Sovereign of the Ashes

With a swirl of mixed emotions, including lingering awe, Sein and Eileen finally stepped out of Kristy’s Auction House.

In addition to acquiring the Dissolved Fire Blood Vine, Sein, caught up in the atmosphere of the auction, had ended up purchasing three more items—ten cubic meters of Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Soul Crystal, Body-Tempering Stalactite Liqiud, and Life Spring.

These purchases came to a hefty total of approximately thirteen thousand magicoins, a figure that left Sein slightly regretful as the thrill of the auction faded and his composure returned.

Still, Sein hadn’t completely lost control during the auction. At least he had not recklessly spent all the gains he had made from the Wild Gorilla War.

The treasures he acquired were carefully chosen. Each was rare, unavailable through the divine tower or Magus Alliance marketplaces, and would prove invaluable in the long run.

The Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Soul Crystal could calm the mind and enhance meditation.

Sein was never one to skimp on self-investment, and he already had plans for the crystal. A thin sheet cut from the ten cubic meters he had acquired would be used to craft a bed.

The remaining crystal would go toward creating a special experimental table.

The cooling properties of the Ice Soul Crystal would greatly enhance the efficiency of Sein’s alchemy and apothecary experiments.

With plans to travel beyond the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring, Sein knew he would not be able to bring along the full array of instruments from his current laboratory.

Many of those tools either belonged to the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring or were privately owned by his mentor.

For now, he had access to them only because he lived on the tower’s top floor.

Without those instruments, Sein’s research efficiency during his travels would undoubtedly decline.

However, a portable experimental table crafted from the Ice Soul Crystal would provide a worthy substitute.

The Body-Tempering Stalactite Liquid was a treasure typically used by knights to enhance their physical strength.

As a mage who also tempered his body, Sein could benefit from it as well.

However, the quantity was limited—just enough for one or two uses.

This naturally formed, body-tempering treasure was no less valuable than the Dissolved Fire Blood Vine.

As treasure after treasure appeared before him, Sein began to realize something—with enough magicoins, perhaps it was possible to elevate a creature to Rank Three or even Rank Four through an overwhelming amount of resources.

If naturally formed treasures like the Dissolved Fire Blood Vine and the Body-Tempering Stalactite Liquid, both with almost no side effects, already exist, then surely, this meant that other treasures of a similar nature must also be hidden within the boundless Astral Realm.

Sein’s thoughts turned to the mages of the Capiche Business Alliance, many of whom had gradually shifted their focus from the pursuit of truth and mystery to an obsession with money.

He had never truly understood that mindset before—but now, he was beginning to.

Having money could indeed make miracles happen!

With untold financial resources, it was possible to achieve ninety-nine percent of the dreams in the Astral Realm.

For the right price, even Rank Four creatures, or perhaps even overlord beings, could be hired as fighters.

Wasn’t that, in its own way, a kind of “invincibility”?

Of course, such a reality was far from what ordinary creatures could imagine.

Even the Magus Civilization, which issued and controlled the magicoins, could not simply issue an unlimited number of coins without risking the stability of the alliance.

Everything had to follow the balance of the laws that governed the realm.

Sein’s musings on economic invincibility remained just that—an idealistic thought.

After all, earning magicoins was no easier than becoming stronger.

Even someone like Lorianne often found herself troubled over sums in the hundreds of millions—how could any powerhouse be entirely immune to financial burdens?

The final item Sein won at the auction was the Life Spring, a treasure sourced from the Elven World—a large-sized allied plane.

It was special spring water with immense vitality and unparalleled restorative properties.

In the Elven World, only large tribes or nations that worshipped god could produce it. Even then, its annual production was incredibly low.

The Elven World also produced another type of rare spring water known as the Elemental Spring, which could greatly replenish mana and elemental reserves. However, the conditions required for its formation were just as demanding.

The Life Spring that Sein had obtained was valuable enough to be used on its own as a top-tier restorative item.

However, if used as a raw material for potion crafting, its recovery effects could reach unimaginable levels.

Sein did not currently possess the skills to craft magic potions using Life Spring as the primary ingredient, but his mentor certainly did.

Besides, Sein’s purchase of the Life Spring was not for himself—it was for others.

During the auction, the auctioneer emphasized not only the spring water’s extraordinary restorative properties but also its ability to nourish and strengthen forests and vegetation with each drop.

Among Sein’s possessions, the one that could rival the treasures showcased at the auction was the divine relic fragment he had received from the Verdant Wilderness World.

Despite its immense potential, Sein had no clear idea how to fully utilize the tree heart fragment.

Even so, that did not stop him from returning the favor by sharing the Life Spring with the plant creatures of Verdant Wilderness World.

While this single bottle of Life Spring might have a minimal effect on the vast expanse of the Verdant Wilderness—perhaps just enough to enrich a small forest—it was not the gift that mattered, but the thought behind it.

Sein could not help but think of White Spirit, the guardian of the Verdant Wilderness, who had warned that its life was nearing its end.

He wondered if this magical spring water from the Grand Elven World could extend White Spirit’s life, even if only by a little.

Sein was not one to leave debts unpaid. The benefits he had gained from the Verdant Wilderness were significant, and this gesture was the least he could do.

In hindsight, the trust and effort of White Spirit and the plant creatures had been well-placed.

“I can’t believe we spent so much money... Tens of thousands of magicoins. I’m not even sure I could earn that much in a lifetime,” Eileen mumbled in a daze, clinging to Sein’s arm as they walked out of the auction house.

She was, after all, just a Rank One mage, and the spectacle she had witnessed in the auction halls left her reeling. It would take her some time to recover from the shock.

Sein straightened the collar of his magic robe and replied with calm assurance, “As long as you manage to advance to Rank Two, you definitely can.”

Eileen fell silent for a moment before suddenly breaking into a burst of fiery enthusiasm. “Alright! When we get back, I’ll study and meditate like crazy!”

“And I’m moving to your place, too. Being around a lunatic like you will push me to work harder!” she added.

Sein raised an eyebrow at her declaration. He had never taken Eileen for someone so driven by wealth.

“Fine but you’ll have to convince Natalya first,” he replied.