Sovereign of the Ashes

The divine artifact was ultimately sold for an astonishing 780,000 magicoins.

Judging by its craftsmanship, it did not appear to be the work of Magus World alchemists. Instead, it seemed to originate from one of the allied planes.

Sein speculated that the buyer might even be a foreign god, as the Rank Four and above knights and mages of the Magus World likely would not show much interest in such roughly crafted equipment.

Those who favored heavy hammers as weapons were typically knights, and those of Rank Four usually had connections with mages of a similar rank.

It was standard practice for most knights in the Magus World to commission their equipment from mages.

Of course, exceptions to this norm did exist.

For instance, Thunder, who once collaborated with the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring, had sought the aid of a foreign god of smithing to create his world-class secret treasure.

This audacious endeavor sparked envy among Magus World elites like Lorianne and other Rank Four or higher powerhouses. Yet, it also drew a fair share of skepticism.

Many who heard of Thunder’s gamble observed the unfolding events with a mix of curiosity and derision.

Creating a world-class secret treasure was no simple task—if it were, such artifacts would not hold their legendary status within the Astral Realm.

The fact that Thunder turned to a foreign god instead of a Magus World mage only fueled the doubt. Many critics, indulging in schadenfreude, eagerly anticipated the knight’s inevitable disappointment.

Thunder had invested an immense fortune into the project, even mortgaging his space fortress to finance the undertaking.

Failure would not only saddle him with crippling debt but could also lead to the collapse of his knightly order.

It was, without a doubt, a gamble of extremes—a precarious walk along the fine line between heaven and hell.

Among Magus World elites, the consensus was clear—Thunder had already placed one foot at the gates of hell.

Only a headstrong and impulsive knight like Thunder would take such a reckless leap of faith.

No mage of his rank would ever take such a risk, let alone entrust their future to an “outsider”.

This stark contrast in decision-making highlighted the fundamental differences between knights and mages in the Magus World.

***

After witnessing a divine artifact auction event in this auction hall, Sein then took Eileen to two other auction halls.

He also enjoyed the food provided by the auction with Eileen.

The overall value of the items presented in the other two auction halls far surpassed those in the hall where Sein and Eileen had previously stayed.

It was not that the flower elf maid looked down on Sein and deliberately chose not to take him to these halls.

Rather, the items sold in the other two auction venues were simply beyond the purchasing power of a peak Rank Two mage like him.

Even if a Rank Three mage went there, he would just stare in disbelief most of the time.

In the second auction hall, the grand finale that Sein had waited for was a living, breathing Rank Four creature that had been branded as a slave.

Eileen’s earlier thoughts before coming to the auction were finally realized as she witnessed a living Rank Four creature, bound by mana chains, being auctioned off!

What truly left Sein marveling at the twists of fate was the identity of this Rank Four creature—it was a Wild Gorilla!

However, this Rank Four Gorilla God was not among the ones that the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring had faced during the war in the Wild Gorilla World when Sein had participated in the conflict.

From the auctioneer’s introduction, this was a Rank Four Gorilla God that could harness the power of geo elemental laws.

Even that auctioneer seemed to be of Rank Four or above, as Sein saw him slice open the wrist of this Gorilla God effortlessly.

The divine blood, which contained a rich geo elemental aura, flowed into the tray beside this imprisoned Gorilla God.

When the auctioneer slashed the Gorilla God’s wrist and listed its various valuable parts and abilities, treating it like a pig awaiting slaughter, the creature remained unnervingly silent from start to finish.

Sein could not tell whether the Gorilla God’s spirit had been completely broken or if it had been silenced through some special means employed by the auctioneer.

This display of absolute control and power left Sein, a mere Rank Two mage, marveling in awe and admiration.

But what made him even more curious was, which Magus World powerhouse was it that managed to capture a Rank Four Gorilla God alive?

Capturing a Rank Four creature alive and killing a Rank Four creature were two completely different matters.

Not to mention, the Wild Gorilla clan was indeed a notorious species with a violent temper.

When faced with a desperate situation that was difficult to defend against, they did not mind sacrificing their own lives to take down one or two opponents with them.

Tourmaline’s brother, Black Oblivion, had endured numerous serious injuries during the civilization war, largely due to these Wild Gorillas.

What Sein did not realize was that Grandmaster Feylis had also managed to capture a Rank Four Gorilla God during the Wild Gorilla World War.

She had sent the captured creature back to the Magus World early, offering it as a valuable subject for the research of the overlords and overmages who monitored the war from behind the scenes.

Feylis’s success in capturing a Rank Four Gorilla God alive was primarily due to a carefully orchestrated ambush.

Capturing a Rank Four Gorilla God intent on escaping would be an extreme challenge on a battlefield.

Nevertheless, this feat still served as a clear testament to Feylis’ immense strength.

Sein could not help but wonder what kind of power it would take to capture a Rank Four Gorilla God alive.

The answer, he mused, was that only someone as formidable as his grandmaster could manage it.

An alive Rank Four Gorilla God was far more valuable than a dead one.

Beyond being an excellent test subject, its divine relics, divine blood, divine bone, and other body parts were also extremely valuable.

Additionally, a living Rank Four creature could become a formidable ally on the battlefield.

Of course, its extraordinary value also translated to an equally immense price.

The starting bid for the enslaved Rank Four Gorilla God was a staggering thirteen million magicoins—a sum so astronomical that Sein felt utterly poor.

It was even more expensive than a standard Magus World space fortress!

By the time the final bid climbed to twenty million magicoins, Sein could only shake his head and let out a wry chuckle. Such treasures were indeed far beyond his reach.

“Let’s go and check out the last auction hall,” he said, pulling Eileen along. She, too, was still reeling from the spectacle.

The atmosphere in the final auction hall was calmer, though the items presented remained just as unattainable for Sein.

As the auction reached its grand finale, a peculiar item was unveiled—a wooden wedge that left Sein utterly baffled.

According to the auctioneer, it was a fragment of a world-class secret treasure.

The introduction was highly detailed, so much so that Sein quickly realized the auctioneer was no ordinary host. This individual was clearly an alchemist of extraordinary skill, far surpassing Sein’s own abilities.

The auctioneer even conducted a basic analysis on the spot, revealing its remarkable properties.

Sein could not help but be reminded of Tourmaline’s arm ribbons.

Undoubtedly, this fragment was yet another treasure entirely beyond his reach.

The starting price for the wooden wedge was comparable to that of the enslaved Rank Four Gorilla God.

Sein had always suspected that Tourmaline was wealthier than she let on.

Now, he was even more convinced of it.