Age of Adepts c1-1513

by Zhen De Lao Lang, 真的老狼

  A single flash teleport would be a kilometer of distance. A proper teleport would cross several kilometers. A single punch or kick would send shockwaves throughout the area, enough to pulverize anything within range. If this were within a planar world, the fight of these seven transcendent beings would be enough to destroy a small world.

  Even a mid-sized planar world would be utterly ravaged after the havoc they had unleashed!

  It couldn’t be helped. The power they possessed and the might contained within them was already far beyond the limits of planar creatures. They were at the level where they could split a mountain with a punch and create an abyss with a stomp. A single spell would wipe out everything within a hundred kilometers.

  Moreover, the destruction they wreaked while they fought was not limited to actual material substances. Even the intangible planar laws were caught up in the destruction as well.

  Even the planar laws had to make way for them.

  Where their powers spread, the planar laws were rewritten, overwritten, and modified. The principle systems of a planar world would be stirred into absolute chaos. It didn’t matter how powerful the planar consciousness was. It would not be able to extinguish these foreign laws and principles that contained such powerful individuality and willpower. The planar consciousness would have to compromise and step back, thereby losing the only leverage it had over these individuals.

  Fortunately, this was space. Apart from the undulating, ferocious magical tides, there was no planar consciousness in their way. The Fifth Grades were allowed to unleash the full extent of their might, fighting with all their might in the depths of space.

  The orc warriors caught up in this battle were shredded into paste before they could utter a cry for help. It was the adepts who managed to avoid the shockwaves by hiding inside the stone fortress.

  However, most of the fortress’s outermost buildings had also been destroyed, resulting in numerous casualties of low-grade adepts and voodoo beasts.

  This battle lasted three days and nights. It wasn’t until both sides were at their limits that the two orc gods finally retreated reluctantly.

  It couldn’t be helped. Both parties were almost equally strong. Either of them would have to pay a colossal price to kill their opponents. It was obvious that neither party was willing to make this sacrifice. As such, they could only accept this inevitable conclusion!

  The two Great Adepts stationed here had wanted to keep Greem and his two companions in the fortress for a little longer to recover. However, they rejected the offer. Instead, they dragged their broken bodies into the fortress’s teleportation array and immediately returned to headquarters.

  They might not have obtained great results in this battle, but they still succeeded in repelling the two orc gods’ attack. Consequently, they were able to receive the doubled mission rewards they were promised. The three of them also received the privilege of being able to rest for half a year. It was then that they nodded at each other and returned to their rooms.

  After this shared experience of fighting together, Greem, Antuso, and Bibi instantly went from strangers to acquaintances. They exchanged contact information and became actual ‘companions!’

  After Greem became a Fifth Grade Great Adept, he could no longer lead the same life as he had before, as an island of an individual. Being acquainted with more Great Adepts and establishing a vast network of contacts was also a means of quickly improving his status and influence.

  After all, Greem had many enemies out there as well.

  The Great Witch Maysa was an important Seventh Grade individual. She almost certainly had considerable influence within the Adept Faction. If Greem remained without allies as he currently was, he would be vulnerable to being isolated and pushed around by the enemy.

  That was why Greem had so passionately participated in the excursions of the adept civilization. He was protecting himself against any possible schemes by making himself part of a bigger group. Moreover, he constantly observed and evaluated the division of factions within the adept civilization to decide whose sides would stand in the future.

  He wasn’t cursing or speaking ill of the adept civilization. This division within the adepts was a veritable fact he had seen and heard with his own eyes and ears. The adept civilization had never been a single unified force from the very beginning. They were divided into numerous factions with different values and directions.

  For instance, the faction he currently belonged to was led by Eighth Grade Adept Barbara. They were a group that focused on invasions against the orcs. The entire battle had begun due to Witch Barbara’s decision alone; she was the mastermind of all this conflict. Greem was, at best, only a commander who had only recently shaken off his status as a mere pawn!

  Greem had conducted investigations on this issue. Adept Barbara had no connections to the Northern Witches at all. Otherwise, he would never have come here even if he was threatened with death itself.

  Through his investigations, Greem knew it appeared as if the Northern Witches had formed their own faction and kept to themselves. They didn’t like associating with adepts of other factions. It also caused other factions to significantly exclude the Northern Witches as well. They didn’t have the most amicable relations.

  Right now, Greem was only hoping that Witch Barbara was powerful and stern enough to keep Maysa’s influence at bay. It was the only way he could continue growing stronger and stronger without the risk of dying.

  …………

  Greem unexpectedly ran into an old acquaintance just as he stepped out of the hall.

  Sanazar!

  She seemed to have been waiting here for a long time. She stopped Greem upon seeing him appear, a somewhat awkward expression on her face.

  “Lord Sarubo wishes to see you!”

  Sarubo.

  Greem brooded in silence. He didn’t think there was much of a problem with that, so he readily agreed.

  He followed after Sanazar–shrouded in purple mist as usual–as they wove through the winding corridors of the fortress. They stopped before the door of a room on the higher levels.

