Sovereign of the Ashes

“Fortunately, I entrusted Zorro and Faye to Lady Jeanne’s care due to my injuries before I left. Otherwise, they might have fallen prey to that venomous woman!” Morsidor spat angrily.

Despite Morsidor’s severe injuries and the poison coursing through his body, Sein discerned the darkness in his eyes.

He could also hear the intense hatred he harbored toward Daelis, the Rank One black mage, as well as anger that stemmed from the betrayal.

Ironically, Morsidor had even crafted a magic artifact for Daelis before she turned against him.

The ungrateful black mage, instead of showing gratitude for Morsidor’s favor, betrayed him after the failed mission in the Sand World, driven by greed for the wealth of a full-fledged black mage.

“Were there no other black mages with you? Why didn’t they intervene?” Sein inquired.

Morsidor was somewhat taken aback by Sein’s question. He shook his head and explained, “This secret passage splits into many routes. After entering this place, most of us split up.”

“Daelis and I, having agreed to an alliance in the past, stuck together. I should have made a magic pact with her earlier. At least with the pact’s binding, she would have suffered a backlash from her betrayal,” Morsidor grumbled with regret.

Magic pacts were hardly used among the black mages as they honored strength.

Daelis had only somehow managed to poison Morsidor by taking advantage of his vulnerability when he was considerably injured and weakened.

If Morsidor had been in his prime, Daelis would not have dared to act.

Sein could still vividly recall how Morsidor was able to single-handedly suppress Katherson, another Rank One black mage.

In terms of individual combat prowess, hardly any Rank One creature could withstand him due to his extensive arsenal of magic artifacts.

After all, equipment was also an integral aspect of strength.

Morsidor’s words conveyed not just anger toward Daelis but also his frustration about the current situation.

A fit of coughing overcame Morsidor, and Sein witnessed him expel some black blood.

Despite Sein’s curiosity about other full-fledged black mages like Fareena and her apprentice Leena, he held back from asking, mindful of his mentor’s agitated state and weakened condition.

Instead, Sein assisted Morsidor to a more spacious and drier spot within the cave.

“Take a short break here, Master. I’ll boil some water and prepare you something to eat,” Sein suggested.

Morsidor likely possessed nutritional potions, most of which Daelis had crafted for him.

It was part of the alliance agreement between the two black mages.

Sein did not consider nutritional potions as food and he got sick of them after having too many, and this sentiment likely extended to his mentor as well.

Recognizing his inability to remove the poison in Morsidor’s body, Sein hoped that preparing a warm meal could bring some relief to his mentor.

Considering Morsidor’s days on the run and his reluctance to consume the potions he had received from Daelis, his body had endured prolonged malnourishment and weakness.

However, the disparity in life levels between full-fledged black mages and initiates was profound.

Full-fledged black mages could easily extend their lives for hundreds or even thousands of years.

In contrast, initiates could only hope for at most a century, even with various lifespan-extending methods.

Unlike Sein, Morsidor did not need to eat daily or even every few days despite being able to experience hunger.

As Sein busied himself by the campfire, a mixture of relief and contemplation flickered across Morsidor’s eyes. Yet, his thoughts remained shrouded in mystery.

When Sein presented Morsidor with a bowl of steaming, seasoned mushroom soup, the old black mage mustered a smile and commended, “It tastes good. Seems like Faye’s praise of you wasn’t unfounded.”

Sein smiled modestly in response to Morsidor’s praise.

***

In the Underworld, night was only an imaginary concept.

After their meal, Sein helped Morsidor in settling against a boulder.

Sein was also exhausted himself, as he had hardly had a moment of proper rest during this period.

The unexpected encounter with his mentor today felt like a blessing. From the information he gathered from Master Morsidor, Sein speculated that his girlfriend, Leena, was probably in a relatively safe situation.

In fact, she was probably safer than Sein, given that she was in the company of a full-fledged black mage with well-preserved strength.

Knowing this, Sein’s anxious heart finally found ease with Master Morsidor by his side.

After tidying up a bit, Sein leaned against a rock not far from Morsidor and dozed off.

He slept soundly, unaware of when the cave’s campfire had extinguished.

The cave, now darker without the fire’s glow, retained a moderate temperature from its residual warmth.

In the darkness, Morsidor’s jaundiced eyes quietly opened and fixated on Sein.

Had there been light, Sein might have shuddered under Morsidor’s gaze.

As Sein slept, a pleasant dream brought a faint smile to his lips.

Morsidor wore an extremely conflicted expression.

His gaze toward Sein turned cold for a moment before reverting to his usual expression, with a hint of warmth, akin to an elder looking at his junior.

This mixture of emotions kept Morsidor awake through the night.

In the latter part of the night, the gleam in his eyes gradually gave way to coldness as the campfire’s residual warmth faded.

The full-fledged black mage slowly rose to his feet and approached Sein.

Sein continued to sleep peacefully, his steady breathing suggesting that he was still dreaming of something pleasant.

When Morsidor was only a step away from Sein, an inexplicable magic ripple appeared from his right hand.

Suddenly, a hoot came from the boulder. Morsidor’s right hand jolted and the magic ripple dissipated.

An unnatural flush colored Morsidor’s pale cheeks, a clear sign of magic backlash.

His gaze shifted upward toward the boulder, and with a sigh, he retreated to his previous resting spot.

The magnitude of a magic backlash was defined by the strength of the spell.

Despite Morsidor’s attempt at a spell that did not appear to be formidable or mentally taxing to cast, the backlash exacerbated his already poor physical condition.

At this point, it would not be a stretch to say that he was in a critical condition.

Leaning against the boulder while panting slightly, Morsidor’s gaze returned to Sein.

He sighed deeply and muttered to himself, “Forget about it. I don’t have much life left anyway. Even without these severe injuries, my time is limited upon returning to the Western Archipelago.”

“This child... Perhaps he can inherit my mantle in the future and lead my faction forward. Judging by his focus level, he seems to qualify as a senior initiate. His growth speed surpasses even that of Zorro and Aaron during their early years...”

After reflecting on these thoughts, Morsidor let out another soft sigh. He closed his eyes and cleared his mind.