Age of Adepts

Meryl’s breath gradually slowed.

The advice of her teacher washed over her heart like the toll of evening bells, forcing her to reflect deeply on all she had done over the past few decades.

Meryl had invested far too much time and energy in things other than magic for the sake of the clan’s development and her own indescribable pride. Though the clan was doing very well under her management, her own power within the clan had slipped from first-tier, to second-tier, and was even at third-tier now.

Still, Meryl had her own troubles regarding this problem.

Ever since she had been an apprentice, she knew all too well that her adept talent was mediocre at best. Being able to advance to First Grade with her talent was already extremely lucky. There wasn’t much chance she could advance to Second Grade.

It was this understanding that caused her to give up on the difficult study and learning of magical knowledge, to abandon those repetitive magical experiments, and instead choose to invest most of her effort and time into the laborious tasks of the clan.

It gave her tremendous authority and a false sense of power. This false sense of power intoxicated her, making her relish in her position. Even now, she still did not think that her actions had been incorrect.

Rather than struggle for a possible future and spending day after day on magical studies and dull magical experiments, why not be practical and enjoy the present? Why not live a more enjoyable and luxurious life?

It was hard to say that her line of thought was necessarily wrong. However, when such a tremendous opportunity was placed before Meryl, she still behaved as a proper adept would.

“Fire dragon’s bloodline?” Meryl couldn’t help but exclaim when she saw the glowing crimson rune hovering and spinning in the transparent air bubble.

“Indeed. It is the mystery rune formed from the fire dragon’s bloodline that I mentioned to you. If you are willing, I can plant this rune within your body and allow you to possess the bloodline talents of the fire dragons within half a year. It is much, much stronger than your original elementium talent! Are you willing?”

There was no thought or hesitation. Meryl immediately and hastily nodded her head, again and again.

Possessing a more considerable bloodline talent, owning more profound magical knowledge, and being able to unleash unbelievably powerful spells were all things that every adept dreamed of in their sleep. How could she possibly hesitate or reject such an opportunity!

All of Meryl’s past doubts and hesitations were mostly caused by her inferior talent. She’d had no choice but to give up on her dreams due to her inabilities. Why would she ever waste her time on such ‘boring’ and worldly tasks if she could possess the powerful bloodline of a fire dragon!

Greem nodded his head in satisfaction at Meryl’s joy and firm decision.

“Then take off your clothes and lie down on the operation platform!”

Meryl did not hesitate at all at her teacher’s orders. She quickly took off the robes and underwear on her body and obediently lied down on the brightly lit platform.

Meryl had always been a fairly beautiful adept. Though her figure wasn’t as seductive or explosive as Mary, it was still curvaceous and full. At the moment, she was lying down on the operation platform; her silver-gray hair spread across behind her like silk. There was not a single piece of clothing on her as she kept her legs together and pressed her arms before her chest.

Even though no charm magic had been cast, there was an indescribable and faintly alluring atmosphere in the air!

In truth, the status and power of the adepts meant that they weren’t as strict and harsh about the male-female relationship as usual people. There were plenty of handsome men and pretty girls amongst the apprentices who would be willing to get into their sheets as long as they wanted to. They only needed to curl their fingers, and the worldly nobles would send cart after cart of beauties to their homes, all in the hopes of obtaining some degree of political shelter.

As such, the private lives of most male and female adepts were extremely debaucherous. In fact, some of their preferences and interests could already be considered perverted and twisted!

However, as an adept that Greem had personally promoted, Meryl had always led a reasonably clean and honest life. Though she was no longer a virgin, it was still obvious from her fine skin, full breasts, and unshaved crotch that she kept her private life in check.

Her most private body parts were all exposed before her teacher, yet Meryl displayed no shame or embarrassment as an ordinary girl would. Instead, she calmly turned her head and looked at her teacher.

“You just got here today. I can’t possibly start transplanting the bloodline rune so hastily. Right now, I need to do a comprehensive check of your body and take some samples to prepare for the transplantation itself. Relax a little and work with me.” Greem gently explained and waved his hand to light up all the various arrays enchanted on the operation platform.

Several bright, but not blinding, light arrays appeared and illuminated Meryl’s pale skin such that it was almost translucent.

Greem sat properly before the platform. Blue light quickly flashed in his black eyes as he controlled the arrays to cover Meryl’s entire body slowly.

Meryl. Intermediate First Grade.

Profession: Elementium Adept (Earth).

