Age of Adepts c1-1513

by Zhen De Lao Lang, 真的老狼

  The good news was that this strange bug could indeed rob a host creature of their innate abilities.

  The bad news was that the talents it robbed were shattered and non-sequential. There was absolutely no way of putting the talent back together in its complete form through any experimental methods they could think of.

  Even Tula didn't know what kind of ability the strange adolescent bug would obtain once it broke out of Medusa. Gaining Medusa's complete petrification abilities was impossible. However, there was a decent chance that a weakened version, in the form of a Paralyzing Gaze, could form.

  There probably wasn't an adept in this world who could clearly explain how a strange magical ability like this one had come into existence.

  That was perhaps the main reason why the World of Adepts had always been enveloped in a potent, mysterious force!

  Chapter 475 Biological Laboratory

  A talent-stealing bug!

  The Chip's experimental data showed that these bugs could only perform one instance of talent-stealing through their entire lives. It triggered at the moment they transformed from larvae into an actual insect.

  Moreover, the bug's talent-stealing ability had its limits.

  Seventeen percent of genetic segments was the upper limit on the amount of talent that the bug could steal from its host. Any more than this limit and the excessive foreign genetic segments would cause the bug's own genes to tilt towards instability and result in the chain collapse of its genetic structure.

  That obviously didn't reach Greem's goal of being able to obtain 100% of a lifeform's genetic chain!

  The World of Adepts was so large and prosperous. Even Greem himself would not believe it if you claimed that no adept had ever discovered the unique ability of this strange bug. However, as the World of Adepts had yet to develop a complete microscopic system, even the most potent adept of this world could only extend their magical abilities to the level of molecules.

  Any further, where magical research reached the levels of the atom, and even the high-grade adepts could not do anything.

  It was an inevitability!

  On the Earth of Greem's previous life, the low-magic world and the non-existence of supernatural powers had given birth to precise and delicate scientific procedures. Even the most ordinary member of humanity could observe phenomenon at a level even more microscopic than a molecular one with the help of microscopes and other similar apparatus.

  On the other hand, in a high-magic society, even a mortal could heal their wounds with a simple Circle of Healing. If that didn't work, all they had to do was drink a vial of healing potion concocted with Water of Life. That would practically bring back the dead and even restore vitality and youth.

  It was because of this convenience and mystical nature of their supernatural powers that all adepts would treat their magical abilities as the only direction of thought when they confronted a problem. It indirectly caused a severe lag in the development of other disciplines, such as the natural sciences, human sciences, social sciences, and the empirical sciences.

  A system of magic had unavoidably replaced all of these!

  Earth had organ transplants. High-magic worlds also had magic transplants. Moreover, they were quicker, more convenient, and a lot more straightforward and brutal in their processes. The adept that participated in the surgery didn't even need to be well-versed in human organs and dissection. They only needed to know one single spell that was Organ Activation.

  You couldn't underestimate the adepts because of how messy their dissection and operations were. They were often so bloody that the operation platform looked like a slaughterhouse. However, the lifeforms of high-magic worlds also possessed potent life forces, almost ten times that of life on Earth. Even the crudest of operation conditions and the roughest of operating procedures didn't matter. When the radiance of supernatural powers shone on the subject of the operation, they would still be full of life as they climbed down from the operating platform.

  Earth had artificial intelligence. You could find a similar thing in a high-magic world, such as the tower spirits that top-tier adept's towers possessed.

  In fact, while people on Earth were still concerned about the possibility of artificial intelligence turning against them, the adepts had already tamed the tower spirits into the most loyal and reliable servants one could find. Many adepts spent their entire lives in their adept's tower. Some extremely passionate adepts even merged their unfortunately deceased lover's soul with the tower's spirit to achieve their goal of forever being with their love.

  Separating the soul and merging the soul with a different substance was a level of technology that Earth could not be involved in even if they advanced by leaps and bounds.

  Thus, two completely different civilizations were born in two different environments, where the material conditions were not all that different.

  A scientific civilization and a magical civilization!

  Greem was witness to both civilizations. He was an adept himself, yet the Chip in his mind was the crystallization of scientific culture. When he tried his best to reconcile both civilizations, he came into possession of a worldview and a soul that was far superior to those of an ordinary adept.

  When other adepts were in his position, they were still obsessed with all sorts of scheming, plotting, and fighting for power and authority. However, Greem only thought of tearing away the veil covering his eyes to allow him to gaze upon the truth of this world with his own eyes!

  It was this amazingly high perspective on life that allowed Greem to perceive the value and power of this mysterious bug instantly.

  Of course, an ordinary adept would be hard-pressed to access such power. Only an individual like himself, who was well-versed in both civilizations, could forge an alternative path and discover a method to exceed the upper limit of the genetic segment absorption.

  For the next few days, Greem spent most of his time and energy on researching the strange bugs. While he had yet to develop any breakthroughs, he had managed to test and verify all the various substitute plans that the Chip had suggested.

  Currently, Greem was working as hard as he could to try and extract that mysterious substance within the strange bug that allowed for the stealing of genes. It was a process that exhausted both time and energy!

