Sovereign of the Ashes-Chapter 1033: Lord of Ashes

“When I was still a demon lord, Carter Gustavo was already a powerful demon king, his reputation echoing across many layers of Hell. His strength and battle records have inspired many Hell demons.

I heard that this demon king once fought against the younger brother of the Abyssal Dragon King. In the end, he lost—but only by a narrow margin,” Thorstein said in a deep voice.

Hearing this, the Spider Queen smiled and said, “That very same Carter Gustavo has now ascended to an overlord.”

Her words instantly silenced the noises and whispers that filled the Bloodwar Hall.

The wrinkly cunning demon sighed deeply and remarked, “So, another overlord has finally risen from our clan...”

His words reflected the common sentiment of the demons present.

A demon overlord was also known as a “demon great monarch”.

Hell had once been home to several great monarchs.

“When the Radiant Celestials breached the level of Hell I was guarding, the Abyssal Gut was severed. Retreating to the lower depths became impossible, so I had no choice but to lead my clan in a desperate escape.

“At the time, I was merely a Rank Five demon. Years of relentless battles with Radiant Celestials and leading my kin through the Astral Realm have pushed me beyond my limits again and again. In just tens of thousands of years, I ascended to peak Rank Six and eventually made my way to this world.

“The overlord realm... it is unlikely I will ever reach it. But knowing that Carter Gustavo, the great demon king, has ascended to an overlord means that our clan still has hope of rising once more!”

Levon Thorstein declared in a deep voice.

The Bloodwar Monarch did not doubt Sein and Lorthisra’s words.

The mere fact that they could mention Carter Gustavo’s name meant they had encountered other demons.

Moreover, with Carter Gustavo’s natural talent, his ascension to an overlord was inevitable.

This was a demon far older and more powerful than even the Bloodwar Monarch.

If Carter Gustavo were to appear here now...

The demon kings scattered across Purgatory would undoubtedly pledge themselves to his banner in an instant.

The demons’ concept of strength and power dictated their belief that following a great monarch was the only path to a better future.

Lorthisra not only knew of Carter Gustavo, but she was also aware that this demon overlord served under her adoptive father, Nergal.[1]

However, there was no need to reveal this information to the demons before her now.

Instead, Lorthisra mentioned that Gustavo had led the other demons and constructed “New Hell”—the primary breeding ground for their kind.

Compared to Faeloria’s Purgatory, the New Hell was superior.

At the very least, in “New Hell”, the demons were neither rejected nor afflicted by the “degradation” that plagued the demons of Faeloria.

It had to be said—the state of the demons in Faeloria was declining at an alarming rate.

Even their diversity and numbers paled in comparison to those in New Hell.

After all, when Thorstein had fled Hell long ago, he had been nothing more than a Rank Five demon, leading only a limited number of subordinates under his command.

Pursued relentlessly by the Radiant Celestials, he had endured countless hardships when he was wandering through the Astral Realm.

In the end, he had managed to bring his few remaining clansmen into Faeloria by pure chance.

The fact that he had survived, established a home here, and maintained his rule was nothing short of a miracle.

How could he expect more?

This was proof of Levon Thorstein’s exceptional ability. Had it been any other demon, they might not have been able to achieve even a fraction of what he had.

With the Spider Queen now acting as the representative, Sein’s next steps would be far smoother.

The negotiations and exchanges between Lorthisra and the Purgatory demons had little to do with Sein—simply because he lacked the necessary status.

However, that did not mean he would not reap any benefits.

For one, he would soon have no shortage of demon specimens and research subjects.

Additionally, the resources and materials produced within Purgatory would be more than enough to sustain him.

Different beings had different desires.

The Spider Queen sought the political and strategic benefits of this world.

Sein valued the immediate, tangible gains he could secure for himself.

Meanwhile, the Purgatory demons valued freedom and the future of their kind.

***

The Spider Queen engaged in a long discussion with Thorstein.

She made it clear that she could not fulfill the Bloodwar Monarch’s request for the demons to leave Faeloria immediately.

The closed nature of this world was troublesome, even for Nergal, a Rank Eight black mage.

It was even more closed off right now due to the ongoing Avatar Crisis.

Even if the Magus Civilization were to plan an expedition against this large-scale world, they would have to wait until the laws of this world relaxed after the Avatar Crisis ended.

Furthermore, Nergal had also said that they would first have to wait until the war between the Magus World and the Gallant Federation was over before he could even begin persuading the Magus World’s top echelons to consider an invasion of this world.

At such a crucial moment, on the brink of a full-scale civilization war, the Magus World simply could not afford to engage in yet another conflict with another large world.

As a result, the Spider Queen’s response to Thorstein was that the Magus World would need at least twenty thousand years to prepare.

Would twenty thousand years be enough for the Magus World to conclude its war with the Gallant Federation? freewёbnoνel.com

No one knew!

But the Spider Queen had to provide such a timeline in order to secure the support of Thorstein.

She also agreed to act as an intermediary on his behalf, speaking with powerful demons like Carter Gustavo.

For Thorstein, twenty thousand years was nothing. With his lifespan, he could afford to wait fifty thousand years if necessary.

As long as he could leave this world before his death, witness the prosperity of the Astral Realm, and entrust his clan to the hands of Gustavo and other capable demons, he would be content.

For a peak Rank Six, his request was simple—almost plain to the extreme.

Although devils and demons were both symbols of evil, demons were easier to deal with—they were more straightforward and rarely engaged in deception or underhanded tricks.

***

After Spider Queen gained the trust and friendship of Thorstein and other veteran demons, Sein was granted a scenic stronghold on the second level of Purgatory.

Since Spider Queen had only made a verbal agreement with this group of Purgatory demons without formalizing it into a law contract, they had no obligation to serve her or pledge their absolute loyalty.

After all, this was a mutual exchange of interests.

The Spider Queen was securing a group of potential allies. Thorstein and the others were holding on to hope for a way out of Faeloria.

As for why Sein was given a spot on the second level of Purgatory instead of the bottom...

According to the Spider Queen, prolonged exposure to the subliminal influence of Hell’s Heart would be detrimental to Sein.

If he wished to avoid becoming as bloodthirsty as a demon, it was best that he did not stay in the deepest levels of Hell for too long.

Beyond that, this might have also been a measure to keep him hidden from the Faelorian deities among the forces of Order.

Moving forward, whenever Sein was in Purgatory, he was advised to avoid manifesting his human form and instead maintain his demon form at all times.

To reinforce this disguise, Thorstein personally instructed his demon kings to grant Sein territory and bestow upon him a demon lord title.

From now on, Sein was known as the “Lord of Ashes”.

The Skeleton Lord who had led him to the bottom of Purgatory was now his neighbor.

1. Translator’s Note: In case this “inconsistency” confuses everyone, “demon overlord” is the Magus World’s way of referring to Rank Seven and above demons while the demons refer to them as “great monarch”. They mean the same thing. ☜