Age of Adepts

The handsome Ninther was not bothered by the Grand Duke’s anger.

Ever since he became the youngest Spellbreaker Knight of the Dulan Province, he had been the leader of the witcher knights here.

Eliminating the darkness, protector of the weak, fearless!

This 28-year-old youthful knight followed the precepts passed down by the holy knights strictly. He avoided all luxurious entertainments of the nobles and put all his efforts and energy into ”the purging of evil”.

”Your honor, Grand Duke Lington, I heard you have a subordinate known as Sage Goth? I wish to see him immediately! ”Ninther stood tall before the Grand Duke and said his target, ignoring the threatening looks of the bodyguards behind the Duke.

Although the words were those of a request, coming out of his mouth, they sounded nothing like a request!

The Grand Duke’s face turned green in an instant. He waved the exquisite ruby-adorned scepter about in anger as he shouted furiously: ”Goth is the guiding mentor I hired for my daughter. He is no Sage! He is not the caster you lot are looking for! You have no right to search a Grand Duke’s property……”

Unfortunately, the Grand Duke’s protests were completely ignored by Ninther. He stared coldly at the Duke’s eyes, spitting out one word at a time: ”I am not here to search for evidence, and I have no intention to bother this Sage Goth. Perhaps……”Ninther paused for a moment as he said this:”Perhaps we may need the powers of this Sage Goth for certain matters! ”

Even the Grand Duke Lington couldn’t help but be surprised as he saw the hesitating look on Knight Ninther’s face. Before he could reject Ninther again, a crisp and sweet female voice rang out from a corner of the hall.

”Follow me if you wish to see Teacher Goth. ”

When he heard this familiar voice, the Grand Duke couldn’t help but exclaim:”El, it’s you? Quick, go back. Here……”

A beautiful girl of about sixteen years of age and wearing a light yellow dress walked in from a small door in the corner of the hall. It was the Grand Duke’s daughter Elena.

”Father, don’t stop Knight Ninther! This is also the will of my teacher. ”

The Grand Duke frowned and spoke: ”Since it’s Goth’s will as well, then bring Ninther to see him! But these witcher knights will have to stay here. ”

Ninther nodded and turned to leave some orders with his companions before following Elena into the inside of the Duke’s home.

The place where Sage Goth lived was a tall tower. The only path to the tower was a narrow spiraling stone staircase. Ninther had a huge build, and the armor on his body was exceptionally heavy, which caused occasional clattering as he walked up the steps and his armor clashed against the walls.

Ninther couldn’t help but sneer as he watched the Duke’s daughter in front of him.

That Goth knew it the moment I arrived. The title of ”Sage” was well deserved!

But he was here to visit this ”Sage” Goth, with orders from above to seek help. He had to tolerate this fellow and wait for another time to fulfill his oath even though this fellow had already revealed a trace of his true identity as a ”spawn of evil.”

On the way, Ninther finally couldn’t suppress the urge to ask: ”Lady Elena, what do you learn from Sage Goth?” ”

”Language, Script, and History! ”Elena replied without even turning her head. Her tone was cold and distant like she didn’t want to speak more.

”He probably teaches u astrology as well, doesn’t he? ” Ninther couldn’t help but add.

Elena’s petite body shook. Still not turning her head she spoke: ”Not all knowledge is evil! Even the king recognises the use of astrology. What is it, Knight Ninther? Do you intend to kill everyone who has learned astrology? ”

Ninther didn’t reply.

The stone tower had five levels. Sage Goth was waiting for them on the fifth.

This was a wise old man wearing a long red robe with a monocle on his nose bridge. The long hair covering his shoulders were snow white, and his face was covered with wrinkles. His eyes were brown but the light had faded from the pupils, leaving only a sharp glint at the bottom of his eyes that gave him an air of refinement.

Ninther looked all around this narrow room. Although there were books and parchments laid everywhere, there was a sense of order amongst the mess. There were more books of every kind on a huge bookshelf that reached all the way to the roof in the corner of the room.

Books weren’t all that valuable in the Continent of Witchers, but they were still something that was beyond the reach of peasants. Looking at the size of it, Ninther suspected that even the public library of Herdurand paled in size and value to the collection here!

”You must be Goth! I am Ninther. I am here under the orders of .....” Ninther stepped forward and loudly introduced himself, beating his chest once as he did so. Sadly, he was interrupted by the old man.

”Of course it was Wells that sent you! Otherwise, you would not have been able to see me! ”An odd smile appeared on the elderly’s face:”He must have sent you to ask me whether the nightmares of the past month were real. ”

Ninther’s face couldn’t help but twitch.

The messenger pigeon from Ayran Castle, the headquarters of the witcher knights had arrived in his hands for less than an hour and this hermit already found out?

Ninther coldly asked:”This must be the special ability you awakened, isn’t it? Is it precognition or divination? Or is it soul enslavement? ”

His tone was full of disdain. It wasn’t the first believer of evil of this sort that he had judged himself.

Precognition, it allowed the believers of evil to sense looming danger before it happened, and avoid the witcher knight’s pursuit accordingly. The greatest weakness of this ability was its limitation to sense only things that had to do with oneself. It could not be used to help others.

