Age of Adepts c1-1513

by Zhen De Lao Lang, 真的老狼

These servants of the dragons fought against the magical machines with all their strength as flames burned around them and explosions continued to assault their ears.

  Sizzling energy beams cut across the air as flame jets roasted the enemies to a crisp. The magical machines wildly fired as they raised their giant metal fists and exchanged blows with the enemy.

  The battle was brutal and bloody; it was a horrifying scene from a nightmare to behold!

  The magical machines charged through the horde of creatures, their slaughter leaving waves of blood in their wake. The natives stormed forward, their wooden bats and stone sticks breaking upon the machine bodies before they were promptly disemboweled and crushed to a pulp by the machine’s ferocious metal fists.

  If too many natives surrounded them, the magical machines would shoot out streams of fire, turning all life around them into living torches. The battle was a gruesome purgatory now.

  Even the crudest of stone sticks would damage the machines if the ogres and trolls were the ones wielding them. If the damage sustained exceeded the limits of the machine’s endurance, they too would die.

  However, the army had already established a perfect and comprehensive charging and maintenance system. Magical machines that were severely damaged knew well enough to retreat behind the perimeter, where they were quickly fixed up by the technicians there.

  That was why the magical machine army had managed to maintain their perimeter with this thin kill zone, even though both sides were suffering heavy losses.

  In all seriousness, the greatest threat to the magical machine army were still those dragonborn warriors.

  They had power, equipment, and magic; they were practically the representation of the perfect warrior. The only thing holding them back was the difficulty in breeding and their pathetic numbers.

  There were at least three thousand dragonborn warriors of various attributes on this battlefield today. If they could form up and start a charge, they would be a destructive force against the machine’s boundary.

  Fortunately, the goblin chariots in the back were sufficiently powerful. The violent energy fireballs were always chasing behind the dragonborn warriors, never giving them the time nor opportunity to group up.

  The magical machines were undoubtedly at too high a disadvantage against the dragonborn warriors. As such, the First Grade adepts of the Crimson Clan became the main force responsible for the assassination of these dragonborn.

  Zacha and Tigule were not good at flying and had no choice but to retreat from the battlefield in the sky. Instead, they descended to the battlefield on the ground and started slaughtering these dragonborn warriors alongside Billis. Accompanying them was Arms and Iritina.

  They were dragons, after all. Though they had already betrayed their kind, fighting their kin in such a brazen manner was still difficult. To avoid the awkwardness of the situation, the two of them transformed into their human forms and started slaughtering the dragonborn and natives on the ground.

  With them on the battlefield, even the Second Grade dragonborn warriors were not capable of causing much trouble.

  Whenever a Second Grade dragonborn started to build up momentum, Arms would charge over to it. A dose of dragon’s aura at close range caused the dragonborn’s knees to weaken and its Spirit to break. A quick slap to follow up and it would probably be on its deathbed, regardless of its grade.

  It didn’t matter which dragon lord they belonged to. The dragonborn warriors of Lance always had one flaw that existed at the very core of their existence– a fear of the dragon’s aura of might. It was the means by which the dragons controlled the dragonborn and made sure they never went out of control. It was a rule that all dragon lords followed strictly.

  Compared to the cruelty on the ground, the battlefield in the sky appeared somewhat non-committal.

  The dragons in the battle, be they First, Second, or Third Grade, were all spoiled and pampered dragon lords. If they were asked to pillage, loot, and kidnap beauties form a different plane, they might put their all into the task.

  However, having them fight bloody battles against adepts without regard for their own lives was asking for a bit too much!

  In their minds, a hundred dragons gathered together would most certainly have exterminated these adepts with overwhelming force. However, when they actually entered the battlefield, they were shocked to find that the enemy adepts were sly and sinister fighters, with attacks that hurt them to their very bone.

  It indirectly weakened the First Grade dragons’ will to fight!

  Chapter 928 - On the Flying Deck

  The power of a Third Grade adept was no longer something that could easily be described with pen and paper.

  Even as he was surrounded and bombarded by attacks from the dragons, Greem was still leaping about the battlefield actively and vigorously.

  The three Third Grade dragons tightly pursuing him were Silver Dragon Aldres, Shadow Dragon Atlan, and Water Dragon Dominier. Of the three dragons, Aldres the silver dragon was the only one who could barely keep up with Greem’s teleportations. Atlan and Dominier were not skilled at flying and were left far behind.

  After a fruitless pursuit, the three dragons held a discussion. Aldres would continue chasing Greem and keep him from slaughtering the lower-grade dragons. Meanwhile, the shadow dragon and the water dragon would turn and assault the Mothership nearby.

  The forcefield barrier of the Mothership had saved it from countless dragon breaths since the start of the battle. Visible damage had started to accumulate on the barrier.

  Some Second Grade dragons were thrilled to see this and swarmed through the cracks, boarding the deck of the Mothership. Once they entered the barrier, the legions of magical machines and the fixed turrets made them suffer.

