Sovereign of the Ashes

When going through trials on the Knight Continent, encounters with knights and mages from various regions of the Magus World, along with a myriad of challenges, were common.

The conflicts here extended beyond the trialists versus the native creatures of the area.

Clashes between trialists from different factions were also prevalent.

The battle between Leena’s group of black mages and the knights from the Ylli Knight Alliance was one such conflict.

Conflicts also often arose over the looting of scarce resources and valuable loot.

Despite these tensions, the atmosphere in the Magus World remained largely fair and free.

In fact, those among the higher echelons of the Magus Civilization saw this internal competition as healthy.

They believed that a civilization could only reach its pinnacle by stepping on the shoulders of billions of creatures, many of whom were from other planes, though part of it was from the Magus World itself.

The current three-against-one fight reminded Sein of a recent instance when Leena had faced three knights of the same rank alone.

However, he felt no sympathy for the besieged black-robed warlock.

Sein and Leena had stopped by out of sheer curiosity.

The object of contention among the four bloodline warlocks appeared to be the lone red fruit hanging from a peculiar giant tree, which stood thirty meters tall behind the black-robed warlock.

The resilience of this giant tree was notable. While other nearby trees had either toppled or been chopped off in the clash between the warlocks, this lone giant stood unyielding in the jungle.

Sein and Leena’s arrival naturally drew the attention of the four bloodline warlocks at the heart of the forest.

The black-robed warlock at the center remained silent, while the other three, clad in red scale armor, looked over with visible irritation.

Although they retained only a humanoid form, they bore little resemblance to the humans of the Magus World. Their eyes were a striking golden red, and thick tails could be seen protruding from behind their clothes.

The attire of the bloodline warlocks from the West Coast of the Magus World was starkly different from that of conventional mages. Otherwise, activating their ancient bloodline could easily damage their clothes each time.

Under the well-established norms of their civilization, it was generally agreed that running around naked was undesirable.

“Hmph! Get out of here, House Graton’s warlocks don’t like being watched while they’re working!” one of the three shouted at Sein.

House Graton, a prominent family on the West Coast, was a formidable force known for producing a Rank Six warlock.

Their strong heritage enabled them to send numerous trialists to the Knight Continent.

It was clear that these three bloodline warlocks were not the only representatives from House Graton participating in this trial.

Sein remained unfazed by the Rank One bloodline warlock’s shout. Having previously faced off against the knights from the Ylli Knight Alliance, he was hardly intimidated by these three warlocks.

Moreover, the Knight Continent, which opened once every thousand years, upheld the principle of fair competition.

If one could merely use their family’s influence to intimidate opponents, then the entire purpose of these trials would be undermined.

Just as these three Rank One bloodline warlocks were supported by the Rank Six warlock of their family, Sein’s faction was led by a Rank Six mage.

With each side equally matched, there was no reason for fear.

Sein’s indifference only further irritated the three bloodline warlocks.

Another significant difference between the bloodline warlocks of the Magus World and traditional spellcasters was their emotional volatility, which was heavily influenced by their inherited bloodlines.

These warlocks possessed immense power effortlessly due to their bloodline, which also came with its inherent drawbacks.

After all, the Astral Realm was fair.

Most warlocks from House Graton inherited the Red Flamed Anolis bloodline—a formidable species that could rival dragons in strength and was equally prolific.

With some dragon blood in their veins, these warlocks, as part of a notable bloodline warlock clan, were staunch allies of the Dragon Warlock Clan.[1]

The three bloodline warlocks exhaled crimson sparks from their nostrils, signaling their readiness to confront Sein at any moment.

Just then, the black-robed warlock encircled by the three spoke up. “I am Angreas, a Rank One warlock from House Farrell. If you two assist me, we’ll split the Dragon Core Fruit equally!”

Angreas, recognizing the precariousness of his situation, understood that facing the three House Graton warlocks alone offered him little hope of obtaining the Dragon Core Fruit.

Hence, joining forces with Sein and Leena presented a far better alternative than walking away empty-handed.

Furthermore, the longstanding feud between House Graton and House Farrell—two ancient and antagonistic bloodline warlock clans—added another layer to his decision.

Given the longstanding feud between House Graton and House Farrell—two ancient and historically antagonistic bloodline warlock clans—if Sein and Leena chose to ignore the situation, losing the Dragon Core Fruit would be the least of Angreas’ concerns; this could very well lead to his “untimely demise” at the hands of his enemies.

The bloodline warlock clan to which Angreas belonged derived their powers from the Komoine Serpent lineage, with the strongest among them being a Rank Five bloodline warlock.

This made House Farrell a force of considerable strength on the West Coast.

Sein pondered deeply, considering the potential benefits and risks of intervening.

Leena, who was currently in her teenage form, whispered, “The Dragon Core Fruit is an exceptionally rare ingredient. It’s capable of awakening deep-seated bloodline powers and also offers significant body-tempering benefits. It’s highly coveted by both knights and bloodline warlocks.”

“This particular Dragon Core Fruit has matured for at least a thousand years; acquiring it would be beneficial for your own body tempering,” she added.

Leena was aware of Sein’s training and offered guidance that would benefit him.

Sein’s eyes sparkled with realization at her words.

There was no such thing as having too much, especially when the resources on the Knight Continent were far more potent than those in the outside world.

Although Sein had collected various materials during his time on the continent, they were of lower or at most, medium quality.

However, the Dragon Core Fruit before him was a treasure that even Rank One creatures would fiercely contend over.

Judging by its age alone, this Dragon Core Fruit could fetch a staggering price of thousands of magicoins in the outside market.

As Leena had pointed out, the opportunity before them was too good to pass up.

Sein glanced at Leena briefly before drawing his Verdant Flame Heart Rod.

1. Translator’s Note: Anolis is literally known as a “dragon lizard” in Chinese, hence it is believed to be related to dragons in this novel. ☜