All sorts of unexpected situation could happen in the initial invasion of a new plane. The clan's spine would be shattered if these veterans were lost in such a careless fashion. Naturally, this meant that the best scouts were the adepts such as Greem, the newly advanced adepts.
Of course, no adept would come out and so publicly and explicitly point this out to Greem. This was a conclusion Greem came to through his own evaluation and sorting of various detailed information.
Their party was a scouting party meant to explore unexplored territory for the clan. One mistake and their lives could be in danger!
Greem could tell this was the case, but there was nothing he could do. After all, this is a process all adepts have to go through. Why else would the clan spend a huge amount of resources on them!
This mostly referred to those adepts of the Sarubo clan. Greem, Mary, and Acteon, on the other hand, were basically like the bastards of the clan. Hardly any resources for them, but a hell lot of work to be done.
…………
The fifth day on the pseudo-plane. The day of action had arrived.
Greem's party were brought to a well hidden arcane hall under Sir Fügen's lead.
There, Greem saw the most shocking scene of his life.
A single person, a single adept, sat in the middle of the hall, legs crossed.
Below his body was a gigantic array Greem had never seen before. Behind him, an odd space vortex was opened in the middle of the air. Tens of thousands of golden chains that were somewhere between solid and nothingness extended out of the vortex, tightly latching on to the body of the man.
The adept had a black robe on his body. The hood was pulled down low, obscuring his face. The gigantic array was continually functioning, helping him resist the corrosion of the mysterious chains.
Greem could feel a terrifying strength that could shatter space and shake planes around him even though he couldn't tell the power level of this mystery adept. From those chains of space, Greem could sense the aura of the laws of planes.
Was this.....the material projection of the strength of a certain law of planes?!
Greem was shocked into silence.
He had only understood a small and insignificant piece of the laws of flames and it was sufficient to allow him to advance to an adept. But the adept before him was clearly grappling with a major law of a certain plane. How unimaginably terrifying was this!
Even the cold Fügen became cautious as they approached this place.
Fügen didn't dare to take a single step into the gigantic array. Instead, he bowed at the edge of the hall and greeted the adept:"Reverent Lord Sarubo, I've brought the first batch of adepts to enter the plane. "
All the clan adepts were shocked as they heard Fügen's words.
Was this……was this mysterious adept the person who created the clan thousands of years ago? Was this……Lord Sarubo? If it was him, didn't that mean they were looking at a Fifth.... no, maybe even Sixth Grade Adept!
Almost instantly, everyone lowered their heads. They no longer dared to stare at this mysterious adept.
As Sarubo adepts, the terrifying Great Adept who created the clan was a deity in their hearts. Although they could not pray to him and believe him as a true god, they were still deeply impressed by his strength and power.
First Grade Adept was most possibly the peak of their lives for many of the people here. A Fifth or Sixth Grade Great Adept was well beyond the realms of their imagination! It was a dream that couldn't even dare to think of!
When their dream was put right before their eyes, none of the adepts could stay calm. Their mental flux started to boil and bubble, reflecting their excitement.
The adepts didn't lift their heads, but a deep and compelling voice boomed in everyone's mind.
"I have corroded a wormhole on this plane barrier. A spirit clone split off from my consciousness has found a suitable location on the other side.
You are all First Grade Adepts. The brand of the World of Adepts isn't as strong on you. As long as you remain inconspicuous, the will of this plane will not retaliate too strongly. Your first mission there is to construct a forward operating base, to construct a simplified Adept's tower.
Take note!
Although I have suppressed most of the plane's retaliation on the other side, you will still need to get used to the new laws of the plane on the other side.
Remember, under the pretext of not exposing your identities to the natives, you must protect this forward base with your lives. You must protect my spirit clone. Your mission is done once I have finished a basic analysis of that plane's laws.
All of you will receive more than you can imagine!
Now, prepare! I will send you over immediately. "
The 7 adepts who were to be the vanguards listened respectfully to the mysterious adept's words as they prepared silently. With a wave of his hand, a single gold chain split off from the space vortex. In one swift move, it pierced all the adepts.
The next moment, all 7 adepts disappeared into the vortex under the powerful pull of the strength of the plane law. They didn't even have the opportunity to scream.
Chapter 164
It might not take long to pass through a space vortex, but for Greem and the others, it felt like an entire century.
The space constantly stretched and compressed and rolled over their bodies……An apprentice adept would have had their bodies disintegrated, their Spirit shattered and died a painful death in the process. Fortunately, the adepts were supported by a tough Physique and a powerful Spirit after their advancements.
Even Greem had to try his very best to resist the odd twists of the mutated space.
The mysterious adept Sarubo had clearly used a unique means to corrode a tiny wormhole on the plane barrier to avoid alerting the plane's plane consciousness. Countless space turbulence filled the space vortex. These were the result of Sarubo's battle against the plane laws.
With the power of Greem and the others, they would be minced to pieces instantly if they were caught in any of them.
