Sovereign of the Ashes

Although Sein had already agreed to undertake an interplanar infiltration mission to the Verdant Wilderness World, it would not happen so soon yet.

After meeting his mentor, Sein returned to his quarters in the divine tower.

The experiments and research that he had scheduled before continued as usual.

For Sein, the special assignment from his mentor did not necessitate major changes to his routine.

The only difference was that Sein had taken the time to craft several life-saving magic items.

He had also prepared a number of potions to restore mana, focus, and stamina.

***

In the laboratory, Sein flipped open a black leather-bound spellbook—the Magus book he had previously obtained from Master Cipher.

Throughout his study and research career, Sein had encountered numerous presentations on aspects related to the Magus.

Yet, the ancient era had seen a significant decline in this oldest profession of spellcasters in the Magus World, with its true glory belonging to the primordial and immemorial eras.

The history from those periods was too distant; much of it could no longer be verified, and only a few records had survived the passage of time.

The book gifted to Sein by Master Cipher was titled “Da Vinci Whisper”.

It focused on occult arts and sonido magic, or so Sein initially thought.

However, the contents of the spellbook were profoundly obscure, seemingly chronicling the mundane daily life of a spellcaster named Da Vinci, alongside the peculiar phenomena he observed and the insights he derived from them.

This made the book unusually cryptic.

Even Rank Two mages like Sein would find themselves puzzled at first.

Yet, as he immersed himself once more, pondering deeply over its contents, an absurd and bizarre atmosphere enveloped him.

It was reminiscent of the one Sein had experienced in that secret realm’s leaning tower.

What a mysterious Rank Four mage Master Cipher is!

Could the strange phenomena be caused by a special sound wave that could generate mystical energy?

Or is it the emergence of this mystical energy that causes different people to hear different voices?

Master Da Vinci mentioned in the book that he heard rustling sounds.

But why do I hear ... tinkling noises instead?

Sein pondered as he sat at the desk next to the experimental table, with the spellbook laid open before him.

Snap!

Sein snapped his fingers, and a small flame appeared in his hand.

The faint orange flame swayed slowly at his fingertip.

As Sein immersed his mind and soul into that frame of mind once again, time seemed to slip away unnoticed. Suddenly, a startled cry echoed in his ears.

The distraction pulled Sein back to reality, causing a look of displeasure to cross his face.

Whenever Sein was engrossed in his experiments or deep in thought, Selina and the others knew better than to commit such a fundamental mistake as disturbing him.

There was, however, one exception...

The absurd and bizarre atmosphere that had filled the room dissipated suddenly, like a tidal wave receding in all directions.

Everything returned to normal again in the laboratory.

Standing before him, Natalya covered her mouth in surprise, staring at Sein’s finger.

Sein, who was initially about to reprimand Natalya, frowned and looked down at his fingertip.

At some point, the ordinary reddish-orange flame had transformed into a peculiar grayish-white color.

This flame swayed in an unpredictable rhythm that made it mesmerizing to look at.

Though Sein had escaped the bizarre atmosphere created by a mystical power, the sight of this flame reignited a spine-chilling sense of strangeness and absurdity.

Even the usually composed Sein was taken aback, and Natalya, standing before him, was clearly more disturbed.

Natalya was fearless toward most things, but not Sein.

Despite being outwardly tough, she secretly harbored a shameful desire to be dominated. This was the reason that compelled her to pursue Sein relentlessly back then.

The more indifferent Sein appeared, the more desperately Natalya sought his attention.

Now married for some time, Sein had come to understand her pretty much completely.

In this household, Natalya could no longer act on her whims.

Sometimes, Sein could not help but wonder from whom Natalya had inherited such traits.

Heightened by Sein’s natural aura of intimidation, the eerie grayish-white flame dancing on his fingertip caused Natalya’s teeth to chatter in fear.

This enchanting grayish-white flame was neither hot nor radiated significant power fluctuations.

Yet, it exuded a coldness and eeriness that reached deep into one’s soul.

It caused Natalya to recall the most horrifying images from her childhood, buried deep in her memories.

Every formidable individual had a past, and nearly everyone had a childhood to remember.

There were only a few things that could frighten a tough woman like Natalya.

Yet, a childhood encounter with an undead had left a deep-seated fear in her.

It happened long ago when Natalya was barely strong enough to wield a giant sword, yet capable of defeating most undead below Rank Two.

Despite her prowess, the memory of a small skeleton still haunted her, evoking a profound fear.

The emergence of the grayish-white flame on Sein’s fingertips triggered this unsettling memory in Natalya.

“Could this be the product of mystical power combined with the pyro element? It’s surprising that I hadn’t noticed when I unleashed this mystical power and perfectly merged it with the fire elemental energy...” Sein pondered.

Every magic experiment carried its significance and integrity.

The appearance of the grayish-white flame was clearly accidental.

Had Natalya not interrupted Sein’s contemplation, such an outcome might have not happened.

Sein’s current priority was to document everything about this unusual phenomenon.

The chilling sensation the flame imparted confirmed it was no ordinary fire.

Intrigued by this mystical power, Sein grew even more interested in the capabilities of the Magus.

He resolved that if the opportunity arose, he would visit the Northern Witches Council.

***

It was just a small flame, and there was not much to record.

Sein managed to document everything within a few sandglasses. By the time he was done, Natalya was visibly sweating.

At home, she often wore a tight black outfit instead of her armor, allowing her to move freely in the training room. Sometimes, she wore nothing at all.

Natalya exuded a different kind of allure when she was drenched in sweat.

Her pale face, marked by rare fear, gave her a vulnerable look that would stir anyone’s heart.

Setting aside his experimental tools, Sein approached her.