Divination was slightly better. The user could tell the future fate of certain events through the use of ceremonial equipment such as animal bones, cards or crystal balls. Unfortunately, the results of divination were often vague and unclear, unlike the clear future images of precognition.

As for the last type, soul enslavement. This was an extremely cruel and terrifying evil spell. Casters that awakened to this ability could enslave the souls of the dead and bend them to their will. They could be used to gather information, uncover private secrets, or even drain the life of the living..... Whichever it was, they were all evil acts that Ninther hated with a passion.

Sage Goth laughed in the face of the young knight’s provocation. He didn’t mind at all. Instead, he took out a crystal ball the size of a duck’s egg from his wide sleeves and passed it to the knight.

”What Wells wishes to know, I have already etched into this crystal ball. You only need to deliver this crystal ball to his hands. ”

Elena, who had been silent by a side, opened her eyes wide in shock, looking at her teacher with worry in her eyes. With the Grand Duke’s protection, the witcher knights would have no means to discover her teacher’s identity as a medium as long as he insistently denied his possession of any special abilities.

But now that he had taken out the crystal ball with his own hands, he was practically admitting his identity to Ninther the Spellbreaker Knight.

This……

As expected, Ninther couldn’t help but unsheath his sword and point it at the old man’s heart when he saw the crystal ball, even with the special orders from headquarters.

”Hmph! As expected, you are a heretic. You had better follow me to see Sir Wells in person after all! ”

”Don’t……”Elena shouted as she charged forward to protect her teacher, but was stopped by the elderly man.

Even with a sword to his chest, there was no fear on his face. Instead, he asked calmly:”Truly the evil-loathing Ninther! But Sir Ninther, I have a question for you. How old do you think I am? ”

The opponent’s calm conduct confused Ninther.

Sage Ninther was someone specifically named to be seen by the only Fourth Grade Holy Knight that was revered by all witcher knights. If the old man truly had precognitive abilities, why did he not run but wait here when he found out that I was coming?

Hesitation appeared on Ninther’s handsome face. Probingly, he asked:”Eighty?” ”

This was a very high age for the Continent of Witchers, where the average life expectancy was 70.

Sage Goth smiled as he shook his head. Suddenly, his tone turned desolate and low.

”27! I’m only 27 this year! ”

It wasn’t just Knight Ninther, even Elena couldn’t help but let out a gasp of surprise.

Although they had been together for 5 years, she didn’t know of her teacher’s secret.

”Ever since I awakened the powers of a medium at the age of 13, I have aged several times faster than everyone else. Every time I used my ability of precognition, my life force is what is drained from me! I have had the same nightmare every night for the past 5 years in particular. A group of……A group of powerful demons appears in our world, taking away all that we have, turning everyone into slaves……”

”This is not my divination. This is what our world wishes to tell me! So I used certain means to pass my dream on to you Sir Wells. Perhaps, in this world, only a powerful person such as himself can lead the people and fight against the terrifying demons in the dream in unity……”

Sir Ninther’s face became deathly pale.

The matter before his hands was clearly out of his control. He didn’t even have any means to determine the truth of the words of this believer of evil. Even though his instincts forged by constant fighting against believers of evil told him not to trust any of them, but deep in his heart, Ninther had a feeling that this Sage Goth was trustworthy.

Sage Goth thrust the crystal ball into his arms as Ninther was hesitating. He then turned to the window, and with his arms spread out, shouted to the skies.

”Mother World, I have done what you asked me to. Ever since you drew me into that terrifying dream world, I have wanted to ask, does our world have a future? Mother World, if you hear me, please tell me……”

As he shouted, a holy milk-white light surfaced around his body. But Goth didn’t seem to realise. He stumbled as he sunk into a terrifying dream world.

”No……no……no……this shouldn’t be how it is! Our world shouldn’t be like this……Mother World, please let me see the face of that terrifying demon……”

Sage Goth’s body shook as he said that.

”So this is how you look! Demon……I’ve seen you……”Sage Goth turned around, his face flushed with excitement:”Quick, tell Wells, they are at the eas……aghhhhhhh……”

Ninther could see clearly. Just as Sage Goth was about to say something in his fervor, his eyes had been poked blind by someone. Two bloody holes were what was left.

A spooky voice rang out in the stone room.

”I couldn’t have imagined that there were prophets in this world that could communicate with the plane consciousness. Hmph! Worthless worm, since you dared to spy on me, then you should die! ”

Following his words, the blood and flesh all over Goth’s body withered quickly, leaving him as a pile of bones in seconds. Then, under the horrified gaze of two people, they turned into a pile of grey powder……

Far away from the eyes of the two, in the forward base of the adepts, a human-shaped projection bound by heavy chains of laws opened his eyes, poked the air before him twice lightly and blew a breath of air.

But even such minor actions triggered the retaliation of the chains of laws.

The projection grunted. He expended huge amounts of energy to stabilise this body, ensuring it didn’t break down.

Finally, after a long time, he shut his eyes again and went back to his eternal silence.