Age of Adepts c1-1513

by Zhen De Lao Lang, 真的老狼

  Inside the tavern was a round space, with a few massive stone pillars that ran all the way to the ceiling. Several humans stood behind a wooden counter. Judging by their appearance and uniform, they were the bartenders and servers of this tavern.

  A dozen stone tables had been placed all over the tavern, each with several patrons gathered around it, talking as they ate and drank.

  There weren’t many humans among these patrons. They all had strange skin colors, features, clothes, and spoke unknown languages. There were even a few otherworldly patrons of prodigious size in the corner of the hall.

  The tavern doors had been built so large as to accommodate patrons like them.

  Moreover, the food placed on the stone tables were all very different as well. There were raw meat, green vegetables, and many other wholly mysterious and unusual dishes.

  These patrons might come from different planes, belong to different races, and look entirely different. However, without exception, all of them radiated fearsome and overwhelming power.

  Anyone who could cross the vast stretches of space to arrive here would have to be a Fourth Grade at the very least. In fact, it wasn’t rare to see Fifth or Sixth Grade individuals here.

  Everyone was welcome here as long as they were willing to abide by the tavern’s rules.

  The reason why so many otherworldly powerhouses were willing to obediently abide by the rules of human adepts in this tavern was that the owner behind this tavern was a Great Adept of Seventh Grade.

  That was more than enough reason for the patrons to behave!

  The purple figure dispelled the energy defenses around them upon entering the tavern, revealing the outline of a young female adept.

  She was bald and without eyebrows. She had purple eyes and purple leather armor. She was quite pretty as well, though her expression appeared a little too cold.

  She walked to the bar upon entering and tossed two star diamonds onto the counter as she grunted, “One fiendfish, and get me a room.”

  The bartender behind the counter was as round he was big. The manner in which he moved and spoke befitted his role as a bartender. He waved his big, fleshy hand over the counter, and the two star diamonds vanished without a trace.

  “One fiendfish for Lady Gloria and prepare our best guest room. Annie, go and clean the room yourself. Best not bother Lady Gloria with any things left behind by the last guest,” Bartender Tom’s loud and gruff voice rang out in the tavern.

  The succubus, Annie, who worked as a tavern girl here, quickly made her way into a tunnel behind the tavern.

  Traveling through space was no easy matter!

  The constant energy tides and spacestorm wore away at a travelers’ stamina and spirit. There were very few species that could recover their strength and energy while enduring the storms. That was why this tavern was less of a place of entertainment and leisure, and more of a resting stop for people to relax and recover.

  Soon, a large plate of fiendfish was served.

  Compared to food from the planar worlds, this serving of fiendfish was clearly far too large.

  The fiendfish alone was already larger than Adept Gloria. Moreover, the fiendfish appeared extremely ugly and vicious. Its body was covered with bone spikes and even a gray carapace. Sparks flew when you tapped the fish with silverware.

  That was more than enough evidence of the fiendfish’s toughness!

  Moreover, the fiendfish was still alive when it was placed on the stone table. It wriggled its body and shot sharp water arrows at all living things around it.

  The water arrows howled as they cut through the air with the might of Second Grade spells.

  Lady Gloria lifted a finger and flicked it. A purple bolt shot through the fiendfish’s head, and dark-green brain sap started to leak out. She immediately bent over and started sucking the brain sap loudly.

  Fiendfish were unusual hybrids of starbeasts and planar creatures. Their brain sap and flesh contained overwhelming magic energy and were excellent food for recovering lost stamina.

  It did not look aesthetic for a dish, and its flesh was far too stringy and pungent. However, in the depths of space where resources were hard to come by, there weren’t many high-energy foods like this that were not only cheap but cost-effective.

  Fourth Grade Gloria might be a powerful individual in the World of Adepts, but here in the chaotic wildlands of space, a Fourth Grade could only barely survive between the cracks.

  As such, there was nothing she could complain about!

