Sovereign of the Ashes

After the auction concluded, Sein took a special passage down to the basement on the bottom floor of the auction house, where all transactions and payments were processed.

The magic array in place was powerful enough to withstand an attack from a Rank Three mage, ensuring the basement’s security.

Its secretive nature also shielded it from the prying eyes of the divine towers, unless they were determined to conduct a thorough investigation.

Sein’s total expenditure at the auction amounted to 364 magicoins.

He had managed his resources wisely, mindful of spending beyond the limits of his financial capabilities.

The items he purchased were practical for his current needs. As for the high-grade materials and items intended for Rank Two and Three mages, Sein merely observed them at the auction but refrained from participating in the bidding.

Sein recognized that acquiring such items would be impractical and could potentially attract unwanted attention from others.

The transaction for the basic magic raw materials and items went smoothly, reflecting the Imperial Pearl Auction’s many years of experience in efficiently handling mutually beneficial deals.

However, there was a slight complication with the three black magic initiates and black squires he had bought.

According to the auctioneer, the seller was in the process of removing soul control from these black initiates in batches, requiring Sein to wait a bit longer.

“Your ‘merchandise’ is currently being prepared in that room. If you’re interested, you may observe. It shouldn’t take more than thirty sandglasses,” a female attendant informed Sein respectfully, pointing to a metal door

Sein took a deep breath before putting on his Verdant Flame Eye Mask and strode toward the metal door.

Under normal circumstances, as a buyer, Sein would not need to contact the seller directly since the Imperial Pearl Auction acted as an intermediary.

However, suspecting that the seller might be a genuine black mage, Sein felt compelled to meet them.

Although the female attendant mentioned that Sein could observe the process, she was taken aback when he decided to do so. Since Sein chose to proceed on his own accord, she had no right to stop him either.

***

Pushing open the heavy metal door, Sein was greeted by a relatively empty underground space.

He was not the first buyer to arrive; two mages and a knight were already present.

“Can you guys hurry up? I’d like to leave soon!” the black-haired knight clad in leather armor urged.

Although Sein could not determine the exact strength of that robust-looking knight, he surmised it was close to that of a Rank One knight like Kurt.

In this spacious underground area, over forty magic initiates and squires were shackled by their hands and feet.

Standing among them was a hunched, black-robed mage busily working on something. It was clear he was their master.

It was only at this moment, that Sein discovered that this old man was the owner of all the black magic initiates and black squires presented at the Imperial Pearl Auction.

Although the black-robed mage had his back facing Sein and the other buyers, Sein could sense a chilling, ominous aura emanating from him.

While Sein had once masqueraded as a black mage in Kurt’s presence, the figure before him was undoubtedly a real black mage!

His power seemed to surpass any Rank One black mage Sein had encountered at the Black Magic Academy in Mystralora City.

This old mage was a true embodiment of darkness, and even with his back turned, Sein could feel a creeping sense of dread. The hairs on his neck stood on end and goosebumps covered his skin.

In response to the Rank One knight’s urging, the black mage let out a sinister chuckle before slowly turning around.

The hunched mage was an old man with a wrinkled face.

Although he barely reached the chest of the black-haired knight, his chilling laughter sent a shudder through even the strong knight.

Sein, standing not far from the knight, also felt the overwhelming oppressive aura radiating from the black-robed old man!

Such aura was certainly not what one would expect from a Rank One black mage.

The old man was undoubtedly a Rank Two black mage and a formidable one!

Sein recalled the only other Rank Two black mage he had interacted with before was Dedaelon, the dean of the Black Magic Academy.

Yet, even Dedaelon’s presence did not seem as daunting as the oppressive aura exuding from this black mage.

The old mage was a real powerhouse. Even Among the Rank Two mages Sein encountered during the Viridian Venom Flame World war, only a few matched the intensity of the old man before him.

The Rank One knight, who had been urging the old mage, recoiled slightly.

The old mage chuckled coldly and replied, “Why are you in such a rush? If I don’t do this properly, these little ones might end up hurting you.”

Although the knight was startled by the black-robed old man, he retorted with a mix of defiance and amusement, “Hurt me? These weaklings?”

“Hehehe, they may be weak, but you’ve bought quite a few. Can you handle all of them at once?” the old man asked, his sinister smile making his thoughts difficult to discern.

Sein was unsure whether the knight was excessively bold or simply reckless. In response to the old man’s question, he said, “I bought five female magic initiates this time, hehehe. The ones over there... They’re quite the lookers. Please hurry up, old ma-... master.”

The black-haired knight was going to say “old man” but caught himself at the last moment.

Although the Rank Two black mage likely would not dare confront him for revenge once he left the black market and returned to the southern coast, the knight still chose not to provoke further trouble.

Meanwhile, Sein observed the other two mages in the underground space.

One of them appeared to be a Rank One mage just like himself and wore a mask too.

The other mage exuded the aura of a Rank Two mage. Although he did not wear a mask, his face was obscured by a layer of elemental light, which seemed similar to a body elementalizing technique typically used by Rank Two mages.

Splash!

From a corner of the underground space, the sound of water splashing broke the silence.

It turned out that not only were the forty or so magic initiates and squires auction items of this Rank Two black mage, but the pink-tailed mermaid was as well.

Sein could not help but wonder about the old man’s origins. How had he come to possess these quality merchandise?