Age of Adepts c1-1513

by Zhen De Lao Lang, 真的老狼

  Chapter 387 Passionate Banquet

  The banquet was set to be held on the fifth floor's arcane hall.

  It was the first time that Greem had attended a formal large-scale adept's banquet since his advancement.

  As the protagonist of the show, Greem had been put to work by Sir Fügen before the banquet had started. The two of them were to greet their guests at the doors of the hall.

  Fanny's Cottage.

  Mandasor Academy.

  Sunflower Garden.

  The Arthur Clan.

  The Buschmann Clan.

  The Clovis Clan.

  One by one, they announced clans and names that Greem had never heard of. And one by one, both familiar and unfamiliar adepts walked through the doors of the hall, placing their arms on their chests to congratulate Greem.

  What were they congratulating? That Greem's investment in the little witch had paid off? Or the Sarubo's success in establishing a connection with the Northern Witches?

  Greem grumbled in his heart as he smiled and stood by the door. He placed his hand on his chest and acknowledged the goodwill of the guests.

  The Second Grade adepts were naturally being received by Sir Fügen himself, while Keoghan, Meryl, and the others dealt with the ordinary adepts. The five or six pseudo-adepts in the clan were only waiters at this grand event. They stood by and attended upon the adepts.

  The banquet hall was vast and bright. All sorts of delicacies and drinks had been arranged on the long circular table. Pseudo-adepts dressed in waiter uniforms weaved through the adepts, continuously serving them fine wine and fragrant tea.

  As this was an adepts' banquet, there were no bands or dance performances. These were the crude customs of human nobles. Instead, the adepts entertained themselves by gathering in groups and conversing while sipping their drinks. Most of the time, they weren't even talking out loud. They mostly communicated through mental messages and voice transmissions.

  Greem soon realized the abnormality of today's banquet after walking through the feast.

  The banquet seemed to belong to the young adepts!

  Almost all the adepts appeared to be below a hundred years old. Many of them hadn't even advanced for more than ten years.

  In the words of veteran adepts, these would be adepts who were still 'stinking with the smell of milk.' These adepts were the ones full of passion and dreams. Their conversational topics never fell far off from adventure, fights, and sensual pleasure.

  Unlike veteran adepts, newly advanced adepts did not have any resource reserves. Most of what they had saved up had likely been exhausted during their advancement ceremony. Thus, this was the time where they were the most full of passion yet also when they were the poorest.

  The more profound research always required knowledge they didn't have. The more prominent labs always needed more resources for better facilities that they didn't possess. Consequently, the young adepts would rush to go on adventures and exploration after stabilizing their Spirit.

  They had no ability or right to participate in the faction conflicts within the clan or to benefit from such disputes. The planar wars of the planes beyond were far too dangerous. The best option left for the newly advanced adepts was to form exploration parties and head into the nearest stretches of the Black Forest.

  As long as they were cautious and kept out of the genuinely hazardous areas, the Black Forest was a treasure trove waiting for them to find. It was rich with resources. Magical creatures, mutated monsters, corruptors, woodland beasts. These living beings existed in abundance within the Black Forest. Many of the sentient lifeforms even possessed intelligence that could rival adepts. If they could catch them, they would be able to sell them to high-grade adepts for large sums of money, or they could use it for their research. Both were good options.

  And this was the true path of ascension and rigorous training that a newly advanced adept had to tread upon!

  Newly advanced adepts that were thrown into planar wars, like Greem, were the first to die. Greem would have followed in their footsteps if it hadn't been for all the trump cards and aces he had hidden up his sleeve.

  Naturally, his tremendous feats brought him a lot of attention from the guests. Both male and female adepts raised their wine glasses and approached him to engage in passionate conversation. Some of the hastier female adepts even took the initiative to invite Greem to their party to go venturing in ruins they had discovered.

  Greem didn't dare to look down upon the ruins that they mentioned.

  It was true that most of the places were ruins left from ancient times and had no real value. It wasn't hard to imagine why. Countless generations of past adepts would have looted anything that was worthwhile. Why would there even be a speck of dust left?

  That said, an exception existed for everything!

  Following the exile of the Great Adepts a few tens of thousands of years ago, plenty of their secret labs and personal rooms had surfaced to the view of the public.

  These Great Adepts had been powerful individuals and often placed their homes and laboratories deep in the Black Forest or the Underground World. Odd ruins were even discovered in some of the islands of the Boundless Sea.

  Exploring such ruins was a real test of an adept's luck!

  The fortunate ones would be able to find hidden ruins that had already been explored by high-grade adepts. They would then be able to make a profit off of the resources and materials that the high-grade adepts hadn't deemed worthy enough to loot. These explored ruins were often safe. On the other hand, the unfortunate ones might find themselves in an ancient Great Adept's ruins that were still functional. That was not fortune. It was most definitely a curse.

  It didn't matter whether it was defensive arrays left over from ancient times, voodoo beasts that survived the test of time, or even curses-laden traps. Not a single one of them was within the ability of an ordinary adept to survive!

  Any exploration into an ancient ruin warranted extreme caution. The number of annual adept deaths in such ruins was very high. That said, a single success and a profitable harvest from some ruins could immediately propel an adept to success and a comfortable life.

