Age of Adepts c1-1513

by Zhen De Lao Lang, 真的老狼

  The Zhentarim Association, with what power they had, would probably have to commit all their might just on an invasion into a mid-sized plane! Meanwhile, not only was the Adept’s Association able to invade large planes on par with the World of Adepts, but could even casually categorize them based on the difficulty of conquering them.

  The vast difference in power revealed in this deflated Greem’s ambition. He had wanted to unify the Central lands, but he couldn’t help but be dejected by what he had seen.

  Moreover, since they were willing to show him the secrets of their War Tower, it meant even these secrets weren’t their most important ones. There had to be something even deeper beyond these crimson portals.

  However, Greem knew the situation he was in.

  As an outsider, there was a limit to the courtesy that could be extended to him. If he pushed the letter, he would be forcing the Adept’s Association to turn on him!

  Greem nodded satisfactorily and smiled at Adept Horner as he expressed his gratitude.

  “Well, we’ve toured the War Tower. How about it? Let’s go to the Association’s main hall for a spin! There are many elders over there who want to meet you!”

  Horner felt relaxed when he saw Greem nod.

  The metal platform immediately returned along the same path it had arrived. It returned to the lower levels of the War Tower and retrieved the ‘imprisoned’ Billis before leaving the War Tower. The adepts then got onto a flying disc and flew towards the main body of the Tower of Observation.

  Fifteen minutes later, in a hall on the three hundred and twenty-seventh level of the central tower, Greem finally met the dozen Association elders who had been waiting here.

  It was a simple magical hall. A dozen Fourth Grade adepts in robes and armor of various colors were gathered in the room, talking amongst themselves as they waited.

  When Greem and Horner stepped into the room, they immediately halted their conversation, and their eyes looked towards Greem.

  Greem immediately felt the tremendously heavy pressure pressing towards him.

  Everyone here was a Fourth Grade adept; there were no weaklings among them.

  They didn’t even need to speak. Even a simple gaze of theirs could be empowered with Spirit and extended over Greem’s body as an invisible force.

  They were using their Spirit appendages to subtly search for Greem’s secrets even as they looked at him. Greem even smelled the revolting smell of divination magic on some of those gazes!

  Sixteen Fourth Grade adepts, sixteen pairs of eyes, sixteen sources of spiritual pressure.

  This sort of intimidation and probing would have made any other Fourth Grade adept turn pale.

  Greem resisted the impulse to take out the fire coral staff. He maintained the smile on his young, handsome face. Overwhelming fire energy surged out of his Heart of Principles, the power of the fire laws turning into runes that rushed towards his mind.

  A searing surge of mental consciousness rose from Greem and clashed with the horrifying spiritual pressure of the many Association elders.

  Everyone let out a muffled grunt at the same time.

  The heavy pressure in the air vanished in an instant.

  Greem paused his steps for a brief moment and managed to neutralize the backlash from the clash. He then smiled and greeted the elders of the Association.

  The Association elders immediately showed expressions of puzzlement. Half of the elders, who were only present here as clone projections, even flushed red in the faces. It seemed like that unusual, searing mental will had invaded their bodies.

  Fortunately, they were Fourth Grade adepts, after all. Even if they were only clone projections, they were able to suppress the ‘insignificant’ aftershocks of that clash in an instant.

  Chapter 1244 - The Words Behind Their Backs

  “Welcome…welcome.”

  An elderly adept with wrinkles on his face and a wisp of a beard on his chin walked forward. His eyes were slightly closed, and a strange light gleamed in them.

  “I am Domhnall, and we welcome you, Sir Greem!”

  The other adepts also nodded in this direction and acknowledged Greem’s arrival.

  Meanwhile, Olivia didn’t so much as move a muscle.

  Greem hurried forward, bowing to Adept Domhnall and paying respects as a junior. Greem wasn’t being humble. Rather, it was because he knew very well about the background of this elderly adept that he showed his respect.

  Domhnall, Vice-Chairman of the Adept’s Association, responsible for managing most of the Association’s daily affairs. He had held this position for as long as 1,200 years, hardly making a single mistake along the way.

  Consequently, there were many rumors about him in public.

  The most convincing rumor was that Domhnall was the soul clone of a Great Adept of the Association. He had remained in the World of Adepts for the long-term development of the Adept’s Association and was thus in charge of managing the Association’s affairs.

  In doing so, most of the other Association adepts were liberated from menial duties and could focus all their time and energy on their personal improvement. More crucially, it allowed the Adept’s Association to remain eternally within the grasp of a select group of individuals. It would never become the battlefield of individual, ambitious adepts vying for power.

  Domhnall appeared quite pleased by Greem’s show of respect. He pulled Greem along with him as they walked around the hall, patiently introducing him to all the adepts present in the room.

  Geraldine, Fourth Grade elementium adept, male.

  This was a powerful adept whose body had been entirely converted into light elementium. His eyebrows, skin, flesh, and even his bones had turned transparent. You could see the organs in his body and the blood circulating throughout perfectly. The light elementium surging within him was also apparent. You could see how the light elementium melded and meshed with the muscle tissue.

