Age of Adepts c1-1513

by Zhen De Lao Lang, 真的老狼

  “Yes,” the old adept quickly continued. “Of course, it could also just be similar to an animated lifeform!”

  The booming voice fell silent for a moment before speaking, “That might be a possibility. According to the data obtained from investigations, Greem has Soul Equipment bound to his person. I’ve heard that he has managed to cultivate the Soul Equipment into a pseudo-contracted spirit with its own consciousness. Could that be what Kerslin sensed?”

  “It’s possible, but we can’t be sure. We can only confirm by capturing that kid and examining him thoroughly. Chairman, do you think we should?”

  “Forget it! We can’t touch that kid for the moment.” After a long break, the loud voice let out a long sigh. “We are holding a tournament soon. That kid is the protagonist we have gone to great lengths to prepare. We can’t make a move on him without a proper reason. So, just keep a closer eye on Kerslin and make sure no more security loopholes show up again!”

  “Yes, Mr. Chairman, as you wish!”

  “Mm. That will be it!”

  The loud voice faded away, and that one bright ribbon of light vanished in an instant.

  “A compatriot? Hehehe. It can’t be as simple as a contracted spirit. I’ve heard stories about this kid. He is able to pilot a giant, hundred-meter tall war golem and is even hiding a monster in another plane that is capable of assimilating magical metals. If I can dig out all of his secrets, it will be incredibly beneficial for gaining more control over Kerslin.”

  The old adept couldn’t help but start mumbling to himself once he was the only person left in the arcane hall.

  “However, that brat is currently the Association’s sweetheart. They are still hoping for him to be their scapegoat! Touching him right now would be…”

  After thinking for a long time, Third Grade Yuri finally decided he wasn’t brave enough to go against the will of the great Fourth Grade adepts. He could only grit his teeth and instill this information about Greem in his mind as best as he could. Finally, he then fell asleep once again, his mental consciousness merging with the giant ball of light.

  …………

  Kerslin Castle. Inside a strange room.

  Sanazar casually turned off the long-ranged communication crystal on the wooden table before her and fell into a long period of silence.

  Someone knocked on the room’s wooden door while the fires of fury were blazing furiously in her heart.

  Sanazar opened the door and was shocked to find two powerful adepts in some apparel of strange design standing right outside, smiling at her.

  “Gallow, Dante, why are the two of you here?” Sanazar’s voice was a little sharp. She was still hidden in her purple mist.

  “Why aren’t you welcoming us? Won’t you even let us into your room?” Scarface Adept Gallow’s appearance was simply too horrifying. When he smiled, the numerous stitches and gashes on his face began squirming in unison. That tremendous visual impact was not something that the ordinary person could endure.

  After a moment of hesitation, Sanazar finally stepped aside and let her two competitors walk into her room.

  She closed the door and reactivated the defensive arrays before speaking in a tone of mild annoyance, “Speak, why did the two of you come all this way here to look for me?”

  Scarface Adept Gallow took a look at the inside of the room before turning around and facing Sanazar. His two-meter tall physique and his horrifying face gave him an incredibly oppressive presence.

  “Sanazar, how much do you know about the tournament this time?”

  Adept Dante, whose silhouette was somewhat faint and blurry, also stared at the purple mist with interest.

  Sanazar wasn’t in a hurry to answer. Instead, she stared at Gallow coldly and responded with her own question, “How much you know about it?”

  Gallow smiled, flashing his teeth. “I don’t know much, but it’s more than enough.”

  Sanazar laughed coldly, “You are Lady Kerala’s most hopeful subordinate for Fourth Grade advancement. Wouldn’t she make sure to look out for you?”

  The smile on Gallow’s face became even more ‘brilliant.’

  “Her Ladyship has indeed looked out for me, but…”

  “Was Lady Kerala’s care not to your liking?”

  “Hmph.”

  Sanazar turned and looked at Dante, but he also hastily waved his hands and said, “Don’t look at me. I’ve been strictly warned as well.”

