Sovereign of the Ashes

The fourth trial space Sein entered was an illusory underground laboratory.

A myriad of instruments and strange materials filled every corner of the laboratory.

As he looked around, Sein realized that this underground laboratory had a distinctly ancient style.

He explored the area thoroughly, but still found no sign of creatures in this secret realm.

Sein chuckled wryly. "What, am I supposed to run an experiment here?"

Not only was the laboratory's design ancient, but the materials scattered throughout were also common resources from the Ancient Era.

Some of them had long since gone extinct in the Magus World, while others had been replaced by better alternatives over time.

If Sein had not studied extensively in Sky City back then, he probably would not have recognized any of these strange materials.

Rubbing his chin thoughtfully, Sein paused for a moment before starting an experiment on the Ashen Flame within the laboratory.

It was a procedure he had practiced countless times—something he knew by heart.

As he worked, the illusory light surrounding him gradually shifted into reality, recording his busy figure moving between the lab equipment.

***

After clearing the fourth trial space, Sein found himself in the fifth—this one focused on alchemy.

He could not help but wonder just how many levels this secret realm held.

***

When Sein stumbled into this secret realm at the heart of the Knight Continent, a powerful figure within Magus World sensed his presence.

"It has opened again? The alliance conference is right around the corner, and the war with the Gallant Federation is coming. If the Faceless Mask picks its next owner at a time like this, it could be a great boon to our Magus Civilization."

Inside the magnificent soul tower, a woman in a white dress gazed off into the distance as she spoke.

"My lady, Lord Klopp requests your presence at the Prelim Council ahead of the 25th Magus Alliance Conference," a man said respectfully through an elemental screen.

"Understood." The woman in white nodded, then waved her hand to dismiss the elemental screen before her.

***

Sein had not expected a legacy secret realm to contain so many complicated and diverse trial spaces.

After clearing the previous trials, he now stood in the ninth trial space.

Here, the test was no longer about combat skills, perception, or a keen sense for special elemental spectrums.

This time, the trial seemed to challenge pure intellect and mental calculation.

Before him was a massive, complex chessboard, patterned in black and white.

It was a type of chessboard Sein had never seen before in the Magus World.

He remained in the chessboard space for nearly three months, gradually unraveling the rules that governed the movement of each piece.

But knowing the rules was not enough to clear the trial.

Sein had to command one side of the board to achieve victory.

He played as the black side—and now, nearly six months into the trial, he made the final move.

As he shifted the last black piece into position, the entire chessboard dissolved and unraveled before his eyes.

There was no tangible prize waiting for him at this level.

What he gained instead was an epiphany—an idea.

This black and white chessboard and the rules that governed its pieces seemed to embody a philosophy of balance.

Feeling enlightened, Sein let out a long sigh, then glanced around.

A pure white light door appeared a short distance ahead of him.

"No way... It's not over yet...?" Sein muttered, quietly calculating how long he had been inside this secret realm.

By his estimate, nearly two years had passed already, including the time he spent in the chessboard space.

He was starting to wonder if it even had an end.

It was not that Sein was getting tired of the place—it was Leena he was worried about.

Stepping through the light door, Sein's vision opened up once again—and this time, he realized he was no longer alone.

He stood atop a towering platform. Across the vast trial space ahead, there were about a dozen similar platforms.

Counting himself, only five people stood on the platforms. The rest were empty.

Leena was not among them.

If the previous trial spaces had all been tests, Sein suspected Leena had been eliminated back at the second or third level.

After all, she was only a Rank Three grand mage, and her specialties did not include lumen or sonido magic.

Scanning his surroundings, Sein noticed that the others standing on the platforms were all demigod-level mages.

A closer look revealed something else—they were all Elementalists specializing in lumen and pyro elements.

He did not see any other types of Elementalists, nor any professionals like bloodline warlocks or summoners.

Reaching this point meant these mages had cleared the previous nine trials, just as he had.

Beneath each platform was a colorful energy band.

Each band varied in length, and their lengths seemed to represent the total score each mage had earned across the first nine trials.

Sein had thought he performed well in the earlier trials, but judging by the energy bands, he was only ranked second.

First place belonged to a middle-aged man clad in golden robes.

Just one glance told Sein that this man's strength was on par with his own.

In fact, the man reminded him a little of Tourmaline when they first met—both carried the same aura of someone on the verge of a breakthrough.

Sein even wondered if this gold-robed mage had deliberately suppressed his life level to further his cultivation.

Sein's arrival caused a subtle ripple in the trial space.

Some people noticed the magic rod in his hand. Others glanced at the Demon Mask he wore across his face.

But most turned their attention to the glowing length of his energy band that was long enough to place him second.

The real challenge of this trial space had not yet begun.

Those who arrived before Sein stood waiting in silence.

As Sein studied the gold-robed man, the man glanced back at him, his gaze settling squarely on the magic rod in Sein's hand.

With two divine relics embedded in it—both perfectly aligned with Sein's mastery of lumen and pyro elements—the rod's brilliance was impossible to ignore.

It was no wonder it drew attention; most mages could not imagine wielding something like it.

"Seems like your mentor has been very generous with you. But you should know that relying too much on equipment is a false path to strength," the gold-robed man remarked, smiling faintly.

He held a golden magic rod of his own, radiating impressive energy, but compared to Sein's, it was clearly a tier lower.

With his rod, Sein's power stood at the peak of the demigod realm.

Some demigod-level mages might never get the chance to unleash a forbidden spell in their entire lives.

But Sein had managed to release two in a single war back in Bouldrak World.

Without his magic rod, he could never have pulled that off.

Faced with the gold-robed man's remark, Sein simply returned a small smile, offering no explanation.