  Bartender Tom watched as Lady Gloria devoured the fiendfish and walked up to her side. He spoke in a low, mysterious voice, “Lady Gloria, there’s news from headquarters.”

  Lady Gloria didn’t care about her image; she was still wolfing down everything on her plate. As she continued to eat, she glanced at the fat man beside her and frowned, “Do they not know I’m tracking down that Spiritsprite? I spent seventeen years and just managed to find its tracks. What do they want me for right now?”

  Tom chuckled and said, “I heard the idiots at headquarters suffered a significant loss. Even Cerveris has been severely injured and is hiding out in his room. That is why Domnhall has been hastily calling for you to return!”

  “Cerveris has been injured? Who? Who is it? Are there still people in the World of Adepts that dare publicly oppose the Association?”

  “The news we got was very vague. Apparently, an elementium adept has appeared in the Central Lands. Supposedly, he’s quite a powerful one. He even went to Association headquarters and defeated Olivia. He’s been preparing to unify the Central Lands recently and has fought quite a few battles there!”

  “Hmph! Someone powerful could actually emerge from those spineless fools in the Central Lands?” Gloria scoffed, “Let them keep fighting. My mission over here should be almost completed by the time they beat each other’s brains out. It’s not too late for me to return then.”

  Tom smiled bitterly as he said, “But those aren’t the orders from headquarters. Domnhall has been really pressing down on us. He wants you to return to headquarters as soon as you received this news. According to him, the situation over at the Central Lands will have settled if you return too late.”

  Gloria’s face instantly soured upon hearing the order. She had gone through so much trouble, and her mission was finally looking up.

  “Why didn’t he go look for Ainley, but me?”

  “Sir Ainley just entered an ancient ruin. He’s unlikely to come out for another ten to twenty years, so……”

  Gloria’s expression turned even darker.

  “Hmph! The losses over this Spiritsprite will be on Domnhall’s tab. Just wait and see what I will do to those idiots who can’t even keep watch over their home base once I’m back.”

  Having said that, Gloria got up and angrily marched toward the teleportation array at the back of the tavern.

  Chapter 1336 - The Butterfly Effect

  The World of Adepts was an extraordinary and mystical place.

  With the adepts’ expansion, their civilization had spread to thousands of foreign planes along with the Great Adepts, growing and developing in those lands.

  Due to the limits of the World of Adepts, all adepts above Fourth Grade were forced out of the world. They had no choice but to make a living among the stars in space, continually training themselves. Compared to the numerous Great Adepts out there, the Fourth Grades of the World of Adepts were truly nothing.

  However, one had to consider the fact that all three Ninth Grade Great Adepts originated from the World of Adepts. That alone made the World of Adepts a unique world, despite the fact that it could only tolerate the existence of individuals Fourth Grade and below. The World of Adepts wasn’t just the homeworld of the adepts- the very civilization of the adepts was rooted here.

  It created a very unusual phenomenon. Everything that happened in the World of Adepts drew the attention of many other people. News from the World of Adepts would continue to spread, thereby cr
eating an unusual ripple across the universe.

  Only three major organizations had existed in the World of Adepts over the past tens of thousands of years. All of them were seemingly backed behind the scenes by one of the three Ninth Grade Great Adepts who could determine the direction of the adept civilization’s development.

  The Central Lands might be the region with the most land, the richest resources, and the densest population. But for the longest time, it had existed only as a buffer zone between the three major organizations, enduring endless suppression and bullying.

  However, the unique nature of Zhentarim was what established its position. The three major organizations kept each other in check, and no single party was allowed to take over this rich region of land.

  Thus, an unusual balance of power consisting of multiple parties was formed!

  However, there was nothing permanent in the world, and nothing that could not be changed.

  Zhentarim, which had always been known for its weak adepts, was suddenly undergoing shocking changes because of one powerful adept appearance. The rate and ferocity of the change were beyond everyone’s imagination!

