Sovereign of the Ashes

At the heart of the battlefield...

Sein, a stealthy and ruthless initiate relentlessly amassing points, was not the only prominent figure on the battlefield.

Dominating the center was Gade the “Heart of Land”, the most prominent presence from the Divine Tower of Land Academy, bathed in blinding golden light.

Wearing geo elemental armor, Gade radiated under the glow of his divine tower badge, standing out as a formidable force.

To Sein, who had encountered many in the trial space, Gade posed the greatest threat yet and held the highest point total after him.

In Gade’s hand was a light gray magic rod, resembling a massive stone hammer.

Every time he swung his rod, a meteorite plummeted from the sky.

Streams of geo elemental energy particles converged on Gade from all directions, fueling his power.

His seemingly simple geo offensive advanced magic spell, “Falling Meteorite”, caused extensive casualties among the initiates from the Divine Tower of Radiant Thunder under his relentless releases.

In terms of casting frequency and speed, Gade matched the prowess of three Quasi Mage.

Remarkably, his mana and focus seemed inexhaustible. Even Sein struggled to understand how he could release advanced magic spells at such a rate.

Even more puzzling was Gade’s apparent lack of reliance on potions, wielding his mana like an endless well of elemental energy on the battlefield.

Sein had initially considered confronting this adversary bathed in golden light, but ultimately decided against it.

Gade was positioned at the heart of the Divine Tower of Land Academy’s forces, protected by a formidable group of two to three hundred senior initiates.

The challenge of breaching this defensive ring was daunting, even for someone of Sein’s caliber.

Additionally, Gade’s relentless pace of casting suggested he might have more surprises in store.

Numerous offensive spells from the Divine Tower of Radiant Thunder had approached Gade’s position, but most were intercepted by the initiates around him.

On the few occasions that spells neared Gade, they were swiftly neutralized with a simple gesture and the abrupt rise of a massive geo wall.

Observing Gade’s technique and performance on the battlefield, Sein was suddenly reminded of the duel he had witnessed between his late mentor, Master Morsidor, and Katherson at the Black Magic Academy.

Gade the “Heart of Land” seemed capable of a few moves akin to those of a full-fledged mage.

From Sein’s research in the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring’s library, Sein understood that a key difference between full-fledged mages and ordinary magic initiates was their source of power.

While initiates drew mana from within themselves, full-fledged mages could harness the elemental energies in their surroundings, vastly surpassing initiates in both magical potency and endurance.

Gade’s performance while casting closely resembled these traits of full-fledged mages!

On top of that, Gade’s repertoire was not only limited to the “Falling Meteorite” spell!

Perhaps it was the only spell he used because it was the most suitable for such a large-scale battlefield, especially given his exclusive mastery in geo magic spells.

Sein had decided to steer clear of Gade, but as often happens, plans don’t always go as intended.

Sein’s intention to avoid confrontation did not guarantee it would not seek him out.

Top initiates like him, despite their meticulousness, were not immune to accidents, particularly those involving unforeseeable factors.

Sein, hidden in a shadowed mountain pass at the eastern edge of the central battlefield, had just eliminated a senior initiate from the Divine Tower of Land Academy, gaining nearly eight hundred points.

Then, unexpectedly, an incident occurred.

The divine tower badge, previously subdued by Sein’s use of chrome gold as an inert material, failed to contain the dazzling golden light now emanating from his body.

Sein’s individual score had just surpassed 100,000 points.

Compared to the golden aura surrounding Gade, the light radiating from Sein was even more resplendent, like the difference between a blazing sun and a pale moon!

Upon Sein’s sudden exposure, the attention of tens of thousands of divine tower initiates shifted to this new beacon of light, stealing the spotlight from Gade as the battlefield’s most prominent figure!

A moment of stillness and silence engulfed the battlefield, previously alive with magical chaos!

In the sky above, only a few residual magic spells continued to glimmer faintly.

Gade, witnessing this, looked toward Sein with a mix of shock, indignation, and resentment in his eyes.

It was unclear whether his anger stemmed from Sein usurping the top position of the scoreboard or from the fallen initiate from the Divine Tower of Land Academy at Sein’s feet.

“SHIT!” Sein, typically composed, cursed under his breath after the uncontrollable golden light exposed his location.

Without time to collect his recent victim’s spoils, Sein swiftly ascended on his metal disk, heading toward a less populated area of the battlefield.

“Finish him off!” someone shouted, igniting a wave of excitement across the battlefield.

Both Divine Tower of Radiant Thunder and Divine Tower of Land Academy initiates directed their hostile glares at Sein.

United in their animosity, tens of thousands of initiates targeted him, marking a new chapter in the history of the regional academy wars!

Among them, Gade watched Sein intently.

Grunting coldly, he pursued Sein with his magic rod in hand.

The prospect of claiming Sein’s score, exceeding 100,000 points, consumed Gade’s thoughts!

Reflecting on his own score, which barely surpassed 40,000 points, Gade felt an unusual sting of humiliation.

Gade wondered where had this formidable initiate emerged from because he did not seem to hail from the Divine Tower of Radiant Thunder.

In fact, Gade’s early decision to wage war against the Divine Tower of Radiant Thunder was partially influenced by Sein’s presence.

He believed that only a well-established organization like the Divine Tower of Radiant Thunder could produce an initiate capable of challenging his top position, much like Martinez in the previous academy war.

“Who in the world is this guy?!” Gade muttered under his breath.

Due to his proximity, Gade was among the first to close in on Sein.

Unlike many initiates who favored long-range spells, Gade was no stranger to close combat.

His body, encased in a thick layer of geo elemental armor, provided formidable defense.

Before Gade could discern more details about Sein, he found himself under a sudden barrage of Solar Eye beams aimed directly at him!