Sovereign of the Ashes

The power of activation was a unique attribute found in only a select few plant creatures. When Sein began his apprenticeship under Lorianne, he stumbled upon mentions of this rare ability in her private library.

With his keen memory, Sein identified this peculiar plant ability based on his readings.

Yet, the offerings at the Rank Two mage’s stall were far from the exotic plant fairies he had read about.

The activation factors in these hybrid plants were faint, a far cry from the “activator fairies” detailed in Lorianne’s collection.

The Activator Fairy World was a renowned medium-sized world under the governance of the Magus Alliance. The activator fairies produced a large amount of activator plasma for the Magus Civilization every year.

Lorianne had visited the Activator Fairy World when she was only a Rank Two mage.

Since the laws of the world were extremely compatible with Lorianne’s elemental affinity, she acquired a large number of books on its inhabitants for her private collection.

Those volumes made a lasting impact on Sein after he delved into them.

In Lorianne’s records, there were mentions of the unique relationship between the Magus Civilization and the Activator Fairy World.

The Magus Civilization refrained from forcibly conscripting creatures from the Activator Fairy World, recognizing the intrinsic value of its native species. Although these creatures were a prime resource, the Magus Alliance exercised restraint, avoiding excessive demands on this world.

The activator fairies thrived in their world, and all they had to do was contribute their plasma to the Magus Civilization in a timely manner.

This distinct and uncommon model of development positioned the Activator Fairy World as a prime and exemplary case within the Magus Alliance. In discussions about external expansion, the Activator Fairy World was frequently brought up.

The relationship between the Activated Fairy World and the Magus Civilization was often cited as one of the prime examples of reciprocal and mutually beneficial collaboration.

Rumored to have begun as a microplane, the Activator Fairy World’s growth into a medium-sized plane was significantly aided by the Magus Civilization’s support and resources.

Given the limited activation factors in those plant creatures, the stall owner set a reasonable price.

Sein also purchased two like Grimm, and paid for them with pyro-attribute energy crystals.

The Viridian Venom Flame World war had enriched the mages of the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring, especially in pyro-attributed resources.

Even the “academy mages”, who did not participate in the war, found their fortunes improved by trading resources.

They bought a batch of resources from familiar mages at a lower price and then sold them at a higher price—this was the simplest way of making money. Earning a larger profit would require the effort to process those materials.

Not all the “academy mages” were useless. Those devoted to experimental research often demonstrated higher levels of proficiency in alchemy, potion making and magic array creations compared to war mages.

Transforming ordinary magic metals into magic items could exponentially increase their value.

Thus, the Viridian Venom Flame World war indirectly spurred the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring’s development.

In the past year alone, several idle Rank One mages expressed interest in joining the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring.

However, Dean Archimedes and his colleagues lacked the authority to approve these mages’ applications. Their jurisdiction was limited to the daily operations of the divine tower and its academy.

Only upon the return of the divine tower master could decisions regarding the admission of these Rank One mages be made.

As Sein accepted the two plant creatures from the stall owner, he remarked to Selina, “Eating activators is highly beneficial. The activation factor within them greatly enhances cell regeneration and could theoretically extend the lifespan of living creatures.”

“You can consider making a meal out of them for tonight’s dinner,” Sein suggested.

Selina had been playfully poking the two cabbage-like creatures with her finger, so she was taken aback by Sein’s suggestion of eating the adorable creatures.

Although the “little cabbages” likely did not understand the language used in the Magus World, their demeanor changed as if sensing something amiss, and they began to wail.

Their distress set off a similar reaction in the two creatures Grimm had bought. The creatures at the Rank Two mage’s stall began wailing as well.

It took a stern, whispered command through mental focus from the Rank Two Mage to quiet them down.

Despite their silence, many looked on the verge of tears, biting their lips in a mix of fear and sadness.

These activator fairies were endearing and made better pets than the pyro elemental creature from the Viridian Venom Flame World. They were particularly appealing to female mages with a strong sense of compassion.

Unfortunately, the plant creatures endowed with activation factors were quite expensive. Even Grimm could only afford two of them at most.

Although these creatures evoked sympathy among other female mages, not everyone was able to acquire them.

Upon overhearing Sein’s intent to consume the creatures, Grimm asked in dismay, “Sein, are you really planning to just eat them?”

“Yes. What are you going to do with them, Grimm?” Sein asked.

Grimm smiled and replied, “I intend to cultivate them in my lab. As the Rank Two mage mentioned, by planting their rhizomes or limbs in clay, they can reproduce in a few years.”

Sein nodded at Grimm’s explanation.

Not every mage enjoyed the same level of affluence as Sein, who also had an extremely wealthy mentor.

Master Lorianne herself possibly possessed a collection of activator creatures, or even the rarer purebred “activator fairies” in her laboratory.

Given this, Sein did not really see much long-term value on the two plant creatures.

Selina looked rather uncomfortable. Unexposed to the harsh realities of interplanar warfare, she was unfamiliar with the brutal laws of survival that governed the Astral Realm.

Her sheltered life, supported by Sein’s occasional financial aid, had not toughened her up yet, as evidenced by how easily she was moved by the plight of the two cabbage-looking creatures.

Yet, despite her gentle disposition, Selina did not challenge Sein’s instructions to boil those two little cabbage-looking creatures in soup.

Sein thought for a moment before telling Selina, “If you’d rather keep them as pets, we could just extract their vital fluids with a syringe to acquire their activation factors. Activator creatures are far more resilient than ordinary plant creatures. Removing half of their bodily fluids shouldn’t kill them, though it would significantly weaken them for a while.”

Selina’s smile broadened upon hearing Sein’s words.

Her smile was not due to Sein’s change of heart but from recognizing his consideration for her feelings.

In that instant, Selina felt an overwhelming sense of warmth. She was a simple girl to please.