The energy source that powered these puppets was the energy crystal embedded within their bodies– these were the magic crystals so often used as currency.
Compared to the magic golems, these puppets often featured tangible and solid bodies. The true job of a golem master was designing the intricate patterns and arrays that went into the internal structure of the puppet. The better the connection between the core and the rest of the body, the more agile and smooth the movements of these heavy and colossal puppets.
A magic golem was, as its name implied, nothing more than an elementium golem.
They had no tangible bodies before they were summoned, only a summoning core carved full of complex magical arrays. They relied on their core to gather wandering elementium energies to create their temporal forms. The magical arrays would draw from their surroundings, then shape the elementium into the desired form of their bodies.
From a perspective focused purely on strength, a magic golem was clearly far inferior to the animated statues and magical puppets. This was because these animated beings often had actual tangible bodies that were tough and resilient. That said, magic golems had an advantage that magical puppets could never hope to possess– the ease of transport.
Magic golems could disperse their temporal forms when they weren't needed. They could turn into a crystal the size of a pigeon's egg, perfect for carrying about in a pocket. On the other hand, animated statues and magical puppets easily went up to four or five meters in height. They were often gigantic metallic creatures with tremendous weight that reached a dozen tons. Moreover, they couldn't be folded or shrunk in size.
There was no way you could drag them along with you on your adventures, regardless of how powerful they were. A tremendous number of magic crystals had to be burned just for them to walk. The consumption would go up exponentially if they ever engaged in combat.
This was why animated statues and magical puppets were often only used as static defense.
They could patrol and guard castles and towers, and in doing so, prevent enemy attacks. They were much more efficient compared to adepts or human guards when it came to this particular job. They could even recharge using the energy pool within the adept facilities when they rested. This would save a large number of magic crystals for the golem master.
However, Greem had heard rumors of a unique spatial storage tool that could be used to store animated statues and magical puppets. Only the most powerful and skillful golem masters could craft this magical gear. They were known as golem talismans. However, these golem talismans cost a lot to make. They were almost as expensive as the most powerful of golems. As a result, these talismans wouldn't possibly find their way into widespread manufacture and use. They could only be used to carry powerful elite golems.
All of these reasons combined was the reason Greem believed magical golems were more suited to him.
However, when it came to a duel with an actual golem master, cost and transport were no longer factors that mattered. The only important thing was the combat effectiveness of the golems.
Both of the participating parties were First Grade adepts. They couldn't possibly create magical beings that exceeded their own Grade. In this particular case, the lack of a stable and resilient form would be a definite disadvantage for a magical golem when it was pit against a metallic puppet. If Greem wanted to obtain the final victory, avoiding a frontal clash was the only way forward!
Even though Greem was extremely confident in the Infernal Tyrant, he felt it was best to prepare some strategies for the upcoming battle. After all, it was hard to predict what kind of situation might occur during the fight. Otherwise there was a possibility of the Infernal Tyrant losing. Especially if it faced a golem crafted of precious metals that it couldn't damage.
After all, absolute strength would be able to crush any sort of fancy tricks and maneuvers!
…………
Time was always precious for an adept!
Three days of waiting might be tiresome for an ordinary person, but this wasn't enough time for an adept engulfed in his research to even take a nap.
Three days later, a new flying ship arrived, bringing with it fifteen adepts.
And thus, having gathered a sufficient number of adepts, the floating battleship quickly took off!
The battleship had much more room compared to the flying ship. However, most of the room was reserved for the massive amounts of cargo it was carrying. What was left of the space was also used for the much needed war machines. The rooms that the adepts stayed in wrtr still as small as they were on the flying ship.
The adepts were both the guests and the guardians of this ship.
There were only five Silver Union adepts stationed on every floating battleship. Moreover, their job was mostly maintenance and management rather than combat. If the battleship fell under attack during its journey, it was the responsibility and obligation of the adepts onboard to defend it.
Every single adept on board had already signed the relevant magical contract with regards to this.
If an adept refused to help when needed, the Silver Union would have the right to exile them from the ship. It didn't matter how powerful of an adept you were. Your fate would be sealed the moment you were thrown off the ship!
Alice grumbled unhappily when she heard of the terms Greem had to agree to, "Those Silver Unions adepts are way too calculating! Isn't this basically double-dipping? They take your money and make you a free bodyguard for their ship at the same time!"
Snorlax nodded vigorously as well, fiercely expressing his approval of Alice's statement.
Greem smiled and said, "This is their territory. Of course we have to play by their rules. Be a little more careful, you two. Try not to make such offensive statements once we reach the Castle in the Sky. Otherwise, even I can't save you if you anger the Silver-Robed executors!"
Angus curiously observed this trio.
An adept, a pseudo-adept, and an odd green goblin!
With such a massive difference in their statuses, it was hard to imagine how they came together.
In the World of Adepts, only adepts of equal status were worthy of association. The rest could be reduced to servants or human resources. There was no possibility of equal status between different classes.
