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.

total, and with the one they were waiting for, they

36,

had expected that there would be about 30 left near the

was quite a devastating death

on the first two levels in

three levels were still within expected parameters, but 80% of Early Ancestral Mages and 70% of Initial Ancestral

What happened?

one of the extremely rare group trials with a chance

Peak Ancestral Mages that had been

only left one other

killed a lot

But who?

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

voice transmission, trying to find out who it could

Ancestral Mages had been at that level for quite a time to

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,

business, which was why everyone was quite certain that she

Initial Ancestral Mage was a

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

after the other, earning a lot of stuff which he

find certain extremely rare

so many other

first two Clouds, they

third Initial Ancestral

woman with light-blue hair, and they

Cloud that had asked the leading Bolt about the Deep

a couple of decades

she had an Ice Affinity, but they hadn't seen

that still held

seen

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

they had traveled

to see if they could earn more by combining their businesses this