Sovereign of the Ashes

The three small experiments that Sein had initially planned to finish in one afternoon ended up being extended well into the next morning.

Instead of focusing on the pair of Ice Gorillas, who possessed unique divine powers, most of Sein’s time was consumed by his research on the vial of demon blood.

The divine power wielded by Rank Four creatures was not something that could be easily deciphered.

If the mysteries of the Ice Gorillas’ divine power could have been unraveled so simply, Sein would have solved them long ago during the Wild Gorilla World War. He would not have returned to the Magus World still puzzled.

Rather than aggressively pursuing answers to the enigma of divine power within the Ice Gorillas, Sein set a daily routine to observe and document the pair’s unique traits.

He believed that, through persistence, he might one day uncover the secrets they held.

However, there was one aspect that left Sein slightly concerned—the Ice Divine Power within the Ice Gorillas seemed to be steadily diminishing.

According to the gorillas themselves, this was because they could no longer feel the grace of the Ice Gorilla God.

Divine power, after all, originated from creatures of Rank Four and above. It was not something they cultivated independently; it was granted by the gods they worship.

Couldn’t feel the grace of the Ice Gorilla God?

Of course! The Ice Gorilla God had been dead for years!

While Sein could perhaps borrow one of the Ice God Gorilla’s divine relics from Lorianne, where in the Magus Alliance would he find a living Ice Gorilla God?

It was even possible that the god’s remains had long since been dismembered and sold across various regions of the Magus Alliance.

Without the divine power of Rank Four gods or higher, the residual traces of divine power particles in the mother and daughter’s bodies were inevitably dwindling.

When the divine power within them completely vanished, they would be reduced to nothing more than ordinary Ice Gorillas.

At that point, no matter how devoutly they prayed to their god, their calls would go unanswered.

Sein regarded his research into the divine power of the Ice Gorillas as a grand ambition to unravel the power of Rank Four creatures and above.

In contrast, his work on demon blood was a serendipitous accident.

Sein had no prior connections to demons; even the bloodline coursing through his veins belonged to the devils.

It was purely by chance that he encountered a group of devils and demons during his time in Sandstorm World.

Driven by his insatiable curiosity and pursuit of truth, Sein instinctively collected samples of demon blood for study.

Last night, as he delved into his analysis of the demon bloodline, he stumbled upon a remarkable discovery—its flexibility and a natural affinity for manipulating the power of contracts.

It was no wonder these creatures and mages were masters of forging contracts!

Through his research, Sein discovered that by using demon blood as a medium, the contract scrolls he crafted could potentially bind creatures one rank higher than himself.

Sein was not the only mage in Magus World who had delved into the mysteries of demons. Many formidable grand mages had likely conducted similar studies.

Despite their infamy in the star domains surrounding the Magus Civilization, demons and devils were pretty rare within the Magus World and the Magus Alliance.

Sein could not help but suspect that their scarcity was due to relentless hunting by Magus World’s knights and mages.

The so-called “strength” and “tyranny” of these creatures seemed insignificant when faced with entities more ruthless than themselves.

And undoubtedly, the knights and mages of Magus World were far more relentless than any demon or devil!

Demon blood was an exceptional material for crafting high-quality ink for contract scrolls.

Meanwhile, devil blood was widely recognized as a potent substance, coveted by knights seeking to enhance their physical capabilities or wield its unique power.

Any demon or devil foolish enough to appear in Magus World would not inspire despair and terror among the realm’s inhabitants.

Instead, before they could sow much chaos, they would likely end up hunted, made into specimens, or drained for their blood by eager knights and mages.

“In addition to its ability to modify and enhance contract scrolls, this demon blood also seems to exude a subtle influence over nearby creatures—similar to the effect described in ‘Mirage’s Almanac of Souls’.

“In countless canonical texts, demons are described as masters of temptations, capable of corrupting hearts and minds. Could this be some kind of emotional manipulation or subliminal power?” Sein mused, his gaze drifting toward the pale light spilling through the skylight of his laboratory.

***

Sein’s research on demon bloodlines was eventually interrupted.

Not because dawn had arrived and he needed to get to class, but because he had received a summons from his mentor.

For now, Sein was only teaching alchemy at the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring Academy.

He taught about once every three days on average, and occasionally, classes could be postponed if needed. There was no issue as long as he covered the required material before the semester ended.

This flexible arrangement was the only reason Sein reluctantly agreed to teach in the first place.

It wasn’t that he was selfish or unwilling to contribute to the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring, but the sheer volume of his current experiments truly left him with little time to spare.

He even had to schedule time for Natalya and the others amidst his demanding routine.

The fact that he had agreed to teach at all spoke volumes about his sense of responsibility and dedication to the divine tower.

After tidying up his laboratory and storing the unused demon blood carefully in a secure, dark compartment, Sein prepared to leave.

He snapped his fingers to call Azelia, the fox maiden who had been waiting patiently outside the laboratory with a fresh set of magic robe.

Sein typically favored black attire, but his growing collection of magic robes allowed him to rotate through them. With no battles on the horizon, he had little reason to wear his Dim Star robe every day.

The white robe Azelia handed him was loose and airy. It had also been meticulously cleaned with care, soaked in flower petals, and lightly perfumed.

Azelia’s attentiveness made Sein’s life far more comfortable than those mages who lived alone, buried in their laboratories.

As Azelia helped him into the robe, the two Ice Gorillas—humanoid in appearance but significantly taller than Magus World humans—stepped forward to assist.

Years of captivity, combined with the effects of soul enslavement magic, had long since dulled their defiance.

Apart from them, there were also other enslaved gorillas and subgorillas in Sein’s laboratory, all captured during the campaign in Sandstorm World.

These creatures served not only as research specimens but also as laborers for menial tasks.

For instance, when Sein was working on mecha assembly with Yuri, these gorillas had assisted by moving heavy metal components to designated areas.

Like the Ice Gorillas, the enslaved Wild Gorillas had quickly accepted their new reality.

Sein had to admit that they were exceptionally capable. Their strength, dexterity, and relative intelligence made them far more useful than the average enslaved creature.

“Tidy up the body tempering experiment room before I return and inform Yuri to arrive early,” Sein instructed Azelia, patting her head as his gaze lingered briefly on her fluffy tail.

“Yes, master,” Azelia replied, her cheeks flushed as she nodded obediently.