Sword God in a World of Magic

"Oh, hey! You're still alive!" One of the Peak Ancestral Mages shouted to a Mid Ancestral Mage with a smile.

The other Ancestral Mage floated over and nodded. "Yep, and I also made quite a bit this time. I completed three trials."

The first Mage let out an impressive whistle. "Impressive," he said. "Anyway, did you get Maruda?"

The second Mage slowly shook his head. "Couldn't find him."

"Huh, he's normally one of the first ones that return. I thought that you got him," the first Mage said.

"Nope," the second Mage said again. "It would suck if he suddenly dies. I wouldn't get my payment and his wealth."

"Speaking of," he added as he looked at the gathered Mages above the surface. "I also don't see my contractor."

The first Mage shrugged. "Maybe they're still in a trial?"

The other Mage just furrowed his brows. Then, he turned to Lucin, who was looking at the ocean. "Lucin, who are we still waiting for?"

"There's one more Peak Ancestral Mage. She's choosing her rewards right now. I don't think it will take longer than a couple of minutes," Lucin answered.

When Lucin said that, several other Mages raised their eyebrows in surprise.

Wait, basically everyone was already here?

They looked at each other and counted.

Twelve Peak Ancestral Mages.

Two Late Ancestral Mages.

Two Mid Ancestral Mages.

One Early Ancestral Mage.

Three Initial Ancestral Mages.

with the one

started with 36,

expected that there would be about 30 left near the end, but there were

was quite a

the deaths mostly focused on the first two levels in

three levels were still within expected parameters, but 80% of Early

What happened?

one of the extremely rare group

for Peak Ancestral Mages that had been in the

only left one other

had killed a lot of

But who?

of the three remaining Initial Ancestral Mages. After all, an Early Ancestral Mage couldn't possibly kill that many Initial Ancestral Mages since they were

talked to each other via voice

out that two of the three Initial Ancestral Mages had been at that

down locations of trials to make a lot of money. She even had several deals with other Clouds. In exchange for her safety in the Wilderness Hunt, they would get a discount for purchasing any

business, which was why everyone

Initial Ancestral Mage was a notorious serial trial

first Ancestral Mage's biggest customer, and he specialized

after the other, earning a lot of stuff which he would then mostly sell to

to find certain extremely rare materials in the right

for him to kill so many other Clouds since that would damage

the auras of the first two Clouds, they were not happy about

left the third

a woman with light-blue hair, and they all remembered

Cloud that had asked the leading Bolt about the Deep Crevices on their

she had joined just a

Ice Affinity, but they hadn't seen her

that still held

Cloud had seen her fight in the Wilderness

all of this, and they moved closer

were thankful that they had traveled mostly

if they could earn more by