Sovereign of the Ashes

Sein had no intention of getting to know the magic beast kings either—the gap between their life levels was simply too vast.

Besides, Sein was not the type to shamelessly make his presence known to the others.

Surprisingly, one of the magic beast kings took the initiative to speak with him instead. It was the white tiger, bearing the mark of a silver-colored crescent moon on its forehead.

Instead of departing with Black Oblivion and the others, it turned its head toward Sein and said, “By the way, my name is Milena. Good day to you.”

The white tiger’s initiative stunned Sein, but he quickly recovered and then bowed respectfully to it.

“I’m Sein, from the Divine Tower of the Verdant Spring. Good day to you too,” he replied.

After receiving Sein’s reply, the white tiger, Milena, nodded and gracefully left.

The other magic beast kings, each possessing unfathomable strength, scrutinized Sein curiously.

Although they did not engage directly with him as Milena did, their demeanor lacked the arrogance and disdain often exhibited by higher-ranked beings.

The politeness shown by the magic beast kings was partly because Sein was a friend of Tourmaline, and they needed to show respect toward Tourmaline and its brother, Black Oblivion. Additionally, the Planar Light within Sein’s body played a crucial role.

Beings that have caught the attention of the Magus World’s planar will, regardless of the level of interest, were generally not to be trifled with within the Magus World.

After all, harming these beings could likely invoke the wrath of the Magus World itself.

Black mages and those of lower life levels probably disregarded this because they were unfamiliar with such profound secrets.

Only beings of Rank Four and above, who could harness the power of laws to some extent, tended to be more cautious regarding these matters.

Surely, there was a good reason why Lorianne had also warned Sein that the Planar Light he had received when he was a magic initiate would attract the envy of Rank Three grand master.

As Sein watched Tourmaline and the other behemoths depart, he was enveloped in a light green shield.

It was Tourmaline’s parting gift, which would last about two years, and Sein could make this shield visible or invisible at will.

The presence of this shield was a symbol of Tourmaline’s care for him.

This protection was necessary as Sein was still too weak; he was nearly killed by a previous encounter with a Rank Two black mage.

Now facing a two-year separation, Tourmaline was visibly uneasy about leaving Sein.

Even Master Lorianne did not worry about Sein so excessively.

Then again, that might be because she was unaware that her favorite apprentice had ventured into the Western Archipelago and even encountered a black mage, a danger of the Magus World.

If Sein had only explored the southern coast without going to the Imperial Pearl Auction in Monique Black Market, he would not have exposed himself to such dangers!

As a top-level civilization overseeing countless planes and inhabitants, the Magus World ensured internal security that would not endanger a Rank One creature.

However, special cases like Sein, who involved himself with the illegal or gray zones, were exceptions.

As they parted ways, Tourmaline looked back at Sein several times.

Sein, in turn, waved in the direction Tourmaline had departed.

When Tourmaline and the other behemoths finally vanished into the depths of the dark clouds, Sein turned around and flew north.

Yuri followed behind closely, acting like she was his personal bodyguard.

The pair headed toward the nearest city within the Marmett Union Alliance, where they could travel directly to the Steel City’s territory through a teleportation array.

***

Stepping out of the teleportation hall at the heart of Black Iron Fortress, Sein flew at a low altitude, surveying the vast city with keen interest.

All the buildings here were constructed entirely of metal. Even the city streets were a patchwork of textured steel plates.

Rumors suggested that the Black Iron Fortress was originally a colossal war fortress built by the Magus Civilization’s researchers.

It was larger than the common space fortresses used as war platforms in the Magus World, though not as immense as the starports outside Magus World.

Nevertheless, the Black Iron Fortress was one of the Magus World’s greatest achievements in alchemy.

Remarkably, this city could fly too.

However, the Black Iron Fortress remained grounded, transformed into a huge city rather than soaring into the sky to lead the Magus Civilization Army on foreign campaigns.

This was a clear sign that this ultimate product of Magus World’s alchemy was deemed a failure, left forgotten, and not produced on a large scale.

While larger external war platforms offered considerable advantages—such as the capacity to house bigger-sized armies, deliver greater firepower, and exert formidable deterrent power—their significant drawbacks were undeniable.

The sheer bulk and sluggish flight speeds present substantial tactical disadvantages.

Besides, the resources required to propel and teleport such a behemoth were immense.

Thus, after careful consideration and analysis, a massive war platform like Black Iron Fortress was ultimately abandoned.

In Steel City, numerous other metal cities, once giant war platforms, attested to the relentless innovation of the Magus Civilization’s mages.

After all, perfection could not take shape overnight.

Every mass-produced military weapon of the Magus Civilization came with a history of numerous failures and half-realized projects.

The mechanics of Steel City operated with frugality.

Instead of scrapping these large war platforms that had been constructed but outlived their research usefulness, they repurposed them throughout Steel City’s territory, transforming them into a unique landscape in the southwestern region of the Magus World!

The presence of these giant metal cities significantly benefited Steel City’s cultivation of the next generation of mechanics.

These towering metallic structures had probably inspired countless magic initiates to become great mechanics.

Even Sein, an elementalist with a background in alchemy, found himself captivated by the various innovations in Steel City.

He even contemplated studying some of them in-depth, particularly the small two-meter-high metal pods that several mages were using to fly in the sky above the Black Iron Fortress.

This mode of transportation vastly differed from the traditional brooms, flying boots, and other magic items he was familiar with.

These metal pods, which he had previously seen once on the southern coast, seemed to be a favored tool among the mechanics of the Magus World.