Age of Adepts c1-1513

by Zhen De Lao Lang, 真的老狼

  The rest of the Guardians were clearly intimidated now. They hurriedly stepped aside and opened up the path forward for Greem.

  The elementium creatures had never had the intricate customs of human society. The Molten Giant turned and walked into the Sea of Ashes after disciplining his subordinates. The sea of flames parted when he approached, revealing an unusual path paved with fire crystals.

  Greem followed after the Molten Giant in his human form and walked into the Sea of Ashes.

  It was a strange road that seemed to wind on endlessly in the Sea of Ashes.

  The flames in the sea parted silently before them and closed behind them once they had passed. It was almost as if the two of them were walking inside a transparent glass dome. It was calm and peaceful around them, while fires raged on furiously further away.

  The Molten Giant appeared to be an individual of few words. He focused on walking down the road and had seemingly no intention of talking or interacting with Greem.

  The Sea of Ashes was typically known as the Sea of Death to most fire elementium creatures; no lifeform should be able to live here. However, as Greem followed the Molten Giant down that long, winding path, he could sense something with the help of the Chip and the Orb of the Fire God. There were strands and traces of life in the distance.

  These fire creatures seemed to be extremely curious about Greem’s arrival. They would dive into the flames and vanish for a moment before reappearing close to Greem and observing in silence. The Molten Giant obviously knew of their existence, but he did not bother to explain them to Greem.

  Thus, Greem could only wonder in his mind.

  According to the Chip’s scans, the average energy level in the Fire Elementium Plane reached upwards of one to two hundred points. An outsider entering the Fire Elementium Plane would have to endure two hundred points of fire damage constantly.

  Two hundred points of elementium damage was tremendous. Only Second Grade adepts could hope to survive under such pressure!

  The minimum requirement of exploring the Fire Elementium Plane was Second Grade. Moreover, adepts of other attributes would not be able to replenish their powers by absorbing wandering elementium. Once their magical powers were exhausted by the harsh environment, they would have no choice but to leave.

  However, here in the Sea of Ashes, the energy level soared to over a thousand points of power. Without the fire laws’ protection, even fire creatures could not survive here.

  The fact that the Molten Giant could move about the Sea of Ashes so freely meant that he had grasped some fire laws. If…if Greem could kill him and rob him of his fire core, he would have a very high chance of analyzing and obtaining his fire laws.

  This method of stealing others’ fire laws was far quicker and more convenient than meditating diligently by yourself.

  Judging from his colossal size, giant fists, and surging fire energy, Greem would have no more than a 73% chance of winning against him in the Sea of Ashes, even if he were to go all out and summon Shadow Demon.

  Greem would even be injured in this process, while Shadow Demon would be severely damaged.

  If the Molten Giant was a little more fierce, he could even choose to detonate his core at the moment of his defeat. Greem would be left with nothing then. He would get absolutely nothing apart from a body full of injuries and some magma shards.

  Given his understanding of these fire creatures, it was almost guaranteed that they would self-destruct when they were defeated!

  It was because of how difficult it was to deal with these fire creatures and what little profit there was to be obtained from killing them that very few clans in the World of Adepts tried to expand into the Fire Elementium Plane.

  The fire creatures here were too poor and too passionate. Conquering them would be worth nothing at all!

  The fifty-kilometer walk quickly came to an end as Greem was absorbed in his thoughts.

  When Fire King Groms’ massive palace appeared in front of Greem, he couldn’t help but be dazzled, despite how composed he usually was.

  A wooden palace with stone pillars. There were over a hundred stone pillars, each reaching high into the sky and thick enough that one required five men to fully wrap their arms around it. It was a large and majestic palace. The fact that such a considerable palace could be constructed in this terrifying, blazing land of ashes was itself a miracle.

  Just a rough estimate of the labor, cost, and investments that went into its construction left Greem speechless.

  As expected of a Fire King. Only a mighty individual like a Fire King could live in such a work of wonder.

  …………

  Blazing red. Terrifyingly hot. Even the air itself was burning. However, the burning of the flames was unusually peaceful, as if the fires were one with the space around them. It didn’t matter how fierce the flames blazed; they did not cause a single ripple in space.

  Greem stared straight at the blazing humanoid the moment he stepped into the hall. His eyes were filled with shock and curiosity. He was no longer a rookie now. As a Fourth Grade fire adept, he could see all the various unusual aspects of this fire in front of him.

  This fire was derived from the planar laws. It was fundamentally different from the ordinary flames of the world. The power gathered in their core naturally carried a trace of sacred holiness!

  Greem might have grasped some of the fire laws, but he was only mixing in a trace of the laws in his spells when he cast them. However, this flame humanoid was incredibly pure and sublime. The flames that made up his body were formed entirely of the fire of laws. There was no chaos or impurities in those flames.

  All the law fires gathered together to form a small stream that circulated throughout this individual’s body. They were exceedingly tame and obedient. However, as someone who had personally handled law fires, Greem knew very well how vicious and savage they truly were.

  Even a single spark of law fire exposed to the material world could start a terrible firestorm!

  Yet, this flame giant was like an unmoving statue. He let the law fires flow freely and silently through his body, seemingly without any discomfort at all.

  Greem stood in silence and observed the flame giant for a long time.

  Even though the giant did not speak or move, Greem had significantly benefitted from observing his form and the flow of power within him.

  At his level, there were no longer any precedents or preset paths upon which he could follow. The only thing Greem could do was construct a path and direction of development for himself, given his potential and abilities.

  Now, having witnessed the true form of a Fifth Grade Fire King, Greem finally had a reference to base his own improvement on. He now had the time and opportunity to correct his past mistakes.

  Thus, when he stepped into the hall and set eyes upon the giant, Greem abruptly froze. His entire person fell into a mysterious state of chaos, confusion, and yet enlightenment at the same time.

  The giant blazing with golden fires opened his eyes. He glanced at the dazed Greem as a trace of praise and pity appeared in his eyes.

  “My king, what has happened to this person? Should I wake him up?” The Molten Giant Rhyolith, who appeared even larger and more muscular than the Fire King, couldn’t help but speak up.

  “No need!” The flame giant scolded unamusedly. “You dumbasses. You’ve followed me for so long, yet still, none of you have understood anything. Fools with only muscles and no brains. Do you think size alone decides the might of an individual? Don’t forget; we are fire creatures. Only increased mastery over fire can improve the source of our power.”

  The Molten Giant was completely confused by the scolding that had come out of nowhere. He scratched his head, and his voice boomed, “My king, why did you get all angry all of a sudden? Haven’t I already improved by a minor grade these three hundred years?”

  “Hmph! You’ve only gone from intermediate Fourth Grade to advanced Fourth Grade after three hundred years by my s
ide, yet you have the face to be proud? Look at this human adept. He took a look at me and instantly went into a state of enlightenment. In my opinion, he will catch up with your grade in less than a dozen years! When that happens…”

  “When that happens, I still won’t be afraid of him!” Rhyolith proudly shouted. “He’s the size of a pea. Even if he were the same grade as me, I would only need a single punch to kill him!”

  The flame giant’s face turned dark as the law fires flowing through his body showed signs of going berserk.

  “Idiot! Idiot…how many times have I told you that what decides our power isn’t our size or our muscles. It’s the level of our fire laws! What’s the point of having such a large body if you aren’t sustained by the fire laws?”

  The Molten Giant still wanted to argue, but he was interrupted by his king, who had discovered something strange.

  “Hm? What is this? To think it can hide in the shadows…hehehe! Since you’ve come to my hall, you had better show yourself!”

  The giant opened his eyes wide and stared calmly at the fist-sized shadow directly beneath Greem. He turned his palm, and endless fire energy filled every inch of space in the hall.

