Sovereign of the Ashes

When Zorro’s voice rang out, the remaining magic initiates in the midst of the destroyed camp acted swiftly. Those with quick reflexes had already made a beeline for the spatial passage.

Black magic initiates, especially those who had experienced the harsh rule of survival of the fittest, were all intelligent people.

Each of them had traversed a path paved with the bodies of a dozen or even more fellow black magic initiates to reach this point.

This was not to suggest that they had directly killed weaker initiates, although some among them may have resorted to such methods.

Initiates like Sein had simply outperformed their peers in order to survive, while those with lesser abilities had been weeded out.

That was the reason Master Collance’s anatomy class never lacked cadaver specimens.

Some of the surviving initiates rushed toward the spatial passage with haste, while others remained hesitant.

The haunting image of Quasi Mage Locke’s demise loomed in their minds. Who could predict what awaited them within the passage or on the other side?

Perhaps the far end of the spatial passage concealed greater danger than the Sand World.

At the very least, there was no duel between two peak Rank Three mages here, and they were shielded from the clashes between the Divine Tower mages and the black mages.

Sein paid little heed to these concerns.

The moment Zorro’s voice came through, he sprang into action, clutching the injured Leena tightly in his arms as he charged toward the spatial passage.

Leena’s condition appeared worse than expected, and the urgency of the situation left no time for him to inspect the injuries beneath her magic robe.

Her pale face and the continuous seeping of blood only heightened his anxiety.

There was quite a distance between Sein and the spatial passage.

Despite the Lightfoot spell and another speed-boosting spell from Leena, carrying her in his arms made him slower than the initial group of initiates who had darted toward the passage.

The first to reach the vicinity of the spatial passage was Zorro.

He might not have been a formidable fighter, but his extensive collection of magic items compensated for it.

Among them was a pair of Flying Boots, a ranked magic artifact that granted him the ability to glide for a short duration.

As he neared the spatial passage, Zorro hesitated before taking the plunge.

At this stage, the passage was significantly damaged, and very few ordinary black magic initiates would dare to venture inside, unless they were a full-fledged black mage.

Zorro retrieved the crimson elemental beads. As he infused them with his mana, a crimson energy column rose from his hand.

“Hrrmph!” A cold, female voice emanated from the other end of the spatial passage.

Zorro immediately recognized the voice and felt the familiar magical pull around him. He exclaimed in relief, “Thank you for coming to our aid, Lady Jeanne!”

Zorro was the first to escape from the Sand World, swiftly followed by two other Quasi Mages, who had cast Levitate spells on themselves.

It seemed that a fierce battle was raging on the other side of the spatial passage between the mages from the Divine Tower and the black mages from Mystralora City.

Even so, the fact that Vice Dean Jeanne still had the strength to rescue initiates on this side suggested that the black mages from Mystralora City were putting up a strong fight.

The rescue of the three Quasi Mages injected a surge of adrenaline into the black magic initiates who were still stranded in danger.

Those who were quick on their feet and had enough elemental beads made their way to the spatial passage without hesitation.

However, despair and chaos reigned among the intermediate initiates who were severely wounded and located some distance away from the spatial passage, or those who lacked sufficient elemental beads.

Sein witnessed a Quasi Mage whose lower body was consumed by flames descend into a state of hysteria, launching indiscriminate attacks on those around him.

The initiates from the Black Magic Academy of Mystralora City had grown up in a twisted environment, and few exhibited normal behavior.

Individuals like Sein, who held onto their moral compasses, were a rarity.

In a situation where survival seemed impossible, this particular Quasi Mage turned on his fellow initiates, driven by a twisted desire to inflict as much harm as possible in his final moments.

This twisted and deranged mentality exemplified the mindset prevalent among black mages.

Indeed, this Quasi Mage embodied the defining traits of a typical black mage.

Had none of these tragic events occurred, considering his level of skill and mental resilience, he could have become a full-fledged black mage in another ten years.

Amidst this chaos, the intermediate initiates who had long been subjugated displayed shocking and almost crazy reactions.

They numbered around fifty and possessed no elemental beads.

In response to the crisis, these intermediates turned not only against their oppressive senior initiates but also against the Quasi Mages.

One initiate, skilled in pyro magic, charged toward the paralyzed Quasi Mage, wielding a massive fireball in each hand, demanding, “Surrender your elemental beads and die!”

In a cunning maneuver, the intermediate initiate sought to exploit the Quasi Mage’s vulnerable state.

He released the fireballs, targeting the Quasi Mage, but the latter’s mastery of magical abilities far surpassed that of most intermediate initiates.

A sturdy geo elemental wall emerged, blocking the fireballs, and swiftly afterward, a barrage of geo elemental lances pierced the air, turning the sneaky intermediate initiate into a sieve!

The Quasi Mage, even in his hysterical state, displayed exceptional speed and accuracy in his magical abilities.

Leena’s feeble voice echoed in Sein’s ear. “His name is Krover. Among the Quasi Mages at the academy, he’s ranked in the top three. Despite being consumed by flames, we must not underestimate him. Let’s steer clear him.”

Leena’s advice prompted Sein to adjust his path, in order to avoid a direct confrontation with Krover.

Unfortunately, steering away from trouble did not guarantee that trouble would not seek him out.

Sein soon found his path blocked by three intermediate initiates, one of whom he recognized as a devious fellow named Hobrien.

The black magic initiates knew that Sein, who was currently carrying Leena, was the weakest among the senior initiates and Quasi Mages who had yet to make their escape.

Hobrien, with his arm burned and bloodied, yelled, “Hand over your elemental beads!”