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.

and with the one they were waiting for, they would

with 36, and

about 30 left near the end,

quite a

mostly focused on the

expected parameters, but 80% of Early Ancestral Mages and 70%

What happened?

they enter one of the extremely rare group trials with a chance

were only open for Peak Ancestral Mages that had been in the Wilderness

only left one other

had killed a

But who?

remaining Initial Ancestral Mages. After all, an Early Ancestral Mage couldn't possibly kill that many Initial

voice transmission, trying to find out who it

Mages had been at that level for quite a

She even had several deals with other Clouds.

which was why everyone

was a notorious

first Ancestral Mage's biggest customer, and he specialized in a wide variety

one trial after the other, earning a lot of stuff

certain extremely rare materials in the

sense for him to kill so many

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

third Initial

light-blue hair, and

had asked the leading

she had joined just a couple of decades ago and that her powers

an Ice Affinity, but they hadn't seen her fight

still held

a single Cloud had seen

Mages also noticed all of this, and they moved closer to each

thankful that they had

wanted to see if they could earn more by combining their