  Apart from adventures and fighting, the favorite topic of the young adepts was sex!

  The first hundred years of time was a period where the newly advanced adepts were significantly limited in what they could do. Without resources and power, they could only return to the endless grind of collecting and gathering resources, materials, and knowledge. Thus, they spent the rest of their time on sensual pleasure. Sex, in particular, was their preferred outlet.

  It didn't matter whether the adept was male or female. The adepts would get together and sleep together as long as they found their partners pleasing to the eyes. Even if they got sick of their more respectable, higher-class adept companions, they still had plenty of choices around them.

  The pseudo-adepts and advanced apprentices desperate for resources and attention were their best targets. Some of the adepts with heavier tastes would even set their sights on handsome humanoid creatures after they finished toying with all their apprentices.

  Good-looking male and female slaves always cost the most in auctions held for low-grade adepts. The price would be further pushed to even more absurd levels if it was an exotic race with unique skills!

  As far as Greem knew, elves, centaurs, succubi, lust demons, child giants, forest spirits, and mermaids were considered the most desirable products. Most of the time, you wouldn't even be able to purchase one with magical crystals. You had to trade with something of equal value.

  The succubus that Greem had seen in the World of Deep Red, back in the Underground Cave of Dagon, had been the shared plaything of the adepts stationed in that tower.

  Greem had already come up with a conclusion about the nature of the adepts before this– all adepts were selfish, arrogant, narcissistic beings that lacked restraints from an external force. Consequently, all their actions were reckless and dangero
us.

  However, now that he saw the passionate looks that all the young female adepts were giving him, he added an addendum to that conclusion of his! The adepts were wild!

  All the young adepts were exceptionally beautiful. The way they dressed also exposed a great deal of skin.

  The carefully tailored adept's robes didn't obscure their perfect curves. In fact, they further emphasized their full bosoms. The cut in their skirts that ran almost all the way to their stomachs completely put their thighs on display.

  With all these sexy and seductive female adepts teasing him and rubbing their bodies against his, even the apathetic and uninterested Greem had to tug at his collar a little and down a couple of glasses of chilled wine.

  Greem might claim to be one of those with 'plenty of experiences,' but most of his experience remained in the memories of his past life. Compared to him, any one of these female adepts could easily be considered a true veteran of lust and desire. A few of their tricks were all they needed to silence a rookie like Greem.

  Fortunately, just as Greem was about to crack under the teasing of the passionate adepts and run away awkwardly, someone came to his rescue. Meryl. She had been wandering around the hall with no real aim.

  Greem nodded apologetically at the female adepts out of courtesy and grabbed Meryl's arm. He then pretended to have an intimate conversation with her as he dragged her to a corner of the hall.

  "Hehe," Meryl couldn't help but cover her mouth and giggle, "Who would have known? Sir Greem isn't all that good at dealing with these passionate witches. ...I wasn't talking to you just now. I was talking to Sir Greem. You should have seen that. Sir Greem was so awkward when he was chased around by a group of female adepts earlier."

  The latter half of Meryl's words weren't directed at Greem. She was pressing her right ear and talking with someone else under her breath.

  Greem looked over to her ears and was shocked to find the Qiraji Crystal that Meryl had put by her ears and cleverly concealed with some spells.

  "You… you've been talking with Alice all this while?" Greem was tongue-tied.

  "Yea, I know… " Meryl balled her hands into fists as she excitedly said, "Lady Alice is way too cool. She's got her own enormous adept's tower. She even made me describe everything happening in the banquet earlier. We were having so much fun."

  Greem felt himself sweat at the mere thought of what was happening. As expected, the gossipy nature of girls was the same no matter which world you happened to stumble into!

  Forty or fifty thousand miles away, and they still tried to perform instant communications. Women were the scariest when they wasted resources like this.

  "Sir Greem, do you want to talk to Lady Alice?" Meryl lifted her head and looked towards Greem.

  Greem hesitated for a moment and firmly rejected the offer.

  Meryl whispered into the crystal and started chuckling. Greem could vaguely hear Alice's crisp and entertained laugh from the other end.

  He tugged his collar again.

  For some reason, the room felt even warmer now!

  Chapter 388 Pinecone Town

  Pinecone Town.

  As the last human settlement east of the Ailovis area, Pinecone Town was a necessary stop for all who wanted to enter and exit the Black Forest. It was also one of the regions labeled as extremely unsafe by the Zhentarim Association, due to the frequent magical creature attacks.

  The skies slowly turned gray as evening arrived.

  A black carriage rode towards the small town of Pinecone. Greem pushed aside the curtains of the carriage and carefully assessed everything around him.

  Vast stretches of mountains took up his entire vision, with tall, ancient trees growing all over the uneven landscape. A single winding path snaked through the green scenery.

  The carriage he had hired was traveling upon this mountain path.

  The middle-aged man who handled the horses at the front leaned back to remind Greem, "Sir Adept, you must sit properly. We are going to have to speed up now. This path is still safe during the day, but it becomes hazardous once night falls. We must get to Pinecone Town before that happens!"

