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.

Clouds in total, and with the one they were

with 36,

be about 30 left near

was quite a devastating

mostly focused on the first two

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

What happened?

extremely rare group trials with a

only open for Peak Ancestral Mages that had been in

only left one

a lot of

But who?

Initial Ancestral Mages. After all, an Early Ancestral Mage couldn't possibly

via voice transmission, trying to find

two of the three Initial Ancestral Mages had been at that level for quite a time

and noting 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

be detrimental to her business, which was why everyone was quite certain that she hadn't

Ancestral Mage was a notorious serial trial

biggest customer, and he specialized in a wide

other, earning a lot of stuff

requests to find certain extremely rare

for him to kill so many other Clouds

first two Clouds, they were not

left the third Initial

light-blue hair,

the new Cloud that had asked the leading Bolt about the

just a couple of decades ago and that her powers were

knew that she had an Ice Affinity, but they

that still

single Cloud had seen her fight in the Wilderness

noticed all of this, and they moved closer to each

were thankful that they had traveled

wanted to see if they could earn more by combining their