Sovereign of the Ashes

Sein commanded nine mages, over a hundred knights, and nearly four thousand extraplanar creatures upon his return to the battlefield of Thunderfall World.

Having spent considerable time with the Order of the Steel Fist, Sein not only befriended demigod-level knights but became acquainted with many Sky Knights across neighboring battlefields.

This significantly enhanced his autonomy on the Thunder Domain battlefield.

Team cohesion was evident not only in command strategy but also in ensuring that every team member benefited from following him.

This mutual benefit, combined with Sein’s capabilities, ensured that everyone was satisfied with his leadership once the general offensive began.

The battle in the Thunder Domain did not involve any schemes or tactics.

It was a straightforward assault by a divine tower and three orders of the knights against a low-level plane.

The disparity in strength meant that no specific strategy was necessary.

Sein and his allies had only one objective—to raze their enemies to the ground.

With the Thunder Domain as Thunderfall World’s last bastion of resistance, the command center issued a clear order to eliminate all creatures in sight.

If the Garths of the Thunder Domain were eradicated, this dominant race would be utterly defeated, breaking their hold on Thunderfall World.

The three Orders of Knights had also identified the new representatives of Thunderfall World.

They would become the new masters of the Thunderfall World after the Garths’ fall, managing its affairs for the Magus Civilization and ensuring timely resource contributions.

Although the war was not yet over, the commencement of the general assault made the end seem inevitable to Sein.

The fierce nature of the Garths would soon succumb to the combined force of violent magic elements and the knights’ battle qi.

Ultimately, the dead would not be able to challenge the Magus Civilization again.

***

The year after the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring joined the war, the Garths’ territory on the Thunder Domain battlefield had shrunk to one-tenth of its original size.

The mages understood how to leverage their strengths more effectively than the knights.

A Rank Two electro mage from the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring suggested releasing materials with inert particles into the clouds to diminish the electro elements gathered there, thereby weakening the Garths’ combat effectiveness.

After deliberation by several Rank Three grand mages, the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring approved the idea.

Five Rank Three grand mages from the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring participated in the battle. Three were old registered members, while the other two were recent recruits.

Regrettably, the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring lacked demigod-level mages. Their presence would have simplified matters, as they could cast a forbidden spell directly over the Thunder Domain.

Even the least potent forbidden spell would surpass the combined force of hundreds of full-fledged mages.

There was one individual at the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring capable of casting a forbidden spell—Lorianne, the tower master.

However, upon arriving at the Thunderfall World Battlefield, no one, not even Sein, could establish contact with Lorianne.

The intense energy turbulence from the heart of the Thunder Domain had not diminished much since the previous year.

Both knights and mages were aware that a Rank Four battle was unfolding there.

Within a year, the Magus World Army had devastated ninety percent of the Thunder Domain battlefield, but the outcome of the Rank Four battle remained uncertain.

***

As the war neared its conclusion, the intensity escalated.

Previously, the Magus World Army had reclaimed ninety percent of the Thunder Domain’s territory. However, it took another grueling two years to secure the remaining ten.

During this time, over two hundred mages from Magus World launched insulating materials with inert particles into the Thunder Domain’s skies.

However, the thunder pillars still sporadically erupted at the heart of the Thunder Domain.

It seemed that the planar will of this world recognized this as its final stand.

The ground began cracking, chaos reigned among the elements, and corpses littered the landscape.

What was once revered as a “holy land” by millions in Thunderfall World had been reduced to ruins under the relentless onslaught of the Magus World Army.

In the deepest reaches of the Thunder Domain, Sein encountered a majestic shrine constructed from a unique blue-gold metal.

It was the shrine of the King of Garths.

Each brick of the shrine was crafted from a rare, magic metal infused with the electro element.

Like other mages, Sein could not resist pocketing a piece.

This shrine was specifically marked for preservation by the Orders of the Thunder Knights, who had even sacrificed several valuable resource points within the Thunder Domain for its sake.

Fortunately, Sein and the other mages exercised restraint, leaving the main structure of the Thunder God Temple mostly intact.

The “minor damages” they inflicted could be considered accidental, superficial harm during the war, ultimately inconsequential.

In front of the shrine lay a vast, dark pit stretching thousands of meters in diameter.

It was likely the result of the battle involving Rank Four creatures and above.

Not just here, but throughout the Thunder Domain, there were signs of fierce conflicts on a scale unimaginable to lesser beings.

Many mages, including Sein, were intrigued by the residual power of the Rank Four creatures lingering in the depths of the pit.

Unfortunately, the energy radiation was still so intense that it was difficult for lower-ranked mages to approach.

Sein, however, managed to gather some debris of research value from both the center and periphery of the pit, thanks to his elemental body.

He also generously shared some of it with Grimm and others.

Natalya and the other knights showed little interest in these remnants; they were more intrigued by the resource points scattered throughout the Thunder Domain.

This must be a good location, considering that the Garths of Thunderfall World revered this place as sacred and that the Rank Four King of Garths had even established a shrine here.

Despite having been ravaged once by the mages of Magus World, beneath the scorched surface lay countless treasures—resources ripe for extraction.

As Sein and his comrades advanced to the Thunder Shrine, the battle between Lorianne and other Rank Four creatures escalated to the skies, nearing the planar barrier.

At this stage, it was clear that the native creatures of Thunderfall World were losing.

The prevailing question now was how much longer the King of Garths could withstand the onslaught, especially with a Rank Four knight, a Rank Four mage, and a Rank Five knight united against it.

The Thunder Pool’s Violet Thunder Guardian, now weaker than the King of Garths due to severe injuries, was under the watchful eye of another Rank Four knight from the Order of the Green Gale.

Three and a half years after the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring entered the fray, a deep blue meteor fell from the sky.

Witnessed by billions across Thunderfall World, this spectacle marked the conclusion of an era and the dawn of another.