Sovereign of the Ashes

Despite possessing the strange grayish-white flame gifted by his grandmaster, Sein remained uncertain about his ability to advance to Rank Three in the near future.

Each attempt at a breakthrough carried significant risks. Success promised progress, but failure could result in painful backlash and a regression of a mage’s elemental power.

Knowing this, Sein proceeded with caution, making every possible preparation for his advancement, including collecting Tourmaline’s dragon blood.

At the same time, Sein had also begun planning his next adventure.

Having stayed in Viridescent Land for over fifty years, it was time for him to step out into the world once more.

The Divine Tower of Verdant Spring had thrived in recent years, but Sein knew it was unlikely that Lorianne would initiate another interplanar war anytime soon.

Without the external stimulation of such conflicts, the growth of both knights and mages would inevitably slow.

Sein had exhausted nearly every research avenue available to him within Viridescent Land.

With limited new directions to explore, it was time to blaze a new trail.

For mages, growth often came through continuous learning, confronting the unknown, and challenging one’s limits to unravel the truth.

Sein also intended to use this journey as an opportunity to visit Blackhaven in the Western Archipelago and visit Leena and the others.

If Sein had not been preoccupied with studying the grayish-white flame his grandmaster sent over a decade ago, his travels might have begun long ago.

Injection was unpleasant for Tourmaline.

The blood of the demigod-level Fire-Breathing Dragon King in Lorianne’s laboratory was bright red, like molten lava.

In contrast, Tourmaline’s dragon blood was a rare, light golden hue.

The blood of Rank Four creatures was often referred to as “divine blood”, and Tourmaline’s was particularly exceptional.

It contained extraordinarily rich dragon blood particles, making it far more valuable than that of an average Rank Four creature.

Sein often joked that Tourmaline was loaded—if she ever faced financial trouble, she could easily amass a fortune by selling just a few vials of her dragon blood.

Of course, such a scenario was unlikely to ever happen.

No one but Sein had ever made the powerful Rank Four dragon turtle willingly share her blood.

After all, Tourmaline was not some poor little girl in need of money. In fact, she never really spent her money!

Although Tourmaline was an adorable and silly dragon turtle, she still shared the characteristic hoarding instincts typical of draconic creatures.

Her private vault was a one-way destination—things only went in, never out.

Over the years, her older siblings and family elders had showered her with treasures, yet Tourmaline never flaunted her wealth.

Aside from her two arm ribbons and the equipment she wore when in human form, Sein had rarely seen her with any additional possessions.

Even now, as she basked under the sun at the Jewel Sea, she had nothing but a massive turtle shell that kept her warm in the winter and cool in the summer.

Sein could not help but wonder where she usually hid all her belongings.

Knowing the characteristics of draconic creatures, Sein never asked Tourmaline to lend him anything without a valid reason.

He knew that if he did, she would likely oblige, albeit reluctantly.

This time, Sein had requested her dragon blood solely for his advancement. He would never consider using her precious blood for profit.

Holding the two-meter-long syringe filled with shimmering golden blood, Sein nodded in satisfaction.

After pulling out the sharp needle from a gap in her scale armor, Tourmaline immediately submerged her massive body into the water, putting a safe distance between herself and the syringe in Sein’s hand.

True to her Rank Four nature, Tourmaline’s recovery ability was remarkable.

The fist-sized puncture from the needle healed in the blink of an eye.

It remained a mystery why Tourmaline was so afraid of needles.

Sein had even coated the tip of the needle with a numbing potion, so it should not cause any pain at all.

With the enormous syringe safely stored in his space ring, Sein assessed his stock of dragon blood.

This batch, combined with his reserves, was enough for his next dragon blood bath after advancing to Rank Three.

Tourmaline only swam back toward Sein after he put away the syringe.

Flying forward and patting Tourmaline’s dragon horn, Sein said, “I’m going to start a training journey soon, and I might even visit Western Archipelago at the end of it. Do you want to visit home too?”

“Oh, yes!” Tourmaline blinked her large dragon eyes excitedly, her voice filled with delight.

Of course, Sein could not take Tourmaline along on his travels—it would be far too conspicuous.

Having such a powerful dragon turtle him would also defeat the purpose of training himself, so he figured they could meet up in the Western Archipelago.

Over time, an obscure connection had formed between the two of them. Sein was not sure if it was due to some special ability Tourmaline had awakened after advancing to Rank Four, or the potions he frequently consumed that were made using dragon blood.

On Sein’s end, the connection was faint, likely because his life level was still too low.

For Tourmaline, however, the connection was far clearer. She always seemed to know the exact moment Sein finished meditating or emerged from his laboratory.

Every time Sein visited the Jewel Sea to find her, she was already at the coast, waiting for him before he even arrived.

Even Lorianne was baffled by this connection between them.

After much speculation, Lorianne theorized it could be a bond unique to draconic creatures.

Drawing from her experience in the Byrne Empire, where she had fought alongside the elite dragon riders, Lorianne told Sein that the dragons there shared a secret connection with one another.

Even amidst the chaos of the battlefield, those dragons could instinctively watch each other’s backs and provide swift support.

Combined with their immense elemental energy and combat prowess, it was no wonder the dragon riders were regarded as the Magus World’s top-tier army.

Although Sein was not of dragon descent, his frequent use of dragon blood for body tempering and draconic potions meant his body likely carried some genetic traits of draconic creatures.

Still, both Lorianne and Sein agreed that the more plausible explanation was that Tourmaline had done something to forge this connection.

When Sein asked her about it, Tourmaline simply blinked her wide eyes in confusion as if she did not know anything.

Since the connection did not affect him negatively, Sein eventually stopped thinking about it.

After bidding farewell to Tourmaline, he took to the skies and flew toward the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring.