Sovereign of the Ashes

The so-called Convergent World referred to the phenomenon where different planes, through a mix of coincidence and circumstance, eventually merged and became one.

It might sound unbelievable, but it was indeed possible.

Sein had stumbled across a brief mention of such worlds in Sky City’s libraries.

At the time, he had regarded it as nothing more than an abstract theory—something to broaden his horizons, not a reality he would one day encounter firsthand.

Sky City’s records on Convergent Worlds were limited.

Otherwise, he would not have brushed past the topic back then.

As for whether Faeloria truly was a Convergent World, Sein could not say for certain.

His understanding of this plane was still far too limited.

The thief’s low life level meant his knowledge was not entirely reliable.

At this stage, Sein’s thoughts were nothing more than educated guesses.

The truth would require further verification.

The ones who knew more about this world than the thief were undoubtedly the templar and the gray-robed priest.

However, Sein had no plans to interrogate them just yet, so he had no choice but to set the matter aside for now.

Aside from learning about the existence of hundreds of temples scattered across this world, Sein had also uncovered another crucial piece of information from the thief—the cultivation system of this plane.

As a large-sized plane, Faeloria boasted a diverse population across many races.

Its power system also appeared structured and well-developed on the surface.

Yet, in the eyes of an orthodox mage like Sein, this “structured development” was skewed beyond recognition.

Humans were the dominant race here, and they had created a multitude of professions: Knights, Rangers, Warriors, Mages, Shield Heroes, Archers, Priests, Clerics, and others.

The thief’s understanding of these professions was much more comprehensive than that of the fishermen from Mora Village.

However, it was not the variety of professions that piqued Sein’s interest.

What truly intrigued him was how the intelligent beings of this world placed greater importance on their dependence on deities and faith than on talent and hard work!

This was, after all, a world teeming with places of worship—a large-sized plane that operated on a faith-based system.

Naturally, the development of its power system had been shaped by that religious inclination rather than breaking through personal limits.

The most direct path to power, it seemed, was simply to seek out a temple and beg for abilities to be bestowed upon them.

For instance, this skinny thief possessed three skills: Dexterous Hand, Shadow Step, and Doomsense.

The first two were skills he had acquired years ago from the Temple of Stealth.

The former granted him proficiency in lockpicking and pickpocketing, while the latter enhanced his ability to escape swiftly when things went south.

As for Doomsense, he had gained that ability after joining the Church of Bones.

It was a special skill that allowed him to detect danger ahead of time—a more practical ability.

The deities of this world generally kept a close watch over their temples and followers.

However, in some areas, their approach was surprisingly lenient.

Take this thief, for example.

Before he fully swore allegiance to the Church of Bones, he was still able to visit the Temple of Stealth and obtain a few basic skills.

Of course, higher-level abilities remained locked behind membership.

This rule applied not just to the Temple of Stealth but to nearly every place of worship across Faeloria.

Basic, entry-level abilities were often taught freely—a gesture of divine generosity, perhaps.

When it came to advanced techniques, one had to pledge loyalty to the relevant temple or church.

This “unearned” system of skill acquisition left Sein perplexed and dumbfounded. Faeloria’s faith-based power model was certainly an eye-opening discovery.

The Astral Realm, after all, was vast and filled with countless planes—each with its own strange systems.

Still, this power system was not entirely effortless.

Skill acquisition required a certain level of physical conditioning and mental focus.

Without a strong body and steady mind, a follower would be incapable of withstanding the empowerment of more potent divine abilities.

The skinny thief had only managed to obtain three skills so far—and each came with a limited number of uses.

To Sein, the thief’s strength was comparable to that of an intermediate initiate from the Magus World.

However, in Magus World standards, even intermediate initiates typically mastered at least three spells.

More importantly, spells in the Magus World could be continuously refined and improved as a mage’s knowledge and research progressed.

Meanwhile, mana and mental focus could always be replenished through meditation and potions.

From this perspective, mages from the Magus World clearly enjoyed significant advantages over same-level practitioners in Faeloria.

Based on Sein’s observations, even the mages of this world acquired their skills in much the same manner as thieves.

The major temples and churches each offered advanced offensive spells to their followers.

Mages in this world, after raising their focus and mana to a certain level, could directly visit temples to obtain spells.

However, many mages chose not to become priests or clerics serving a particular temple.

Instead, they aligned themselves with Eluvira, the Goddess of Magic.

By connecting with the “Weave”, they gained access to a wider array of spells, often with greater destructive potential.

Since Eluvira was not particularly strict with her followers, her faction naturally boasted the largest number of mages in Faeloria.

At the same time, she was widely recognized as one of the most powerful deities in this world.

She was also among the few deities who remained unaffiliated with any of the three major factions in Faeloria: the Justice League, the Dark Alliance, and the Wings of Nature.

Most deities in Faeloria belonged to one of these factions, with only a small handful of exceptions.

These three forces represented the fundamental pillars of the continent—Order, Evil, and Neutrality.

The three organizations in Blackwater City—the Church of Bones, the Temple of Storms, and Shadow Blade—were all aligned with the Dark Alliance.

In Faeloria, it was not uncommon for multiple temples or churches to coexist within the same city.

However, places of worship from opposing factions—especially those of Order and Evil—would never share the same territory.

The centuries-long hostility between these two forces had fueled nearly a millennium of violent conflict.

The division of power and the existence of these factions left Sein astonished.

Yet, what truly shocked him was the method through which the mages here acquired their abilities.

“Instead of studying and using their intelligence to unravel the mysteries of truths and master elemental power, they simply visit temples to acquire power through the so-called ‘Weave’? What kind of ridiculous nonsense is that?”

Sein’s eye twitched with disgusted disbelief.

If the spellcasters of the Magus World discovered that these people dared to call themselves “mages,” Sein was certain it would spark outrage across the entire community.

The mages of the Magus World would descend upon Faeloria and teach these frauds what real magic and elemental power were!

Even their so-called “Goddess of Magic” would not be spared.

Her inevitable fate would be to end up sealed within a divine tower or soul tower as an eternal specimen!

“These people... They’re desecrating the very title of Elementalist!” Sein growled through clenched teeth.

His anger surged beyond his control, and his power followed suit, leaving a massive, fiery crater in the ground nearby.