Sovereign of the Ashes

Two beams of purple light burst forth from the stag’s eyes, slicing through the turquoise-green flames enveloping Sein’s body.

The beams seemed impervious to ordinary elemental energies.

Although the verdant flames on Sein’s body were powerless against the purple beams, two layers of shields—one green and one white—suddenly materialized around him, effectively blocking the attack.

As the stag unleashed the light beams, the other knights and mages in pursuit caught up.

There were four of them in total—two knights and two mages

After Sein momentarily detained the stag, the knights charged forward, one on each side of him.

The knight on the left, clad in orange armor and wielding a halberd, was a Rank One female knight. Her long, platinum blonde hair peeked from beneath her metal-visored sallet.

The knight on the right wore black armor and was armed with a pair of slender hand hammers. His mask and helmet obscured his face.

Their coordinated attack significantly eased the pressure on Sein.

Sensing imminent peril, the stag attempted to flee.

However, Sein firmly grasped its antlers. Searing green flames corroded its fur and flesh, temporarily immobilizing the creature.

The two approaching knights targeted the stag’s hind legs.

Sein could tell that they were experienced Rank One knights—exceptionally swift and among the best in their rank.

The female knight’s golden halberd sliced through the stag’s left leg with great precision, severing the tendons.

On the other side, the male knight’s black hand hammer smashed into the stag’s right leg with tremendous force, bending it grotesquely.

The impact sent a concussive force throughout the stag’s body.

Although the black-armored knight’s attack seemed less refined compared to the orange-armored female knight’s precise and effective strikes, his strength and mastery over the technique were undeniable

The force of the impacts penetrated the stag’s flesh and bones, reaching Sein’s hands on the antlers and causing slight numbness.

The stag emitted a shrill cry as the two knights executed their attacks.

Yet, this was not the end. From a distance, a cryo and electro elemental spells converged on the stag, finally sealing its fate.

***

“Oh? This creature is known as a Noctowl Stag?” Sein mumbled as he recorded details of the strange stag in his crystal ball after the battle ended, while the two Rank One mages handled the remains nearby.

“Yes, it’s a rare type of stag, even here in the Knight Continent. We’ve been here nearly six months, and this is the only one we’ve managed to track down,” one of the mages replied while meticulously processing the carcass.

Recognizing his lack of familiarity with the Noctowl Stag, Sein wisely left the task to the professionals to avoid causing unnecessary waste or damage.

From the mage named Guinness, Sein gathered a lot of information about the creature.

Essentially, the Noctowl Stag was a rare umbra and pyro-elemental magic beast with occult abilities. Its flesh and blood were highly valued in necromancy magic research.

“You’re in luck here. The most valuable parts of the Noctowl Stag are its eyes and heart,” Guinness remarked, having nearly finished cutting up the carcass.

He then handed the remaining tasks to his younger sister, Genevieve, who was assisting him.

The two mages were siblings—twins, to be precise.

Their presence together in the Knight Continent was nothing short of miraculous.

Not only had they been assigned to the same trial area, but they had also started their journey in close proximity to one another.

The other two knights did not share a special bond; they had only paired up after entering the Knight Continent.

If Ghur Jobbs had not departed, Sein likely would have formed a small group with him as well.

Participants in the Knight Continent gained not just knowledge, rare materials, and hidden legacies, but also friendships and camaraderie.

Navigating the peculiar Knight Continent alone was challenging.

To avoid being among the first expelled, forming alliances with peers was a wise move.

“One of my sister’s experiments desperately requires the eyeball of a Noctowl stag. How about sharing one with us? We’ll give you a forelimb and additional leather in return,” Guinness proposed, after learning a bit about Sein’s background.

The group maintained their courtesy.

Since Guinness had previously promised Sein the stag’s eyes, backing out was not an option. Instead, he contemplated other ways to compensate Sein.

Sein briefly considered Guinness’s proposal before nodding in agreement.

His initial claim to the stag’s eyes was based on his immediate recognition of its rare abilities upon first encountering the beast. As a learned mage, Sein possessed keen insight.

Ultimately, the Noctowl Stag was divided into five equal parts among the group.

Sein secured the highly valuable left eye.

Since he agreed to the trade with the twins, he obtained a significant portion of the stag’s leather, some internal organs, and the two most intact tines from its antlers—making his share the largest.

The remaining right eye, leather, and other internal organs went to the twins.

The orange-armored knight, Mainz, claimed the heart and roughly a third of the blood and flesh.

Hopp, the black-armored knight, claimed the remaining flesh, blood, and bones.

Everyone was pleased with what they received.

When Guinness inquired why Sein had specifically requested for part of the antlers, Sein revealed that he was an alchemist.

Guinness nodded his head understandingly, knowing the tines were indeed excellent materials for alchemy.

However, what the mage from the southern part of the Western Archipelago did not know was that Sein had no intention of using the tines for making alchemy tools.

Instead, he planned to grind them into powder and consume them with other potions.

Since killing the Noctowl Stag, Sein had felt an overwhelming desire to devour its antlers. It was a strange impulse.

From a rational standpoint, this reflected a creature’s instinctive drive to assimilate beneficial elements throughout its evolutionary journey.

Clearly, consuming such hard antlers would not significantly enhance Sein’s elemental power.

What truly ignited his urge to consume them was the verdant flame factor within him, coupled with his increasingly robust physique.