The origin blood was isolated. Naturally, there was no way it could resist this red beam. Its pure, stable energy structure instantly disintegrated, causing the blood to turn into sparks of white light that dissipated into the air.
Chapter 1247 - Back and Forth
It vanished.
A drop of origin blood vanished just like that?
It wasn’t just Domhnall. Even Geraldine himself was stunned at the sight of this!
They closed their eyes to sense their surroundings. The origin blood had indeed dissipated entirely. It had disintegrated thoroughly, not leaving behind even a trace of its aura.
There were no concerns about the blood leaking out and being used for curses now!
Did Greem make a mistake in his handling of the blood?
Geraldine thought to himself. He had been wary of Greem, but now he couldn’t help but feel sorry for him.
Greem had given him a powerful Fourth Grade ring that was perfectly compatible with his attribute. Meanwhile, he had only given Greem a single drop of origin blood, which he wasn’t even allowed to bring out of this room.
Geraldine had believed these to be fair terms earlier, but upon reflection now, he thought them too harsh on Greem!
Geraldine hesitated for a moment and finally said.
“Did you make a mistake earlier? Would you…do you want me to give you another drop of my origin blood?”
Greem took a long and deep breath, trying to ease his pulsating headache. He smiled bitterly and replied, “Trying to grasp a law of an entirely different attribute is nearly impossible! It’s fine. It seems like this was no more than an ambitious dream, after all. Even if you were to give me more of your origin blood, it would be challenging for me to decipher anything out of it.”
Domhnall chuckled and entered the conversation as he watched the frustrated expression on Greem’s face.
“Mastering an additional attribute of law powers is undoubtedly something to be celebrated, but there’s a limit to everyone’s abilities. Without the corresponding elementium talent, it will be near impossible to truly grasp the light laws, even if you were to devour Geraldine whole. Otherwise, the entire World of Adepts would have fallen into a chaotic frenzy of endless murder!”
“It was my fault for being impulsive!” Greem rubbed his head, a dejected expression on his face.
In truth, he couldn’t be happier.
The projection of the blood in his mind was now as realistic as the actual thing. Its surface gleamed with a crystalline brilliance, its energy aura almost entirely identical to the disintegrated drop of blood.
The Chip was also projecting a long series of data and complex structural breakdowns at the edges of this three-dimensional projection. However, what truly made Greem so happy wasn’t the data or the perfect simulation, but the few words at the very end of the report.
“…replication is possible…”
Replication is possible, replication is possible, replication is possible.
Greem repeated this sentence over and over in his mind. He could feel his entire head ringing.
To think, this drop of origin blood was replicable once the Chip had completed its analysis!
What…exactly did that mean for him?
In all honesty, even Greem didn’t know himself.
However, that didn’t stop him from believing that he had hit the jackpot!
If it was possible to replicate this drop of origin blood on a massive scale, what could he do with the accumulation of all that replicated blood? What would be created? An elementiumized humanoid formed out of pure light? Or some sort of entirely new elementium lifeform? Could the origin blood of a Fourth Grade being like this be of use to Mary?
For a moment, Greem couldn’t help but dream about the possibilities so much that he indulged in the fantasies.
“Sir Greem…Sir Greem. We haven’t finalized the trade from before?” Vice-Chairman Domhnall couldn’t help but call out to Greem.
Greem shook his head and drove away all those impractical thoughts. He then regathered his focus and faced this old fox seriously.
The one thousand years that Domhnall had lived for had refined his mind to incomparable sharpness and determination. As the soul clone of a Great Adept, his knowledge and experience were vastly superior to all the Association elders combined.
As they said, the longer you lived, the more cunning you were!
It would be unusual if he weren’t trying his best to weasel the best deal for himself in negotiations!
Thus, Greem could only pull himself together and focused on negotiating with this manager of the Adept’s Association.
“Lord Domhnall, there is no way I can hand over the spores and cultivation method for the magical mushrooms. These are top-class resources I only managed to obtain after many deadly trials in another world. I am counting on using these mushrooms to gather some capital for the clan! As such, there is no way I can hand over their method of cultivation. We only sell the final product, not the spores or the techniques behind their cultivation!”
“Sir Greem, there’s no need to be so absolute, is there! Your mushrooms are quite wondrous indeed, but they are consumable Fourth Grade adept resources, in the end. Meanwhile, the Lightfire stone that you want is an excellent Fourth Grade item in terms of quality alone. In fact, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call it a Fifth Grade item! ”
“It doesn’t matter how much you praise the lightfire stone, my lord. The fact remains that it is a Fourth Grade item. Do you actually intend to price it as a Fifth Grade item? Lightfire stones might be rare, but they aren’t precisely one-of-a-kind. If I was willing to spend a few decades roaming in the realms beyond, I’m certain I will be able to find one.”
“I’m afraid you will be disappointed, Sir Greem! Dual-attribute treasures like the Lightfire stone are a rare resource even in the realms beyond. The occasional one that appears often falls into the hands of a Great Adept in a matter of days. Trying to compete against those Great Adepts as a Fourth Grade adept…hehehe. Don’t you find that notion childish and laughable?”
