Sovereign of the Ashes

Sein and the one-eyed Rank Three Wild Gorilla clashed fiercely.

Sein launched the first strike with a cleverly angled spell aimed directly at his formidable opponent.

The raw power of magic was not something most creatures could withstand with merely their bodies.

However, the Wild Gorilla Clan, belonging to a medium-sized civilization, far surpassed the capabilities of creatures from low-level and microplanes in terms of body tempering and energy manipulation.

A translucent, light red energy aura radiated from the one-eyed Wild Gorilla’s body.

This aura resembled the battle qi shields used by the knights of the Magus World, but it was not battle qi. Instead, it was a form of blood qi manipulation.

When Sein’s single-target spell collided with this energy aura, its destructive impact was noticeably diminished.

Still, due to the unique properties of his Verdant Flame and Everburning Violet Flame, even a weakened magic strike was no easy matter to endure.

Sein’s Azure Flame, which had proven highly effective in decomposing metals during the previous battles, was not as effective against the Wild Gorillas.

Although all flesh-and-blood creatures contained traces of metal elements within their bodies, Sein had not yet developed a specialized spell using the Azure Flame to specifically target these metallic elements found in living bodies.

The pursuit of truth was indeed an endless journey; there were countless avenues for Sein to study and explore.

Although a Rank Two mage theoretically had a lifespan of three thousand years, Sein felt that even if given another three thousand years, he would never exhaust his fascination with the mysteries of truth that captivated him.

Fortunately, the theoretical lifespan of Magus World mages after breaking through to Rank Three was ten thousand years.

This longevity, combined with sufficient time and resources, allowed the mages of the Magus World to tirelessly explore the great mystery of truth.

***

Close-quarters combat was often a weakness for most mages, but not for Sein.

The one-eyed Wild Gorilla began to falter under the onslaught of Sein’s relentless and potent magic strikes as it closed to within fifteen meters of him.

At such close range, most Rank Three Wild Gorillas could easily close the gap in an instant and deliver a devastating strike.

In fact, some of this Wild Gorilla specialized attacks were enough to defeat Sein.

Normally, this was when Magus World knights would step in, serving as an impenetrable shield between mages and any approaching threat, turning that last stretch into an insurmountable barrier for many otherworldly warriors.

However, Sein did not have a coordinated team of knights by his side this time—only Natalya, a Rank Two knight driven by fury, and Yuri, an engineer poised to assist if needed.

Sein had insisted that he did not need help.

Natalya, in her Baator Devil form, charged quickly, but Sein was even faster.

With his Flame Devil’s wings and mastery of pyro magic, he propelled himself forward like a pillar of molten fire, colliding head-on with the Rank Three Wild Gorilla.

This gorilla, seasoned by countless battles, had faced Magus World knights and mages back in Wild Gorilla World.

The knights’ resilience and the mages’ devastating elemental attacks had left a lasting impression on it—a terrible nightmare of his life.

After years of warfare, the Wild Gorillas had learned the tactics of the Magus World Army.

They knew that if they could close the gap and engage the mages in close quarters combat, these formidable wielders of elemental energy would no longer be invincible.

This particular Rank Three Wild Gorilla had once cooperated with two others to defeat a Rank Three mage of the Magus World.

At the time, its companions had engaged the mage’s guards, allowing it to deliver the killing blow.

Despite successfully killing that Rank Three grand mage, the cost had been steep. The mage’s final burst of elemental power from his magic rod had damaged the Wild Gorilla’s left eye and nearly blown its head apart.

Yet, the victory was worth the price.

The one-eyed Wild Gorilla was hailed as a hero for killing a Rank Three Magus World powerhouse.

The one-eyed Wild Gorilla fixed Sein with a cold stare from its remaining eye, yet it had never truly considered him a serious threat from the beginning.

The gap between a Rank Three creature and a Rank Two was significant; almost insurmountable.

Seeing that Sein was unguarded by the Magus World knights, the one-eyed Wild Gorilla set its mind on defeating this flaming mage within three minutes.

Their first clash produced a ten-meter-long blaze, a pillar of fire that briefly engulfed them both.

The one-eyed Wild Gorilla was taken aback by Sein’s formidable constitution, while Sein himself was astonished by the sheer strength of his Rank Three opponent.

Sein’s laboratory housed many Rank Three Wild Gorilla specimens, including living ones.

He had dissected enough Wild Gorillas to know that this particular Wild Gorilla was among the elite of its rank, even from their brief skirmish.

Fortunately, it appeared to still be far from becoming a demigod that could wield the power of laws—a high-level of truth Sein had yet to comprehend.

Although both Sein and Reina could take on ordinary Rank Three creatures, demigod-level beings were another matter entirely.

The brief clash left a gaping hole in Sein’s fiery lower abdomen, Molten drops of blood dripped and sizzled on the ground.

The Rank Three Wild Gorilla fared no better; its left shoulder had been punctured by a close-range blast from Sein’s Radiant Heart Magic Rod, leaving its right arm bloodied.

The Wild Gorilla seemed to have lost even more blood than Sein.

The brief clash set the stage for an intense close-quarters battle between the two powerful beings from different planes.

In this type of combat, Sein was at a disadvantage—the frenetic pace left him with no time to cast spells.

He could only rely on the formidable flame body provided by his Flame Devil’s Transformation, along with the instant-cast spells stored in his magic rod and other magic artifacts, to keep up with the Rank Three Wild Gorilla’s relentless attacks.

On the other hand, the Rank Three Wild Gorilla had sustained serious injuries in its initial clash with Sein.

Sein’s subsequent magical strikes, combined with the scorching effects of his Flame Demon body, inflicted further pain on the creature.

However, the Wild Gorilla Clan was known for its prowess in melee combat. The on-eyed Wild Gorilla, using a relentless strategy of trading blows and fighting with reckless abandon, gradually took control of the battle’s rhythm and seized the upper hand.

Despite the successive victories of the Magus World Army in the Wild Gorilla World and the broader Wild Star Domain, it would be a mistake to underestimate their adversaries.

While the sheer might of the Magus Civilization in this war far surpassed that of the Wild Gorilla World, the latter, as a medium-sized planar civilization, was no pushover.

The Wild Gorilla Army attacking Sandstorm World was comprised of their most battle-hardened soldiers.

The Rank Three one-eyed Wild Gorilla facing off against Sein was no ordinary opponent, and many similarly elite Wild Gorilla soldiers were part of this assault.