Age of Adepts c1-1513

by Zhen De Lao Lang, 真的老狼

  It was clear that Giant Brain Gazlowe was keeping a tight guard over the space furnace to ensure Alice didn't continue tossing unhealthy stuff into it. He was using his massive and strict mental consciousness to guard the area around the furnace firmly. Any external attacks were unlikely to reach the space furnace with this psychic barrier of his. Of course, this also included Alice's short-distance spatial teleportation.

  While Gazlowe might no longer need to worry about Alice's tricks through this method, his body was also rooted to the spot. He couldn't risk leaving the location for even a single moment. Otherwise, there was no reason that a Third Grade monster like himself needed to lower himself to negotiation with Second Grade Zacha just for the sake of killing a First Grade witch.

  As such, Alice required the constant accompaniment of a bodyguard now. Giant Brain Gazlowe would always be on the lookout for an opportunity to strike and eliminate this damned witch that represented the biggest threat to him. As for the verbal agreement they had just established; placing faith upon an individual's integrity in a situation of power imbalance was a laughable act in and of itself!

  Perhaps because he sensed the strength in Greem's eyes, the giant brain floating above the space furnace brandished his dozen brain nerves and laid down a few more mental barriers around himself. He cut off all possibility of teleporting into the interior of the space furnace.

  As a new surge magic energy flowed into the planar hall via the pipes, Second Grade Dragonborn Zacha assembled his seventeen subordinates into a formation and led them in an assault towards Greem and his adepts. It seemed they were trying to rely on their overall strength to force the adepts out of the hall.

  The adepts who were slaughtering the army of goblins promptly retreated in the face of these new enemies. They set up a simple perimeter in front of Greem. Greem also stepped forward and transformed into a giant flame humanoid in an instant. From a distance, he stood off against Second Grade Zacha from Rance.

  If this were an ordinary enemy he was dealing with, Greem would have spared the small talk and immediately started the fight. However, the attitudes of adepts drastically changed when facing an individual that might be of a higher plane as well.

  At the very least, the adepts demonstrated absolute rationality and restraint before these dragonborn!

  "We are adepts of the Sarubo Clan of the Zhentarim Area of the World of Adepts. This world belongs to us. If you, sir, do not wish to start a planar conflict, then you had best remove yourself from this world immediately!" Greem didn't seem to have any intention to retreat, even though this was his first time dealing with a situation like this. He displayed the usual arrogance and forcefulness of the adepts in his words.

  Greem had intended to use the Greem Clan as their title, but in the end, he chose the Sarubo Clan for a better intimidation effect. After all, the Sarubo Clan still had a Sixth Grade Great Adept as their leader. Things would be much simpler if the enemy also recognized the Sarubo Clan.

  However, if he claimed to be of the Greem Clan and allowed the enemy to immediately know that the ruler of the clan was only a Second Grade adept, the enemies would be a lot less apprehensive. They might even think of utterly exterminating his party!

  Greem's arrogant proclamation immediately evoked the rage of the dragonborn. They raised their electric spears in anger and roared in the slow and heavy-sounding Dragontongue to express their fury at the adepts.

  Second Grade Dragonborn Scout Leader Zacha blinked with his four amber eyes of two different sizes; he carefully sized up the adept leader in front of him.

  This was an elementium adept with the same grade as himself.

  However, considering the low-magic environment of the Goblin Plane, the effects of the planar suppression should be a lot harsher on him. After all, the Dragonborn preferred to use their muscular bodies to crush their enemies, aside from their use of elementium powers. The adept, on the other hand, used only elementium as his means of attack. His physical strength wasn't all that much and was much more affected by the environment they were in.

  Even though they were both Second Grade, Zacha was extremely confident he could beat the adept while they were in the Goblin Plane.

  It was because of this factor that Zacha still possessed a tremendous psychological advantage when facing off with the domineering Greem.