Fortunately, under the guidance of Sarubo's consciousness projection, Greem and the others did not get lost in the space vortex. They sped through the vortex, avoiding one after another terrifying turbulence. Soon, they appeared in another world.
It was a silent valley in the middle of a vast mountain range.
The ancient trees within the forests were large and strong. Their branches easily extended to several hundred square meters wide. Tall mountains and vast forests were everywhere around. Ravines were strewn about the valley. The songs of birds and the calls of insects never stopped.
But a disaster that could tear this entire world apart was slowly brewing amidst this beautiful land.
A small hole was opened in the middle of the field. In front of the hole, a black-robed adept sat silently, his legs crossed. Many chains were wrapped around his body. One end of the chain disappeared into the body of the adept. The other end disappeared into the boundless space. It looked bizarre.
The adept in the black robe didn't dare to make any large movements with to the restrictions of the golden chains on him. A simple wave of a hand, a cough, all of these could result in severe retaliation from the chains, causing damage to the structure of space around him. This was a small material plane after all. The size of the continent within was a hundred times smaller than that of the Continent of Adepts. This was a plane world that could not support powerful beings.
Trying to squeeze into this material world as a Sixth Grade Adept was no less hard than trying to shove a tiger into a cat cage. Moreover, as a being from the World of Adepts, Sarubo radiated a thick scent of his world from his body and soul. He could not fit in with the plane laws here.
Different plane worlds had different laws. Vastly different at times.
The more powerful the soul of an adept was, the more resistance he received from a foreign plane.
If Sarubo managed to break into this plane, it migh
t be hard to find an opponent of his caliber. But as long as he has yet to dissect the differences of this plane's laws, both his body and soul will continually be suppressed and repelled by the plane's consciousness.
His power would be very limited before he gets rid of this foreign force. If his acts of resisting suppression were too large, it would also attract the attention of the plane consciousness. Then more enemies would be attracted to where he was and as suppressed and weakened as he was, even he would not be able to resist mobs of weak enemies.
Thus, as the standard procedure of plane invasions, the mastermind Sarubo was only responsible for creating a wormhole and projecting his consciousness to the other side. Then it's up to the following low-level adepts to swarm into the plane, corroding the world bit-by-bit.
…………
There was a sudden movement in the calm space vortex.
Bo Bo Bo……
Following the continuous ripples in space, one after another adepts were spat out of the vortex, tumbling on the ground.
Greem climbed up from the ground painfully. But just as he stood up, he moaned and squat down once more.
Terrifying plane suppression came from the skies above. Countless chains of laws appeared out of the space around him. All of a sudden, his power had been suppressed to complete insignificance.
Goddammit!……
It was a terrible feeling of depression, being subdued and twisted.……
It felt like his mouth and nose had been covered with a thick wet cloth. Greem could hardly breathe!
Even the plentiful and powerful Elementium within his body was completely drained, much like a bottle without a bottom.
The Body Refining Adept Kiel reacted the best out of the 7 adepts. After all, he still had a tough body even though his Spirit had been suppressed. The few elemental adepts with weaker bodies were pressed to the grounds, still frowning.
In truth, their physique was not too weak as experienced adepts who had to search everywhere for resources to strengthen themselves. Them being too used to their power was the main reason they looked so bad now. Once the power within their body was taken away, even breathing and walking became a task.
Greem slowly rose from the grass field and move a little bit.
He could feel it. The plane laws here were way too different from his original world. He had to slowly get used to the laws here to regain his strength. As long as he didn't move the Elementium powers merged within his body, the suppression of the plane laws would not be as strong and violent.
After everyone had gotten somewhat used to the environment, they went before Sarubo, bowing as they waited for their orders.
This was, of course, not Sarubo's true body. It was only a mental projection. But even then, the retaliation of the plane laws was still so obvious on Sarubo. The suppression on these First Grade Adepts was insignificant in comparison!
"You have all made it through! Good. Now leave behind a few to terraform the environment. The rest of you scatter in each direction and seal all the paths to her. Make sure no outsiders can disturb my analysis of the plane laws. Be very careful. The space ripples from your journey here just now may have drawn the attention of powerful beings in this plane. The second batch of adepts will arrive in a month. Before that, you must defend this place with your lives! "After some quick advice, Sarubo's projection went silent.
All the adepts looked at each other, then backed off and begun preparing the next steps.
Although everyone, including Adept Keoghan, was First Grade Adepts, they still had to obey the orders of Adept Keoghan. After all, Sir Fügen had emphasised this several times before the trip here.
"We have just arrived. Our powers are at our weakest. So, for the time being, we should not initiate any grand gestures. I now set forth a rule. For the first three days, our range of activity will be limited to 1 mile. Do not initiate contact with the natives too early.
Kiel, Vincomier, Cowen and I will stay at the base. We will try and construct a functioning base in the shortest time possible to hide Lord Sarubo and the space vortex. Acteon, Mary, and Greem. The three of you are responsible for the outer ring. Kill all the dangerous living beings nearby. Do not let them bust in here and disturb Lord Sarubo.
