Sovereign of the Ashes

Just because Martin “valued” those black mages and treated them with “leniency” did not necessarily mean he truly cherished friendships.

Rather, this was because the Rank Three grand mage understood what was necessary to establish himself in Blackhaven.

Only by leveraging his connections from the Black Magic Academy of Mystralora City could Martin hope to thrive in Blackhaven and continue his mentor’s legacy.

Otherwise, he would be merely an ordinary early-stage Rank Three black mage.

In the periphery of Blackhaven, an early-stage Rank Three black mage was indeed a notable existence. However, in the heart or even the hinterlands of Blackhaven, he amounted to very little.

Given Blackhaven’s scarce resources, the relatively young Martin might only achieve mid or late-stage Rank Three status in his lifetime, barring a stroke of luck.

Attaining a demigod-level status like his mentor would be exceptionally challenging, let alone gaining the opportunity to attempt a breakthrough to Rank Four.

This was the reality of the situation.

Not all mages were like Sein, who, at a young age, had amassed enough resources to potentially advance to Rank Three in the future.

Many mages spent their entire lives not only in pursuit of research inspiration but also in acquiring the necessary resources for experiments and personal development.

The competition and pressure to survive in Blackhaven were particularly intense.

Some mages were not deranged upon their arrival in Blackhaven. However, after spending a long time here, the harsh conditions had driven many to madness.

Faye’s years in Blackhaven had caused her worldview to shift significantly.

That was why Sein had sighed earlier.

After receiving the answer he needed from Faye, Sein decided to stop the annoying man outside from further damaging her magic tower.

Bhabaluka, the brown-robed mage hovering outside, was at best a mid-stage Rank One mage.

He was at the very beginning of that stage, with focus and mana levels that certainly did not exceed 250 points.

Such mages, barely above the lower ranks yet not among the elite, were indeed the most desperate to establish themselves in Blackhaven, where recognition was crucial for accessing better opportunities in this unforgiving environment.

Having caused trouble on Mordoron Island for nearly a decade, it seemed likely he was vying for the attention of someone influential like Martin.

Only by catching the eye of such a figure could he hope to be acknowledged as a mage and gain access to greater resources.

Considering the strength of a full-fledged mage, Sein doubted that Faye’s magic tower could withstand a full assault from this person.

This restraint in the mage’s attack suggested he knew whose tower it was.

Regardless of the other party’s intentions, Sein’s patience had worn thin.

Now that this mage had emerged from the shadows, boldly making himself the primary target, Sein saw no reason to remain polite!

Perhaps Sein’s increasing hostility was influenced by Blackhaven’s ominous atmosphere, having only recently arrived.

Or maybe, the reunion with Faye, combined with memories of his late mentor and a burning desire for vengeance, had sparked a destructive impulse within him.

At this moment, Sein could feel a surge of power coursing through him.

Deep within, he harbored a raw desire to crush his opponent’s head with his bare hands rather than resort to a magic spell.

It was a purely violent impulse that he had not experienced in a long time.

Had Sein paused to reflect, he might have recognized this shift in his demeanor as a consequence of the Verdant Flame Body Tempering experiments he had been diligently performing on himself.

These processes had not only bolstered his physical resilience and increased his mana reserves but also brought on some unsettling side effects.

Unbeknownst to Sein, Master Gregory was notorious for his violent tendencies—a trait that surprised many Rank Four and Five mages in the Magus world, who were equally impressed by his fighting style.

It remained uncertain whether Feylis, the Rank Six mage and the founder of the Verdant Flame faction, also harbored a similar hidden madness.

After all, she was the creator of the Verdant Flame Body Tempering technique.

The magic tower’s door swung open, and Sein, clad in his black robe, emerged slowly.

His appearance captured the attention of all present, including Faye in the magic tower behind him, Bhabaluka hovering in mid-air, and the black mages still lurking in the shadows.

As Sein walked toward Bhabaluka, it seemed as though layers of invisible air steps formed under his feet, allowing him to ascend to the same height as Bhabaluka.

A formidable mage had a powerful presence.

However, Sein’s aura at that moment was overpowering, so much so that he did not even seem like a mere Rank One mage.

Before Sein stepped out of the tower, Bhabaluka looked arrogant and had already prepared a lengthy speech.

But now, as Sein approached step by step, even Bhabaluka—who had lived for over two hundred years and numerous challenges—appeared somewhat anxious.

A black mage’s sense of impending danger was typically far sharper than that of an average divine tower mage. It was a keenness honed during their perilous early years.

Despite the considerable pressure Sein exerted, Bhabaluka was not one to easily back down either.

He slowly raised the magic rod in his right hand. The deep yellow fireball at its tip flared up, doubling in size and turning deep red.

“You...” Bhabaluka began, but Sein stopped.

No longer advancing slowly toward him, Sein raised his head to meet Bhabaluka’s gaze directly at eye level.

His gaze was cold as if he were staring at a corpse.

Despite the iciness in his eyes, vibrant green flames erupted around his body with a whoosh, hinting at their extreme temperatures and a terrifying deterrent force!

They were no ordinary flames, but rare and special ones beyond the reach of typical mages.

The flames enveloped Sein, transforming him into a fire giant.

The green hue of the flames glowed menacingly, emitting a pungent odor in the air that hinted at both extreme heat and a potent toxin.

Several black mages watching from the shadows exclaimed in surprise, “Is that a Rank Two mage’s elemental body?!”

Yet, those with keen eyes quickly discerned that it was not the elemental body that Rank Two mages typically possessed.

Sein had not elementalized his flesh into pyro elemental particles; he had merely ignited a layer of verdant flame over his skin.

Nevertheless, this feat was impressive in its own right!

Most Rank One mages would not dare contemplate such a feat, let alone achieve it.

Beyond the need for precise control over elemental power, many were left wondering how Sein could endure such intense heat.

It seemed improbable that a mage, typically of frail physique, could withstand the corrosive power of the pyro element at such close range.

As the green fire giant streaked across the sky, he left a blazing trail in his wake while charging directly at Bhabaluka, the Rank One black mage.

The crimson fireball at the tip of Bhabaluka’s magic rod seemed laughable in comparison to Sein’s verdant flame body!

Bhabaluka never truly understood the nature of Sein’s verdant flame body, assuming instead that he had provoked a Rank Two mage by mistake.

Without a second thought, he abandoned any pretense of dignity and fled—a stark contrast to his earlier arrogance when he had launched an attack on Faye’s magic tower.

The scene quickly evolved into a chase across the central plains of Mordoron Island, with one mage fleeing and the other in hot pursuit.

Watching Sein, ablaze with raging flames, chase down Bhabaluka brought to mind a similar incident from Sein’s days at Black Magic Academy of Mystralora City. Back then, Master Morsidor had chased down a Rank One mage named Katherson in a similar manner.

Sein was undeniably Morsidor’s apprentice, having inherited not only his late mentor’s alchemy legacy but also other aspects of him.

Faye watched the spectacle in the sky from the second floor of her magic tower. Her eyes shone with a fiery gleam, and an unnatural blush tinged her cheeks as her hand involuntarily drifted downward.