Age of Adepts

The Tower of Fate.

The daily morning prayer had just ended.

Nearly a hundred witch apprentices slowly left the ceremony hall. Only Snowlotus was left behind, silently waiting for Alice’s orders.

After half a year together, the relationship between Alice, Snowlotus, and Sofia had become much closer than before. In particular, Snowlotus’ mediation had also led to a great improvement in Alice’s relationship with the Witches of Deceit. The leader of the Witches of Deceit had even invited Alice to be a guest of the Moya Clan at an appropriate time.

That was good news for Alice regardless of how one looked at it!

”Alice, is there anything you need in having me stay back?” Snowlotus couldn’t help but ask out of curiosity. She had only seen Alice frowning in silence despite quite an extended period of bowing in anticipation of Alice’s words.

”Today,” Alice suddenly shook as she muttered uncontrollably, ”A guest from far away will be visiting. I hope you can help me receive her first!”

Snowlotus raised her head and evaluated Alice’s complicated gaze. She asked softly, ”Will there be a fight?”

Alice first nodded then shook her head. She spoke in frustration, ”I can’t be sure either.”

Snowlotus couldn’t help but be even more shocked.

Ever since she had officially become the Witch of Fate, there were almost no questions regarding matters within Alice’s grade that she couldn’t be sure of. Was it a high-grade adept that was visiting this time?

Alice had already seen through Snowlotus’ thoughts while she was secretly guessing. Alice put on a bitter smile and said, ”It’s not an enemy that’s coming our way. Rather, it’s… one of my… very close sisters from the past. My relationship with her is extremely complicated. Conflict is very likely to arise if I simply meet her like this. That is why, before I see her, I need to divine certain things!”

”I understand!” Snowlotus nodded and said, ”I will personally greet her and ensure that she doesn’t cause a scene!”

After Snowlotus had left the ceremony hall, Alice let out a silent sigh. She then turned and gave instructions to the fairy lying on her shoulder, ”You go ahead and prepare the astrology platform on the top level. I will go there immediately after I take a bath and change my attire!”

The fairy had been yawning out of boredom, but she immediately leaped up in excitement when she heard this, ”Helen’s going right now. I promise I’ll have everything done properly!”

Elementium fairies like her loved places with thick elementium aura the most. The divination ceremonies that Alice held at the astrology platform would always gather a massive amount of powers of fate. Being able to smell and take in the aura of fate while standing at the side was one of the rare enjoyments in the drab lives of elementium fairies.

Alice turned her head to the west after seeing Helen flutter her translucent wings and fly into the distance. She couldn’t help but let out another soft sigh.

…………

Fifteen kilometers west of the Tower of Fate.

Five strange bats beat their massive wings in the blue sky and cut across the air like arrows let loose from a bow. They quickly flew towards the tall tower on end of the horizon.

The desolate Dragonblight sprawled beneath them, with not a single inch of green visible across the vast land. Apart from the yellow-brown dirt, one could only see the piles of massive bones buried in the earth.

The wind caressed the land. Sobbing sounds that sounded like crying phantoms occasionally rang out as the wind blew through the gaps between the massive bones.

Every once in a while, one could also see packs of magical creatures in this desolate land.

It was an ominous land cursed by fate!

Mary could smell the dense power of a dragonsoul curse even though she was only flying through Dragonblight.

”Master, why do I feel a chill in my heart. This place is a little sinister!” Vanlier, who was always extremely sensitive to his surroundings, asked as he flew.

”Of course it is,” Mary laughed coldly in disdain, ”The most powerful Witch of Fate in the past had sacrificed nine dragons in this place for the sake of that Tower of Fate. That is why this place is called Dragonblight.”

”Master, you mean to say that all those things that we saw earlier are dragon bones?” Vanlier was so shocked he almost fell out of the sky.

”They might be, and they might also not be,” Mary shook her head, ”Don’t have any ideas about those dragon bones anymore. Did you think they would have been able to remain here for almost ten thousand years if it was that easy to take them? The aura of the dragon’s curse here is revolting. Let us leave as quickly as we can!”

Their group increased speed immensely. They rapidly closed in on the tower without alerting the wandering magical creatures below.

It was already dusk when Mary and her vampires arrived at the Tower of Fate.

The dark and heavy curtain of night fell over Dragonblight as specks of stars started to appear in the distant horizon.

A blinding, colorful light shone from the Tower of Fate’s high peak. Beautiful elementium halos appeared around the tower, rippling outwards and complementing the pitch-black night sky. It was a magnificent sight to behold.

A divination ceremony? It couldn’t have something to do with my arrival, could it?

Mary landed two hundred and fifty meters away from the Tower of Fate as she thought to herself.

Thanks to the radiant lights from above, Mary could see a lonely and pretty figure silently standing before the doors of the tower, as if she was waiting for something.

