Age of Adepts c1-1513

by Zhen De Lao Lang, 真的老狼

  Even though his body was tattered beyond recognition, and his Spirit was so weak that it was almost tempting to leap on him, Kanganas’ jade-white skull appeared to have a joyous expression on it.

  He had undoubtedly obtained unimaginable benefits and profit within the palace. Just the artifact and the skeletal dragon alone were more than what he had expected to obtain on this trip.

  The joyful lich formed a stark contrast to the party members waiting outside. Sand King, Tulas, and Sshina’s faces were dark and brooding. It was obvious that they were upset that Greem had been able to suppress them completely and kept them out of the final battle.

  They had gone to great lengths by venturing to this dangerous foreign plane and injuring that vicious skeletal dragon. If the party members had killed the dragon together, they would have been able to firmly request for a ‘fair’ share of the dragon’s hoard.

  However, now…now that the lich had settled the final battle alone, their share of the profit would be greatly affected.

  Because of this, everyone’s gaze towards Greem and Kanganas was resentful and filled with anger.

  Kanganas was a sharp and experienced diplomat. He could read everyone’s expressions and immediately stood out to make a stand.

  “I have opened the doors to Nax’s treasury! Apart from the reliquary, I only took the portion I was entitled to. The rest of the treasure remains untouched. Go now, and you can split it evenly between yourselves. I suppose that’s your share of the profits on this adventure!”

  Sand King and Sshina finally smiled when they heard this. They immediately charged into the crumbling temple as fast as they could. Tulas hesitated for a brief moment, glanced at Greem and Kanganas before hurrying into the palace without another word.

  Once everybody had left, Kanganas turned and looked at Greem.

  Greem was expressionless and seemed to have no intention of moving to take any of the treasure for himself.

  “You are a very odd person!” Kanganas exclaimed. “You are the most mysterious adept I have ever seen, whose thoughts I cannot get a grasp on. Sometimes, I have absolutely no idea what it is that you want.”

  Greem did not reply. He simply looked into the depths of the fading mists and frowned. “Why did you trick them into the mists? Are you trying to exterminate them all in one fell swoop?”

  A smile appeared on Kanganas’ jade-white, crystalline face void of any flesh or blood. His lower jaw moved slightly, “In the past, I would certainly have killed these fools.”

  “And now?” Greem smiled as well.

  “It’s very different now. I have obtained everything I wanted, and I now have the confidence to take the next step forward. Leave these fools alive, and I may have a chance to use them again in the future!” Having said that, Kanganas’ soulfire swept over Greem’s body. “As for you, sir…the agreement between us still stands. For the next two hundred years from this moment onwards, I am willing to ally myself with you and become a member of your noble clan.”

  Even though their words were not law, at their level, every oath they made possessed a strange power of its own that resonated with the planar laws.

  Even without any magical contract, the aura of laws filled the air when Kanganas solemnly made his promise. An ancient and profound thread of Fate bound him and Greem together.

  Neither of them rejected this thread of Fate. They let it simply enter their bodies and sink into their souls.

  Such an oath contract had no actionable clauses of punishment. Rather, any backlash was related entirely to the difference between the two contractors’ Spirit. If Kanganas’ Spirit were utterly superior to Greem’s, nothing would happen to him even if he were to go back on his word.

  However, if Greem’s Spirit were far stronger than his, Kanganas would incur tremendous losses by breaking the oath.

  No high-grade creature would look lightly upon anything that involved their very soul origin!

  Greem and Kanganas were more trusting of each other now that the contract had been established.

  Although it wasn’t at the level of unconditional trust, they, at least, no longer needed to be wary of a sudden ambush from each other as the other party members were.

  “You’ve helped me tremendously. Take this as a compensation of sorts!” Kanganas lifted his hand and tossed a strange heart the size of a grindstone to Greem.

  The mists in the air instantly froze into ice when the heart appeared, clattering to the ground as tiny, little shards. A bone-chilling cold spread in the air, causing the blood of any creature in the vicinity to freeze and their bodies to lock up.

  “Nax’s heart!?” Greem gasped in surprise.

  The massive heart encased in ice was still beating slightly, containing powerful and plentiful life force. The life aura it radiated was the exact same as Skeletal Dragon Nax.

  “Kehkehkehe. Even I didn’t expect that dragon to have clung on to its living body so badly. To think it dug out its heart and sealed it in ice before it converted itself into an undead,” The lich’s jaws clattered as he spoke. “It seems like the dragon intended to find some way to restore its living body after its soul had been modified. But now…kehkehkehe, it belongs only to us!”

  Greem weighed the heart in his hands and scanned its life energy with the Chip. He nodded in satisfaction and put the heart away into his Elder’s Ring.

  At their level, ordinary equipment was no longer helpful in any manner. Low-grade equipment would barely be able to amplify their powers.

  Moreover, powerful law powers would fill their bodies when they engaged in combat. Low-grade equipment would not even be able to bear the intensity of the flames containing law powers, let alone be used to attack the enemy. Inferior equipment would be reduced to ashes the moment Greem used any power at all.