  Zacha might be one of the smarter individuals among the Dragonborn, but his understanding of the mysterious adepts was still extremely limited due to his narrow world view. All he knew about the World of Adepts was that it was a terrifying large-sized plane populated with evil and villainous adepts.

  They knew not what was mercy and justice was.

  They would step out of their plane, endlessly going in search of weak lower planes before sending their evil and terrifying adepts to conquer those planes.

  They exploited and robbed resources from every place they visited, taking the land for their own, scouring the civilizations for their knowledge.

  They proclaimed themselves as the servants of knowledge, wandering everywhere in search of the truth of the world.

  They were all knowledgeable and powerful individuals. However, the most fearsome factor about the adepts were their attitudes towards other races.

  In the eyes of the adepts, there was no such thing as friends or companions.

  The only thing that could keep adepts together was the promise of benefit and a common goal.

  They could be wise sages debating with eyeglasses resting upon their noses. They could be butchers that slaughtered an entire race of tens of millions without batting an eye. They could be hardworking scholars spending their lives in tedious research and experiments.

  Because there were so many mysterious facets to the adepts, Zacha couldn't help but be on his guard when he first came face to face with an adept from the World of Adepts.

  The Zhentarim Area? Sarubo Clan?

  What were these?

  He had only vaguely heard of three powerful adept organizations existing on the World of Adepts. The Zhentarim didn't seem to be one of them. And who was this Sarubo person? Was he a Third Grade adept or a Fourth Grade?

  However, these questions only lasted for a single second in Zacha's mind before being answered by a 'Samaritan.' Gazlowe, having stolen all the information from Sabrina's mind, made the kind gesture of sending all information he had on Greem to Zacha. It was all to drive away Zacha's fear and doubts.

  A newly established adept clan that had yet to determine their name. The strongest of their group was the young Clan Leader Greem that stood before them right now. He was only Second Grade.

  Dragonborn Scout Leader Zacha's attitude towards Greem immediately changed with the introduction of this information.

  "You want us to retreat and hand this world over to you? Kehkehkeh," Zacha let out an unrestrained laugh, "That will have to depend on whether you have the power to make us do so!"

  Greem's face forged of fire shone brilliantly. A terrifying and blinding red light spilled out of his eyes.

  "If that's the case, then let us battle to our heart's content!"

  Chapter 535 Life as Cheap as Grass

  A battle between Second Grade lifeforms was drastically different from a fight between First Grades.

  It didn't matter whether it was the First Grade adepts or the First Grade dragonborn; all of them were merely rookies that had only just stepped into the ranks of supernatural beings. They might be superhuman in some aspects and be fundamentally different from ordinary lifeforms, but at their very core, there were still many aspects to them that were limited by their past racial identities.

  Take First Grade human adepts for example. They might already possess supernatural powers, but their energy output was still inferior to magical creatures of the same grade. The main reason for this was the tremendous amount of damage that magic power could deal to the caster if too much of it were flowing through their veins at a single instant.

  However, most human adepts woul
d have completed assimilation with some form of elementium magic upon advancing to Second Grade. When that happened, their mortal bodies would no longer be the limitation to the might of their magic. It is only then that an adept could fully unleash their strength.

  When Second Grade Greem transformed into the fearsome flame fiend, his terrifying flames and immense heat surrounded everyone. It didn't matter whether it was the mighty dragonborn or the goblins hiding in their magical machines. All of them could very clearly feel the terror of a Second Grade fire adept!

  The previously lukewarm underground hall instantly turned into a hell of magma and incinerating flames. Lava flowed everywhere, and streams of fire blasted here and there.

  The metal floor and all the rocks in the room glowed red from the frightening heat. The thick hooves of the dragonborn sizzled from contact with the ground. The limited amount of clothes they had on them ignited with the rapid rise in the room's temperature.

  A deep breath in such an environment would introduce scorching winds to one's weak and unprotected lungs. Ordinary creatures would be turned into mummies within three seconds of exposure to Greem's Ring of Fire. Five seconds and they would be reduced to ashes due to combustion from concentrated fire elementium.