“It doesn’t matter how much you work that tongue of yours, my lord. I will not hand over the spores or the method of cultivation. However, as long as you agree, I can provide a supply of these mushrooms to the Adept’s Association at the highest priority. Three adept’s portion per year, for a total of ten years. How about that?”
“When it comes to resources like these, we much prefer to be able to produce it ourselves! The reason you are unwilling to hand over the spores and their method of cultivation is that you are worried we will establish a monopoly in the market. How about this? Once we complete the trade, I can assure you that the magical mushrooms will only circulate within the Association. They will never be sold as products with forces outside the organization. How about it? You shouldn’t have a reason to object to these terms now, do you?”
Damn, you could do that?
Greem was rendered speechless for a moment. He didn’t know how to respond.
It couldn’t be helped. The first person to put their terms forward would always be on their backfoot!
Since Domhnall was certain that he needed the Lightfire stone, he held the absolute initiative in these negotiations. There wasn’t much Greem could do but passively parry with all he had!
In all honesty, if Domhnall had stubbornly insisted on the harsher terms from before, Greem would have had no choice but to relent as well. Now that Domhnall was already making certain compromises, Greem knew well enough to meet him at the middle ground. He shook Domhnall’s hand, and the deal was settled.
After settling the deal, Domhnall reached back into empty air and made a grabbing motion. A strange stone burning with milky-white flames suddenly appeared and drifted towards Greem slowly.
Greem lifted his head and looked at this tiny, fist-sized stone. Numerous emotions couldn’t help but well up in his heart as he saw it.
Once upon a time, when he saw that mountain of
magical crystals in the Tower of Fate, Greem had been excited beyond words. He had wanted to lie on top of those magical crystals and not move a single inch for the rest of his life. Yet now, with just his two lips, he had given away a mountain of magical crystals, all for this one tiny stone.
The changes that had happened between these two periods of this life were truly unimaginable! It was miraculous in its own way.
The stone in front of him was not very large, but it was incredibly heavy. It was so much so that Greem could feel the strain on his Spirit when pulling it over.
Since Domhnall had happily handed over the stone, it meant that he wasn’t worried about Greem reneging on the deal.
Backing out of a deal with the Adept’s Association? A person who would dare to do that had probably not been born in the World of Adepts yet!
Greem didn’t reach out to grab the Lightfire stone. Instead, he raised his hand and let out the Bleeding Spear and the ogre warhammers.
The two sets of heavy weapons clattered to the ground with a large thud, causing the floorboards to rumble loudly, despite being protected by magical arrays.
“Since I’m already here, I don’t intend to bring these two pieces of garbage back with me. Just offer me any price, my lord. I’ll trade them for some magical crystals!”
Domhnall still had as sharp an eye as ever before. He immediately figured out the attributes and weaknesses of the two weapons with a single glance. He smiled, “The technique used in creating this spear is simply crude. The law attribute it possesses is the only redeeming factor. As for those warhammers. Truly garbage, like you said. Apart from returning them into the forge-fires and extracting the rare metal in them, they aren’t worth much else.”
Having said that, Domhnall lifted his head and glanced at Greem before saying, “However, since it’s you, I can make the decision to purchase them at the price of Fourth Grade items. One and a half million for these warhammers, and two million three hundred thousand for the spear. That comes to a total of three million eight hundred thousand magical crystals. How’s that?”
Greem was more than satisfied with this price. He quickly nodded in approval.
Upon seeing Domhnall put away the two pieces of equipment, Greem carefully put away the Lightfire stone in his Elder’s Ring as well.
“The ring you sold for five million magical crystals, and these two weapons for three million and eight hundred thousand. You just need to hand over one million and two hundred thousand magical crystals, as well as the spores and their method of cultivation, and our deal is settled!”
“Your Adept’s Association must have contact people in the Central lands as well. Have them go to the Crimson Clan headquarters in Ailovis. I will notify the clan immediately and have them hand over these things. In the meantime, I’m afraid I will be imposing on you!”
Domhnall was quite satisfied with Greem’s perfectly courteous and appropriate attitude.
“Since you are here as a guest of the Association, why don’t you walk around the Tower of Observation for the next few days. Our libraries and laboratories are the best in the entire World of Adepts. I’m certain that you won’t be disappointed with your trip!”
“Moreover, it seems like quite a few of the elders intend to exchange some thoughts with you in private. You are going to be quite busy in the next few days!”
Greem could only nod in response to the old adept’s vague words. He then got up and left the room.
Once Greem left, the smile on Domhnall’s face faded. He couldn’t help but stroke his beard as he brooded in silence. A moment later, he suddenly said, “Tell me, what do you feel about this Greem?”
A low and hoarse voice rang out in the empty room.
“Mysterious, powerful, and shrouded with the unknown. He is protected by an unusual power. I cannot see his Fateline!”
Chapter 1248 - Fate’s Servant
Inside a hidden room.
A strange humanoid figure had suddenly swelled up from the empty ground.