  …………

  The biological lab was filled with fantastical lights of all colors.

  The wall was radiating with a bright but soft white light that illuminated the entire room.

  A dozen large, semi-translucent cocoons stood in the middle of the lab. There was a thick layer of fleshy substance beneath the enormous cocoons. This substance had grown all across the floorboards of the lab, like a carpet of moss. Some parts of it had even extended to the walls.

  The cocoons connected to the carpet of substance with several thick fleshy vessels. These vessels climbed around the surface of the cocoons, growing all over the place like the blood vessels of a human heart. They were continuously pumping a light-yellow nutritious substance into the cocoon.

  Through the membrane, one could vaguely see embryos of various sizes floating within the cocoons. One could tell from the different sizes and traits of the embryos that they were the various development and maturity stages of the same lifeform after asexual reproduction.

  The mysterious bug that Greem had captured from Medusa's body was floating in the massive cocoon at the center of all the others. The stinger of the mysterious insect hung limply from its body as if suspended in a state of deep anesthesia.

  The owner of this biological lab, Greem, was currently pacing between the cocoons. He silently observed the evolutionary development course of each and every embryo.

  As he lacked the support of exact sciences, it was virtually impossible for Greem to reconstruct, from scratch, a biological lab that resembled that of Earth's. That was why Greem leaned upon the thinking of Earth's biological sciences and used the techniques of the magical civilization to construct th
is unusual organic lab in the end.

  The nutrient solution sustaining the lives of the bug and the embryos contained all the nutrients that a creature needed to evolve. It was a mysterious potion that Gargamel, the head potions-master of Fire Throne, had carefully synthesized per Greem's instructions and requirements.

  When submerged in the potion, any lifeform would be able to rapidly evolve from their infant forms to their adolescent forms under its stimulation. Moreover, this process was entirely manipulable. The concentration of the potion being fed to the embryos was always in the hands of the owner of this lab, Greem.

  The strange bug was incredibly precious. Greem had carefully scoured Tula's nest after the whole incident and had not managed to find a second one like it. Thus, to avoid destroying such a valuable experimental sample due to his own mistakes, Greem had to cultivate replacements for this strange bug en masse before he attempted to extract its genetic sequence.

  Even though this bug was only a larva itself, Greem had still managed to successfully extract its genetic material thanks to the Chip's profound scanning abilities.

  What followed was his earnest attempt to cultivate Strange Bug Two, Strange Bug Three, Strange Bug Four…

  The dissection and extraction of genes could finally begin once the strange bug sample was no longer unique.

  Greem quickly arrived in front of a cocoon. A misshapen piece of flesh the size of a palm floated in the yellow nutrient solution within. A dozen long, fleshy appendages hung limply around the portion of tissue. These appendages were waved about, allowing it to swim in the cocoon like a fish freely.

  There were no visible orifices or organs on it, and no hidden life systems could be detected within the piece of flesh either. However, when Greem's gaze fell upon the flesh through the membrane, it stopped all its activities like a frightened critter. It sank back to the bottom of the cocoon without moving again.

  Playing dead?

  That should be a survival ability that only lifeforms of average intelligence should have access to, shouldn't it?!

  Could this insignificant piece of flesh already possess intelligence that rivaled ordinary lifeforms?

  Greem sighed silently.

  The mysticality of the life systems in the World of Adepts was beyond the limits of his imagination. Any of his past understanding and rules were going to be in the way of his future research and exploration. Getting rid of his fixed mindset was the most important thing if he wanted to improve in this brand new system and study the arcane arts.

  Greem silently drew a rune in the air and shot it into the moss carpet below him.

  The vessels surrounding the membrane trembled slightly, and concentrated life potion injected into the membrane. Greem leaned on the cocoon and stared unblinkingly at the piece of flesh to look for a response.

  The piece of flesh that had been playing dead started to tremble tremendously under the stimulation of the powerful nutrient solution. The one dozen appendages shrunk back into its body as it began to swell and transform.

  In Greem's spiritual senses and the clear scans that the Chip was feeding to him, the piece of flesh continually absorbed the nutrient solution into its body, quickly turning the nutrients into tissue structures and internal organs. Some muscles and bones appeared out of nowhere. They were gradually growing and shaping up while being pulled to their appropriate positions by the attached muscles and fibers. These bones and muscles were being pieced together into the skeleton of a strange bug.

  This process was mystical and miraculous. It had both the rigidity of the biological sciences and the wonder of arcane arts. Greem couldn't help but be impressed as he watched.

  Yet, at the moment the strange bug's skeletal structure was about to be completed, An unknown genetic quake suddenly destroyed everything.

  Several chains snapped at the genetic level, causing the evolving bug to explode into a bloody paste.

  The explosion was so uniform that not a single piece of the lifeform's flesh remained in the cocoon. All the tissue had been ground into a paste, coloring the membrane of the cocoon a blinding crimson color.

  Greem straightened his body in disappointment.

  Multiple notifications from the Chip popped up in his mind.

