Sovereign of the Ashes

By the time Sein helped Zorro out of Master Morsidor’s residence, a fierce battle was already underway.

It was apparent that the recent explosion was no mere accident.

Engaged in the battle with Master Morsidor was another fellow full-fledged black mage, dressed in a green mage robe. Beneath that mage in green robe was a towering plant monster, reaching several meters in height.

From above, the mage in green demanded, “Hand over that initiate, and I’ll spare all of you...”

“I’ll hand over nothing!” Master Morsidor retorted angrily.

Under Morsidor’s command, several metal disks transformed into golden streaks of light and swiftly shot toward the black mage in the green robe.

Each of these metal disks was strong enough to effortlessly slice through gold and iron. Additionally, all of them carried magic inscriptions capable of erupting into scorching flames at a moment’s notice.

They were Morsidor’s ultimate weapon and a clear indication of his genuine anger. Such powerful magic items would not be revealed under normal circumstances.

Although the mage in the green robe had two layers of verdant green magical barriers protecting him, he was still taken aback by the sheer intensity of Morsidor’s aggression.

With the plant monster he carefully nurtured by his side, he had the audacity to confront Master Morsidor without understanding the true extent of Morsidor’s strength.

It was evident that the mage in the green robe was no weakling among the ranks of full-fledged black mages.

The world of mages was a place of treachery and conflict, despite the apparent peace at the Black Magic Academy in Mystralora City.

During his ten years at the academy, Sein had never witnessed any conflicts among full-fledged black mages.

Then again, in the grand scheme of the hundreds or thousands of years that full-fledged black mages lived, a decade was but a fleeting moment.

As black mages ascended in rank, their lifespans extended, allowing them to evolve from lower life forms to higher ones.

Master Morsidor obviously had not flexed his muscles in quite some time. Long hours spent conducting experiments in the laboratory had stiffened the limbs of an old mage like him, who had lived for centuries.

The metal disks surrounding Morsidor moved at remarkable speed, almost too fast for the human eye to follow.

All Sein could see was the bright elemental sparks occasionally bursting against the elemental barriers in front of the mage in green robe.

At the same time, large veins began to surface on the trunk of the towering plant monster on the ground.

A translucent, sticky substance with a pungent odor began flowing through those veins.

Although the plant monster remained silent, the trembling of its branches revealed the pain it was enduring.

The towering plant monster reminded Sein of the chimera beast that Michael had controlled during the annual assessment.

Both possessed a massive stature and exceptional vitality, making them ideal frontline protectors for mages.

Unlike Michael’s chimera beast, the mage’s towering plant monster appeared stronger and even larger in size.

Amidst the battle, the plant monster occasionally spewed acid from its branches toward Morsidor, who was standing on his flying metal disk in the air.

As Sein contemplated whether he should intervene in the battle between the two full-fledged black mages, Faye arrived at his side.

“Sein, did you do something to the apprentice of that mage in the green robe?” she inquired anxiously.

Faye’s question left Sein momentarily bewildered.

For the past half a month, he had mostly remained in Master Morsidor’s laboratory, with minimal involvement with others outside.

However, he quickly recalled that he had taken the life of Elrik, a junior initiate highly valued by Master Katherson, who oversaw the plantation.

The Pale Mask in Sein’s possession had once belonged to Elrik, and it was a gift from Master Katherson to the junior initiate.

With an awkward expression, Sein pulled out the mask from his robe. “Could it be that the mage in the green robe is Master Katherson, who oversees the plantation...?”

The moment Sein took out the Pale Mask, the mage in the green robe grew noticeably more agitated.

The focus of a full-fledged black mage could reach hundreds of meters in radius. Those who specialized in detection magic could detect even the slightest magic fluctuation from afar.

Master Katherson, upon realizing that Morsidor was a formidable adversary, had lost the desire to continue the battle. He had always been someone who cowered in the face of the strong and sneered in the face of the weak.

Furthermore, his primary motive for confronting Morsidor was not to avenge Elrik but to stir up trouble and exploit the situation.

Within the verdant green magic barriers, Master Katherson pointed directly at Sein, who was on the ground.

“Your apprentice has killed mine! As long as you hand that little rotten boy over, I’ll forget about this and leave right away!” he demanded sternly.

His words not only answered Faye’s question, but also caused Zorro, who was still leaning on Sein for support, to look surprised before frowning.

It turned out that the culprit’s target was Sein, and Zorro had merely been an unfortunate bystander.

As realization settled in, Sein felt his scalp crawl. He knew that Master Katherson was referring to him.

The intense focus locking onto him made Sein aware of his vulnerability and powerlessness.

Even the nearby plant monster shifted its attention, slowly advancing towards Sein while waving its branches in the air.

Fortunately, the situation did not continue to worsen for him.

“Hmph. You’re demanding me to hand over my apprentice? Who do you think you are?” Morsidor sneered coldly.

In a sudden and unanticipated move, the brass-colored magic rod reappeared in Morsidor’s hand.

It was unclear whether Morsidor had completed an incantation silently or if the rod itself stored potent magic.

Regardless, in a tone as cold as ice, Morsidor unleashed a spell with destructive power rivaling that of a Rank Two mage—“Meteorite Plunge”.

A massive meteorite, ablaze with searing flames and measuring five meters in diameter, descended upon Master Katherson.

It easily dwarfed Sein’s Minor Fireball spell or Leena’s Explosive Fireball Spell. Comparing their fireballs to this meteorite was akin to comparing a firefly to a moon.

“DAMMIT, NO!” Katherson, realizing that victory was slipping from his grasp, responded with a roar of desperation.

In a last-ditch effort, he decided to sacrifice his carefully nurtured plant monster, ordering it to jump in front of him to intercept the plummeting meteorite.

The plant monster, which had been closing in on Sein, obeyed Katherson’s command with a sudden leap.

When Sein looked up again, he saw the plant monster being incinerated and the receding form of Katherson, who was fleeing into the distance.

“Hmph!”

Morsidor, still holding his brass-colored magic rod, downed a vial of green potion before commanding the metal disk under his feet to pursue Katherson.

It seemed he had no intention of letting the enemy escape so easily.