Sovereign of the Ashes

Three hundred thousand Viridescent Seeds! Sein launched into the battle by scattering them without hesitation!

Not all of the plant giants that sprouted from the seeds reached Rank One, but their resilient bodies and sheer vitality made them perfect cannon fodder for the battlefield.

This was Lorianne’s unique ability.

While Sein had to scour his enslaved planes to gather cannon fodder, Lorianne could simply grow them herself in a laboratory.

Furthermore, the plant giants she cultivated could have their growth patterns selectively adjusted to suit the needs of any battlefield, allowing them to perform far more effectively during actual combat.

From a spellcaster’s perspective, Sein had to admit that the plant giants his mentor produced were superior to his own Pyreling legion in every conceivable aspect.

The only question was: what did they cost?

From the blackened, reinforced soil, three hundred thousand plant giants slowly crawled out while Sein hovered overhead.

This life planet, once part of the Sanok Civilization, had long been reduced to ruins.

Sein’s arrival only slightly deepened the chaos.

Across the plane of charred soil and ruins, the sudden birth of lush green giants brought more fear than relief to the surviving natives.

“I’ve never seen him use this ability before,” Kram murmured in surprise.

Over the past few decades, not only had her body fully healed, but she had also grown significantly stronger.

Even so, Sein no longer dared to run the same reckless experiments he once had. His recent studies on Kram were all done with far more restraint.

He had also designed a specialized training regimen for her and even remodeled the training chamber with Gray Quartz.

The results were impressive enough that Kram was already thinking about inviting her best friend, Misori, to join her for training.

“You haven’t seen even a fraction of my master’s abilities,” Yuri said as she flew past in the Burning Flame Unit.

By the time Kram turned her head, Yuri was already far ahead of her.

Kram, whose features had softened noticeably over the years, raised an eyebrow at her.

Influenced by certain... personal thoughts, she had even started learning how to dress herself up.

For instance, Misori had helped her apply a touch of eyeshadow today, adding a hint of feminine charm to the once-tomboyish fighter.

Her gaze dipped briefly toward her chest, which was now noticeably fuller than before, then shot off toward Sein’s position.

***

The Magus Civilization Army stationed on Planet Zax had originally included five law-wielding beings: three Magus World knights and mages, as well as two foreign gods from the alliance.

But when the Gallant Federation suddenly sent reinforcements, this overly aggressive Magus Civilization legion ended up trapped by its enemy.

It had been eleven long years since they were stranded on this planet, holding the line while waiting for help.

During those years, relentless counterattacks from the Sanokians and continuous bombardment from the federal fleet had inflicted devastating losses on this Magus World legion.

The two foreign gods of the Magus Alliance, along with their main legions, had been wiped out in succession during the brutal fighting.

One Rank Four Magus Knight lay gravely wounded and unconscious, no longer capable of combat.

At present, Zax had only two remaining high-ranking combatants: one Rank Five knight and one Rank Four Mage.

Based on their remaining manpower and resources, they could last at most another three years.

Would the Magus Civilization’s reinforcements arrive before then? No one knew.

When fierce combat suddenly erupted both on the planet and beyond, the Gallant Federation and the Sanok forces were caught completely off guard.

On the other hand, the beleaguered Magus Civilization garrison felt a surge of hope.

Soon after the fighting broke out, Azaria, the Rank Five knight, contacted the Rank Four mage named Gargawell.

“Have our reinforcements finally arrived? Should we move to support them?” Azaria asked, urgency bleeding through his voice.

Although Azaria was superior in strength, Gargawell had earned the Rank Five knight’s respect through his profound knowledge, steady judgment, and battlefield experience.

Gargawell was actually a Magus.

In Magus World—where only female magi, better known as witches, still held absolute dominance—his ability to keep advancing on the Magus path said plenty about his talent, determination, and potential.

Unlike the charming and handsome Sein, Gargawell was a balding middle-aged scholar. For many, their first impression of him was “creepy”.

Always dressed in his black mage robe and wielding a wooden staff, this Rank Four mage with a hooked nose had never been popular back in Magus World.

Azaria, the Rank Five Knight, had looked down on him at first as well.

However, after years of fighting side by side, he eventually decided this odd mage was someone worth befriending.

Besides, one should not judge a book by its cover.

Now, seated in the main control room of the battered space fortress, Gargawell leaned forward, fixing his sharp eyes on the rather blurry elemental screen before him.

The forces outside Zax looked nothing like any Magus Civilization legion he knew.

Even among the Alliance’s affiliated races, Gargawell had never seen anything like them.

Being a naturally cautious—some would say eccentric—man, his first instinct was to wait.

“If the reinforcements that just arrived belong to the Magus Civilization, then we don’t need to intervene. Holding this position alone is enough to fulfill our task,” Gargawell said. “But what if those unidentified beings outside Zax have other plans?”

Azaria rolled his eyes. “I can sense several Rank Five presences among them. Even if they’re hostile, what can we do? Charge out and fight the federation head-on?”

Had he not grown used to Gargawell’s strange personality and strange way of thinking, Azaria would have already led his knights out in a reckless charge.

Gargawell frowned, but stood by his judgment. “Let’s observe first. There’s no need to rush.”

Azaria rolled his eyes again, but still chose to follow the mage’s lead.

Moments later, Gargawell issued an urgent command.

“Let’s move out! I’m certain now that they’re on our side!”

“Huh? How can you tell?” Azaria demanded, baffled.

He saw no familiar space fortresses, nothing that resembled the Magus Civilization’s usual legions. In fact, he still had serious doubts about these Klytheran troops that had suddenly shown up.

Gargawell pointed at the blurred display, where plant giants were rising out of the ground, then gestured toward the sky above Sein, where faint ripples of power were seen.

Azaria still looked confused as hell.

Gargawell did not bother explaining further. He simply snapped, “Just trust me and follow the order. We’re going all out!”