  Sanazar nodded her head in understanding and said in a dejected tone, “It seems like the information the three of us have obtained matches. The winner of this tournament has been inofficially decided. It has to be Greem!”

  “Mm!” A bitter smile appeared on Adept Dante’s blurry face, “I have also been warned. I can do whatever I want if I’m fighting the two of you, but I have to lose if I run into that Greem!”

  “The ‘care’ I received is similar to that!” Gallow also chimed in with resentment and anger on his face.

  “That brat has just offended Lord Declan. There is no way that the Association will turn around and support him all of a sudden. Therefore, I suspect that the Association is intentionally helping Greem become a Fourth Grade Association Adept as quickly as possible! Do the two of you have any insider information to share with regards to this?” Sanazar stared at her two ‘companions.’

  Dante shrugged and put on an expression like he knew absolutely nothing.

  Only Gallow lowered his head in silence, as if he was thinking about something.

  After a long while, he finally raised his scary scarface that had been torn apart and stitched together. He spoke in a soft voice, “The Association is facing some trouble currently. The Great Adepts of the realms beyond have requested that all of the major forces choose a Fourth Grade to go on a mission. I’ve heard that it is fairly dangerous.”

  “Then it’s pretty obvious what their intent is. This tournament is a trap. What the Association wishes to give away isn’t the origin substance, but the identity of an Association adept. The four of us have already reached peak Third Grade. It doesn’t matter which of us gets the origin substance. It will allow us to have an incredibly high chance of advancing to Fourth Grade and maybe master some powers of principles ahead of time.” At this point, even the typically calm and collected Sanazar started sounding frustrated.

  “Perhaps we can try to fight for it? After all, a mission assigned from the realms beyond might be dangerous, but it not mean certain death! Moreover,” Adept Dante’s voice suddenly fell softer, “when it comes to talent and potential, both of you are superior to me. Your chance of advancing to Fourth Grade is also higher than mine.”

  “What does potential and talent count for?” Scarface Gallow spoke out coldly, “When has there ever been an advancement that hasn’t been a struggle of life and death!? Were the current Fourth Grades of the Association all the most potent Third Grades of their time before their advancements? Hmph! There will always be a limit to individual effort! What truly determines our fate is damned luck!”

  The three adepts couldn’t help but fall silent in dejection at this point in the conversation.

  If they were to walk out of their towers, every one of them would still be prodigies envied by the entire world. However, they knew their own conditions and situations the best. Their past glory meant nothing for their advancement towards Fourth Grade. No one among the three of them had more than fifty percent chance of successfully advancing.

  Advancement was a gamble!

  Win, and they would naturally jump to the next level, becoming top-tier adepts in the World of Adepts no longer constrained or limited by any force or individual. However, if they lost the gamble? There were far too many losers who simply retreated in low-spirits, forever caught in their setback, and being reduced to an irrelevant character in the world.

  Just flip through the historical chronicles of Zhentarim! Where were all the prodigies and geniuses that had popped up throughout the years now? In the end, these fourt
een winners were the only ones who would be remembered by history!

  Perhaps this was the deep darkness hiding behind the brilliant halo of glory that belonged to the adepts.

  “I don’t care what you two think. Either way, I will be fighting for that origin substance!” Scarface Gallow smiled viciously and left promptly after leaving behind this one last statement.

  Adept Dante sighed once again, but could only say his farewells and leave with a heavy heart.

  Chapter 1031 - Spirits Soar

  Mary arrived at Kerslin Castle seven days later, accompanied by Meryl and Emelia.

  She started complaining the moment she saw Greem.

  “Why do things keep happenings? Things have only just been getting stable for the last ten years, and now a tournament like this suddenly pops up? Do those old fools have nothing better to do than to give out free resources to you?”

  Greem smiled and interrupted Mary’s rant. If these words were to fall into the ears of those Fourth Grade adepts, trouble would be coming her way.