  There was no room for a shadow to manifest where the fire energy burned!

  An unusual metal golem of fairly large size appeared suddenly in the middle of the hall.

  Chapter 1229 - The Fire King’s Mission

  [Beep. Detecting template of a Fifth Grade fire creature.

  [Grade stable, energy level stable, spiritual template stable.

  [Conducting data comparison; correcting and optimizing the base model template of host.

  [Beep. Data comparison complete. Discovered 31 deviations, 17 incorrect categorizations, 164 inefficiencies, and 6 major data mistakes in host’s template.. Requesting instructions from host. Proceed with correction based on new model of Fifth Grade fire creature?]

  The moment Greem saw the flame giant, the Chip had started drawing wildly upon Greem’s Spirit as if it had just discovered a new continent. It was utilizing all that Spirit to drive its calculations. Even with Greem’s Fourth Grade Spirit, it was hard to sustain the insane speed at which the Chip was functioning.

  It was like a black hole had appeared in Greem’s mind, wildly devouring all of his Spirit without mercy.

  Fortunately, his power was no longer comparable to what it was in the past. He gritted his teeth and managed to endure the Chip’s insane requirements, gradually stabilizing the Chip’s calculations.

  [Template of Fifth Grade creature has been constructed and optimized. Correction of host’s own template will be conducted in the future!] Greem finally managed to reign in the Chip’s madness after a while. He regained control of his body.

  However, that one instant of calculations had drained him of nearly seventy percent of his Spirit. His mind was incredibly exhausted and fatigued at the moment.

  It was only when he finally managed to direct a portion of his Spirit outwards and came to his senses that he realized that something was wrong. Shadow Demon, who should have been in hiding and guarding over him, had been revealed. He was standing in front of him, desperately trying to break free of the flame shackles wrapped around him.

  Seemingly sensing Greem coming to his senses, the flame giant sitting high atop his throne finally spoke up.

  “You’ve finally woken up. Little guy, you are quite interesting. If you had taken a little longer to wake up, I was prepared to capture this doll and dissect it!”

  His voice wasn’t exactly loud, but it appeared tremendously commanding and domineering in this hall of flames. Moreover, when his voice traveled through the room, it seemed able to trigger resonance with the fire elementium in the air, making his voice even more intimidating and commanding.

  Greem tried his best to ignore the splitting headache from exhausting his Spirit and calmed down. He then bowed and paid his respects to the unusual giant in front of him.

  “I am honored for this audience with you, my lord, and honored to have received your guidance. I, Greem, express my heartfelt gratitude towards the great King Groms!”

  “Don’t be in a hurry to thank me, kid. There are some old debts to be settled between the two of us still!” The flame giant let out a muffled grunt, his gaze at Greem hiding a hint of hostility.

  “May I know what Your Majesty is referring to?”

  “Two hundred years ago, you came to the Fire Elementium Plane and killed one of my Fire Lords. How should we settle this blood debt?”

  Two hundred years ago…Fire Lord……

  Greem’s mind spun rapidly, and he quickly managed to match the description to an event in his memory.

  “I was foolish and ignorant as a young man. For besmirching your dignity, I sincerely plead for Your Majesty’s forgiveness!” Greem hurriedly apologized, seemingly in utter sincerity.

  As a Fifth Grade Fire King, there was no way Groms would have gone to such lengths to summon him to the Fire Elementium Plane just over the death of a mere Second Grade two hundred years ago. The reason Groms was doing this was clearly to lay the groundwork for the conversation to come.

  Greem knew this very well and could only lower himself for the discussion to proceed.

  “I have plenty of Second Grade Fire Lords under my command; it isn’t a big deal. Still, your act of killing my subordinate has made me the laughing-stock of the other Fire Kings. I can’t exactly look past that now, can I!” The flame giant looked relaxed on his throne, and it was hard to discern what expression he had on his face.

