Sovereign of the Ashes

The battle of the demigods in the western part of Verdant Leaf World marked the first significant clash of this microplane war.

Unexpectedly, just as this battle concluded, another pivotal moment unfolded at the heart of the plane before either the attackers or defenders could fully regroup.

Leading the charge were the three demigod-level Sea Kings, supported by a mixed army of three hundred thousand centaurs who had recently arrived in Verdant Leaf World to join the war and a hundred thousand plant creatures decisively mobilized by Rank Three grand mage Archimedes.

This unplanned army swiftly overran the Bamboo Leaf Dragonfly Clan's million-strong force, which had been marshaling for an extended period.

After breaking through their lines, the army charged directly eastward, directly into the Bamboo Leaf Dragonfly Clan's stronghold.

The Bamboo Leaf Dragonfly Clan's painstakingly built defenses were obliterated in a single, devastating rush.

Lantz, the demigod-level Bamboo Leaf Dragonfly, was severely injured once again, this time at the hands of two demigod-level Sea Kings.

Given Lantz's status as the strongest entity in the Verdant Leaf World Army, and its role in injuring the crab and sea eel—which had inflicted significant casualties on the Bamboo Leaf Dragonfly Clan—it was inevitable that the two vengeful Sea Kings would specifically target it for retaliation.

The collapse of the Verdant Leaf World Army and the severe wounding of Lantz delivered a staggering blow to the native creatures.

Amidst this downturn, the Rank Three Bamboo Leaf Dragonfly King was decapitated on the chaotic battlefield by a Rank Three mage and a Rank Three knight.

For the inhabitants of Verdant Leaf World, this period has been rife with devastating news.

While the loss of the Bamboo Dragonfly King might be reluctantly accepted, given that there were other Rank Three candidates capable of succeeding him, the fall of the demigod-level Green Cypress Pine and the overwhelming defeat of the world's million-strong army were bitter pills to swallow.

Countless questions loomed large.

When could they rally another army of a million strong?

Would the invaders even allow them the time to regroup?

With the microplane's limited resources, could they still withstand further attacks?

The inherent frailty of this plane scarcely accommodated repeated defeats for the beings of Verdant Leaf World.

While the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring Army had eradicated only one demigod-level threat thus far, the overall trajectory of the war suggested that their ultimate victory was only a matter of time.

***

Central Fortress.

Sein, having just returned, was walking alongside Lorianne's elemental projection.

Elemental projections differed significantly from law clones in both power and nature.

While a clone could exhibit the strength of a peak demigod, an elemental projection might only manifest the capabilities of a Rank Three creature.

The loss of a clone would significantly impact Lorianne's main body, whereas losing an elemental projection would merely deplete a portion of her mana, which could be easily recreated in time.

In front of Lorianne, Dean Archimedes was delivering his report.

Since Sein was Lorianne's apprentice, Dean Archimedes did not exclude him from the conversation.

"Those three Sea Kings charged in heedlessly, ignoring our combat commands," Dean Archimedes reported to the Tower Master. "I was forced to deploy the Viridescent Seeds you entrusted to me. By organizing a hundred thousand plant creatures, along with the newly arrived one hundred thousand centaurs and two hundred thousand minotaurlings, and mobilizing all knight and mage forces from the fortress base, we launched a full-scale attack on the Bamboo Leaf Dragonflies in Verdant Leaf World."

"Fortunately, the outcome was favorable and did not disappoint you, Tower Master," Archimedes exclaimed.

"You've done more than not disappointing me, Dean. You played a crucial role in this victory! Since this battle, Verdant Leaf World no longer posed a resistance threat to our Divine Tower of Verdant Spring Army. I anticipate this microplane war could conclude within the next five years," Lorianne responded with a smile.

The quicker the war concluded, the better for Lorianne and all involved.

Despite not being renowned for combat prowess, Rank Three grand mage Archimedes demonstrated strategic acumen and war management skills far surpassing the average mage of his rank. It was no wonder why Lorianne had invested heavily in securing his services.

Sein was pleased with the swift turnaround in Verdant Leaf World too. He had a hunch about the origins of those three Sea Kings.

Meanwhile, Tourmaline had not returned to the central fortress with Sein. After defeating the Green Cypress Pine, she ventured to the ocean of Verdant Leaf World to swim and revel in her freedom.

The oceans of Verdant Leaf World, devoid of any powerful or notably intelligent species, were primarily home to creatures of low intelligence.

The microplane's developmental focus was predominantly terrestrial.

Along with Tourmaline, over a hundred thousand lesser aquatic races from the Magus World, also participating in the war, remained stationed in the sea.

These races highly valued the oceanic resources, which were abundant in the microplane.

Following the war, the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring also needed the inexpensive labor provided by these aquatic races to tap into the plane's rich resources.

This was particularly crucial for extracting special resources buried deep in the sea, as the task was beyond the capabilities of the centaurs and minotaurlings.

After walking a short distance with his mentor, Sein excused himself and departed.

Before parting, Lorianne reminded Sein to take care of his health, to which he responded respectfully before hurrying toward a magic tower on the north side of the central fortress.

This tower, assigned to him by the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring, housed an impressive collection of "Violet Flame Meteorites".

The combined power of the entire Divine Tower proved to be much more effective compared to Sein's individual capabilities.

The stockpile of meteorites was sufficient to fuel his research on the properties of Everburning Violet Flame for the next six months, enabling him to integrate it perfectly into his magic spells or even his elemental body.

What pleased Sein most was the cost-effectiveness of this acquisition; obtaining this batch of Everburning Violet Flame Meteorites had cost him just over a thousand magicoins.

The gathering quest that Sein initiated was still ongoing.

However, given the current circumstances, Sein expected that the seven thousand magicoins he had deposited in the fortress' quest hall would remain largely untouched, thanks to his affiliation with the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring.

In any other divine tower or knightly order, the fees for such quests would not have been this low.

Of course, Sein knew he owed a debt of gratitude to Dean Archimedes.

The swift and economical collection of so many Violet Flame Meteorites could undoubtedly be attributed to Archimedes' influence and efforts.