  “Why are you so angry if you already know that their intention is to give me resources?”

  “Hmph! Don’t let your guard down. I heard all sorts of things on my way here. None of those three opponents of yours are pushovers. Every one of them is the best of the best among Third Grade adepts!” Mary said concernedly.

  “Yes, Teacher, you must be careful! I keep having a feeling that there’s a conspiracy behind the Association’s invitation!” Meryl was also frowning. She was behaving more and more like the fire dragon adept that she was now. Every word that came out of her mouth and every action that she made usually carried a trace of unquestionable confidence.

  It was only when she was in front of Greem that she would betray such a troubled look.

  Emelia typically got along very well with Mary and Meryl. Naturally, upon hearing that there was a show to be had, she had rushed over with the two of them as quickly as she could. She couldn’t help but start chuckling when she saw the rare expressions of concern on their faces.

  “I think the two of you are overthinking. Our clan leader has always been brilliant and cautious. There is no way he would readily agree to participate in the tournament if there was actual danger.”

  Mary shot Greem a mean glance.

  “This guy isn’t as smart as you think he is! Alice must have given him some sort of hint, which is why he bet it all and agreed to the tournament.”

  “Lady Alice is the leader of the Witches of Fate, after all! If even she thinks Teacher is favored…ow!” Meryl couldn’t help but cry out in pain. Mary had pinched her hard before she could even finish speaking.

  “Hmph! If Alice is really that powerful, why is she so scared of even leaving the Tower of Fate? Last time…last time, she said that a trip to Henvic Plane would be incredibly useful for Greem, and what happened? Greem almost died in there!”

  “But…but teacher came back successfully in the end, didn’t he? And he brought back all sorts of useful things with him!”

  “Things he got with his life on the line!” Mary had a disgruntled look on her face, “Alice might be good at what she does. She can help you find where there’s treasure and where there’s something you badly need. But the one thing she can’t tell you is what’s sitting in wait right beside the treasure! Think about it! If a human warrior listened to the old witch’s words and went into the promised treasure vault only to find a dragon…a dragon could indeed be considered a moving treasure box, but would the warrior be alive to enjoy the bounty?”

  Meryl and Emelia looked at each other in shock. They never expected the typically brash and impulsive Lady Mary to spout such words of wisdom.

  Indeed, most Fate Witches had this problem to some varying extents!

  It was true that they could help people find the most efficient path to walk upon. However, they always, always–intentionally or not–ignored the risks of walking down the shortcut. Moving according to the instructions of the Fate Witches would always yield tremendous bounties. However, any danger encountered along the way would most certainly be incredibly dangerous as well.

  After all, risk and reward always came hand in hand!

  “If the clan leader is in so much danger, why isn’t Lady Alice here in person?” Emelia asked.

  Meryl shook her head slightly. “This is Zhentarim. They are still very vigilant of the three major forces. They won’t be welcoming of Lady Alice.”

  “Teacher, will your life be in any danger throughout this tournament?” Meryl asked in a soft voice, “I have already mobilized all my forces to look for information, but we have nothing. The tournament by the Association this time is very sudden, while the Association adepts we can get in contact with are too low-level to know anything.”

  “Don’t worry, Meryl. I’m still fairly confident about the tournament this time.”

  “Speaking of which, Teacher, this is the information that we have managed to obtain on your three opponents. Take a look at it when you have the chance!” Having said that, Meryl took out a piece of parchment and passed it to Greem.

  Greem took the parchment and gave it a look. Gallow, Dante, and Sanazar’s personal information were recorded there. Though it wasn’t as detailed as the information on the Association’s database, it still gave a basic idea of the three fighter’s capabilities and their style of combat.

  “How is it? You might be running into an old friend this time. Are you feeling anything special?” Mary stared at Greem with a sadistic smile on her face.

  There was a time when Sanazar had been synonymous with a powerful adept in their eyes. The two of them knew very well how strong she was.

