Age of Adepts c1-1513

by Zhen De Lao Lang, 真的老狼

  Greem thought for a moment with a frown on his face, before finally speaking up.

  “Find a way to contact Billis. Have him stop the attack against the Kamala Clan! Since the Association has already sent out Fourth Grade adepts, we might invite the fury of the old fogeys if we overdo it. The current Crimson Clan cannot yet afford to anger those Fourth Grade adepts!”

  “Understood! I will go to contact Lord Billis now.”

  Gargamel turned and left in a hurry.

  Mary, who was listening from the side, giggled and said, “Who would have thought that the little bug who shuddered at the sight of me has turned into such an important character now. He has so many of those swarms under him that even losing tens of thousands of them at once wouldn’t be a blow to him. Any clan having to deal with the invasion of such a monster would probably have a head-splitting headache. Hehe. I really do pity that Adept Yurga now!”

  Greem couldn’t help but shake his head and smile bitterly as well.

  Someone like Billis was tough to put down once you let him develop and grow. His personal combat power was not as powerful as a Second Grade adept. In fact, he probably hadn’t mastered all that many offensive spells. However, while defeating a person like him was easy, killing him was impossibly difficult.

  As long as Billis was willing to cast aside the pawns to save himself when he ran into a powerful enemy, he could easily escape. However, if he were to run into anyone weaker than himself, his newly-formed insect general squad and his endless swarms of insects were his trump cards.

  Bug Adept Billis was a near undefeated existence when the enemy didn’t have the means to counter him!

  At the very least, that was the case among Second Grade adepts.

  If Greem hadn’t left a unique mark on the assimilated bug mother ahead of time, even he wouldn’t dare to say he would be able to suppress such a powerful Second Grade adept.

  It was fortunate that Greem had the means to keep Billis in check. Otherwise, there was no doubt that the bug adept would have run far and wide, living a life of freedom for himself alone.

  That was why Greem intentionally contacted Billis through by proxy of Gargamel. He wanted to see what attitude Billis would hold toward his orders. If he were to reject the command or do something else under the guise of subservience, Greem would have no choice but to consider the matter of suppressing Bug Adept Billis!

  “Let me go! Gargamel is only First Grade. Billis might not ever obey his orders.” Mary chuckled and said, “That little bug used to be terrified of me in the past. I will go and bring him back from the battlefield.”

  The Crimson Clan was crucially lacking powerful fighting force at the moment. Obviously, Mary didn’t want to detonate the deeper conflicts within the clan over some ‘small issues.’ That was why she had volunteered herself to recall Bug Adept Billis.

  Greem smiled at Mary and nodded slightly. He had clearly understood Mary’s intentions as well.

  Mary laughed and got up from her chair. She swayed her hips and loudly ordered as she walked out of the room, “Go, summon Soros and Windsor for me. I want to see them in front of me in seven minutes!”

  “Understood!”

  “Understood!”

  The few vampires standing behind her immediately bowed in acknowledgment before vanishing in a puff of blood mist.

  The trip to Strongwoods Plane had been short, but it had been a bountiful harvest for Mary.

  In all seriousness, the one that had the most plentiful feast in Strongwoods had to be Bloody Queen Mary!

  All the Third Grade orcs that Thunder Dragon Arms and Greem had taken down had turned into her blood treats. If it weren’t for her Spirit being insufficient to Embrace Third Grade entities, she would probably have two more Third Grade vampires subordinate under her.

  Even so, Mary’s powers had improved by leaps and bounds. From a certain perspective, her combat ability was already equal to Greem’s.

  Of course, this was referring to Greem before he obtained the Fire Throne set.

  …………

  The City of Rhein.

  It was a beautiful city located near Crystal Lake.

  The bright sun of the sixth month was when it was at its mildest. The golden sunlight shone upon the surface of the crystalline lake, providing the place with gentle warmth.

