Sovereign of the Ashes

There were no absolute victors in war.

Until the final outcome was decided, everyone was a loser.

Looking at the recent moves of the Magus Civilization, the Gallant Federation, and the Amenkha Empire, had any side truly come out ahead?

No!

All three were top-tier civilizations. While there were differences in strength, every clash still came at a cost.

After the Amenkha Empire’s four assassination squads withdrew, the Tenth Pharaoh set out with her army of over thirty million troops.

She was not aligned with either the Fifth or the Seventh Pharaoh.

Her mission was not assassination, nor was it to take part in any ambush against a specific overlord.

Instead, she acted like a hammer, driving her legions into the border zone between the Magus Civilization and the Gallant Federation like nails.

This made her forces difficult for the Magus Civilization to remove, while the Gallant Federation seemed to have reached a tacit understanding with her presence.

Her army served as a constant reminder to both sides that this was not a two-sided war. There was a third power on the battlefield.

At the same time, the Tenth Pharaoh handled her deployments with great caution.

Rather than pushing directly into the core battlefield between the Magus Civilization and the Gallant Federation, she advanced along the periphery, targeting localized conflict zones instead.

She understood her own limits well. With an army of over thirty million, she could easily wipe out a medium-sized star domain or cripple a large-sized world.

But interfering directly in the main power struggle between the Magus Civilization and the Gallant Federation would be asking for trouble.

The Tenth Pharaoh herself had only recently advanced to Rank Eight.

Although she commanded two monster kings, they were merely ordinary Rank Seven overlords.

Her thirty-million-or-so-strong army was undoubtedly elite, but operating far from home meant replenishment would always be difficult.

She had no intention of squandering them.

The Tenth Pharaoh was a shrewd and formidable woman.

She was more pragmatic and profit-driven than the Third Pharaoh, more youthful and energetic than the Fifth, and more cautious than the Seventh.

She could have come alone, but after some thought, she chose to bring two Rank Seven monster kings with her...

As the Tenth Pharaoh of the Amenkha Empire led her legions across the battlefields of this foreign star domain, far from their homeland, the Gallant Federation dispatched a small contingent to accompany them.

Officially, it was known as a “field observation team”.

Its stated purpose was to study the Amenkha Empire’s advanced combat tactics while assisting the Tenth Pharaoh’s forces with logistics and supply issues.

In reality, it also served to monitor the movements of the Amenkha legions and, where possible, subtly influence the direction of their campaign.

The leader of this team was none other than General Saden, a five-star general.

Because he had presented the Amenkha Empire with a generous gift on behalf of the Gallant Federation when their legions first arrived, Saden was occasionally granted the rare opportunity to speak directly with the Tenth Pharaoh.

However, after some time observing and interacting with her, Saden realized that it would be nearly impossible to sway the Tenth Pharaoh’s will.

She was an Overlord who tolerated no defiance. More than once, Saden had witnessed powerhouses ruthlessly crushed by her on a whim, including members of the Amenkha Empire who had made mistakes.

On one particular visit, he discovered that the Tenth Pharaoh had acquired a “new toy”.

In her delicate hand was the soul of a Rank Six being, writhing as it let out continuous groans and howls of pain.

It was a remarkably fresh soul. The fact that it could still scream meant she had not yet exhausted her amusement.

After a brief exchange, Saden learned that it was the soul of a late-stage Rank Six Magus World mage.

“The souls of Magus World beings are quite resilient—they have a certain tenacity,” the Tenth Pharaoh commented with a chuckle.

“I have heard that their mages cultivate mental focus. Compared to the body, their minds and souls are more closely intertwined. I hope this civilization will bring me more surprises... and more entertainment,” she added with a sinister smile.

Seeing this, Saden quickly spoke up.

“Pharaoh, if you are looking for something more interesting, I happen to have a good recommendation.”

The Tenth Pharaoh’s beautiful eyes turned toward him.

Without hesitation, Saden pulled out a 3D projection device from his coat and activated it.

A massive, ethereal image appeared in the space before them.

It was a mermaid with a white fishtail. She also possessed a pair of delicate, dragon-like horns, giving her an overall aura of pure, almost unreal beauty.

The Gallant Federation’s projection technology was remarkably lifelike. It even captured the mermaid’s faint, almost imperceptible draconic aura.

Noticing the Tenth Pharaoh’s growing interest, General Saden quickly seized the moment.

“This is a highly active Rank Six being from the Magus Civilization, operating in a nearby star domain. She also has the ability to command a unique marine creature native to the Magus World, known as the sea kings,” he explained.

“I believe she would make an excellent addition to your collection, Pharaoh. A creature like this is rare across the entire civilizational battlefield. You would not want to miss such an opportunity,” he added, his tone almost eager.

It was clear why the Gallant Federation had chosen him for this role. A general who had built his reputation in the arms trade, Saden knew exactly how to present something as desirable.

The Tenth Pharaoh’s large, gray eyes lingered on the projection of the mermaid for a long moment before a smile slowly formed on her lips.

“She’s indeed a fine toy.”

Then, her tone shifted.

“But General Saden, you do not truly take me for someone who merely plays around, do you?”

“Of course not,” Saden replied at once, his expression turning serious.

Since arriving on this battlefield, the Fifth and Seventh Pharaohs had already completed their missions and returned to the Amenkha Empire. Yet the Tenth Pharaoh had still not directly engaged any Magus Civilization overlords.

Most of what she had casually destroyed were merely their peripheral legions.

She was not someone easily manipulated, and Saden knew better than to suggest an overlord-level target for her to “hunt”.

This mermaid, however, fit her preferences perfectly.

Glancing once more at White Stella, the Tenth Pharaoh smiled faintly.

“I take it that she’s the offspring of some overlord? Her bloodline is... quite unique. You’re so eager for me to pursue her—are you trying to provoke a clash between the Magus Civilization’s overlords and me?”

After a brief pause, she gave a soft laugh.

“Very well. I’ll indulge you this time. Where is she?”

For a brief moment, as Saden met her gaze, a chill ran down his spine.

She was far too unpredictable. No one could truly tell what this beautiful Pharaoh was thinking.

Taking a deep breath, Saden glanced at his star chart before replying, “This mermaid, codenamed White Stella, is currently in the Mordora Star Domain, not far from our position.”