Age of Adepts

How was a Third Grade adept stronger compared to a Second Grade adept?

Higher magic resistance, a tougher body, more terrifying spiritual pressure: all these were only superficial differences. What truly separated and distinguished between Second and Third Grade was their mastery and control over elementium particles.

The adepts were composed mainly of humans. Their bodies were too small, and the magical energy that could be contained within their bodies was vastly lacking compared to large magical creatures. Consequently, they needed to continually absorb wandering particles from their surroundings during instances of intense fighting to compensate for their immense energy consumption.

Apart from a few that excelled and specialized in body refining, most Third Grade adepts only had bodies that were seven or eight times stronger than an ordinary mortal. That might sound amazing, but in a high-grade battle, their bodies would not be able to stand even one ferocious attack.

As a bloodline adept, Yurga gained a tremendous Agility bonus when he transformed into the Death Heralding Crows. However, his Physique and life force were still his glaring weaknesses. Yurga was still a frail adept with high offensive power and low defensive power!

Of course, this ‘weakness’ was only relative to Third Grade adepts!

A stalemate quickly presented itself soon after the duel between this Second and Third Grade begun.

One side was covered in thick, black smoke, while the other was a blazing fire.

Both parties invaded each other, tussled with each other, repeatedly and madly exhausting the magical energy of the other.

The young Second Grade fire adept demonstrated power no weaker than his opponent. He was not at all behind in the battle between the two domain spaces.

It undoubtedly shocked many of the spectating adepts!

Still, in their opinion, such courage and bravery were meaningless. How much advantage could a Second Grade fire adept have in a fight for elementium particles against the pressure of a Third Grade adept? Once all outside replenishment had been cut off, how long could he maintain the fierce Burning Domain with his own magical energy?

When that happened, Yurga wouldn’t even need to press the issue. Greem would have to dispel this immensely costly elementium domain. Without the protection of the elementium domain, killing him was as easy as the flick of a finger for Adept Yurga. A Death Gaze formed from hundreds and thousands of death beams; how could that possibly be something that a Second Grade adept could survive!

While the spectating adepts talked amongst themselves, Yurga had a completely different experience while in the sea of fire.

Dammit, why do these fires hurt so much when they burn?

As a Third Grade adept–and paired with some secret defensive spells–Yurga’s magic resistance was already at two hundred and seventeen points. He already had an elementary level of fire immunity. Even so, when he dove into Greem’s sea of fire, the 1,326 crows he had transformed into still very truly felt the damage from the flames.

A terrifying stream of fire swept from the side. A dozen Death Heralding Crows failed to dodge in time and were hit by the tail of the flame. They were instantly reduced to ashes and utterly dead. There were always some Death Heralding crows at the edge of the black mist failing to avoid the flames in time and falling prey to them.

Dammit! Where had that fire adept hidden?

Yurga’s massive Spirit delved through the sea of flame, but he still could not find the young fire adept. Even the two elementium golems had vanished without a trace. If this continued as such, he could continue to re-manifest those dead crows with magic power, but his power would continue to be exhausted.

A fight against a Second Grade adept shouldn’t be so difficult, could it?!

The frustrated Yurga immediately took action, and a thousand Death Heralding Crows squawked and charged into the fire. They beat their wings while firing death beams into the flames with their crimson eyes.

Strangely enough, a deep and low grunt rang out in the empty Burning Domain. The next moment, a vast stretch of the fire was extinguished. It was almost as if these flames were lifeforms with souls of their own.

As the crows continued to spread out, the sea of flame’s area started to shrink drastically. The black mists took the opportunity to surge forward and take over much of the territory of the Burning Domain.

Greem, who had been hiding in the sea of fire, let out a sigh. He knew that the sea of fire alone could not stop the Third Grade adept’s advance. He could only relay new combat orders to the two Flame Fiends through a mental message.

The sea of fire was a combat space that Greem had laid out for himself. He would not allow the opponent to become the ruler of this domain.

When the crows started to attack the sea of fire recklessly, its retaliation swiftly came!

Flames blazed as two towering Flame Fiends appeared in the depths of the searing flames. They summoned a large cloud of fire the moment they appeared and swept it toward the Death Heralding Crows flying at the edge of the black mist.

The entire space where the cloud of fire passed was like a boiling furnace. Everything ignited.