  Sanazar bowed and stepped aside when they reached this place. She didn’t say anything else either. It seemed like she did not intend to go in along with Greem.

  Greem turned around and looked at her briefly as he walked past her. He could see that Sanazar’s heart was pounding wildly. Humiliation and anger were written all over her face, though she tried her best not to say anything.

  “If you have nothing else to do tomorrow, pay me a visit in my room. I will compensate you appropriately,” Greem left behind these words and ignored Sanazar’s surprised expression. He pushed open the door and walked in.

  A somewhat familiar middle-aged adept was sitting silently in the room, waiting for him. Upon hearing Greem arrive, the man’s gaze immediately fell upon him.

  [Beep. Detecting unusual principle fluctuations. Analysis suggests that target creature is an amalgamation of high-grade principles. Target will possess absolute suppression power within a hundred meters of himself. Please remain alert.]

  Greem smiled bitterly in his mind, but his expression remained unchanged. He bowed deeply and respectfully to the middle-aged adept.

  “I am overjoyed to be able to see you once again, esteemed Great Adept Sarubo!”

  Chapter 1479 - Business and Conversation

  “I know you.”

  The impression that Great Adept Sarubo gave Greem was still as mysterious and profound as before.

  In all seriousness, this was an individual that was worthy of Greem’s admiration. If you were to look back at Sarubo’s history, you would find that his exploits, as well as the speed of his advancement, were not inferior to Greem’s history. In fact, he was even Greem’s superior in certain aspects.

  Naturally, Greem felt genuine and sincere respect for this senior of his who had also risen to prominence from the Central Lands.

  In the end, the slight conflict between Greem and
the Sarubo Clan was a result of commonly seen tactics of suppression and influence amongst the various clans. The only difference was that Greem’s path to prominence differed far too much from an ordinary adept’s. It caused the Sarubo Clan’s leadership to repeatedly choose the wrong option, leading to the current irreconcilable rift between them.

  That said, while such disagreements were major affairs within the World of Adepts, they seemed much like childish fights now that they were far away from the homeworld and sitting across each other as Fifth Grade and Sixth Grade. They looked at each other and couldn’t help but smile. It all seemed so funny and insignificant.

  “I already promised to grant Sanazar an audience before I came in here,” Greem took the initiative to express his stance.

  “Sanazar’s always been that way. Her temper’s too foul, and she won’t let a single transgression slip by her. If she knew how to make the slightest of compromises, she would never have ended up in such a bad relationship with you!” Sarubo couldn’t help but exclaim. “Well, it’s not all her fault either. After all, even I didn’t see you for who you were going to be. Who would’ve thought you would have grown so quickly! You almost seem like a chosen one!”

  “A chosen one? That’s a scary title to drop on me!” Greem couldn’t help but gasp, as if he didn’t dare be described in such a fashion.

  “Don’t ascribe too much importance on a title like that. There could be more chosen ones out there in the multiverse. The world consciousnesses wouldn’t just place their bets on a single person!” Sarubo chuckled and said.

  “Well, if you put it that way, my lord, then you could be called a chosen one yourself.”

  “Haha! You can think of it that way if you wish. After all, who among us who has managed to become a Great Adept isn’t blessed by luck and coincidence? We always start off thinking we are chess pieces that have liberated ourselves from the game. It isn’t until we’ve grown stronger and become able to see further that we realize we are still stuck on a chessboard. The only difference is that the chessboard is larger now!” For some reason, Great Adept Sarubo seemed particularly sentimental today. He seemed to be hinting at something with everything he said.

  “My lord,” It was Greem who was confused now.

  “It’s nothing. It’s just that I’m reminded of myself when I just left the World of Adepts when I see you,” Sarubo sighed.

  “My lord, I only just left the World of Adepts as well and don’t know much about the adept faction’s situation. Could you enlighten me?”

  “The adept faction? What do you want to know? Before that, let’s be clear. As is the custom among us adepts, I can’t just hand over something of value to you at no cost. There has to be a fair exchange!”

  “I just completed a few missions, and I have plenty of magical crystals to spare.”

  “Heh, kid, don’t try and muddle by with magical crystals. How could I possibly trade information of this level for magical crystals?” Sarubo had an amused expression on his face.

  Greem let out an awkward laugh and said, “Well, I did get my hands on some origin substance as well.”

  “Origin substance it is then!” Sarubo clapped and said, “Seeing as you’ve just left the homeworld, I assume you probably don’t have anything of value that I would be interested in. Origin substance will do fine as payment! The price for an answer to one question is two hundred siths of origin substance. How about that? Is that acceptable?”

  Two hundred Siths for a single question……

  Greem couldn’t help but draw in a breath of cold air. However, he thought about it slightly and found it a reasonable offer.

  Any answers he would get from Sixth Grade Great Adept Sarubo would be pretty in-depth secrets of the adept civilization. This knowledge was what he most urgently needed at the moment. Obtaining the answers in exchange for some origin substance didn’t seem all that bad at all!

