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 they were waiting for, they would

started with 36, and

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

was quite a

the deaths mostly focused on the first two levels in the Ancestral Mage

were still within expected parameters, but 80%

What happened?

one of the extremely rare group trials with

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

only left

had killed a

But who?

Ancestral Mage couldn't possibly kill that many Initial Ancestral Mages since they were not allowed

talked to each other via voice transmission, trying to find out who it could have

Mages had been at that level for quite a time to accumulate power, and they had always been quite

money. She even had several deals with other Clouds. In

detrimental to her business, which was why everyone was quite

Mage was a notorious serial trial

first Ancestral Mage's biggest customer, and he

completed one trial after the other, earning a lot of stuff which he

to find certain extremely rare materials in

no sense for him to kill so many other Clouds since that would damage

from the auras of the first two Clouds, they were not

third

a woman with light-blue hair,

been the new Cloud that had asked the

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

an Ice Affinity, but they hadn't seen

that still held

had seen her fight in

also noticed all of this, and they moved closer to

were thankful that they had traveled mostly

if they could earn more by