Sovereign of the Ashes

The divine tower mages under Gargawell and the knight legions under Azaria had fought relentlessly on Zax for over a decade, leaving their logistical reserves severely depleted.

Given those circumstances, the Magus Civilization’s willingness to allocate half its remaining supplies to aid the Klytheran Legion showed real sincerity.

After securing the necessary provisions and urging the Magus Civilization forces on Zax to evacuate the plane as quickly as possible, Sein approached Karazo and the other Rank Five Klythera powerhouses.

“Gargawell and his team are working on distributing the relief supplies. They’ll be sent directly to your legion. Let me take a look at your injuries first,” Sein said.

His first focus was Drew, the most severely wounded Rank Five fighter.

The Klytherans had never developed a truly advanced medical system. The fastest way for an injured Klytheran to recover was by absorbing inert crystals.

Their former homeplane had been the ideal place for the Klytherans to rest, heal, and reproduce.

But sadly, the homeplane in their genetic memory was long gone.

What remained for the Klytherans was a hatred that would never be forgotten by generations.

Drew was clearly wounded, yet when Sein saw him, the old man still looked unexpectedly spirited. He even wore a smile, showing several badly decayed teeth.

Drew’s right chest had been pierced through. Unlike Kram’s tender, fair skin that Sein had once cut open, Drew’s skin was withered and sallow. His veins pulsed with darkened blood that carried a faint, rotten scent.

Sein knew that this old man’s days were numbered.

Yet Drew looked nothing like a severely wounded Rank Five creature nearing the end of his life.

Listening to his bright, almost triumphant tone, Sein learned that the old fighter had destroyed thirteen giant battleships over a kilometer long, 564 standard warships, and hundreds of thousands of drones and small airships.

This old man had truly fought aggressively just now. Even Sein’s own gains in the battle had been nowhere near as impressive.

Besides, he did not share Drew’s habit of counting every target he destroyed.

Back when he was still a humble mage, Sein might have cared about such numbers, since they directly affected post-war rewards.

But after advancing to Rank Four, ordinary kill counts no longer held much meaning.

On the battlefield, what truly benefits law-wielding knights and mages was not individual loot but the outcome of the war itself, and the resources held by an entire plane.

Low-ranking knights and mages plunder tangible spoils scattered across the battlefield.

But those at Rank Four and above focus on the entire plane as their prize.

That was the difference in vision and perspective between them.

As for the overlords, they laid their plans on a far grander scale, with entire star domains as their chessboards and high-ranking beings as their pieces.

“Your injuries are severe, and your soul is greatly weakened. You should rest and avoid fighting for now,” Sein advised after treating Drew’s wounds, handing him two gray vials.

Drew uncorked one vial, sniffed it, and asked, “What’s this? Smells pretty good.”

A viscous gray liquid swirled inside, dotted with faint crystalline sparkles.

Though plain in appearance, this potion was a specialized remedy Sein had developed in recent years specifically for Klytherans.

One of its main ingredients was Gray Quartz, supplemented by other precious restorative materials Sein had personally collected.

Drew smacked his lips after drinking only half the vial, clearly intending to save the rest.

“My injuries aren’t that serious. Save these precious potions for Ford, Misori, and the others,” the old man said.

His words moved the surrounding Rank Four Klytherans, many of whom had also suffered heavy injuries.

Drew commanded immense respect among the surviving Klytherans for a reason—he had watched nearly every high-ranking powerhouse grow up.

Although he had no children of his own, he saw every Klytheran as family.

During the battle against the Gallant Federation, many Klytheran fighters had fallen. Despite the cheerful front he put on, Drew’s sorrow ran deep.

Responding to his concern, Sein said, “Kram and I developed this Gray Quartz Potion in the lab. The process is a bit complicated, but I have stockpiled a good amount. There should be enough for every high-ranking fighter. You really don’t need to be so frugal, old man.”

Drew’s face brightened visibly at that.

He glanced around, spotted Kram, and nodded with approval. “Well done, Kram!”

It seemed the old fighter had taken Sein’s advice to heart and would refrain from charging into battle again unless absolutely necessary.

Drew likely still held onto the hope of witnessing the day the Gallant Federation finally fell.

As a Rank Five being, staying alive meant far more to the surviving Klytherans than dying gloriously on the battlefield.

Whether for his own long-held wish or for the sake of remaining Klytherans, he would try to survive for as long as possible.

After tending to Drew, Sein continued treating the other high-ranking Klytheran fighters.

Most suffered only minor wounds, but one Rank Four named Ford had sustained damage to his Klytherite.

Fortunately, Sein’s quick intervention, combined with his years of research on Klytheran physiology, saved the man’s life.

Ford owed much to Kram; without Kram’s self-sacrificing experiments, Sein would never have gained such a deep understanding of high-ranking Klytheran physiology, nor developed the Gray Quartz Potion.

Once the entire group had been treated, Sein and Karazo regrouped.

They had matters to discuss and needed to plan their next strike.

Karazo sighed. “Seeing the Starbreaker Cannon fired by the Gallant Federation, I couldn’t help wondering if our homeworld met its end under something like that.”

“The Gallant Federation seems capable of drawing terrifying amounts of power from Star Cores. Destroying a plane is nothing unusual for them,” Sein replied.

“We must admit, the federation’s forces are incredibly strong. Even Karl took heavy injuries, not to mention the lower-ranking fighters who barely survived,” Karazo said. “I must thank you, Mage Sein, those two powerhouses from Magus World for sharing half your supplies with us.”

“Helping friends is simply what we should do. And while the Gallant Federation is formidable, our Magus Civilization is stronger,” Sein said calmly.

But inwardly, his mind was elsewhere. He had discovered something troubling during the battle. His Azure Flame was noticeably less effective against the federal ships.

The Gallant Federation was advancing as the war progressed as well.

Faced with the Magus Civilization’s relentless assaults, they were developing countermeasures of their own.

Still, Karazo had no intention of dampening morale.

After a brief pause, he asked, “Where do we strike next?”

Now that they had entered a star domain under the Magus Civilization’s control, following the guidance of Sein and the others was clearly the wisest choice.

“How about Jupymars?” Sein said, pointing to a nearby planet on the star map.