Sovereign of the Ashes

In the East District of Mystralora City, Bousse, who was seated behind the counter of his shop, leaned in and curiously asked, “You’re really going on a quest outside the city?”

“Just to clear out a group of Green Plumes that have appeared outside Griseo Valley. It shouldn’t be too much trouble,” Sein assured with a smile.

While Leena was not overly concerned about his quest, the visible worry on Bousse’s face was hard to miss.

Although Sein did not express it, he felt touched by Bousse’s genuine concern.

“If I were you, I’d choose the city patrol duty. It’s safer, and you can make a tidy sum at the city gates. Why venture outside and take risks?” Bousse shook his head with a perplexed look on his face.

“Besides, as an apprentice to a full-fledged black mage, it shouldn’t be a problem for you to request such quests,” he added.

“Well, I want to test the two new magic spells I’ve learned, and real combat experience is much more valuable than practicing on the academy’s training ground. Anyway, please fetch what I need as quickly as possible,” Sein urged but still maintained his smile.

There was still a hint of confusion on Bousse’s face, but he was swift in responding to Sein’s request.

Following a series of clattering noises behind the counter, three black pouches were placed before Sein.

The first pouch contained iron phosphate powder, a versatile basic magic ingredient that could amplify the power of pyro magic spells. However, its drawback was the risk of backfiring if not used with precise timing.

In the second pouch were some sweet berries, used as bait to lure the Green Plumes. To fulfill his mandatory quest, Sein had to eliminate more than twenty of these underground creatures.

Sein had only requested two items, so the third pouch made him cast an inquisitive glance at Bousse.

Bousse waved his hands and explained, “It’s not from me. That little girl, Marie, deposited it here. She knew you might be heading out on your mandatory quest soon, so she asked me to pass it to you.”

Opening the pouch, Sein saw three vials of potions inside—two red one blue.

The red vials were basic healing potions and the blue vial was a basic antidote. Their combined value easily exceeded sixty autrum.

Although Sein had a collection of valuable items now, he was low on autrum, which was the currency of Mystralora City.

Sein hesitated for a moment, but knowing that he could not afford any healing items, he accepted Marie’s kind gesture.

“You must have made a decent profit working with Marie lately, haven’t you?” Sein asked as he observed the similar potions displayed in a corner of Bousse’s shop.

Most of them were basic healing potions, and Sein could not spot any antidotes among them. It seemed like Marie’s success rate in crafting antidotes was relatively low.

“Nothing like that, it’s just a low-margin business.” Bousse waved his hand and quickly denied, but Sein knew he was reluctant to disclose the exact profits he had made.

Sein shook his head and said, “I’ll be on my way now. If the quest goes well, we can discuss a new collaboration when I return.”

With that, he exited Bousse’s shop and made his way toward the city gates.

Mystralora City was a massive underground megacity with a population of over three hundred thousand.

The majority of its inhabitants were humans, and that included the black mages who were still humans by nature.

These humans had been captured from the surface world. The smaller portion with an acceptable focus level were selected to attend the Black Magic Academy as initiates.

The majority of those who did not meet the required focus level were left to fend for themselves within the city.

Sein had no idea how long Mystralora City had been in existence.

Over the decades or perhaps centuries, humans had gradually adapted to living underground and started reproducing. Even so, the overall human population had remained relatively constant.

In addition to humans, the city was home to various other beings such as minotaurs, underground demihumans and other exotic races Sein seldom interacted with.

Under the rule of the black mages, Mystralora City gradually became a central underground hub.

Despite the reputation of black mages for their brutality and unruliness, Mystralora City managed to maintain a unique order.

Aside from the arrogant black mages, it was rare to witness conflicts between other underground inhabitants. Even the cunning underdwarves knew to keep their behavior in check when visiting Mystralora City.

There was also a colossal colosseum in the city, where residents of the Underworld could settle their disputes.

In some cases, when conflicts arose between two formidable underground beings, black magic initiates or even black mages would be called upon to act as arbitrators.

This practice was unique to Mystralora City, and emphasized the authority of the black mages here.

Once Sein left the city, he headed northeast toward his destination, the Griseo Valley.

The valley was relatively close to the city. If fortune favored him, he could expect to return within five days.

***

The Griseo Valley was a unique region with relatively loose and damp soil.

In this area, lush greenish underground mosses thrived. Based on their density and arrangement, it was easy to tell that they were cultivated plants.

Due to the absence of sunlight in the Underworld and the significant difference in soil quality compared to the surface, certain crops that could flourish on the surface failed to grow here.

Hence, a wide variety of underground plants with distinct characteristics made up the foundational elements of the Underworld’s ecosystem.

These plants served as the primary source of sustenance for both the humans of Mystralora City and the demihumans scattered throughout the Underworld.

Not all the rare and powerful underground magic beasts were carnivorous either.

For instance, Sein’s targets, the Green Plumes, were omnivores that primarily fed on underground plants, including moss.

Green Plumes were bird-like creatures, each measuring less than half a meter in length, aptly named after their two distinctive green tail feathers.

Most adult Green Plumes were magic creatures, possessing limited elemental energy in their claws and beaks.

They were easy for the junior and even fresh initiates to deal with, using traps or physical methods.

Unfortunately, Green Plumes typically lived in groups, with their numbers ranging from thirty to fifty.

While exterminating a single Green Plume posed little challenge, facing a swarm of twenty or thirty could prove overwhelming.

Upon Sein’s arrival at the Griseo Valley, he saw not only the mossy fields but also a row of run-down huts along the field’s edge.

The inhabitants responsible for cultivating this valley were the humans from Mystralora City, and the arrogant black mages seldom concerned themselves with these insignificant beings.

When the inhabitants were beset by other underground creatures like the Green Plumes, they could only request aid from the Black Magic Academy.

However, the timing and decision of when help would arrive was beyond their control.

As Sein, wearing his distinctive black robe, ventured further into the Griseo Valley, several hunched and foul-smelling humans swiftly emerged from the dilapidated huts.