  Greem, Mary, and Billis were all riding on a manticore of their own. They swooped across the surface of the lake, attracting the attention of the many nobles on the lake.

  “Father; father, I want to fly in the sky like those sir adepts when I grow up.” A noble boy, seven or eight years of age, looked on in envy at the ferocious manticores flying over his head. He became especially excited when he saw the silhouettes of the adepts riding on them.

  The father of the noble boy, a man in his middle ages, revealed a bitter smile.

  “My boy, that requires talent. Not everyone can become an adept!”

  “Talent? What kind of talent?” The boy asked, somewhat confused and curious.

  “The talent to become an adept!” The nobleman rubbed the soft, golden-curled hair of his son and smiled bitterly, “Without such talent, it doesn’t matter how hard you work or how smart you are. It will never matter!”

  His deep sigh floated across the pretty surface of the lake.

  Greem and the two others didn’t pick up on the small occurrence beneath them, nor did they care.

  In just two days, they had managed to arrive in Rhein from Fire Throne.

  The three manticores beat their large leather wings and rose high into the skies. They flew over the towering city walls, rows of beautiful architecture, and quickly approached the adept’s tower rising into the clouds.

  It was a massive fifteen-level tower. The top of it was a take-off and landing platform. Currently, quite a few adepts were landing there with their magical beasts.

  The three manticores carrying Greem, Mary, and Billis raised their heads and let out a deafening roar. They then abruptly accelerated and landed on a wooden platform that had been temporarily constructed on the spot. The air currents from the manticores’ wings almost blew away the apprentice waiting there. The young apprentice hugged a wooden pillar and persisted through the blast of air before jogging up to the adepts.

  “We will be staying here for a few days. You must remember to feed these manticores.” Greem explained and tossed a bag of magical crystals at the apprentice. He then turned and left for the entrance without turning back.

  The young apprentice hurriedly caught the crystals, repeatedly bowing after doing so.

  When he accidentally stared in the eyes of the black-robed man at the back of the group, his heart trembled and he almost lost grip of the crystals in his hand.

  What a terrifying look in his eyes.

  It wasn’t until the three foreign adepts had vanished that the young apprentice’s mind became active once again.

  Black robes, green eyes.

  Could he be that one? Was he the person that had turned the Kamala Clan upside down over the past few months. Bug Adept Billis?

  The young apprentice couldn’t help but draw in a breath of cold air. Even the magical crystals in his hands started to feel like hot potatoes now!

  Chapter 838 - Yurga's Choice

  Rhein City. Adept’s Tower.

  Inside a wide, golden hall.

  The elegant crystal chandelier hanging high on the ceiling released a gentle, yellow glow. It washed against the beautiful murals, coloring the place a royal gold while lending it a solemnity of sorts.

  Adepts in robes of various colors held crystal glasses in their hands, nodding and acknowledging each other with gentle smiles on their faces. Some acquainted adepts had gathered in small groups of two or three, quietly whispering and making conversation between themselves.

  Several apprentices dressed in fine formal wear were standing by the entrance, diligently receiving every arriving adept. When a visiting adept showed their invitation, printed in gold foil, a
loud apprentice would shout the clan and name of the guest.

  Of course, such an announcement was like a rock sinking in the sea for most of the visitors. The adepts in the hall were all preoccupied with their own matters; they hardly cared about who had arrived.

  However, when the apprentice standing by the doors shouted the name of ‘Adept Yurga of the Kamala Clan.’ almost all of the adepts stopped speaking. They couldn’t help but turn their heads and cast their gaze upon the Third Grade adept who had just entered the hall.

  Of course, what attracted their attention wasn’t his identity as a Third Grade. After all, even within this hall itself, there were as many as five Third Grade adepts. What really drew their attention were the gossip and rumors that were spreading throughout the central area like wildfire.

  An organized alliance of five adept clans, led by two Third Grade adepts, were defeated by a new clan that had only been established less than three decades ago. One of the Third Grades had even been caught and imprisoned in the opponent’s tower.