  He must have been after the enhancement to combat power by choosing such an unusual elementium form. However, there were both benefits and downsides to such a thorough elementiumization. Otherwise, Greem wouldn’t be so insistent on keeping his human form.

  Ames, Fourth Grade bloodline adept, male.

  He was a strange individual with blue hair and blue eyes. A peculiar magical halo engulfed him. As he had utterly concealed the aura of his halo, Greem couldn’t figure out its effect based on sight alone.

  However, the Chip estimated that the halo was a radiated forcefield formed as a result of his overpowering magical beast aura that could not be easily concealed.

  Neve, Fourth Grade bloodline adept, female.

  Neve was a strange adept with almost no hair at all. She was bald and had no eyebrows or lashes to speak off. Her skin was smooth as jade, and a pair of green reptilian pupils rested in her sharp, narrow eyes. An intense and chilling aura would rise from her when her pupils shrank.

  She must have possessed some unusual serpentine bloodline. That much was evident from the sinister aura she radiated. However, there were as many as a thousand known serpentine bloodlines, with over a hundred of them having the potential to reach or exceed Fourth Grade. It would not be an easy task figuring out her actual bloodline.

  ……

  ……

  In addition to Horner and Greem, there were eighteen Fourth Grade adepts in this hall. It would be a shocking scene if it were set in the Central lands.

  However, here, it appeared normal and casual!

  While Greem was silently recording and collecting basic information on all these Fourth Grade adepts, the Association elders were also trying to uncover Greem’s information.

  With the aid of a mental network constructed by Tower Spirit Rafatus, the elders could communicate between themselves without drawing Greem’s attention.

  “Olivia, you just fought him. What was it like? How powerful is he?”

  “Indeed, Olivia. You fought with that guy for such a long time. It must have been a stalema
te, wasn’t it?”

  Olivia’s face darkened when her companions teased her. She couldn’t help but let out a furious roar.

  “Schreiber, if your attacks are as sharp as your tongue, why don’t you challenge him to a duel? He’s a fire adept; you’re a fire adept. Why don’t you two see whose flames are stronger? Campbell, you bastard. Don’t think that your magic will necessarily be able to beat me! Why don’t you challenge that fire adept as well, if you’re so confident!”

  Even more people entered the mental conversation when they saw Olivia lose her cool.

  “I heard that this Greem fellow was only three hundred years old when he advanced to Fourth Grade. Is that true?” Finally, a sharp male voice asked.

  “I know about this!” The bloodline adept known as Ames spoke up, “I went to the Central lands a while ago, and I took the opportunity to do some research on this Adept Greem. According to the information available to the public, the first time he became the center of public attention was when he advanced to First Grade. It has only been three hundred and eighty-seven years since then.”

  “And his birthplace? Does he have any relatives?” Some asked coldly.

  “There’s no longer anywhere we can look to in order to find this information! It’s said that a little accident happened at the resource site of the clan he belonged to when he advanced. All the apprentices and even the stationed adept died in that accident. Only him, a female adept, and a bug adept survived. Moreover, all of them advanced to become adepts.”

  “Hah! Accident. It was probably something to do with blood rituals!”

  “We’ve already contacted the Sarubo Clan with regards to this matter and tried our best to obtain what primary information we could. Indeed, Greem seemed to have been an apprentice accepted from a nearby village from the resource site. We couldn’t find any more specific information beyond that. The stationed adept of the resource site tried to sacrifice his apprentices in a blood ritual to advance to Second Grade. Unfortunately, he failed, and his plan benefitted three apprentices under him instead.”

  “He failed? Not necessarily! In my opinion, it was this Greem who outwitted the adept!”

  “Advanced to First Grade three hundred and eighty-seven years ago. Second Grade, three hundred and sixteen years ago. Third Grade, two hundred and thirty-two years ago. And finally, Fourth Grade ninety-four years ago. If we were to calculate based on these milestones, he would have been exactly three hundred years old when he advanced to Fourth Grade.”

  The mental network suddenly fell utterly silent. The adepts couldn’t help but frown.

  Even though the speed of advancement had absolutely nothing to do with the combat prowess of an individual, the fact that Greem could rise to prominence in the Central lands indirectly demonstrated his overwhelming talent as an adept. Moreover, judging from his performance after advancing to Fourth Grade, this would not be his final destination. He was still improving and advancing at a respectable pace.

  Of course, this wasn’t the first time they had met an individual with such unbelievable talent.

  Over a thousand years ago, one Adept Sarubo had rapidly risen in prominence in the Central lands, in a fashion just as domineering and overwhelming. Unfortunately, even as talented as he was, he could not avoid the endless interventions and disruptions of the three major organizations from the shadows. In the end, even he could not unite Zhentarim and was forced to advance to Fifth Grade and leave the World of Adepts.

  Sarubo was now a Sixth Grade Great Adept, making a prosperous living for himself in the realms beyond. Sadly, the Sarubo Clan he left behind in the World of Adepts had fallen from their position of prominence after just three or four hundred years of prosperity.

