Age of Adepts c1-1513

by Zhen De Lao Lang, 真的老狼

  Most of the workers employed in an adept's private businesses tended to be low-ranked nobles. In fact, this was a common sight!

  After all, there were far too few among the peasants that could read and count.

  "Speak. What kind of assets are there in Wylick Castle? I want a detailed report!" Alice wore a soft silk robe. She leaned against her seat and behaved in a manner unbefitting of her age.

  She had just come out of the bath. Her long blonde hair was still dripping wet. Drops of water would occasionally fall onto the carpet below. Alice had brought the silk robe over from her wardrobe. It was barely long enough to cover her knees. When she tucked her body against the couch, the cloth would be pulled backward, revealing her little white legs and her slim feet. Her ten delicate little toes were like freshly blooming petals as well.

  Apart from the old butler, the four new apprentice adepts were also present. Two of them were advanced apprentices, and the others were intermediate apprentices, but all of them were keeping their heads low. They didn't dare to stare at this maverick of a young girl.

  Alice tugged on the fabric that had slipped down her shoulder and hid the bright and colorful magical tattoos on her body. Every time she saw these mysterious, intricate, delicate, and three-dimensional tattoos on her upper body, it reminded her of the surgery. The fearsome pain of Scalding Rays carving their way through her skin as she laid upon the operation platform.

  Greem had tattoos as well. Alice had known this for awhile.

  She even knew how unbelievably potent Greem's tattoos were.

  The previous version of the Flame Fiend Transformation could double his body's attributes. It might not have lasted for long, but it was already an enviable ability. With the addition of the otherworldly runic knowledge, the new Transformation could provide Greem with three times his usual stats. This upgrade was indeed unbelievably powerful!

  The new Flame Fiend's Transformation provided Greem with a fierce and powerful form, while the transplanted Heart supplied him with an endless source of fire energy. These two factors forged a new existence when they were combined– a terrifying, mad demon of flames.

  As her master's personal maid, Alice had the most accurate understanding of Greem's real power.

  She could feel her blood boil when Greem called her over to his hidden room and mysteriously asked her whether she wanted a set of tattoos like his.

  Her answer was obvious.

  As a person with supernatural powers, Alice would never refuse an opportunity to increase her abilities. Naturally, she agreed without hesitation.

  However, she immediately regretted her decision when she was lying naked on the alchemical table for surgery.

  It was way too bloody painful!

  Was this a magical tattoo? No. It was most definitely not.

  What difference did this surgery have when compared to the magical patterns and arrays that alchemists carved into their magical tools? The only actual difference was the subject! Those were cold, unfeeling objects, while she was a living, breathing person!

  The Scalding Rays had burned through her flesh, leaving fine grooves of all sizes and depths in the skin. Unique alchemical materials were then poured into the grooves. There was also a rare substance within the concoction that stopped the flesh from regenerating. This treatment was to prevent the subject's exceptional Physique from healing the wounds too rapidly and causing the magical circuits to lose their powers.

  This massive tattoo covered the entirety of her upper body. Naturally, this meant that it couldn't avoid winding through some of the more sensitive areas.

  Alice had needed to use all of her will to control her body and resist trembling in pain, itching, and other physical sensations when the Scalding Ray had made their way across her sensitive areas. After all, the process of carving the tattoos into the body was a fine and delicate one. Any deviation in the position of the patterns could cause the symbols to lose their effects.

  Thus, Alice had forced herself to turn into an unfeeling, human-shaped object while remaining perfectly conscious. It was the only way to avoid interrupting the surgery.

  The four hours of inscribing the lines into her body was an endless and torturous nightmare!

  Alice couldn't get up from the surgery table when Greem finally told her that the operation was finished. In the end, it was her master Greem that had the good sense to carry her back to her room. She had to rest for half a day before she regained all of her physical senses.

  Greem specialized in fire, which is why he carved the Flame Fiend's Transformation into his body. Alice, on the other hand, had awakened the bloodline of the Witch of Fate. Her affinity was for the space attribute as well. That was why the tattoo that Greem carved on her was different.

  Naturally, he had tailored it to Alice!

  "Apart from the castle itself, Wylick Castle also has a small manor that is responsible for providing the castle with the daily meals. There are a total of XXXX slaves, XXX buildings and XXX square feet of land under the Castle's management…

  "There is also an arcane shop in Fandear City, along with two blacksmith's shops and two bakeries.

  "There are XXX buildings within the Castle, XXXX rooms, XXXX servants and XXX barrels of wine in the cellar. The current amount of gold coins stocked in the castle totals to…"

  Alice finally got impatient listening to the butler listing every single asset in the castle. She waved her hand and interrupted him.

  "You can write all of these worldly treasures down on paper and had it over to me. What I want to know is the private treasury and collections of the dead Adept Sak." A smile surfaced on Alice's delicate porcelain face, "You guys couldn't have done away with these things already, could you?"

  The four apprentice adepts betrayed panic in their eyes. The noble butler lowered his head even further.

  "We wouldn't dare, Lady Alice. Adept Sak kept his collection on the third floor of the castle. His laboratory and study room are on the third floor as well. He forbade everyone from entering. Even Lady Celia couldn't enter without permission," An awkward smile appeared on the butler's face, "That is why we have no idea what's inside!"

  "Oh? There was such a thing?" Alice's eyes sparkled.

  Honestly, which apprentice adept wasn't interested in the magical lab of a veteran adept? It was sure to be an exciting experience to go treasure-hunting there!

  Alice immediately rushed behind a changing screen. When she finally appeared before the others again, she was wearing a short grey gown fitted to her size. Alice held a small and delicate wand in one hand, with a golden bird's cage in the other. She had a Tiara of Wisdom on her head and a row of glass vials placed around her waist. She had set all sorts of mysterious magical rings on her ten pale and delicate fingers as well.

  Even the buckskin boots she wore on her feet seemed to faintly glow with the light of magic.

  "Very well, very well, I am prepared now!" Alice shouted excitedly, "Let us now go explore Sak's lab."

  "Us?" The four apprentices raised their heads. A sick feeling washed over them.

  "Of course it's us!" Alice balled her hand into a fist and waved it in the air. She couldn't wait to start, "You are all coming to protect me. Of course, you will have to come with me!"

  The four apprentices instantly went pale.

  …………

  Sak's lab was located on the third floor of the castle's main building.

  Alice and the four apprentices successfully stepped foot on this unfamiliar ground after they went up the wooden spiral stairs.

  A silent, dim corridor loomed before them.

  Small candlesticks had been placed on both sides of the walls of the corridor with a little distance between each of them. Perhaps because it sensed the presence of life energies, one of the candlesticks closest to them silently sprang to life. Then, one by one, the candlesticks started to light up, leading into the depths of the corridor.

  That said, the light was extremely dim, and was barely e
nough to illuminate a fifty-centimeter radius around the candlestick.

  The tiny yellow lights flickered in the darkness, adding a tinge of supernatural mystery to the dark hall.

  Everyone couldn't help but gulp in nervousness.

  Arcane rooms, magical traps, voodoo beast guards, mysterious monsters, fearsome magical radiation…

  Everyone felt their legs cramping up at the thought of these precarious existences. If Alice hadn't been staring at them from the back, all four of them would have run away a long time ago.

  Exploring the laboratory of a veteran adept wasn't much safer than exploring an ancient ruin!

  Sak had been an elite adept. No one would believe your lies used to trick children if you told them that he hadn't set up any security systems around his lab.

  That accursed Alice. She was still arrogantly shouting before they moved out. Now that they had stepped foot on the third floor, she immediately retreated behind the four apprentices, as if that was the way it was supposed to be. She wasn't even ashamed of her actions.

  "Will, you go first!" Alice waved her tiny fist about as she ordered them.

  The guy named Will was only an intermediate apprentice. He was, without any doubt, the weakest of the four apprentices. He looked back at his companions to see them avoiding his gaze. He knew there was no avoiding this. No one would help rid him of this job either.

  Will had no choice but to grit his teeth and take out a white finger bone. He used it to apply a white bone shield around him before cautiously making his way into the corridor.

  Chapter 309

  Everything started to dim when they stepped into the corridor!

  The dull walls started to decay, and their paint began to peel at a rate visible to the naked eye. More and more pieces fell off before withering and turning to dust in the air. Once the surface of the wall had peeled off, it revealed a rusty, metallic surface. An intimidating clanging rang out in everyone's ears.

  "This appears to be some form of illusion!" Kerr commented softly.

  "Does anyone have anything to counter illusions?" Will's voice was trembling.

  Advanced apprentice Warren searched through his belt for a while before taking out a black jar. He asked in a soft voice, "I have some Psychedelic Grass. Does anyone need it?"

  "Me," the other three apprentices replied simultaneously.

  They were overjoyed.

  Psychedelic Grass was a type of herb with sawblade-tipped leaves. They were one of the fundamental ingredients for concocting hallucinatory potions. If the Psychedelic Grass was ground to paste and smeared on the tip of the nose, it could refresh the spirit and increase the body's resistance to illusions.

  The four apprentices did precisely this. They turned around and were about to ask Alice if she needed the Grass as well, only to find her holding a brilliantly glowing gemstone in her hand. She was observing the changes around them.

  The gemstone was diamond-shaped and translucent. A refreshing and calming soft glow emanated from within it.

  A Gem of True Sight!

  The muscles of their faces started to twitch. They were utterly speechless for a moment.

  This magical gemstone allowed the owner to see through invisibility and illusions and was extremely expensive. The lowest listed market price was four hundred magic crystals. The few of them couldn't possibly afford it with their meager funds. They might all be apprentice adepts, but a slightly more respectable pseudo-adept like Alice could thoughtlessly take out a gem like this one.

  Wasn't this the difference between apprentices a little too large?!

  Alice shook the Gem of True Sigh and moved towards the wall. The withering and decaying sight instantly dispersed. The walls went back to their dark brown wooden pattern. It had returned to how it was before.

