Sovereign of the Ashes

Sein did not stay for the entire discussion between Steward Popporon and Grand Chancellor Situ Kong.

After exchanging a few words with Gongsun Wudi, he returned to his laboratory.

During his earlier conversation with Belphane, Sein had also learned quite a bit about the recent developments on the civilizational battlefield.

Most of it concerned events that had taken place after he and Tourmaline were swept into the shattered space-time corridor—things he had been completely unaware of until now.

“Three hundred years ago, a soul overmage from the Magus Civilization appeared on the frontlines within the Gallant Federation’s star domains and unleashed four massive forbidden spells in succession. Hundreds of millions of Gallant Federation troops were annihilated in an instant, and the federation’s planned large-scale counteroffensive was completely crushed,” Belphane said.

“Who was that soul overmage?” Sein could not help asking.

Belphane shook her head, indicating that even she did not know.

The Magus Civilization’s reserves truly ran deep.

At least for now, Sein had seen no signs of decline within the Magus Civilization. If anything, they seemed to grow stronger and more terrifying with every battle they fought.

***

After returning to his private laboratory aboard the Princess’ imperial chariot, Sein immediately resumed his research.

In particular, he needed to quickly resolve the flaws exposed during the previous battle.

Belphane had apparently also been assigned a residence somewhere aboard the princess’ imperial chariot. When it came to guests from the Magus Civilization, Gongsun Wudi treated all of them equally.

Once Sein immersed himself in experimentation, time passed quickly without him noticing.

By the time his mechanical fusion experiment with Fermera reached its seventh test phase, an unexpected interruption came from outside the laboratory.

Sein pushed the elemental mechanical arm back onto the experimental table before walking toward the door.

The visitor was one of Gongsun Wudi’s chief bodyguards, a woman who also possessed Rank Four strength.

“Her Highness requests your presence at the General’s Platform,” she reported.

Sein nodded. After using a spell to quickly tidy up the laboratory, he followed the lady toward the General’s Platform.

It turned out that while Sein had been occupied in the laboratory, the Dawn Empire had already completed most of its military reorganization and finalized the preliminary framework of its war plans.

The Arriba Interstellar Chamber of Commerce had also moved with astonishing efficiency.

The Dawn Empire still possessed a massive stockpile of military supplies—enough to sustain its legions for quite some time.

Even so, before the army’s reorganization was even complete, the Arriba Interstellar Chamber of Commerce had already arranged additional shipments of key strategic resources.

It turned out that the Arriba Interstellar Chamber of Commerce had not yet fully secured cooperation from the neighboring Vosdal Star Domain and Yuyang Worlds.

As Popporon put it, “Negotiations are still ongoing.”

At present, only forty percent of the military supplies were being transported through those two star domains.

The remaining sixty percent had to be shipped through long-distance routes passing the Baglier Asteroid Belt.

Because of the enormous transportation costs involved, the supplies currently being delivered to the Dawn Empire Army consisted only of essential military resources.

But even that was already enough!

Through their actions alone, the Arriba Interstellar Chamber of Commerce had made its stance clear—they were supporting both the Magus Civilization and the Dawn Empire.

With the resource issue temporarily resolved, the Emperor officially ordered the Dawn Empire’s vanguard legions to begin the full-scale campaign against the Divine Descendants Star Domain.

“......”

“The Rank Four and above beings stationed within Divine Descendants World number only slightly above three hundred, yet they must defend more than sixteen hundred planes. There is no need for us to rush directly into the heart of this star domain right away. We will first eliminate their outer defensive lines!”

“The Gallant Federation’s reinforcements must not be underestimated. Our scouts reported that multiple federal fleet groups have recently entered the Divine Descendants Star Domain to provide support. We need to find a way to disrupt their supply routes.”

“Agreed!”

Throughout the Dawn Empire’s strategic meeting, Sein remained silent.

However, just before the meeting concluded, Gongsun Wudi raised one final matter and assigned a specific mission to powerhouses from the Magus Civilization, including Sein, Belphane, and Mel.

Their task was to capture and conquer another small star domain neighboring the Divine Descendants Star Domain—the Kales Star Domain.

As a large-sized world civilization, Divine Descendants World naturally possessed its own vassal civilizations.