  That was already a terrible mark to the reputation of everyone involved in the alliance!

  Even more embarrassing for the defeated Kamala Clan was the fact their territory was being upturned by a mere Second Grade adept. It was said that over forty percent of the Kamala’s low-grade adepts and apprentices had been devoured by the bug adept. The losses were heavy.

  Moreover, Third Grade Adept Yurga had failed to kill the bug adept after two attempted ambushes. He had even let the enemy slip into their headquarters and allowed a direct descendant and heir of his family to become feed.

  To think that such a result had developed in a confrontation between a Third Grade and a Second Grade. It was no wonder that the Third Grade adepts of the Central Continent all betrayed expressions of disdain whenever they talked of Yurga.

  That said, the only ones that could comment on Third Grade adepts had to be other Third Grade adepts!

  The expressions of judgment quickly faded from the faces of the adepts in the hall. They pretended to once again return to their lively conversation. However, their ears and eyes still somewhat lingered on Yurga, secretly observing his every move.

  It was said that Adept Yurga had already requested for the forceful intervention of the Zhentarim Association. The location for the arbitration was set within the adept’s tower of Rhein. It indirectly explained why Adept Yurga had appeared here!

  The forceful intervention of the Association?

  The adepts secretly talked and communicated with each other. None of them could understand Yurga’s actions.

  Were the old fogeys of the Association so easily dealt with?

  Yurga had given up the initiative in his clan’s war the moment he requested for arbitration. He had now put the future and the fate of his clan in the hands of the Association elders. The Kamala Clan would have to pay a hefty price to sate the bottomless appetites of the elders now!

  Yurga, dressed in black robes and wearing a calm expression on his face, walked through the hall. All the adepts he met along the way bowed and pressed their hands against their chest in a show of respect. He continued to walk to a corner of the hall, ignoring all of these greetings and approached a middle-aged man in white robes.

  Several Second Grade adepts gathered around the man immediately turned to pay respects to Yurga before silently stepping aside.

  “How has the thing I asked you to arrange gone?” Yurga didn’t seem to mind all the surrounding adepts whispering about him. He immediately asked his question in a soft voice.

  “The matter is still as troublesome as before!” Frustration flashed on the face of the Third Grade adept in white robes, “They refuse to back down and insist that the Kamala Clan will have to hand over two First Class resource sites. Otherwise…”

  A wicked smile suddenly appeared on Yurga’s face. It was so drastically bent that even his face look twisted and contorted.

  “Well…very well. As expected, even the bastards of the Association can’t wait to tear a few bites out of us while we are down. Have those assholes forgotten? If it weren’t for their coaxing, I would never have taken the initiative and started this war in the first place!”

  Yurga’s voice was practically cracking now as the sound waves would even hurt the ears.

  However, the two translucent layers of forcefield around them ensured that no sound would get out.

  “You had best calm down! You were the one that messed up, after all!” The white-robed adept complained unamusedly, “I have no idea how you two even managed to make a living for yourself. To think that two of you together would get pushed into such a corner by a new clan without even a Third Grade adept! Won’t you look at it now? There isn’t a way for this thing to end amicably now.”

  Splotches of purple and red instantly appeared on Adept Yurga’s face as all sorts of twisted expressions surfaced on it. Still, he chose not to erupt in the end. Instead, he let out a hearty sigh and buried all of his anger and frustration in his heart, seemingly as if he would leave everything to fate.

  “That brat isn’t as weak as described in your reports. The power of his subordinates is mysterious. I do not have a clear grasp of it, even now!”

  “We have already done some research. That brat was really not with the clan when the war broke out. He was trapped in the Fire Elementium Plane. Despite this ideal scenario, you and Haines did not manage to seize the day and destroy his lair. Isn’t it just great now? Haines has been caught and you…you can’t even deal with a Second Grade from their clan. The elder has already spoken. Give over those two First Class resource sites, and he will give your clan an opportunity to turn things around.”