  As Greem expanded his Ring of Fire, the First Grade dragonborn had no choice but to step back and frantically retreat from the reach of the red barrier. The adepts standing in front of Greem also quickly fled to the side, leaving the battlefield to the two Second Grade leaders.

  Even the First Grade adepts who were extremely confident in their abilities didn't dare to test the might of the Second Grade dragonborn leader so easily. The Dragonborn was different from the Second Grade magical machines of the Goblin Plane. The Second Grade machines of the Goblin Plane might have all sorts of flaws and weaknesses, but the Dragonborn was different. He was from a higher plane, and his strength couldn't be compared to the goblins.

  When Greem's Ring of Fire engulfed Zacha, a brilliant flash of cold blue electricity emerged from his body. The powers of electricity clashed with the forces of fire, causing a layer of colorful lights to appear around Zacha.

  Zacha's hooves started to move with this coat of colors around him. He picked up speed and launched a ferocious assault at Greem. Zacha's muscular body provided him with incomparably violent physical prowess. When he brandished his electric spear and stabbed at Greem, the electric spear forged from special materials created tens of thousands of silver, snake-like arcs from the friction with the air. These arcs of lightning lunged at the opponent.

  Greem would never dare to take on such a savage attack from a Second Grade powerhouse head-on, regardless of how confident he was in himself.

  His body paused for a moment and instantly vanished in a blast of flames. He then appeared twenty meters to the side of Zacha, and a storm of magma fireballs arose along with Greem.

  Shu! Shu! Shu!

  A chain of five magma fireballs crashed toward Zacha simultaneously. However, all of them were destroyed by forked lightning that the dragonborn launched to the side. Red boiling lava splashed everywhere when the crimson fireballs exploded. They became a rain of lava that covered an extensive area.

  Zacha's broad hooves stomped against the red floor. His lithe body quickly turned back and avoided the rain of lava with an agility that couldn't be reproduced by a human body. Zacha promptly switched directions and surged at Greem.

  Twenty meters of distance was far too close for Second Grade creatures!

  A quick lunge and his long arms, paired with the four-meter-long electric spear, allowed Zacha to reach Greem in a single breath.

  One had to mention the size of the hall in this fight. The underground area was wide and spacious, but that was only relative to the goblins. This place was undoubtedly too narrow for two Second Grade creatures fighting with all they had. It was a lousy place for elementium adepts who relied on long-ranged spells.

  However, Greem was no ordinary Second Grade adept!

  After failing to catch Zacha by surprise, Greem ignored the electric spear that was about to stab him. Instead, he pointed downward with both of his hands as a powerful Doomsday Volcano erupted at the spot that Zacha was about to set foot.

  Doomsday Volcano was an area-of-effect fire spell.

  It would cause a small volcanic eruption in an area specified by the caster.

  When the Doomsday Volcano erupted, a frightening hot surge of lava blasted out from underground, sending the enemy flying into the skies while bathing them in a shower of lava. The volcanic eruption only lasted for thirteen seconds, but the temperature of the lava would reach more than three thousand degrees.

  Ordinary creatures would be vaporized from slight contact with the blazing winds caused by the lava, not to mention actually bathing in the stuff.

  Zacha didn't manage to dodge due to him not picking up on the spell in time. He happened to step right upon the core area of the Doomsday Volcano's eruption.

  Scorching air broke out of the earth and blew against the indigo scales of Zacha's lower body.

  Zacha immediately retracted his spear when he saw himself destabilized and about to be blasted upwards by the air current. He thrust his spear into the rock beneath him with all his strength. The erupting Doomsday Volcano had its spell structure disrupted by a sudden flow of arcing electricity and was promptly canceled.

  Greem took the opportunity of the enemy shattering the spell to retreat further. His body exploded into flames and reformed in an area fifty meters away.

  There were nearly a hundred goblin soldiers in the place where Greem had teleported. However, with Greem's appearance, the portion of flame powers he wasn't controlling spread to his surroundings and quickly dragged the goblins into a blazing hell.