  [Beep. Sample cloning attempt 125 failed. Reason for failure: a fracture in genetic chains. It is recommended to destroy the remains of the sample.]

  Chapter 476 The Witch Council

  The entirety of the Northern Lands belonged to the witches.

  The once incomparably powerful thirteen witch branches had split the Northern Lands into thirteen interconnected territories. These thirteen territories surrounded a neutral land that spanned up to fifty kilometers.

  It was the location of the Witch Council– Werning!

  Werning was also a mega-city of its own. It possessed an impressive population of nearly three hundred thousand individuals. The most famous building in the city was the Council Hall that sat in the center of the city. It was a sacred and holy land where only the witch leaders could gather to discuss their matters.

  Every witch branch had their territories and had to manage all of their own external affairs. The witch leaders would never waste their precious time arguing in the council of this rural area if it wasn't a matter of great importance that involved all the witch branches.

  Consequently, Werning had always been under the protection of the neutral witch clan, Clan Sidonthiria. To ensure their absolute fairness and neutrality, the Sidonthiria Clan swore to defend Werning forever, and to never expand their influence even a single inch beyond the walls of Werning.

  It was the binding power of this ancient oath that allowed the unyielding flags of Clan Sidonthiria to continue waving above the skies of Werning, never changing through the years. Only seven of the thirteen witch branches remained, and the lands had changed hands many times, but the Sidonthiria remained faithful to their post.

  It was a peaceful and casual afternoon.

  Uzzah was patrolling in the skies around Werning on her flying broom with five witch apprentices flying behind her when she suddenly saw a black speck appear on the distant horizon.

  Had outsiders come to Werning?

  Uzzah frowned. She steered the flying broom with a push of her hand, and she flew towards the black dot with her party in tow.

  Patrol Captain Witch Uzzah frowned when she reached a distance of almost two hundred meters from the opponents.

  There were three guests in total. They sat on top of a magical carpet, which was one of the most common transportation tools that the Northern Witches used for group activities and transportation.

  There were three people on the magical carpet.

  The one kneeling on the very front and carefully controlling the flight of the carpet was a witch apprentice. Judging from her appearance and size, she was no more than eight or nine years old. The short apprentice's robe she wore was of a bizarre style. A symbol of scales seemed to be carved on the badge she wore on her chest. It was the first time Witch Uzzah had seen such a marker in a hundred years.

  Two foreign-looking witches sat crossed-legged behind the witch apprentice.

  The one in the lead was wearing a delicate purple and starry robe. Her head of silky silver hair flowed down her shoulders, and her face was unusually gentle and quiet. She had a pair of unforgettable blue eyes that shone with a seductive and mysterious charm.

  The witch at the very back appeared to be much weirder.

  Her figure was so muscular that she no longer resembled a woman. She wore a pirate's eyepatch over one eye and green leather armor on her body. She also held a thick wooden staff in her hands that looked unusually heavy.

  Witch Uzzah had repeatedly evaluated the newcomers before she blocked their path with her flying broom. She hadn't managed to match them to any known witches in her head.

  Finally, she couldn't help but speak.

  "Sincerest apologies, but ahead of you is Werning City! If you wish to visit this place
, please go to the ground and go in through the proper procedures. Otherwise..."

  According to the rules passed down from ancient times, no ordinary witch was allowed to fly within fifteen kilometers of Werning City. Moreover, all witches would have to undergo constant surveillance by the witches of Sidonthiria. Only witch leaders and the witches of Sidonthiria, who acted as guardians, were exempt from this rule!

  As the Witch Council had gradually been reduced to a decorative organization over the past years, the enforcement of these rules had also started becoming looser. A few thousand years ago, any ordinary witch that dared casually fly close to Werning City like this would probably have been immediately detained by the Sidonthirian Witches. They would never have been so pleasant as to come up and give a warning.

  "From what I know, some witches have the right to fly and land at the Council Hall immediately!" The pretty purple-robed witch suddenly spoke. Her voice was deep but pleasant to the ears, yet it possessed a trace of might that tolerated no disrespect.

  "Of course, this is a rule of the Witch Council," A smile of disdain surfaced on Witch Uzzah's face, "However, that rule only applies to the witch leaders of the various branches. Ordinary witches can't…"

  Witch Uzzah's voice suddenly stopped before she could finish. That was because she saw a mysterious card glowing with prismatic light in the pretty girl's upraised hand.

  "The Card of Fate?" Uzzah's knowledge was much wider than an ordinary witch's, given her capacity as a patrol captain. She could feel the genuine mystical powers from the card and couldn't help but exclaim, "You… are you Witch of Fate Alice?"

  Even though the Sidonthiria Clan stayed in Werning City and never intervened in the various tensions between the witch branches, they had still heard of the reactivation of the Tower of Fate and the rise of the new Witch of Fate.

  The Sidonthirians had also sent one or two representatives to send gifts to Alice at the conclusion of the Battle of Fate back then. These representatives had all described the new Witch of Fate Alice as an individual so mysterious that it was hard to get a grasp on her.