Sovereign of the Ashes

The underground world was a maze of winding, interconnected tunnels, and the cave entrance Sein had entered this time was not the same one he had used to leave years ago.

Still, relying on his memory and sense of direction, Sein managed to navigate through alternate paths toward the ruins of Mystralora City.

After thousands of years of change, what used to be the site of Mystralora had turned into a sea of magma.

Crimson-red magma flowed slowly before him, casting a fiery glow across the cavern walls.

Only along the fringes of this molten expanse could one still make out a few heavily eroded remnants of stone structures.

Returning to this place stirred something deep in Sein.

Back then, he had just been a struggling black magic initiate, trying to survive in the shadows of this harsh, unforgiving world.

The magma sea was a sign that there might be a pyro elemental planar node hidden within it.

Sein had been searching for a suitable node for years. That long-standing obsession sparked a strange, sudden idea as he looked over the ruined Mystralora again.

His previously relaxed body tensed.

If memory served, Mystralora City had indeed been consumed by magma. But more importantly, he vaguely recalled that a massive lumenstone vein had once sat directly above the city.

Lumenstone was a fairly low-grade ore imbued with lumen elemental energy, commonly used to make magic lamps.

Still, the existence of such a large lumenstone deposit above Mystralora hinted at something more: the surrounding environment must have once been rich in lumen elemental energy.

Which meant...

A surge of excitement ran through Sein.

Regions where pyro and lumen elemental planar nodes coexisted were extremely rare. Over the years, he had only come across two—one in the Alveroth Empire, the other in the Pyro Secret Society.

But the environmental conditions in both locations had fallen short of his standards.

Without hesitation, Sein pulled out his Radiant Heart Rod. He tapped it lightly against the rocky ground, then took off toward the magma sea and plunged straight into it.

Locating a planar node was never easy, especially without an overseer in this region. Sein had been navigating this part of Gloomhaven on his own for years.

Two days later, Sein burst out of the molten surface and flew straight toward the rocky ceiling above the magma sea.

***

The final results of the exploration were unexpected.

Mystralora City’s unique geography had given rise not only to a small pyro elemental and a micro lumen elemental planar nodes, but also to a deeply hidden micro umbra elemental one.

No wonder so many underground dark creatures had chosen to settle here.

All intelligent beings instinctively gravitated toward environments that better supported their survival and reproduction.

The coexistence of lumen and umbra planar nodes in a single location was an incredibly rare and unusual phenomenon, one that Sein had never encountered in all his years of searching.

In truth, planar nodes like these did exist across Magus World, but they were typically hidden within the inner territories of major powers.

Take, for instance, the planar node occupied by Sein’s master, Feylis. It was an exceptionally rare verdant flame laws node, perfectly suited for her.

Planar nodes were generally divided into two categories: natural and artificially cultivated.

Feylis’s divine tower had been built atop a node she had gradually shaped over more than ten thousand years, creating an environment perfectly suited to her cultivation.

Now, with pyro, lumen, and umbra elemental planar nodes all present in the region around Mystralora City, Sein had already pretty much made up his mind—this was where he would build his divine tower.

Although these nodes were small in scale and their laws were still immature, they could be nurtured and strengthened through long-term cultivation.

This decision stirred a quiet introspection in Sein.

His life had come full circle.

This was where he had first started his journey into the world of magic. Now, it would also become the foundation for the next stage of his journey.

***

After completing his exploration around Mystralora City, Sein returned promptly to the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring.

Finding a suitable location had only been the first step. Building a divine tower would involve many more troublesome and headache-inducing tasks.

When Lorianne heard that her apprentice planned to construct a divine tower in Gloomhaven, she was momentarily stunned.

Sein might have found a suitable planar node in Gloomhaven, but the overall environmental conditions of that region were far from ideal.

Building a divine tower in such a place would not be easy.

Lorianne advised her apprentice to think it through carefully.

“My decision is final. There’s no such thing as a perfect outcome in this world. I’m already satisfied that the law nodes there suit my future cultivation,” Sein said firmly.

“As for the other challenges, I’ll tackle them one at a time,” he added with quiet optimism.

Sein had already poured an enormous amount of time and energy into the search for the right planar node.

And the one in Gloomhaven was by far the best fit he had discovered.

Even if he kept looking, there was no guarantee he would find anything better.

There were plenty of other things waiting on his plate, and Sein did not want to waste more time.

Hesitation was just not in his nature.

“Alright. It’s close by anyway. If you need anything, just let me know,” Lorianne said with a nod.

“Of course. I won’t hesitate to ask for your help,” Sein replied with a smile.

***

After finalizing the location for his divine tower, Sein’s first task was to report it to the overseer of the nearest region.

It was said that in the early days of Magus World, when local mages of Rank Four or higher built divine towers, the guardians themselves would attend and perform the ritual blessings.

But that was likely tens of thousands of years ago, back when the Magus Civilization was still classified as a low-level or medium-sized planar civilization.

Now that the civilization had reached top-tier status—with tens of thousands of Rank Four and above powerhouses—it was no longer realistic for the guardians to personally bless every divine tower or knightly order.

At this stage, only the soul overmages or knight overlords could expect the guardian’s blessings.

For those below that rank, establishing a divine tower or knightly order only required notification to the Magus Alliance and the regional overseers.

However, because the Darwell Region was essentially unregulated, Sein ran into an awkward issue: he could not find a suitable overseer to report to.

The Byrne Empire to the east did not acknowledge the Darwell Region as part of its territory. The southern coast wanted nothing to do with the area. And the vast forests to the west were governed by magic beasts, not humans.

In the end, Sein had to rely on his mentor’s connections to submit the declaration directly to the Magus Alliance.

Eventually, the alliance responded by dispatching an overseer to supervise and assist with the establishment of Sein’s divine tower.