Sovereign of the Ashes

A common practice for expanding influence and development potential was to initiate interplanar wars like the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring.

The Magus Civilization was a top-tier entity, constantly driving efficiency and development.

Due to the Magus Civilization's overly aggressive expansion, more and more otherworldly planes and civilizations around the Magus Civilization either became hostile or chose to join the Magus Alliance.

Over the past one hundred thousand years, the number of world civilizations capable of interacting with the Magus World as equals had been dwindling.

Only those civilizations with formidable strength, situated in distant star domains and without direct conflicts of interest, had maintained friendly relations with the Magus Civilization.

As for the closer civilizations... the Rosen Dynasty and Gallant Federation could be considered allies of the Magus World in some respects.

Unfortunately, the former remained at the level of a large world and failed to adapt over time, ultimately being overtaken by a more progressive civilization.

The latter, however, had achieved the same status as the Magus Civilization and was now recognized as a top-tier civilization.

In recent years, tensions between the Magus Civilization and the Gallant Federation had been escalating.

The Divine Tower of Verdant Spring had successfully expanded its power and influence through interplanar warfare.

Conversely, the Black Tower of Cinderbones in Blackhaven lacked such advantageous methods.

In Blackhaven, the only way for black towers to expand their influence was by annexing the power of other black towers in the vicinity.

The Magus World was richer than any other plane, so even Blackhaven, a chaotic region neglected by the guardians, boasted resources beyond what ordinary world civilizations could fathom.

There were hundreds of black towers in Blackhaven, far more than a normal medium-sized civilization could sustain.

This count included only the black mages of Rank Four or above who had established black towers. It did not account for those who had not established towers, nor the even greater number of black knights of similar or higher rank.

Indeed, the strength of Blackhaven alone rivaled that of any large world civilization in the Astral Realm.

The Magus Civilization's strength ranked among the best of the top-tier civilizations, which explained why its leaders remained relatively composed even when facing the Gallant Federation, another top-tier civilization.

In recent years, the Black Tower of Cinderbones had experienced significant upheaval, primarily because its sphere of influence had created greater friction with neighboring black towers in Blackhaven.

In this chaotic region, battles and killings were common.

On the other hand, if the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring in Viridescent Land encountered disputes with neighboring divine towers or knightly orders, it was typical for the tower masters or grand masters to convene and resolve the issues amicably.

If a resolution failed, they typically avoided conflict and instead sought arbitration from the Magus Alliance.

However, in Blackhaven, everyone spoke with their fist!

Through conversations with Leena, Sein learned that the source of the recent unrest at the Black Tower of Cinderbones stemmed mainly from the Black Tower of Bone in the south.

This tower was dissatisfied with how magic crystal mines along their border had been distributed, sparking the conflict.

Although the overall strength of the Black Tower of Cinderbones surpassed that of Black Tower of Bone, and the opposing tower master was rumored to be only Rank Four, the initiative taken by the other party to provoke a conflict suggested deeper underlying issues.

The chaotic environment of Blackhaven had allowed the war between the Black Tower of Cinderbones and the Black Tower of Bone to rapidly involve neighboring black towers.

While some were still observing from the sidelines, they were also looking for an opportunity to capitalize on the chaos.

Unless Rank Six black mages from within Blackhaven intervened, the duration of this turmoil remained uncertain.

If the situation escalated, it could result in the collapse or dispersal of one or several black towers.

In the turbulent history of Blackhaven, short-lived Black Towers had been all too common.

As an apprentice and Rank Two black mage of the Black Tower of Cinderbones, Leena was one of the main sources of strength in this localized conflict.

These black tower masters typically exercised restraint to avoid fighting within the Magus World itself, given the excessive destructive power of Rank Four and above creatures.

Such actions could cause significant damage to the Magus World's environment and laws, drawing immediate intervention from the guardians.

Consequently, battles among the black towers in Blackhaven were generally restricted to those below Rank Four, with the highest level of combat power displayed being at the demigod level.

In recent years, Leena had undertaken several bounty missions from the black tower and had single-handedly dispatched three Rank Two beings.

Her prowess in battles and killings matched that of Sein, an interplanar war mage.

Leena's remarkable strength was partly due to the Dark Crystal Rod that Sein had crafted for her, her innate talent, and a significant level of support from the black tower master.

Without those advantages, she might not have shone as brightly on the battlefield, especially since she had only recently been promoted to Rank Two.

Her performance in the recent black towers war had impressed many black mages, who finally understood why the Rank Five black tower master had taken her as an apprentice.

"Still, you should be careful. I've obtained the molt of a demigod-level creature. I'll use it to craft some defensive items for you soon. I also have some leftover activator plasma that my mentor gave me when I was severely injured last time. I'll send it to you," Sein said to Leena through the elemental light screen.

Leena nodded and gave Sein a few reminders. at the same time, she also transferred several materials and items through the magic array in front of them.

"This is high-quality flesh from a synthesized undead chimera, specially produced in Blackhaven. You can study it if you're interested, or feed it directly to Heisse and the others," she explained.

"I also sent a crystal ball containing the alchemy insights of a Rank Two Blackhaven alchemist I killed a while ago and drew out her soul. The remaining are the pieces of alchemy equipment I seized. I'm not sure if they'll be of use to you," Leena added.

The relationship between Sein and Leena was not one-sided; they depended on and supported each other.

Sein was drawn to Leena's body warmth and her erudition, while Leena cherished the affection Sein consistently showed her.

Only they could offer each other unconditional trust and devotion.

Sein was a little more fortunate to have the support of his mentor and family.

Leena, on the other hand, was completely alone, with only Sein to rely on, even though he was far away in the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring.

Rubbing the cold crystal ball that Leena had sent him, Sein could feel the desperate soul trapped within it.

But in that moment, it felt as if he was touching Leena's skin, stirring emotions deep within him.

"I've missed you," Sein whispered tenderly to Leena.