  Of course, the main reason for this was because Great Adept Sarubo demanded far too many resources from the clan, which affected the clan’s development. He had successfully advanced from Fifth Grade to Sixth Grade, while the clan he left behind had been drained of its nutrition, resulting in a gap in power between him and his followers.

  If he had taken less from his clan and bestowed resources on his descendants in a reasonable manner, the Sarubo Clan would not be in the situation they were in. They would not lack a Fourth Grade adept and be reduced to a mid-sized clan that could easily be pushed around.

  “Just three hundred years to advance to Fourth Grade, and another eighty years to stabilize his Spirit. His combat power has already reached the level of an advanced Fourth Grade. This Greem fellow is not to be underestimated!” It was Blak’shir who spoke up this time. He was a powerful bloodline adept who was undeniably stronger than Olivia.

  “Olivia, there’s no need to be so upset! I know you have many techniques that you have yet to unleash, but this Greem fellow definitely has many more aces hidden up his sleeves than even you. In a deathmatch, you should be happy to have a forty percent chance of winning!”

  If Olivia, the Adept of Torture, was definitely one of the top ten Association elders, then Blak’shir was certainly among the top five. An ultra-powerhouse.

  No one would doubt his words.

  Greem could suppress the Adept of Torture. A person like him was probably worthy of being known as an ultra-powerhouse.

  If a person like him was allowed to stir up a storm in the Central lands…everyone’s expressions turned solemn.

  “Then how should we deal with this Greem. Should we try our best to pull him to our side, or should we suppress his rise?” Someone asked softly.

  If Greem were only an ordinary adept, they would not have needed to go to such lengths. However, if Greem were truly as powerful as an ultra-powerhouse, then the disunited Zhentarim would be the best place for him.

  “In the one thousand years I have managed the Adept’s Association, I have seen countless geniuses. However, in the same thousand years, the three major adept organizations are still the three major adept organizations. A fourth force has yet to emerge. Why?” Vice-Chairman Domhnall couldn’t help but chuckle when he saw everybody so concerned.

  “Their foundations are too shallow! Trying to unite the entirety of the central lands with only one Fourth Grade ultra-powerhouse? Come back and talk when you’re an Eighth Grade adept, why don’t you!”

  Having said that, Domhnall let out a long, arrogant laugh.

  Chapter 1245 - Difficult Negotiations

  In a special, secret room.

  Greem sat down calmly to begin the actual negotiations with Adept Domhnall.

  “Sir Greem, did you really come here to the east only for that Lightfire stone?” Domhnall was the host, after all. Naturally, he was the one to initiate the conversation.

  Even though Domhnall was the only person in the room, Greem could clearly sense over two dozen mysterious consciousnesses carried on Domhnall’s person. Frankly speaking, apart from the elders who were occupied with vital matters or stuck in other worlds, all the Fourth Grade adepts were observing this negotiation.

  “I have truly learned of the Adept Association’s might and prosperity since coming here: the knowledge, the planar coordinates you possess, your otherworldly slaves, and high-grade resources. These are all things I am interested in. However, before we discuss trade on those items, I want to seal the deal on the Lightfire stone.” Greem might be alone, but he was not relenting at all.

  “The Association only has this one Lightfire stone in our possession at the moment. What price do you intend to pay to obtain it?”

  “I recall that this Lightfire stone is in Olivia’s hands. You—”

  “You don’t have to worry about this, Sir Greem. The Lightfire stone was given to Olivia as a mission reward to begin with. As long as you agree to our conditions, I have the means to make her hand it over!” Domhnall narrowed his eyes, his expression sly and cunning.

  Greem brooded in silence for a moment before speaking.

  “As you should know, Lord Domhnall, I have in my possession some unusual mushrooms from another world. They can increase the base attributes of
an adept by a certain degree, and they are effective even on Fourth Grade adepts. If you are willing to hand over the Lightfire stone, I can provide you with three people’s portions of magical mushrooms!”

  “Those mushrooms are only some resources used to increase base attributes. Your offer doesn’t carry sufficient weight yet!” Adept Domhnall proudly retorted, “We have many other similar adept resources in our possession after the tens of thousands of years of accumulation since the establishment of our Adept’s Association. Besides items that can improve attributes, we even have plenty of resources here that can improve an adept’s talent and potential.”

  Greem frowned. He couldn’t help but become slightly nervous.

  If it were anyone else, Greem would be confident that they were only bluffing to improve their position in the negotiation. However, faced with this old man who had lived for a thousand years, Greem genuinely believed that everything he said was the truth.

  With the size of the Adept’s Association and the endless amount of time they had to stockpile resources, it only made sense that they had such deep pockets. However, these items were considered strategic resources. The three major adept organizations would never let them fall into the hands of their competitors easily unless they were already on the ropes.

  On the other hand, Greem and the Crimson Clan were still too poor. Otherwise, they would never trade away a resource as vital as the mushrooms.

  “Then…what is that you want, Lord Domhnall?” Greem asked solemnly.

  “I want you!” Domhnall stroked his wispy beard as he casually said.

  “Me?”

  “Yes! As long as you are willing to join our Adept’s Association, I can make the decision to give you this Lightfire stone as a welcoming gift!”