  As expected, it was an illusion!

  The apprentices were finally able to relax when they saw this.

  Will frowned and slowly inched forward.

  If they measured the length of the corridor based on the length of the castle, it shouldn't have been any longer than a hundred meters. This distance should have been short enough for them to see the end of the corridor, even if the lighting was terrible. Oddly enough, their vision couldn't extend more than seven or eight meters from where they stood.

  The scenery in the distance looked as if the darkness had devoured it. The group couldn't see anything at all.

  It seemed this was another illusory effect!

  Will slowly moved forward, his eyes continually sweeping past his surroundings and his feet. He stopped walking every time he felt something wrong or different, and Will only continued when he was sure it was safe.

  The darkness before their eyes slowly faded away.

  The candlelight on both sides of the wall flickered with a dim yellow light. The light projected their shadows onto the walls. One moment they would extend and the other they would shrink. One moment their shadows would be on the right, and the next they would be on the left. It was almost like a stalking monster lived in their shadows. The wooden boards beneath their feet were old and rotten. Every step they took caused the floor to creak noisily.

  A fifty-centimeter square wooden painting frame hung to the wall on the left side. The shadows had obscured it, causing the party to miss the painting until now. Now that they were finally close enough, Will was able to discern its contents.

  The painting was of countryside fields. There were mountains in the distance, rivers by the crops, and a small hill was in the middle of the picture. A faint silhouette stood on the hill and was facing forward.

  The technique of the artist was excellent. That said, who knew what the artist thought when he drew this? The artist had painted the entire painting with black and white only. What should have been a picture of a beautiful countryside scene had been turned into a sinister and ghostly image.

  Will shook his head and turned his attention back to the ground he was stepping on.

  The creaking noises continued as he walked. He couldn't focus and pay attention to the other changes around him. He finally stopped to listen for odd movements and sounds, but the creaking noises continued to come from behind him.

  "Can you guys walk more soft…" Will couldn't help but turn around to scold his companions, but what he saw shocked him.

  His companions indeed followed behind him, but…their faces were pale white, their facial features distorted. Two streaks of bloody tears dripped down their cheeks.

  "What happened to you? " Will asked with a trembling voice.

  Wicked and terrifying smiles appeared on their faces as sharp claws extended from their fingers. They howled and wailed as they surrounded Will.

  Will stumbled backward in fright. He was no longer able to endure the terror of the sight. He turned around and quickly started running.

  Will ran across the river and past the fields. He was out of breath and had no choice but to stop on a small hill to catch his breath.

  I must have finally escaped those terrifying monsters, haven't I?

  Will looked about fearfully, only to find himself in a wholly different place.

  This…this wasn't the dim corridor he had been in.

  Will looked at the sinister mountains in the distance, the gray fields he had run past, and the black river before him. There was a floating wooden frame in the distant air. It was like a window to the outside world. Through it, Will saw a pale silhouette leading Kerr, Warren, and the others as they slowly walked down the corridor.

  Judging on his position and angle, Will was shocked to find himself in the painting he had just seen. The human figure in the drawing had already replaced him!

  Dammit! Was this illusion or reality?

  For a moment, even Will couldn't tell if he was under the effect of illusion or whether the painting had trapped him inside. Thus, he frantically ran towards the wooden frame, waving his hands about as he shouted for help.

  Oddly enough, it didn't matter what he did. The wooden frame r
emained the same distance away from him as if he would never be able to reach it.

  …………

  Back to the dim and dark corridor.

  Kerr couldn't help but frown, "Will, can you hurry up? If we shuffle like you are doing, god knows how long we are going to take to investigate the entire floor!"

  Will mumbled an acknowledgment and finally hastened his footsteps.

  The corridor wasn't even all that long at the start. The party quickly arrived in front of a wooden door.

  The party moved closer to inspect the door. They didn't sense any traces of magical flux on the wooden door. There shouldn't have been any magical traps set on this thing.

  Under everyone's encouragement, Will worked up the courage to push the door open.

  Creak. The wooden door eventually opened.

  The inside was a small and delicate library. The interior space wasn't vast, but a significant number of books and scrolls had been stuffed onto the wooden shelves by the wall. Most of the books glowed with faint magical light. It was evident that these weren't any ordinary items.

  Books. So many books.

  The apprentices already treated the accumulation of knowledge as instinct. They immediately wanted to walk into the room and start searching for books that interested them. But right that moment, a sound came from behind them. Alice's immature coughs rang out.

  The apprentice adepts froze. They quickly made way and bowed respectfully, "Lady Alice, please!"

  Alice coldly laughed as she took a step forward, "Take a better look before you start splitting the spoils among yourselves!"

  She raised her tiny arm and the soft white light from the Gem of True Sight projected into the library and onto Will!

  The ordinary scene immediately plunged into a nightmare the very next second. A horrifying image fell upon everyone's eyes.

  The wooden door had vanished. The path before the apprentices wasn't a library, but a strange black crack in the wall. A painting hung at the end of the black fissure. Several shadows moved about in the painting as they looked at the party.