  Yet, at this point, Greem had grown from an insignificant First Grade adept to a powerful adept who could stand shoulder to shoulder with her. An outsider could not adequately describe the complex and intricate shift in his feelings.

  At the very least, Greem felt his own emotions surge and soar uncontrollably at the thought of getting to fight with Sanazar.

  As for Sanazar? It would probably take a long time to write out everything she was feeling right now!

  …………

  Regardless of how Greem and Sanazar felt, Kerslin Castle had now become the center of a massive whirlpool.

  The tournament announced ten days earlier had sent tremors throughout Zhentarim.

  It was important to note that it had been hundreds of years since there had been a new Fourth Grade adept in the Central Region. Judging by the nature of the Association’s tournament, this wasn’t a selection amongst all Third Grade adepts, but one with four predetermined candidates.

  Scarface Adept Gallow, Medium Adept Dante, Flying Venom Dragon Sanazar, and the legendary Fire Adept Greem, who had just recently risen to power.

  In all seriousness, all four of them were true powerhouses at the peak of Third Grade. Advancing to Fourth Grade was a certainty once they obtained the origin substance awarded by the Association.

  The birth of every Fourth Grade adept would substantially change the regional power structure where their organization resided, often resulting in a wave of changes throughout the land.

  Consequently, every adept clan and organization that heard the news of the tournament sent their representatives to Kerslin as quickly as they could. Watching the competition was only one aspect of it. More importantly, they needed to know who the new Fourth Grade adept candidate would be the moment it happened.

  After all, being able to maintain an excellent personal relationship with a Fourth Grade adept ahead of time was an incredibly valuable thing for most small and medium adept clans!

  A flying ship headed towards Kerslin Castle. It was packed full of clan representatives and authorities from all over Zhentarim. Amongst them were a few adepts who wore the emblem of the Sarubo Clan on their chests.

  “I honestly never expected that that kid could be so incredible. To think that he can now stand shoulder to shoulder with Lady Sanazar!” It was Adept Fügen of the S
arubo Clan who spoke. Naturally, the ‘kid’ he kept mentioning was Greem, the traitor who was a taboo subject for most people in the clan.

  “Lord Fügen, you had better stop mentioning him so much! This place isn’t the clan headquarters. If someone hears you…” Adept Keoghan warned worriedly. He was still as cautious as ever before.

  “What are you so scared of!” Adept Fügen looked furious. “It doesn’t matter how fast he’s climbed the ladder. He still has to stand behind our Lady Sanazar. Have you not heard of the rankings that the adepts have put together? Our Lady Sanazar is ranked second, while that guy is only ranked third. Hmph! Traitor!”

  This ranking was also something that only recently appeared.

  To most people’s understanding, there weren’t very many characters who could reach peak Third Grade, to begin with. As such, Gallow, Sanazar, and Dante were the absolute elites among the Third Grade adepts and firmly took up the top three positions.

  Unfortunately, with the meteoric rise of this legendary fire adept, three powerhouses became four powerhouses, and the poor medium adept was forced out of the top three and fell to the fourth rank. This ranking reflected the most likely candidate to take the victory in this tournament.

  One had to admit that Scarface Gallow, who represented the Dener Clan and led the elite Bloody Spear Army, held as much of a reputation throughout Zhentarim as Greem did. It was only because Greem had defeated Fourth Grade Body-Refining Adept Declan with the aid of a Fourth Grade war machine that he had managed to take away Gallow’s fame and spotlight.

  However, there was no room for the fire adept to cheat in this tournament. He was ranked third by the more free-spirited adepts after they had compiled all the essential information on the participants.

  Naturally, ranked in first was Scarface Gallow, who had established his reputation for several hundreds of years now!

  He was a powerful adept who had spent his years in foreign planes, and who had personally killed an otherworldly Fallen Emperor. These Fallen Emperors might not compare to the adepts of the World of Adepts, but they were still powerful Fourth Grade undead beings.