An adept might appear to be caring and kind to a pseudo-adept. However, this pseudo-adept would have to be his disciple or his direct blood relative. There was no possibility of good treatment outside of this.
As for an adept talking nicely to a green goblin? The only far-fetched possibility where this could occur would be in the case of an experiment. After all, you wouldn't want to frighten your test subject and ruin your experiment!
However, the scene before him was clearly out of the norm.
The newly advanced Adept Greem was clearly interacting with that pseudo-adept girl and that green goblin on a fairly equal level. This was seen as a humiliating act in the eyes of most adepts.
Greem had only just advanced to an adept after all. Perhaps he had yet to discard his past habits and attitudes. He would probably change once he had gotten used to the life of an adept!
Adept Angus told himself so. He didn't step forward to correct Greem’s 'mistake'.
All of the cargo the battleship needed to transport was already within the ship. The moment the number of adepts was sufficient, the passengers started to board the battleship.
This was the first time in his life that Greem had seen so many adepts gathered together.
Even the mobilization of the Sarubo Clan’s full force during the last planar war had not reached such terrifying numbers. Only two or three dozen adepts had appeared on the battlefield back then. Today, however, all kinds of adepts of odd appearance and fashion had appeared before him. They wore clothes of all kinds, leather armor, magic armor, and metal armor, forming a massive crowd. Yet despite their numbers and their status, they quietly queued up in an orderly fashion as they boarded the battleship.
&n
bsp; This… was a shocking sight to behold! Greem could feel the dryness in his mouth and tongue as he witnessed this scene!
If you lived like a hermit in a small and rural territory, your status as an adept would afford you an extravagant life of luxury. A life of debauchery that trumped even those of the nobles. You would be the center of attention during the banquets and feasts, the target of affection of the beautiful noblewomen and pretty ladies.
Wine and beauties. Absolute power. All of this would go to your head, causing you to believe yourself to be the ruler of this world.
However, it was only when you stepped out of this cage of your own making, and travel to this place, that you would realize the truth. You were just as insignificant as you used to be as an apprentice adept.
Chapter 272
The floating battleship slowly rose above the horizon like a graceful leviathan.
Numerous mysterious arrays were pulsing on the bottom of the ship. A massive amount of wind particles were being ejected out of those arrays, sending the ship dashing across the skies like a fish swimming in water. It quickly disappeared into the vast sea of black trees.
The moment the battleship entered the forest, the three massive masts towering on the ship's deck started glowing. A huge semi-translucent barrier of light covered the entire ship. Runes flashed about on the barrier as strange energy ripples flowed over it. There was no specific order or pattern in which the energy moved, but Greem could tell that they served some sort of purpose.
He closed his eyes to sense the flow of energy.
Light Refraction, Concealment, Aura Obscurement, Spirit Avoidance…
The Spells of Light Refraction and Concealment were used to hide the ship from sight, while the Aura Obscurement was to prevent the life aura of the passengers from leaking outside and attracting unnecessary enemies. Spirit Avoidance was a spell used on small lifeforms. It would guide those critters to subconsciously move away from the battleship, preventing them from crashing into the ship and diminishing the effect of Concealment.
Sadly, these spells were only useful against lower lifeforms and lower-level magical creatures. They were absolutely useless against the truly powerful magical creatures that lurked within the forest.
There were still some other runes floating around the barrier enveloping the ship. However, Greem's knowledge of runes was limited and he was unable to decipher every spell contained within the barrier.
He stood upon the deck and bent to look down. A tiny silver stream wound between the sea of black trees.
A flock of blue birds slowly flew past below the battleship.
Flame-red crowns, light-blue leathery wings, and long and colorful tails. They appeared to be mutated rocs. They shouldn’t underestimate rocs because of their pretty appearance. They were true carnivores. Each and every one of them were savage and ferocious in nature, with an extremely territorial behaviour.
However, even a mutated roc was no more than an ordinary creature. It had no elementium abilities or control over magic, and was no danger at all to adepts.
Thus, this flock of rocs didn't even notice the battleship when they passed by!
The woods seemed somewhat different from the ones Greem was used to.
Back in the Zhentarim area, he had seen his fair share of vast forests that extended over hundreds of kilometers. However, those trees almost seemed to be green. Here, all the trees were a dull grey and black color.
It was a bleak and mildly odd color!
Greem had a unique feeling ever since the battleship had entered the black forest. It felt like there was a trace of chaos and violence mixed within the energies. The sky and the earth had a certain atmosphere to them. An extreme atmosphere. So desolate and depressing that one couldn't help but want to scream in anger and frustration.
Perhaps this was the original appearance of the Continent of Adepts!
The floating battleship silently glided through the skies, not attracting any attention from the ferocious beasts beneath it.
