Sovereign of the Ashes

It had taken Sein nearly half a month to finally ascertain the normal breathing rate of Tourmaline, as well as its muscle vibration frequency when it entered a light sleep state.

Sein dared not let Tourmaline fall into a “deep sleep”. Once it was fully asleep, waking it up would be challenging.

And even if he managed to wake it, Tourmaline might be in a foul mood afterward—what happened to the Rank Two black mage was a stark reminder of such consequences.

After collecting all the necessary data, Sein, guided by his keen intuition as both a mage and a truth seeker, discovered that Tourmaline’s sleep respiratory rate and muscle vibration frequency conformed to some sort of esoteric law.

This discovery was exceptionally gratifying for him.

Only a truth seeker like himself would be so captivated by every mystery he unraveled, especially after enduring tedious and complex experiments.

Achieving tangible results that confirmed his theories brought him a sense of fulfillment and joy that ordinary beings could scarcely comprehend.

It was an exhilarating pleasure on a spiritual level.

It was no wonder that many older mages gradually lost interest in simpler physical pleasures and romantic entanglements.

As a young man, Sein still had his basic urges. However, this did not deter him from seeking higher, more exhilarating levels of pleasure.

Fueled by this blend of satisfaction and excitement, Sein once again holed himself up in the laboratory. He also requested Yuri to assist him with various experiments and theoretical work.

***

For some, the pursuit of truth was tedious and time-consuming.

Yet for Sein, it was a source of immense joy that always seemed to make time fly by.

Two months later, having traversed half of the Marmett Union Alliance’s territory by water, Sein emerged from the laboratory feeling both satisfied and slightly regretful.

His satisfaction came from developing a relatively simple method for controlled breathing and muscle restraint during his research.

This new technique was far superior to the Auro Restraint spell Sein had previously mastered.

They were two fundamentally different abilities, yet Sein managed to combine them to achieve nearly “perfect” concealment.

He tested this method, and even Yuri, the engineer standing beside him, could not sense his strength when he fully suppressed his aura.

Yuri could only rely on her intuition to sense that Sein was no weakling.

Nevertheless, Sein’s new method of restraining his aura was still far from achieving the elusive “perfection” he sought.

In any case, Sein’s research on this aura-restraining technique was still in its nascent stages, with significant potential for future development.

However, limited time and resources, including the lack of more advanced equipment, meant he had to temporarily shelf this project.

He planned to resume in-depth research once he could return to the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring.

Despite these limitations, the current level of this aura-restraining technique was sufficient for Sein’s needs at this stage.

“There’s less than a third of the journey left before we leave the Marmett Union Alliance’s territory. I should set these experiments aside for now and take the opportunity to explore the cities and shop for some needed items. The level of magic here is among the best in the Magus World, and we can’t let this visit go to waste,” Sein mused.

With clear waterways and Tourmaline acting as his transport, Sein’s journey across the Marmett Union Alliance from south to north was remarkably quicker than his travels along the southern coast.

Naturally, Sein was pleased with the time saved and the increased travel speed because he was eager to reach the Western Archipelago.

Of course, Sein had not forgotten his other original purpose for this voyage.

The magical advancements of the Marmett Union Alliance were unparalleled compared to other regions of the Magus World, such as Viridescent Land.

So far, Sein had only traveled the eastern waterways of the alliance.

Although he had only been observing their magical civilization along both banks, this experience was still profoundly enriching for someone venturing through the Magus World for the first time.

Tourmaline, the dragon turtle, envied Sein’s visits to various cities because its massive size had restricted its freedom in many ways.

It could only rely on Sein and Yuri to return and share their experiences and discoveries.

Moreover, given Tourmaline’s timidity, it was unlikely that even if it could visit those human cities, it would choose to venture forth.

Highly curious yet equally apprehensive... Tourmaline truly embodied a fascinating contradiction.

A month and a half later, they reached Gaust City in the northern part of the Marmett Union Alliance.

This city marked the boundary of power between the Marmett Union Alliance and Steel City to the north and Sage’s Forest to the northeast.

A large, turbulent river named the Saxon flowed through it from east to west, and to the south, an equally large tributary known as the Sicilian River.

Sein and Tourmaline reached this boundary via the Sicilian River, where they would part ways temporarily.

Sein and Yuri would continue their journey northward to Steel City. Tourmaline, meanwhile, would follow the waterway east toward Sage’s Forest.

Sage’s Forest, the largest magic beast forest in the Magus World, boasted a rich variety of species, making it the most important genetic treasure trove in this world.

The strength of the magic beasts there surpassed any other.

In the magic beast forest within Viridescent Land, the strongest beast was only a Rank Three.

Sein had never heard of any forest near the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring being home to creatures of Rank Four or higher.

However, Sage’s Forest was home not only teeming with Rank Four and Five magic beasts but also harbored even more formidable creatures...

As Sein and Tourmaline prepared to part ways, a subtle sadness tinged their expressions, even though this was only a temporary separation.

They had agreed to reunite in as little as six months or as long as two years at the mouth of the Saxon River west of Steel City, and then travel together to the Western Archipelago.

Having Tourmaline, the massive dragon turtle, as his transport made crossing the Magus World’s ocean far easier and faster for Sein than attempting it alone.

This arrangement also allowed Sein to spend part of his time exploring Steel City, without needing to rush his journey. Otherwise, he would not have planned to spend up to two years there.

Though reluctant to leave, Sein was decisive.

Tourmaline glanced up at Sein a few times, hesitating before suggesting, “Why don’t you let Sevvie accompany me? Otherwise, it’ll be too lonely.”

“Sevvie” was the affectionate nickname Tourmaline had given to Seven, reflecting the deep friendship they had formed, much like how Sein simply called the owl “Sev”.

Without any reluctance, Sein nodded and said, “No problem.”