Sovereign of the Ashes

There was no telling what Leena ultimately said to Gypson before she walked purposefully toward Sein.

When Sein looked at the elemental projection of Gypson, the demigod-level black mage, the old man even managed a smile for him.

***

Sein, along with Tourmaline and White Stella, eventually embarked on a journey northward from Blackhaven.

This marked the last time Leena and Faye would spend with Sein for a while.

It was uncertain how many years would pass before their next reunion.

At the very least, Sein and Leena needed to collaborate on research to open access to the Undead World, which might allow them to rendezvous.

The northern frozen ocean, where Tourmaline’s eldest brother resided, lay far from the public waters they were at.

It was located in the Arctic Circle of the Magus World, where temperatures remained perpetually low. This harsh environment was home to few humans, most too frail for the conditions.

Instead, the area was inhabited by magic beasts and a few aquatic creatures that could withstand the extreme cold.

Additionally, several powerful black mages lived there, generally possessing capabilities surpassing those found on the southeastern edges of Blackhaven.

These mages, though few in number, were reclusive and ancient beings.

They spent years in their private laboratories engaged in dark research, seldom emerging to interact with others.

The journey was long, but with Tourmaline and White Stella guiding them, they would make the most of their time.

Perhaps the realization that their time together was dwindling made the farewells between Leena and Faye especially poignant—particularly for Faye.

While Leena had spent over twenty years with Sein in the Knight Continent’s trial zone, Faye had endured over fifty years of solitude since she first arrived in Blackhaven.

Recently promoted to Rank One, with renewed mental focus and constitution, Faye couldn’t care less about anything else.

As a black mage, she had always marched to the beat of her own drum, indifferent to others’ perceptions of her.

Shortly after their departure, Faye forcefully entered Sein’s tent.

As they traversed the Boundless Sea, a confused Tourmaline asked her sister, “What are they doing?”

Sein’s metallic tent was erected on the shell of Tourmaline.

The tent vibrated intensely, yet no sound escaped.

Initially, Sein had been reluctant to continue living on Tourmaline’s back. He was fine with hitching a ride from any other sea king.

However, Tourmaline, ever hospitable, was keen on having Sein remain on her back.

Traveling through the giant waves, the corner of White Stella’s mouth twitched slightly.

As a powerful Rank Five being, she knew precisely what Sein was up to inside the tent.

The fact that Sein could do something like that in the presence of others left White Stella feeling quite embarrassed and angry.

She even began to regret allowing her younger sister to befriend this Rank One mage.

Putting aside his close relationship with these female black mages, their current actions were a bad influence on Tourmaline.

Seriously, what is that guy thinking?! Tourmaline is still a hatchling!

“It’s nothing, they’re just doing some warm-up exercises because it’s getting colder here,” White Stella said in an even tone.

“Oh... I see. Well, I’m not afraid of the cold,” Tourmaline replied, wiggling her massive body slightly.

As Tourmaline and White Stella continued their journey toward the northern frozen ocean, the temperature indeed dropped daily.

Many intermediate and low-level planes with cold attributes did not reach the frigid extremes found in the coldest parts of the Magus World.

This variation highlighted the diversity of laws and environments within the Magus World as a top-tier plane.

Such a complex and varied environment allowed the Magus World to support and nurture hundreds of millions of unique creatures.

During this time, Sein, Leena, and Faye collected several extremely rare specimens of cryo-elemental creatures.

The uniqueness and rarity of these specimens surpassed those Sein had gathered in the Boundless South Sea.

After all, knights and mages frequently traversed the Boundless South Sea, where aquatic races also sold their products to the divine towers and orders of the knights on land.

On the other hand, the frozen ocean north of Blackhaven was not easily accessible.

Suddenly, a giant narwhal with a blue ice crystal horn on its forehead emerged from the sea ice nearby, sending up nearly a thousand meters of freezing splashes.

This Ice Narwhal was as large as the formidable creatures around White Stella and was also considered a Rank Four sea king.

As a native of Blackhaven’s deep frozen ocean, this narwhal had sensed White Stella’s presence and surfaced to greet her and her companions.

Soon after, a shower of ice crystals fell over a wide area, significantly lowering the temperature.

Concurrently, the cryo elements in the surrounding space became more active.

On a snowy peak of a nearby mountain stood an ancient, magnificent, and well-hidden light blue magic tower.

From the top floor’s lookout, a mage clad in a black robe emerged.

The entire tower was encased in dark blue ice crystals.

Few people, even among black mages, were willing to brave the bitter cold of this remote northern locale.

This mage was one of the few who chose it for its tranquility.

“What is that giant narwhal so upset about? Three thousand years ago, it refused to trade even a little narwhal blood with me and ended up only giving away some of its shed scales,” a deep voice emerged from the black mage.

Cold winds and blizzards swirled in the nearby area.

When the blizzard subsided slightly, the black mage spotted the giant mermaid in the distance, along with several other sea kings.

At that moment, White Stella was gently stroking the horn on the narwhal’s forehead.

The giant narwhal seemed to enjoy the attention, emitting a distinctive cry.

The presence of White Stella and the sea kings surprised the mage in the black robe, instantly vaporizing and clearing the surrounding snow.

“Why are they here? Could it be that... the big guy is about to awaken?” The black-robed mage gazed northward, toward more treacherous, snow-covered peaks.

Even the ocean in that area was frozen, with ice thickness reaching as much as a thousand meters.

“Hmm... that seems like the case. Although their father generally ignores the affairs of Blackhaven, these kids seem more influenced by the guardians, and they’ve caused quite a stir over the years,” the black mage continued muttering to himself.

“I haven’t visited the south in nearly ten thousand years either. It’s time I paid Lord Negor and some other old friends a visit. I heard one of them has attained Rank Six too. What a lucky guy!”

With one last glance toward the distant sea, the black-robed mage transformed into a shadow and flew toward the heart of Blackhaven in the south.