He had yet to form a cohesive, consistent, and systematic style of combat. Most of the time, Greem relied on his wasteful and excessive output to overwhelm and crush the enemy.
This might not be much of a problem if he was the one with the upper hand. However, such a crude and savage way of fighting was bound to backfire if used against an enemy more powerful than himself. Greem wanted to take this opportunity while revamping his abilities to decide on some core magics. He would then forge his own style of combat around those core magics and spells.
Having experienced numerous fights, Greem clearly felt the importance of mobility spells for a combat adept. That was why the first spell Greem thought of when deciding on his core magics was the Fire Teleportation he so frequently used.
In all honesty, Greem might not even have had a ten percent chance of surviving all his past battles if he hadn’t been able to cast Fire Teleportation. Greem was only able to escape death when faced with powerful enemies because of it. Otherwise, his only option would have been a fight to the death.
If he wanted to settle on a combat style, it would have to revolve around Fire Teleportation.
The mobility spell was decided. What about the offensive spells then?
There was a period of time where Greem believed his core offensive spell was Fire Core Explosion. After all, it was the most powerful and lethal fire spell in his arsenal. However the data that the chip collated indicated otherwise. The spell that Greem used the most in battle was the quickly cast Magma Fireball.
Greem only needed half a second to summon a Magma Fireball with his current abilities. However, if one was to include the strain that his Spirit could endure, along with the disparity in the speed at which elementium gathered, Greem could only consistently summon two fireballs in three seconds time.
The Magma Fireball itself had forty-five points of fire damage, along with fifteen points of magma and explosive physical damage. The magma would even splash in a ten meter radius. When paired with the thirty percent bonus damage from his fire mastery, a single Magma Fireball could deal a terrifying sixty points of damage.
This might be much lower than the one hundred and fifty five points of the Fire Core Explosion, but the Magma Fireball could be fired at a tremendous speed!
Where on a chaotic and intense battlefield would you be able to find a safe place to calmly chant your spell and channel such a powerful attack? In comparison, instant-cast spells like the Magma Fireball were far superior, as they allowed the caster to control the pace of the fight.
Even if there was truly a need for a powerful spell to crack the enemy's defense, Greem could store six of them within his Scroll of Voodoo for use in any situation. There was absolutely no need for him to risk his life and chant in the middle of enemy fire.
Thus, the first group of core magics was decided. There were three of them. The mobility-type Fire Teleportation, the offensive Magma Fireball, and the defensive Ring of Fire.
There was a good reason why Greem chose the Ring of Fire as his defensive spell over the Lava Shield!
The Ring of Fire might be significantly inferior to the Lava Shield when it came to physical defense, but it was far more efficient when it came to defending and damaging enemies at the same time.
A barrier of fire that easily engulfed an area of a hundred meters. No enemy would recklessly step into this area while they fought with Greem. The ten points of fire damage per second would never stop. You would have to endure the damage for as long as you were within the Ring of Fire.
Moreover, the combat potential of these three spells could still be greatly improved. All that Greem needed to do now was organize the spells into a proper system, and create a combat style revolving them.
Someone knocked on the wooden door, just as Greem was busy with his calculations for the potential improvements on the three core magics’ magical models.
Dong. Dong. Dong.
" Who is it!"
Greem couldn't possibly be in a good mood after being interrupted at such a key moment.
"Sir Greem, it is me!" Adept's Angus' voice rang out from behind the door.
Greem hesitated for a moment before clearing away the documents on his table. He covered the parchments of paper that contained secrets about his own body before walking to the door and removing the magical defenses.
Adept Angus complexion looked pale and terrible. He had visited in the dead of the night, and it seemed like he had something he wanted to talk about. Still, he was hesitant to speak.
"Sir Angus, we can already be considered friends after such a long trip together. Is there anything that can't be said between friends?" Greem could see his discomfort, and took the initiative to ask.
"This… " Angus couldn't help but hesitate once more before finally speaking, "I just got news from the clan. There might be trouble for the duel this time!"
"What happened?"
"The adept from the challenging clan has actually created a Steel Knight. Apparently, the golem is extremely powerful. It has already defeated the esoteric adepts of two firms. It is chaos in the clan right now… "
Greem's eyes focused, "Your clan intends to ask for a truce?"
Angus nodded reluctantly, his voice hoarse and dry, "Very possibly. The clan has already sent some ambassadors in secret. If their conditions aren't too strict, the clan will be willing to give up on the duel and admit defeat!"
Angus quickly consoled Greem when he saw him falling deep into thought, "You have no need to worry. The clan will still give you the promised rewards even if the duel doesn't take place. That much I can ensure!"
Greem shook his head as he laughed out loud, "That's not what I am worried about. I am only disappointed that I might miss a chance to have an exchange with another esoteric adept."