  However, what shocked them the most was that strange golem blazing with magical fire yet possessing a body of steel and metal. The golem actually possessed both the elementium attacks of magical creatures and the sturdy Physique of metal constructs. It was powerful at both melee and ranged combat. It forcefully pinned two Second Grade dragons to the ground, breaking their bones before dragging them into the ship.

  It was only then that the dragons abruptly realized that this…this was a Third Grade magical machine!

  With such a powerful being guarding the deck and the entrance to the ship, there was no way the lower-grade dragons could make it through.

  “You keep it busy; I’ll break in and see what’s inside.” Shadow Dragon Atlan let out a low roar before his body exploded into black smoke and vanished without a trace.

  His companion, Water Dragon Dominier, roared and charged at the elementium magical machine.

  Water dragons, also known as white dragons, were dragons with command over the water element. They excelled at manipulating and controlling water elementium.

  The ice dragon that Greem had once hunted was only a variant and branch of water dragons.

  In all seriousness, water dragons were not good at battle. Their physical strength was inferior compared to the other dragons like fire and earth. However, much like the magical characteristics of water elementium, water dragons excelled at slowing down the opponent and creating a mist.

  That often allowed them to possess the initiative when fighting!

  Thus, Dominier charged onto the flying deck.

  Immediately, vast clouds of water particles dispersed from his crystalline body, spreading outward along the metal deck. His large body also turned transparent in an instant as he blended into the mist.

  Ci! Ci! Ci!

  A dozen energy beams and five energy fireballs quickly cut through the water dragon’s position, but none of them came into contact with their target. The giant cluster of flames created from the fireball’s explosion also failed to cause an elementium shockwave like before. Instead, the fireball strangely started dimming after a single flash.

  It was like a cannon that had been stuck underwater. The initial commotion was considerable, but the fina
l product was no more than a muffled blast.

  While everyone was stunned into uncertainty, the nearly translucent water dragon suddenly appeared at the edge of the mist. His tail struck against a metal turret fixed on the side of the deck.

  The metal cannon instantly stopped firing as a loud crack rang across the ship. Its entire metal frame and barrel distorted beyond recognition.

  Ci! Ci! Ci!

  Another series of magic energy beams and fireballs descended.

  However, the Third Grade water dragon twisted his body and disappeared by diving into the mist.

  The next time he appeared, he was at another edge of the mist. He charged into a group of magical machines, tearing with his claws and fangs while striking with his tail. In just six seconds, he had torn five of the magical machines to pieces, leaving behind a pile of scraps.

  The water dragon then calmly turned and disappeared into the mist while enduring the barrage of energy beams and fireballs.

  Even Meryl, who fancied herself a calm and composed person, couldn’t help but start cursing furiously inside the command center. As she yelled and shouted, a series of detection waves, life scans, and countless strange magic ripples swept across the mist. However, not a single one of them picked up on anything.

  An inconspicuous metal cabin opened up onto the deck. a First Grade Crimson adept stuck his upper half above the deck and tore seven magical scrolls in a single motion.

  Create Wind!

  Tornado Vortex!

  Doomsday Storm!

  ……

  There were spells from First Grade all the way to Third Grade. Each one of them was a spell with tremendous power and immense effect.

  Unfortunately, it was almost as if the mist that crowded the deck was made of lead. It didn’t matter how the tornado and winds raged, as they could only tear or disperse the fog in certain regions. Once the winds had calmed down, the mists gathered once again, turning the place hazy and hampering all vision.

  This Crimson adept immediately turned and ran upon seeing the ineffectiveness of the scrolls.

  However, the mist in front of the cabin shimmered as a translucent water dragon suddenly appeared. With a single claw, it smashed against the forcefield barrier outside the cabin.

  A powerful dragon claw caused the barrier to dent inward, its sharp claws even leaving deep marks on the cabin itself.

  If it weren’t for the Mothership’s barrier, the Crimson adept would have been dead meat regardless of how many defensive spells he had cast on himself. The wild impact blew away the Crimson adept, causing him to cough up blood violently as he escaped into the ship.

  As Dominier’s slender tail swept down upon the cabin, the entire room creaked before being flattened completely.

  However, the Crimson adept had already successfully escaped!

  While Dominier was attacking the metal cabin, the elementium magical machine, still searching for the location of the enemy, quickly approached. Its heavy metal fists had yet to arrive, but its vicious magical energy had already washed over the water dragon.

  Judging from the position that the elementium magical machine was cutting in from, it was intending to cut off the dragon’s path of retreat and stop it from returning into the mist.

  Meanwhile, Dominier was attempting to draw the elementium magical machine away from the main entrance on the deck. As such, he was in no hurry to return to the mist. Instead, he turned around, and a pillar of water shot forth toward the magical energy surging toward him.

  The two surges of magical energy of entirely different attributes clashed in the air, causing a violent elementium explosion.

  The dragon and the machine battled with each other in the elementium tide even as they approached each other.

  Dong! Dong! Dong!

  A series of loud explosions rang out as the elementium magical machine’s metal fists rained down on the water dragon’s shields, sending water flying everywhere. Meanwhile, the water dragon lowered his head and used his sharp horns to stab and push at the magical machine.