  An ‘ordinary’ adept war between the Dener Clan and the Crimson Clan had quickly spread across Zhentarim in less than a month, its fires raging all over the land. There was probably no one who had predicted this development. Nor could anyone have possibly foreseen this event.

  During the battle of Stoneshard Valley, Legendary Fire Adept Greem demonstrated overwhelming might, defeating two ultra-powerhouses one after the other. This terrifying accomplishment thoroughly extinguished the confidence of the incumbent forces.

  For a moment, the Central Lands were stunned in awe as all the adept clans began to take measures to preserve themselves!

  Just as everyone believed that Greem had been severely injured and forced behind the scenes for the moment, the Crimson Fleet took the initiative and went on the offensive. They struck straight for the headquarters of Fourth Grade Adept Freed, the heart and leader of the opposing forces.

  Assisted by powerful war machines, the Crimson Clan defeated Freed, despite his assimilation with Kerslin Castle. Moreover, in the final moments of the battle, Freed suffered a frightening backlash from the alchemical lifeform, Kerslin.

  The ultimate result was not just Freed’s sacrifice, but a blood ritual conducted at the cost of every Jorma Clan adept hiding in Kerslin Castle. It gave rise to the new forbidden lifeform, Kerslin.

  While Kerslin was in deep slumber to digest the power it had obtained from the blood ritual, Greem and Mary broke into the Nightmare Domain and gained control of its soul core. Bloody Queen Mary, who had always possessed not-quite-enough power, improved tremendously. She now owned a castle from which she could unleash devastating strength.

  The appearance of a second pseudo-ultra-powerhouse instantly became the final straw that broke the delicate balance of power in Zhentarim!

  At this point, there was no longer an equivalent force in Zhentarim that could stand up to and rival the two ultra-powerhouses of the Crimson Clan. The Fourth Grade clans that had been planning to stall for hope finally despaired. One by one, they lowered their heads to the legendary fire adept of the Central Lands.

  On the fifth day after Mary took over Kerslin Castle and renamed it Nightmare Castle, Fourth Grade Adept Mila announced that the Kunis Clan would be joining Horton Magic Academy.

  On the seventh day, Fourth Grade Adept Roderick of the Hill Clan announced that they were willing to accept the Crimson Clan’s leadership and sent many of their adepts to join Horton Magic Academy.

  On the thirteenth day, a bombshell dropped on Zhentarim. Gaia Clan Leader Mornashen had paid a secret visit to Nightmare Castle to meet Legendary Fire Adept Greem. Mornashen announced an alliance between their clans to push for the joint prosperity of all adepts in the Central Lands.

  This news was a gigantic bomb that instantly made all Central adepts understand where they were headed. The fractured Zhentarim was now in the past. A new and powerful adept organization was finally sprouting and growing on this land.

  As the last and most crucial tile fell, the entirety of the Central Lands capitulated like dominos.

  Andrew of the Ahlden Caln, Ashton of the Smalley Clan, Ariza of the Mansour Clan, Adrea of the Claire Clan. For a moment, numerous Fourth Grade organizations expressed their willingness to join the Crimson Alliance, accepting Legendary Fire Adept Greem’s leadership and contributing part of their clan’s resources to Horton Magic Academy, the future of the Central Lands.

  In doing so, only three people remained hesitant in the Central Lands. Mirva, Nicolas, and Matthew.

  However, they did not have much time left to think!

  Twenty-seven days after the extermination of the Jorma Clan, the Crimson Fleet once again set off, heading for the territories of these three adepts. In the face of imminent doom, Matthew was the first to cave-in. He announced his surrender while the Crimson Fleet was halfway there. Nicolas followed soon after.

  As for ‘Vice-Chairman’ Mirva? He also actively surrendered the moment the Crimson Fleet arrived at Annemdor Academy.

  …………

  Annemdor Academy.