As the light yellow mist that obscured the figure scattered, a strange man who looked even older than Domhnall was revealed. The folds and wrinkles on his face were so heavy that it was almost impossible to discern his actual appearance.
This elderly man was hunched over, leaning against a yellow staff taller than himself. His hair was a mess, and his eyes were a blank white with no pupils at all. He was even wearing a raggedy old robe that had clearly not been washed in years. The stains and dirt on the robe had already covered its original color, making it impossible to tell what material it was made of.
At a single glance, this was a poor wandering adept who couldn’t be in any worse of a financial situation. He was someone who could never be seen at a proper place, let alone the Tower of Observation, a structure that represented the Adept Association’s greatest achievement.
Yet, somehow, this old man had not only appeared here, but even casually acknowledged Vice-Chairman Domhnall’s greeting.
“Maztan, you are the most potent diviner of the entire Association. Can’t even you see Greem’s future clearly?”
“Domhnall, as I said earlier, someone has concealed this young man’s Fate from view.”
“So, we won’t be able to see anything at all?” Domhnall couldn’t help but frown as he said, “Maztan, the Association has treated your people very well over these years. The budget allocated to diviners is the highest of all the branches. We even gave you the top floor of the Tower of Observation. Do you really intend to dismiss me with just those results?”
“I can sense a powerful stream of Fate power rising in the north. She has been keeping a constant eye on this young fire adept as well. If we diviners were to intervene here, I’m afraid…we could be starting an unseen Fate war!”
“War?” Domhnall cackled coldly. “Since when have we adepts been afraid of war!? I’ve paid you well all this while. Wasn’t it all in hopes of you being of use in situations like this? What is it? Do you intend to refuse my orders?”
“Domhnall, we’ve had an enjoyable cooperation over the past few hundred years. What is it with you today?” Maztan raised his head, his milky-white eyeballs staring straight at this old friend of his as he hissed, “What is it about this young man that’s made you so agitated?”
“Danger. I smell danger on him!” Domhnall frowned and brooded for a moment before saying, “The problem is I still have not been able to find the source of this danger. That is why I wanted your help to search for the reason for my feeling!”
“I understand. Then I…will try my best! I’ll return and borrow the tower’s powers. Perhaps I can see more than what I was able to.”
Having said that, Maztan tapped his staff as his entire person vanished as light yellow mist.
Once Maztan’s aura had vanished entirely, Domhnall couldn’t help but mumble to himself, “The Central lands…the richest and most populated land of the World of Adepts. If we of the Adept’s Association can’t get our hands on it, no one can. Hmph! Greem, you had best not have any thoughts of uniting the Central lands. Otherwise……”
…………
The Tower of Observation.
The seven hundred and seventy-seventh floor.
Looking down from here, the soft clouds hovered in layers around the waist of the tower, making it impossible to see what was on the ground. You could only see the bright spots of the earth’s colors through the gaps in the clouds every once in a while.
Yellow smoke dissipated in a large magical hall. Maztan’s hunched figure appeared.
He walked towards the back of the hall with his staff the moment he appeared.
The dull thuds of the staff tapping against the ground lingered in the room, echoing without stop.
As the only Fourth Grade diviner in the entire Association, Maztan was revered and respected. Even though every Fourth Grade adept could have a floor of their own, Maztan was the only person who could have the top floor of the Tower of Observation to himself.
&n
bsp; That was both an honor and a burden of expectations!
Whenever the Association arrived at a crossroads of their development, a chief diviner like himself would have to part the mist and be the shining light that guided the Association down the right path.
However, only Maztan himself, who had studied Fate magic, understood what tremendous power was required to shift the course of a massive ship of the Adept’s Association’s size and ensure there were only clear skies ahead.
In the past one thousand years since Domhnall had been in charge, the Adept’s Association had always seemingly been at peace and stable. In truth, the Adept’s Association had already encountered countless terrifying calamities that were not known to the world. With the help of the chief diviner and the massive force of the Adept’s Associaton, they had managed to pull themselves out of these whirlpools of death, time after time.
It wasn’t that easy to stay in this seat of the chief diviner!
At the very least, to Maztan’s knowledge, there had already been three chief diviners who had died to the backlash of Fate prior to himself.
The seat of chief diviner was not a fixed position.
Whoever could become the only Fourth Grade diviner of the Association would be able to sit firmly upon this throne, giving orders and enjoying the most generous allocation of resources. However, these resources came at a cost. Most of the time, their lives!
At any one time, there could only be a single Fourth Grade diviner within the Adept’s Association. It was only once this diviner had died to a Fate backlash that the Association would select the most powerful and excellent of the Third Grade diviners to cultivate and push towards Fourth Grade.
Meanwhile, before this new chief diviner died, the other diviners were no more than reserves and insurance!
That was why there were hardly any feelings of affection or fraternity between the diviners of the Association. Instead, it was a simple, vicious competition. Those below wanted nothing more than to rise to the top. Meanwhile, those in positions of power spent their lives in fear, always afraid that they would one day become stepping stones for the Association to sacrifice and turn their Fates around.
Age of Adepts c1-1513 Page 760