  As such, apart from high-grade equipment that matched their grade, using any other equipment would just be a waste.

  This ice dragon’s heart was a decent Fourth Grade material no matter how you looked at it. It would certainly make for powerful equipment once it was processed, whether as proper magical equipment or a single-use tool.

  Naturally, Greem accepted the lich’s ‘goodwill’ without any hesitation!

  “How should we deal with this plane?” Greem lifted his head and looked at Kanganas.

  “The ecology and planar environment of this world has been severely distorted by the Ancient Reliquary. It is very difficult to restore it to its former state. You can keep it for yourself if you are interested. I believe those three fellows won’t dare to fight you for it!” Kanganas gave his suggestion.

  Having said that, he opened a small interdimensional portal.

  Before he departed, he left one last message.

  “I will keep my promise! I am returning to the Skeletal Plane to put things in order. It will take me two or three years. Once everything is settled, I will personally pay a visit to you. I will see you then!”

  “As will I!”

  White light flashed once Kanganas entered the portal, and the rift in space started to mend.

  He was carrying such valuable treasure on him. It was only natural that he didn’t dare take his time traveling as he had in coming here. That was why he teleported back instantly, even at the cost of additional resources and energy. He did not want anything unexpected to happen on the journey back.

  That alone demonstrated the cautiousness and intelligence of the liches!

  Chapter 1272 - Horton Magic Academy

  Chapter 1272 Horton Magic Academy

  Greem returned just as he departed, his movements unknown to anyone else.

  In the minds of the Crimson adepts, the legendary Lord Greem had remained in seclusion within Fire Throne. He had never left at all.

  Only a few higher-ups within the Crimson Clan even knew of his departure and return.

  The first thing Greem did upon returning to Fire Throne was, naturally, hand over the coordinates of Chillfrost Plane to Meryl.

  He had al
ready buried a positioning runestone there. With the runestone and these coordinates, the clan’s search party would not need to go through the troublesome process of calculating and triangulating Chillfrost’s exact location.

  Chillfrost had an excessively plain and monotonous planar environment, as well as distorted planar laws due to the influence of an artifact. However, it was still a decent small plane, after all. It was the perfect world to be settled by ice adepts.

  The Crimson Clan of the present was no longer the ragtag gathering of adepts it had been in the past. It was a mega-clan that was rapidly growing and developing. The massive influx of foreign adepts imposed a significant strain on the clan territory’s hosting capacity. The two largest regions of the clan were already overpopulated at the moment.

  Under such circumstances, Greem intended to further open up the limitations on foreign adepts and allow them to participate in certain administrative functions within the clan.

  After proper consideration, Greem decided to open up Lance, as well as the clan outpost in space, to the general public. It would further accelerate the development and expansion of these strongholds.

  The Crimson Clan had not possessed the foundation to commit to such a decision in the past. Had they opened up any clan locations to outsiders, it would have been effortless for their enemies to obtain essential and classified information, allowing those enemies to conduct targeted destruction and harassment.

  However, Lance was now protected by the Fourth Grade Thunder Dragon Arms, while the outpost in space was defended by Third Grade Gazlowe and his Steel Capital. Anyone who tried to stir up trouble in these places would have to consider whether they had the capability and qualification to start anything.

  Mary watched over the Crimson Clan’s headquarters in the World of Adepts, while Alice covered their assets in the North. In addition to the legendary fire adept, Greem, who remained hidden behind the scenes, the Crimson Clan had an extremely firm foundation. They were not afraid of being challenged or contested by any worldly or adept forces.

  In fact, there were many times where Greem grumbled about his enemies being too tame and quiet. He was wondering if…he should send some people to tug on their whiskers and get them moving again.

  Life without enemies was truly an insufferable one!

  Having been to the Adept’s Association and witnessed an adept organization of a different structure, Greem’s worldview had significantly expanded. If Zhentarim was a land of small and medium clan-run enterprises, then the Adept’s Association was a massive conglomerate of cooperations that combined the force of a great many people to achieve large-scale industry and economy.

  It was obvious which organization was superior at a single glance.

  It was truly a miracle that Zhentarim had managed to survive for so long between the three major adept organizations!

  Greem could faintly sense traces of manipulation behind this miracle.

  However, he didn’t care too much about this manipulation and did not look into it. He was solely focused on the Crimson Clan’s development and future.

  If the Crimson Clan were to bare its fangs right now and launch an invasion against all the other clans, Greem might have a decent chance of achieving his ambition. The amount of power he had gathered in his hands was enough to unite the Central Lands.

  Even though the Central Lands would fall into a drawn-out war that would last for hundreds of years, it would be an opportunity to unite the scattered clans to form an organization similar to the three major adept organizations.

  However, that was only assuming that no external forces intervened in this conquest!

  Should any of the three major adept organizations intervene, it would not just be a matter of being thwarted in his conquest. It was possible that Greem’s act of domination would shatter the silent agreement of the Central Lands as a neutral buffer between all the major organizations. Zhentarim would become the battlefield upon which the three major organizations would publicly wage war and expand their influence.

