Sovereign of the Ashes

Chapter 296: Visit

The quest for verdant glaze deposits was one of the key factors driving the four Divine Towers of the Magus World to declare war on the Viridian Venom Flame World.

Sein’s own mastery of verdant flame magic aligned perfectly with the properties of this unique mineral, prompting him to navigate toward the deeper recesses of the fort upon discovering the deposit.

***

The conflict at the Blue Fiery Trench lasted nearly three months.

Sein, among the first mages from the Magus Civilization to reach the depths of the lava sea, witnessed an increasing number of mages breaching the surface forts and delving into the expansive subterranean base.

The pre-war assessment by the Magus Civilization’s fortress command center proved accurate—the base at the bottom of the lava sea was indeed one of the important bases the Neisse Civilization had set up in the Viridian Venom Flame World.

Apart from hundreds of thousands of mechas, it was also home to nearly three hundred thousand creatures from the Neisse Civilization.

The majority of these creatures were of negligible strength, their resilience falling short of even the farmers from the Magus World.

The biggest value they could offer was providing research opportunities for fresh interplanar war participants like Sein.

Although there were only a few thousand engineers on the Blue Fiery Trench battlefield, these skilled individuals were capable of collectively controlling and operating hundreds of thousands of mechas.

However, the overwhelming might of the Magus Civilization soon made the outcome of the war apparent, despite the initial resilience of the densely-packed forts constructed by the Neisse Civilization.

Unbeknownst to Sein, as he explored the depths of the lava sea, a short but significant clash had occurred above it.

Bernice the Rank Four mage found herself fighting a silver mecha from the Neisse Civilization once again.

Unlike Bernice’s relatively unscathed appearance, the mecha bore extensive damage.

Given its strength was on par with a Rank Four creature, the materials and cost involved in its creation were significant.

Yet, this was also the very reason that made it extremely challenging to repair the mecha of such caliber in the absence of a well-equipped Neisse Civilization base or floating city, even more so than a typical Rank Four creature.

Currently in the Viridian Venom Flame World, there were only one or two large Neisse Civilization bases, with no floating cities present.

Rumors suggested this particular mecha had previously managed to heavily injure Gregory, a Rank Five mage of the Magus World, in a surprise attack when it made its first appearance.

The extensive damage it bore could very well have been inflicted by Gregory in retaliation.

Despite the momentary threat it posed, the silver mecha’s appearance at the Blue Fiery Trench only led to a fleeting skirmish before it was quickly driven off by Bernice.

Retreating southeastward, along with over a hundred thousand remaining mechas on the battlefield, more than two hundred thousand mechas fell into the depths of the nearby sea of lava.

The mechas’ fireproofing was exceptional. Their wreckage rarely exploded upon falling into the sea of molten lava.

Instead, they sank as heavy metallic masses and eternally rested at the bottom of the sea like natural rock formations.

Post-war efforts to salvage and analyze the wreckage revealed to many mages of the Magus World that a significant number of these Neisse Civilization mechas were not merely destroyed in combat but had also crashed due to energy depletion.

This highlighted the inherent limitations of these man-made marvels, which, despite their advanced capabilities, could only function for up to two months on a full charge.

The elite mechas with combat capabilities of Rank One and above could operate slightly longer, depending on their energy crystal reserves and the efficiency of their energy consumption.

Three months into the conflict, the battle at Blue Fiery Trench was drawing to a close.

However, beyond its confines, the Magus Civilization Army continued their relentless chase after the remnant of Neisse Civilization Army.

Sein, however, chose not to join the pursuit. He spent nearly two months scavenging the depths of the lava sea before returning to the surface.

With the conflict near Blue Fiery Trench winding down, the space fortress of the Magus Civilization hovering above the sea of molten lava had ceased its bombardment for two weeks now.

After submitting his request to the space fortress, Sein endured a two-day wait before finally gaining access to the space fortress.

The fortress had also allocated a temporary room for Sein.

The accommodations within the Divine Tower of Floating Flame’s space fortress did not match the opulence of Sein’s quarters in the Divine Tower of Verdant Flame’s space fortress.

Yet, they provided a sufficient haven for Sein to rest and recuperate.

The operational time limits of the Neisse Civilization’s mechas served as a reminder that the mages of the Magus World also had their own limits.

While initially only mildly fatigued, the conflict of the past three months had gradually worn Sein down in all respects.

Despite his exhaustion, Sein chose not to seek immediate rest. Instead, he gathered his energy for a visit to Selphy, his senior in the same faction, who lived on one of the floors in the space fortress.

Their camaraderie had deepened through the ordeal of battle.

Sein was a mage who valued reciprocity. Their successful early infiltration of the Neisse Civilization base and the subsequent acquisition of resources owed much to Selphy’s contributions.

Other mages, though slower to enter the Neisse Civilization base and successful in their scavenging, could not match the early advantage Sein had secured.

Upon his arrival, Sein found Selphy in a state of profound exhaustion and mental strain.

Operating fifteen magic cannons from within the safety of the fortress had ensured her physical well-being but at the expense of her mental focus.

Unlike Sein, who faced fewer direct engagements in the war’s final two months, Selphy had remained a constant presence in the command room, delivering support to various battlefronts.

Selphy opened the door and greeted Sein in a pink nightgown.

Despite the relentless backdrop of warfare, marked by constant explosions and elemental forces, the mages from the Magus World maintained their routines.

They understood that adequate rest was essential to provide the energy for their rigorous experiments and research.

“Ah, Sein. Come in and have a seat.” Selphy leaned against the doorframe with a welcoming smile.