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.

one

had started with 36,

about 30 left near the end, but

a

deaths mostly focused on the first two

but 80% of Early Ancestral

What happened?

enter one of the extremely rare group trials with a chance

trials were only open for Peak Ancestral Mages that

only left one

had killed a

But who?

all, an Early Ancestral Mage couldn't possibly kill that many Initial Ancestral Mages since they

voice transmission, trying

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

several deals with other Clouds. In exchange for her safety

was why everyone was quite certain that she hadn't been the

Mage was a

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

other, earning a lot of stuff which

find certain

for him to kill so

from the auras of the first two

left the third Initial Ancestral

a woman with light-blue hair, and they

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

a couple of decades ago and

an Ice Affinity, but they hadn't

still

single Cloud had seen her fight in

two Initial Ancestral Mages also noticed all

had

could earn more by combining