Sovereign of the Ashes

Chapter 450: Sponsor

Faye’s cheeks were tinged pink under Sein’s intense gaze.

To be frank, Faye was no longer a young woman. She might even be considered an old woman to the ordinary humans in the Magus World.

Over the past few decades, she had not involved herself with any other men.

Faye lived alone in her magic tower. As for the humans living at its base, they were merely subjects for her experiments.

Observing Sein’s earnest expression, Faye experienced a flutter in her heart, which had lain dormant for many years.

For so many years, Faye had not interacted with any men.

Partly, it was due to the perilous nature of life in Blackhaven, which had diminished her interest in such interactions, especially when she had lost the protection of Master Morsidor.

Moreover, Faye was not one to engage frivolously with others.

After her experience with Sein, Faye found herself invariably comparing other potential suitors to him.

Inevitably, none could measure up.

These men were either not as handsome as Sein, or their good looks were all they had to offer.

None of them were perfect like Sein—handsome, capable, considerate, and most importantly, strong.

Over the years, Faye had come to rely on certain props when she felt lonely rather than seeking the company of other men.

Of course, that was all in the past. Faye had not felt such desires for about twenty years now.

She had moved beyond that phase of her life, and she had been so demanding toward Sein back then due to prolonged frustration.

While she did not spend the prime of her life with Sein, at least she had shared her late prime with him.

In the scarce moments of leisure, Faye often found herself reminiscing about the past.

Unlike Sein, who mostly thought of Leena, Faye reserved a special place in her heart for Sein.

Although Faye was touched by Sein’s sincerity, she planned to reject his goodwill.

After all, she was an independent woman who did not wish to burden her senior or junior.

However, before Faye could refuse, Sein had already presented ten Grade One pyro-attribute energy crystals, a pile of magic materials, and two vials of Laurent Water, which were extremely effective for breaking through to Rank One.

The items Sein retrieved from his space ring stunned Faye.

Those ten shimmering red Grade One energy crystals alone already represented a significant sum.

Among the magical materials Sein presented, some were familiar to Faye, while others were beyond her recognition. Nevertheless, she could tell that all were of superior quality just by looking at them.

What impressed Faye even more were the two vials of Laurent Water.

In the Magus World, Laurent Water was a highly prized aid used by magic initiates striving to attain Rank One.

They were considered precious resources even among the divine towers.

Only those who performed exceptionally during the Regional Inter-Divine Tower Academy Wars—typically those in the top twenty—were awarded Laurent Water by the divine towers to assist in their advancement.

Other magic initiates must either diligently save their academy points or spend a substantial amount of magicoins to purchase them.

Acquiring Laurent Water was a costly affair by any method, often proving too expensive for many initiates.

Even for full-fledged mages, purchasing Laurent Water was a significant expense.

Faye remembered how Zorro had gone to great lengths to obtain a vial of Laurent Water from the eastern coast for her twelve years ago.

Sadly, Faye did not advance to Rank One and ended up wasting the Laurent Water.

Moreover, prolonged use of such potions could lead to a certain degree of resistance.

Hence, one vial of Laurent Water might not suffice for Faye’s second attempt at ranking up.

At least two vials, along with additional supplements, would be necessary to significantly increase her chances of success.

It was with this knowledge that Faye had declined the assistance offered by Zorro.

Sein had clearly surpassed Faye’s expectations with the impressive array of items he presented.

“Sein... What exactly have you been through all these years?” Faye asked, staring blankly at him.

Yet, she did not know that these items were less than one percent of Sein’s entire fortune.

Sein had stockpiled many vials of Laurent Water and other resources using magicoins before he departed from the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring.

He wanted to be fully prepared in case Faye, Leena, and others had not reached Rank One.

For most beings below Rank One and even those at Rank One, forcing a promotion through resources alone would be exceedingly difficult.

However, this perspective was limited by their narrow perspectives!

With the resources of an entire world or even multiple worlds, one could elevate a creature’s life level even to Rank Four!

Of course, such an undertaking was beyond the capabilities of most beings.

Even Sein’s grandmaster, Feylis, was likely unable to elevate another being to Rank Four through such a method.

Otherwise, her fifth and sixth apprentices would not have been mired in the demigod realm for so many years with scant hope of advancement.

Had Faye not known about Sein’s immense wealth, she would have been reluctant to allow Sein to expend so much on her behalf.

Yet with Sein’s generous display, Faye’s perspective began to shift.

Instead of checking the resources Sein had just revealed, Faye swiftly closed the distance between them and wrapped her arms around Sein’s neck.

Smooch!

“Guess looking out for you in the past wasn’t in vain!” Faye exclaimed, planting a kiss on Sein’s cheek.

Such behavior was uncharacteristic for Faye, particularly given her age and previous demeanor.

Nevertheless, Sein’s face lit up with a genuine smile. He knew that the Faye he had known was back.

“Rank One is hardly a challenge. We still have the broader Astral Realm to explore and the ultimate truth to unravel!” he said.

Sein’s confidence surpassed that of a typical Rank One mage; he exuded a grandeur that elevated him well beyond his current status.

Faye could only look up to him in awe.

Gazing at the man before her, a flame rekindled in her heart.

The flame that had lain dormant for nearly twenty years was now showing signs of burning fiercer by the moment.

Faye took a deep and quelled the rising emotions. Now was not the time for such feelings; her body could not endure it.

More importantly, she wanted to present her best self to Sein, not as the aging figure she was right now.

“I’ll reward you properly once I attain Rank One,” Faye whispered into Sein’s ear and nibbled on his earlobe.