Sovereign of the Ashes

The Magus Alliance maintained a stance of "tolerance" toward most foreign planes, but that did not mean just anyone could join as they pleased.

The key lay in the review process.

Only those deemed qualified by the Magus Alliance were permitted to join. Anyone who felt they did not meet the mark should step aside!

During this phase, firsthand reports and intelligence from the Magus Civilization Army on the frontlines played a major role in shaping the alliance's judgment.

For example, when Sein sent word that White Sand World wished to join, he could include a personal note stating that, in his opinion, this plane was not qualified.

Most of the time, the Magus Alliance would accept the suggestions of the legions stationed at the front.

As for White Sand World's application, Sein could not simply sweep it under the rug.

If word got out, it could reflect poorly on the alliance, especially in the eyes of those unallied foreign planes still watching from the sidelines.

This could, in turn, seriously disrupt the Magus Alliance's broader strategic planning.

So, following Lorianne's advice, Sein sent a letter back to Magus World.

Along with the letter, he included his evaluation of White Sand World and his opinion regarding its application.

Once that was done, Sein quickly moved on. He had more pressing matters to deal with.

The war in White Sand World, which had been progressing smoothly, suddenly hit a minor snag.

The problem came from the White-Winged Bird King stationed in the northern region.

Now partially recovered from its wounds, the bird king had already clashed with Berecca several times.

Berecca was still holding a grudge from their last encounter, when the bird king had managed to scratch her.

Without informing Sein or Lorianne, she wasted no time launching another assault on the northern front on her own.

Since she was someone close to Master Bernice, Sein could not just stand by and let Berecca fight alone.

After temporarily handing over command of the southern front to his mentor, he immediately set off for the north.

When he arrived in the northern reaches of White Sand World, Sein joined the battle without saying a word.

The other native Rank Fours were barely worth noting. The guardian was old, and the Sandworm Queen was a complete pushover.

But the White-Winged Bird King was different. It was the most troublesome opponent they faced here.

If they could focus their strength and eliminate it, the rest of White Sand World would fall into their hands soon enough.

Sein had no qualms about ganging up on someone.

Only a few knights with stupid ideals insisted on fighting solo, as if it somehow embodied the so-called "knightly spirit".

In Sein's opinion, Berecca might be one of those "idealistic" types.

Otherwise, why would she charge into the northern battlefield without telling anyone?

If Sein had not shown up, she would have had to face the White-Winged Bird King alone.

Of course, he kept those thoughts to himself. He had no intention of saying them out loud.

Sein had already noticed that Berecca was a woman of few words.

Since their deployment here, he had spoken to her less than ten times.

Even Lorianne could only manage a brief exchange with her every now and then.

Berecca was slightly stronger than the White-Winged Bird King and had good equipment on her. Once Sein quietly joined the fight, the bird king began to show clear signs of strain.

The hurricane wrapped in pure aero elemental law whipped up several massive gray tornadoes across the northern deserts of White Sand World.

But those tornadoes barely affected Berecca in her verdant green armor, or Sein, who had no fewer than seven layers of magic shields around him.

The piercing screech of the White-Winged Bird King rang out—an unmistakable cry of fury and defiance.

After firing off one last barrage of wind blades, it turned into a white streak of light and shot northward in retreat.

The screech it let out as it fled seemed to say that it would be back.

It was definitely a tough Rank Four creature.

Berecca ignored the bird king's screech, standing firm in the heart of the hurricane. She remained unfazed, even as stray wind blades sliced away strands of her hair.

Calmly, she nocked a verdant flame arrow onto her green longbow and drew it back to its limit.

With a whoosh, the arrow shot forward, spinning into a blazing spiral mid-air before piercing the bird king's right wing.

It looked like it struck the same spot where it had been injured last time.

The wound reopened, and the White-Winged Bird King's flight faltered. Yet it pressed on, refusing to slow down.

Sein's follow-up spells hit their mark too, punching a few more bloody holes into the creature's abdomen.

"This thing sure can run. Are all aero creatures this good at escaping? Next time, it won't get away again!" Sein said to Berecca, who stood nearby, still catching her breath.

The battle had obviously taken a toll on her as well.

At his comment, she let out a soft grunt of agreement.

***

After driving back the White-Winged Bird King and dealing it yet another heavy blow, Sein ordered the northern legion to keep pushing forward.

Right now, the main forces of Magus World were urgently aiming for a decisive battle with White Sand World's elite troops.

That meant the faster the lower-tier legions advanced, the more it would tilt the war in their favor.

Once the living space of White Sand World's native creatures was pushed to its limit, where else could they run?

Since Berecca had exhausted herself during her battle with the bird king, she withdrew to rest.

Sein did not head back right away. This was his first time taking part in an interplanar war as a Rank Four.

During the Eversurge War, there had been plenty of senior figures around, so he had to keep a lower profile.

But this time was different. He wanted to take a proper look at the spoils that belonged to him.

White Sand World was a resource-rich low-level plane. Otherwise, it would not have been able to give rise to two Rank Four creatures.

The world had massive reserves of energy crystals. So far, forty-seven large energy crystal mines had been discovered, along with thousands of smaller deposits.

According to the mission directive issued by the Magus World Army Command Center, each registered energy crystal vein came with a fixed magicoin reward for those who discovered or secured them.

However, those rewards were limited to the participating knights and mages in this war.

Once those veins were fully developed and converted into long-term profit streams, the wealth would go to Rank Four powerhouses like Sein.

This was precisely why Rank Four beings rarely fixated on the gains or losses of a single battle or region—they had their eyes set on the fortune of entire planes.

Even under conservative estimates, the energy crystal mines in White Sand World alone could net Sein and Lorianne over ten million magicoins in profit.

Even if they split that three ways with Berecca, each of them would still walk away with several million.

And that was just the beginning—White Sand World had far more to offer than energy crystals.

While reviewing the latest reports from the command center, Sein noticed another major resource point in this world.