Angus laughed as well, "Do you still need to worry about this once you arrive at the Castle in the Sky? The duels and challenges for the shops might only happen once every ten years, but the arena there is never empty. As long as you are confident in your golem and are willing to bet on it, you can go to the arena every single day if you so wish!"
The two made a little small talk after this, and Angus finally left.
Greem went back to his table and started to think of his plans for the future.
His original plan was to win the duel for the Byron Clan. Then he would take the opportunity and leave Snorlax in their care at the Castle in the Sky. After all, Greem couldn't possibly stay at the Castle in the Sky for long periods of time. Snorlax, as a goblin, would also find it virtually impossible to make a name for himself if left alone.
It might be rude and pushy to put forth such a request if the expected esoteric duel was canceled and the promised rewards already given to him
How was he supposed to leave Snorlax in the Castle in the Sky then?
It was important to note how much force was needed to defend your place in the Castle in the Sky. There was a Second Grade adept from the Byron Clan stationed in their shop! If even such a force found it hard to defend themselves, how was a goblin with no combat ability whatsoever to survive in this savage and competitive place?
The more Greem thought about it, the more he realized how far ahead of himself he was getting.
He was alone right now. The two so-called subordinates he had were extremely weak. One was only a pseudo-adept, and would soon be starting a 'Battle of Fate'. Her fate was unknown and unclear as of yet. The other had adept-level Spirit, but had absolutely no way of using it in combat.
These two were completely useless when it came to conflicts.
Right now, Greem was in the process of improving his abilities and influence. He needed to gather all the strength and resources he had, cultivate them, and ensure that all his resources would grow and increase in number. He didn't have any excess energy to set up for the future.
If the adept force he envisioned succeeded in the future then it would be possible to do so, allowing him access to more options in the future. However,
what he should do right now wasn't to spread his energy too widely. He had to pull back all the fingers he had extended outwards and form a solid fist to ensure that his each and every punch would be a powerful blow!
Chapter 280
Twenty days later.
Greem was extremely excited to see the legendary Castle in the Sky. He woke up early in the morning, had his breakfast, and quickly hurried to the deck.
The deck was already crowded with people. Even the adepts who always hid within their rooms had appeared in the crowd. Everyone was silently waiting for the Castle in the Sky to appear before their eyes.
The flying ship wove between the clouds. White fluffy clouds were shredded into pieces as wind particles were ejected from the magical arrays, leaving a white path of clouds behind the ship as it continued forward.
All of a sudden light shone upon the excited crowd.
The ship had passed through the clouds and into a clear stretch of sky.
The sky was so blue.
Gray roads ran in every direction across the endless grass fields. Alchemical castles were scattered across the fields, and pastures filled with cows and sheep could be seen everywhere.
And right in between the heavens and the earth was a great, magnificent, holy, and yet mysterious, city floating in the air, silently awaiting their arrival.
From a distance, the Castle in the Sky looked just like an upside-down pyramid. The top was large and round, while there was an edge at the bottom of the structure. The bottom of the city was clearly dirt that had been dug from the ground. All of the dirt had been turned into the shape of an inverted mountain after receiving the magical treatment.
A massive lake of nearly seven square kilometers could be seen right below the Castle in the Sky.
With just a single look at its size and shape, anyone would easily be able to infer the origin of the Castle in the Sky!
There was some sort of repelling force field around the Castle in the Sky. All the clouds floating in the sky were pushed aside by an invisible barrier in the air when they neared the Castle. There was a complete absence of any clouds within a fifteen kilometer radius of the Castle.
The ship had plunged right into this absence from the layer of clouds.
An odd sound of grinding gears rang out in mid air, and several massive boulders that had been suspended in the air slowly moved towards the ship.
"This is the first inspection before we are allowed into the Castle. Everyone, please do not resist, and in particular, do not attack those robotic guards!" A silver-robed Union adept loudly instructed the adepts on the ship. Due to some sort of mysterious spell and authority he had been granted on the ship, his voice was transmitted to every single lifeform here, even though he wasn't all that loud. Even those adepts who remained shut in their rooms were able to hear him.
Robotic guards?!
Greem looked at these huge rocks doubtfully.
There were five of them in total.
Each of the boulders were three meters tall and two meters wide. Their surfaces seemed fairly rough, with dirt and sand mixed between the cracks of the rocks. There were even some vines and small plants that grew on them. They looked just like boulders that had been removed from the peak of a mountain.
However, the moment they reached the boat, their true nature was revealed. Blinding light emanated from within the rocks, and countless complicated rune patterns and magical symbols appeared on their surfaces. The boulders started to shake and tremor, and pieces of rock started to shift and move to reveal several black holes on the boulders.
Some metallic arms extended from the holes and reached towards the ship.
A strange bloodshot biological eyeball moved about at the ends of the robotic arms. These eyes moved from right to left as they scanned everything within sight.
The eyeballs let out a strange blue ray as they slowly scanned every single person on the ship.