  When that happened, the Central Lands would be dragged into a mire of conflict. Any ambitions or dreams that Greem once possessed would be rendered into dust.

  From a certain perspective, the incredibly gentle and even friendly attitude that the Adept’s Association held towards him was very suspicious. They were the strongest organization, after all, and perhaps the one that was most invested in the absence of a significant force in Zhentarim!

  Perhaps, they had long hoped for Zhentarim to fall into chaos, such that they could finally have a reason to reach in with their dirty claws! When that happened, they could use the protection of their own interests as an excuse to override the agreement between the three major organizations and send troops into the Central Lands.

  Considering the myriad of factors, starting chaos in the Central Lands and hoping to profit amidst all the confusion was an entirely implausible plan.

  If military conquest was not feasible, then why not diplomacy?

  After giving the matter some thought, Greem raised the suggestion of establishing a public adept academy.

  There was an incredible number of adept academies throughout Zhentarim. A quick count would yield as many as three hundred. However, the basic model of education for these academies centered around contracts. Outsiders had to agree to a specific duration of contracted service when they joined the academy. That was the condition for obtaining the knowledge and resources belonging to the academy.

  Even adept academies that were known as public institutions functioned in the same fashion. The only difference was that these ‘public academies’ were not subordinate to any clan, but the Zhentarim Association itself.

  Greem’s academy would have to offer better and more favorable terms to obtain the favor of free and wandering adepts seeking a proper education.

  Greem intended to establish the academy based around a tuition system, rather than a contract system.

  The public adept academy, founded by the Crimson Clan, would not force any outsiders to sign servitude contracts. Instead, the school would offer knowledge and resources at a clearly demarcated price. That would weaken the unwillingness of free and wandering adepts to join the academy.

  Moreover, the Crimson Clan had numerous Fourth Grade adepts and individuals. These people’s reputation could be used to attract students, especially if they occasionally gave public lectures. Such lectures were unimaginable events for most low and intermediate-grade adepts.

  Mary could lecture on blood magic while the diviners would flock to listen to Alice. Gazlowe could teach about mental magic, Emelia was the best choice for the Dean of the School of Plants, Remi for the School of Poison, Gonga for the School of Magic Energy, and Billis for the School of Evolution and Mutation.

  If Arms was made to teach in a Draconic School, and Kanganas established a School of Necromancy, while Greem himself taught the School of Fire……

  In all honesty, the appearance of so many high-grade lecturers in a single academy would cause a massive commotion in the World of Adepts. All the wandering adepts and free adepts would want nothing more than to come to such a holy place of knowledge.

  There was the attraction of knowledge, resources, and powerful adepts. All of these adepts would come to the Crimson Clan’s academy of their own free will.

  Given such circumstances, no enemy of the Crimson Clan would be able to criticize them in any fashion, as upset or frustrated as they might be at such a situation. If they dared to stir trouble, the Crimson Clan would have the perfect excuse to take out their long-hidden butcher’s knife.

  The three major organizations couldn’t exactly strip the Crimson Clan of their right to self-defense, could they?

  However, for such an ideal to be materialized, it required several conditions to be fulfilled. Firstly, the name of the Crimson Clan had to hold sufficient power to draw the masses. Secondly, the clan’s reserves of knowledge and resources had to be plentiful. Thirdly, it required a co
re group of individuals that were both sufficiently powerful and obedient.

  In truth, the Crimson Clan had already fulfilled all of these conditions!

  For the sake of this ambition, Greem held many discussions with Mary and Alice, even having multiple secret meetings with the higher-ups of the clan. They went through every single detail and structure in this public adept academy.

  Finally, after a year and a half of busy preparations, the Horton Magic Academy was officially founded in a place known as Ironwood City.

  …………

  Ironwood City, Horton Magic Academy.

  Ever since the eye-catching adept tower was constructed, this place had become a bustling hub of activity.

  As Ironwood City was a little too small in size, Horton Magic Academy was built in the vast area surrounding Horton Tower, right by the Roy Rivers. There were dense magical woods here, as well as swamps shrouded in mists and tombs constructed underground. There were even towns filled with magical-machinery, where the gears ground and the furnaces huffed without stop.

  Horton Magic Academy was approximately divided into a dozen schools of different attributes. The mysterious and legendary fire adept, Greem, was the Dean of the academy and the head of the School of Fire.

  The names listed alongside Greem’s as the heads of the various Schools were equally as shocking. It made the hearts of every adept that came here to learn more about the academy beat uncontrollably.

  School of Blood:

  Head of Department: Mary (Fourth Grade)

  Assistant Heads of Department: Soros (Third Grade), Rothers (Third Grade)

  Department Instructors: Isa (Third Grade), Spalla (Third Grade), Dolores (Third Grade), Severus (Third Grade), Vanlier (Third Grade).

  The entire department consisted of a total of thirty-three individuals, almost all of which were high-grade vampires above Second Grade.

  The School of Blood’s activity was centered around Bloodcastle, Horton Tower, and Serpentfowl Cliff. The trial locations of inner members of the School included Seawoods Plane and the Black Forest.