  “Very well, I accept your offer!”

  “You can ask your questions now! Remember, think well before you ask.”

  Greem hesitated for a moment and finally asked his first question.

  “How is the adept faction currently divided?”

  “You’re so sure that the adept civilization is already divided into groups? Pretty tricky questions, eh, kid?” Sarubo chuckled, but his eyes were filled with approval for Greem.

  “This question has bothered me for a long time. Supposedly–given that the adept civilization is led by the Three Ancient Rulers–we should currently be in the middle of a flourishing and prosperous development. However, everything I’ve observed so far points toward the adept civilization being loosely organized and divided internally. Moreover, there are undeniable signs of internal conflicts. It is quite an unthinkable situation!” Greem didn’t hold back either and immediately explained his thoughts.

  Sarubo shook his head and sighed. “The reason for it is very simple. It’s been ten thousand years since the Three Ancient Rulers were last seen!”

  Greem’s heart stopped for a beat when he heard this, but he said nothing and listened carefully for the answer.

  “As you’ve said, the adept civilization is currently divided and has no leader. It has split into numerous different factions. The direction of their development differs from each other, but a well-known Eighth Grade Great Adept is always at the heart of these factions.

  “In the end, the only ones who managed to take that step and reach the final level were the Three Ancient Rulers. Meanwhile, there are approximately dozens of Eighth Grade adepts right behind them. Most of these Eighth Grade adepts have chosen to go into hermitage or isolation in their mystic realms. They seldom show themselves in public.

  “There are currently four known Eighth Grade adepts. One of them is Adept Barbara, who is presently leading the war against the orc pantheon. And she…was born in Zhentarim as well! Another piece of information on the house for you. This Adept Barbara also doesn’t have too friendly a relation with the Northern Witches.

  “So, I must say, you were quite smart to have chosen her faction to join.

  “Alright, this is as much as I can say for this first question of yours. Ask your second question!”

  Greem gritted his teeth. “I wish to know about the basic situation regarding the other three factions!”

  “Three factions, three questions.”

  “Very well!”

  “Then I will explain to you in detail.

  “The Eighth Grade adepts that lie at the heart of the three factions are Great Adept Velibe, Great Adept Fantini, and Great Adept Curtis. They are from the Silver Union, the Northern Witches, and the Adept’s Assocation, respectively.

  “You seem to have grasped the situation…indeed, the four factions currently directing the adept civilizations’ incursion against the foreign worlds correspond to the organizations that exist within the World of Adepts. No more, no less– exactly four.

  “At the moment, Great Adept Velibe’s main target is the Gazing Empire. The region where they are fighting is mostly contained within the territories of the Gazing Empire. The adepts are on the offensive, and the gazers are the ones defending.

  “Great Adept Fantini’s main conquest target is the Elven Empire. Both parties have been engaged in warfare across numerous planeworlds for hundreds of years. For the moment, the adepts are still the ones on the offense.

  “The only exception is Great Adept Curtis. The target of his incursion is Eighth Grade Abyssal Demon Lord Brusta. It’s said that Great Adept Curtis has managed to take over a large number of planes in the Abyssal World–equal to a major planeworld–and is currently repelling the hordes of abyssal demons invading Brusta’s lands. The demons are attacking, and the adepts are defending.”

  Greem listened carefully and etched these unfamiliar names in his mind.

  He was a complete rookie in this world. Everything he knew about the adept civilization had come from books. All the knowledge he possessed was antique and outdated. That was why he badly
needed the supplementation of a reliable source.

  “I also wish to know more about Maysa.”

  “Silence!” Sarubo shouted and interrupted Greem’s question.

  He then drew runes in the air, which flew and disappeared into the floorboards as a flash of blue light. In the blink of an eye, a unique runic array had sealed off the room entirely.

  It was only then that Sarubo turned toward Greem again and said sternly, “Remember, kid, next time- don’t mention the name of superior adepts without the proper preparations. In particular, someone who excels at divination, like Great Witch Maysa. Every time you mention her name with malice in your heart, she will be able to sense it, even if she is trillions of kilometers away. If you are someone she is paying special attention to, then she might even be able to overhear everything that you say.”

  Greem was shocked and terrified.

  He had never heard of such a thing.

  If everything that Great Adept Sarubo said was true, then Great Witch Maysa’s Fate sensing abilities were too terrifying.

  “Can I say that name now then?” Greem asked carefully.

  “There’s a layer of magic around us now, but that is still not enough guarantee. Next time you mention her, it’s best to use ‘that woman’ or other words to replace her name. Basically, don’t say her name again!”

  “I understand!” Greem asked in a hushed voice, “My lord, I wish to know more regarding that woman.”

  “The Northern Witches have always been exclusive, mysterious, and unpredictable in their ways. That woman you’re speaking of, even more so. I don’t have too much specific information on her. All I know is that she lives in a place called Fate’s Domain and never comes out of there. Many adepts visit her for her help.