Age of Adepts

As natural rulers among magical creatures, the dragons were born with a unique and inviolable aura of might!

The first impression the Thunder Dragon gave to the adepts upon entering was an extremely invasive pressure.

Even the fearless Mary felt it harder to breath when standing near a dragon like this. After all, the dragon was a superior being higher up on the food chain. The vast mental aura of might and intimidation was not something that a puny vampire could endure.

Zacha, on the other hand, was a direct subordinate of this Third Grade thunder dragon; the dragon’s blessing of faith protected him. He was holding himself together much better in the face of the dragon’s aura of might compared to the adepts.

Dragonborn Zacha immediately bowed when the Thunder Dragon appeared. His two scaled front limbs bent as he kneeled on the ground and paid his most sincere respects to his master.

The other adepts gathered behind Zacha, their pale faces looking at this fearsome dragon shrouded in arcs of electricity. For a moment, none of them knew how to respond.

Some adepts had already secretly made preparations to escape at any time.

After all, they only had a loose companionship with Greem. They weren’t bound with intimate contracts or anything of the sort. They didn’t mind contributing their strength to Greem’s cause when their goals aligned. However, no adept would sacrifice themselves like a loyal knight or warrior in the face of a hopeless battle.

Instead, they would scatter and fight for themselves! That was the response most appropriate to the nature of the adepts!

Even Greem had to retract the energy flux he radiated when faced with a tyrannical Third Grade being of a top-tier species. He withdrew his Ring of Fire back into his body and bowed slightly to pay his respects to the Thunder Dragon.

The proud and mighty Thunder Dragon reared on his hind legs as he tore the remaining magical machines to pieces with his sharp teeth and claws. The dragon let out a loud and resounding roar as it beat its wings and cocked its head. It was only then that he landed on all fours. The Thunder Dragon strode toward Zacha with firm and steady steps.

”What’s happened, Zacha? Where is your dragonborn scout squad? Who are these people? Why do I smell a repulsive magical aura on them?” Thunder Dragon Arms asked way too many questions at once the second he met with his subordinate.

He even lowered his body and sniffed Greem with his massive snout. He then let out a resounding sneeze. His huge amber eyes radiated a visible light that quickly scanned all of the people present.

True Sight!

That was an innate ability of higher-grade dragons. They could see through all illusions and deceptions of low-grade creatures and directly view the soul origin of these creatures.

That was why it was extremely, extremely difficult to cheat a dragon!

A lot of the stories spread throughout many planes about tricking dragons and fooling them were referring to unintelligent mixed-blood dragons or inexperienced whelps. Those self-proclaimed charismatic bards would probably be unable to utter even a single word if they were faced with a true adolescent dragon and its terrifying aura of might, not to mention being clever enough to lie and trick a thousand-year-old monster like that.

”Adepts. You are adepts!” Thunder Dragon Arms didn’t need any introduction. He saw the soul origins of all the adepts with a mere glance thanks to his True Sight.

The adepts were powerful creatures that had long been infamous in the multiverse. They were almost as well-known as the dragons.

If the dragons were individually mighty lions and tigers, the adepts would be sly, sinister, and evil wolves. They wandered the space beyond their realm in groups, invading lower planes everywhere. Countless conflicts and battles had erupted between them and the dragons in many different places.

As the natural rulers of all magical creatures, the dragons were walking treasure chests. Their scales, blood, tendons, marrow, bones, dragon crystals, skin, claws. Absolutely everything on the body of a dragon was a treasure of extreme collection value to an adept.

The adepts would never let go of a lone dragon that appeared in their sights if the opportunity allowed for it!

For the same reason, the dragons did not have a good impression of the adepts who possessed sufficient power to hunt their companions. That was why the sight of both parties pursuing the other to death was a ubiquitous sight outside of the realms. They would engage in a fight as long as time and space allowed for it.

In all seriousness, adepts and dragons could be considered two completely separate and opposing factions!

When Third Grade Thunder Dragon Arms detected that unique magic aura inside the adepts, he immediately opened his mouth wide. A lightning storm the size of a grindstone quickly formed in his throat. If nothing unexpected happened, that fearsome lightning blast would explode in the midst of the adepts in the very next second. These lowly and despicable poachers would be exterminated before they could grow to become threats.

Wiping out a small group of adepts like this one in a single blow wouldn’t be a surprise with the innate abilities of a Third Grade thunder dragon. Of the six adepts, perhaps only Second Grade Greem could last a few seconds longer. Arms might need another bite or scratch of the claw to finish the job. The other First Grade adepts had absolutely no possibility of surviving!