  The elementium magical machine grabbed the horns with its two metal fists, and the two giants rolled about on the deck.

  For a moment, the dragon’s roars could be heard throughout the ship as they threw the deck into chaos.

  As the dragon and the machine fought each other, the main entrance of the deck suddenly opened as thirty magical machines marched out from within. They attacked the water dragon wildly as they approached.

  Dominier was annoyed by their harassment, and the battle started to tilt in favor of the elementium magical machine.

  However, beyond anyone’s senses, an undetectable shadow power slowly flowed through the shadows beneath a turret on the deck.

  Atlan looked at the battlefield around him and hesitated for a moment.

  If he helped Dominier at this moment, they could establish an advantage. However, the best option now was to break into the massive flying ship and kill all the human adepts hiding within.

  It was the true meaning of today’s battle!

  Understanding that, the shadow dragon turned and looked at the main entrance, now completely open. The shadow energy within him moved, and his body suddenly went from the turret’s shadow to the shadow of the human adept closest to the entrance.

  At this moment, the entrance to the interior of the ship was right in front of him. He only needed to apply a bit of force to break through the barrier outside the door, and he would be inside.

  The very thought of the enemy having no one to stop his mad slaughter once he was within caused Atlan’s heart to beat unstoppably. After all, all of their main forces had already been committed, and only weaklings were left inside.

  Ready. Charge…

  Just as the shadow dragon prepared to assault the barrier with all he had, the human adept he was hiding under suddenly lowered her head and smiled faintly at the shadow he was within.

  The smile was so pretty and so brilliant that Atlan was stunned for that one instant.

  This Second Grade female adept is so pretty!

  Is she smiling at me?

  These two thoughts had just surfaced in Atlan’s mind when he immediately woke up.

  Something’s wrong…she’s already discovered me.

  In all honesty, Atlan had already used his subtle spiritual senses to scan the entire Mothership before he used Shadow Teleportation. He had not discovered any lifeform that could threaten him.

  That was why he had been bold enough to leap over in an attempt to charge into the Mothership.

  The female adept whose shadow he had dived into was only Second Grade fodder. Her elementium flux was so weak he had barely picked up on it. She should not be able to threaten him at all.

  Yet, the scene before him sent a chill down his spine. He smelled the faint scent of a trap behind this!

  Without any hesitation, Atlan immediately erupted with all his power.

  Chapter 929 - Sending You All the Way to Your Grave

  Shadow dragons. Just as the name implied, they were a sort of variant dragon.

  They might be called dragons, but at their very core, they were more like powerful shadow creatures.

  They had dark black scales, and their large and vicious bodies were always radiating dense and obscure shadow aura. They had black horns, black body, black wings, black claws, and a black tail.

  Even their dragon’s breath was black.

  It was this unique magical trait that made the shadow dragons one of the best at hiding themselves. They might look as large as a hill, but they could assimilate with a piece of shadow as small as a palm.

  Very few people could notice them hiding in the shadows before they attacked.

  However, Shadow Dragon Atlan’s luck was terrible today.

  That was because he had chosen to hide in the shadow beneath Alice, the Witch of Fate.

  His every action might indeed go unnoticed by most Third Grade creatures, but it could not get past Alice, who was standing near t
he main entrance.

  Alice had long since discovered the existence of Shadow Dragon Atlan through her Fate Sense.

  That was why she had pretended to be innocuous and stood alone by the entrance.

  The moment Atlan entered the trap, Alice smiled and successfully cast her Fate spell with Helen’s help.

  Fate’s Corridor!

  It was a restraint-type labyrinth Fate spell. Alice could cast this spell as long as she was in contact with the target creature, trapping the victim in a mysterious, profound, and massive maze.

  This maze would not harm the enemy in any way and would only trap them within for fifteen minutes. If the enemy could see through the secrets of Fate’s Corridor or had sufficient brute force, they had a high likelihood of escaping before the duration ended.

  However, this much time was more than enough for Alice to do something!

  Just as Atlan realized something was wrong and was about to erupt with all his power, a light flashed before his eyes. He suddenly found himself on a winding stone bridge. Mist shrouded both ends of the floating bridge as if it had been constructed on thin air.

  Atlan looked around him. Apart from more winding bridges, there was nothing else in this vast space. Moreover, a door of light could be seen standing silently at the end of every bridge.

  The doors shimmered with light, seemingly connected to each other.

  Atlan paused for a moment and looked at the world around him once more. A sense of familiarity crept up in his heart. It seemed like…like a particular otherworldly space he had heard of in the past. Spatial teleportation and flight were restricted there, and the intruder could only attempt to escape by testing out the doors of light, one by one.

  Atlan was shocked as he lowered his body in anticipation, but nothing happened.

  Dammit, he could not sense the existence of the Shadow World from here!

  Supposedly, Atlan’s Third Grade abilities should have allowed him to use his tight connection between his soul origin and the Shadow World to return to Lance, with the Shadow World acting as a springboard of sorts. However, strangely enough, he could no longer sense the Shadow World within this mysterious magical corridor.