Bodily Attributes: Strength 4 | Physique 8 | Agility 5 | Spirit 14

As the arrays began functioning and the Chip started its deep scans, Meryl’s basic attributes began to appear in Greem’s mind. Such attributes were indeed somewhat weak among First Grade adepts. Meryl also lacked actual combat experience and outdoor training, resulting in her having barely any fighting skills.

She was the perfect embodiment of an ordinary scholarly adept!

Greem would be able to fight five rookies at Meryl’s level, all at the same time, even if he regressed to First Grade. If he could choose the battlefield, then he would be able to take on a whole dozen of them.

Apart from her basic attributes, Meryl’s adept talents were also extremely mediocre!

In all honesty, her advancement to First Grade had involved an immense amount of luck.

Advanced First Grade would have been the limit of her potential without the interference of an outside force. There was nearly no chance of advancing to Second Grade.

However, what troubled Greem wasn’t Meryl’s talent, but her elementium affinity.

Meryl had advanced as an earth elementium adept. Naturally, her highest elementium affinity was earth.

From the info bar provided by the Chip, Greem could clearly see that earth elementium was her leading elemental power. It took up seven boxes on her talent bar. The second was metal, taking up two boxes. Finally, the plant attribute took up half a box, while all the remaining attributes shared the final box.

There were absolutely no signs of fire affinity on her elementium affinity chart. Converting her to a fire dragon’s bloodline was truly equivalent to transforming her entire being now. The difficulty of the task made Greem want to scratch his head.

Greem couldn’t help but think of his other adept disciple when he saw Meryl’s affinities– Am.

If Am hadn’t been tempted by the Sarubo Clan and became a traitor, his fire elementium affinity and attribute would have made him the perfect host for this fire dragon bloodline rune.

Sadly…

Who knew if he would kill himself in frustration if he knew what an excellent opportunity he had passed over due to his foolish ignorance?

Greem couldn’t help but think to himself as he carefully and slowly examined Meryl’s body.

The initial examination revealed that Meryl was not suited as the inheritor of the fire dragon bloodline. If they forcefully proceeded with the operation, it was very likely to result in a tremendous waste of the fire dragon bloodline’s potential.

It was important to note that Star of Disaster Philippa Eilhart was once a powerful existence of advanced Third Grade. She even had a chance of advancing to Fourth Grade!

If this fire dragon bloodline rune was transplanted onto Meryl, the Chip estimated that the limit of Meryl’s development would be beginner Third Grade. Meryl would have a chance of advancing to Third Grade within her lifespan as long as she put in the effort.

However, beginner Third Grade would be the limit of her potential.

After becoming a Third Grade, her potential would be exhausted, and she would have no chance of improving any further!

Greem did not conceal anything about Meryl’s situation and told her truthfully everything about his examinations and predictions. Meryl remained lying on the platform and listened to everything, her face pale and void of color, her body trembling and shivering.

In truth, it was a complex feeling to hear an outsider solemnly announce the limits of your potential. Even though Meryl already knew her talent was terrible, it was still a bitter and miserable sensation to be told her own ‘point of death’.

However, being able to improve the limit of her talent from advanced First Grade to beginner Third Grade was already a tremendous blessing!

Meryl solemnly nodded to her teacher with tears in her eyes.

Then the matter was settled!

Greem also made up his mind now.

Greem didn’t mind the slight bit of wasted potential in the bloodline rune.

So what if he could find an adept with extreme compatibility with this bloodline rune? The hope of advancing to Fourth Grade was still just as minute and insignificant! Even the original owner of the bloodline, Philippa, had such a difficult time advancing to Fourth Grade. Could her successor possibly outdo her?

As such, losing a bit of the bloodline rune’s potential in exchange for Meryl’s loyalty and explosive improvement in power was more than worth it. Why would he not do it?

Now that he had made up his mind, Greem no longer spent his time thinking about all irrelevant matters. Instead, he concentrated his efforts into thinking about how he could successfully transplant this bloodline rune into Meryl’s body.

Direct transplantation was definitely out of the question!

The fire dragon bloodline in the rune would most assuredly clash with the earth elementium affinity currently within Meryl. If they forced the issue and caused a rejection, then the collapse of the bloodline rune would not be a small matter. Meryl’s elementium talent would be polluted, resulting in her death. It would be a terrible loss.

Before the transplant, Greem would first have to do some degree of modification to Meryl’s body. The current priority was to reduce the intensity of the conflict between her earth affinity and fire elementium.

After scanning its data library, the Chip provided three possible solutions to this crisis.