Sovereign of the Ashes

After hearing Marlon’s response, Sein fell into a contemplative silence.

In reality, he had initially intended to share a portion of his potion with Marlon and engage in a friendly information exchange.

However, Stenson’s sudden aggression made it clear that a friendly exchange was no longer feasible.

In Mystralora City, the weak were not considered equals.

Sein’s initial willingness to engage in a friendly exchange was not solely because Stenson and Marlon were his neighbors.

Rather, he was apprehensive about Stenson’s strength as a senior initiate, which deterred him from taking unnecessary risks.

Now, Sein found himself able to extract the desired information without paying a price for it.

No, he actually paid a price—the depletion of his focus and mana points, which amounted to nearly half of his reserves, as well as the cooldown period of his invisibility cloak.

Nonetheless, where there was a cost, there was also a reward.

In addition to the crucial information he needed, Sein also acquired the wand that Marlon had voluntarily discarded earlier.

It was a superior magic item to the Corrosive Wand that Sein had crafted before, and featured the inscription of an intermediate magic spell in it—“Terra Spikes”.

In terms of power, the Terra Spikes spell was only slightly inferior to Sein’s Fiery Hand spell, making this wand an exceptional item among intermediate magic items.

With the newly obtained information, Sein left the couple to their own devices.

Given their initial hostile intentions, he had no intention of sharing his precious potions with them. He was not a saint, after all.

After storing the new magic item he acquired in his space ring, Sein resumed his journey.

Sein remained unconcerned about the potential fate of the other two, whether they perished from thirst or hunger in the yellow desert.

What did surprise Sein was that, as he continued on his journey, Marlon had somehow managed to drag Stenson’s massive body and was trailing behind Sein.

Sein could not help but wonder where Marlon had found the strength to move Stenson. It appeared that Marlon’s decision to follow Sein closely was an act of clinging to hope and survival.

After all, the only certainty for them if they stayed behind was death, whereas summoning his last ounce of strength to follow Sein offered a sliver of hope to return to the camp.

Although black magic initiates were generally aloof and indifferent toward one another, the camp desperately needed individuals like them in their current situation.

If Marlon and Stenson managed to make it back to the camp alive, the Quasi Mages and senior initiates should not remain apathetic to their plight.

***

The sweltering day in the Sand World was draining the energy and dehydrating the black magic initiates as they journeyed across the yellow desert.

After nearly a day of walking, under the unrelenting blaze of the three suns scorching their skin, Sein decided it was time for a break.

He sought refuge from the merciless suns in the shade of a sand dune.

Taking regular breaks was the norm for black magic initiates trying to survive in this hostile Sand World.

Even the mightiest magic initiates struggled to adapt to this brutal environment.

Sein carefully retrieved a valuable nutritional potion from his space ring. There was still about a third of the potion left.

He took a small sip, consuming roughly one-fifth of the remaining potion, before returning it to his ring.

Space rings seemed to possess a mysterious property preserving the items within, though Sein lacked a deep understanding of the underlying spatial science.

Yet, he knew that this preservation function was crucial for his survival. Without it, he would not have been able to last this long.

Potions had a shelf life, and once unsealed, they could deteriorate over time, potentially becoming deadly poisons.

Sein had prolonged his survival by sipping his potion sparingly.

If Marlon had not deceived him, Sein estimated that he would still have a few potions left when he reached the camp, considering the distance he had covered.

After taking a mouthful of nutritional potion to replenish his strength, Sein leaned against the dune and rested his eyes.

In such a harsh environment, sleep was a rare luxury.

Sein only had the opportunity for a more comfortable rest every fifteen days, during the cooler nights.

For most of the time, he resorted to meditation to conserve his physical stamina and focus.

Not long after Sein immersed himself in meditation, he heard rustling sounds from the surroundings.

Someone was approaching. Sein swiftly grasped his Acid Wand in preparation for any threat.

When the intruder came into view, it was Marlon standing before him, his skin chapped and lips cracked.

Marlon was unsteady on his feet and appeared on the verge of fainting. This assured Sein that he posed no threat.

In his current condition, Sein doubted that Marlon could even cast a Minor Fireball spell or a weaker Brilliance spell.

“Sein, could I trade some food with you?” Marlon’s feeble voice was barely audible as his eyes fixed on the empty pocket of Sein’s robe.

Before Sein could respond or refuse, Marlon hurriedly added, “I can offer you something you’ll definitely find interesting.”

It was at this moment that Sein Marlon was holding something behind him.

It was a bag from what appeared to be Stenson’s clothing. Casting a glance toward another dune nearby, Sein saw Stenson lying motionless in the shade of the yellow sand dune, his upper body exposed and his condition uncertain.

“Why would I trade? When you and Stenson perish, all these items will naturally become mine,” Sein replied coldly.

Sein’s icy response momentarily silenced Marlon, leaving him at a loss for words.

With parched and blood stained lips, Marlon attempted to speak.

Yet, it became apparent that there was little he could say to change their dire circumstances. Tears welled up in his eyes instead.

Sein could not believe that he was seeing another man cry in front of him.

***

Marlon eventually turned away without pleading with Sein for anything. His place was by Stenson’s side as their lives neared their end.

One of Marlon’s wisest decisions before departing was to leave behind the tattered robe.

It was uncertain whether he did this because he had no desire to meet his demise with those “riches” or if he still clung to some hope deep within.

Perhaps it was driven by mere curiosity.

Following Marlon’s departure, Sein decided to inspect the items wrapped in the tattered robe.

To his surprise, he discovered a total of sixteen elemental beads.

After spending so many days here, Sein possessed only two elemental beads.

Aside from the elemental beads, Sein also found several magic beast cores, two magic books, and a stash of seemingly useless autrum in the tattered robe.

Marlon and Stenson did not appear to be particularly well-off, and apart from the wand Sein had obtained earlier, they did not have any other magic equipment.