Sovereign of the Ashes

Ever since the war on the western part of Thunder Marsh concluded, Sein and his companions had enjoyed a period of peaceful rest.

However, the tranquility was short-lived.

Almost three months after the battle, the Thunder Marsh camp ramped up its operations significantly.

New supplies and combatants arrived every day.

Some of these combatants were knights who had withdrawn from the main battlegrounds in the east and west, seeking refuge at the Thunder Marsh camp to heal their wounds.

Others were passing through the area, headed to their assigned destinations to carry out the missions given to them by the fortress command center.

For mages like Sein, moments of leisure were brief.

The Thunder Marsh camp had recently seen fewer invasions by creatures from the Thunderfall World, prompting the fortress command center to strategically reallocate most mages to the main battlefield in the west.

The critical battle unfolding on the Thunder Plains was the focus of the Order of the Steel Fist, and it had allocated the majority of its resources there.

Although many knights were stationed on the eastern front, it was a joint effort between the Order of the Steel Fist and the Order of the Green Gale, with both orders demonstrating significant strength and synergy.

The Order of the Steel Fist monitored the eastern battlefield most closely, where the elite, including “Steel Fist”, the Rank Four knight himself, and his formidable space fortress, were stationed.

The frequent allocation of knights and the concentration of its limited mage resources on the western front were undoubtedly signs of major developments in the Thunderfall World War.

At this point, Sein was nearing the critical period for his advancement to Rank Two mage.

Consequently, he had to justify his circumstances to the fortress command center and request a postponement of his mission by nearly a year and a half.

Sein had initially requested a two-year break from the fortress, estimating that it was the time he needed to achieve his advancement.

However, the fortress command center could grant him only one and a half years.

After this period, Sein was expected to report to the western front!

Sein deduced that this was likely when the Order of the Steel Fist planned its major offensive against the native legion of the Thunderfall World on the Thunder Plains.

Pressed for time, Sein spent another two months preparing and optimizing all conditions before formally initiating his breakthrough attempt to Rank Two.

The Magus World Army had shown remarkable consideration during the conflict.

If not for this, the fortress would not have approved Sein’s request for an extended “vacation” of a year and a half.

Sein attempted his breakthrough to Rank Two in the second basement level of the magic tower where he resided.

Over the preceding months, this space had been transformed into an ideal setting for his meditation and training.

Sein had strategically positioned a large number of energy crystals throughout the meditation room.

Activated by the magic array, the elemental energies from these crystals were harnessed, enriching the room’s elemental concentration to rival that of the Knight Continent.

Affected by the Sein’s magic array, the enslaved creatures stationed around the magic tower and in the basement levels also inadvertently benefited from the enhanced environment.

Yuri and the others were tasked with strictly guarding the perimeter of the magic tower, ensuring that no outsiders disrupted Sein’s concentration as he worked to attain Rank Two.

Should Sein fail to emerge from the basement of the magic tower after eighteen months, and if representatives from the order arrived, Yuri and the others would need to devise a strategy to hold them off and prevent any disturbances to Sein.

Attempting a breakthrough to the next life level was an extremely serious and critical task.

Previously, Sein attempted his breakthrough to Rank One in a training room within the divine tower, provided by his mentor, Lorianne.

The conditions for Sein’s breakthrough in the Thunderfall World were significantly less favorable than those in the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring.

Nevertheless, Sein was extremely confident in his ability to succeed here. Otherwise, he would not have attempted his advancement here in the first place.

***

Mages often lost track of time during experimental research and training.

For an elementalist transitioning from Rank One to Rank Two, the primary concern was their ability to complete the elementalization of their body.

Before his seclusion, Sein had already managed to elementalize his hand.

By the third month of his seclusion, he could elementalize over half of his body.

In the underground meditation room, half of Sein’s body remained human flesh, while the other half blazed with a monstrous mix of red and green flames.

It was a deeply unnerving sight.

Yet, for the mages dedicated to unraveling the mysteries of truth, Sein’s current state perfectly illustrated the mysterious transformation between flesh and elemental particles.

With Sein’s cellular structures being replaced by the verdant flame element, one could clearly discern the elemental energy he mainly wielded.

Although Sein wielded a variety of other elemental magic, including lumen, umbra, and necro, as well as a bit of spatial and venom magic, the primary source of his power had become the verdant flame magic—a legacy inherited from his faction!

By Sein’s fifth month of seclusion, verdant flame energy had engulfed his entire body instead of merely clinging to his skin like before.

This time, the verdant flames were truly replacing every cell in Sein’s body and skin, becoming an integral part of his being.

As time passed, the transformation of Sein’s elemental body accelerated, with each aspect becoming more harmoniously integrated.

By the seventh month, Sein’s elemental body was technically complete.

His ascent to Rank Two was achieved smoothly and without incident, prompting him to wonder whether the wisp of planar light he received as a magic initiate might have played a role in his seamless progression.

The underground meditation room was cluttered with numerous bottles and vials of magic potions that Sein had used during his breakthrough.

Although these self-crafted potions might not match the efficacy of the rare ones sold in the divine tower due to his lack of precise recipes, they still played a vital role in his advancement.

The rare and valuable ingredients he used in the concoctions were collected during his trial on the Knight Continent and acquired during his travels across the Alveroth Empire.

With his successful breakthrough, Sein’s aura and life force now met the standards of a Rank Two being.

The verdant flames continued to burn strongly even within the confines of the underground meditation room.

Having transformed into a figure of living fire, Sein did not immediately cease his meditative state upon his advancement.

Instead, he remained at the center of the room, resembling an everlasting ball of flame.