Sovereign of the Ashes

Sein then followed Jovian, the red-robed mage, and the female full-fledged mage, deeper into the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring.

Only Derek, the green-haired male mage, remained behind to guard the entrance.

The main path connecting the central island of the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring with the smaller islands around it was a long, verdant passage.

This passage seemed to contain special gravitational elements. As Sein walked through it, his body felt a lot lighter.

There was also an invisible force field on both sides, preventing the initiates from falling.

Walking through the leafy passage, Jovian, the red-robed Rank Two mage, casually introduced Sein to the several chained islands around the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring.

He appeared to be a talkative man and this reassuring attitude alleviated Sein’s concerns, dispelling the unease that had lingered.

Sein became certain that this Rank Two mage could not possibly be a shady or evil individual if he could earn the friendship of someone like Master Medich.

Besides, Jovian also seemed to hold a prominent position in the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring.

After escorting Sein to the central island of the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring, Jovian instructed the female mage beside him, “Eileen, please assist him with the initiate enrollment procedures. I have another experiment to attend to...”

“No problem, Master Jovian,” the female mage replied.

Jovian smiled, tossing the Divine Light `Badge back to Sein, and said, “Work hard, kid. You should be able to make it to the Regional Inter-Divine Tower Academy War in ten years. As one of the initiates in my cohort, do not disappoint me.”

“If you need anything, you can find me on the 278th floor,” the red-robed mage added.

Sein caught the Divine Light Badge and respectfully replied, “Yes, Master Jovian.”

The red-robed mage left quickly. After exchanging a glance with Eileen, the female full-fledged mage took charge of Sein’s enrollment.

The Divine Tower of Verdant Spring had a large number of initiates, and, of course, a considerable number of full-fledged mages.

Although it was only his first day here, Sein quickly realized that the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring Academy surpassed the scale of the Black Magic Academy in Mystralora City by more than tenfold through his observation and the information shared by Eileen.

Within the academy, the number of initiates alone was nearly ten thousand.

Moreover, none of these initiates were over a hundred years in age.

As explained by Eileen, those who failed to become a Quasi Mage by the age of one hundred were formally requested to withdraw from the academy.

This policy had two objectives—firstly, the academy aimed to prevent initiates from dying of old age within their premises, which could tarnish the academy’s reputation.

Secondly, if an initiate failed to become a Quasi Mage by the age of one hundred, the likelihood of progressing to a full-fledged mage was almost non-existent.

Due to these factors, the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring was unwilling to allocate precious resources to these older initiates.

From this perspective, the policies of the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring seemed relatively lenient.

Some divine tower academies would have expelled initiates who failed to become a Quasi Mage by the age of seventy or eighty.

On the other hand, the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring allowed an additional twenty or thirty years of opportunity for this group of initiates.

Eileen led Sein to the enrollment office located in the central teaching hall of the academy.

With a full-fledged mage overseeing the process, all of Sein’s enrollment procedures were completed swiftly.

Upon realizing that it was the cohort leader, Jovian, and not Eileen, who recommended Sein, the other full-fledged mages working nearby could not help but give Sein an additional glance.

In previous years, senior initiates within the academy were responsible for handling the enrollment procedures for new initiates.

Therefore, Sein’s experience was notably more pleasant than that of initiates in previous years.

A crystal ball, two sets of magic robes, two advanced energy crystals, and a Divine Tower of Verdant Spring’s badge were the welcome gifts Sein received upon his enrollment.

While the crystal ball and magic robes were expected gifts, Sein was impressed by the two shiny pyro-attribute energy crystals.

While Sein was well-off and could do without these energy crystals, it was undeniable that advanced energy crystals held significant value in all regions.

He could not help but ponder on the wealth of divine tower academies, wondering if they were indeed affluent enough to provide their initiates with two free energy crystals without asking anything in return.

Upon noticing Sein’s expression, Eileen explained, “Our divine tower academy provides two energy crystals as an annual subsidy to initiates of all levels. Junior initiates and below are given basic crystals, while senior initiates like you are entitled to advanced crystals.”

“Don’t assume that two advanced energy crystals are a significant amount. Almost all the courses taught by full-fledged mages within the divine tower academy come with a fee, except for some public courses.

“If you aim to progress further and grow faster within the divine tower, you either have to invest a considerable sum to attend internal courses taught by these full-fledged mages, or you must directly apprentice yourself to a full-fledged mage as your mentor,” Eileen informed Sein.

There was no such thing as a free lunch in this world, especially in the Magus World where all mages upheld the principle of equivalent exchange.

For Sein to acquire knowledge, a price had to be paid.

The situation at the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring Academy was considerably better than what Sein experienced at the Black Magic Academy in the Underworld.

At least the cost here came in the form of a few energy crystals or magicoins, unlike at the Black Magic Academy where initiates like Sein might have to pay the price with their lives.

After receiving the welcome gifts, Sein was also required to sign a magic contract.

This was the first time Sein signed a contract. It was a white document covered with green lines that emitted elemental energy.

Once signed, Sein became bound by the terms of the contract. Any attempt to break it, such as tearing it up, would be futile unless he possessed strength surpassing that of the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring’s master!

Besides, the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring’s contract was not some diabolical pact demanding one to sell their soul. Instead, it was an enrollment agreement founded on principles of fairness and voluntary participation.

Every new student enrolled in the academy had to sign it.

The Divine Tower of Verdant Spring might have offered Sein a platform for growth and learning, along with an annual subsidy of two energy crystals, it was far from a charitable institution.

The assistance came with its own set of obligations and expectations.

To ensure the healthy operation of their divine towers, the tower masters in each region of the Magus World implemented various strategies to foster development.

Interplanar wars and direct resource plundering were just one aspect of their efforts.

Beyond warfare, numerous methods existed to sustain the operation and profitability of a divine tower.

The magic contract Sein signed was an example of such a method. If he were to become a full-fledged mage in the future, he would be obligated to serve in the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring for at least a century before he could leave the divine tower.

Even if he failed to become a full-fledged mage and had to withdraw from the academy, he would still be obligated to serve in the surrounding industries for a decade.

Furthermore, Sein would have to undertake mandatory academy quests every three months during his time here.

All these terms contributed to the revenue generation for the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring.