Age of Adepts c1-1513

by Zhen De Lao Lang, 真的老狼

  However, before he began the second phase, he still had to allow his body, his new bloodline, and his soul to become accommodated with each other. He could then construct a new power system from the foundations. Thus, in the downtime between the two phases, Greem took the opportunity to learn more about the clan’s internal affairs.

  Many of the summarized reports presented by the tower spirit were routine work reports from the core members of the clan; Greem didn’t need to interfere in these affairs. He only needed to have a basic understanding to be able to grasp the general trend of the clan’s development.

  There weren’t very many things in these reports that genuinely required Greem’s approval or instructions, but there were always a few.

  For instance, Meryl had submitted an extremely classified report from the White Tower in the Northern Lands that required urgent instructions from Greem. The Magic Energy Association, the underground organization established by Princess Vanessa, was starting to show signs of breaking from the Crimson Clan’s control.

  Reports from moles planted in the Magic Energy Association revealed that the past four decades of development had allowed the Magic Energy Association to grow significantly. The Association was now a major force with over a hundred core members and nearly a thousand subordinates. Moreover, the Magic Energy Association had been showing signs of unrest recently. A shocking ‘Secession Plan’ was brewing within the organization!

  This Secession Plan’s central idea was to liberate the Goblin Plane from the Crimson Clan’s reign, thereby allowing the goblins to become the rulers of their plane once again.

  The elementary stages of their plan were to gather and organize the knowledge, system, and alchemical achievements of the World of Adepts, slowly siphoning and smuggling them to the Goblin Plane. Once the higher-ups of the Magic Energy Association believed they had collected sufficient materials, the core members would employ ‘suicidal’ offensives to simultaneously destroy all teleportation arrays that connected the Goblin Plane and the Crimson Clan.

  Once the connection between the two worlds had been severed, they would have regained their ‘freedom’!

  When that happened, the newly independent Goblin Empire would rely on the alchemical knowledge that the World of Adepts had accumulated for several hundreds of thousands of years as a foundation to walk down a path of magic energy development that suited the goblins.

  This way, the goblins might be able to become a new major contender of the multiverse, rising amongst all the other planes!

  Greem almost choked from laughing when he first read Meryl’s summary report on the Magic Energy Association. However, after some serious consideration, he couldn’t help but be somewhat impressed at the ingenuity of these little creatures.

  Vanessa had never abandoned her identity as the princess of the goblins. She was always, constantly planning and scheming for the independence and rise of the goblin race. Their plan might sound somewhat feasible and practical, but in truth, it was no more than ridiculous and laughable.

  Any random core adept of the Crimson Clan could easily crush this ‘Secession Plan’ they had been organizing for the past fifty years, let alone Clan Leader Greem himself.

  Setting aside everything else, even their plan to destroy the teleportation arrays, which they viewed as the key to their independence, was incredibly hilarious.

  Destroying the teleportation arrays would sever the Crimson Clan’s connection to the Goblin Plane? That was such a childishly laughable thought!

  To prevent such a situation from happening, the leaders of the clan had already secretly buried special Locating Stones in five discreet places in the Goblin Plane. Even if the Magic Energy Association’s plan succeeded, the Crimson adepts would still be able to calculate the world coordinates of the Goblin Plane through those Locating Stones.

  When that happened, it would be a breeze to open a portal and invade with an elite group of adepts.

  Moreover, the goblins’ worldview and perception of the universe were still too lowly. They had absolutely no concept of the intensity and bloodiness of development and evolution throughout the multiverse!

  Goblins. Even a species as lowly and humble as them dared to dream of standing at the top of the universe?

  Should Princess Vanessa learn of the fate of Morrian Plane, she might never dream of such a thing again.

  The Morrian Plane was a powerful and prosperous empire of arcanists who possessed an arcane system comparable to even the adepts. Such a dominant race was attacked by an alliance of all the existing significant forces when they wanted to rise to become a major contender themselves, for seemingly no reason at all.

  If one wanted to become an apex predator in this cruel and bloody universe, they would have to have the sharp claws and fangs required to deter their enemies. Otherwise, your battlecries would not only fail to intimidate, but they would even draw packs of carnivores upon yourself.

  You might be sufficiently powerful in your own eyes, having conquered one weakling after another. However, in the eyes of real apex predators, your plump and growing flesh would only be delicious dishes.

  Without the power to protect yourself, it would be much better to continue hiding in your pungent and dirty swamp and living out your isolated, idyllic life, rather than expose yourself to the sights of these apex predators.

  With the size of the multiverse and the vastness of the endless sea of stars, the predators would have a hard time finding a single plane to invade and enslave, regardless of how powerful they were.

  In truth, this was a paradox for the development of all planar worlds!

  If the planar worlds chose to remain isolated from the rest of the universe, they could avoid being discovered by potential predators. Yet, at the same time, it would become incredibly difficult for those civilizations to continue growing in power. After all, the resources in an isolated planar world were finite. Though there was always a natural circulation of resources, the total amount of planar origin would remain the same. The number of lifeforms and substances that it could create would stay the same as well.

  Why was the World of Adepts so powerful?

  That was because the adepts stepped out of their plane and invaded countless other lesser planes, bringing back the resources and lives they found back to the World of Adepts. In doing so, the planar origin of the World of Adepts subtly grew and strengthened without stop. The World of Adepts could then create more substances and lifeforms, allowing all beings living within the plane to grow stronger and stronger.

  Why was it that adepts looked down on the natives of lesser planes so much? It wasn’t just out of a psychological sense of superiority. Beings of the World of Adepts were superior to other planar natives in their biological construction and the quality of their souls.

  The planar origin created all substances and lifeforms in a world. The empowered creatures of the plane would then bring back spoils from other worlds, indirectly nourishing the planar origin.

  It was a fundamental principle in the development of a plane!

  Without a powerful force interfering in this process, any plane would be able to be improved from its core through accumulation over a long period of time.

  However, for a plane to develop, the beings within would have to step out of their world to wage war, invade other worlds, to enslave other people, or to engage in trade. They had to use all sorts of methods to find opportunities to strengthen their origin world.

  However, once one stepped out of their plane and lit the fire of civilization for all to see, they would have exposed themselves in the blinding darkness. When that happened, would they be a predator that continued growing by devouring other planes? Or would they attract an even more powerful predator towards yourself and end up as prey instead?

  It was utterly unknown!

  As such, the rise of a planar civilization not only depended on formidable military strength, but incredible fortune as well. In fact, there were many times when luck was a
more important factor than sheer might!

  Greem was now at the peak of Third Grade. He stood before the threshold of this planar world’s peak of power. He could see more aspects and faces of the universe, the more realistic elements, and the more brutal aspects. Princess Vanessa, on the other hand, was no more than an advanced First Grade mechanical adept.

  The World of Adepts that she saw was only the very surface. There was no way she could ever come into contact with the more profound reasons that determined the status of the adept’s faction in the multiverse.

  The more Greem understood about Princess Vanessa’s Secession Plan, the more he pitied her! He had to admit that Vanessa was an ambitious individual with great dreams. Unfortunately, she did not have the power required for her aspirations.

  The higher her dreams, the more severe the damage she would inflict upon her own race.

  If one were to be brutally honest, she would be destroyed and fall into despair with her dreams in her arms, dragging the entire goblin race, and even the entire Goblin Plane, down into the abyss alongside her.

  It was not something that could be changed by an individual’s ‘dreams’ and ‘willpower’!

  Chapter 1056 - The Bug Adept’s Frustration

  The first person that Greem met for an audience after coming out of seclusion was Goblin ‘God of War’ Tigule.

  When Tigule read the comprehensive and detailed report, fine beads of cold sweat couldn’t help but appear on his forehead. His one and a half meter tall body also started trembling uncontrollably.

  In the end, Tigule was only an advanced First Grade goblin. He could only unleash the might of a Second Grade while piloting a magical machine. As such, a terror gripped his entire being from the depths of his soul when he stood before Greem and endured his cold and emotionless gaze.

  The past few decades had been enough to create a rift between Tigule and Vanessa, causing them to walk down two very different paths. At the very least, Tigule’s name very rarely appeared in the Magic Energy Association observation reports submitted by Meryl.

  That was the main reason that Greem had summoned Tigule.

  After reading through the entire report, Tigule almost seemed to have aged by a few decades. His spirit, will, and energy utterly had collapsed.

  “My lord…these actions of Vanessa do not represent the goblin race. I…I……” Tigule still stood in front of Greem. He was desperate to explain his stance, but he could no longer formulate words in his mouth. He didn’t even know what he was saying anymore.

  “This is a massive operation and a considerable movement. Vanessa could not have accomplished this alone. She must have had to sway sufficiently influential and powerful individuals amongst the goblins to her side. How do you think I should deal with these people?” Greem stared coldly at Tigule. He was dressed in a red robe, and his face was oddly pale.

  “My lord, my lord. You must not doubt the loyalty of us goblins! Your compassion and benevolence over the years have already won the admiration and trust of the goblins. I dare say that most of us are on your side, with the exception of a few stubborn conservatives.”

  “Stubborn conservatives? Which is to say, you know of these people as well?”

  “Yes!”

  It was a simple word, but Tigule hesitated tremendously before he spoke.

  “This Magic Energy Association had already been active for a while by the time I received this report. They are now actively pushing towards that ‘Secession Plan.’ Tell me, how should I deal with this group of individuals?” Greem spoke as if it was no big deal, but Tigule’s heart was thumping loudly with every word.

  How could Tigule not know of the adepts’ hatred and cruelty towards traitors after all these years of mingling amongst them?! As much as he still wanted to protect Vanessa at the moment, he would have to consider whether he would drag the entire goblin race into an abyss of demise.

  Moreover, though Tigule did not approve of Vanessa’s decision, he did not actively stop her actions either. The unspeakable reason for that was simple. Deep in his subconscious, Tigule might just be hoping for Vanessa’s operation to succeed.

  In the past few decades of the Magic Energy Association’s development, Vanessa had come into contact with and convinced many vital individuals in the goblin faction. These individuals either joined her side or ignored her call for action. In the end, it was only a tiny minority that actively sourced the Crimson Clan’s higher-ups with information.

  These people who stood on the sidelines and watched probably had similar thoughts as Tigule deep in their hearts.

  They didn’t want to get involved, but they would be happy to see the plan succeed. Such a line of thought was dangerous!

  If the Crimson Clan were to pursue the issue, a great purge of the goblins would be unavoidable. Should the clan raise their butcher’s knife against the goblins, the few clan branches and factions that were in opposition to them would most certainly jump forth and aggravate the situation, causing the affair to rise in severity and intensity.

  If such a thing were to happen, the goblin race was likely to never recover from the aftermath. Their race would forever be relegated to a second-rate faction within the clan. Obviously, this was not a fate that Tigule could accept.

  Faced with the clan leader’s pressing questions, Tigule could only grit his teeth with determination and make a vow, “My lord, rest assured! Leave this affair to me. I…I will deal with this problem to your satisfaction.”

  At this point, Tigule hoped to obtain as much authority in dealing with this issue as he could, regardless of how hopeless it seemed.

  It was only when he had the authority in his hands that he could selectively prune away the ‘bad goblins’ and keep the other factions at bay. It was the only way to prevent the affair from growing in scale and ultimately resulting in the oppression of the entire goblin faction.

  Greem took a look at Tigule. Finally, he spoke, “You are a veteran that has followed me for several decades now. I have this much trust in you, at least. I will leave this matter in your hands. Remember to summon Snorlax, Locke, and Drusilla once this meeting is over. Deal with this problem as quickly as you can and in the shortest time possible.”

  “I understand, my lord! I will deal with it.”

  After promising to manage the issue satisfactorily, Tigule respectfully bowed and exited the room.

  Once Tigule had left, shadows flickered in the meeting hall. A green plant that had been placed in a corner of the room shifted into Snorlax’s likeness after some shifting and twisting.

  “You heard everything Tigule said earlier, didn’t you? He will lead the matter of dealing with the Magic Energy Association. However, I ask you to keep a good eye on him for me. Make sure he does not overstep his boundaries. If he tries anything funny,” Greem took out the golem talisman to summon the elementium magical machine and tossed it to Snorlax, “You must stop him! If this ends well, I will help you resolve this bloodline conflict of yours.”

  Snorlax’s innate potential was not comparable to a human’s, after all. Even though he had also ingested the bloodline reconstruction potion of a serpentine bloodline, his ability to absorb and manifest the bloodline power was far inferior to Gargamel’s. At the moment, Snorlax was not only unable to display a serpentine head, but he also could not even manifest the scales properly. The green scales on his body grew in scarce patches, here and there, looking nothing like the scales of a snake.

  Snorlax caught the talisman, passion and excitement written all over his little green face. He patted himself loudly on the chest. “Rest assured, master! Those short-sighted fools won’t be able to cause much trouble while I’m around.”

  “Mm. Go!”

  Snorlax’s heart had been feeling fairly empty, having been unable to come into contact with Greem for such a long time. He simply didn’t feel secure in his position. Now that Greem was throwing a bone his way, his spirit was bolstered and invigorated. He was so excited that even his be
ady little eyes seemed to be glowing with energy.

  Once Snorlax marched away excitedly, Greem hesitated for a moment and finally agreed to an audience with Billis.

  Seven minutes after he sent out the message, Billis arrived in a hurry at the top floor to meet his hermit-like clan leader.

  “You wanted to see me? Speak, what is the matter?” Greem yawned softly, seemingly tired and without energy.

  The bloodline replacement from earlier had exhausted far too much of his Spirit and willpower. Moreover, his power was also continuously being exhausted while the new bloodline assimilated with his flesh and soul on the most fundamental level. At this moment, there was no doubt that Greem needed rest and nourishment above all else.

  In all honesty, if it wasn’t for the fact that Billis had followed him for so long and had been one of the most capable members of the Crimson Clan during its infancy, Greem might not even have agreed to an audience with this advanced Second Grade small fry. That was particularly the case with his current status and position.

  “My lord, I…I can no longer advance down the path of my evolution.” The bug adept, having waited several months before being granted an audience, knew how precious time was to him. He cut no corners and went straight to the heart of the problem.

  “Oh?” Greem paused for a moment when he heard this. It was then that he straightened his body, blue light gleaming in his black eyes. He started to take a serious ‘assessment’ of the bug adept before him.

  Even though the bloodline assimilation currently happening within him took up much of his Spirit, and even though Billis was enveloped in a layer of forcefield, the massive gulf in Spirits allowed the Chip’s scans to penetrate the instinctual defenses.

  While Billis shivered beneath Greem’s magical gaze, Greem had already received the data he required.

  [Billis. Advanced Second Grade. Profession: Bloodline Adept.

  Bodily Attributes: Strength 7 | Physique 2 | Agility 7 | Spirit 27.]