Sovereign of the Ashes

"Senior, you're really here! I was a bit skeptical when I heard you were the one assigned to the Verdant Wilderness World on a special mission this time." Selphy exclaimed as she appeared before Sein in her scarlet magic robe.

"Wow, it's been only a few decades, and you're already a Rank Two mage. I recall we were promoted to full-fledged mages around the same time. You really make me feel bad about myself!" Selphy teased, her tone a mix of admiration and envy.

Selphy was a mage from the Divine Tower of Verdant Flame and had naturally come to the Verdant Wilderness World with their divine tower's army.

Apart from Selphy, the others from the Verdant Flame Faction also arrived in this world.

Sein, who maintained average relationships with most, merely nodded and exchanged greetings with them.

Only Selphy was friendly enough to approach Sein and hang around him.

It was now somewhat awkward for Selphy to consider Sein as her junior, given that he was a Rank Two mage and she was still at Rank One.

Sein was unaware of Selphy's precise stats, but he surmised that with her talent and experience from the trials in the Knight Continent, she must be at the late stages of Rank One by now.

He also noted a change in her complexion. Her skin, once fair, now bore a healthy, pale wheat color. This was an indicator that she had also been undergoing body tempering.

His instincts and cellular feedback told him that Selphy's progress in body tempering was remarkable.

Though her constitution might still be slightly inferior to that of Sein when he was at Rank One, the difference was marginal.

At least, her progress was close to matching Sein's before he discovered Thunder Body Tempering in Thunderfall World.

While Sein was progressing, Selphy and their peers from the Magus World had also been actively pursuing their own advancements.

Not just Selphy, favored by Master Andres, but also Grimm from the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring had shared profound insights during their last conversation with Sein.

The conversations between mages usually went beyond mere social pleasantries.

After exchanging greetings, their discussions frequently shifted to their own magic research, particularly when they had encountered specific experimental challenges recently.

They would delve into these topics, sharing insights and gaining new perspectives from their peers.

For example, when Sein previously shared his experiences with body tempering experiments, Grimm offered two constructive suggestions.

The first was Radiation Body Tempering, a method that used radiation-based devices to accelerate cellular evolution.

The second was Poison Body Tempering, a method that involved ingesting poisons or poisonous substances to advance body tempering from the inside out.

Both suggestions were enlightening to Sein but carried significant risks comparable to, or even exceeding, those of Thunder Body Tempering.

The uncontrollability of radiation meant Sein had to exercise caution when choosing the type and intensity. Otherwise, he risked transforming himself into a monster.

As for Poison Body Tempering, given Sein's formidable constitution and his Elemental Body's characteristics, ordinary poisons were no longer effective on him.

Even if Sein identified a poison potent enough to affect him, careful consideration of the dosage would be crucial.

After all, ingesting poison posed a significant test of both physical and mental resilience for any creature.

Grimm and Selphy were considered Sein's mage friends, possessing talent and potential comparable to his own.

Their current lag in progress meant little in the grand scheme; their growth rate had already surpassed ninety percent of their peers.

Sein returned Selphy's greeting warmly.

The Magus World placed great importance on factions, and Sein upheld this tradition diligently.

Though he was now stronger, Selphy had joined the Verdant Flame Faction before him, so Sein still regarded her as his senior and showed her due respect.

As the grand apprentice of the Tower Master of Verdant Flame, Selphy initially received a relatively easy assignment at the outset of the Verdant Wilderness World War—the construction of fortress bases.

To be more specific, Selphy only had to oversee the construction of the magic towers within the base.

It was a lucrative position that granted her considerable authority over material selection, tower dimensions, and the assignment of war mages to the towers, leaving ample opportunity for profit-making.

After the initial pleasantries, Selphy presented Sein with a significant offer.

"Sein, where would you like your magic tower to be placed? I can help arrange it," Selphy said as she expertly worked on her crystal ball.

While conversing with Sein, Selphy continued directing the enslaved creatures through her crystal ball, ordering them to transport the construction materials to their designated areas.

It was clear Selphy relished this degree of authority, and for her, having a Rank Two mage as her junior was a source of pride.

Though she expressed her frustration at Sein's superior strength, she was genuinely unbothered by it.

"My magic tower, huh? Let's build it on the west side of the forest," Sein suggested, pointing toward the area in question.

The western part of the forest, deep within the Emerald Forest, was a refuge for many of its weaker native creatures, including the demigod-level Green Spikefur King, who had been severely injured recently.

If not for the timely intervention of the Magus World Army, the giant green porcupine would have likely perished in battle.

"The western part of the forest? Is there something special about that area, or..." Selphy asked, her gaze following Sein's indication.

Sein shook his head, explaining, "Just because it's highly likely the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring Army will land there. It would be convenient for me to return to the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring if my magic tower is there."

Understanding his strategic choice, Selphy then tentatively proposed, "What do you think about the two of us sharing the same magic tower?"

"Huh?" Sein was taken aback by the question.

***

Selphy's suggestion to share a magic tower was not just about catching up after years apart.

She was intrigued by Sein's rapid promotion to Rank Two and saw an opportunity for deeper collaboration.

As Grandmaster Verdant Flame's grand apprentices, Selphy and Sein shared much in common, from their inheritance of verdant flame magic to their achievements in body tempering.

Any discussion between them was an opportunity to exchange ideas and potentially spark new insights.

In the Divine Tower of Verdant Flame, such exchanges among peers from the same faction were common.

However, since Sein had spent many years at the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring, he was somewhat out of touch with his peers from other towers.

As soon as Sein agreed to Selphy's proposition, a sudden elemental explosion erupted nearby.

It came from the outskirts of Emerald Forest, where the vanguard of the Divine Tower of Verdant Flame Army was clashing fiercely with the Wild Gorilla Army.