”Please come in now that you, the honored guest, has arrived! Snowlotus has been waiting here for a long time under the orders of the owner of this tower.” Snowlotus might not have been able to see Mary, but her supernatural senses allowed her to know that the person she was waiting for had arrived.

”You are not Alice?” Mary took firm and steady steps towards the tower in the darkness. Her crimson eyes fixated upon the opponent without blinking.

This woman was a beautiful, overwhelmingly proud, and seductive female adept. She had a long and slender figure, curvaceous body, smooth white skin, perfect and delicate facial features, along with bright red lips that had a trace of a cold smile on them. Her most eye-catching feature was the pair of blood-red eyes that gleamed with a crimson light in the darkness. They were almost crystalline, like the two most flawless rubies in the world, and were exceptionally breath-taking.

”You must be Ms. Mary?” Snowlotus couldn’t help but be slightly surprised after taking a look at Mary. She bowed and spoke as Alice had told her to, ”Lady Alice is already waiting for you inside the tower. Please come with me!”

Snowlotus turned and disappeared into the doors behind her.

What an opening gambit!

Mary smiled coldly.

It was the Tower of Fate that stood before her. This place was undoubtedly Alice’s home field. If she didn’t dare to go in, didn’t that mean that she was afraid of her?! However, if Mary walked into that girl’s base just like that, she might fall into a trap.

Even though Mary was still hesitating internally, she strode into the barrier of light with no hesitation and entered the Tower of Fate.

Behind the light barrier was the arcane hall on the Tower of Fate’s first level.

It was free time for the witch apprentices now. They were gathered together in groups of two and three, giggling as they gossiped, softly discussed problems, or set up stores to sell the trinkets they made themselves.

The witch apprentices immediately made way when they saw Snowlotus and bowed to greet her.

Snowlotus maintained her calm and distant composure as she led Mary to the upper levels of the tower.

Mary followed behind, her crimson eyes sweeping across the hall. She instantly saw through the power of all the numerous witch apprentices.

Out of nearly a hundred witch apprentices, not one of them were pseudo-adepts. The strongest of them were at no more than the advanced level. In fact, over sixty or seventy percent of them were actually beginner apprentices.

This distribution of apprentice strength couldn’t ever be considered appropriate for this Tower of Fate!

As the leader of the Witches of Fate and one of the rulers of the Northern Witches, the strength of Alice’s subordinates was inferior to the random group of individuals that Greem had gathered back in Fire Throne.

Alice’s situation seemed to be a lot worse than she thought!

Snowlotus brought Mary all the way to a guest hall on the eighth level of the tower. She then sat down with Mary in complete silence.

It was clear that Snowlotus wasn’t someone who was good at conversation. Mary also wasn’t a person who would make small talk when there was no need. Thus, the two of them sat facing each other, closing their eyes and waiting in silence.

Soon, Snowlotus even started meditating without another word.

Mary opened her crimson eyes and looked at the girl’s crystalline skin that seemed carved from ice. She couldn’t hide the shock in her eyes.

Alice was quite bold to have sent a subordinate like this to receive her. Was she not afraid that I would start trouble? At this distance, Mary had absolute confidence she could kill Snowlotus before she could react.

After another hour, the dazzling stream of fate on the Tower of Fate’s top floor gradually faded. It seemed the divination ceremony had concluded.

As expected, seven minutes later, a sweet voice rang out in the guest hall.

”Sister Mary. As I expected, you came!”

A slender and pretty lady wearing a purple starry robe walked into the hall.

”Alice?” Mary stood up in confusion.

She had heard news of Alice’s figure and appearance changing tremendously after advancing to Witch of Fate, but the woman before her was just far too drastic a juxtaposition to the loli in her mind. It caused Mary to be in a bit of a denial for a moment!

”Sis Mary, you came here to see me right after your return. I’m just too happy!” Alice smiled and walked to Mary’s side.

Snowlotus stood up silently and moved behind Alice.

”Happy? What’s there to be happy about?” Mary spoke coldly, ”Did your divination spell not tell you that I’m here to fight you?”

The smile on Alice’s face just hung there in the air.

Er... Mary’s still as straightforward as before. She’s still so insistent, even when I’m being so friendly. Cough. I guess I can only resort to that trick!

Alice dropped her smile and looked at the eager Mary with resentful eyes. She said calmly, ”We are not enemies, but allies!”

”I know we are allies!” Mary’s reply was still straight to the point, ”I’ve already fought with Greem. I can’t beat him, so I’ll listen to him. Now I want to fight with you. It doesn’t matter who wins; the other person will have to obey them.”

What amazing logic!

Alice’s mouth couldn’t help but become agape. She was utterly in awe of this friend of hers.