These medium-sized and small worlds relied on Divine Descendants World for protection and survival. Within the Gallant Federation’s hierarchy, they were effectively treated as third-class civilizations.

The federation had even previously designated a few of those planes as “Natural Resource Conservation Zones”.

Because Divine Descendants World lacked ambition and was constantly plagued by internal struggles between its various divine factions, it actually controlled very few vassal civilizations.

In fact, it had far fewer vassal worlds than either the Grand Apocalypse World or the Zeak Empire.

The true strength of Divine Descendants World came from its own immense foundation.

With more than sixteen hundred planes under its control, it was destined to remain powerful even without expanding outward.

As for the Kales Star Domain, the target assigned to Sein and his group, it was comparatively weak.

The entire star domain contained only seven complete planes.

Like Divine Descendants World, the Kales Star Domain also followed a faith-based system, and its strongest being appeared to be only a late-stage Rank Five.

In terms of their position within the Astral Realm, the Kales Star Domain was unlikely to receive much assistance from Divine Descendants World.

After all, Divine Descendants World already had its hands full.

However, it seemed the Gallant Federation had established numerous factories throughout the Kales Star Domain.

Sein and his group would likely face some pressure from the Gallant Federation later.

Still, no matter how one looked at it, the combat assignment Gongsun Wudi had given Sein and his group was practically a piece of cake.

The strongest opponent was only a late-stage Rank Five. There was no need for Sein or Fermera to get involved at all.

Belphane should be more than capable of handling the enemy on her own with her brute strength.

As for their forces, aside from Sein’s angel legion and the Ashen Star Pirates, the Dawn Empire had also assigned them a lower-tier reinforcement legion numbering around five hundred thousand troops.

That number was indeed small.

Compared to back when Sein was only Rank Four and had to mobilize over a million cannon-fodder troops to launch an interplanar war, the contrast was striking.

However, the Dawn Empire’s troops were clearly far more elite than ordinary cannon fodder.

And with Sein and his group being so powerful, their reliance on lower-tier legions would naturally be much lower.

“It’s just an unremarkable little star domain. I could handle it on my own,” Belphane said after the meeting as she walked alongside Sein and Mel. She casually flexed her arm, showing off her impressive muscles.

The Rank Six female knight was not simply boasting.

For a small world civilization, the sudden arrival of a Rank Six being in their home star domain would be nothing short of a catastrophe!

Sein glanced at her and said, “It’s probably not that the Dawn Empire deliberately assigned us an easy war mission. Rather, at this stage, the wars around the Divine Descendants Star Domain are all easy.

“Only when we fight our way deep into the Divine Descendants’ territory, or when large-scale reinforcements from the Gallant Federation arrive, will the war truly intensify. And that likely won’t happen until the middle phase of this war.”

“The Gallant Federation probably never expected war to break out here in Divine Descendants World. Their attention has been fixed on other star domains along the frontlines of the civilizational battlefield,” Sein remarked.

Belphane stretched her back and said, “You mages really love overanalyzing everything. Why bother thinking so much? Just get it over with!”

“Even if the Divine Descendants World or the Gallant Federation sent opponents of equal strength, I would not back down. If anything, it would only get my blood pumping,” Belphane said, flexing her wrists.

This woman was clearly a battle maniac herself.

Sein did not bother saying anything more. Knights loved combat just as much as mages loved conducting experiments. It was simply in their nature.

Still, Sein believed that Belphane was not nearly as reckless as she appeared on the surface.

***

The Kales Star Domain...

It was once an obscure, little-known star domain within the Gallant Federation’s sphere of influence.

Even among the factions of Divine Descendants World, this star domain remained weak and low-profile.

The star domain was home to five deities subordinate to Divine Descendants World. Together, they had formed a small faction known as the Kales Pantheon.

To survive in the Astral Realm, and especially to gain a foothold in Divine Descendants World, they had no choice but to band together.

The constant conflicts between pantheons within Divine Descendants World were truly terrifying.

Back then, the Kales Pantheon actually had six deities, two of whom had reached Rank Five.

However, one of them, the slightly weaker God of Black Water, clearly lacked political sense.

During a divine war, he not only died outright, but also dragged the rest of the Kales Pantheon into the conflict.

For quite some time afterward, the Kales Pantheon was shunned by the mainstream pantheons of Divine Descendants World.

Since then, its development had stagnated for many years.