Sovereign of the Ashes

"The sandworms in this world are rich in energy, and their mucus can be used as a raw ingredient for all kinds of potions?" Sein looked at the crystal ball in front of him, surprised.

Figuring out what resources a world contained, and which ones could be developed or harvested, was the job of specialized personnel within the Magus Civilization Army.

White Sand World was full of exploitable resources, but the two most valuable by far were the energy crystal veins and the sandworms themselves.

The mucus secreted by lesser sandworms might not be especially rare or potent, but the sheer size of their population was staggering!

How many sandworms lived across the entire White Sand World?

Even the Sandworm Queen probably did not know the exact number.

These sandworms fed mostly on sand and minerals. Using a sort of "photosynthesis" involving special body organs and sunlight, they secreted a semi-transparent, sweet-tasting mucus from their tails.

This mucus was mainly a food source. Over eighty percent of the lifeforms in White Sand World relied on it for sustenance.

The half-beastman, centaur, and other cannon fodder legions Sein brought had been feasting on this stuff the entire time.

The sandworms themselves were not exactly appetizing. Their bodies were filled with grit and sand, and even the least picky minotaurlings had no interest in eating them.

But their mucus... it was truly a treat.

Once dried, the mucus hardened into a candy-like substance that was easy to store. Many enslaved creatures had already stockpiled large amounts of it.

Some half-bearfolk from Beastmen World even claimed it tasted as good as bee glue candy.

Given how useful the mucus of lesser sandworms was, it was only natural that the mucus from higher-ranking ones held even greater value.

The strongest sandworm captured by the expeditionary force was a demigod.

It had been the creature left behind to bring up the rear when the planar barrier was first breached.

After taking a serious blow from one of Sein's attacks, it was quickly subdued by the Magus World Army.

Upon examination, they found that the value of its mucus far exceeded that of any body parts harvested after it was skinned and dismembered.

More importantly, this stuff was a renewable resource.

As long as the creature was kept fed, it could continue producing mucus with extremely high medicinal value endlessly.

Further experiments conducted by a few mages at the command center revealed that changing the sandworms' feeding habits, specifically by feeding them certain minerals, could subtly alter the properties of the mucus they produced.

In addition, adjusting the duration and intensity of their light exposure could also artificially induce changes in the mucus' composition.

This had already become a research topic of its own, and some curious mages had begun diving into it.

As Sein scanned the series of reports sent over by the command center, he could not help but sigh.

"Honestly, if this world were to join the Magus Alliance, its benefits really would be maximized."

White Sand World's rich mineral deposits, if harvested moderately, could be considered a form of sustainable resource development.

As long as the plane was not damaged, the resources pulled from it could eventually be replenished through natural law and ecological regeneration.

The sandworms, too, represented a form of renewable wealth.

Unfortunately, Sein simply did not have that kind of time.

And that was White Sand World's misfortune as well.

***

After a quick tour of the frontlines, Sein returned to the main fortress base.

Whether it was him jinxing it or simply White Sand World's luck, he had just taken off his mask and had not even warmed the seat in his laboratory when Lorianne came knocking with some bad news.

Well, not exactly bad... just unexpected.

"The Magus Alliance has approved White Sand World's application to join. Apparently, they are very interested in this world," Lorianne said with a shrug. "A representative will be arriving soon to discuss the terms of White Sand World joining the alliance."

"What about our war profits? How are they going to handle that?" Sein asked, rolling his eyes.

"In these kinds of situations, the alliance is supposed to offer compensation. After all, they know full well we came here to plunder this world, and letting White Sand World into the alliance will definitely affect our share of the profits." Lorianne replied, biting her thumb.

This was Lorianne's first time dealing with something like this herself. She had only heard of such cases—never experienced one directly.

"What about Berecca? What's her take on this?" Sein asked.

This interplanar war involved the interests of three Rank Four Magus World powerhouses.

Not even the Magus Alliance could simply trample over the interests of Rank Four knights and mages.

"Berecca said she would heed the alliance's orders. Don't worry, have a little faith in them." Lorianne smiled when she saw Sein's gloomy expression.

"Alright. Let's hope they won't let us down." Sein sighed.

***

The envoy sent by the Magus Alliance arrived in White Sand World much sooner than anyone expected.

Recently, with the possibility of "peace talks" on the table, the advance of the Magus World's frontline army had slowed noticeably.

The native creatures of White Sand World, grateful for the breather, made no effort to counterattack.

The one sent to handle the negotiations for bringing this low-level plane into the Magus Alliance turned out to be a Rank Four knight that Sein knew—Mayne.

Apparently, before arriving, Mayne had not expected to run into Sein here.

He had known that one of the divine towers participating in the conquest of White Sand World was the Divine Tower of Ashes, but he had not expected it to be Sein's tower.

"I never imagined it'd be you. I knew you'd grow quickly, but I didn't expect you to have already built a divine tower," Mayne said with a grin.

"Everyone's growing every day. You've become a lot stronger too, Sir Mayne," Sein replied, smiling.

Thanks to the Faceless Mask's data analysis, Sein could tell that Mayne had reached the peak of Rank Four and was just a step away from advancing to Rank Five.

Whether it was due to a unique cultivation method or some special artifact, Mayne's aura was surprisingly restrained.

He shook his head but did not continue the topic. Instead, he got straight to the point.

In truth, Mayne had come to White Sand World at his grandfather's request.

To Sein, this world was just a resource-rich low-level plane.

But for those of higher ranks, White Sand World meant more. It could very well become a breakthrough point for controlling this entire medium-sized star domain!

While Sein focused on the profits and losses within the plane itself, those above him in the Magus World hierarchy were looking at much larger stakes—entire star domains, possibly several at once.

"Rest assured. I'll make sure your interests are protected," Mayne said, giving Sein a pat on the shoulder before the negotiations officially began.