Sovereign of the Ashes

The three divine tower badges, black and shaped like a ball of flame, served as temporary proof of Sein and the others’ participation in the Gumo Plane War.

These badges allowed the Divine Tower of Dark Flame to track Sein and his companions on the battlefield and functioned as communication devices, enabling them to contact nearby allies.

Additionally, the badges allowed the Divine Tower of Dark Flame to issue combat missions and receive reports on mission outcomes from Sein and the others.

In short, these fingernail-sized devices were small in size but offered impressive functionality.

Sein had previously disassembled and studied similar badges during his initiate period, and he could attest to their convenience during the war.

After briefing Sein and his group about the situation in the surrounding area, the Rank Two mage escorted them to the mission center within the base.

Bowing respectfully, he then prepared to take his leave.

Having survived numerous battles, this Rank Two mage was experienced and perceptive.

It took only a short interaction for him to discern that Sein’s achievements in the field of magic far surpassed his own.

Moreover, the two Rank Two female knights accompanying him were clearly exceptional talents.

This realization was why the Rank Two mage showed him such respect before departing.

However, Sein was not ready to let him leave just yet. He reached out to stop the mage, then pointed at the darkened sky beyond the mountain wall and curiously asked, “Isn’t Gumo Plane supposed to be a low-level world with three suns? Why is it so gloomy, with hardly any light visible?”

The mage sighed deeply before replying, “It’s been like this for the past seven years. Otherwise, the Divine Tower of Dark Flame might have ended this interplanar war long ago.”

“Most of the thick black smoke blocking out the sunlight is volcanic ash, produced by eruptions from the many volcanoes across Gumo Plane.

“To allow the Goul Groundworms, who are underground creatures, to adapt to the surface environment, the guardian of this world and the other two dominant native species went to extreme lengths to detonate all the volcanoes in this world, artificially transforming the entire environment,” the mage explained.

Desperate measures existed in every world as every race had its share of fearless madmen.

In the Astral Realm, some foreign planes, like Verdant Wilderness World, wisely aligned themselves with the Magus Civilization early on.

But there were also others who resisted until the bitter end, determined to challenge the Magus World no matter the cost.

To some, the idea of detonating all the volcanoes and reshaping their entire world’s environment might seem unthinkable.

Yet for Gumo Plane, home to the Goul Groundworm King and numerous powerful Goul Groundworms, it was not even a particularly difficult decision.

Having dealt with the guardian of Verdant Wilderness World, Sein had begun to understand the nature of guardians.

Even so, he still found it difficult to comprehend how the guardian of Gumo Plane could have agreed to such a catastrophic war plan.

The dense volcanic dust that had blanketed the plane for seven years had wreaked unimaginable havoc on the ecosystem—especially on low-level creatures and plants.

Without a doubt, if the war continued under these conditions, Gumo Plane would eventually destroy itself, even without the Magus World Army pushing harder.

At that point, the Divine Tower of Dark Flame would gain nothing but a broken world littered with corpses.

While the plane’s valuable metal deposits would remain unaffected by the extinction of its flora and fauna, the war’s aftermath would undoubtedly diminish the tower’s overall earnings.

Hearing the Rank Two mage’s explanation, both Sein and Natalya were visibly astonished by the sheer desperation of the native creatures of this world.

Reina, however, remained unfazed. She did not particularly care about the plight of these creatures.

Beyond food, Reina had little interest in pondering such matters.

Once the Rank Two mage departed, Sein led the group to the mission center within the base to receive their combat assignments.

As expected, their missions directed them to the Akre Plains, where they were to participate in what had essentially become a decisive battle.

Both the Divine Tower of Dark Flame’s command center and the native forces of Gumo Plane recognized that the war could not be prolonged any further.

The Divine Tower of Dark Flame had never been a particularly wealthy divine tower, and the strain of this low-level interplanar war was pushing it to its limits.

As for the native creatures of Gumo Plane, their situation was even more dire. While the defeat of the invaders remained uncertain, the survival of the native species under these conditions seemed nearly impossible.

Unlike underground species like the Goul Groundworms, which could sustain themselves by consuming ores and expanding their population underground, the other two dominant races were far more vulnerable.

Both required sunlight to survive, and the prolonged absence of light across the plane had caused far greater devastation than anticipated.

If not for the wealth of resources in Gumo Plane, the native creatures would likely have succumbed long ago.

Nonetheless, Gumo Plane had plunged into a worldwide famine three years ago.

Now, the native forces were essentially tightening their belts and engaging the Magus World Army in a war of attrition.

On the surface, there seemed to be no indication that the war would end soon, as neither side showed significant signs of exhaustion.

Yet, the time for a decisive showdown had arrived, driven by the simple fact that no one wanted this conflict to drag on any longer!

Sein could not decide whether his group was lucky or unlucky to have unknowingly signed a five-year participation contract just as the decisive battle of this low-level plane was about to erupt.

Judging by the resources and morale of both sides, it was unlikely that the war would last even five more years.

***

As Sein and his companions approached the Magus World’s main army stationed in the Akre Plains, they encountered numerous remains of creatures strewn along their path.

The vast black plains, which should have been flat and expansive, looked as though they had been tilled by an enormous plow.

Deep gullies carved through the landscape and the ground was riddled with pitch-black holes of varying sizes.

Most of these holes plunged straight into the ground, their destinations a mystery.

Sein, well-versed in the battlefield dynamics of this realm, identified these black holes as the handiwork of the Goul Groundworms—one of the native species of Gumo Plane, known for their natural burrowing abilities.

The gullies scarring the plains, however, were clearly the result of relentless clashes between the opposing legions.

If Sein were to unleash his full power, he could effortlessly flatten a hill hundreds of meters tall. Thus, the boundless destructive might of Rank Four and above creatures was hardly surprising.

Upon reaching the main army on the Akre Plains, Sein’s group found themselves without immediate orders, as the conflict had not yet begun.

However, due to their strength and Rank Two life level, the Divine Tower of Dark Flame assigned them temporary command over a group of two thousand enslaved creatures, which would act as cannon fodder under their directives.

These enslaved creatures varied widely in appearance, and their strength could only be described as subpar.

In addition to the cannon fodder, Sein’s group was also placed in charge of five Rank One mages and thirty-eight Rank One knights.

These mages were not registered members of the Divine Tower of Dark Flame; like the knights, they were hired external combatants.

In addition to commanding this mixed force of low-level knights and mages on the battlefield, Sein and his group were also expected to protect them to the best of their ability.

Having once been Rank One combatants themselves, Sein, Reina, and Natalya were no strangers to this kind of arrangement.

In previous interplanar wars, they too had served under the temporary command of higher-ranking beings.