Sovereign of the Ashes

The trials and sacrifices in Shadow Valley lasted for four days, taking a toll on not only the fresh and junior initiates, but also intermediate initiates like Sein.

Fortunately, after these four grueling days, a full-fledged black mage appeared and assured them that the upcoming exploration would be significantly less perilous.

Without this glimmer of hope, one could only imagine the breaking point of enduring further torment.

During these four days, a peculiar incident occurred.

On the third night, a junior initiate named Cindy, who had somehow discovered the location of Sein’s tent, sought refuge there.

As the fourth day came to a close, approximately thirty to forty out of a little over four hundred fresh initiates remained.

The supply of junior initiates was far from exhausted.

Sein had not interacted much with Cindy in recent years.

This was largely due to her persistent pursuit of Sein, to the extent that Sein sometimes regretted that he had gone above and beyond to assist her back in Master Collance’s anatomy class.

Cindy’s promotion to junior initiate status in the prior year or the one before demonstrated her possession of talent and potential.

Even so, she still found herself in a precarious position in Shadow Valley, as she lacked a mentor or influential figures to support her.

In such a challenging environment, she had no choice but to approach Sein, leveraging his reputation.

Truth be told, in the past two or three years at the Black Magic Academy, Cindy had managed to avoid unwanted attention and trouble by using Sein’s name.

This strategy played a significant role in her swift promotion to a junior initiate.

Unfortunately, this time, Cindy did not even get a glimpse of Sein’s face before narrowly dodging an injury from Faye’s Pyro Chain Blade spell.

A singed lock of her hair served as Faye’s warning to Cindy.

Every initiate within Shadow Valley represented a valuable resource, and the black mages strictly forbade initiates from fighting to the death, except when one sought to escape from Shadow Valley.

After the stern warning from Faye, Cindy finally gave up her relentless pursuit.

It became apparent that sometimes, only a female could effectively deal with another female.

***

After the last group of fresh initiates had been sent into the magic altar on the fifth day after arriving in Shadow Valley, Vice Dean Dedaelon finally announced that the Quasi Mages would be next in line to enter.

During this time, Zorro had been diligently preparing. He made the best use of his superior spatial storage, and Sein even found out that he brought a portable alchemy table with him here.

Zorro had crafted many disposable magic arrows. Sein and Faye, being part of the same faction as Zorro, each received one of those arrows.

“It’s a shame that we have such limited time, and the alchemy conditions here are far from ideal. Otherwise, I’m confident I could have crafted higher-grade magic arrows,” Zorro lamented with a sigh.

These disposable magic arrows included an intermediate magic spell and were further enhanced with inscriptions like Sharpen, Accelerate, Bleed, and Poison.

While disposable, they were considered quite remarkable among intermediate magic equipment.

Amid the pressing need for survival and a determination to remain unharmed, Zorro appeared to have made significant breakthroughs in the field of alchemy.

After crafting these disposable magic arrows, Zorro entered the magic altar on the sixth day and never reappeared.

Sein attempted to contact Zorro with his crystal ball, but received no response.

With Zorro, the last of the Quasi Mages, entering the altar, Vice Dean Dedaelon finally announced that night that the senior initiates would be the next group to enter.

The change in the order of entry, prioritizing more powerful initiates, signified that the dangers within the altar had indeed lessened significantly.

Otherwise, the academy would not have risked their valuable top initiates, all of whom were also apprentices of full-fledged mages.

On that very night, Faye unexpectedly barged into Sein’s tent.

Sein was left momentarily disoriented, as his meditation was interrupted by her fiery red lips.

“Faye, you...!”

“Who knows what lies on the other side of that space-time rift, or if we’ll even return alive. Today might be the last time we’re together. You have to satisfy me,” Faye demanded.

Although Faye’s words quickly eroded Sein’s resistance, he made a point to mention, “Bousse is still somewhere nearby the tent.”

Faye responded with a sly smile, “I’ve already told him to scram, at least for tonight. That chubby guy won’t disrupt our fun. Let’s get to it. I’m sure your little girlfriend is also eager to spend time with you tonight.”

The encounter between Sein and Faye that night was intense, lasting for a full two hours before Faye left the tent satisfied.

Upon Faye’s exit, Sein’s actual girlfriend, Leena, entered. The atmosphere inside the tent became somewhat awkward, filled with tension.

Leena frowned upon entering. Unlike Faye who was crazy about sex, she had no intention of doing that kind of thing with Sein tonight.

In fact, she was concerned whether Sein’s body could handle any more after the passionate session with Faye.

The noises earlier were loud enough for her to overhear in the next tent.

She also noticed that their intimate sessions between the sheets were usually shorter compared to Sein and Faye’s encounters.

Sein was quite exhausted by this point, as satisfying Faye was physically demanding.

It was a stark contrast to the moments he spent with his girlfriend, Leena, where their connection ran much deeper and was marked by passion, rather than just physical gratification.

If given the choice, Sein would always prefer the company of Leena.

Despite her petite stature, she was his sanctuary—a place where he could relax. He would often curl up in her arms like a child seeking solace.

Although Sein was an intermediate initiate who had adapted to the harsh environment of the Black Magic Academy, he was still a big child at heart.

In the comforting embrace of Leena, they remained intertwined in silence, listening to the rhythm of each other’s heartbeats throughout the night. Their connection was more profound than words.

They remained like this until the new day was upon them.

As the sound of the magic bell resonated throughout Shadow Valley, and Leena prepared to leave the tent, Sein took her hand and placed a wand in it.

This was one of the five magic items Sein had received from his mentor, capable of releasing an advanced spell—Storm Arrow.

Leena began to protest, but Sein leaned in and sealed her lips with a tender kiss.

“We’ll survive this and see each other again, got it?” he told Leena earnestly.

Aware that this wand was not the only magic item Sein had received from Master Morsidor, Leena ultimately nodded and accepted the gift that Sein had given her as a symbol of their love and hope for a brighter future.