Sovereign of the Ashes

Sein was not privy to the discussions among the full-fledged black mages of Mystralora City.

He only saw his mentor again on the night before they were set to depart.

Morsidor, at this point, appeared visibly exhausted with dark circles under his eyes. It was clear that he had not had much rest for an extended period.

Zorro’s condition was slightly better, but unease was still apparent on his face. It was apparent that this upcoming mission carried significant risks for him as well.

Morsidor sighed and said, “The tasks the academy assigned me lately have been overwhelming. I could only spare some time to craft some items for you all. The good news for the three of you is that when there is a situation requiring your involvement, it won’t be excessively dangerous because you are my apprentices.”

Morsidor’s words immediately brought relief to Sein and Faye.

Zorro also appeared to be in better spirits. As part of the first group of Quasi Mages set to enter the space-time rift, Zorro faced higher risks compared to Sein and Faye.

Morsidor’s exceptional care for his apprentices was perceived as unnecessary by other black mages.

Black mages, like other mages in the Magus World, generally placed importance on passing down their knowledge. However, at their core, they prioritized their own interests above all else.

Many full-fledged black mages regarded their apprentices as nothing more than useful laboratory assistants or, at best, helpers with slightly elevated status above slaves.

Morsidor’s exceptional care for his apprentices set him apart from other black mages, leading some to doubt whether he was a pure black mage.

If not for his origins from the Western Archipelago and his special invitation by Vice Dean Martin, suspicions might have arisen.

Morsidor’s action was also influenced by his limited remaining lifespan.

With only a hundred years left, the likelihood of him reaching the status of a Rank Two mage was extremely low.

Therefore, he wished to pass on his knowledge and skills to his apprentices to ensure the continuation of his magical lineage and alchemical expertise.

Morsidor presented a total of a dozen magic items, all of excellent quality, none falling below the level of the Acid Wand.

Even Zorro, a Quasi Mage, was visibly surprised by the quality of the magic items.

Among these items, four clearly surpassed the category of advanced magic equipment.

“Divide them among yourselves. Zorro, being one of the first group of initiates entering the space-time rift, you can have two of these ranked magic artifacts,” Morsidor instructed.

As a renowned alchemist of Mystralora City, the items Morsidor unveiled at this moment would amaze even other full-fledged black mages.

Morsidor’s decision to allocate two magic artifacts to Zorro was not solely due to the increased danger that Zorro might face as the first group to venture into the space-time rift.

It was also because Zorro was the most likely to survive among his three apprentices.

Furthermore, it was only natural for Morsidor to show more favoritism towards Zorro since he was his first apprentice.

Sein harbored no resentment towards his mentor for displaying this partiality. On the contrary, he felt deeply grateful for the kind gesture.

The magical equipment displayed before him was not only the newly crafted items by his mentor. Sein believed that many of these items came from his mentor’s previous collection, which he had provided to his first three apprentices for their personal use.

After some contemplation and advice from his mentor, Sein chose a total of five pieces of magic equipment.

Among them, the most precious one was the ranked magic artifact—a dark gray iron canister.

According to Morsidor, it was a smaller version of the magic cannon that he had personally developed.

In the Magus world, even the least powerful magic cannons posed a threat to Rank Two lifeforms.

The simplified version was one-tenth the size of the original but still powerful enough to threaten a full-fledged mage.

The sole drawback lay in its limited ammunition, as Morsidor had rarely utilized this cannon. Over the past few days, he had crafted three more rounds for Sein.

Besides, having more cannonballs meant little to Sein because his current mana reserves were sufficient for only one shot.

If he encountered a severe threat, he would not be able to fire it again.

In addition to the ranked magic artifact, Sein received four other pieces of magic equipment from his mentor.

These items included a ring capable of creating a geo-magic shield, a magic wand similar to the Acid Wand but with the ability to cast an advanced Storm Arrow spell, an invisibility cloak, and a space ring.

Sein’s previous conversation with Leena had proven accurate—Master Morsidor would not leave his apprentices vulnerable in the face of danger.

Among the four advanced magic items, it was the seemingly unremarkable space ring that captured Sein’s attention.

It offered an internal storage of nearly ten square meters, making it perfect for storing all his belongings, including the magic tomes.

Sein had longed for such a piece of equipment when he was just a fresh initiate.

Crafting spatial storage equipment posed a significant challenge that exceeded his current abilities.

Even with Zorro’s achievements in alchemy, the success rate for crafting spatial storage equipment remained uncertain.

Furthermore, the scarcity and rarity of the necessary raw materials added an extra layer of complexity to the process.

Only Morsidor might have sufficient stock of these materials, as they were beyond the reach of Zorro.

The space ring was a game-changer for Sein, enabling him to carry the magic cannon with ease.

The cannon, although small, was remarkably heavy, making transportation challenging for even someone with Sein’s physique.

Without this critical piece of magical equipment, Sein would not have been able to use it.

After generously providing his three apprentices with valuable advanced magic items, Morsidor advised them to return home and get a good night’s rest in preparation for their journey to the Shadow Valley the following day.

He, too, planned to rest and refresh himself.

It was clear from Morsidor’s explanation that he would not be accompanying Sein and the others on their journey to the Shadow Valley.