  Greem hadn't intended to attack the goblins. It was merely the usual dispersion of energy from his Fire Teleportation.

  However, this insignificant amount of energy for a Second Grade adept was a disaster for the hundred goblin soldiers.

  The goblin soldiers didn't even have a chance to run. They were reduced to cinders in a wave of fire. Their bodies instantly turned to ashes; only parts of their armor and magic energy weapons remained. These metal pieces clinked as they hit the ground.

  Just then, Zacha pointed to the skies with his spear. A blinding flash of lightning swiftly crashed down upon Greem.

  The bloodline talent of the Dragonborn– Lightningfall!

  The Dragonborn weren't skilled at magic, but they still had the blood of Thunder Dragons running through their veins. They could easily cast some of the cruder lightning spells as they wished. Zacha had a plan in mind when he called down this blast of lightning. The thunderstrike possessed a unique paralyzing and restrictive effect.

  The blinding lightning smashed through two Fire Shields and one energy shield before exhausting all of its energy. The lightning's aftershock came in the form of tens of thousands of tiny snake-like arcs. These small arcs of electricity crackled around Greem, forcefully preventing him from using his Fire Teleportation.

  Zacha took this opportunity to close in on Greem rapidly.

  In less than two seconds, Zacha had made it a distance of forty meters and appeared beside Greem.

  Greem frowned slightly. He tapped the ground hard with the Blaze of Destruction, and a Flame Halo of Repulsion blasted out of his body.

  The strength of the Flame Halo was extremely negligible. It was only twenty points in power. However, the most powerful part about the spell was its strong physical shockwave.

  Zacha had just reached Greem's side and had barely destroyed one Magma Shield when he was pushed away by a wave of fire that had enveloped his body. His subsequent attacks naturally missed!

  Greem, on the other hand, took this opportunity to reward the Dragonborn with a Scarlet Firestorm, then teleported away before he could be caught.

  The two Second Grade powerhouses from different planes started a ferocious battle to the death with the underground hall as t
heir battlefield.

  All goblins, adepts, and dragonborn kept their heads low and maintained a distance from them wherever they went. Even so, some of the slower individuals still died to the devouring flames or the suddenly enlarged iron hooves.

  Half an hour ago, the furious Princess Vanessa had led her goblin army to find trouble with the adepts. Yet her army was now scrambling around the hall with no discipline to speak of. They were fearfully avoiding the aftershocks from the battle between those two monsters.

  Never had Princess Vanessa so clearly felt her own insignificance and weakness!

  The value of their existence might not even compare to a shiny ore in the eyes of these foreign invaders. At least a metal ore could attract the attention and appraisal of these powerful individuals, while they, the goblins… their lives were as insignificant as dust on the ground, blown to the winds with a gust of hot wind.

  At this moment, at this critical moment for the Goblin Plane, even Vanessa the Goblin Princess had no choice but to run around the hall with a company of her soldiers.

  They would run forward, and a wave of fire would brush past them. A dozen goblins burned to ashes!

  The panicking soldiers would then scream as they headed in the other direction.

  However, before they could even make it several dozen meters away, a terrifying blast of lightning would crash to the ground. An apocalyptic tide of electricity would ravage them, and yet another dozen goblins were dust in the wind.

  Princess Vanessa's will utterly shattered. She stumbled about, running without any sense of direction.

  For the first time in her life, an irrepressible thought arose in her heart.

  Sometimes, living was more important and more valuable than dignity!

  Though she had clearly understood this far too late.

  Chapter 536 Change of Situation

  The damage dealt to the underground hall by two Second Grade powerhouses fighting with all they had was incredibly obvious.

  The giant brain hovered high above the space furnace, his potent Spirit keeping full sight over every development of the events happening in the room. He might have advanced into a Third Grade monster, but his innate talents made him unsuited for direct conflict. He could only mostly use his massive Spirit for assimilating alchemical and engineered magical machines.