  “Greem is willing to do his very best to compensate for his past mistakes. If there is anything Your Majesty requires, Greem will dedicate his very being to its completion!”

  A smile broke on the giant’s face as if he was delighted by Greem’s understanding.

  “I am looking for something! I had planned to find it through Maysa, but that plan has fallen through. Now, that thing I was looking for must have fallen in Maysa’s hands. So, I need you to help me retrieve it!”

  Greem leaped up in surprise and said, “Steal from Maysa? My lord, Maysa is a Seventh Grade Great Witch!”

  The flame giant chuckled loudly, “I’m not that foolish as to have you go head-to-head with a Seventh Grade Great Witch. Maysa has been relying on her being sheltered by Fate to peek at the secrets of powerful beings all over the universe. She then uses these secrets to coerce people into serving her. Her actions are vile, disagreeable, and they have long since drawn the ire of many people.

  “But don’t worry, her actual person is hidden in a mysterious space known as the Domain of Fate. She hardly ever takes a single step out of there. The ones running around on the outside pulling strings for her are either her Fate clones or individuals that have been forced into her service. You won’t run into her actual person on this mission!

  “A while ago, she sent a Fate clone to meet me, hoping to borrow my power against you. And what she threatened me with was that thing I was looking for. That bitch knew very well that I was searching for that thing, and she sent someone to snatch it away ahead of time. That is why I don’t plan to help her this time and summoned you instead.”

  Greem took a deep breath and asked calmly, “What do you want me to do?”

  “According to my most recent information, that item is now in the World of Adepts! That’s a place where even I can’t easily go. That is why……”

  “So, you want me to help you get that item back?”

  “Indeed! If you can do this, then I will stand by your side for all of your fights with that bitch in the future! Hehehe. I, Groms, might not be the most powerful individual in the Fire Elementium Plane, but I command respect even amongst the seven Fire Kings. With my support, it will be entirely possible for you to become a Fire Lord in this world. I can carve a piece of land out for you, and you will be a Lord of the Fire Elementium Plane. How about that! Very generous conditions, aren’t they?”

  Greem frowned and thought for a moment befo
re speaking up, “Compared to land, I am more interested in fire laws. What I want to know is how you are able to purify and concentrate such a tremendous number of law fires.”

  The air in the hall suddenly froze!

  Fire King Groms stared at Greem silently. After a long while, he finally smiled.

  “Law fire? A good name for it. However, for fire elementium creatures like ourselves, fire is fire. There is no need to give it such a wordy name. The law fire you speak of, we call it origin fire. If you want to know the secrets of origin fire, then earn it with that thing I want!”

  Groms was a Fire King, after all. With his power and identity, he could be a deity of fire if he were to descend on an ordinary planar world. Every word and action of his moved the laws of the Fire Elementium Plane and contained a binding power of their own.

  That was why Greem didn’t hesitate to nod and come to an agreement with him.

  Finally, when Greem left, he couldn’t help but turn and ask.

  “Lord Groms, may I know what that item you seek is?”

  The flame giant remained silent and threw a fire crystal at Greem instead. His voice boomed, “Don’t look at it here. Don’t ask and don’t talk about it. Go look for that new Fate Witch! She will give you the answers you need.”

  Greem nodded, bowed, and turned to leave.

  Shadow Demon followed silently behind him. It wasn’t until they left the hall that he merged into Greem’s shadow once more.

  “Chip, what do you have?”

  [Beep. Fifth Grade fire creature template 22% completed. Understanding of fire laws increased to 71%. Mastered two new fire laws: Fire’s Fragility and Fire’s Resilience.

  [Fire’s Fragility: Host can reduce a target’s fire resistance beyond negative at the cost of nullifying all of the host’s defenses.

  [Fire’s Resilience: Flames that affect the host’s target will not extinguish on their own.]