Sovereign of the Ashes

After storing the mermaid back into the crystal necklace and gathering all the loot on the deck, the black-robed man retrieved a dark yellow crystal ball.

As an expert in alchemy, he had crafted this crystal ball himself. It included special features beyond the standard functions.

The crystal ball emitted a faint, eerie glow and displayed a semi-transparent magic map. At the center of this map was the black-robed man’s current location.

Two points of light were visible nearby. However, he disregarded the numerous distant lights, as they lay deep within the territories of the major divine towers and orders of the knights on the southern coast.

“Two huh? Let’s see... I think it’s that talkative knight, and Rank One mage wearing a special mask,” he mused.

The lights on the map were moving westward and northward simultaneously.

They were not far away from the black-robed man, but that could change with time.

The black-robed man could probably still fit one more job in his schedule.

Over the past six months, he had made several dealings, with the most recent being his grandest since departing the Blackhaven.

Although the killings had occurred in a remote area, he knew his actions could not remain secret for long.

Wanted notices from the major divine towers and orders of the knights were bound to spread throughout the southern coast and its environs soon, especially given the influential backing of the Imperial Pearl Auction.

To the black-robed mage, knights and mages of Rank One or Two were hardly threats. He could swiftly dispatch them if they dared to pursue him.

However, if it were a Rank Three knight or mage... Even the self-assured black-robed mage would have to exercise caution.

His best course of action now would be to return to the Blackhaven to lay low.

“One last job...that little mage it is. His mask intrigues me. The pyro elemental mysteries it contains seem unfamiliar to me,” the black-robed man mumbled to himself, then dissolved into a black mist and surged westward.

***

Half a year had passed since Sein left Monique Black Market.

The Boundless South Sea of the Magus World was entering another storm season, yet the waters Sein now navigated were tranquil.

Sunlight cast a golden sheen across the sea, where strange, exotic fish skimmed the surface, some adorned with thin cicada-like wings.

Sein’s journey to the Western Archipelago was not just a voyage but a quest for knowledge.

It had not been long since his departure from the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring, but the space rings he had prepared before his travel were already nearly full.

He had not spent many magicoins on raw materials or magical items. The bulk of his inventory was made up of an assortment of rare plants and animal specimens collected along his journey.

The pursuit of knowledge for a Rank One mage extends beyond magic books or guidance from mentors. True understanding came from pursuing truth through life experiences and meticulous observation.

“We, the Guilleman Chamber of Commerce, have navigated this route for twelve hundred years. The early storm season usually doesn’t bring rough seas here. How about it? Will you consider joining our ranks? We’re well-established across multiple divine towers within the Marmett Union Alliance and could offer you considerable support and convenience.”

Standing on the ship, a Rank One mage named Thatch approached Sein.

Full-fledged mages often found themselves short on resources. Not only did major divine towers offer favorable conditions to attract these mages, but various small and medium-sized mage councils in the Magus World, as well as prominent magical families and chambers of commerce, were also eager to recruit these talents.

Thatch was inviting Sein to become an associate for the Guilleman Chamber of Commerce, a role with minimal constraints on freedom.

As an associate, one could still affiliate with a divine tower or other mage council, provided they regularly completed tasks for the Chamber of Commerce, from escorting deliveries and gathering resources from otherworldly planes to training new mages.

In any case, it was a mutually beneficial arrangement.

In the Marmett Union Alliance, many full-fledged mages maintained ongoing interactions with various mage councils or chambers of commerce even after joining a divine tower.

If Sein had been a mage from the Marmett Union Alliance, he might have accepted Thatch’s offer.

However, Sein hailed from the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring, far inland and unaffiliated with the Guilleman Chamber of Commerce.

Moreover, he was merely passing through the Marmett Union Alliance.

“I have no intention of joining any chamber of commerce right now. Should that change, I’ll be sure to get in touch with you, Master Thatch.” Sein politely declined.

Both of them had not even exchanged crystal ball contacts, so Thatch knew that Sein had no intention of future communication.

Understanding that Sein had already made up his mind, Thatch sighed and withdrew.

Unlike Sein, Thatch the Rank One mage appeared somewhat swayed by monetary gains.

However, the true strength of mages came from knowledge and truths, not the cold, hard magicoins.

It was clear that getting Sein to join the Guilleman Chamber of Commerce would have benefited Thatch greatly, but Sein was not one to be swayed by mere financial incentives.

Sein recalled how he had once generously spent magicoins to skip the mandatory quests of the divine tower academy, all to delve deeper into the mysteries of the Solar Eye spell.

How could he now waste his time and energy on the pursuit of mundane resources or magicoins?

Thatch might not have realized it himself, but he was gradually losing sight of the mage’s true purpose to unravel the mysteries of truths.

Meanwhile, a crystal ball had materialized in Sein’s hand and he appeared to be in deep thought.

Focus: 162.8

Mana: 176.7

Consitution: 113.2

These figures were markedly higher than they had been after his return from the Viridian Venom Flame World.

Sein speculated that his rapid improvement in such a short time was due to his experiences on the battlefield in the Viridian Venom Flame World gradually translating into measurable increases in his stats.

Remarkably, this rate of growth showed no signs of abating anytime soon. Sein anticipated that the surge in his focus would likely continue until it reached 200 points before plateauing.