Age of Adepts

Feidnan City, Adept’s Tower.

The teleportation array continued to flash with a brilliant light.

It was only after three minutes that the light started to stabilize and shine blindingly.

After a while, the light faded, and five figures of varying height appeared in front of the others.

”Welcome back, Mary!”

The first to step out and welcome Mary was Adept Keoghan. The two of them had cooperated and worked together back in the knight’s plane. Naturally, they had a much closer relationship compared to the other adepts present.

”Hmph! What is there to welcome? I am here to accept my punishment. Oh right, have the elders decided on my punishment yet?” Mary still wore her crimson armor as she strolled out of the teleporter, complaining as she did so. Three Blood Knights and the old fox Vanlier followed behind her. They immediately fell to the ground and grabbed their heads with their hands as they cried in agony.

Mary seemed fine initially, but after a few steps, her whole body trembled and she also collapsed to the ground. Clouds of red mist rose from her body, causing the entire room to smell of blood.

”What an intense planar feedback! It seems you profited from your time in the knight’s plane. The few of you; hurry up and help Lady Mary back to her quarters.” Adept Keoghan ordered as he assessed the strange knights following behind Mary.

He could sense that these knights were vampires. They all had Mary’s unique magical aura on their bodies. They seemed to be a sort of soul-servant kind of existence. However, it was their power that shocked Keoghan. All three of these knights were almost as powerful as veteran adepts. Only the guy dressed like a noble was slightly weaker, with the strength of a pseudo-adept.

Adept Keoghan’s memory was exceptional. He instantly recognized the identities of the knights– they were all radiant knights from the other plane! All of them were famous Second Grade knights! However, traveling from a lesser plane to a large plane like the World of Adepts had a negative impact on them. Their souls had been suppressed by the world consciousness, causing various degrees of regression in their grade and powers.

As long as they were provided with sufficient time and resources, it was possible for them to regain their former powers. Of course, they would first have to get used to the planar laws of this world. However, if you considered the difficulty of a Second Grade adept advancing, then you would understand how impractical it would be for Mary to help the Blood Knights to rise to Second Grade again.

”Get a few more people over here and help those people get to Adept Mary’s quarters as well!”

The apprentices waiting at the side swarmed forward at Keoghan’s command. They were about to help Mary and the knights up when the mist of blood seared them as they got near Mary. They cried in pain as they panicked and stumbled away.

Mary moaned several times as she leaned against the wall and helped herself up.

”What is with me? Why does my head hurt so much?” Mary’s body was still trembling, but her bright red eyes gleamed and stared at Keoghan.

”This is the usual reaction upon returning from a lesser plane. We call this phenomenon planar feedback! As long as you endure this period of pain, you will find your powers improving at an explosive rate.” Adept Keoghan quickly explained.

Rash people like Mary always acted before thinking. If she felt like something was off, she would most definitely fight before she talked.

Making an elementium adept like Keoghan fight a wild and ferocious bloodline adept like Mary in a narrow space like the teleportation room was not a good idea!

Consequently, to avoid Mary misinterpreting the situation, Keoghan explained all information regarding planar feedback as fast as possible.

Mary held her head in her hands. She closed her eyes to sense for a moment. Mary only released her apprehension once she confirmed that this sudden headache was bringing beneficial to her. She then looked around the room and frowned as she asked, ”Where’s Greem? Did he not know that I was returning today?”

Keoghan put on a bitter smile, ”He actually didn’t know, because he’s stationed outside of the headquarters right now. It seems a clan war might break out there!”

”A clan war?” Mary’s eyes gleamed when she heard these two words, ”Should we go to your place or my place? Tell me all about this thing.”

Keoghan couldn’t help but show a bitter smile when he heard this.

Anyone else would try his very best to avoid a clan war for fear of becoming the clan’s cannon fodder. But not Mary; she was excited.

”What should we do with your subordinates?”

”Them? Let them come along!”

Mary extended a slender hand. A cloud of blood mist emerged around her four subordinates. The next second, they had all turned into small hairy bats. They dove into her armor and disappeared from sight.

Mary was a vampire and a bloodline adept after all. Her Physique was far better than an ordinary adept. It had been no more than a short moment, yet the effects of her planar feedback had utterly vanished. The aura of power that she radiated had also increased by a significant degree.

If Greem were here, he would be shocked to find that Mary’s bodily attributes had far surpassed his own. In fact, she had already reached the level of an elite adept.

Two hours later, Mary exited Keoghan’s room and swiftly walked down the tower’s corridor.

She turned past two corners and was about to reach her room. Just then, Vanlier’s high-pitched voice rang by her ear.

