Age of Adepts c1-1513

by Zhen De Lao Lang, 真的老狼

  If Adept Holly got his hands on a Shadow Diamond, he might be able to create a shadow puppet that could freely travel between the material plane and the Shadow World. It would be a Fourth Grade dark-attribute metal golem that could hide in its master’s shadow and protect them at all times.

  If the Shadow Diamond fell into the hands of a summoner, they could use it to summon a Fourth Grade shadow dragon. A shadow dragon was a monstrous creature with a pitch-black body, sharp fangs, and wings of darkness. They had a fearsome shadow breath and were an unusual species that was somewhere between a dragon and a shadow creature.

  If the Shadow Diamond fell into the hands of a high-grade alchemist, they could easily forge a Shadow Staff capable of summoning an entire shadow army. Of course, the power of the army would directly correlate to the alchemist’s skill.

  ……

  The Chip immediately provided Greem with hundreds of logical suggestions to maximize the utility of the Shadow Diamond. However, this was not the time to discuss the matter. After all, there was still a terrifying Dark Witch to deal with.

  Greem put the Shadow Diamond away happily and took out a purple healing potion. He flicked off the cork and drank the contents of the vial in a single gulp. Once the massive gash on his back had healed under the effects of the potion and his own impressive Physique, he stepped forward and pushed apart the wooden door.

  There was boundless darkness before him!

  Chapter 1100 - Orb of Shadows

  There was a stretch of boundless darkness behind the wooden door.

  If Greem hadn’t known very clearly that he was standing at the entrance to an ordinary bedroom in an ordinary wooden house in an ordinary town, he might have suspected that he had arrived in the vast and wide Shadow World.

  A massive cluster of shadows squirmed ferociously in the darkness.

  An instinctual disgust came from the very depths of Greem’s heart when he set his sights upon this shadow.

  Hostility. Brazen hostility!

  When Greem’s aura appeared in this unusual space, glaring hostility emanated from the depths of the shadow. Moreover, the shadow had etched that hostility directly in Greem’s mind.

  An ordinary adept would have trouble seeing what truly lay within the shadow through all the distorted space and darkness.

  However, blue flickered in Greem’s eyes, and he saw everything in just mere seconds.

  The Chip’s powerful abilities of Elementium Sight, Distant Sight, Remote Sensing, and Dynamic Movement Capture allowed Greem to see through the defensive forcefield. He could see everything happening within the shadow.

  Dark Witch Shani was standing within the shadow, completely naked. A strange black stone floated in front of her, spewing out a tremendous amount of shadow energy.

  A portion of this shadow energy was absorbed by Shani and turned into profound and mysterious patterns that appeared on her body. The various strange arrays around her consumed the remaining portion before being converted into powerful shadow energy used to sustain the pseudo-shadow domain.

  Greem’s eyes swept across Shani’s naked body. He ignored the bountiful bosom and her panicked, furious gaze. Instead, his eyes landed on the magical patterns that were manifesting on her body.

  Shani’s body was white and smooth. She had a thin waist, a prominent chest, and full hips. She was everything that a beautiful woman should be. However, at this moment, strange, twisted black patterns had appeared on her toes and were extending upwards as more shadow energy merged with her body.

  These patterns looked roughly like vines at a glance. However, Greem’s eyes focused on the patterns. As the Chip scanned, extracted, and magnified the image, the details of the designs were revealed.

  They were not patterns at all, but unusual runes formed of complicated strands of magical lines.

  The large number of runes that the Chip had managed to identify revealed the intent behind these lines. Using the endless shadow energy in this strange black stone, and her own body as a medium, Shani was risking her life to project the entirety of the Dark Witch’s origin tower.

  Should she succeed in her projection, she would temporarily possess offensive and defensive power equal to the origin tower while she remained in the pseudo-shadow domain. It would all be over when that happened. There would be nothing Greem could do. Even if he were to join hands with the other two Fourth Grade adepts, they still wouldn’t be able to fight against an adept with the might of an origin tower!

  That might seem like an insane idea, but judging from the magical patterns that had already reached to Shani’s chest, she might have succeeded if she only had a few more minutes.

  Greem was pleasantly surprised upon learning all this, but also somewhat terrified at the possibility at what could have come to pass!

  It was fortunate that he knew the urgency of the situation during the fight in the corridor earlier. It was precisely because of how urgent he believed the situation to be that he had given up on a more conventional method of fighting and instead used himself as bait to lure the shadow assassin towards him. At the cost of injuring himself, he had quickly exterminated the Fourth Grade shadow assassin while it was restrained.

  Otherwise, given how sly and bothersome the Fourth Grade shadow assassin was, it just might have been able to delay until the origin tower had been projected in its entirety.

  Dark Witch Shani might seem vulnerable at the moment, having lost the protection of her Fourth Grade shadow assassin. However, she was still protected by a powerful defensive forcefield.

  This forcefield wasn’t formed from her own power. It was created by the stone that was churning out a tremendous amount of shadow energy.

  In Greem’s memory, items that could naturally form a defensive forcefield were all of a very high-grade and quality. At the very least, they would be one or two grades higher than Sodden’s Holy Ring.

  Combined with the strange black stone’s unique appearance and attribute, a name immediately appeared in Greem’s mind.

  Orb of Shadows!

  The reason Greem remembered this name was because the Orb of Shadows was a famous Fifth Grade treasure!

  A Fifth Grade treasure that served a purely auxiliary purpose!

  It was just an ordinary Fifth Grade material for adepts of other attributes, but for most shadow creatures, it was a genuine artifact.

  The owner of the Orb of Shadows could establish a connection with the Shadow World at any time and use the Orb as a conduit to the Shadow World to summon endless shadow energy. The owner of the orb could ignore all restrictions of dark magic and freely manipulate shadow energy.

  The simplest example was the most common shadow technique– Shadow Teleportation. This ability required the target creature to be near a shadow to be able to be used. It was impossible to use Shadow Teleportation without a shadow.

  As such, most adepts would rapidly release multiple illumination spells around them when confronting a shadow creature. It would dispel the darkness around them and prevent the shadow creatures from emerging from the shadows below.

  However, that strategy would be utterly useless against someone in possession of an Orb of Shadows!

  The owner of the Orb of Shadows could freely traverse anywhere, unaffected by external conditions, even if it was bright as day and there were no shadows to be seen at all.

  In addition, the cooldown of most shadow abilities would also be greatly shortened. Having the Orb of Shadows was equivalent to having the ability to be continuously hidden in the shadows. It was the perfect treasure for most shadow creatures!

  When Greem saw the magical patterns on Shani’s body slowly reach past her breasts and extend towards her neck, he knew he could delay no longer. Should Shani truly be able to call down the power of the origin tower upon herself, he would not stand a chance.

  Greem transformed without hesitation.

  His body swelled and increased in size, and his mental consciousness roared ferociously. An endless amount of gol
den fire surged out of the Heart of Principles, melding with the red lava that was rising out of thin air, transforming him into a ten-meter-tall fire giant.

  The magical equipment that Greem possessed also manifested in semi-energy form, one by one, as the golden fire poured into them.

  The Fire Throne set was Third Grade magical equipment that Greem had tailored for his own use. It might not be able to keep up with him now, but it still had its applications when manifested in this manner. The only equipment that could genuinely help Greem was the Fourth Grade Sodden’s Holy Ring and the fire coral staff.

  All the other magical equipment would melt from the excessive infusion of power from the golden fire before they could even manifest as energy equipment.

  Greem was a Fourth Grade legendary fire adept now, after all. Second Grade and Third Grade equipment could be used as a plaything occasionally, but they would not survive Greem’s destructive powers on an actual battlefield.

  “You…you can see me?”

  It was at this moment that Dark Witch Shani seemed to have realized this fact. She clamped her legs shut in embarrassment, one hand moving to cover her chest and the other to cover her crotch. Two red blushes appeared on her pretty face.

  Sadly, her hands were far too small compared to the area she was trying to cover.

  This state of semi-exposure and her expression of embarrassment and anger only made her all the more enchanting!

  Greem laughed wildly with his booming voice, “Save the theatrics! An old witch like yourself putting on a show like a maiden when you’re hundreds of years old? Are you trying to make me die of disgust, or are you just trying to buy yourself time? Didn’t you want my life so badly? Let’s see who will be taking whose life now!”

  The deafening roar of blazing fire rang out as Greem pointed with his staff. A massive hundred-meter-wide pillar of golden fire erupted with the dark core at the center of the explosion.

  The violent and vicious golden flames clashed with the dark shadow energy, causing an energy explosion that ravaged the entire space. The two energies of different attributes fought, tussled, devoured, and destroyed each other.

  A wall of fire rose in front of Greem, barely blocking the energy waves that washed towards him.

  Meanwhile, Dark Witch Shani was obviously occupied with the ritual and unable to act in any manner. She could only watch as the golden fires forcefully clashed against the Orb of Shadow’s barrier. Ripples ran across the semi-translucent shadow barrier, causing some of the energy within to go on a rampage.

  Shani’s facade of purity immediately vanished. All embarrassment and shyness faded from her face as her eyes glowed with a cold and sinister light.

  “How is this possible? You…you are just a newly advanced Fourth Grade. How could you possibly threaten the defenses of the Orb of Shadows with your power?” Shani screamed wildly, a trace of madness and viciousness in her expression.

  It was no wonder that she was bewildered. The might of Greem’s attack was truly abnormal!

  Shani’s calculations had been inaccurate, and she had made two irredeemable mistakes in a row.

  Firstly, she had believed that the Fourth Grade shadow assassin summoned with the aid of the Orb of Shadows could buy her enough time to complete her ritual. That was why she had not canceled the ceremony when she sensed Greem’s arrival.

  Secondly, she believed that she could have lasted until the ritual’s completion with the forcefield of the Orb of Shadows after the shadow assassin had been defeated. After all, the ritual only took three minutes to complete.

  Unfortunately, Greem did not give her that opportunity at all.

  Chapter 1101 - Bountiful Harvest

  There was a hidden cave deep in the mountains.

  It was dark and deep.

  A fearsome, solemn, and sinister aura lingered in the air.

  Suddenly, a dark light shone in the absolute darkness, temporarily illuminating all hundred square meters of this underground cave.

  Most of the cave was empty, with the exception of a stone pond that had been dug up at the very center. Viscous and pungent black liquid rippled within the pond.

  A strange sloshing could be heard as an ashen female face emerged from the black liquid, followed by her pale body and disheveled hair.

  This woman abruptly opened her eyes upon rising above the water, revealing a pair of brown eyes filled with endless hatred and anger. Judging from her appearance, it was Dark Witch Shani.

  “Good, very good. Greem, I’ve remembered your name. This grudge of ours is will never end. You shall never find peace for eternity!”

  After cursing furiously to vent her anger, Shani finally stood up in the pond. This newly formed body was weak and frail. She couldn’t help but shiver in the cold and damp air of the cave.

  Her previous body had already been destroyed at the hands of the legendary fire adept. This body was just recently formed from the soul energy pool. It had zero magic resistance and was as frail as the body of an ordinary human girl. That was why Shani could not even endure the chill winds of the cave.

  However, this was not the focus of her attention.

  Shani lowered her head and looked at her bare chest. Her eyes opened wide in surprise.

  Where was the Orb of Shadows? Did she not bring it back with her when her soul escaped after her ‘death’?

  Shani looked all over herself and found no trace of the Orb of Shadows. It was at this point that she finally blew up. It didn’t matter if she lost all of her other equipment and items, but the Orb of Shadows was the origin ‘magical equipment’ much treasured by the Dark Witches.

