Sovereign of the Ashes

Sein’s arrival back at the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring coincided precisely with the time his mentor, Lorianne, had previously mentioned.

Mages, known for their strict adherence to time, had influenced Sein to always be punctual. He was never late and rarely early.

When he saw Lorianne, she seemed to have just taken a shower.

Wearing an emerald green slip dress, she carried a fresh scent around her.

Lorianne tossed a packet of green seeds to Sein, saying, “I’ve been thinking of what to give you as a welcome gift. You don’t seem like you need any new magic rods or magic artifacts, so I thought these Viridescent Seeds would be useful to you. Be sure to use them wisely and sparingly!” Lorianne warned.

Perhaps due to her prolonged solitude in the Divine Tower or her inherently unpretentious nature, Lorianne interacted with Sein with ease and familiarity. It was almost as if she had considered him a family.

Sein’s attention was drawn immediately to the packet of seeds. As expected, the gift from a Rank Four divine tower master was indeed highly unusual.

The Viridescent Seeds were the products of thousands of years of Lorianne’s research and cultivation since her days as a Rank Three grand mage.

The packet contained hundreds of seeds, each capable of rapidly growing into a plant creature with enough soil, water, and a hint of mana.

The weakest of these plant creatures could match a Rank One being in strength.

The most notable seed in the packet was the largest, milky white seed. According to Lorianne, it had the potential to grow into a being with strength comparable to a Rank Three creature.

This special gift from Lorianne, a Rank Four tower master, was clearly an item intended for Sein’s use in life-threatening situations.

Sein surmised that any being less than Rank Three would find it challenging to threaten the apprentice of a divine tower master.

Moreover, he speculated that the plant creature emerging from the milky-white seed would be no ordinary Rank Three creature either.

Lorianne’s choice to remain vague about the seed’s capabilities was likely a precaution to prevent Sein’s overreliance or misuse.

All she did was instruct him to use it only in extreme emergencies.

Spotting an opportunity while Lorianne was in a pleasant mood, Sein decided to make a personal request.

“Master Lorianne, I have a cousin, Selina. Would it be possible for her to join me on the upper floors of the divine tower? She’s a very sensible girl and won’t cause any trouble for your research and daily routine.”

Lorianne did not appear to mind and quickly consented. “The 700th to 720th floors of the divine tower are all yours. I won’t comment on how you decide to use them.”

She then paused, placing her hands on her hips, and gave Sein a knowing look.

“I know you’re still young, and have your needs. It’s fine to relax and unwind, but remember not to overindulge, all right?” she said, her tone shifting to one of gentle admonition.

Sein, slightly taken aback, quickly clarified, “Selina and I don’t have that kind of relationship.”

“Is that so?” Lorianne blinked at him, her expression playfully skeptical.

***

Sein spent another month of respite at the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring.

During this time, he and Selina relocated their residence to the divine tower’s top floor.

Sein also dedicated effort to developing a preliminary plan for his studies and research, now that he had achieved the status of a Rank One mage.

This plan, however, was slated for implementation after an upcoming visit with Lorianne to his grandmaster’s Divine Tower of Verdant Flame.

Lorianne acknowledged that she had chosen a commendable apprentice.

Despite his recent promotion to Rank One, Sein displayed reliability and maturity beyond his years. Lorianne rarely found herself unduly worried about him.

***

A month later, Sein and his mentor set off for the Divine Tower of Verdant Flame.

It was nestled deep within the Magus Continent, a considerable distance away from the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring.

In fact, the distance between the two divine towers was even greater than the distance between the southern coast of the Magus Continent and the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring.

For their journey to the Divine Tower of Verdant Flame, Lorianne summoned a colossal green leaf. Its size rivaled that of an airship, and it was thoughtfully outfitted with multiple rooms, providing a comfortable space for rest.

“Our journey to the Divine Tower of Verdant Flame will take nearly a month in total. Feel free to rest in the room,” Lorianne suggested to Sein.

Sein, however, was more curious than tired.

“I’m not tired yet, Master Lorianne. Could you tell me more about the forces nearby? How many divine towers are there in the Magus World?” he asked.

Lorianne, reflecting on his questions, replied, “The forces in our Magus World are diverse and complex. I’m less familiar with those far from our reach, but among the recent prominent forces are the Ylli Knight Alliance and the Pyro Secret Society. Both are led by those in the overlord realms and they command thousands of orders of the knights and divine towers.

“There are over a dozen medium-sized forces too. For instance, your grandmaster, Lady Feylis the Verdant Flame, co-founded the Elemental Gate council with a few of her friends. Although the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring is part of the Elemental Gate, our interactions are limited. I have direct cooperation agreements with the Divine Tower of Land Academy and several other divine towers and orders of the knights, which places us as a smaller yet significant force.

“As for the exact number of divine towers in the Magus World... It must have surpassed ten thousand long ago. I haven’t attended a Magus Alliance conference yet, but I’ll make sure to count them for you at the next one,” she said with a teasing smile.

The Magus Alliance conference was an important event in Magus Civilization, setting the course for the alliance’s future and the overall direction of Magus Civilization.

The key decisions made in these conferences could influence the development of the Magus Civilization for tens, even hundreds of thousands of years.

The criteria to attend the Magus Alliance conference were stringent, requiring a minimum life level of Rank Four, with all foreign gods invited as well.

The last conference was held twenty thousand years ago, and based on the usual intervals, the next one was likely within the next few thousand years.

For a Rank One mage like Sein, this timeframe potentially exceeded his natural lifespan, starkly highlighting the vast divide between the lesser and the more powerful beings.

To the mightiest in the Magus World, thousands or even tens of thousands of years pass in the blink of an eye, a stark contrast to those at the bottom rung like Sein, for whom it represented multiple lifetimes.

This gap further diminished the significance of those humans in the Magus World whose life levels fell below Rank One, rendering them as insignificant as ants.