Sovereign of the Ashes

At a sand dune approximately two kilometers away from the camp...

After receiving their assignments from Zorro, Sein and Leena made their way to this location to explore and gather essential data.

Their tasks were notably easier due to their advantageous connection with a senior figure.

Zorro, despite his low-profile nature, was a Quasi Mage pivotal to the set up of the coordinate generators. This allowed him to assign relatively straightforward and less risky tasks to Sein and Leena.

Fifteen days had passed since Sein’s arrival at the camp.

He was gradually adapting to life here.

When it came down to it, a mage was still human, a social creature.

Sein had not reached a point in his life where he could seclude himself in a laboratory for several years or more.

Surrounded by fellow initiates, he felt more at ease and less isolated.

The crystal ball in his hand was recording the relevant information of his surroundings.

When he was done, he regrouped with Leena and made their way back to the camp.

The Sand World was not without its dangers.

The harsh environment and extreme natural disasters made life difficult for black magic initiates.

Sein recalled the massive sandstorm he had witnessed from a distance in the past fifteen days.

Although the center of the storm was relatively far from their campsite, the overwhelming force of destruction it unleashed served as a stark reminder of their vulnerability.

He could not help but wonder whether full-fledged black mages could withstand such a formidable storm, and the answer was unlikely.

Through conversations with Faye and Leena, Sein learned that two months before his arrival, the camp had faced a relatively minor sandstorm up close.

Two senior initiates near the camp at the time were swept away and remained missing. The sandstorm also injured some other initiates.

The harsh environment in the Sand World was no place for ordinary people.

Leena maintained her usual cold and distant demeanor.

Apart from subtle changes in her behavior around Sein, she often appeared to be in her own world.

Upon their return to the camp, Sein turned in his assignment to Zorro and then made his way to a tent on the camp’s eastern side with Leena.

The tent was a bit smaller than the one Sein stayed in and housed only one initiate.

Inside, Sein saw an initiate sitting in the middle of the tent, holding a jar and mixing a green liquid.

“Senior Modrik, I’d like to learn the process of cultivating elemental mushrooms from you. I’m willing to offer these as payment.”

Modrik was an older-looking senior initiate, but Sein could not determine his age.

Although he was not particularly well-known at the Black Magic Academy, he was one of the figures that had earned the respect of all initiates after their arrival in the Sand World.

He, along with a few other initiates who specialized in dendro magic, were responsible for providing food to the camps.

Aside from the elemental mushrooms that Sein had mentioned, Modrik was also known for cultivating another magic plant known as the “Seven-Citron Bread Tree”.

Yet, this plant was rumored to be closely guarded knowledge, unlikely to be shared with anyone. Hence, Sein only requested knowledge related to the elemental mushrooms.

Different initiates held varying opinions on the source of food.

Sein wanted to master this skill because he believed that it could be useful wherever he went.

Faye and Zorro, on the other hand, considered plant cultivation of little significance.

They believed that learning to create nutritional potions and utilizing their space rings for food storage were sufficient in most cases, with their current predicament being a rare exception.

Many initiates, like Sein, had experienced a sudden epiphany and sought to acquire the knowledge of cultivating magic plants.

However, as those capable of providing food in the camp were typically senior initiates, there had been no forceful attempts at trading knowledge so far.

Sein had observed and analyzed several magic plants and ultimately chose elemental mushrooms, as they did not require specific seeds for cultivation.

They required only water, elemental energy, and a few specific techniques, making them more convenient to cultivate than other magic plants.

As Sein made his request, he pushed two basic magic items in front of him toward Modrik.

Both items were related to dendro magic and should be usable for Sein.

“Oh? Seems like my unfortunate junior has perished here. I wonder if he was swallowed up by sand, or...” Modrik chuckled and looked at Sein.

Sein replied calmly, ”He was already a desiccated corpse when I found him.”

Modrik nodded, choosing not to delve further into the circumstances of his junior’s demise.

After gathering the two basic magic items that required recharging due to their depleted elemental energy, Modrik demanded for more.

Following some contemplation, Sein took out a magic wand and approximately three hundred autrum.

The wand had been acquired from the intermediate initiate, Marlon, while the autrum came from Sein’s own savings.

Modrik examined the intermediate magic item and finally nodded in satisfaction.

He quickly collected the autrum on his table.

“Not bad. You may now learn the process of cultivating elemental mushrooms from me. If you’re willing to pay a little more, I can even share additional tips on magic plant cultivation. Hehehehe...” Modrik rasped with a sinister chuckle.

***

After exiting Modrik’s tent, Sein and Leena headed back to their own.

Half a month had passed, and the camp was now much livelier than when Sein first arrived.

Around twenty additional intermediate initiates had joined the camp, and new initiates continued to arrive intermittently.

It appeared that the full-fledged black mages had continued sending intermediate initiates after Sein’s group.

It remained uncertain whether junior initiates and the few remaining fresh initiates had also been sent here by the black mages

Sein could not help but wonder about Bousse and Marie’s current situation.

“Elemental mushrooms aren’t too challenging to cultivate. Would you like to try my cooking tonight?” Sein asked Leena as they walked together.

“Sure,” Leena replied.

“Do you want to learn this magic plant cultivation skill as well? I think it could prove quite useful,” Sein offered.

Leena held a different perspective from Zorro and Faye, and after a brief contemplation, she nodded in agreement.

“Sure.”