Sovereign of the Ashes

Sein’s fury at the state of Elementalists in Faeloria was accompanied by an urge to correct their misguided approach.

It was not that Sein was a traitor to the Magus World. As a spellcaster, he simply could not sit idly by while elemental energy was acquired through unearned methods.

Since when did elemental users start groveling for power instead of mastering it themselves?

These so-called deities—creatures who had merely reached Rank Four and beyond—were nothing more than potential specimens for the laboratories of Magus World mages!

It genuinely pained Sein to witness the Elementalists of this world “reduce” to such a state.

He even briefly entertained the thought of establishing a magic academy here to teach the proper path of acquiring elemental power and pursuing the truth, wondering what kind of impact it might have if he did.

Of course, compared to the hassle of building an academy from scratch, erasing this world entirely would probably align better with the mindset of Magus World spellcasters.

Such a flawed system of elemental power acquisition was nothing short of a disgrace to all true Elementalists!

Sein’s anger came and went like a passing storm.

After all, any qualified mage should know how to control their emotions as well as their time.

From the thief’s memories, Sein also found out where he stood in this world’s power hierarchy.

In Faeloria, Rank Three mages like himself were known as “Epic Beings”.

Creatures of this caliber rarely appeared in mundane society, often fading into the pages of history.

The word “powerful” alone was insufficient to describe their strength.

Some of these figures had even achieved the impossible—slaying gods and ascending the long stairway to Godhood to build their own divine nations.

The thief’s memories had limited details about these tales of deicide, but his knowledge was enough to convey the influence of Epic Beings.

Meanwhile, Rank Two beings were called “Legendary Beings”.

These individuals represented the highest level of strength typically stationed within temples, churches, and regional centers of influence.

For instance, the Church of Bones in Blackwater City was said to have a single Legendary Being—an elusive figure the thief had only heard about but never seen in person.

The Dragon Clan of Faeloria was known to roam the seas and the mountains. The adult dragons of their clan were, without exception, Legendary Beings.

Similarly, dragon-slaying was regarded as a near-mythical feat in Faeloria.

Dragons were massive beings, their actual combat prowess surpassing that of ordinary Legendary Beings.

However, the dragons here differed somewhat from the dragons of the Magus World.

While the Magus World classified dragons by their elemental lineage, Faeloria categorized them by color.

Dragons in this world were basically divided into five color categories: red, white, blue, green, and black.

There was also a special variation known as the Bronze Dragon.

Unlike their elemental counterparts, Bronze Dragons did not possess powerful pyro elemental powers.

Instead, they had the ability to manipulate metal.

With bodies nearly three times larger than typical dragons of the same level, their physical strength was extraordinary.

The unique characteristics of Faeloria’s dragons intrigued Sein.

He had always known that the dragons of the Magus World were not the only draconic species in the Astral Realm.

For instance, the dominant race of the Blue Violet Star near the Wild Gorilla World’s star domain was the Violet Dragons.

Additionally, many draconic species thrived in the allied planes of the Magus Alliance.

The power of dragon blood seemed to grant these species extraordinary strength, regardless of the plane they inhabited.

After all, dragon blood was a complex factor on par with the energies of major elements.

The Magus World’s foremost experts in this area were undoubtedly the Dragon Bloodline Warlocks of the West Coast.

Meanwhile, Rank One creatures in Faeloria were known as “Transcendent Beings”.

As the title implied, these individuals had gained mastery over extraordinary powers.

Unlike the elusive Legendary and Epic Beings, Transcendent Beings occasionally appeared in places of worship or major cities throughout Faeloria.

These beings served as the primary forces of their religious organizations to maintain control over their territories.

Almost every religious organization in Faeloria made it a priority to cultivate followers who demonstrated the potential to reach the Transcendent Realm.

Such followers would be granted what was known as the “God’s Blessing”.

From Sein’s perspective, these potential candidates were likely those with strength comparable to that of Quasi Knights or Quasi Mages.

The “God’s Blessing” appeared to be a unique mechanism to increase the probability of breakthrough success.

It also left recipients with traces of divine power factors interwoven with their very being.

These divine power factors, Sein realized, were likely the deities’ most effective tools for maintaining control over their followers.

***

After roughly digesting the information he had extracted from the adventurers’ memories, Sein waved his right hand.

The Ashen Flame that had been steadily burning beneath him slowly faded away.

At the same time, the soundproofing and isolation barrier around him vanished without a trace.

With practiced efficiency, Sein set up magic wards and elemental chains to restrain the five native creatures.

Once secured, he lifted them effortlessly and flew back toward the fishing village.

These five beings were now his important research materials to understand the biological traits of this world’s inhabitants.

While Sein had obtained a basic overview of Faeloria, some deeper mysteries—like evolution—could not be unraveled through soul-searching alone.

Sein trusted his own eyes and research more than the limited worldview and potentially flawed perceptions of these native beings.

He wondered what insights he might gain through dissecting them.

He was determined to find out how those temples and churches granted skills to their followers.

The utilization of divine power was a field Sein had once explored after the Wild Gorilla World War.

Now, he intended to restart that research.

Armed with a Rank Three life level and centuries of accumulated knowledge from Sky City and the Magus Continent, Sein had a feeling he might uncover something different this time.

By the time he returned to the fishing village, it was the dead of night.

From the moment he killed the gray monster to capturing these adventurers, only a few hours had passed.

Most of that time had been spent searching their souls.

Otherwise, he could have returned even earlier.

The wooden cabin where the girl lived stood in the most remote part of the village—a place the villagers deliberately avoided.

Sein made quick work of the terrain, hollowing out a small basement beneath the shaded side of the cabin to serve as his temporary laboratory.

Retrieving the Viridescent Seeds he had buried earlier, Sein turned his gaze toward the cabin.

The girl was soundly asleep under the pale moonlight, clutching the tattered quilt he had used over the past few days.