Sovereign of the Ashes

Despite being a plant creature, Green Cypress Pine should not be underestimated as harmless.

The memory of the Thunder Beast King, towering hundreds of meters tall and breaching the fortress base during the Thunderfall World War, remained vivid in Sein's mind. The beast's onslaught had inflicted significant losses on the Order of the Steel Fist.

The deeply rooted Green Cypress Pine was comparable to the Thunder Beast King in terms of individual strength and the challenge it presented.

The primary difference was mobility—the Thunder Beast King could move freely, whereas Green Cypress Pine was stationary.

However, its limitation in mobility was offset by its superior vitality and bursts of energy.

Sein swiftly dodged the direct path of the energy surge and dove into a trench in the ground.

His dark red elemental shield flickered when the energy surge reached him.

The disposable defense magic pendant Sein wore emitted a burst of yellow light, reinforcing him with an additional layer of geo elemental barrier, before shattering into several pieces with a loud crack.

Dark green energy ripples surged menacingly above his head.

The demigod-level power was still far beyond Sein's current capabilities to withstand.

Had he not evaded the main path of the energy surge and sought refuge in a strategically advantageous position, bolstered by multi-layered magic shields, a direct hit could have been fatal, regardless of his impressive constitution.

The dark green energy ripples quickly swept past.

Once Sein noticed the sky above him returning to its normal light blue, he breathed a sigh of relief and emerged from his hiding place.

The demigod-level energy surge had dealt a significant blow to the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring forces, though the extent was yet unclear to Sein.

Given that all participants in the siege of Moonlit Willow Tree were Rank One and above, and that he had issued a prior warning, it was anticipated that the losses would be manageable.

Shortly later, Sein received an inquiry from his mother-in-law, Sia, via his divine tower badge.

Sia was breathing heavily; battling a deeply rooted Rank Three plant was no small feat, especially with the added threat of another demigod-level plant attacking from a distance.

Upon reconnecting with Sein, Sia first acknowledged his timely report and then inquired about his well-being.

The concern from his mother-in-law warmed Sein's heart.

He glanced at his somewhat wrinkled magic robe and the remnants of his shattered magic pendant then shook his head and replied, "I'm fine... for the time being."

"Oh," Sia responded.

For some reason, Sein detected a hint of disappointment in her tone.

Before Sein could fully analyze her reaction, Sia abruptly ended the communication.

He surmised that the battle with Moonlit Willow Tree must have reached a critical stage.

It must have been a stretch for her to even find the time to check on Sein. Furthermore, it was not feasible to maintain a communication channel throughout the battle.

Sein did not dwell on it and resumed his assigned duties.

In an interplanar war, everyone had their specific roles to play.

The ominous and oppressive energy fluctuations coming from the west heralded another imminent assault from the demigod-level Green Cypress Pine.

***

The siege of the Rank Three plant, Moonlit Willow Tree, persisted into its eighth day.

This highlighted a distinct disparity between Rank Three plant creature and their ordinary counterparts—the former's resilience and stamina far exceeded those of the latter.

Over these eight days, Sein had preemptively detected twenty-seven demigod-level power surges, aiding Sia and her forces.

In reality, the Green Cypress Pine had unleashed even more energy surges, but due to Sein's limited capabilities working alone, he could not accurately report every incident.

Being able to detect twenty-seven was already impressive enough. A Rank Two mage or knight could not have matched his performance.

Heeding the advice of his mother-in-law, Sein moved further west in the forest to detect the Green Cypress Pine's attacks more accurately.

This proximity allowed him to scout the plant's power surges more easily and relay information to Sia and the others sooner.

Despite this, Sein harbored reservations.

He felt the task might exceed his abilities and pose a significant danger.

"You think I'd screw you over?" Sia reassured him, insisting, "This is the only way to help us end the siege sooner."

"Two days ago, Fran had withdrawn from the battle. He was only on the edge of the battlefield but still got hit by one of Green Cypress Pine's power surges," she added.

Sein could only sigh softly upon hearing her and pushed a little further west.

Fran was his acquaintance, a Rank Two knight with whom he had fought together during the Thunderfall World War.

Despite his reservations, Sein knew backing down was not an option.

As the siege of the Moonlit Willow Tree stretched into its ninth day, Sein found his defensive magic items exhausted, his focus waning, and his mana reserve depleted.

Gazing eastward through the dense forest, Sein murmured to himself, "Isn't the battle over yet? How much longer must I endure?"

His question hung unanswered in the air.

For now, he could not reach his mother-in-law, Sia, and the once towering Moonlit Willow Tree was obscured from view at his current position.

This could mean either that he was too far away and the dense foliage blocked both his sight and the muffled sounds of combat, or that the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring Army had successfully toppled the Moonlit Willow Tree, rendering its silhouette invisible.

Sein hoped it was the latter as he was nearing his limit.

After downing an elemental potion, he quietly settled into a crevice, formed by the Green Cypress Pine's attack three days ago.

This battle had reshaped the terrain and deepened Sein's understanding of the formidable power wielded by a demigod-level being.

Despite nearing his limit, Sein refused to abandon the battlefield.

This was a basic courtesy expected of a war mage from the Magus World.

In such coordinated conflicts, failure to maintain formation could result in severe casualties among the knights and mages on the frontlines.

Sein was not the only one who realized this; most knights and mages from the Magus World came to understand this critical principle during their service in the interplanar war.

Mages lacking this fundamental discipline should not even take part in an interplanar war! They would be better suited to the role of an academy mage.