Sovereign of the Ashes

Sein was not the type of mage to stubbornly waste time on a wild goose chase.

He prioritized the efficiency and value of his research over exploration of any specific school of thought that might not prove beneficial in the long run.

“Knowledge on constructs might appeal to the mechanics of the Magus World, but my focus is on elemental magic. I’ll only require surface knowledge. My efforts are better spent on more pressing research areas,” Sein reminded himself.

With that thought in mind, Sein began another incantation, and the expanded laboratory reverted to its original size.

The mechas were stowed away in the storage of the laboratory, leaving it uncertain whether they would ever see the light of day again.

Once the laboratory was back to its initial setup, Sein took a deep breath and dove into his next experiment.

His primary research focus remained on unraveling the secrets of verdant flame magic and its body tempering technique.

Apart from that, Sein also needed to figure out a way to integrate verdant flame magic into alchemy.

It was crucial to address this promptly, as it held the potential to drastically power Sein up.

***

It was easy to lose track of time when one was immersed in research in the laboratory.

Although Selina made sure to ask Sein out for meals every few days, Sein barely realized that nearly a year had passed.

A year might seem brief, yet it was filled with achievements.

Through relentless effort and sleepless nights, Sein made considerable progress in his verdant flame magic.

He gained a deeper understanding of the Verdant Flame Body Tempering technique and successfully integrated the power of the verdant flame magic into alchemy. He also managed to enhance the Solar Eye mask in the process.

At this point, it was apt to rename the Solar Eye spell to Verdant Flame Eye spell.

During this period, Sein also focused on increasing the total number of rounds and shots for the Verdant Flame Eye spell.

Any breakthrough could significantly amplify the potency of his signature spell.

With the Solar Eye spell now evolved into the Verdant Flame Eye spell, its power had already increased. Sein could hardly imagine its destructive might if he could successfully amplify its discharge.

Beyond Sein’s personal achievements, he also received a magic letter from House Grantt.

His father, Earl Grantt, was going to make another attempt to break through to Rank One. He advised Sein to continue his research at the divine tower and promised to share any good news of advancement.

As Earl Grantt entered seclusion to focus on advancing his life level, Sein’s younger brother, Solon, officially assumed the role of the family patriarch, becoming the new Earl Grantt.

With that, Sein’s stepmother, Lady Thea, finally fulfilled her ambition to become the dowager countess and an influential lady within the Lysian Alliance.

The past two decades had gradually dulled Sein’s resentment toward her.

During his infrequent visits home, Lady Thea had ceased to antagonize him. Instead, she showed a conspicuous effort to win his favor.

By Sein’s last visit, he realized that Lady Thea’s beauty had faded.

Despite her use of expensive cosmetics accessible to only noblewomen, signs of aging had appeared on her skin.

Although she appeared younger than her peers, she could not conceal her age entirely.

Life’s fleeting nature was all too apparent to Sein. One could only go so far without attaining the life level of Rank One.

While Sein was engrossed in research, he scarcely noticed that a year had slipped by.

His perception of time might further diminish as he delved into greater mysteries in the future.

Sein anticipated that the experiments conducted by mages of Rank Four and above probably took hundreds of years to complete.

***

All the mages from the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring who had fought in the Viridian Venom Flame World had returned over the past year.

The homecoming of 417 mages, including Sein, brought vitality to the businesses near the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring but also underscored the harrowing reality of interplanar warfare.

Initially, over five hundred mages had embarked on this campaign.

Among them, Sein’s friend, a Rank One mage named Grimm, was in the third and final batch of mages returning to the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring.

Engrossed in his experiments, Sein had not reached out to Grimm upon his return.

Considering Grimm’s even more reserved nature compared to Sein, he had not made any attempts to reach out to Sein either.

Their reunion only occurred “by chance” in the commercial area near the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring, where they caught up on each other’s experiences over the last few years.

When Sein stumbled upon him, Grimm was selecting a few extraplanar plant creatures at a stall.

“I’d like a pair, one male and one female please,” Grimm told the stall owner, gesturing toward a group of adorable plant creatures that bore a striking resemblance to cabbages.

The stall was run by a Rank Two mage from another divine tower, who looked somewhat bemused by Grimm’s request.

“Plant creatures are gender-neutral. They might vary in appearance, but they all reproduce asexually,” he clarified.

“You can just break off its arm or one of its lateral roots and plant it in clay. With enough water and a small amount of elemental energy, it should grow into a new creature,” the owner explained while shaking his head.

The owner’s explanation left Grimm with an awkward expression on his face.

Coincidentally, Sein and Selina arrived in the vicinity just in time to overhear the exchange between Grimm and the stall owner.

“I’ll take these two then,” Grimm decided, pointing to two of the “little cabbages”.

Grimm had only noticed Sein, whom he had not seen for years, when Sein walked up to him with Selina.

Despite losing contact after advancing to Rank One, the camaraderie between Sein and Grimm remained intact.

Grimm’s survival and return from the Viridian Venom Flame World as a newly promoted Rank One mage spoke volumes of his abilities.

Observing the two plant creatures Grimm had acquired, Sein curiously browsed the Rank Two mage’s stall.

Being the apprentice of a Rank Four dendro mage afforded Sein slightly more insight than Grimm. Although Sein had not deeply explored dendro magic, he had absorbed considerable knowledge about it.

Beyond their basic asexual reproduction and remarkable regenerative capabilities, Sein noticed that those plant creatures exhibited some extraordinary traits.

“This is... the power of activation?” Sein furrowed his brow slightly and asked with uncertainty.

“You have really keen eyes!” the owner exclaimed.