Sovereign of the Ashes

After gathering several hydrochromite stones and storing them in his space ring, Sein set his course eastward.

Over the next three days, he discovered four additional small resource points.

Sein was the first to reach and mark two of these, while the other two had already been claimed by fellow initiates from the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring.

By placing second and third markers on these, Sein earned 50 and 30 points respectively.

It was only on the fifth day that Sein encountered other initiates from the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring, showing just how immense the trial space was.

The first group he met comprised three initiates—two intermediate initiates and one junior initiate.

Upon spotting Sein, a Quasi Mage who was flying in midair, they respectfully greeted him.

“How long have you all been in the trial space? When did you meet each other?” Sein asked.

“I entered three days ago and joined Ina and her friend just yesterday,” the male intermediate initiate answered respectfully.

Sein nodded. He was about to depart when he suddenly recalled the directives given by the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring’s full-fledged mages during the training sessions.

He turned his head around and advised the three weaker initiates below, “Head in that direction. In about a day, you’ll find a mountain pass with a small pyro crystal resource point.”

His advice visibly surprised the three initiates, who quickly bowed with gratitude.

By then, Sein had already moved on.

The fire crystal resource point Sein mentioned was not one he had found first.

When he arrived there, it already bore the marks of three initiates from the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring.

The presence of three marks indicated that this resource point had already been discovered and claimed by three initiates.

Sein realized that competing for resource points in the trial space was intense. Relying solely on them would not be sufficient to accumulate a high score.

“It seems all the senior initiates from our divine tower are focusing on claiming resource points. I wonder if anyone has considered targeting other divine towers. But then again, given the strategies discussed by our full-fledged mages during the training...” Sein pondered and shook his head.

In the next few days, Sein’s score indeed decreased.

He discovered several more resource points, but most were already claimed.

The last one he found was a small pyro stone vein. It had two prior claims, making him the third to mark it.

In total, the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring had over a hundred senior initiates and Quasi Mages.

Despite being spread across a broad area, their ability to use the Levitate magic spell enabled them to achieve rapid mobility and effectively cover resource points.

The divine tower mages estimated that, with concerted effort, all senior initiates could secure the region’s small resource points within a month.

As Sein spent more time in the trial space, he encountered increasing numbers of initiates from the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring.

Although most of them were intermediate initiates, Sein also ran into a few senior initiates and Quasi Mages during this period.

However, they seldom stopped to interact, as they were not well-acquainted.

So far, Sein had not crossed paths with Selina or other acquaintances like Mark and Grimm who were senior initiate and Quasi Mage respectively.

Considering the immense size of the trial space and the fact that over ten thousand initiates from the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring entered it, it was quite normal for certain individuals not to encounter each other throughout the two-year duration of the war.

Half a month into this trial space, Sein discovered an unclaimed medium-sized resource point.

The central resource point remained unclaimed, yet nearly twenty initiates from the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring had already gathered there.

The medium-sized resource point, known as “Purple Yew Forest” remained unclaimed due to the presence of three extraplanar creatures guarding it.

These humanoid creatures had green skin that were marred with visible scars, and a pair of thin cicada wings.

Their eyes were a dark green, and they wielded sharp javelin-like weapons, likely native to their homeplane.

Sein was unfamiliar with the metal used for their javelins, which were also engraved with intricate patterns.

Confronted by a group of magic initiates from the Magus World outnumbering them by seven to one, the three extraplanar creatures emitted hoarse sounds, seemingly trying to scare the initiates away.

Among these odd-looking beings, one with darker skin seemed to be as powerful as a Quasi Mage.

The other two, lighter in skin color, appeared to have strength comparable to that of senior initiates.

Upon Sein’s arrival at the medium-sized resource point, he wondered why the initiates had not already defeated these three creatures to claim the site.

Then, he overheard one of two Quasi Mages present urging, “Another Quasi Mage is here! We should be able to overcome these creatures now. Let’s do it, Jake!”

Her words prompted some initiates outside the Purple Yew Forest to prepare themselves for action.

Yet Jake, another Quasi Mage, shook his head and cautioned restraint.

“Let’s wait a little longer for ten more initiates before acting. These three extraplanar creatures are formidable opponents,” he suggested.

His sentiment resonated with many others waiting outside the Purple Yew Forest.

Although they had undertaken many academy quests and even slain many low-level magic beasts, this was their first time taking on extraplanar creatures.

When faced with the unknown, some might respond with curiosity and an eagerness to investigate.

On the other hand, others might display resistance and a reluctance to engage with unfamiliar entities, especially those as hostile as the three extraplanar creatures before them.

The scars on these creatures were the marks of the hardships they had endured in interplanar wars.

Nevertheless, those scars had not snuff out their defiance, clearly evident in their hoarse vocalizations directed at the initiates from the Magus World.

Regrettably, none of the initiates present were able to converse via mental focus to discern the creatures’ intentions.

The female Initiate, though annoyed by Jake’s cautious approach, did not challenge his decision. She was aware that Jake was a “survivor” in the last Regional Inter-Divine Tower Academy War.

While Jake was willing to wait, Sein, having just arrived at this medium-sized resource point, was not inclined to wait.

For him, these creatures were hardly a threat. His years of dissecting various specimens, including extraplanar beings, had equipped him with ample experience.

He had seen beings more formidable than these three, and he was not about to let an opportunity to amass a significant number of points pass him by.