Sovereign of the Ashes

Chapter 3: Counter Kill

As he passed the towering academy buildings, Sein crossed paths with several other black magic initiates. They were all in a hurry to reach their destinations like Sein, so it was very rare to see anyone stopping to chat with someone else.

The rules of the Black Magic Academy were very strict and unforgiving. Aside from the hierarchical relationships among the initiates, there was only hostility. True friendships were rare.

The White Raven Forest, which appeared to be a stretch of deep green, marked the final leg of Sein’s journey back to his dormitory.

It was here that he encountered an unexpected obstacle.

“Hehehe... It seems like Scar-Face, Jack, was right. You’re really quite wounded, Sein. Rather than dying in pain, allow me to free you from your suffering now!” a voice taunted, followed by a peal of shrill laughter.

A black-robed magic initiate, wearing a white mask, suddenly leaped out from the White Raven Forest.

He was nearly as tall as Sein, but Sein had short blond hair that brought about looks of envy while the initiate had pale gray hair.

The rivalry between Sein and this magic initiate named Elrik dated back to ten years ago when Sein had first arrived in Gloomhaven. In a desperate struggle for sustenance, he had to strike down a fellow captive of the same age who had also been brought to Gloomhaven.

Unfortunately, that captive was none other than Elrik’s younger brother.

Ten years had passed. Most of the human children who once arrived in Gloomhaven powerless had now matured into junior black magic initiates.

Due to the scarcity of food and a fateful blow from Sein, Elrik’s younger brother had perished before the Black Magic Academy could assess his innate talent in magic.

Even if that boy had not starved to death, he would not have been able to meet the requirements of the Black Magic Academy either.

Nonetheless, Elrik held a grudge against Sein ever since.

The reason Elrik had not sought revenge against Sein earlier was likely because Sein’s exceptional strength and performance, exceeding that of an ordinary child, had instilled fear in him.

Over the past decade, Elrik had fought Sein numerous times in the Black Magic Academy of Mystralora City.

During two of these confrontations, they had nearly claimed each other’s lives.

As a result, the animosity between them continued to accumulate over the years, turning them into mortal enemies.

Such conflicts among the initiates were common in Mystralora City.

Rather than intervening in all these internal conflicts, the esteemed black mages in the city seemed to derive amusement from watching these youngsters battle each other to the death.

Perhaps to them, this was a form of entertainment apart from working on their experiments.

Elrik knew that allowing this fight to drag on too long would risk attracting the attention of the academy overseers and other black magic initiates.

Therefore, after a brief, mocking exchange, he wasted no time and initiated his attack.

Unlike Sein, who was skilled with pyro magic, Elrik specialized in dendro magic.

In fact, Elrik had even received a basic magic item as a reward from the academy for his exceptional contribution to the plantation of the Black Magic Academy—the white mask that he was wearing at that very moment.

This reward shed light on Elrik’s strength compared to Sein. He was definitely worthy to be considered Sein’s equal.

As Elrik chanted in a low voice, three green arrows were unleashed from his position.

While the Green Blade Arrows spell normally released only two arrows, Elrik managed to produce three arrows. This was an indication that he, much like Sein, was very close to the standard of an intermediate initiate!

Sein remained unfazed in the face of Elrik’s formidable attack.

The three green arrows targeted Sein’s head, heart, and lower body. It was clear that Elrik wanted to finish Sein off with a single spell.

Since Sein had just returned from his quest, it was impossible for him to cast his strongest spell, the Minor Fireball, given his current low focus and depleted mana.

His weakened state also made it impossible for Sein to evade the incoming green arrows.

A smile spread across Elrik’s face under the white mask as he fired the three green arrows.

Magic initiates like Sein and Elrik had limited focus and mana, so their magic usage was restricted.

Both of them could only cast Green Blade Arrows or Minor Fireball spells twice at most in their best physical condition.

Even so, the three green arrows were more than sufficient to eliminate Sein. After all, Elrik only needed one to blast Sein’s head to pieces.

Elrik’s confident smile quickly faltered as Sein retrieved a short magic wand from within his robe.

Without waiting for Elrik to make a move, Sein tapped into his last bit of focus and instantly unleashed the spell that was stored within the magic wand—Corrosive Acid!

This particular gift from the esteemed black mage, Lord Morsidor, was nothing short of amazing.

Although it was a mere toy Master Morsidor had crafted during his alchemy experiment, it granted Sein the ability to take on any magic initiates.

Apart from an advanced magic spell, the magic wand was also equipped with effects that could slowly replenish mana and focus.

Sein had been holding on to the magic wand under his robe after leaving Master Morsidor’s laboratory.

Although his mana and focus had not recovered much, they were sufficient to handle any sudden circumstances within the Black Magic Academy.

The advanced magic spell, Corrosive Acid, dwarfed the basic magic spell, Green Blade Arrow in every aspect, including destructive power, casting speed, and precision.

As soon as the three green arrows that were rushing forth with ferocious momentum came in contact with the corrosive acid, they disintegrated into wisps of green smoke in the yellow light of the advanced magic spell.

The arrows did little to stop the momentum of the advanced magic spell, as it continued charging toward Elrik’s body.

Elrik, unable to cast a second spell or evade the fury of the Corrosive Acid spell, let out a piercing, agonizing howl.

Acidic sizzles filled the air, sending a shiver down the spine of anyone who heard them.

Elrik’s cries soon faded into silence.

As Sein approached, he found that, apart from Elrik’s relatively intact head, his body had been reduced to a charred, blackened mass.

A putrid stench now hung heavily in the air.

The gruesome scene before Sein did little to change the expression on his face.

He started hearing commotion in the vicinity. Their earlier battle must have caught the attention of the other black magic initiates or the academy overseers.

Sein remained calm as he began collecting his loot from Elrik’s leftovers.

The first item he took was the white mask that covered Elrik’s ugly, lifeless face.

As a basic magic item, there was only a basic magic spell engraved within it—Crystal Sight, which enhanced visibility in darkness.

Although its value paled in comparison to the magic wand Sein wielded, it was still a significant harvest for him.