”Master, that Adept Greem’s position in the Sarubo Clan doesn’t seem very stable!”

”Hm? Why would you say so?” Mary seemed unfazed by the news.

”I’m not sure if you noticed earlier, but Adept Keoghan doesn’t seem to want you to meet Adept Greem. He repeatedly emphasized that the situation over there was complicated and it would be inappropriate for you to show up there at this time.”

”Oh.”

Mary had never really cared for these details. She was just about to ask Vanlier another question when she stopped.

A young, beautiful, and gentle female adept stood in front of her room. The woman nodded at her and smiled.

”You must be Lady Mary. Nice to meet you; I am Meryl, a disciple of Teacher Greem.”

Teacher Greem? It had only been eleven years, and that guy managed to cultivate an adept-level disciple?

”You have met Adept Keoghan already, haven’t you? A lot of things have occurred in the clan over these years. He might not have had the time to tell you about it all. That’s why I’m paying a special visit, in hopes that I can inform you of all the changes.”

Adept Meryl spoke with a casual tone, but Mary, having slaughtered and fought for a dozen years in the other plane, could still pick up the trace of murderous intent in her voice.

Mary let Meryl into her room and heard about all the various things that had happened to Greem over the past eleven years.

Alice had also advanced to adept-level and was even the leader of the Witches of Fate within the Northern Witches.

Greem had constructed an adept’s tower known as Fire Throne at the edge of the Black Forest. He was now amassing strength and influence there.

Tensions seemed to have built between Greem and the higher-ups. There were signs of conspiracy in the clan war this time.

Greem was stationed in Gilneas City alone, and the clan refused to reinforce him. It seemed there was more to the situation than how it appeared to be.

……

A thick, murderous intent spilled out of Mary’s crimson eyes by the time Meryl finished speaking.

”I’ll hurry to Gilneas City right now. Don’t worry; I am much more powerful than before. With me there, your teacher Greem will certainly be unharmed!”

Mary was a person who believed in action and acted whenever she spoke. She asked for a map from Meryl and immediately flew out of the window of her room without bothering to exit through the doors of the tower. She transformed into her bat form and flapped her wings as she disappeared into the distant horizon.

Once Feidnan City had vanished from sight, Vanlier braved the whistling winds and climbed to Mary’s shoulder with much difficulty.

”Master, your actions are unwise! They are very likely to draw the suspicions of the clan’s leaders.”

”Vanlier, remember. Your duty is to plot and scheme for me, not to obstruct my decisions!”

Vanlier shrunk his neck in fear after being scolded by his master.

However, he quickly asked out of curiosity, ”Master, what relationship do you have with that Adept Greem fellow? Why would you take such a huge risk to help him?”

”He’s my partner!”

The coldness of Mary’s tone caused Vanlier to stop asking questions. Instead, he silently contemplated the meaning of his master’s words.

This was an entirely new world!

It had completely different rules compared to the world he originally came from. Before he understood and mastered everything about this world, its planar laws, and its rules, Vanlier didn’t believe himself able to help his master plan for everything that might come at them.

He couldn’t help but start thinking of Adept Greem as they traveled.

What kind of relationship did this guy have with his master?

Partner? Ally? Or…lover?

The master might seem to be cruel and savage at all times, but she was still a human girl after all; no, a vampire girl. Perhaps it was possible that she still had a trace of a female’s emotional dependency left in her heart!

”Vanlier, what kind of stupid bullshit are you thinking about now?” Mary’s angry shout almost caused Vanlier’s soul to shatter and disperse.

Due to the connection between their souls and the limited distance between the two of them, Mary could sense Vanlier’s thoughts when he was too focused on thinking about something.

”Spare me, master! I won’t do it again.” Vanlier hastily hid into Mary’s armor again. He no longer dared to show his face.

Mary, who was quickly flying through the skies, fell into contemplation after shouting at Vanlier.

She had charged out here without hesitation after hearing about the trouble Greem was in. Yet, she still couldn’t untangle her thoughts on this situation. She still didn’t understand her own emotions.

Lover?

What an absurd and ridiculous word!

Many male and female adepts did come together to become lovers, as well as what is known as husband and wife by others. However, the majority of adepts were often in a dependent relationship.

One of them would be a high-grade adept, and the other would get into the relationship for resources, knowledge, or even influence within their clan. They would live a life of being groomed and taken care of, much like a pet.

Mary couldn’t accept such a twisted relationship, unless…

Unless she was the dominant one!

Mary’s crimson eyes lit up when her thoughts wandered here.

This might be a good idea!