Apart from the cloud of fire, the two Flame Fiends also created massive magma fireballs and launched them into the black mist. The erupting magical flames and fearsome heat waves instantly turned many of the crows to ashes.

However, just as the two Flame Fiends struck, the fires around them dimmed, and a strange humanoid figure the size of their leg appeared.

When Yurga appeared, the crimson eye on his forehead shot out a thick death beam which hit the Flame Fiend. It struggled for half a second before exploding into sparks and flames in a resounding roar.

The expertly-hidden golem core within its body flew out during this apocalyptic scene. The core silently disintegrated in midair, crumbling into tiny pieces.

An intermediate Second Grade Flame Fiend was destroyed by Yurga, just like that!

Greem felt a sharp pain in his mind as this happened. That trace of Spirit attached to the Flame Fiend’s core also vanished along with it. If it wasn’t because he had predicted the situation and promptly cut off his mental connection with the Flame Fiend, Yurga’s Death Gaze might have been able to reach him as well.

Even so, the loss of a powerful subordinate in such a simple manner hurt Greem’s heart.

It was important to note that Greem would never have been willing to sell such a mighty golem. If this golem were put on the adept’s market, it would sell for a minimum of a hundred and seventy thousand magical crystals. This price was almost the same as some more inferior adept’s tower.

But don’t think that was expensive!

Regardless of how good a tower was, could you take it around with you? On the other hand, such an elementium golem was wholly portable and could be summoned at any moment and any place to storm the enemy lines. Such convenience and power was something that an adept’s tower could not compare to!

Yet, the Third Grade adept had exterminated such a valuable elementium in an instant. It was only natural to imagine the shock that Greem was feeling right now.

After all, apart from a few more elementium protections and the Fire Throne set, Greem wasn’t that much more powerful compared to the Flame Fiend. If Yurga could exterminate the Flame Fiend in an instant, killing him wouldn’t be that much more difficult.

Consequently, Greem started to worry about his own safety, even as he felt hurt over the loss of magical crystals.

After all, the elementium golems could still be constructed, even if he lost them now. However, if his soul were to explode, it would indeed be the end!

It was this consideration that caused Greem to not dismiss the other Flame Fiend, despite a moment’s hesitation.

It was not the time to be upset over some magical crystals.

What had been his initial motivation for creating elementium golems to begin with? Wasn’t it to have them charge the enemy lines in his place? Now was precisely the time Greem needed them to sacrifice themselves!

The moment Yurga exterminated one of the Flame Fiends, the other did not retreat. Instead, it turned toward Yurga and unleashed its most furious and wild firepower on the Third Grade adept.

The black mist was blasted into, and even the corners of Yurga’s robes started to turn black and scorched.

As a Third Grade adept, Yurga couldn’t possibly be troubled by such an ‘insignificant’ attack. He smiled slightly, and his body once again erupted into a flock of red-eyed crows. These birds flapped their wings and scattered in every direction.

As the Flame Fiend once again gathered elementium flames in its hand, the sea of fire behind it parted as Yurga mysteriously appeared out of thin air.

The next second, a thick Death Beam landed on this last remaining Flame Fiend.

This six-meter tall, four-ton heavy giant fell to a magical beam, and its body disintegrated into shards and sparks. The golem core did not escape the effects of the magic either and shattered along with the body.

In just fifteen seconds, three hundred and forty thousand magical crystals had turned to dust!

A red blush appeared on Yurga’s pale face after using his power twice in a row. His breath also started becoming slightly ragged.

“Hmph! Damned brat, what are you going to use to stop me now? Let’s see where else you can hide once I extinguish all of your flames.”

Unfortunately, before his voice could even land, two roars rang out in the depths of the sea of fire. Two more gigantic Flame Fiends appeared.

Dammit, dammit, dammit! Why did that bastard bring so many high-grade elementium golems with him?

Yurga might not know the exact price of these golems, but given their intermediate Second Grade strength and their resounding might in combat, these elementium golems could not have come cheap. That…that damned brat! Where did he find the wealth to obtain so many elementium golems?

Moreover, judging from the standard size and combat power of these golems, they had to be created in the same batch. Trying to find an alchemist who could custom-make such exquisite golems would have cost a mountain of a fortune.

This…

A short piece of information flashed across Yurga’s mind in his moment of frustration and surprise.

“Greem. Second Grade fire adept between intermediate and advanced level. Possesses the special ability to craft elementium golems…”

Dammit! These golems were all crafted by Greem himself!