Sovereign of the Ashes

Chapter 433: Reunion

Entry to the deeper central area was restricted to mechanics of Rank two and above, with authorization from the relevant mechanical divine towers.

The Magus World was never overly exclusionary. Although elementalists could gain access to those parts, Sein, unfortunately, did not qualify for this privilege.

Sein speculated that he would need to become at least a Rank Three grand mage before he could gain access to the core area of Steel City.

Despite this, he felt profoundly satisfied with his visit.

Moreover, even with access, Sein doubted he could explore everything thoroughly.

After six months in Steel City’s territory, Sein had only managed to see less than a tenth of the central and peripheral areas.

It was simply too vast to be fully explored in a year, or even several years.

The astonishing scale of the main city itself extended not only outward but also vertically, both upward and downward.

The underground space, in particular, radically shifted Sein’s perception of the traditional underground worlds of the Magus World.

Unlike the typically dark and quiet underground cities made of rock and soil, the underground of Steel City was covered in metal and immaculately smooth floors.

It was also equipped with good lighting and air-purifying systems.

Moreover, coupled with the education from the ground up and the overall civilization of Steel City, this top major force in the Magus World truly delivered a profound shock and deep impact on Sein.

These experiences were significant enough to take decades for Sein to fully absorb and would undoubtedly influence his future understanding and conceptual framework profoundly.

***

After exploring Steel City, Sein used a teleportation array to reach a coastal city in the west.

It was almost time for him to meet up with Tourmaline again. Sein, who disliked being late, chose to arrive early rather than risk any delays.

The highly efficient teleportation network enabled him to reach the western estuary of Steel City in less than a week.

During this time, Sein continued his studies in necromancy and spatial magic.

During his previous travels through the Marmett Union Alliance, he pondered why the Alliance had not simply built a large teleportation array to transport Tourmaline to the desired location.

He concluded that Tourmaline’s immense size and the exorbitant cost of teleporting such a mass were likely deterrents.

This was the reason they opted to widen the river, which could also improve transportation within the alliance.

On top of that, Tourmaline also inadvertently contributed to reinforcing the riverbed at no cost to the alliance.

***

The Saxon River, one of the better-known and high-volume rivers in Steel City’s territory, ran east to west through multiple regions.

Along with its numerous tributaries, the Saxon River system encompassed one-third of Steel City’s territory, sustaining countless life forms.

The river originated in the Sage’s Forest far to the east, where it was known by another name given by the magic beasts inhabiting that area.

The vastness and complexity of the Magus World’s landscape contributed to its extremely sophisticated environment.

The true source of the Saxon River was believed to be even further south, near the Zerzis Range—the first mountain range Sein had passed by in the southern part of the Magus World.

Although Sein was not a mage who specialized in geology or geography, it was likely that the Geomancers of the Magus World would find this information about the river’s origins intriguing.

Upon leaving the city and arriving at the estuary of the Saxon River where it met the western ocean, Sein was greeted by the sight of a majestic green silhouette.

Sein thought he had arrived early, but it turned out that Tourmaline was even earlier.

The green figure, standing like an island near the shore, was surrounded by small birds of various forms flitting about in the sky.

Under the golden sunlight, it made quite a serene scenery.

Next to Tourmaline, Sein saw no other human mages or knights.

It seemed like Steel City was not worried about this enigmatic giant either.

Although it might appear that Tourmaline was merely basking in the sun on the coast alone, others were likely observing this place discreetly.

Even Sein had probably come under the watchful eyes of certain entities within the Mamet Alliance and Steel City.

While Sein’s status as a Rank One being was modest, his mentor wielded considerable influence as a tower master.

Tourmaline was dozing lightly, but the dragon turtle stirred awake as Sein approached.

Before they parted ways, Tourmaline bestowed a blessing upon Sein—a shield robust enough to withstand most attacks.

Although it had not been activated in almost a year, Tourmaline could still instantly sense Sein’s presence through it.

However, this blessing was not everlasting since Tourmaline’s power was not as potent as its elder siblings.

In another half a year, this shield would completely dissipate.

Tourmaline’s dark and round eyes opened as the dragon turtle lifted its head from the sea surface.

“What brings you here so early?” Sein asked casually. Their conversations always flowed naturally.

Tourmaline puffed up its cheeks and replied in annoyance, “My fourth brother doesn\'t care about me at all. He’s left the Magus World for a world called... umm... the Grand Elven World.”

Sein had heard of that world before.

However, neither Sein nor Tourmaline knew why Tourmaline’s fourth brother, Black Oblivion, had gone there.

Black Oblivion was a troublemaker because it knew it could afford to be one.

Not only was its family formidable, but the few magic beast kings that had accompanied it when Sein first met them were also individually powerful.

Together, they formed a formidable force.

Sein had reason to believe that Black Oblivion had more allies than just the four magic beast kings he had met back then.