Sovereign of the Ashes

An adult Green Plume pecked at the ground with its massive beak, plucking a strand of fresh moss.

The two large circular openings on its beak expanded as it drew in a deep breath.

However, the crisp and invigorating taste of the moss no longer held its interest.

Instead, its focus had shifted to another enticing aroma that had just wafted its way.

The adult Green Plume suddenly let out a sharp and rhythmic cry.

Upon hearing its call, several other Green Plumes turned their gaze in its direction.

Being magic creatures, a species more advanced than ordinary stray beasts, Green Plumes demonstrated a higher level of intelligence and the capacity to work cohesively as a group.

Most intermediate magic beasts would wisely avoid direct conflict with a group of over twenty adult Green Plumes.

Only the strongest among the intermediate magic beasts, such as the Giant Saltwater Crocodile or large magic beasts covered with thick scales, were capable of preying on Green Plumes.

Yet, even a formidable adversary like the Giant Saltwater Crocodile that Sein had vanquished before, would beat a hasty retreat when confronted by over forty adult Green Plumes or a pair of King Green Plumes.

The situation where a multitude of lesser creatures overwhelmed a stronger one was not rare in the Underworld.

Despite their impressive intelligence and effective group dynamics, the Green Plumes remained creatures at their core.

They could not possibly match humans in terms of intelligence, let alone skilled mages who wielded elemental power.

When Sein saw six Green Plumes lured by the sweet berries he had planted in the soil, he knew that he was halfway to completing his quest.

Instead of immediately acting when the Green Plumes entered the area, Sein continued waiting patiently.

Patience was a virtue innate to mages, honed through hours of tedious routine tasks at their experiment tables.

During his encounter with the Giant Salt Crocodile, a magic beast far stronger than himself, he also patiently waited for an opening to strike.

Despite the Green Plumes’ lesser individual combat capabilities, he did not underestimate them.

As expected, the sweet berry aroma drew more and more Green Plumes over time.

When a total of seventeen adult Green Plumes, including the King Green Plume which Sein had been keeping an eye on, stepped into the area sprinkled with iron phosphate powder, Sein finally took action.

A hushed incantation filled the air.

The pyro elemental particles began to heat up the surrounding air, causing the King Green Plume with keen senses to squawk.

As the King Green Plume urged its companions to leave the area, a blazing wall of fire, towering at more than two meters in height and stretching almost five meters in width, suddenly manifested in the darkness.

This was Sein’s recently mastered intermediate magic spell—Fire Wall

The spell had little impact on the Green Plumes at first, but it quickly ignited the iron phosphate powder that Sein had scattered around earlier.

The iron phosphate powder burst into hotter flames, turning into another broader wall of fire in the previously dark and quiet environment.

The Green Plumes let out piercing cries as they were thrown into confusion and fear by the abrupt change.

Concealed within the darkness, Sein continued his incantation without pause.

Another wall of fire emerged, cutting off the Green Plumes’ escape route.

Although the Fire Wall spells had a short duration, the flames continued burning with intensity due to the iron phosphate powder and the highly flammable nature of the moss in the field.

After casting the two Fire Wall spells, Sein held onto his Acid Wand to recover his focus and mana, all while keeping his gaze fixed on the group of Green Plumes amidst the sea of flames.

In response to King Green Plume’s sharp cries, the other adult Green Plumes attempted several times to break free from the fiery encirclement, seeking a path to safety where the flames were less intense.

Even the Green Plumes outside the fire, which had not been enticed by the sweet berries, were compelled by their king’s orders to plunge into the sea of flames and rescue their comrades.

As a result, this quickly turned into their final “feast” among the flames.

Sein only felt a sense of relief as he watched the Green Plumes gradually weakened and succumbed to the fire, eventually turning into charred remains.

He was not the only one watching the fiery feast, the other inhabitants who had been lurking around the Griseo Valley also observed in awe.

After witnessing the incredible power of magic, these inhabitants’ fear and reverence for black mages grew even more.

The inhabitants here were uneducated and illiterate, making it impossible for them to distinguish between a full-fledged black mage and a black magic initiate.

They only knew that any black-robed figure in Mystralora City was not someone they could afford to offend.

Sein was immensely satisfied with the effectiveness and power of the Fire Wall spell. The addition of iron phosphate powder had substantially increased the potency of this offensive area of effect spell compared to normal circumstances.

The only minor flaw was Sein’s incomplete mastery of the Fire Wall spell, resulting in a slightly slower casting speed.

In battles, those few seconds could mean the difference between life and death.

While Sein reflected on the quest and the casting process, a mournful, shrill cry echoed from the sea of flames.

A large bird, nearly a meter long, leaped over the flames amidst the sweltering waves, followed by seven or eight smaller Green Plumes.

Regrettably, Green Plumes could not fly. Their movements were also restricted by the blazing flames and thick smoke.

Only three of the strongest among the smaller Green Plumes managed to follow the King Green Plume out of the flames.

Upon exiting the fire, their once green feathers had turned charred, and the faint aroma of roasted meat filled the air.

Rather than fleeing in its wounded state, the King Green Plumes’s rage mounted as it witnessed the deaths of many of its kind and felt the excruciating pain coursing through its body.

Upon detecting Sein’s presence, the King Green Plume charged toward him.

Such impulsive behavior was not unexpected given its low intelligence as a low-level magic beast.

Typically, an injured black magic initiate would prioritize escape over retaliation in this situation.

Accompanying the King Green Plume in its charge were three other adult Green Plumes, all severely wounded.

Furthermore, four Green Plumes, unscathed as they had stayed away from the sea of flames, also joined the assault.

With only a handful of magic creatures and a low-level magic beast on their side, the group before Sein were no different from a colony of puny ants.

The chant of incantation echoed once more, and this time, a massive hand enveloped in flames materialized in the darkness.