Sovereign of the Ashes

Upon Sein’s arrival, the group of magic initiates, including Mark, looked visibly nervous and ill at ease.

It had been over a decade since their last encounter, and while Sein appeared largely unchanged, Mark had matured significantly.

Now in his forties or fifties, Mark sported a beard, looking every bit the middle-aged man he had become.

Recognizing that the full-fledged mage who had just landed before them was Sein, Mark quickly offered his respects.

Any past grievances between them had been long forgotten since the regional academy war.

Sein, as a phenomenal initiate, played a pivotal role in elevating the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring into the top two of the overall rankings, cementing his status as a legend overnight.

This legendary status was bound to be celebrated within the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring for at least centuries to come.

It was uncertain when the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring would next witness the rise of another talent like Sein, who had emerged as the top phenomenal initiate during the regional academy war.

Mark’s respectful demeanor was a far cry from his once arrogant and domineering attitude, which Sein had nearly forgotten by now.

Time had indeed changed people, and Mark’s former pretentiousness had been replaced by his current maturity and composure, which earned Sein’s nod of approval.

Yet, Sein felt a flicker of embarrassment upon recalling that Mark referred to Eileen as his grandmother.

Thankfully, his awkwardness went unnoticed by the surrounding magic initiates, who regarded him with awe and respect.

Among the initiates before him, besides Mark, there were three who recognized Sein, though he did not remember them.

The regional academy war had thrust Sein into prominence.

Most of the current senior initiates and Quasi Mages at the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring were participants of that academy war. In fact, it was their respect and admiration for Sein that contributed significantly to his legendary status within the academy.

Sein thought for a moment, then retrieved a Flame Bracelet from his space bangle.

Crafted in his spare moments, its power rivaled the Acid Wand from his early days as an initiate.

The Flame Bracelet was no ordinary gift, leaving Mark surprised as he accepted the gift.

Seeing Mark’s reaction, Sein explained, “Your grandmother asked me to give this to you. We’ve become close friends during the recent interplanar conflict.”

This revelation left Mark visibly perplexed.

Spotting Dean Archimedes approaching in the distance, Sein knew he should cut their conversation short.

“I must get going. Should you require assistance at the academy, feel free to seek me out.” With that, Sein ascended toward the sky above the academy.

As Sein rose into mid-air, Mark momentarily set aside his confusion and hurriedly asked, “When will my grandma be back?”

Eileen, having been his primary caregiver, was of particular concern to him, especially since she had been away from the Magus World for over a decade.

Sein considered the timelines. If the first group of mages would return to the Magus World in two months, and Eileen was in the second group...

“She should be back in about half a year,” he replied.

After saying that, Sein left the area.

Above the academy building of the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring Academy, he encountered Dean Archimedes and several other Rank Two mages who stayed behind in the academy instead of joining the war.

Dean Archimedes still looked the same, with his characteristic gray hair and wise demeanor. Upon crossing paths with Sein, they exchanged greetings and a few pleasantries.

He also inquired about the recent interplanar war, as well as the anticipated return of the tower master and other mages from the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring.

Sein provided the Dean with a rough timeline for the return of other mages but mentioned that the return date for his mentor, Lorianne, remained uncertain.

“She’s currently in the Viridian Venom Flame World. Before I left for the Magus World, she mentioned she wouldn’t stay in that world for long and should return soon,” Sein explained.

Dean Archimedes nodded, acknowledging Sein’s information.

The news that the first group of divine tower mages would be returning in two months meant preparations were necessary.

Dean Archimedes also broached the subject of the divine tower’s losses. The inquiry prompted attention from the Rank Two mages accompanying him as well.

Sein admitted his limited knowledge on the overall situation of the mages from the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring as he did not mingle around a lot.

He only learned from Eileen that their divine tower had lost nearly thirty percent of their mages in the Viridian Venom Flame World, which was an alarmingly high number compared to the other three divine towers.

Most of those that perished were Rank One mages like Sein, who was experiencing their first interplanar war.

As a relatively new divine tower, the disparity between the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring and the more established divine towers was evident not only in the quality of their magic initiates but also among their ranks of full-fledged mages.

Nevertheless, suffering higher casualties in interplanar wars was not uncommon for newly established divine towers.

The Divine Tower of Verdant Spring only sent out a small number of mages to participate in the war. With losses nearing thirty percent, the actual number of full-fledged mages lost was around only a hundred.

This figure was insignificant in comparison to the nearly two hundred thousand mages present on the entire Viridian Venom Flame World battlefield.

Moreover, Sein had personally watched millions among the legions of enslaved creatures perish during the war. The death toll among the native creatures of the Viridian Venom Flame World was even higher.

Considering these figures, the loss of about a hundred full-fledged mages in such a huge interplanar conflict was somewhat expected.

Sein maintained a composed and detached demeanor as he delivered the news, yet the mention of losses brought a fleeting sadness to the faces of the Rank Two mages before him.

Despite their superior elemental powers, these mages persisted in being an academy mage.

Sein surmised that their exposure to the harsh realities of interplanar warfare in their early careers must have led them to abandon the path of war mages, choosing instead to dedicate themselves to the academy’s growth and the broader development of Magus Civilization.

Following the conclusion of the Viridian Venom Flame World War, it was anticipated that a number of war mages would transition into roles as academy mages.

Sein knew that Eileen, for one, had contemplated joining the ranks of academy mages, though she remained undecided.

When she asked if Sein was interested in becoming an academy mage, Sein responded with a gentle headshake.

For Sein, the lure of pursuing magical truths in the laboratory was undeniably appealing. However, he also recognized that such scholarly endeavors required substantial financial resources.

Interplanar warfare presented a rapid means for acquiring resources, holding immense appeal for a mage driven by exploration like Sein.

Moreover, Sein had to acknowledge the personal growth spurred by the pressures of war.

During the Viridian Venom Flame World war, Sein had advanced significantly in both the verdant flame magic and alchemy.

Such advancements might not have been possible within the same timeframe had he been confined to the Magus World.