Sovereign of the Ashes

From the Flame Jellyfolk, Sein gleaned secrets of the underwater world.

The Twilight Sea Snakefolk he acquired allowed him to investigate the unique sensory organ of the aquatic race.

By dissecting the creature, he discovered a small tumor deep within its ear, which he termed the “core”.

This organ, prevalent among aquatic species, was likely what enabled them to sense the life force and pulse of nearby creatures through minute vibrations in the water molecules.

This phenomenon was not limited to the Twilight Sea Snakefolk. Upon dissecting the three Green Oyster Crabs, Sein found similar primitive organs at the sides of their brain.

However, theirs were not as well-developed as the Snakefolk’s, which Sein concluded was likely due to their lower evolutionary status.

“It’s not just the aquatic races of the Magus World. In other planes of the Astral Realm, it’s likely that creatures evolved to a certain level also possess unique abilities and means of detection. It seems like an Aura Restraint spell won’t suffice for total concealment,” Sein mused.

In the midst of his experiments, Sein noticed the diligent and quiet engineer next to him.

He could not help but ask, “How do those from the Neisse Civilization detect and track foes?”

Yuri, who had been zoning out, was caught off guard by the question.

She quickly recovered and replied, “Our mecha units are usually equipped with detection radars. Apart from that, orange-class engineers and above are capable of detecting enemy through their mental focus.”

An “Orange-class” engineer from the Neisse Civilization was comparable to an intermediate initiate in the Magus World.

Since the magic initiates of the Magus World also had access to basic detection magic, Sein was not particularly surprised by Yuri’s response.

He acknowledged the information she shared, then resumed his work without further comment.

***

During his stay in Tiste Seaport, Sein procured a few more aquatic beings. After a period of simple research on them, Sein resumed his journey westward.

His journey led him across notable locations such as Snow Lotus City, Port Dawgens, the Gulf of Salvia, and Dodotri Archipelago.

Sein did not randomly choose these waypoints; each had been chronicled in Master Morsidor’s magic note.

Some locations received only a brief mention, whereas others had been directly explored by Master Morsidor himself.

These notes also hinted at the existence of black markets and secret gatherings of black mages within these locales.

Yet, Sein’s searches turned up empty.

The few supposed sites of the black market he discovered were nothing more than ruins and indiscernible rubble, clear signs that they had long been dismantled.

Sein was currently flying over the Dodotri Archipelago on the western part of the southern coast, aboard a grand airship sailing the sea of clouds.

From the deck, his gaze swept over the panorama of endless ocean and white clouds. The verdant expanse of the Dodotri Archipelago stood out amidst the vast blue.

The southern coast of the Magus World was indeed vast. It extended into the uncharted depths of the Boundless South Sea, promising untold riches for those daring enough to explore.

As a top-tier plane, The Magus World teemed with unparalleled resources, beckoning countless knights and mages annually to explore the depths of its sea.

The fortunate ones could end up with gains that rivaled the spoils of wars in otherwordly planes.

Months had elapsed since Sein arrived at the southern coast of the Magus World, yet most of his time was consumed by ceaseless travel.

Apart from an extended stay in Tiste Seaport, he seldom lingered in any city or region for more than a week.

This approach enabled him to cover vast distances quickly, yet it also meant missing many opportunities for deeper exploration and discovery.

For instance, had Sein chosen to thoroughly explore the Dodotri Archipelago, collecting unique plant and animal specimens, he might have found himself unable to leave for two months.

Such in-depth exploration was typical for full-fledged mages in the Magus World, who, given their millennia-long lifespans, had ample time to discover the wonders of the world.

Casting a glance at the dwindling silhouette of the Dodotri Archipelago, Sein could not help but let out a sigh.

He had spent two magicoins for his ride on a commercial airship connecting the eastern and western harbors of the Dodotri Archipelago.

Flying by himself would have taken him over a month to navigate the sprawling archipelago, whereas the airship would reach Herte Megaport in just seven days, where a short-distance teleportation array awaited.

Despite having traversed the southern coast for several months, Sein had explored less than one-sixth of its expanse.

Relying solely on the flight capabilities of a Rank One mage, it would take at least three to four years to reach the Western Archipelago. Utilizing commercial airships or teleportation arrays could significantly reduce travel time.

Although he had not thoroughly investigated many unique locations along the southern coast, including the Dodotri Archipelago, Sein’s expeditions had been fruitful.

Apart from that, his space ring had also been filled with numerous special resources and treasures that the region could offer.

Sein was considered a wealthy Rank One mage, with fifteen thousand magicoins—mostly acquired during the regional academy war—and over twenty Grade Two energy crystals from the Sand World still in his possession.

These resources could fund his endeavors until he advanced to a Rank Two mage—and perhaps, with frugality, even to Rank Three.

This wealth highlighted the considerable resources that the divine towers were willing to invest to nurture their initiates. Yet, a phenomenal initiate like Sein, capable of amassing 200,000 points in the regional academy war, was a marvel seldom witnessed in millennia.

Even if a phenomenal initiate were to emerge, they could only amass 100,000 points at most.

Typically, the top scorers in the Regional Inter-Divine Tower Academy War seldom exceeded tens of thousands of points, which translated to only a few thousand magicoins.

To the majority of full-fledged mages, investing thousands of magicoins to raise a top-scoring magic initiate seemed disproportionate.

After all, most of them could earn only a few hundred magicoins from participating in an interplanar war.

Yet, from the vantage point of Magus World’s upper echelon, such an investment was worth it.

To the divine tower masters and other high-ranking entities, a few thousand magicoins represented a trivial expense if it could raise a Rank Three grand mage or even a divine mage of Rank Four and above.

