Sovereign of the Ashes-Chapter 1330: The End of the War

By the seventeenth year of the Pyreling World War, most of the resistance on this low-level plane had been crushed.

The creatures here were pretty stubborn. Despite their revered Pyremperors falling one after another, the lesser Pyrelings continued to cause trouble for a while longer.

Once the last resistance forces in Pyreling World were wiped out, the legions under Sein and the others marched toward several enslaved planes under Pyreling World’s control.

These low-level microplanes were all close to Pyreling World, and their resistance was even weaker.

To the inhabitants of those planes, it made little difference whether they were enslaved by the Pyrelings or by the Magus Civilization.

It soon became clear that Pyreling World’s prosperity had been built on stripping resources from other planes.

As expected, the combined resources and wealth of these vassal planes did not come close to matching Pyreling World.

On top of that, Pyreling World, whose level of civilization was far behind that of the Magus World, had taken a crude, simple approach to managing its vassal planes.

To Sein and the others, there was no rush to exploit these worlds right away. They were better off being “nurtured” a bit longer.

In fact, it might even be worth investing some resources to help them recover, so they could be developed and used more efficiently and sustainably later on.

This approach made the creatures who had once been enslaved by Pyreling World see the Magus World powerhouses as saviors and benefactors.

Under the Magus Civilization’s rule, these enslaved creatures finally realized the difference—life under the Magus World mages’ scientific and methodical approach was far more comfortable than under the Pyrelings.

When Sein visited the Snowfield World for an inspection, he found Angreas still there.

For years, Angreas had not given up chasing the escaped Ivory Bone. He had even asked Grimm, who was knowledgeable in spatial magic, for help.

Unfortunately, Grimm could only give a rough estimate of the direction Ivory Bone had taken.

In the vast Astral Realm, finding a single target was nearly impossible. Sein and the others could not afford to waste too much time on this either.

Besides, tracking Ivory Bone was beyond Grimm’s abilities. If Angreas wanted better results, he would be better off asking a Rank Four or higher astrologer for help.

“I heard you’ve been holed up in the lab for a few years. Made any breakthroughs?” Angreas asked casually when they met. He seemed to be in a better mood than a few years ago.

“Well, I’ve made some progress. This pyro elemental plane was really a good target for us to conquer,” Sein replied.

“And you don’t need to keep brooding over Ivory Bone. We’ll give you a larger share of the post-war gains from Pyreling World. Everyone could see how much you’ve contributed to this war,” he added.

Ivory Bone’s escape did not wound Angreas’ pride, but it had greatly cut into his share of the spoils.

If Ivory Bone had not escaped, nearly three-quarters of its value would have gone to Angreas under the original division agreement.

Angreas had only just founded his divine tower, so losing such a valuable Rank Four prize was a major blow. No wonder he had been in a foul mood for so long.

Sein also suspected his temper was tied to his bloodline powers.

While the Bloodline Warlocks of Magus World could draw out incredible strength from special bloodlines, that same power could sometimes be their drawback.

Taking a deep breath to suppress his irritation, Angreas nodded and accepted the reality.

***

“Farewell then, Master Sein. If you ever need something, you can always come to me,” the Phantom Crow King cawed as it hovered in midair. Nearly a million crows gathered behind it like a dark, oppressive storm cloud.

The suppression and occupation of Pyreling World and its nearby vassal planes had been going on for roughly twenty years, just as Sein and the others had planned from the start.

With the post-war gains now ready to flow steadily to the participating divine towers and knightly orders, the Phantom Crow King and the others no longer needed to remain here.

It was not the first to leave. The Khimaira King and another Rank Four allied creature had already departed. Ancient Moonfang was still chatting with Marcus, though.

“Sure. Goodbye,” Sein replied with a nod.

The Phantom Crow King and its army were clearly stronger and more elite than when they had first arrived on this low-level plane’s battlefield.

These crows grew by devouring souls. Unlike most undead creatures, they had far more initiative when it came to evolving on their own.

Amidst a chorus of caws, the Phantom Crow King spread its black wings and took off, leaving Pyreling World with its subordinates.

Thanks to the teleportation channels set up by the Magus Alliance, their return to their home star domain would be quick and easy.

Sein advised the Phantom Crow King that there was no need to be so frugal and that money should be spent where it mattered.

If it could spend all its magicoins before the Clash of Civilizations, it would clearly boost either its own strength or that of its entire clan.

Whether the Phantom Crow King truly took his advice to heart was unclear; it only gave a brief nod in agreement.

After bidding farewell to it and the others, it was time for Sein to head back to Magus World too.

This interplanar war had earned him nearly ten million magicoins, along with a trove of high-grade magic materials and a steady supply source for enslaved creatures.

The Pyrelings’ reproductive capabilities were nothing short of remarkable.

With Sein’s arrangements and oversight, this world should easily meet their needs for enslaved creatures.

***

Sein arrived at the outskirts of Magus World aboard the Ashen Fortress.

He had just docked the fortress when Mayne, whom he had not seen in some time, approached him before he could enter Magus World.

Since the Magus Alliance Conference, the Rank Four knight’s strength had undergone a startling leap in a short period.

His aura clearly showed that he was on the verge of advancing to Rank Five.

“Why are you here instead of finding a quiet place to break through?” Sein asked curiously. It was obvious the knight was looking for him.

“If I could catch a break, I’d definitely go into seclusion to break through,” Mayne replied with a wry chuckle. “But ever since the conference ended, things have only gotten busier.”

“Looks like you’re getting along well with the Titan gods, docking your space fortress here,” he commented, glancing at the massive vessel behind Sein.

He was one of the few in Magus World who knew most of Sein’s background, so the sight of him commanding a modified large-scale space fortress did not surprise him.