All the adepts present felt as if a large pot of glue had been poured into their minds in the face of the dragon’s threat. Both their thought processes and bodily responses were more than ten times slower than usual. The few adepts could do nothing but stumble backward when they saw the sudden flash of lightning from the thunder dragon. The waited for the descent of the lightning blast with fear and anxiety.

”My lord, our enemy is not them!” The kneeling Dragonborn Zacha shouted loudly, ”That native goblin has successfully turned himself into a Third Grade monster. It is the magical machine army he’s manipulating that has caused us so much trouble.”

The Thunder Dragon’s body froze.

His long head tilted slightly as he scanned Zacha with his amber eyes. He confirmed that Zacha was neither lying nor under the charm effects of the enemy. It was only then that he hesitated, withdrew his battle stance, and dispersed the small lightning storm forming in his throat.

To be able to disperse such ferocious energy flux with a mere thought!

Greem secretly felt relieved and shocked at the same time. For the first time, he was envious of the excellent innate abilities of the dragons.

Honestly, the dragons were much like the bloodline adepts.

They didn’t need to wander everywhere to test themselves and to collect knowledge and resources as the human adepts did. The two activities that the dragons engaged in most in their lives was going out to rob the wealth of planar worlds, and then feasting and going back to sleep in their dens.

Their power was obtained through this continuous process of eating and sleeping and waking up and eating.

One could honestly say that all the knowledge and strength that a dragon needed was engraved in their bloodline and their soul at the moment they were born. As long as they obtained an increase in physical strength through dragon meditation (sleeping), then the knowledge of dragons that corresponded to their power would naturally appear in their brains.

They were able to obtain such a powerful physical might and magical ability without putting in any hard work. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that no other natural creature in this universe had a better life than the dragons!

However, at this moment, Greem had no thought to spare on the good life of the dragons. Instead, he centered all his attention upon the Chip’s passive probing ability.

Greem didn’t dare use any active probing abilities in the face of a Third Grade Thunder Dragon that could go berserk at any time. He could only use his passive data collection abilities to observe the actions of the thunder dragon. If the enemy truly wanted to fight, he would have to make sure he escaped the range of the thunder dragon’s attack before the lightning blast could wipe out the party.

Escaping should not be a problem for someone of his power, as long as he reacted promptly.

If he was willing to risk death and stayed for another two seconds, he could also bring Alice and Mary along with him. However, if he did that, the risk of death would jump from 21% to 67%. If he were a little more greedy and tried to bring one more person with him, then his death rate would reach 89%.

That was literally nine deaths out of every ten scenarios!

Greem hated this feeling.

His life was in the hands of the enemy. He could only rely on skill and luck for a sliver of a chance to live. This feeling was really…really unpleasant.

”Zacha, are you sure about what you are saying?” The Thunder Dragon’s rumbling voice reverberated throughout the hall, ”You should know that you are speaking for these adepts now.”

”Indeed, master!” Zacha lowered his head. His attitude turned even humbler than before, ”I wouldn’t dare to lie to you. I am only saying what I have seen and what I have heard. Our greatest enemy of the present is in the underground hall behind us. It is controlling a large number of magical machines to assault us. My…my squad all died in there.”

It seemed all mentions of ’magical machines’ had infuriated the Thunder Dragon.

Everyone could clearly see scratches and marks of varying depths upon the beautiful blue body of this formerly noble, elegant, and sacred great thunder dragon. Many parts of his scales were dented or missing. The pieces of his flesh that had lost the protection of his scales were charred black.

These seemed to be the work of the flamethrowers on the goblin magical machines!

The two wings on the dragon’s back were not balanced. The right side was curled behind his back and having a hard time extending, and it seemed there were countless tears and wounds on it. The Thunder Dragon’s muscular left hind limb also appeared to be limping. He didn’t dare place too much weight on that leg.

More obviously were the marks on the Thunder Dragon’s spiral horns. Cuts of various depths could be found all over them. One of the horns had even snapped off. Purple dragon’s blood was seeping out of the base of that horn. Mary couldn’t help but lick her lips.

”Speak! Those damned, annoying metal cans were sent out by that goblin?” The Thunder Dragon roared, and the deafening Dragontongue almost shattered everyone’s eardrums.

Anyone could hear the dripping hatred and unconcealed fury in that one short sentence of his!

”Indeed, master!” Dragonborn Zacha turned and pointed at the underground hall in the distance, ”The one manipulating the machines is hiding there.”

There was no need to tell the dragon anything more. The next second, the berserk Thunder Dragon Arms flew past everyone’s head. His massive body charged into the underground hall, bringing with it a pulsing aura of lightning power.

For some reason, everyone started praying for that Giant Brain Gazlowe!

Here was hoping he won’t die too brutally.