The five boulders surrounded the ship, keeping a perfect perimeter around it. A complete net of blue light enveloped the ship, making sure that nothing went unnoticed. Even the thick hull of the ship wasn't able to stop these blue rays. Even the people in the cabins were completely exposed to the eyeballs.
Of course, the adepts had already heard the Union adept's reminder, and none of them tried to cast spells to obstruct the blue light. These rays were clearly a sort of low-level magical scan. They were usually used to identify lifeforms, as well as check for magical effects such as Concealment, Transformation, and parasitic lifeforms. None of the adepts’ secrets would be probed.
It was all well and fine when it scanned the adepts. However the blue ray stopped for a moment when it reached Snorlax. An identity talisman that hung around Snorlax's neck started to shine with a magical brilliance of its own, and the blue light continued its scan. The alarms had not been triggered.
Greem had specially visited the silver-robed adept to get his hands on this talisman.
Without it, beings of other races such as Snorlax the goblin would find themselves buried underneath bureaucratic procedures and red tape. The magic emblems of his contracted master Greem, as well as the guarantor adept Angus, were contained within the talisman. If Snorlax lost this talisman, he would either be detained or exiled by the guards of the Castle in the Sky.
The inspection didn't last for long.
The boulders retracted their metallic arms once the blue light had scanned every inch of the ship. Once again they transformed back into ordinary-looking rocks levitating in the sky as they slowly left.
Greem looked around the area. Almost every ship that made it out of the clouds was surrounded by several robotic guards and had to undergo inspection. The brilliant blue light could be seen on every single ship.
Their ship continued forward after the inspection was completed. It slowly closed in on the landing platforms on the outer circle.
As the distance continued to decrease, the mysterious veil over the Castle in the Sky was slowly lifted and its true face was revealed before the eyes of the adepts.
Most of the adepts here had already read of countless descriptions of the Castle in the Sky. However, they were still stunned by its sheer scale and magnificence when they saw its true appearance.
If one were to look from above, the Castle in the Sky looked just like three rings, each contained within another. These rings clearly segmented the city into three distinct parts. These was likely the inner circle, the central circle, and the outer circle!
All the fantastical buildings were built along these rings. Every single piece of land there was worth their weight in gold. Numerous buildings and plants were packed together tightly on every inch of the land, leaving no space unused. The area between the three large circles had been partitioned by a sort of mysterious power. It was virtually impossible to cross through with sheer force. The only way across was to use the special bridges built between the circles.
Looking down from Greem's angle, there were plenty of wooden buildings hidden in the shade of the trees. Yet at the same time there were also plenty of stone houses and futuristic metallic architecture. Tall towers, round and dome shaped palaces, odd and bizarre architecture from the cultures of other races… this place looked like some sort of exhibition for unique buildings. All sorts of strange and exotic buildings could be found here.
The crowd, as small as ants to eyes up in the air, walked through the broad white streets. The city seemed to be extremely lively.
An actual mountain had even been moved into the inner circle. Several massive and magnificent feats of architecture had been constructed on that mountain. They had the high ground, looking down intimidatingly upon the entirety of the Castle in the Sky.
Some more boulders levitated above the Castle in the Sky. These were even larger and bulkier. They seemed to be guarding the numerous entrances above the Castle. Several adepts could be seen entering and exiting through those entrances as they rode on their massive flying mounts.
Greem surmised t
hat the mountain location was a military facility where the soldiers were stationed. It was probably part of the huge and strict defense system here.
The smaller alchemical guards existed in even larger numbers. They were part of the city, along with the massive load-carrying birds in the sky. They were what made up the orderly and bustling city.
The flying ship was stopping at a flight platform on the outer circle.
There were one of these platforms almost every two and a half kilometers. Numerous ships landed and took off from these platforms, filling the place with activity.
Greem, Alice, and Snorlax walked down from the flying ship under Angus’ lead. They stepped upon the clean and spotless marble floor of the Castle in the Sky. They looked at the fantasy scene right round them, their faces still full of wonder and disbelief.
Warm sunlight shone down from above, showering this alchemical city in its warmth. Countless shards of light reflected off of the surface of the beautiful buildings.
This made the Castle in the Sky seem that much more gorgeous, like a city shrouded in gold and glory!
Most of the people walking past Greem and the others were also adepts. Some apprentices were mixed among their numbers, and even some beings of other races walked in the crowd, dressed in opulent and elegant clothes. Ordinary men weren't even allowed to set foot upon this city. After all it, was a great city. One that represented the greatest alchemical achievements of the World of Adepts.
Greem paid extra attention to the workers on the flight platform. The workers doing their best to remove the cargo were tall and powerful steel statues, every single one. They might be a little clumsy, but they were tens and even hundreds of times more efficient than their human counterparts.
The ones coordinating their actions were apprentice adepts.
It was fairly clear at this point. The lowest class citizens in this Castle in the Sky were these apprentices!
Several alchemical carriages stopped before them, right after Greem and the others stepped out of the flight platform.
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