Sovereign of the Ashes

Upon their return to the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring, Master Lorianne and the other full-fledged mages in the tower exhibited a noticeable air of nervousness.

Sein found that he seldom saw his mentor around.

He was not sure what she was preoccupied with but had heard her occasionally muttering about something related to the world laboratory.

It appeared that the other full-fledged mages in the tower had also been briefed about the upcoming expedition to the Viridian Venom Flame World, set to occur in two years.

This news brought a noticeable change to the divine tower’s atmosphere, yet the full implications eluded most of the lower-ranking initiates.

Observing the serious demeanor of the full-fledged mages in the divine tower, they responded with increased diligence and discipline in their daily routines.

Meanwhile, the senior initiates and Quasi Mages, particularly those apprenticed to full-fledged mages, redoubled their efforts in hopes of achieving a breakthrough to a higher rank.

Although the endeavors of the senior initiates might prove to be in vain, there was still a glimmer of hope among the Quasi Mages. Many of them, having recently participated in the regional academy war, were expected to attain full-fledged mage status within the next decade. This promotion would potentially allow them to participate in the interplanar war.

There were actually more than a thousand registered full-fledged mages in the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring.

Lorianne reported that she could only muster five hundred full-fledged magicians for the upcoming war because many within the academy were not adept at interplanar warfare.

These full-fledged mages were often referred to as “academy mages”. This designation implied they were specialized in research rather than interplanar combat.

Such mages were common in the Magus World, where the pursuit of knowledge and truth was often the primary motivation.

Both laboratory research and participation in interplanar wars represented different paths to uncovering the mysteries of truth.

Yet, the former was often far behind in terms of resource acquisition.

As a newly promoted full-fledged mage, Sein was keenly aware of the immense resources and wealth required for both his experiments and training.

Full-fledged mages, especially those who have held the title for many years, required significant resources for their magical pursuits.

The cost of conducting magic research was considerable, and one could not make magicoin by merely working in a laboratory.

Participation in interplanar wars, demonstrating strength, and contributing to the Magus Civilization, was often necessary to secure substantial rewards and income.

That said, it was important to recognize that academy mages were not inferior.

Every individual had unique aspirations, and it was unreasonable to expect those inclined toward research to suddenly shift to combat roles.

Research-oriented talents have their own critical roles to fulfill and contribute significantly to the Magus World.

For instance, Sein recently discovered that the Magus World’s renowned large-scale war platform—a space fortress, along with other innovations like prism forts, war airships, and magic-powered puppets, was primarily developed by “academy mages” specializing in alchemical research.

Each full-fledged mage in the Magus World served a unique purpose, akin to a specific screw in a vast, rumbling ship, playing a crucial role in its specific location.

This realization led Sein to reflect on the full-fledged black mages in Mystralora City.

He recalled that they were invariably skilled in combat, a necessity to avoid oppression from more powerful peers.

The generally untamed nature of this group indicated that almost all of them were skilled in battle.

It was no surprise, considering the upbringing of the black magic initiates at the Black Magic Academy. Raised in such a dark and demanding environment, these initiates naturally became adept at combat by the time they became full-fledged mages.

Upon arriving at the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring Academy, Sein often marveled at the stark contrast in learning environments.

Here, initiates were immersed in a tranquil sea of knowledge, with dedicated instructors guiding their studies.

This was a far cry from the harsher realities faced by the black magic initiates in Mystralora City!

***

In the two years since his return to the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring, Sein observed that Lorianne was frequently absent and preoccupied.

Sein himself was equally busy.

Heeding the Grandmaster’s advice about the benefits of the Viridian Venom Flame World, particularly its compatibility with the Verdant Flame magic, Sein dedicated his time to mastering this area of study.

His goal was to maximize his benefits in the upcoming war.

In addition to delving deep into the Verdant Flame magic, Sein also focused on enhancing his mastery over the lumen and pyro elements.

Given his limited time and energy, he refrained from exploring overly complex new knowledge.

After mastering two new spell models, he sorted out the magic artifacts necessary that would be useful in the interplanar war.

Originally, Sein had intended to craft his own magic artifact, but time constraints forced him to postpone this plan.

As for his magic rod, Sein was still using the metal rod that his late mentor, Morsidor, wielded.

As a renowned alchemist among the Rank One mages, Morsidor’s rod was definitely a formidable asset for Sein.

It contained three powerful ranked spells, and also offered significant focus and mana amplification compared to the Acid Wand Sein wielded back in the day.

Additionally, the metal disk Sein used for flight during the regional academy war had proven its worth.

He had two more such disks in his space bangle, which were relatively intact and only minimally damaged.

After considerable effort and use of magic materials, Sein finally repaired both of them within the past six months.

He believed that these three disks would be crucial assets in the upcoming war.

In the past, Sein had used the metal disk primarily for transportation, but he knew from observing Morsidor’s battles that they also had significant offensive and defensive capabilities.

“I’ve pretty much deciphered the principles behind these metal disks over the years. Too bad, time is my greatest limitation. With more of it, my preparations could be even more thorough,” Sein mused, sighing deeply in his laboratory on the 717th floor of the divine tower.

There was only a month remaining until the departure.