  “What kind of opportunity?” Yurga asked hurriedly.

  “A fair duel!” The white-robed adept laughed sinisterly, “The opposing clan doesn’t even have a Third Grade adept. If you can’t even grasp an opportunity like this, then I figure it would be best for you to step down from being a clan leader!”

  Yurga’s expression stalled for a second, and he couldn’t help but lower his head in contemplation.

  “What are you hesitating for? Could you be unable to defeat a mere Second Grade fire adept already? I’ve only managed to get this chance for you after a lot of effort. You couldn’t be afraid of something like this, could you?”

  Another name was announced at the entrance of the hall while the white-robed adept tried to convince Yurga.

  “Crimson Clan Leader Adept Greem, Adept Mary, and Adept Billis have arrived.”

  A dozen adepts from various places had already entered the hall since Yurga started talking with the white-robed adept. However, none of these inconsequential ‘small fry’ had managed to draw the attention of the two Third Grades.

  It was only when the names of ‘Crimson Clan,’ ‘Greem,’ and ‘Billis’ reached their ears that Yurga lifted his head abruptly. His cold, sharp eyes immediately cut across the few hundred meters of distance to land on the three adepts walking into the hall.

  It wasn’t just Yurga. Even the white-robed adept and everyone else in the hall stopped talking.

  They stopped moving as well, save to turn their heads and look at the entrance. These looks–sharp, curious, resentful, surprised–all landed on Greem and the two others.

  The hall fell silent, and the air suddenly froze.

  “Billis, it seems you’ve established quite the name for yourself during this time!” Greem led the way into a hall, a faint smile on his handsome face. His tall and muscular body stood straight, making him seem all the more reliable as if he could prop up the sky even if it were to collapse on him.

  Meanwhile, Mary, dressed in her crimson armor, was still as pretty and seductive as ever. Her perfect figure and delicate appearance. Her voluptuous chest and hips, swaying as she walked. She held onto Greem’s arm as she walked into the hall, a glint shining in her ruby-like eyes as they swept across everyone present. A maddeningly alluring smile appeared on her beautiful face.

  When
he heard Greem’s banter, Billis couldn’t help but lift his head and look around the hall, still cloaked in his thick black robe. The strange, ghostly green compound eyes under the shadow of his hood gleamed with a cold light. All adepts that crossed eyes with him felt a shiver in their hearts, and they couldn’t help but frown.

  What a sinister bug adept!

  The eyes of the other adepts were very sharp. They instantly determined the identities and standings of the three individuals based on how they were dressed and where they were standing. Though several somewhat playful eyes landed on Greem and Mary, most of the other people kept their gaze around Billis.

  They had seen many, many fire adepts, but a bug adept as strong as Billis was a first for the center of the continent!

  It undoubtedly piqued the curiosity of the adepts.

  “I seemed to have spotted the old crow. He’s in the southwest corner, and he’s staring at us.” The smile on Mary’s face was the same as ever as she softly sent a message.

  Greem and Billis’ eyes immediately shifted across the hall and landed on Third Grade Adept Yurga.

  The eyes of the two parties met and clashed in chilling fashion.

  It was almost as if sparks had appeared in the air.

  Naturally, those who could make it into the hall could not possibly be ordinary individuals. Almost every adept had their small social circle and source of information. Consequently, they all had a basic understanding of the situation between the two parties.

  The adepts couldn’t help but step aside when they saw the tense atmosphere that had broken out at first sight. They provided a straight and direct path between Greem and Yurga.

  Though Greem had never before seen Third Grade Adept Yurga, his attention was fully concentrated on the Third Grade adept due to the guidance of the unique aura.

  “Come, let us go and give our greetings!” Greem smiled generously and led Mary and Billis toward Yurga and the white-robed adept.