Sovereign of the Ashes

Chapter 174: Regional Inter-Divine Tower Academy War

“The Regional Inter-Divine Tower Academy War is about to commence. What in the world have you been up to?” Master Jovian asked.

“Huh? It’s starting already?” Sein, disheveled and caught off guard, responded with surprise.

Sein’s reaction gave Master Jovian a headache, but the old man’s anger had subsided considerably.

He saw a reflection of his younger self in Sein. He, too, had spent countless years immersed in tireless magic research.

Yet, Jovian had only embarked on such endeavors after becoming a full-fledged mage. It was highly unusual to see an initiate like Sein leading a life like this.

Such a lifestyle was familiar to not only Jovian but also most mages who had achieved Rank One or higher in the Magus World.

After all, spellcasters who were able to be promoted to Rank One or above were all those who had grasped something in their pursuit of truth and elemental mysteries.

The extended lifespan granted to those promoted to Rank One allowed ample time for these explorations.

To Jovian, a few years dedicated to research was insignificant; his longest experiment had spanned fifty-six years.

His research led to the discovery of an elemental body that suited him, and this breakthrough catapulted him to Rank Two.

After a moment of thoughtful observation, Jovian suddenly asked, “You’ve become a Quasi Mage?”

“Ah? Y-Yes,” Sein nodded and replied in a distracted manner.

His mind was still preoccupied with the Solar Eye Mask and the upcoming Regional Inter-Divine Tower Academy War.

Jovian shot a glare at the distracted boy and instructed sternly, “You better not miss tomorrow’s pre-war training again! Try to aim for a high ranking in the academy war and don’t die out there, understood?”

Jovian initially intended to jolt Sein awake with a slap, but he held back upon seeing Sein’s body covered in soot.

Sein hastily acknowledged Jovian’s demands.

Although Sein had limited interactions with this Rank Two mage since joining the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring Academy, it was evident that Jovian cared about him.

After ensuring Sein was alright, Jovian promptly left Sein’s residence along with the other mages.

Before leaving, Eileen pulled a funny face at Sein, possibly amused by his unkempt appearance.

Once Jovian and the others were gone, Sein turned to survey his house, which continued to billow black smoke.

He had lost count of how many times his laboratory had blown up since joining the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring Academy.

In contrast to his days at Grantt Castle, where he had numerous attendants and servants to assist with the aftermath, Sein now had to tackle the job of clearing the smoke and debris in his house by himself.

Fortunately, Selina was there to lend a hand. With the aid of magic spells, it would not take too long to tidy up the house.

Returning to the laboratory, Sein bypassed the immediate mess and headed straight for the experiment table.

The recent explosion had wreaked havoc in the laboratory, destroying most of the stuff in it. However, the robust experiment table had withstood the blast with minimal damage.

Among the damaged apparatuses on the table, something caught his eye.

It was a golden mask, shimmering amidst the dark chaos of the laboratory. Adorned with pyro elemental patterns, it radiated an aura of opulence and mystery.

Embedded within the mask were six clear lumen elemental crystals—placed at the center and on each side, resembling six enigmatic eyes.

This mask was the culmination of three years of Sein’s life and effort, a top-tier magic artifact.

Upon inspection, it was evident that the mask had reached the standards of a ranked magic artifact.

For Sein who was still merely a magic initiate, this achievement was nothing short of miraculous.

“Regional Inter-Divine Tower Academy War, huh?”

Sein held the golden mask in hand, lost in thoughts known only to himself.

***

The next day, Sein tidied himself up and made his way to the hall of the building in the center of the divine tower academy on time.

Upon entering the classroom, he found there was already quite a number of people seated.

Every initiate present was at least a senior initiate. By Sein’s estimate, there were approximately a hundred of them, making this a remarkable gathering by any standard.

It was the first time Sein had seen so many senior initiates gathered in one place.

Among the crowd, Sein spotted Mark, an old adversary.

Over the years, Mark had remained a senior initiate.

Notably, he had been ousted from the academy’s top twenty power rankings a year earlier.

With the Regional Inter-Divine Tower Academy War approaching, seasoned initiates from the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring, along with the more formidable among them, had stepped into the limelight.

The current top twenty power rankings at divine tower academy were dominated by Quasi Mages.

Observing the classroom, Sein noticed several elderly men who exuded auras that unmistakably belonged to a Quasi Mage.

Regardless of their achievements in magical exploration, their advanced age alone suggested they had pushed their focus and mana levels to their limits.

Nevertheless, these old mages were not to be underestimated. Many had participated in the last Regional Inter-Divine Tower Academy War.

***

“Today, we’ll delve deeper into the specifics of the Regional Inter-Divine Tower Academy War. We’ll also cover crucial points you need to be aware of when entering the trial space,” a full-fledged mage announced from the podium.

Sein, who had long been curious about the academy war, listened intently as the mage began to disclose vital information.

The Regional Inter-Divine Tower Academy War, as it turned out, was not merely a competition but a significant trial conducted periodically by several divine towers in the same region of the Magus World.

This event was pivotal in identifying and nurturing the most promising seeds for the future of Magus World.

On a smaller scale, the war represented not only the honor and reputation of individual divine towers but also the effectiveness of recent initiate training programs.

More broadly, it was a cornerstone in the strategy of the Magus World, fundamental to the sustenance of its civilization.

The specific historical beginnings of the Regional Inter-Divine Tower Academy War within the Magus World were somewhat obscure.

However, its purpose was clear—to ensure the strength and resilience of Magus Civilization, protecting it from the threats posed by weaker, interplanar entities.

Such rigorous practices were deemed essential within the civilization, serving as a form of internal preparation for the Magus World.

In fact, the Regional Inter-Divine Tower Academy War and the “Nation War Plan” represented two key training approaches for the squires and magic initiates below Rank One in the Magus World.