  Located in the southwest corner of the Ailasia region, Annemdor Academy bordered Griffin Cliff, the Medusa Swamps, and the Horned Wolf Wilderness. The academy also controlled a tunnel that led to the Underground World.

  One could honestly claim that this region was one of the best locations for trials in the Central Lands. Annemdor Academy was also known as one of the most famous magic academies in the Central Lands due to their expertise in enchanting magical items.

  However, all of this glory became a thing of the past the moment the Crimson Fleet arrived in the skies above the academy. A new chapter had begun.

  Mirva led all the academy adepts and apprentices to welcome the fleet on the Golden Plaza in front of the academy. He watched with a complex expression on his face as the Motherships landed.

  These giant flying ships that were five hundred meters long and one hundred meters wide were stunning machines, no matter how you looked at them. There were the smooth, silver hulls of the ships, those aerodynamic yet gigantic curves, and the cannons that lined both sides of the ships.

  When such a monstrosity of steel landed from above, the shadow cast was enough to cover half of the plaza. The pressure it gave off, as well as the unique air of blood and steel, made every adept watching feel like they were suffocating.

  However, this steel monstrosity was no ordinary machine!

  Violent magic energy coursed through the ship, distorting the space around it and forming a forcefield. Anyone that wanted to attack the ship would first have to figure out how to penetrate this fearsome magic energy forcefield.

  Mirva might have lost all confidence in victory, but he still had sharp insights.

  Given the degree of distortion around the ship, he could estimate that the magic energy forcefield had an intensity of approximately 2000 points; only Fourth Grade adepts could break through these defenses. No number of Third Grade adepts would be able to crack this forcefield without tremendous effort.

  Fortunately, the forcefield was only effective against long-ranged spells but could not stop solid objects from passing through. Boarding the ship was undoubtedly the best option to destroy these Motherships.

  However, considering the hordes of magical machines and Crimson adepts on board, this was obviously not the best way to take down a Mothership either.

  Mirva’s thoughts wandered everywhere. He lifted his head and silently watched the familiar figures drifting to the ground.

  Greem, Kerala, Alfred, Declan, Mornashen, Andrew, Roderick. And all the way in the back, Mirva could also see Matthew and Nicolas’ silhouettes.

  They looked away the moment their eyes met.

  For some reason, even the ever-composed Nicolas felt a trace of awkwardness. He felt the heat of a blush on his old, wrinkled face.

  It couldn’t
be helped. At their age, they were no longer just one or two brave pioneers marching alone. Behind them stood a massive clan of thousands of individuals. Most clan members had no talent as an adept. They could only rely on the clan’s grace and the provision of the worldly territories to lead extravagant and debaucherous lives.

  Meanwhile, clan members with adept talent would enjoy unimaginable benefits, allowing them to uncover their abilities and potentials to their fullest.

  It was because their clans were so massive that they could become Fourth Grade organizations that ruled over an entire region, allowing their bloodlines to continue spreading like the countless leaves of a tree.

  However, while they may have succeeded because of their clan structure, the same clan had become their point of weakness!

  While Mirva was still wondering about his final decision, his wailing, crying bloodline descendants affected his choice.

  He could put up a resistance to the very end, but the entire clan would burn with him!

  He could choose a different master. All three major organizations would be more than willing to accept a Fourth Grade adept like himself. However, his clan was simply too large. There was no way he could bring them with him. Moreover, after thousands of years of governing the land, the clan was intimately connected with it. How could they just sever these connections without a second thought?

  Because of all this, Mirva, Nicolas, and Matthew did not dare to fight and could not flee. They were trapped in an awkward position with their hands tied.

  Mirva finally lowered his head to the gently smiling Greem. He put on a forced smile and said.

  “Welcome! Welcome to our humble academy, Lord Greem.”

  Chapter 1337 - Women and Descendants

  That night, Greem and his compatriots stayed at Annemdor Academy.

  It was late in the night, and Greem was seated at a wooden table alone, frowning as he assessed this parchment before him.