Sovereign of the Ashes

When Sein reached the metal defense line, what lay before him was a ruin of metal, mostly vaporized and melted away.

Out of the white vapor rising from the debris, a few Wild Gorillas charged forward, launching a counterattack.

The smell of melting metal mixed with dead bodies was anything but pleasant.

Although the magic shields around Sein had filtered out some of the foul odor, it was pervasive enough to make him frown.

The moment he arrived, he jumped off the back of Green Spikefur King.

It was unwise to draw too much attention, especially when he was among the first to breach the defense line.

Though the Wild Gorilla Army had suffered heavy losses, there were still Rank Three and demigod-level powerhouses among them.

Scanning the battlefield, Sein quickly locked his eyes on a target—a silver-white metal fort standing thirty to forty meters tall.

Its original height had likely been greater, but its upper section had been deformed and melted by some unknown external force.

The damage might have been caused by the meteor shower summoned by Milena, the volley from the Magus World space fortresses, or a strike from Lorianne’s forbidden spell.

The spell Lorianne cast this time was not exactly a dendro elemental forbidden spell.

This was likely due to the Wild Gorilla Army’s choice of defensive terrain, which lacked much vegetation.

Otherwise, Lorianne might have used forbidden spells like the Forest Fury, which could cause massive geological changes and transform trees into soldiers to join the fight.

The spell she unleashed this time seemed more like a lumen elemental forbidden spell to Sein.

He recalled seeing brilliant silver stars in the sky before they burst into a pillar of blinding white light.

As far as Sein was aware, his mentor did not really practice lumen elemental magic.

He supposed he could only find an answer to this situation after the battle’s conclusion.

Despite being damaged and melted by external forces, the metal fort before him still projected an imposing aura.

Around him, several combat legions from the Magus World were attempting to storm the fort.

A massive rhino, nearly ten meters tall, slammed into the southern part of the fort.

However, its effort left only a dent on the surface of the metal structure.

The fort was undeniably tougher than it had been originally.

The rhino appeared to be a Rank Two creature, and a particularly powerful one at that.

Sein speculated that the reason its powerful charge failed to breach the fort’s defenses was due to the cumulative effect of external attacks.

The top layer of the metal had melted and fused, transforming the fort’s walls into a unique, hardened “alloy”.

This unforeseen reinforcement by the Magus World Army’s attacks was definitely a strange “accident” during an interplanar war.

At least, this was something Sein had never encountered before.

The rhino, unfazed by its initial failure, shook its head, dug in its hooves, and prepared for another charge.

With a violent “rumble”, and the support of other combat legions from the Magus World Army closing in around it, even the toughest alloy would eventually give way.

At Sein’s signal, Green Spikefur King let out a sharp cry and leaped forward to assist.

The power contained within this demigod-level creature was far beyond that of ordinary beings.

It took only a single impact from Green Spikefur King to dent the metal wall inward by at least two meters.

The surrounding Magus World’s combat legions stepped aside, giving the massive hedgehog space to continue its assault.

To them, Green Spikefur King was the undeniable primary force behind the breach of the fort.

The Green Spikefur King displayed its raw strength with fierce determination.

Amidst the deafening clamor of metal deforming under impacts, a new idea popped into Sein’s mind.

Unlike brute-force fighters, mages relied on skill and finesse over sheer strength to resolve problems.

The metal fort ahead reminded him of a “failed experiment” from some time ago.

A blue flame flickered to life in Sein’s palm.

This flame was the essence of the Azure Flame he had extracted from the depths of the Flaming Sparrow Range.

Sein had initially hoped to achieve the elemental qualitative changes needed to become a Rank Three grand mage by fusing different extreme flames.

However, his failed attempt at analyzing Rank Five divine fire had put a damper on that ambition.

While Sein had not mastered the divine fire, he managed to successfully absorb and utilize the Azure Flame found in the Flaming Sparrow Range.

Though this flame was far inferior to the Verdant Flame and Everburning Violet Flame he had already mastered.

Unlike the fierce intensity of the Verdant Flame or the inextinguishable nature of the Everburning Violet Flame, Sein’s research concluded that the Azure Flame had only one simple function—decomposing metals.

Then again, any flame could melt alchemy metal once it reached a certain temperature.

As a Pyromancer, Sein never thought too highly of the Azure Flame’s trait.

If it had not been for his reluctance to waste this peculiar flame and his alchemist’s intuition telling him that it might benefit his research, he likely would not have bothered to fuse it with the two other flames at all.

As he stood before the formidable metal fort, the potential of the Azure Flame’s property came to mind.

If he were to use only the pure, natural Azure Flame from the Flaming Sparrow Range, the small ball of flame on his palm would not be enough to melt this massive fort, even if it burned for decades.

However, Sein’s flame was different—it also carried the traits of the Verdant Flame and Everburning Violet Flame.

The Verdant Flame enhanced the Azure Flame’s destructive capacity for breaking down metal, while the Everburning Violet Flame significantly increased its combustion sustainability.

As Sein approached the metal wall and pressed his palm against it, an astonishing sight unfolded for those around him.

ROAR!

The Azure Flame burst to life, devouring the metal barrier in front of Sein, melting it as if it were a candle.

Molten, silver-colored metal dripped away in thick, hot streams, peeling off layer by layer under the relentless heat of the flame.

It was proof that no flame was inherently low-grade—it was only a matter of applying it for the right purpose.

In that moment, Sein’s understanding of the power of flame deepened, granting him new insights.

The rapid melting of the metal barrier signified that the fort’s toughest defense had been breached.

Sein’s ability to melt the fort so quickly did not mean he was stronger than Green Spikefur King; rather, he was more skilled at leveraging his knowledge and finding the crucial weak point.

As the Azure Flame burned through nearly four meters deep into the metal, a dark hole appeared before Sein.

He was still marveling at the newfound potential of his flame when suddenly, a massive sword emerged from the darkness, swinging straight at his face.

The Wild Gorilla Clan typically did not rely on fortified positions and energy weapons for combat, making the unexpected attack all the more surprising.

The force behind the sword was immense, far beyond what an ordinary Rank One or Two Wild Gorilla could muster.

With no time to raise a magic shield, Sein instinctively lifted his magic rod to block the blow.

But before he could catch his breath, he sensed a chilling light aiming for his waist.