Sovereign of the Ashes

Sein and Ghur did not travel together for long, primarily because they had different approaches to exploring the Knight Continent.

Ghur preferred the thrill of dangerous locations. He was particularly drawn to the perilous caves and would occasionally pursue Rank One creatures native to the secret realm.

As Ghur often said, “The higher the risk, the better the reward.”

He believed he would be able to discover legacies left by ancient, powerful knights and mages in those caves.

In fact, his grandfather had once acquired a battle qi technique from within the secret realm itself.

He also reasoned that fighting Rank One creatures within the secret realm was essential for knights to hone their skills.

Moreover, the potential rewards from such creatures could surpass years of conventional exploration.

This penchant for danger once led Ghur to a jungle swamp, lured by the prospect of hidden treasure. Instead, he nearly lost his life in the pursuit.

Unlike Ghur, Sein’s exploration was driven by curiosity. He found wonder in everything—from the humblest flowers and plants to the basic soil and stones, and even the towering trees that seemed of little value.

Sein could study them for days, finding value where others saw none.

The fact that he had not encountered another living person in the last month was not due to a low density of trialists within the secret realm, but because he was too engrossed in his research and traveled at a slower pace.

Ghur had stayed with Sein for half a month before deciding he could no longer endure Sein’s snail pace.

After bidding Sein farewell, Ghur ventured eastward alone.

“If you ever go to the East Coast, look for House Jobbs. I’ll make sure to receive you as a guest!” Ghur called out to Sein, turning his back and waving before becoming a mere speck, disappearing on the horizon.

Ghur’s departure scarcely affected Sein.

On the contrary, with the absence of his noisy companion, Sein could focus better on his explorations and research.

As days turned into months, Sein’s discoveries on the Knight Continent accumulated impressively.

Eventually, nearly all the spatial storage equipment he carried was filled with the unusual specimens and magic ingredients he had gathered.

It was only then that Sein paused, realizing the breadth of his collection warranted a temporary halt to his explorations.

Continuing his research could take decades, yet he might only uncover less than one percent of the species in this part of the Knight Continent.

Compared to the vastness of a complete world, the influence of one individual seemed minuscule.

Yes, this was a new world, at least from Sein’s perspective.

The biodiversity, starting from the most basic forms of life, was vastly different from that of the outside world.

One could only speculate on the potential growth and transformations of the middle and upper echelons of life throughout the entire secret realm of the Knight Continent, based on the innumerable species at its foundation.

“That Rank Nine being from the Magus World has crafted another ‘world’ within the Magus World itself!” Sein mused, his gaze sweeping over the endless jungle and sky, his eyes alight with wonder.

***

Although most of the spatial storage equipment on Sein’s body was already filled, he still had access to an ample amount of expandable space.

This was thanks to the enormous conch given to him by Tourmaline. Sein had discovered its vast internal capacity while he was doing research on Mordoron Island.

Even so, Sein did not continue with his current intense research.

When it came to exploring the truth, Sein maintained a balance between intense study and necessary relaxation, unlike others who might persist without a break.

Setting aside some of his more monotonous experiments for the moment, Sein began to venture into strange and perilous locations, much like Ghur had done before.

In choosing his exploratory paths, Sein preferred a straightforward approach, moving forward as the whim took him.

The secret realm was vast, offering endless directions to explore.

Perhaps it was this change in exploration style that led him to a new encounter. On the third day, Sein crossed paths with other trialists as he hastened deeper into the secret realm.

A strange cry echoed through the forest as a two-meter-tall stag, with reddish-green fur, burst from the foliage.

This was no ordinary stag; it was a Rank One creature. Its face eerily resembled that of an owl, and its eyes were a striking purple. Flames flickered along its hooves with each bounding step.

This species was unlike any Sein had previously encountered in the Magus World.

Although it was a Rank One creature, its rarity and unique traits suggested that it might possess the value of a Rank Two creature.

At that moment, Sein was flying low through the forest. The path of the escaping stag did not initially align with the direction he was headed.

The shouts and commotion coming from behind the creature indicated that its flight was not voluntary.

“Help us stop it, and we’ll split the spoils equally!” An urgent voice transmission appeared directly in Sein’s mind.

The Verdant Flame Heart Rod materialized immediately in Sein’s hand as he observed the stag darting past him on a diagonal path.

”The eyeballs are mine,” he transmitted back to the speaker.

The person hesitated for a moment before conceding, “Fine! But you must stall it for at least half a sandglass!”

Half a sandglass was thirty seconds, and Sein was confident he could manage that.

The pursuers trailing the stag were still too far to see Sein’s initial spellcasting.

As he wielded the Verdant Flame Heart Rod, Sein’s mana and focus surged close to five hundred points, nearly doubling his power.

Such a significant increase, especially over a hundred points, yielded a formidable boost!

While Sein still could not defeat the Rank Two black mage he had encountered on the southern coast with his current strength, he felt significantly more capable now than he had back then.

This newfound strength was the foundation of his confidence.

As Sein chanted, verdant flames flared up before the fleeing stag.

The stag might have dared to charge through if they were ordinary flames, but the eerie green pyro flames conjured by Sein made it hesitate. Its pupils contracted in fear before it abruptly changed its course.

Threatened by the wall of verdant flames, the stag now charged directly toward Sein.

With a smile playing across his lips, Sein stowed away his Verdant Flame Heart Rod as he watched the stag rush toward him, oblivious to his presence due to the effect of his Aura Restraint spell.

Seven hundred meters... Five hundred... Three hundred... Two hundred...

In just the blink of an eye, the stag closed the distance between them. When only a hundred meters remained, Sein acted.

His body erupted in a cloak of turquoise-green flames, transforming him into a towering, five-meter-tall verdant “flame giant”.

The sudden turn of events and Sein’s ominous aura startled the stag into a desperate cry.

However, it was too late for it to turn back.

Sein’s hands, ablaze with verdant flame elements, firmly grasped its antlers as he absorbed the full impact of the charging Rank One creature.

Among Rank One mages, Sein was undoubtedly an extraordinary figure.

When the pursuers finally reached the scene, they were met with the sight of a flaming giant blocking the wide-eyed stag.

A cry of dismay rang through the air as a flock of birds burst from the trees, scattering into the sky.