Sovereign of the Ashes

The secret realm itself was a treasure trove, far surpassing the individual treasures it held within.

Sein had never truly delved into the study of subspace before.

He took out a crystal ball that recorded information as he walked toward the manor’s gate within this secret realm so that the device could log various environmental details such as elemental density, air composition, and temperature.

While this basic information might seem trivial, it was crucial for Sein’s future endeavors in decrypting subspace.

This was the spirit of a true seeker of knowledge, a trait Sein realized he shared with several other mages.

The knights who entered this secret realm only cared about the treasures they could find in the manor.

The manor’s entrance was a vermillion-colored wooden door, deceptively ordinary in appearance.

If it had been merely an ordinary wooden door, it would not have withstood the relentless assault of a dozen knights.

Despite the knights’ brute force, a series of white halos merely rippled across the wooden surface in response, and the door remained unbudged.

“It appears to be some kind of complex prohibition array,” Sein mused, stroking his chin as he observed the ripples of white halos.

Having experienced the regional academy war and an interplanar planar war, Sein was familiar with the prohibition arrays crafted by the mages in the Magusd Wold, which were employed across various domains.

Regrettably, Sein had not explored this area extensively.

Although he had studied numerous elemental knowledge, the limits of human capacity meant that he could not possibly master every discipline.

As Sein rubbed his chin in contemplation, Leena, standing beside him, and Angreas, a short distance away, nodded in agreement.

Regrettably, their expertise did not extend to magic prohibition arrays either.

The three exchanged wary glances with each other. This newly formed group was already stumped by the first challenge they encountered.

Fortunately, although Sein and his companions lacked the knowledge and means to break the prohibition arrays, there were capable individuals among the knights and mages who had entered the subspace.

A formidable man, standing two meters tall with bronze-colored skin, came forward.

To the astonishment and surprise of the onlookers, he transformed into a small giant over five meters tall with a resounding roar.

Gray spikes and sharp barbs sprouted across his shoulder blades and various parts of his body.

This burly man’s transformation was similar to the Red Flamed Anolis Warlocks Sein had previously encountered. However, he was not a warlock but a pure knight.

Grayish-white battle qi came out from the giant’s clenched fists.

With a thunderous roar, he charged toward the center of the vermilion wooden door.

The once immovable door creaked under the force of his violent impact, with ripples of white energy halos radiating outward in all directions.

If the ability to elementalize one’s body distinguished Rank Two mages from Rank One, then the difference between a Rank One and a Rank Two knight was their mastery over bloodline transformation.

Despite still being at Rank One, the knight had already mastered bloodline transformation, which was an incredible achievement!

Moreover, Sein noted that the giant’s five-meter stature was not his ultimate form.

Should the knight advance to Rank Two, his transformed appearance and strength would surely become even more formidable.

The Magus World never lacked talents!

While Sein’s progress had been rapid, his encounter with numerous elite in the Knight Continent’s trial zone ignited a deep sense of urgency and a strong desire to excel within him.

Following the Rank One knight’s lead, more knights and mages began to showcase their most powerful techniques.

Sein and Leena also demonstrated their unique skills. The surge of power Sein unleashed upon wielding his Verdant Flame Heart Rod was on par with the transformed Rank One Knight.

However, neither Sein nor Angreas were acted hastily.

The more resistant the vermilion wooden door proved to be, the more valuable the treasures that lay beyond it were likely to be.

Given such prospects, why would any prudent trialist reveal their trump cards or squander too much energy at such an early stage?

As expected, it was not long before Sein and the others saw someone take action.

After Sein launched two explosive fireballs at the wooden door, a slender mage came forward to stop their fruitless efforts.

“Based on my analysis of the prohibition array on this door, breaking through would take nearly two days, even with our combined efforts. Considering subspace realms in the Knight Continent typically remain accessible for only three to five days, do we really want to waste half our time here? There may also be additional prohibition arrays within the manor,” he informed the group.

The slender mage continued, “I happen to be quite knowledgeable about prohibition arrays and have just identified two key elemental frequencies. We can’t simply assault the wooden door at random. Our attacks must be timed at a fixed frequency. Follow my lead! If everything goes as planned, we should breach this manor in less than half a day!”

The mage leading the charge had an unassuming aura and was not the most formidable among the others in this subspace.

However, his leadership skills and eloquence were impressive, and he quickly won over most of the group with just a few words.

The knights, whose brawn often outmatched their brains, seemed to instinctively trust the mages of the Magus World.

Before the mage could finish speaking, the knights were already urging him to hurry with the commands.

Sein had no interest in leading the charge, partly because he lacked significant expertise in prohibition arrays. Consequently, he found himself among those being directed.

The slender Rank One mage, named Ernst, was proving to be quite remarkable.

After coordinating the group’s efforts and conducting a couple more experiments, they managed to pinpoint the more crucial elemental frequencies.

Enrst instructed everyone to concentrate their attacks on the wooden door and a section of the wall outside the manor, following the specific frequency and direction he had set.

When Sein launched the sixth explosive fireball from his hand, the vermilion door burst open with a loud bang, and the swirling white halos around it finally dissipated.

“Charge!” The knights, who had until then obediently followed Ernst’s instructions, were the first to break formation and storm into the manor.

Despite their seemingly straightforward and naive demeanor, each knight was craftier than they appeared.

Following their lead, Sein and the other mages swiftly advanced toward the manor.

Standing before the shattered vermilion door, Sein wondered whether the first challenge in this subspace realm was to assess the teamwork of the trialists.