Sovereign of the Ashes

There were two main reasons behind the Grand Cosmic World’s ongoing collapse on the battlefield.

First, the Grand Cosmic World itself was simply beyond help.

Despite being a major world with immense economic prosperity, it had no overlord capable of holding the line.

Second, the Third Pharaoh of the Amenkha Empire was overwhelmingly powerful.

The Magus Civilization had also deployed numerous overlord-level forces to this battlefield, yet none could match the Third Pharaoh, Evon Makhast.

Wielding the civilizational treasure known as the Sealing Chains, Makhast appeared nearly invincible in this war zone.

In truth, he had not even needed to unleash the full power of the Sealing Chains. Relying on his own strength alone, he had already crushed the legions of the Grand Cosmic World.

Looking at it now, the Grand Cosmic World had effectively squandered its vast economic resources.

The mages of the Magus Civilization stationed on this star domain battlefield quickly realized that, even with equal numbers, the native legions of the Grand Cosmic World were far less formidable than the Astral Realm mercenaries they had hired...

When it came to defending their own star domain, the Grand Cosmic World showed far less resolve than most plane worlds in the Astral Realm.

Many of its powerhouses fled at the mere news of the Third Pharaoh’s approach, without even attempting a proper fight.

Among them was even an overlord-level being who deserted in the midst of battle.

A few of the Grand Cosmic World’s law-wielding powerhouses even chose to defect the moment the Amenkha Empire’s army arrived.

Of course, the Amenkha Empire showed no mercy to these spineless defectors.

The Third Pharaoh, Makhast, was a ruthless man. He issued a direct order that every law-wielding being who surrendered was to be flayed alive.

He did not kill them. Flaying them alive was, in his eyes, an act of mercy.

Such brutality laid bare the full extent of the Amenkha Empire’s power and savagery.

Most beings who had reached Rank Four possessed a certain pride.

Even among the weak, few would surrender at the first sign of pressure under the Amenkha Empire’s overwhelming might, unless they were willing to be flayed and become an eternal laughingstock to all.

Vivian, the soul-level witch of the Magus Civilization stationed in this war zone, could not help but feel that the Third Pharaoh had, in a way, done them a small favor.

If the Amenkha Empire had feigned acceptance of the Grand Cosmic World before taking actions against it later, it would have created a massive problem for the Magus Civilization.

But the Third Pharaoh had not done that.

Instead, he made the Amenkha Empire’s tyranny unmistakably clear through bloodshed and overwhelming force!

There was a reason the Amenkha Empire’s name inspired fear across neighboring star domains and even among overlords in the farthest reaches of the cosmos.

In contrast, over the past hundred thousand years, the Magus Civilization had deliberately tempered its edge, expanding its influence through the more inclusive Magus Alliance system.

It was only in the last ten thousand years, during the war with the Gallant Federation, that it had revealed its ruthlessness.

The Magus Civilization had deployed numerous native and allied overlords, along with vast lower-tier legions numbering in the hundreds of millions, to the Grand Cosmic World.

Yet the one who truly held command in this region was Vivian, former leader of the Northern Witches Council.

She had personally taken charge of the Grand Cosmic World battlefield and had even brought with her a treasure of immense importance.

During her clashes with the Amenkha Empire’s forces, Vivian quickly realized just how formidable their elite legions were. She had also personally felt the overwhelming pressure radiating from the Third Pharaoh, Makhast.

Faced with such power, Vivian made a decisive choice. She abandoned the idea of direct confrontation and instead adopted a strategy built around flanking maneuvers and layered ambushes.

The approach seemed familiar, right?

When the Magus Civilization’s main forces had destroyed the Gallant Federation’s vanguard fleet in the Netherworld Star Domain, the federation had later responded to the Magus offensive in much the same way.

“The forces we have deployed in the Grand Cosmic World account for nearly one-third of the Magus Civilization’s total strength. Until the outcome of the clash with the Gallant Federation is decided, we can’t afford to waste this force. In fact, in the war against the Gallant Federation, we may need to serve as a reserve force, delivering the decisive blow when the time comes,” Vivian said.

“After all, the Grand Cosmic World isn’t our homeland, and it hasn’t even formally joined the Magus Alliance. It doesn’t matter how many of its beings fall, or how many of its planes are lost. As long as our main forces and overlord-level powers remain intact, that’s all that matters.”

Regalis, the Dragon Queen who had only recently returned to this battlefield, also strongly agreed with Vivian’s assessment.

“I have just heard that Bev and her forces have also faced retaliation from the Amenkha Empire on the frontlines, and that the Gallant Federation’s main forces have been launching frequent counterattacks. With the situation so tense on the front lines, we absolutely cannot afford any major setbacks on our end,” said Regalis, who had remained in constant contact with the Dragon Warlock Clan.

With the two of them speaking up, the Magus Civilization’s position regarding the Grand Cosmic World battlefield was largely decided.

Naturally, none of this discussion or internal stance would reach the Rank Eight Cosmic King or any of the other beings of the Grand Cosmic World.

The overlord-level beings of the Grand Cosmic World still held onto the hopeful belief that the Magus Civilization would shield them from the pressure of the Amenkha Empire on the frontlines.

In reality, the Magus Civilization’s priority on the Grand Cosmic World battlefield was to preserve its own strength as much as possible. The Grand Cosmic World and its surrounding star domains did not matter as much.

That was only natural. When an individual or a civilization was faced with danger, self-preservation always came first.

Selfless sacrifice and unconditional assistance were never things the Magus Civilization offered freely or often.

However, if the Grand Cosmic World powerhouses were willing to bring their vast personal fortunes and relocate to the Magus Civilization, the Magus World would likely welcome them without hesitation.

In terms of surface-level power and total economic output, the Grand Cosmic World—despite its remote location in this starry expanse—was even wealthier than Titan World, the top world of the Magus Alliance.

In fact, it was said that the Grand Cosmic World maintained friendly relations not only with the Magus Civilization and the Luminara Civilization, but also with several other large-sized and even top-tier worlds deep within the cosmos.

In the Astral Realm, there existed a type of law known as “money”.

Given enough resources, even the impossible could be made possible.

The Grand Cosmic World should not be underestimated. If it were willing to spend everything it had, it could hire multiple overlord-level forces and even stronger interstellar mercenary legions to join the war.

While preserving its own strength, the Magus Civilization also intended to push the Grand Cosmic World to its limits...