The Magus Civilization had long been committed to nurturing successive generations endowed with greater potential. It was a dedication that had unfolded over hundreds of thousands of years, fostering their civilization’s sustained growth and prosperity.

The regional academy war served as a prime model for nurturing emerging talents, a strategy meticulously orchestrated from the highest echelons of the Magus World.

The resources and magicoins dispensed to these magic initiates were not solely funded by the individual divine towers—the Magus Alliance also contributed significant subsidies.

The Magus Alliance’s funding came from the allied planes under its governance, as well as the direct harvesting of resources from newly subjugated planes.

This ability to harness external resources for internal development was within the capabilities of most civilizations.

This approach significantly contributed to the enduring development of the Magus Civilization, crafting a system that grew increasingly powerful with each conflict.

Master Lorianne believed that Sein’s substantial rewards from the regional academy war alone were already enough to last him until he became a Rank Three grand mage.

On top of that, she had also provided Sein with invaluable knowledge and resources, including the legacy of verdant flame magic, a packet of Viridescent Seeds, and access to the upper floors of the divine tower.

Now that Sein thought about it, Master Lorianne had never given him any gifts in the form of magicoins or energy crystals. He could not help but wonder if this was his mentor’s deliberate choice.

Should Sein consider asking his mentor for magicoins, he could already imagine his mentor crossing her arms and sternly lecturing him about earning his own resources rather than depending on others.

Fortunately, Sein never had any intention of taking advantage of his mentor for financial gain.

Lorianne had already done enough for him as a mentor.

***

Upon departing the airship, Sein found himself at Herte Megaport.

It was the biggest port he had encountered on the southern coast thus far.

The presence of a short-distance teleportation array at the heart of the city set it apart from other cities he had visited.

Even the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring had yet to own a short-distance teleportation array, largely due to financial constraints.

Herte Megaport thrived as a magically advanced city. The small population of ordinary humans primarily resided in the peripheral areas, while the city itself buzzed with knights and mages.

The population of ranked knights and full-fledged mages was thought to number over a thousand, with magic initiates and squires exceeding a hundred thousand—rivaling that of the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring.

The presence of knights or mages at Rank Four and above within the city remained uncertain.

According to Master Morsidor’s magic notes and the magic map, Herte Megaport was one of the Divine Tower of Dawn’s properties.

Funded and constructed by the Divine Tower of Dawn, its present-day prosperity owed much to the influx of resources provided by the tower.

Within the territory of the Divine Tower of Dawn, Herte Megaport was among two other cities known for their prosperity.

Upon reaching the city center, Sein took advantage of the absence of flight restrictions and made a beeline for the teleportation array.

Contrary to the restrictions of the divine tower, flying within the city served not only as a practical means of travel but also as a display of one’s capabilities.

When Sein’s powerful aura of Rank One mage was revealed, the magic initiates and squires in the city looked at him with admiration in their eyes.

“Hm? Is that a mechanic?”

During his flight toward the teleportation array, Sein noticed a mage maneuvering a metal vehicle, utilizing its mechanical arm as a substitute for his own.

The mage stood outside a magic store, craning his neck to watch Sein as he flew through the sky above.

He seemed particularly interested in Yuri, who was accompanying Sein.

Given Herte Megaport’s status as a bustling seaport city, the presence of a mechanic was not out of the ordinary.

Given that Sein’s journey toward the Western Archipelago had included Steel City as one of its destinations, the appearance of a mechanic from there on the southern coast of the Magus World, embarking on their own journey of exploration, was entirely expected.

The mechanic seemed to recognize Yuri as a being from the Neisse Civilization but did not attempt to initiate conversation.

Mechanics in the Magus World tended to be more reserved than other types of mages.

It was possibly a trait developed from years of working with metal or being ensconced within metallic confines, which might hinder their social development.

Meanwhile, Sein was intrigued by the mechanic’s vehicle.

It was a metallic compact aircraft, no more than three meters in diameter, featuring a translucent cover over its upper half.

The vehicle showcased a level of alchemy that surpassed anything Sein had encountered before, and it seemed to possess other functions beyond mere flight.

Yet, Sein could not help but wonder whether its flying speed could match that of his metallic disk.

This brief encounter with the mechanic was merely a momentary diversion on Sein’s path to the teleportation array.

Upon reaching a grand, albeit empty, stone hall, Sein prepared to navigate the formalities associated with using the array.

A sweet-looking female magic initiate politely greeted him and asked, “May I ask where your destination is?”

She was likely a magic initiate from the Divine Tower of Dawn, as indicated by the badge she wore on her chest.

The divine towers in the Magus World frequently leveraged their magic initiates for free labor by assigning them various academy quests, rationalizing this kind of practice as a means of “training”.

Herte Megaport offered connections to four marked locations—two westward, one southward, and another leading directly to the Divine Tower of Dawn.

If urgency had dictated Sein’s actions, he would have opted to reach Mousse City, a large city in the west known for its prosperity, through the teleportation array.

Yet, time was a luxury Sein could afford right now so he decided to drop by the Divine Tower of Dawn to reunite with Master Medich, a peak Rank Two mage who had helped him in the past.

If it were not for Medich, Sein would have died in the shadowy depths of Gloomhaven.

Besides, the Divine Light Badge that Medich had gifted him also played a crucial role in Sein’s admission to the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring.

So far, the four benefactors in Sein’s life were Leena, Morsidor, Medich, and Lorianne.

Since Sein was already in the Divine Tower of Dawn’s territory, it was only right for him to meet Master Medich.