Sovereign of the Ashes

After discussing their intentions to cooperate with Luna, Sein politely excused himself from the conversation and departed.

Mages, after all, were perpetually busy, and he had little time to waste.

Reflecting on his past, Sein realized he had always been a “busy man,” except for the times he and Leena traveled through the Western Archipelago, fully immersing themselves in the vibrant beauty of the world.

Despite being under a hundred years old, he had already ascended to Rank Two.

His achievements were not merely a product of potential and opportunity; it was primarily driven by his relentless effort.

Unlike his peers, Sein’s obsession with experimental research and unraveling the truth propelled his advancement.

This dedication could be traced back to his early days as an initiate at the divine tower academy. Alone in the library and laboratory, he tirelessly conducted magical experiments day after day.

Perhaps it was from that time onward that Sein had distinguished himself from other mages of the same rank.

His higher libido compared to other mages was not only a result of his Verdant Flame Body Tempering technique but also from an innate need for emotional release.

After all, any intelligent being capable of independent thought was not a mere machine.

Sein had emotional and physical desires. While he managed these by focusing on his experiments, he eventually needed an outlet for release.

Unlike some mages who favored traveling extensively or socializing at noble gatherings, Sein’s pastimes were neither time-consuming nor costly.

At least from what he could tell, he had not grown weary of his current lifestyle.

As for venturing beyond the Magus World and exploring foreign planes, those adventures were reserved for the future...

After returning to the top floor of the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring, Sein resumed his studies and research.

Despite her busy schedule, Lorianne had recently taken the time to address several of Sein’s questions that had arisen during his decades of travel.

While some concepts could be easily explained verbally, others, like the elementalization process for Rank Two Mages, required detailed demonstrations within the laboratory.

The Rank Four mage showed remarkable patience as she guided Sein through the transformations of energy and elemental particles in her elemental form.

Apart from that, Lorianne also explained to him the critical transition from Rank Two to Rank Three mages—the qualitative enhancement of their energy.

Unlike Rank Two mages, those at Rank Three wielded denser and higher-quality elemental energies, enabling them to perform more powerful magical and elemental strikes.

The distinction between microplanes and low-level planes of the Astral Realm was stark.

The strongest creatures born in microplanes peaked only at Rank Three, while the low-level planes could produce entities recognized as “gods” by countless lesser beings—those of Rank Four or higher.

Many regarded peak Rank Three beings as “demigods” due to their extraordinary abilities, akin to those of Rank Four, though they remained fundamentally at Rank Three.

The minimum requirement for a mage in the Magus World to cast forbidden spells was reaching the peak of Rank Three, as only then did they possess the requisite vast volume and quality of elemental energy needed to devastate half a continent in one fell swoop.

Sein was still far from achieving the energy transformation required of Rank Three mages, but that did not deter him from absorbing the knowledge ahead of time, gaining profound insights, and discovering elemental marvels through Lorianne’s guidance.

Having a skilled and powerful mentor certainly had its advantages!

Had Sein been mentored by an ordinary Rank Two or Rank Three mage, they might not have fully understood their own path, much less been able to guide Sein on his.

However, Lorianne was already finding it increasingly difficult to mentor Sein.

His mastery primarily revolved around the pyro element, complemented by lumen, umbra, necro, and other elements.

Lorianne, who specialized in dendrology and lifeology, had not explored these elemental energies extensively.

Sein, lacking both proficiency and interest in those areas, would ideally benefit from mentorship by Grandmaster Feylis, a Rank Six mage.

Yet, as Feylis’ youngest apprentice, Lorianne knew well that her mentor was unlikely to take on new apprentices.

The fact that Andres and Holfson were struggling to advance to Rank Four, facing the possibility of remaining stuck at peak Rank Three, had deeply troubled Feylis.

Besides, this situation also presented a delicate dilemma—if Feylis were to mentor Sein directly, how could Lorianne reconcile her role?

Would she continue to refer to Sein as her apprentice, or would she need to call him her junior?

Such a shift would flout the traditions of the Magus World’s spellcasters, which placed great emphasis on respecting one’s mentor!

In this situation, Lorianne could only work harder and seek guidance on verdant flame magic and other elements from Feylis.

As a Rank Four mage, she couldn’t very well complain about having an apprentice so exceptional that she could no longer mentor him!

Lorianne felt a bittersweet mixture of depression and pride at her apprentice’s exceptional capabilities.

Meanwhile, Sein remained oblivious to the turmoil within Lorianne.

Her guidance had only deepened his admiration for her vast knowledge and profound wisdom—exactly what one would expect from a divine tower master!

Lorianne’s wisdom made him realize just how small he was in the sea of knowledge.

Every insight she shared opened new perspectives and directions for him to explore.

His sole regret during his time at the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring was the brevity of their sessions, curtailed by the looming war.

He yearned for deeper discussions with Lorianne, yet given Lorianne’s busy schedule, he had to settle for discussing only the most crucial points.

For the concepts that eluded him, Sein could only mull over them alone after returning to his laboratory.

Lorianne was a guide on his path to truth, but the journey itself was Sein’s to explore.

In the pursuit of truth, each seeker must navigate their own unique path alone!