  Greem nodded and didn't say anything else.

  He also saw what was happening. All the carriages journeying along this path were also increasing their speed as the skies slowly turned dark. The coachmen were in no mood to talk, even when they passed by each other. They were trying their best to hurry to their destinations.

  The carriages continued to speed along the mountain road. The further they went, they more uneven the path and the rockier the ride. However, before night arrived, the carriage arrived at its destination– Pinecone Town.

  Pinecone Town was said to be a human settlement, but it was more like a military outpost.

  It was a military outpost that was fenced in by tall, thick wooden fences!

  Greem had visited countless villages and cities, but he had never seen a place so securely guarded.

  The thick and tall wooden fence was constructed with solid lumber from ancient trees in the nearby forests. The wall itself was three meters tall, with its tips sharpened into an edge, threatening to spear anyone that dared to breach its defenses. A thick metal plate hung from the outside of the wooden door. Massive copper nails kept the metal plate in place.

  Battlements had been built on the fences. Watchtowers and sentry towers had been constructed all around the perimeter. Guards could be seen patrolling along the top of the wooden walls.

  The true face of Pinecone Town was slowly revealed to Greem as his carriage drove into town.

  This place was a rural and sparsely populated town.

  There was only a single main street that cut through the town, while almost a hundred wooden buildings stood along each side of the road. This area was the majority of the city. Some of the large buildings displayed wooden signs that informed the people of their uses.

  There was an inn, a bar, an ironsmith's, a grocery store and arcane shops.

  To think that he would find arcane shops in such a rural place! Greem couldn't help but be amazed by the ubiquity of magic in this world.

  The black carriage soon stopped in front of a crude two-level wooden building. It was also the only inn within the town.

  Greem got off the carriage, and the first thing he saw was the innkeeper. He was a middle-aged man with short brown hair, rough gray linen clothes, and a smile plastered on his face.

  The smile on his face became even wider when he saw the telltale adept's robe Greem wore. His expression was respectful, but there wasn't fear in his eyes. It was clear that this innkeeper was someone that frequently worked with adepts.

  "I need a clean and comfortable room!" Greem stood before the innkeeper with his staff in his hands. His two-meter body cast a shadow so long that it almost completely covered the innkeeper, "Also, I wish to recruit a small group of adventurers. I want you to help me spread the news."

  "As you wish!" The innkeeper nodded and bowed, "Please come with me!"

  The arrival of an official adept had caused a visible commotion in the small town. All the mercenaries, adventurers, and apprentice adepts became even more agitated when Innkeeper Jack announced the news of the adept's recruitment.

  Pinecone Town might not have looked like much, but it was a famous town around the Ailovis area.

  The entrance to the Black Forest was less than five kilometers northeast of the city. If you Walked into the forest, you would find plenty of strange plants, beasts, and creatures that you would never see in an ordinary forest.

  As the last stop for supplies before the Black Forest, everyone who wanted to venture into the Black Forest had to stop and rest in Pinecone Town.

  The Black Forest was dangerous, but it was still possible to make a profit while keeping your life as long as you made sure not to go in too deep. Valuable magical plants and beasts could be found at the edges of the forest. An experienced team of adventurers with a proper balance of professions had a significant ch
ance of obtaining these spoils of war.

  The arcane shop in the town was specially built to accommodate these adventurers. The shop provided them with much needed magical items, while the store also bought magical goods from the adventurers.

  …………

  Apart from a bed, a wooden desk, and a chair, Greem's room was bare. The furniture seemed to have been crafted from the lumber obtained nearby. The furniture hadn't been specially processed or refined, but still retained the unique fragrance of wood.

  The living conditions here were incredibly crude.

  That said, considering where this was, Greem couldn't complain.

  In comparison, the inn served pretty decent food.

  Soft bread, thick vegetable soup, and the ribs of an unknown beast that the cook had roasted to golden perfection were on the menu. Greem tasted the food and was satisfied. There was a wild flavor to the cuisine, and the ribs were extremely filling as well.

  Greem had never discussed the price of all this with Innkeeper Jack. Naturally, the shrewd innkeeper made sure to serve the best of his wares to Greem.

  Price?

  Adepts had never cared about gold and silver. Pleasure was all that they pursued.

  It was one of the reasons Jack had been so excited about welcoming Greem!

  Compared to the calculating adventurers and stingy apprentices that liked to put on facades of generosity, adepts were the best guests. Gold coins were never a problem for them.

  Greem finally finished his meal. He pushed his plates aside and slowly wiped his mouth with the napkin. Just then, Jack gave a signal to have a servant take away the dishes. He then respectfully went up to Greem and said, "Sir Adept, everyone you need has been assembled downstairs. Should we…?"

  "Bring me downstairs!" Greem reached for the Blaze of Destruction that had been placed by the table. He then walked out of the room ahead of the innkeeper.

  Adventurers that had answered Greem's call of recruitment filled the first-floor lobby. There were about fifty or sixty of them, and even some apprentice-adept's were mixed in among their ranks. These were individuals that were hardy enough to have made a living in the Black Forest. Every one of them was a large and muscular man. Their every action had a murderous aura to it.