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.

with the one they were waiting for, they would

with 36, and now they were

would be about 30 left near the

a devastating death

more, the deaths mostly focused on the first two levels in

three levels were still within expected parameters, but 80%

What happened?

of the extremely rare group trials

for Peak Ancestral Mages that had been in the Wilderness Hunt

left one other

had killed a

But who?

Early Ancestral Mage couldn't possibly kill that

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

had been at that level for quite a time

the wildernesses 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 Hunt, they would get

why everyone was quite

second Initial Ancestral Mage was a notorious

and he specialized in a wide

of stuff which

certain extremely rare materials in

kill so

first two Clouds, they

third Initial

was a woman with light-blue

been the new Cloud that had asked the leading Bolt about the Deep Crevices

a couple of decades ago

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

that still held

Cloud had seen her fight in

Initial Ancestral Mages also noticed all

were thankful that they had traveled mostly together this

they could earn