Sovereign of the Ashes

Sein had originally planned to head straight to the Alveroth Empire, but changed his mind the moment he stepped into the Pyro Secret Society's teleportation array. To save money, he decided to stop by Sky City first.

As the popular destination for Magus World spellcasters, Sky City heavily subsidized teleportation costs for mages.

Besides, it was not far from both the Ylli Knight Alliance and the Alveroth Empire.

With Sein's current speed, it would not take him long to fly to the Alveroth Empire directly from here.

And coming back to Sky City after advancing to Rank Four was a completely different experience from when he had first visited.

Here, magicoin held little value.

The real currency was Arcane points.

Sein had burned through nearly all his Arcane points the last time he was in Sky City.

Now, on his return, he planned to take the chance to raise his Arcanist rank a bit higher.

***

The magnificent floating city before him still embodied the pinnacle of elemental mysteries in Magus World.

But this time, Sein was viewing it from the perspective of a Rank Four being, and he could see beyond its structure.

Sky City's laws held mysteries even Sein could not fully grasp at his rank.

While he was lost in thought, more mages arrived one after another, stepping out of teleportation arrays in the area.

At the moment, Sein was still wearing the Faceless Mask, which effectively concealed his Rank Four aura.

Sky City had designated zones based on rank, separating mages of Rank Four and above from those below.

Even those below Rank Four were sorted by Rank One, Rank Two, Rank Three, and demigod-level.

Although Sein was now qualified to enter the zone for Rank Four and above, he chose to visit an old friend first.

Peyton, the old man whom Sein had met in Sky City all those years ago, was still alive.

He had also proven that the link between Arcanist Rank and life level was real!

After absorbing and integrating a portion of Steel City's mechanical knowledge into his own, Peyton had successfully advanced to Rank Three and secured a ten-thousand-year lifespan.

In Magus World, Rank One mages had a theoretical lifespan of around a thousand years. Rank Two mages could live up to three thousand, and Rank Three mages up to ten thousand.

As for Rank Four and above, there was no fixed upper limit.

Some individuals who mastered special laws and maintained themselves well could live for hundreds of thousands of years.

Others only lived for a few tens of thousands before succumbing to old age.

Ten thousand years was considered an epoch.

Now that Sein had reached Rank Four, he would have to start adjusting his sense of time—thinking in epochs rather than years.

Generally, once someone had lived through a few epochs, they would end up with nicknames like "old man" or "old monster."

Master Lorianne had just become ten thousand this year. By the standards of divine tower masters, she was still considered incredibly young.

As for Peyton, he had transformed nearly a third of his body into robotic parts.

That was the price he paid to break through to Rank Three.

Looking at his mechanical arm and his now healthier face, it seemed like the old man was actually quite pleased with his transformation.

"I was just grumbling about how you never came to visit me in Sky City. I even thought you had died in some war!" the old man growled.

The heavy industry laboratory reeked of motor oil, and he had a cigar perched between his lips, exhaling thick rings of smoke.

Peyton, now a Rank Three mage, was also a Rank Three Arcanist. With his mastery of alchemy and mechanical arts, he currently managed the workshop here.

The heavy industry laboratory he worked in was no ordinary place—it was a massive facility established by a Rank Five alchemist.

Its main focus was crafting the next generation of large-scale war platforms and customizing space fortresses for top-tier powerhouses.

With Sein's current finances, even purchasing a standard space fortress was out of reach, let alone customizing one.

He had not come just to catch up with an old friend, though. He was thinking of asking Peyton to craft a few more top-quality mechas for Yuri.

Back when Peyton was still Rank Two, he had already built Yuri a model that could rival a demigod.

Now, with better skills and access to the high-quality raw materials Sein could provide, making a few more on par with the old Burning Flame model should not be much of a challenge.

In terms of cost, crafting mechas for Yuri would be far more cost effective than Sein going out and buying demigod-level slaves.

"It hasn't been that long since I built that mecha for you. It's damaged already?" Peyton asked, narrowing his eyes at Sein.

"Well, I did go through a few intense wars," Sein replied casually.

"This time, you've got to make a few more for me. I'll offer you a fair price," he added with a nod.

Peyton took a long drag from his cigar and exhaled a thick ring of blue smoke.

"I definitely won't go easy on your wallet, kid. You were loaded back then, and I bet you still are!"

He shot Sein a look, then added, "Even that mask on your face... hmm, looks like a pretty advanced piece of work."

Sein and Peyton had taken different paths in alchemy.

Sein focused on crafting wearable magic artifacts, while Peyton specialized in large-scale weapons and magic cannons.

Hearing Peyton's comment, Sein chuckled. "This mask is a world-class secret treasure, and I've been promoted to Rank Four."

Peyton raised an eyebrow but did not push further. "Same specs as last time for the mechas. I'll throw in a few extras just for you," he said.

"How many do you want exactly? Leave the deposit first." He snuffed out his cigar as he spoke.

When it came to business, Peyton never joked around.

Sein did not disappoint. He handed over three hundred thousand magicoins on the spot.

That kind of money was enough for Peyton to build four top-tier, demigod-level mechas for Yuri.

Of course, with Yuri's current strength, piloting all four at once was impossible—even two would be pushing it.

But Sein's idea was to buy them first and keep them in reserve. That way, if one broke down, he could swap it out immediately.

Sein's spending power and the fact that he paid almost the full amount left Peyton very satisfied.

He called it a deposit, but Sein's gesture clearly showed just how much trust he placed in the old man.

"I knew it. You're still rich, kid!" Old man Peyton clicked his tongue in wonder.

"By the way, I would like to ask you to make a trip with me after this. There's something else I need your help analyzing," Sein said.

He was referring to the silver mecha that his mentor had already promised to give him. Its combat power was on par with a Rank Four creature.

The only problem was its internal condition. The extent of the damage was still unknown, so it needed proper analysis—and ideally, it should be refitted into a model Yuri could use.

Peyton did not refuse. With Sein's generous nature, making a trip like that was no big deal to him.

After exchanging a few more ideas with Peyton, Sein took his leave from the heavy industry laboratory.

Once the mechas were completed, they would be delivered straight to the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring—the address Sein had left behind.

Stepping outside, Sein got his bearings. This time, he was heading toward the zone in Sky City reserved exclusively for Rank Four and above.

It was at this moment that a woman in a white dress passed by him.

The Prelim Council in Sky City had just wrapped up not long ago.

Sein did not spare her a glance, but the woman in white stopped briefly, her eyes lingering on the Faceless Mask.