Sovereign of the Ashes

Sein was surprised that an esteemed divine tower master would consider his opinion before taking him on as her apprentice.

He remained uncertain whether the Tower Master of Verdant Spring was simply easygoing or genuinely valued Sein’s opinion, wishing him to make a conscious choice.

For any initiates, or even full-fledged mages, the prospect of being mentored by a Rank Four tower master was an extraordinary opportunity.

Offers like these were seldom refused, and Sein was no exception to this.

Before accepting the offer from the Tower Master of Verdant Spring, Sein hesitated briefly and revealed, “I’ve had a mentor before though.”

“Naturally.” The Tower Master of Verdant Spring chuckled.

“Without guidance from a full-fledged mage, your proficiency in lumen and pyro magic, along with alchemy, would be unattainable. While geniuses exist, I doubt even those chosen by the plane were born with such innate elemental mastery,” she said.

Her response rendered Sein momentarily speechless.

He grappled with how to disclose his background. Should he admit his tutelage under a black mage? That he was once a black magic initiate?

Sensing Sein’s dilemma, the Tower Master of Verdant Spring smiled understandingly and said, “The Tower Master of Cipher has actually informed me about your past and your origins... She’s a highly accomplished Rank Four mage specialized in occult arts, astrology, and sonido magic. To me, your background is of little concern.”

She continued, “Furthermore, since you’ve been acknowledged by the Summer Guardian and bestowed with a strand of the Magus World’s Planar Light, you are now under the protection of a greater force. Your past holds minimal significance.”

Her words significantly lightened the weight on Sein’s heart.

In Sein’s view, there was nothing shameful about relying on powerful figures.

Furthermore, apprenticing under a renowned master promised insight into greater mysteries and the ultimate truth of elemental energy.

He bowed deeply to the Tower Master of Verdant Spring, and addressed her as his “mentor” for the very first time.

***

Though the regional academy war had concluded, its impacts were far from over.

The remarkable achievements of this year’s war were expected to leave a lasting influence for generations to come.

It had sparked a fervor for excellence among the successive cohorts of initiates at the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring, driving them to reach new heights.

In this academy war, the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring emerged prominently, with three of its initiates securing spots in the top ten. Sein, seizing the first place, became a sensational figure within the academy, celebrated by thousands for his unparalleled accomplishments.

His legendary performance was likely to become a staple of inspirational teaching by the academy’s instructors and deans for years to come.

Apart from the top ten achievers, Anna, another initiate from Divine Tower of Verdant Spring, managed to secure the nineteenth position with her score despite being eliminated earlier.

The Divine Tower of Verdant Spring emerged as the undeniable champion of the Regional Inter-Divine Tower Academy War.

The only slight disappointment was securing second place in the overall academy points, narrowly behind the Divine Tower of Land Academy. Nevertheless, it was a significant leap from their previous fifth-place standing.

This remarkable ascension was largely attributed to the emergence of two phenomenal initiates—Sein and Grimm.

In contrast, the Divine Tower of Shadow faced a less favorable outcome, finishing in fifth place.

Their saving grace was Poppuri, an initiate who made it into the top ten, preventing further embarrassment for the academy.

Beyond Sein’s acclaim as the top-ranking initiate and his apprenticeship under the esteemed Tower Master of Verdant Spring, another initiate, Grimm, also attracted considerable attention.

He was taken under the wing of Archimedes, a respected Rank Three grand mage and one of the academy deans.

The legacies of these two phenomenal initiates were set to inspire and shape the future initiates at the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring for generations.

Amidst the overwhelming praise and attention, Sein discreetly returned to his dormitory, resuming his quiet pursuit of truth and elemental mysteries.

Standing before the experiment table, Sein leaned over an elemental microscope with a scalpel in hand.

He observed the squirming black fragments before him, and murmured to himself, “Hmmm... This shadow creature didn’t perish but rather fragmented into hundreds of pieces?”

The sophisticated microscope was a recent acquisition from the divine tower. It was one of the many perks Sein enjoyed following his success in the Regional Inter-Divine Tower Academy War.

Previously cautious with his finances, Sein had seldom invested in such high-quality equipment, typically reserved for full-fledged mages.

However, his considerable earnings from the regional academy war had significantly diminished his previous concerns.

The deans and instructors had announced a point exchange system before the war: one point for an intermediate energy crystal, ten for an advanced one.

Sein’s impressive score of over 220,000 points translated to more than 20,000 advanced energy crystals or, in monetary terms, over 20,000 magicoins.[1]

20,000 magicoins was a considerable fortune for a Rank Two mage, let alone for a Rank One mage.

Even without Master Morsidor’s inheritance, this amount alone could substantially fund Sein’s progression to a Rank Two mage.

Additionally, Sein’s top ranking in the Inter-Divine Tower Academy War earned him extra rewards from the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring Academy.

This year’s war had been exceptionally fruitful for him in every regard.

As the first apprentice of the Tower Master of Verdant Spring, Sein was expecting to receive a special gift from his new mentor.

The Acid Wand, the first gift he received from Master Morsidor, had saved his life during numerous crises.

Sein was curious to see what the tower master might choose for him and what type of magic she specialized in.

1. Author’s Note: The exchange rate between magicoin and advanced energy crystals is usually 1:1. ☜