled its fierce resistance.

Screech! Screech!

The shrill, piercing cry continued to ring out amidst the flames. Sein was uncertain whether it was a call for help to its nearby companions or merely an outburst of despair.

In the Astral Realm, the majority of creatures developed the ability to communicate through mental focus upon reaching Rank One.

Although this small creature was not capable of speech yet, Sein detected its intense mental fluctuations which could probably be interpreted as a barrage of unspoken curses.

A soul seal materialized in Sein’s hand, and without hesitation, he implanted it into the creature’s mind, attempting to enslave its soul.

BOOM!

The “chicken’s” brain exploded with a loud bang, splattering red and white substances—possibly brain matter—onto Sein’s verdant flame shield.

“Such a violent personality... It would rather die than submit?” Sein pondered aloud, frowning slightly as he gazed at the lifeless body cradled in the pyro elemental hand before him.

“Is this trait unique, or is it typical of most electro elemental beings in this world?” he mused.

Soon after, a surge of spatial power appeared around Sein.

Yuri materialized beside him in her construct, accompanied by four Sea Lizards, their faces lit up with excitement and their eyes gleaming with a chilling light.

“Capture every living creature you see. I prefer them alive, but if they resist, bring me their corpses,” Sein commanded.

“And this is for you guys!” he added, tossing the charred body in his elemental grasp to the Sea Lizards.

After a frenzied scramble, the remains of the native Thunderfall World creature were divided cleanly among the four Sea Lizards.

Half of it ended up in the belly of their leader, Heisse.

***

As Sein entered Thunder Marsh, a flurry of battles and casualties quickly erupted around him.

In any world, creatures of Rank One and above represented a powerful minority within the population.

Thunder Marsh was vast, and Rank One native creatures definitely lurked within. However, it was not easy to encounter one.

Outside of the main battlefield, where hostile Rank One creatures might gather, it was actually the creatures below Rank One that caused more trouble in these peripheral combat zones.

If the Order of the Steel Fist allowed a substantial number of Rank One enemies to breach the frontline and penetrate the undefended rear areas, then the order should consider disbanding, and the Rank Two and Rank Three mages in the operations command center should resign immediately.

The Order of the Steel Fist had long harbored suspicions of a hidden underground space beneath Thunder Marsh because of the relentless incursions by small legions of native Rank One and above creatures into the areas surrounding the Thunder Marsh camp.

The underground space that allowed hidden access must have been limited in size; otherwise, the conflicts that previously erupted here would not have been minor skirmishes but large-scale melees.

Thunder Marsh was vast, and only a few knights were stationed here permanently; each patrolling distinct areas.

As Sein cleared out the native creatures in a remote corner of the Thunder Marsh, he rarely encountered any other knights, let alone his ancestor, Julius, whose patrol area remained unknown to him.

When Thunder Marsh’s fury was unleashed, the majority of those who fell to Sein were weak beings of less than Rank One.

Sein was not inherently a bloodthirsty mage, but with Kelman incapacitated, these creatures had a price to pay.

However, the truth remained that those from the Magus World, as invaders, were evil.

The native creatures of the Thunderfall World were merely defending their homeland and launching counterattacks, making them the true innocents and victims in this scenario.

Yet, in the Astral Realm, the lines between good and evil were not so easily drawn.

Truth, as they say, only exists within cannon range.

Sein was in a foul mood, and consequently, a group of creatures would suffer for it.

He harbored no compassion for the native creatures of the Thunderfall World he had effortlessly crushed to death.

The two sides were inherent enemies, locked in unending conflict.

If captured by Sein, these creatures could at least serve as experimental specimens, contributing to the unraveling of the Astral Realm’s mysteries.

In his view, this offered them a nobler death.

***

Sein had been navigating the eastern part of the Thunder Marsh for over ten days.

Initially, no one paid much attention to this Rank One mage who had newly arrived on the Thunderfall World’s battlefield.

However, the rather huge commotion Sein had been causing in the eastern part of the marsh soon caught the attention of many Rank One knights patrolling nearby.

Sein had assumed he would find little of interest in the Thunder Marsh, especially among the native creatures whose life levels were below Rank One.

Yet, just as he was preparing to return to the fortress base, an unexpected encounter changed his mind.

He came across an Eight-Legged Wolf Spider, unmistakably a Rank One creature, enveloped in visible, yellow electro elemental energy that revealed its elemental nature.

“Let’s go together! Don’t let it escape!” Sein called out, leading the charge.

Yuri, piloting her Burning Flame Unit, was initially slow to respond but quickly caught up, becoming the first to confront the wolf spider.

Interplanar warfare was no child’s play; it was far more dangerous than any so-called “trials”. People had lost their lives here.

Sein had little interest in fighting an extraplanar creature solo. He saw no point in complicating his mission when he could simply neutralize the threat.

He had enlisted Yuri’s aid primarily out of concern that the agile Rank One wolf spider might escape.

After all, Thunder Marsh was their natural habitat, where they thrived and knew every hidden nook and cranny.