  Shani couldn’t help but shiver at the thought of having lost the Orb of Shadows. She didn’t dare imagine what awaited her upon returning to the clan.

  “Greem…I hate you!”

  An angry scream reverberated throughout the dark underground cave, echoing over and over again.

  …………

  “Hmm? Wasn’t she a Fourth Grade witch? Why were her resistances so weak? Even the shadow assassin lasted for a dozen seconds. How did she get done-in in less than five seconds?”

  Greem clicked his tongue and exclaimed as he quickly swept through the battlefield.

  Obviously, the first thing he made sure to get his hands on was the Orb of Shadows. Dark Witch Shani had turned to ash almost instantly beneath the golden fires once the defensive forcefield had shattered.

  Naturally, the Orb of Shadows was left behind!

  Even though Greem was already a Fourth Grade adept, he could still feel a stinging pain in his palm when he held the Fifth Grade Orb of Shadows in his hands.

  It was because he had sufficiently high Physique and magic resistance to endure the corrosion of the pure shadow energy radiating from the Orb of Shadows. A Third Grade adept’s arm would probably have been corrupted into shadow substance if they held the Orb of Shadows in this manner!

  The massive dark core had quickly collapsed and disintegrated with Shani’s death and the Orb of Shadow’s change of ownership. The pseudo-shadow domain engulfing Maple Forest Town also began to disperse slowly.

  Without the Origin Tower of Darkness to guide and pull the planes together, the natural repulsion between Morrian Plane and the Shadow World would force them apart. However, as an area that had once overlapped planes, a portion of shadow energy would still be left behind in the town.

  It would take a long time for the chaotic planar laws here to fully repair themselves.

  Moreover, with the disappearance of the pseudo-shadow domain, the laws of Morrian Plane finally regained control of the land. The domain power that had been hanging over Adept Holly’s and the two-headed adept’s head dissipated.

  Adept Holly and Cherisha slowly extended their spiritual senses. They immediately knew of the result of the battle when they came into contact with Greem’s mental consciousness.

  Greem was still present, while Dark Witch Shani’s aura had vanished without a trace. Could the result of the
battle be any clearer?

  “Congratulations, Sir Greem!” Adept Holly was the first to send a magical message to Greem.

  “I knew that sinister woman could never be your match, Sir Greem. Congratulations, indeed!” Naturally, Cherisha also made similar flattering comments.

  Even though the two adepts were making light of the situation, their hearts were in tremendous turmoil.

  Who was Shani? An intermediated Fourth Grade Dark Witch that had advanced five hundred years ago!

  Her powers were already frightening, not to mention all the preparations she had made in advance of this battle. The two adepts had both witnessed all of her preparations last night. If they were in Greem’s position, they would be thoroughly dead even if they had ten lives to spare.

  Yet, after one night’s sleep, the Dark Witch had vanished, and only the legendary fire adept was left. The implication behind this was obvious. Even the prideful Adept Holly couldn’t help but lower his head to demonstrate his goodwill towards Greem.

  After all, in the World of Adepts, powerful individual ability was the fundamental guarantee for influence and wealth!

  The so-called influence and wealth were nothing but papier-mache without the backing of power.

  Greem continued to assess the precious ‘heritage’ left behind by the Dark Witch, even as he dealt with the pleasantries of the two ‘passionate adepts.’

  Through this battle, Greem had obtained a Fifth Grade Orb of Shadows, a Fourth Grade Shadow Diamond, two pieces of equipment, and one piece of magical equipment from the Dark Witch, all of which he had picked out of Shani’s ashes upon her death.

  Unfortunately, all the other magical equipment had been thoroughly destroyed, clearly unable to endure Greem’s violent attacks.

  “Chip, is Shani actually dead?” Greem pinched a magical earring in front of his eyes and frowned.

  [Beep. Detecting no soul aura remnants in current location. Initial calculations suggest opponent has been reborn in a different region through the use of a soul energy pool!]