Sovereign of the Ashes-Chapter 1347: Ecological Pressure

Planet Hydrallis was the next stopover for Sein and the others.

The arrival of massive fleets and alien forces had placed enormous pressure on this low-level plane.

The Gallant Federation had named this plane Hydrallis, and the Zeak Empire had adopted the same name.

But the native lifeforms preferred to call their homeplane Hydraven World.

It was an oceanic world steeped in the power of hydro elements.

As they approached, Sein quickly realized just how fragile the carrying capacity of this low-level plane was.

It was unclear whether this was an isolated case or a reflection of every world under the Gallant Federation.

According to Magus World’s records, the Gallant Federation was a technological civilization that focused solely on its own development while ignoring the well-being of its homeplane.

Magus World’s higher-ups often referred to the federation’s creatures as “parasites of its world”, and in some ways, the name fit.

The source of Hydraven’s fragility lay in the deep-drilling wells Sein spotted scattered across its oceans.

These wells relentlessly drained Hydraven’s vital essence, like giant syringes.

Of course, the Gallant Federation justified this by claiming they were simply helping Hydrallis develop its “water-based minerals” and “natural gas resources”.

These liquids and gases would ultimately be converted into the energy resources the federation needed.

What Sein saw now was still a relatively mild scene.

The federation had already moved most of its energy-processing facilities to Hydrallis’ surrounding demiplanes.

In the past, Hydrallis itself had been littered with heavy industrial factories. Thick black smoke had blanketed the skies, and industrial waste was dumped straight into the oceans.

The ecological balance and even the planar laws had been severely damaged back then.

Although centuries had passed and deliberate restoration efforts had been made, Hydraven had never fully recovered and remained fragile.

For Hydraven to truly heal, those pipes would need to be removed, and the plane left to rest for ten thousand years.

But that was never going to happen.

Whether the Gallant Federation allowed it or not, the ruling power of Hydraven—the Zeak Empire—would definitely oppose it!

After all, nearly thirty percent of Hydraven’s profits flowed directly into the Zeak Empire’s hands.

While all civilizations were exploiters, Sein felt that at least the Magus Civilization did not push other planes to the brink the way the Gallant Federation did.

The federation’s efficiency in extracting and using resources indeed surpassed Magus World’s, but they fell far short in terms of sustainability.

Though only a low-level plane, Hydraven was rich in resources and no less prosperous than White Sand World, which Sein had conquered back then.

Yet it had only a single weak, early-stage Rank Four creature. To Sein, this alone spoke volumes.

From this perspective, Magus World appeared “just”, while the Gallant Federation came across as outright “evil”.

But for weaker worlds being plundered and oppressed, neither side could be called “good”.

Magus World’s self-praise was nothing more than the pot calling the kettle black.

In the end, they were all predators at the top of the food chain!

The Astral Realm followed the law of the jungle—survival of the fittest. Equality and freedom were nothing but illusions.

Those seated at the table only cared about what was on their own plate.

Likewise, the Magus World powerhouses only cared about their own civilization’s growth. Why would they pity the fate of other planes?

Inside the planetary fortress, Gwyneira barged into Sein’s room and pulled him toward the door.

“Bousse, let’s go out and take a look! I haven’t seen a planet this beautiful in ages,” she said.

After spending all that time together, their relationship seemed to have grown much closer—at least from Gwyneira’s perspective.

Although Sein had been deep in thought, he did not get annoyed by the interruption.

Glancing at Hydrallis below, he shook his head. “You go have fun without me. I need to inspect my spacecraft.”

Now that they had entered the Zeak Empire’s territory, Sein knew his farewell with Gwyneira and the other Huusians was drawing near.

He might even slip away at the first chance, before they reached the recuperation zone the Zeak Empire had arranged.

After all, his mission had to continue.

Gwyneira froze when she heard Sein’s answer earlier. It reminded her that he would eventually leave.

No matter how many subtle gestures or open hints of affection she gave, Sein always ignored them or brushed them aside.

By Magus World’s standards, Gwyneira was beautiful in every sense despite her different skin color.

But Sein had no interest in getting involved with an alien woman while he was on such an important infiltration mission.

Besides, there was always the chance they might one day meet as enemies on the battlefield.

Sein could not possibly recruit the Huusian mercenaries on behalf of the Magus Civilization either.

He could not even reveal his true identity!

As for entering Hydrallis, that was completely out of the question.

The fragile ecology of the low-level plane would expose Sein’s Rank Four nature the moment he attempted to set foot on it.

This was also a flaw in the Faceless Mask’s concealment ability.

While it could fool the perception of Rank Five and even Rank Six beings, it was not effective against the probing awareness of a world’s will.

This made Sein think of Grimm’s World Robe, which seemed capable of deceiving even the will of a plane itself.

After bidding Gwyneira farewell, Sein slipped into the bathroom, where a massive bubble floated in the center of the room.

The Bokrians of the Chida Star Domain usually bathed in these bubbles, inhaling their rare gases at regular intervals.

Sein had studied their daily habits so thoroughly that no one questioned his identity.

In some ways, he was more convincing as a Bokrian than the Bokrians themselves.

Oh, right... he was not Sein anymore.

He was Bousse.

When he returned from the bathroom, Gwyneira was still in his room, seemingly asleep on his bed.

Her battle skirt had shifted, leaving the faintest glimpse of the space between her legs visible.

Sein’s eyes lingered on her only for a moment before turning away in silence and heading toward the spacecraft docking area outside.