The adepts on the ship were many in number. Of course, there were some amongst them who already knew each other. The adepts quickly gathered in groups of two or three and started to talk amongst themselves. Some, more sociable adepts, were taking this opportunity to walk around, making as many new friends as they could. Even though their advances would be occasionally rejected, most of the adepts were willing to talk. After all, conversation with another adept meant a chance to exchange information and research.
Greem was also brought along by Adept Angus to greet some adepts Angus was acquainted with. Some of them were powerful adepts that were famous even within the central area of the continent.
Greem was not opposed to this.
He had two lives' worth of experience. He knew very well that connections were a hidden resource. Sometimes they could even prove to be more valuable than individual strength!
There were both males and females amongst the adepts they visited.
However, all of the younger adepts were decent-looking, even if they weren't just outright charming.
Most male adepts clearly cared less about appearance when compared to the female adepts. On the other hand, there would almost always be scars and marks of accidents on the bodies of the veteran adepts. This was a result of continuous exposure to dangerous and taboo experiments.
There was one such adept amongst those they visited. All of his body was intact, with the exception of his face. All the flesh and blood had been corroded away, leaving only a thin and wrinkled layer of skin clinging to his skull. He looked like a talking skeleton when they conversed.
Adept Angus secretly sent a magical voice transmission to Greem and told him the truth behind the adept's appearance. The damage to the face had been caused by a failed magic experiment.
If it was simple flesh wounds, adepts had plenty of tricks up their sleeves to repair the damage. Even missing flesh could be regenerated. However, if the damage from the magic had reached all the way to the source of their souls, it would be virtually impossible to heal.
In comparison, the female adepts were much more conscious of their appearance. Greem could always detect the marks of magic modification on their bodies and faces. Of course, only Greem could detect such minor and fine modifications with such accuracy. After all he had the chip, and the chip was completely unmatched in terms of its efficiency at gathering and comparing data.
Most female adepts were extremely pretty, with exceptional figures. They would always draw the gazes of the male adepts whenever they engaged in a conversation. They didn't seem to mind the unscrupulous looks of the male adepts. They would even actively flirt with the males, as if they perceived their body and their beauty as a resource to be traded.
Tall, muscular, and handsome young adepts like Greem, in particular, were their preferred targets. Their fiery gazes, flirtatious words, and lewd acts were unbearable for Greem.
He already knew this was the nature of adepts. Many no longer cared for the habits and behavior of worldly society once they became an adept. They were much more willing to speak their thoughts and indulge in their desires. However, such an 'open' and public manner of flirtation was still unbearable for Greem!
Alice, who was trailing behind Greem like a little bug, was pouting with her tiny mouth. She glared angrily at every pretty female adept that came close to Greem, continuously grumbling under her breath. Her voice was extremely soft, and no one could hear what she was saying.
Alice might be arrogant, talented, and confident in becoming an adept. Still, she didn't dare to do anything before these adepts that might offend them.
She might be an exceptional future witch with unlimited potential and terrifying talent amongst the apprentice adepts. However, potential was potential. Before Alice could convert this potential into power, any simple incident could spell an early end to her future as a 'Witch of Fate'.
There were countless examples of individuals who didn't know how to restrain themselves and, conseq
uently, brought upon themselves the anger and wrath of others. All of these unfortunate idiots were once shining talents with bright futures!
Thus, even if only for the sake of her life, Alice didn't dare to openly provoke a whole group of female adepts. For some reason though, every time Alice looked at these female adepts, be they trying to seduce Greem with innocence, elegance, or eroticism, she felt an anger surging from the bottom of her heart.
This bunch of shameless hags! The only thing they knew how to do was wave about the two pieces of meat hanging from their chests to seduce men. A complete disgrace for witches all over the world. Serves them right to be the vassals and servants of male adepts…
Greem could sense the bubbling emotions behind him. He let out a bitter smile and brought the grumbling Alice back to their cabins after giving Angus a heads-up.
For the next few days Greem stayed within his room, never taking a single step outside. He was ceaselessly researching for a way to imbue the golem cores with the power of the otherworldly runes. Every time Greem was exhausted from his work, he would meditate rather than sleep. He did all he could to regenerate his Spirit as fast as possible.
Meanwhile, he was slowly getting used to the energy surges from the Flame Fiend's Heart. The explosions of energy that happened twice every minute were gradually becoming bearable. Unfortunately, there was still a faint trace of abyssal aura surging forth along with the flame energies. Even Greem wouldn't have been able to detect these traces of abyssal aura if it hadn't been for the chip. The chip’s ability was so fine that it could even monitor the cells of the body at a genetic level. Without it, he wouldn't have been able to detect the abyssal aura slowly but gradually corroding and modifying his body.
In just a matter of a dozen days, some of his organs were already showing signs of becoming infused with magic.
This was both bad and good news for him.
The good news was that the infusing of magic with his organs was strengthening his Physique. Ever since he transplanted this Second Grade Flame Fiend's Heart, the speed at which his Physique was increasing had almost exceeded the speed of his Spirit increase. He had, at one point, almost considered becoming a body refining adept instead.
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