Sovereign of the Ashes

Sein spent several hours in the academy library, only leaving when night had deeply set in.

The divine tower academy was quiet at night, as many magic initiates followed a routine of studying during the day and resting at night.

Lately, Sein had observed subtle shifts in his mental focus and physical body, down to the cellular level, leaving him feeling extraordinarily energized.

Even during the late hours, he experienced no fatigue whatsoever, a condition he had maintained for an extended period.

This phenomenon might represent a distinction between ordinary humans and those in the Magus World who were approaching a promotion to Rank One.

Upon returning to his dormitory, the house was silent.

It seemed Selina had already gone to bed, judging by her tightly closed bedroom door. Using the Levitate spell, Sein silently floated up to the second floor.

Upon entering his laboratory and shutting the door, he let out a sigh of relief.

The efficient soundproofing of the laboratory prevented any noise from escaping unless there were explosions.

Sein carefully sorted the experimental materials and resources he had acquired from the exchange hall, placing each item in its assigned location.

Although he could sometimes appear disorganized during intense experiments, Sein was actually quite organized.

No matter how chaotic the laboratory seemed, he could instantly locate any item or piece of equipment he had personally arranged.

After storing all the magic materials, Sein considered practicing his alchemy but was distracted by the Astral Stone he had obtained from the exchange hall.

“Interplanar communication and trading, huh? That’s an intriguing prospect. I wonder what kind of planar creature I might be able to contact,” he mused, stroking his chin.

Sein took the Astral Stone in one hand and, with a gesture, summoned an atlas detailing its use into his other hand.

The Astral Stone had low user requirements. Even magic initiates like Sein, who had not fully ascended to Rank One, could operate it using the appropriate magic array diagrams.

It was uncertain what kind of extraplanar creature the Astral Stone would connect with.

The atlas suggested the possibility ranged from a powerful Rank Four entity from a distant star domain to a low-intelligence slime monster.

This endeavor was akin to a cosmic exploration, relying heavily on chance.

Despite its unpredictability and the rise of more mainstream spatial ores replacing the Astral Stones, some mages continued to use it, hoping for a lucky encounter.

There were rare instances where contact was made with formidable beings from distant planes, though often without substantial gain.

“Let’s give it a try. It appears to lose some of its spatial power if not used for an extended period,” Sein contemplated, scrutinizing the plain black stone in his hand.

He immediately set to work.

Placing the Astral Stone in the center of his laboratory, he took out several potentially useful materials like energy crystals, magic beast blood, and special magic metals imbued with elemental power.

Constructing the summoning array for the Astral Stone took up most of his night.

As he drew the final line of the magic array, Selina’s soft knock at the door indicated it was time for breakfast.

Despite having been awake throughout the night, Sein felt no signs of drowsiness.

Sein declined breakfast and focused on his experiment. He placed the Grade Two geo-attributed energy crystal at the center of the array and energized it with his mental focus.

The atlas had indicated that higher-grade energy crystals might attract more powerful extraplanar creatures. Opting for intermediate or basic energy crystals risked contacting lesser beings like mud monsters or cynocephalus.

As Sein activated the magic array, it began to emit a faint elemental glow, accompanied by a rumbling sound that seemed to shake the house.

The sudden commotion startled Selina, who was downstairs.

Recalling Sein’s decision to skip breakfast, she surmised that her cousin was likely immersed in another one of his experimental research projects.

Sein’s anticipation grew with the elemental chaos, but he also braced for disappointment.

Despite over two hours of operation, the magic array failed to establish any contact with extraplanar creatures, leaving Sein in a quiet state of resignation.

After two and a half hours, the Grade Two geo-attributed energy crystal at the heart of the magic array had exhausted all its energy.

It split down the middle with a resounding “crack”, causing an involuntary twitch in Sein’s mouth.

Not many full-fledged mages would willingly squander a Grade Two energy crystal in such a way. Yet, Sein was not deterred by this fruitless outcome. Instead, it spurred his determination.

Given his ample resources, Sein was adamant about not letting his entire night’s efforts go to waste, even if it meant the sole outcome was establishing contact with a useless mud monster.

Sein placed another Grade Two energy crystal at the array’s center.

With his gaze fixed intently on it, he reinvigorated the magic array with his mental focus.

Hours ticked by into the afternoon, and Sein had already invested three Grade Two energy crystals into this summoning attempt.

The once dark and enigmatic Astral Stone in the heart of the array had transformed under the elemental energy’s influence into a thumb-sized, crystal-blue stone.

Sein noted with concern that the Astral Stone was gradually shrinking over time.

If the thumb-sized stone were to be completely consumed, it would signify the failure of his attempt to contact an extraplanar creature.

With a slight frown, Sein inserted another Grade Two energy crystal for the fourth attempt.

He resolved it would be the last he would use for this magic array. If this did not yield results, he would accept the outcome.

Sein contemplated whether these luck-based magic arrays truly worked, or if it was simply a case of his own unfortunate luck.

Upon setting the fourth Grade Two energy crystal in the array, the tiny Astral Stone began to rotate and levitate.

Intense vibrations and magic fluctuations engulfed the room once more.

Just as Sein’s hopes were waning, an unexpected movement and unfamiliar voice emerged.

“Hmm? Who dares to summon me, Belbacor, the Sovereign of Mount Lava, via the Moon Lake?” a deep, resonant voice boomed in Sein’s laboratory.