Understood? "
Everyone nodded their heads. Even Greem, Mary, and Acteon did not express any disagreements.
This was well within expectations. As newly recruited adepts who had yet to be trusted, Keoghan would not possibly let them near the weakened mental projection. Thus it was expected that the experienced adepts were left in the base and the three outsiders sent to the outer ring.
Everyone began seeing to their jobs once it had been assigned.
The four people left in the base didn't actually have any less work than Greem and the others.
Kiel in particular, as a Body Refining Adept, was an important person in the construction of the base. With one fist, he could down trees that were as thick as a man's embrace. With a few chops of his steel palms, branches as thick as a child's arm were removed. And alone, he could carry the half-a-ton trunk back to the base.
The restrictions by the law chains were extremely strong as they had just entered the plane. They couldn't use any powerful spells. Even the simplest of cantrips were changed due to a change in plane laws.
You might have wanted to summon a little flame for dinner, only to realise the little flame is now a giant fireball. And there goes your pot. You might have wanted to summon a flame tornado to attack your enemies, only to have a little flame flicker in your palms. It's hardly enough to even warm the enemies....
The difference in plane laws made all spells function weirdly. The adept's individual strength was probably not much stronger than the plane natives before they get familiar with the plane laws.
Greem snapped his fingers to ignite a flame at his fingertips. After the Elementium flashed in the air, something appeared in his hands. A jade green frog.
It was a normal frog with rough skin on its back. And it clearly was as surprised as Greem about him appearing out of thin air. After blinking its googly eyes and looking about, it leaped out of Greem's palm and with a few hops, it disappeared in the bush.
Dammit! The difference in plane laws was so large? To have caused a fire spell to become a random nature summon?
Greem calmed himself down and communicated with the chip.
"Chip, how's the plane law analysis going? "
"Beep, this plane world is a low-level material plane. Elementium saturation rate is low, at 27% of the World of Adepts. Law similarity 69%. Expected analysis time is 235 hours 27 minutes 18 seconds..... Current analysis progress is 0.013%.....
The long progress bar in Greem's mind was mostly occupied by a blinding rate. The green that represented progress only took up a thin line on the bar. Even Greem with his self-proclaimed 20/20 vision could hardly see any increase of the green bar.
Greem turned and looked at Acteon:"Which way are you going? "
Although they hated each other thoroughly, they had to call a truce in this foreign world. Preserving their lives came first.
Dim green eyes flashed beneath Acteon's hood. He pointed in a direction and left. After Acteon's scrawny silhouette disappeared in the distance, Mary appeared beside Greem. Her eyes shot a questioning look at Greem as she slid her hand across her throat.
Greem shook his head after a moment's thought, then left in another direction. Mary sighed due to a lost opportunity. Silently, she transformed into a bat and disappeared in a different direction from the other two.
Her transformation was a Bloodline ability and she received very little repercussions from the change in plane laws. This was her source of confidence in killing Acteon!
Chapter 165
Greem slowly walked into the forest.
He was weakened now, but he was an adept after all. Even barehanded, he could deal with all non-magical creatures. Moreover, he had a vague feeling that his golems wouldn't be affe
cted by the law changes. He was trying to find a hidden place to verify if this was the case.
Tangling vines and low bushes were everywhere in the forest. Fruits that were half green and half red swung on the branches above. The wind carried with it the sweet smell of grass and the moisture of the air.
It was almost a quarter of a mile away. Looking back, Greem could only see tall trees that covered the sunshine. It wouldn't be easy for someone far away to notice anything that happened here.
Greem took an earth summoning core from his storage belt and threw it to the ground. Black shiny dirt began to rise as the earth Elementium gathered around the core. In 5 seconds, the dirt had shaped itself into a humanoid clay golem.
Countless broken branches, decaying leaves, and insects were wriggling about the body of the golem as Greem hadn't filter the dirt used to form the golem.
Greem frowned.
Even though this was a beginner-level golem and wasn't as powerful as something like the Demon Alligator Hunter, but it shouldn't be this weak.
A beginner clay golem such as this one should be 2 meters tall and weigh six to seven hundred pounds according to his tests in the World of Adepts. But here, the clay golem was at most 1.5 meters tall, and it had lost 1/3 of its weight.
It seems that the golem's strength had been reduced due to a lack of magic Elementium even though the golem summoning was not affected by plane laws. The tiny flaw wasn't enough to get Greem down. Just for this plane war, he had prepared over 300 golem summoning cores of all types, all hidden in his storage belt.
These were the fruits of his labor of the past six months. Greem firmly believed that if you cannot crush the enemy with raw strength, then flood them with terrifying numbers!
Greem shut his eyes to get a sense of the mental drain of summoning the clay golem. With his current Spirit, he could sustain over 100 clay golems on the battlefield simultaneously. Next, Greem repeatedly tested the other golems, including the Water Elemental, the Stone Serpent, the Wind Critter, the Lightning Giant, the Flamehound and the Fire Lord....
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