Sovereign of the Ashes

Having just arrived at Sky City, Sein found himself at its very edge.

Even from there, he was surrounded by the grandeur and magnificence of Sky City.

The Sky Tower, which stood proudly in the center of Sky City, was still an incredible distance away.

Yet, its sheer height and majesty were such that even from the outskirts, Sein could clearly see its towering splendor.

“That tower... I once saw a similar one in the Marmett Union Alliance. It must be a soul tower—it looks far grander than a divine tower,” Sein murmured.

The tower he had seen in the Marmett Union Alliance, however, had likely been shorter than the majestic structure before him.

Both the Marmett Union Alliance and the Alveroth Empire had their own soul towers, yet Sein had never had the chance to examine them closely.

His recent travels had been too rushed to afford him such a luxury.

Not that it mattered. Simply viewing these towers offered no tangible benefits—only a chance to witness the symbol of spellcasters at the pinnacle of the Magus Civilization.

Had he been traveling to sightsee, he might have visited the Pyro Secret Society’s headquarters in Viridescent Land or journeyed along the Verdant Wave Canal to the Byrne Empire, where he could have witnessed not only their soul towers but also their grand knightly orders.

Standing before the soul tower in Sky City, he felt a sense of awe and longing.

“I’ve heard that the Arcane Light housed in the divine towers across the Magus World is merely a clone and that the real one is here in Sky City, holding the most complete repository of truth, knowledge, and the historical legacy of Magus Civilization,” he remarked.

His heart stirred with anticipation as he pondered, “Where do I even begin?”

Sein cast his gaze across the sprawling cityscape before him, then set off toward the east.

Sky City was far too vast for anyone to traverse in a short amount of time.

Moreover, flying was strictly prohibited within the city’s boundaries, regardless of one’s rank or power.

Even those at Rank Four or higher were required to remain on the ground.

Sein chose a direction at random, knowing full well that with his Rank Three status, he would not even be able to explore one ten-thousandth of Sky City during this trip.

The Magus Civilization had amassed tens of millions of years’ worth of truths and legacies—how could they be so easily unraveled?

Relying on intuition and luck to navigate the city was a common approach for every mage visiting Sky City for the first time.

Even a casual stroll through its streets could reveal mysteries of knowledge so profound that they would leave any mage awestruck.

However, one thing Sein criticized after entering Sky City was the daily cost of staying there—it required a small but steady expenditure of Arcane points.

Sein had already spent thousands of Arcane points in the Alveroth Empire to exchange for knowledge that interested him, primarily alchemy techniques.

With his remaining Arcane points, he estimated that he could afford to stay in the city for just over ten years.

Initially, Sein had thought that his remaining 3,000 Arcane points would be more than enough to enjoy the luxuries of Sky City.

Yet the harsh reality made him realize the difficulty of exploring truth and the value of knowledge.

The daily cost of residing in Sky City was just the beginning.

If Sein wanted to enter one of the many libraries or exchange for specific elemental mysteries, he would need to spend even more Arcane points.

Calculating all this, Sein concluded that his stay in Sky City would likely be much shorter than he had anticipated.

Thankfully, Sky City also boasted an abundance of alchemy shops, potion stores, gourmet restaurants, and other establishments where the medium of exchange was still magicoins.

Sky City was the gathering place for the pinnacle of the Magus Civilization’s achievements.

In his earlier years, Sein had witnessed many remarkable magitech creations in Steel City.

However, compared to the alchemical marvels of Sky City, the products from Steel City seemed more industrialized and standardized, designed for mass production and large-scale legions.

Sky City’s magic items, on the other hand, were far more refined, intricate, and high-end.

Not being a mechanic himself, Sein felt little attraction to Steel City’s alchemy.

Nevertheless, he found Sky City’s environment and atmosphere far more enjoyable and inspiring.

It was also notable that within Sky City—the sacred land of the Magus Civilization—there were no extraplanar creatures, magic beasts, or demihumans in sight.

Only humans walked its streets.

In addition to mages, Sein noticed the presence of knights moving about the city.

Considering the cost of living in Sky City—one Arcane point per day—Sein could not help but wonder where these knights obtained their Arcane points.

“Could it be that every knight here is a dual cultivator of martial and magic?” he mused.

In truth, the Magus Civilization’s pursuit of knowledge extended far beyond elemental magic.

Battle qi, too, was a vast and significant branch of knowledge.

Knights from the Magus World often uploaded their insights into battle qi or practical combat techniques to the Arcane Light system in exchange for Arcane points.

As a result, there were quite a few knights in Sky City who were Rank Two or even Rank Three Arcanists.

At Rank Four and above, when the power of laws came into play, the gap in strength between mages and knights became much narrower compared to the lower ranks.

At that level, everyone wielded the power of laws, and the fundamentals of their abilities were largely the same.

In the second month of his stay in Sky City, Sein secured a position as an intern at a heavy industry laboratory.

Joining Sky City’s heavy industry laboratory was one of the few ways to offset the daily consumption of Arcane points while gaining practical knowledge of truth through hands-on experimentation.

To earn his spot as an intern, Sein had to pass a test, competing against seven other alchemists, two of whom were Rank Three grand mages.

Sein’s exceptional mastery of pyro elemental energy and his unique insights into alchemy ultimately secured his success.

For this, Sein owed his thanks to Grandmaster Feylis.

If not for the recent acquisition of the Art of Reija Flame, which elevated his pyro elemental energy manipulation to new heights, he would not have been able to outperform a Rank Three pyro elemental alchemist and claim this position.

As an intern, Sein’s status was that of an initiate—not even a proper assistant.

His immediate superior, who oversaw his alchemy-related tasks, was a semi-bald, middle-aged Rank Two mage with graying hair at the sides.

In the Magus World, no absolute hierarchy existed among mages.

Spellcasters valued knowledge above all else, and those who possessed it were respected regardless of their rank.

This semi-bald old man, though only a Rank Two mage, was over two thousand years old—far older than Sein, whose age was merely a fraction of his.

Despite his low life level, the old man’s outstanding achievements in the field of alchemy were undeniable.

His expertise lay in large-scale energy elemental weapons.

In fact, he was one of the alchemists involved in designing the primary and secondary cannons of space fortresses.

The heavy industry laboratory Sein had joined was one of the more prestigious ones in Sky City, specializing in the development and manufacturing of medium-sized space fortresses.

There were dozens of such heavy industry laboratories in Sky City.

This fierce competition ensured that the Magus Civilization’s space fortresses and other large-scale war platforms were constantly upgraded and refined.