Sovereign of the Ashes

Sein had not anticipated to be greeted this way upon his return to the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring’s territory.

Fortunately, the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring badge on his chest, along with initiates like Mark who recognized him, helped validate his identity.

After neutralizing Daniel’s assault with two Solar Eye beams and clarifying his own identity, Sein finally managed to safely enter the Scorched Lumenstone Resource Point.

“What’s with that...?” Daniel pointed at the glaring golden pillar of light emanating from Sein.

Mark, a senior initiate, stared at Sein as if he were a ghost.

Sein held a negative impression of Daniel, who had nearly incited a mass attack against him at the resource point, and felt little inclination to explain himself.

Known for being reserved except with friends, Sein prioritized action over word.

Ignoring Daniel’s questions, Sein headed deeper into the resource point.

Upon discovering that the resources there were of personal interest, Sein’s eyes lit up immediately.

“Where’s the main vein?” he asked an intermediate initiate who had just emerged from the mine, and promptly received a direction.

As Sein prepared to go deeper into the mine to gather Scorched Lumenstones, Daniel, who had been disregarded for some time, finally confronted Sein.

“Who exactly are you? Are you truly one of us from the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring? Why have I never heard of you? In past regional academy wars, there were instances of initiates disguising themselves to infiltrate the resource points of other academies,” he questioned, blocking Sein’s way.

His action caused Sein to raise an eyebrow at him.

“What an annoying guy,” he mumbled to himself. At this point, he had already removed his Solar Eye Mask.

Sein’s social circle within the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring was limited, reflecting his lack of sociability.

Mark’s earlier confirmation of his identity and appearance had proven that their initial encounter at the arena had been beneficial in several ways.

Daniel’s face flushed with Sein’s dismissive and cold attitude.

He refrained from further aggression, possibly realizing the serious repercussions of attacking a fellow initiate.

On the other hand, it could be due to his lack of confidence to best Sein.

The ease with which Sein’s two Solar Eye beams had dissipated his hurricanes had made a lasting impression.

Sein’s staggering 100,000 points earned him the awe of nearly every initiate in the trial space.

Faced with Daniel’s persistent questioning, Sein responded with a dismissive remark.

This attitude led many unfamiliar with him to view Sein as particularly challenging to interact with.

Mark, instinctively covering his eyes with his hand, had recognized the man before him was undoubtedly Sein, not an imposter using disguise techniques to deceive them.

The familiar, unpleasant tone and a look of disdain in his eyes were unmistakable.

Mark had lost count of the time he had replayed their encounter on the arena stage in his dreams, each time attempting to overpower Sein in order to redeem himself.

Unfortunately, these aspirations could no longer be fulfilled outside his dreamscape.

His grandmother, Eileen, a full-fledged mage, had assessed that it would take Mark at least another decade to become a Quasi Mage with his current knowledge and mental focus.

Furthermore, if Sein were really an initiate from a different academy capable of using transfiguration or disguise magic to impersonate a Divine Tower of Verdant Spring initiate, such a conspicuous, blinding golden pillar of light would have defeated the purpose of a discreet disguise.

Sein addressed Daniel’s persistent skepticism by introducing himself. “I’m Sein, an initiate from Master Jovian’s cohort. He was also the person who endorsed my enrollment at the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring academy.”

He then pointed to Mark who was standing nearby and added, “If you still have doubt about my identity, you can verify with him. It was his grandmother, Master Eileen, who assisted me with my enrollment.”

“As to why you haven’t seen me around, how should I know? Besides, I don’t know you either!” With a cold snort, Sein then dismissed Daniel and turned away.

Sein’s personality was considered rare among the divine tower initiates.

Thankfully, their interaction did not further escalate into conflict.

As Sein had learned in his early days in Mystralora City, strength was the fundamental factor determining one’s standing.

His ability to confidently and assertively address Daniel was rooted in his own strength.

Had a junior initiate been in his place, even the boldest among them would likely hesitate to address Daniel, the “leading figure of the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring”, in such a way.

Watching Sein vanish into the mine’s depths, Daniel stood silently before eventually turning to leave.

***

“An energy stone like the Scorched Lumenstone is indeed a good recharge item for the Solar Eye Mask,” Sein mused.

“Considering the nature of this magic material, if I were in a peaceful and well-equipped environment, I would grind it into powder to enhance the Solar Eye Mask’s properties.”

In the dimly lit underground mines, Sein stood before a makeshift experiment table, sighing.

The current conditions within the trial space were not conducive to extensive, time-consuming experimental research.

The presence of the golden light pillar was particularly concerning, as it made Sein visible to numerous initiates, creating the potential for a crisis at any given moment.

Even in his current location deep within the Scorched Lumenstone Mines, the golden pillar shone like a beacon above the mountains, pinpointing his exact position below.

This golden light had piqued the curiosity of many initiates from the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring.

Through the whisperings of initiates who likely knew the truth, Sein’s individual score had surpassed 100,000 points, and his status as the current leader in this regional war was becoming well-known at the Scorched Lumenstone Resource Point.

This information was also traveling to other resource points within the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring’s territory, reaching a significant portion of the initiates.

Given that over ninety-nine percent of the initiates at the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring were unfamiliar with Sein, they remained oblivious to his cold and aloof nature.

Sein’s rapid ascent to the top of the scoreboard, accumulating over 100,000 points, struck all of them as astounding.

Gradually, he became a benchmark and role model among the initiates from the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring.

Sein had become a symbol of pride for numerous intermediate and junior initiates in the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring, who admired his formidable prowess.

He was unaware of his growing popularity and influence among these initiates.

Even the senior initiates and Quasi Mages, upon discovering Sein’s impressive score and ranking, could not help but express their admiration and amazement.