Sovereign of the Ashes

Chapter 302: The Guardian’s Decision

Despite Anridar’s current state, the Rank Five mage from the Magus World was in no better condition.

Anridar, although outmatched by Gregory, managed to present a formidable challenge.

On top of that, when the mecha armies from the Neisse Civilization first appeared, the silver mecha had managed to wound Gregory considerably through a surprise attack.

If it was not for Gregory’s proficiency in Body Tempering technique, he could have been injured even more severely.

The concerted effort of Anridar and the mecha armies of Neisse Civilization resulted in substantial losses for Gregory, drawing his relentless vigilance toward the Rank Five otherworldly creature.

Anridar’s unique and rare abilities made it a highly valuable target not just for Gregory but also for Feylis, the Rank Six mage.

Should Anridar manage to flee, the collective gains of Gregory and other divine tower masters could diminish by thirty to forty percent.

The constant surveillance of a Rank Five mage from the Magus World, who was more powerful than itself, placed Anridar under significant pressure.

This situation was further exacerbated by the defeat of the silver mecha, coupled with the fact that the combat prowess of the Neisse Civilization’s sole remaining Rank Four mecha was not as formidable.

The inevitable conclusion of this conflict was apparent to the mages from the Magus World, who required no detailed analysis to predict the outcome. Similarly, the native creatures of this world, despite being labeled as “stupid,” “stubborn,” and “incompetent,” were equally perceptive of the formidable wave of change that was approaching.

Over the past few years, more than sixty percent of the elite pyro elemental creatures in the Viridian Venom Flame World had perished.

This mass demise of native beings had further weakened the planar will of the Viridian Venom Flame World, justifying the guardian’s labeling of Anridar the Venom Flame Demon King as the sinner of their world.

“What are you planning?” Anridar the Venom Flame Demon King scrutinized the little guardian with its wide, luminous eyes.

Anridar did not respond to the guardian’s mocking insinuation about fleeing their homeplane.

Indeed, an answer was unnecessary. The guardian already knew the answer, given Anridar’s character throughout the history of the Viridian Venom Flame World.

After a pause, the guardian replied, “I plan to activate the remaining energy in the navel of the plane as a last resort.”

“Oh, how exactly? Are you planning to infuse its energy into my body?” Anridar asked eagerly.

The energy inherent to a plane was undoubtedly the purest and most refined for its native beings.

Such an infusion typically posed no harm, though the recipient might need time to acclimate to the heightened state.

Previously, when the Summer Guardian bestowed upon Sein a beam of Planar Light, it effectively granted him access to the purest essence of the Magus World’s origin energy.

This gift granted Sein a smooth promotion to Rank One, as well as numerous advantages in his future development.

Despite the Viridian Venom Flame World’s inferior strength and size compared to the Magus World, it was still a low-level complete plane

Despite enduring Anridar’s abuse for tens of thousands of years, there was likely still a significant amount of origin energy left in the navel of the plane.

Ordinary treasures could no longer captivate Anridar, given its greed. Yet, the Viridian Venom Flame World’s origin energy was still an allure that even Anridar could not ignore.

Responding to Anridar’s eagerness with a cold smile, the guardian asked, “What do you think?”

Anridar was immediately enraged by the guardian.

Although it was tempted to obliterate the feeble guardian, Anridar restrained itself due to the guardian’s crucial role in this world.

The Venom Flame Demon King frowned and asked, “Then, to whom do you plan to bestow this origin energy upon? The remaining demigod-level beings in this world are the Giant Red Molten Whale under my command and that sea urchin residing in the east.”

“Considering their aptitude, it would be hard to expedite their ascent to Rank Four even by channeling the entirety of the origin energy into them,” Anridar added.

Yet, Anridar never received an answer to his question from the guardian.

Anridar surmised that the residual planar origin energy of the Viridian Venom Flame World would likely be bestowed upon the Pyro Crystal Sea Urchin in the eastern sea of molten lava.

Should the planar origin energy be granted to the Giant Red Molten Whale, Anridar would not hesitate to devour the whale to assimilate the origin energy within it.

Conversely, the Pyro Crystal Sea Urchin, dwelling in the eastern sea of molten lava, had consistently steered clear of Anridar.

Over the past ten thousand years, Anridar had attempted to devour the sea urchin on multiple occasions.

Yet, each time, sensing the impending threat, the sea urchin retreated to the deepest recesses of the lava sea.

This led Anridar to speculate that it might have been under the protective watch of the previous guardian, the Red Flamed Tortoise.

Similar to the Fire-Breathing Dragon King, who had been sealed away by Gregory the Rank Five mage from the Magus World, these two demigods showed the most potential in promoting to Rank Four.

After departing the shrine where Anridar resided, the guardian cast a contemplative glance toward the dark trench stretching out behind him.

“I hope my decision won’t turn me into another sinner of the Viridian Venom Flame World...” the guardian murmured as he moved toward the eastern expanse of the lava sea.

Tapping into the residual energy of the navel of the plane was bound to exacerbate the already dire straits of the Viridian Venom Flame World.

Yet, faced with the overwhelming responsibility for the countless lives within the Viridian Venom Flame World, the guardian felt compelled to act according to its judgment.

Should the decision prove to be a mistake, the guardian was prepared to shoulder the consequences alone!

***

After several months, Sein finally made it back to the Divine Tower of Verdant Flame’s space fortress.

The return journey could have been shorter, but it was prolonged by three times due to unforeseen incidents and responding to distress calls from other mages.

As a low-ranking mage, Sein harbored no grievances regarding these delays.

He only hoped that he could also rely on prompt aid from other mages by requesting support should he face insurmountable challenges in future interplanar wars.

Upon his return to the fortress, Sein quickly completed his supply delivery mission before contacting Eileen.

To his surprise, he discovered that Eileen was not in his room but was participating in a small trade fair within the fortress.