Sovereign of the Ashes

Sein had only discovered today that his mentor, Lorianne, had her own mentor.

Known by the title “Verdant Flame”, Lorianne’s mentor was a revered Rank Six grand mage and the founder of the Divine Tower of Verdant Flame.

Apart from his Rank Six grandmaster, Sein also learned of the other apprentices of his grandmaster through Master Lorianne. Both of them were mages of over Rank Four and had established their own divine towers.

Lorianne was the youngest apprentice of the Verdant Flame.

In any case, Sein found himself in an extremely powerful prestigious faction.

From his current perspective, the full extent and power of this faction remained beyond his grasp.

In the Magus World, the inheritance of knowledge from one generation to the next was of utmost importance to mages.

The wealth of knowledge from previous generations was necessary in their unending quest for truth.

Therefore, being part of a powerful faction offered numerous advantages in this pursuit.

The visit to the Divine Tower of Verdant Flame in a year was surprising not only to Sein but also to Lorianne. It was so unexpected that she had to postpone an experiment she was about to start.

Sein had initially been curious about why Lorianne, who appeared to specialize in dendro magic, would take on an apprentice leaning toward the pyro and lumen elements.

It became clear to him now that Lorianne’s area of expertise extended well beyond just dendro magic.

His beautiful, young mentor with long green hair appeared to have significant accomplishments in pyro element magic, especially considering that his grandmaster was known as the “Verdant Flame”.

Furthermore, even if Lorianne were not adept in the pyro element, her millennia of wisdom as a Rank Four mage alone was enough to guide Sein and help him navigate the complex path of elemental magic.

Lorianne planned to only impart the teachings of their faction once Sein had firmly established himself as a Rank One mage.

Given that the average lifespan of a Rank One mage in the Magus World could extend to a thousand years, Sein would have ample time to explore the paths of their faction in the future.

There was no need for Sein to rush his learning over just one or two years, particularly when it came to acquiring in-depth magic knowledge.

Fortunately, Sein also had a positive mindset. His frequent visits to the library for the initiates demonstrated humility and dedication in his approach to learning.

Despite his top placement in the regional academy war, he had not become conceited or overly ambitious.

Before respectfully departing the top floor of the divine tower, Sein broached another subject with his mentor, Lorianne, that piqued his curiosity.

“Master Lorianne, where is the Neisse Star Domain?” Sein asked. “The extraplanar being I communicated with mentioned our Magus Civilization has been at war with it for thirty years.”

Lorianne, a Rank Four mage, naturally possessed a broader understanding of the Magus World’s development and the overarching direction of their civilization.

The concept of a thirty-thousand-year-long battle of civilizations was beyond Sein’s imagination, and he could not help but seek more insight from his mentor.

“Neisse Star Domain, huh...?” Lorianne mused reflectively upon Sein’s inquiry.

It was clear from her expression that she had been deeply impacted by her involvement in the Neisse Star Domain conflict.

Yet, Lorianne chose not to share extensive details with Sein.

She simply explained, “The Neisse Star Domain lies on the edge of our Magus Civilization’s influence. Thirty thousand years ago, the Neisse Civilization refused to join the Magus Alliance and displayed hostility toward us. It’s a formidable large world civilization, you’ll better understand it once you gain access to the divine tower library, reserved for full-fledged mages.”

“The Neisse Civilization boasts formidable strength, with Rank Seven overlords at its helm. I fought in that war as a Rank One Mage over nine thousand years ago. Our Magus Civilization had the upper hand against the Neisse’s army of constructs, but it was a treacherous battle that claimed many of our full-fledged mages,” she recalled.

Lorianne’s tone grew solemn as she concluded, “Looking back, those below Rank Four are truly insignificant in large-scale civilization wars and minor interplanar conflicts. You still have a long journey ahead of you.”

“I understand,” Sein replied respectfully.

“But remember, even the most formidable civilizations pale in comparison to our Magus Civilization. We’re in an era of immense power. The Neisse Civilization, despite having overlords among their ranks, is on the brink of defeat.”

Lorianne’s expression then softened into a smile as she added, “In fact, I suspect that the sudden summoning by your grandmaster might well be related to the conclusion of this war.”

***

Sein’s mind was occupied by his own thoughts ever since he left his mentor’s place.

Under the guidance of a divine tower master like Lorianne, he had gained access to insights typically reserved for the upper echelons.

The more he learned, the tinier he felt in the grand scheme of the world.

Staring at the magic rod in his hand, his desire for greater understanding and power grew ever stronger.

Four months later...

Inside the secret chamber atop the divine tower, Sein was surrounded by rows of energy crystals and complex magic arrays.

The concentration of energy in the room was nearly a hundred times greater than outside, with the elemental energy in the air almost reaching a liquefied state.

Dressed in a black magic robe, Sein finally opened his eyes.

A beam of light shot out from his eyes. At this point, there was a striking difference in Sein compared to just a few months prior. Both his external aura and internal essence had undergone significant transformations.

A crystal ball appeared in hand, displaying his latest stats:

Focus: 101.71 points.

Mana: 96.32 points

Constitution: 37.04 points.

Sein had surpassed 100 points in mental focus and finally became a full-fledged mage!

This transformation unfolded remarkably swiftly.

Without the influence of the Planar Light, such a rapid change in Sein’s life essence would not have been possible, and he likely would have encountered more obstacles during the breakthrough process.

The secret chamber, abundant in energy and supplied with numerous bottles of magic potions, was not a privilege extended to just anyone.

It was provided by Lorianne, who had meticulously adjusted the environment to optimize the elemental concentration for Sein.

These potions, awarded for his top performance in the academy war, were specifically formulated to enhance mental focus growth.

Sein had consumed only about a third of these potions to complete his advancement, leaving the rest unused.

Carefully stowing away these valuable potions, he straightened his robe and stepped out of the secret chamber.