Sovereign of the Ashes

Chapter 196: Laram

“What a pity.” Sein sighed, standing atop his metal disk in the sky.

The departure of the two Quasi Mages from the trial space had added nearly 10,000 points to Sein’s tally, significantly boosting his score.

The nearby initiates from the Divine Tower of Radiant Thunder finally regained their senses after the relentless assault of Sein’s Solar Eye beams.

Realizing that even Cyrus, the Boltwave Adept, had been quickly forced out of the trial space by Sein, the initiates were filled with both shock and fury.

Some of the weaker initiates, witnessing Sein still hovering in the air with elemental energy gathering once more, promptly activated their badges to flee the trial space.

Their rationale was clear—if Cyrus could not withstand Sein, they stood little chance as intermediate or junior initiates.

Yet, some senior or Quasi Mages chose not to flee immediately, banking on the logic that any initiate’s ability to cast magic had its limits, especially magic of such immense power and wide coverage.

They remembered their fundamental lessons on the law of energy and element conservation, taught by full-fledged mages in their basic courses.

Sein, an initiate displaying no signs of a full-fledged mage, could not possibly be invincible.

Indeed, their assessment was accurate.

As Sein prepared his next wave of attack again, he switched from the mana-intensive Solar Eye to more conventional advanced magic spells like Pyro Blade and Explosive Fireball.

Given the situation, he surmised that the remaining initiates from the Divine Tower of Radiant Thunder might not afford him the time needed for more elaborate incantations.

The initiates who fled the trial space in fear inadvertently contributed additional points to Sein’s score.

After unleashing a total of seventy-two Solar Eye beams, Sein recognized it was time to retreat.

The Solar Eye spell, his ultimate weapon in the Regional Inter-Divine Tower Academy War, had served its purpose well, being both effective and unpredictable.

Sein always prioritized safety and certainty in his strategy.

At this moment, it was evident that nearly half of the initiates from the Divine Tower of Radiant Thunder had evacuated, and the morale of those remaining was notably diminished.

Nonetheless, Sein chose not to pursue further conflict.

The Pyro Blade and Explosive Fireball spells were merely diversions for him.

Casting a final glance in the direction of the initiates from the Divine Tower of Radiant Thunder and noting the absence of any pursuit, Sein made his exit on his metal disk.

It was only well after Sein had vanished that the initiates from the Divine Tower of Radiant Thunder realized he had left.

The aftermath of the battle, with the scarred landscape and many injured, stirred a commotion among them, especially with the withdrawal of Cyrus, their leading figure.

Their original plan to amass intermediate and junior initiates for an offensive against the Divine Tower of Shadow was now in disarray, especially after Cyrus, a top ten initiate on the scoreboard, had withdrawn.

“Let’s consult Laram for our next move, whether it’s pursuing the assailant or carrying on with our plan to strike the Divine Tower of Shadow,” a senior initiate suggested.

His proposal quickly gained consensus among the remaining initiates.

The few who had encountered Sein were, in fact, elite forces, affirming that Sein’s swift retreat had been the right call.

Having just survived an intense ambush, these initiates promptly used their crystal balls to communicate with nearby initiates and Laram, a top female initiate in their academy.

Laram’s capabilities were comparable to Cyrus’, though her rate of accruing points was slightly slower.

As these initiates from the Divine Tower of Radiant Thunder coordinated their efforts, word of Sein’s actions began to spread throughout their territory.

They quickly learned that this was not the first time Sein had appeared in the Divine Tower of Radiant Thunder’s territory. Even before the attack on Cyrus and his group, several single, intermediate or senior initiates in the southern part had fallen prey to him.

Sein, a notorious “repeat offender”, was known for his exceptional concealment abilities, swift and merciless strikes.

His access to a flight-capable magic artifact further enabled his swift escapes.

After learning Sein’s tactics, the initiates from the Divine Tower of Radiant Thunder found themselves at a loss for their next move.

“What do we do, Laram? I was told that three of our senior initiates were ambushed by him again just yesterday. Two didn’t make it, and one barely escaped,” A Quasi Mage asked, concern etched on his face.

Laram, a standout among the female initiates, was easily recognizable with her long orange hair styled in two adorable buns and her distinctive pink attire.

Yet, those familiar with her knew that her personality was far different from her adorable appearance.

Looks could be deceiving sometimes. When Laram first rose to prominence over a decade ago in the Divine Tower of Radiant Thunder, her deceptive appearance had ensnared many an unwary initiate.

Laram rolled her eyes in response. “What choice do we have? The trial space is huge, and capturing a top initiate adept in stealth and flight is a tall order, even with thousands of us. Setting traps hasn’t worked; he’s too cautious for that.”

“So, are we supposed to just let him run rampant in our territory? That’s absurd! We represent the Divine Tower of Radiant Thunder!” the Quasi Mage retorted in frustration.

“Instruct all initiates to limit their movements and stay near the resource points. If they must venture out, they should do so in groups of at least twenty. Let’s have our specialists set up numerous prohibition arrays at each resource point. I doubt the assailant will risk a direct confrontation,” Laram declared authoritatively.

“But that will severely restrict our movements. What about our planned attack on the Divine Tower of Shadow, alongside Gion and the others...?” the Quasi Mage mused, voicing his concerns.

“You’re still considering an offensive against the Divine Tower of Shadow?" Laram asked, giving the person in front of her an incredulous look.

She then shook her head and continued, “Even without this mysterious assailant, we must postpone our plan. The Divine Tower of Land Academy has produced a formidable force, a phenomenal initiate known as Gade the Heart of Land is comparable to Martinez. Gion and the others are barely holding the western front as it is; I suspect it won’t be long before they call for our support.”