Sovereign of the Ashes

Today, the arena at divine tower academy was livelier than usual.

Mark the Fiery Hand, holding the 17th position on the academy’s power rankings, had challenged an unfamiliar senior initiate to a spar, drawing the attention of many curious initiates.

Although the top twenty in the academy’s power ranking list were senior initiates and Quasi Mages, that did not mean one could see them sparring on the arena stage on a daily basis.

On regular days, the arena stages were mostly occupied by intermediate and junior initiates from the divine tower academy. This was because they constituted the majority within the academy.

The number of senior initiates and Quasi Mages in the academy probably did not exceed one percent of the total initiate population.

Each senior initiate was a rare gem among the geniuses in the academy, and the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring placed high expectations on them.

They were seen as the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring’s hope in securing victory in the Regional Inter-Divine Tower Academy War eight years later.

As soon as Sein and Mark arrived at the arena, they discovered ongoing battles on multiple stages across the expansive area.

Most participants in these battles were intermediate initiates and below.

Sein observed that the arena was not just a venue for resolving personal conflicts among initiates.

Some initiates came to experiment with their newly acquired spells, while others came with friends for friendly sparring sessions.

The two intermediate initiates on the stage that Sein was observing were among them.

Instead of engaging in immediate combat, they exchanged a gesture of mutual respect before chanting incantations and releasing their spells.

This unconventional and uncommon fighting style provided Sein with a fresh perspective on mages from the surface.

Of course, not all mages followed such etiquette.

In national wars, mages from both sides would not bother with pleasantries.

They would just unleash powerful magic spells without formalities. This was one reason why lower-ranking knights who had participated in national wars found war mages terrifying and traumatizing.

Sein and Mark’s arrival interrupted a sparring match between two junior initiates, forcing them to conclude their battle prematurely.

Even in the arena, full-fledged mages were on constant duty.

Upon noticing Sein and Mark, the two senior initiates who had arrived here with undisguised hostility, immediately caught the attention of a full-fledged mage in yellow robe. Despite his initial boredom and lethargy, he immediately perked up.

The arena stages were elevated five meters above the ground, with each stage boasting a diameter close to a hundred meters, providing ample space for initiates to maneuver within.

Additionally, a thin layer of white light enveloped these stages, serving the dual purpose of collecting excess magic elements, as well as safeguarding and separating the two challengers during critical moments.

Although the white barrier seemed fragile, it was actually reinforced by a magic array at the base of the arena stage. It was impervious to anyone below the strength of a full-fledged mage.

Despite this, initiates still suffered injuries or fatalities on the arena stages each year.

This was not due to the white barrier’s inadequate defense, but because the battles unfolded too swiftly, even for vigilant full-fledged mages to intervene.

Upon entering the arena stage shrouded in the white barrier, Mark sneered and said, “Your name’s Sein, right? I hope you don’t meet your end on this stage.”

“Let me tell you, I’ve taken down three initiates on this stage, including a senior initiate. That light barrier won’t necessarily save your life,” Mark remarked with a wicked grin.

“Are you threatening me, or is this a friendly reminder that I can take you down here? I assumed all three of you would be here together. Didn’t expect it to be just you. Do you have a death wish or something?” Sein responded.

Upon setting foot on the arena stage, he gradually assumed a combat-ready stance.

Sein’s comments elicited a flicker of anger on Mark’s face.

Neither of them bothered with etiquette.

They went straight to the point, launching into a confrontational exchange!

Mark, renowned as an elite in the academy and a member of a ruling family from a dukedom, possessed more than just exceptional pyro elemental magic spells.

Arena battles among the initiates extended beyond magical blasts.

Alchemy equipment, magic potions, magic beast familiars, summoning spells—anything within the academy’s regulations was fair game, and overseeing full-fledged mages would not intervene either.

Despite Mark’s arrogance, he did not dismiss Sein entirely.

His initial actions suggested a wealth of experience in the arena.

A blazing Fire Wall materialized in front of Mark. It was an intermediate magic spell engraved on his necklace, providing him with added protection.

In addition, elemental ripples manifested on Mark’s feet and hands.

Mark wore drift boots that enhanced his jumping ability and even allowed him to glide in air for several minutes.

Adorning his finger was an elemental ring, the specific magic spell within it remaining unknown for the time being. However, it was certain that the red elemental ring could amplify the effects of any pyro magic spells Mark unleashed.

Sein, being an alchemist in training, had already assessed the valuable items worn by Mark long before they even set foot on the arena stage.

The three magic items, each extraordinary in its own right, were only the ones Mark chose to reveal.

He clearly possessed spatial equipment, leaving Sein uncertain whether other magic items were concealed within it.

After unleashing the Fire Wall spell with his necklace, Mark initiated his chants.

As a senior initiate bearing the nickname “Fiery Hand”, Mark’s signature magic spell manifested as a colossal pyro elemental hand.

While resembling the intermediate magic spell mastered by Sein, Mark’s version boasted a larger coverage, hotter flames, and greater power.

It clearly rivaled an advanced magic spell, likely the result of collaborative research among different full-fledged mages.

The fiery hand, ablaze and heading directly toward Sein, covered a substantial area, seemingly able to engulf him entirely.

When the colossal Fiery Hand struck at Sein, Sein had already completed his incantation, yielding results that differed from Mark’s expectations.

A translucent yellow energy shield suddenly materialized in front of Sein, effectively blocking Mark’s attack.

The shield appeared swiftly and stealthily, indicating that the quality of the magic item in Sein’s possession was superior to Mark’s!

Simultaneously, Sein’s magic spell took shape, marking the first time he had employed the Solar Eye spell against an adversary since he began researching it.

A massive ring of blaze materialized before Sein, and as his incantations echoed, golden elemental threads within the ring formed a complex magic array.

From a distance, it appeared as if a massive golden eye had manifested before Sein.

With the Fiery Hand’s flames acting against Sein’s geo elemental shield, only a select few within and outside the arena stage could see the magic array.

“Oh, that boy is about to face defeat. If he gets knocked out with a single blow, I wonder if he can still return home with his head held high.” A soft chuckle from a female voice resonated outside the arena stage.

Surprisingly, it was Eileen, who came here after concluding her class.

“Yes. That senior initiate named Mark is a member of your family right, Eileen? He really met a tough one this time. I don’t seem to recall seeing his opponent in the academy before.”

Outside the arena stage, the yellow-robed full-fledged mage on duty expressed his thoughts to Eileen, who had just joined him.