Age of Adepts

Corpse of a Third Grade water dragon obtained.

Sealed Third Grade shadow dragon obtained.

Four living, and one dead, Second Grade dragons captured.

Twenty-seven First Grade dragons of various attributes, twenty living and five dead.

Six hundred and thirty-eight dragon warriors of First to Second Grade, and over a thousand Dragon Cultists.

Over three thousand plane natives of various races.

……

The list of spoils was nearly three feet long, and this was only a rough census. More detailed and comprehensive information would take the Crimson Clan almost five days of work to complete.

After herding the prisoners to a safe place for imprisonment, the Crimson Clan sent out a large army of construction machines to collect the damaged and destroyed magical machines on the battlefield. Though many magical machines had been smashed to iron pancakes and torn to pieces by the powerful natives, there were still plenty of magical alloys and rare resources that could be recycled from their wreckage.

There was a small magical machine production line within the Mothership itself. It was capable of recycling, modifying, and producing magical machines at any time. The efficiency of the production line wasn’t very high, but it was enough for the Mothership’s needs.

The Crimson Clan’s power was starting to falter at this point of the war.

Though the losses in magical machines could be slowly compensated for by the Mothership, they had way too many dragons and natives as prisoners. It would be ridiculous to drag them along on their journey to challenge the Fourth Grade dragon.

Moreover, Alice had sealed herself in with the Third Grade shadow dragon to capture him alive. The matter of saving her couldn’t be delayed for too long, either.

As such, the leaders of the Crimson Clan gathered for a simple discussion. They all believed that the army should not continue forward and should instead return to the Capital of Eternity to reorganize.

After two days in the Northern Wastelands, the expedition army turned back instead of continuing north. They marched back in the direction they came.

They did not bring all of the native prisoners with them as well. They merely selected eight hundred of the most powerful slaves and warriors to their liking and herded them onto the flying deck where they were kept prisoner.

That would keep the detainees from dragging down the march of the army.

They had traveled for twenty-three days, and now it took them twenty-seven days to return. After all their grueling efforts, they could see the peak of the Capital of Eternity at the edge of the horizon.

While everyone was in high spirits in anticipation of the hot baths and comfortable sleep to come, the army suddenly stopped their march.

Some confused Crimson adepts emerged from the chariots and the cabins, looking to each other for the reason of this abrupt stop.

As the massive cloud of dust kicked up by the army slowly settled, the towering figure of a dragon finally appeared before them.

It was an exceptionally majestic and beautiful dragon.

A layer of light-purple scales enveloped his entire body. From a distance, the dragon looked like a natural sculpture made of purple crystals, crystalline and wondrous. Magical gemstones could be seen embedded all over its scales as well.

This seventeen-meter-tall and thirty-five-meter long dragon glimmered under the glow of the gentle sun, making for a fantastical sight, almost as if he was an illusion himself.

A Fourth Grade Amethyst Dragon!

None of the Crimson adepts were rookies that had just stepped onto the battlefield. They all understood the established target for this first expedition army launched by the clan. As such, the Crimson adepts immediately understood who it was that had intercepted the army.

The Fourth Grade amethyst dragon that they had so wanted to challenge– Toril!

One could estimate how strong a Fourth Grade dragon was, even if they had never personally seen one. That was why the Crimson adepts immediately jumped back into their chariots and skyships, where they activated the forcefields and prepared for a vicious battle that was to break out.

Naturally, as the leader of the party, Greem had to step on the very frontline.

A cluster of flames erupted, and Greem appeared on the head of the magical golem dragon. The golem dragon reared its neck and let out a low roar before striding forward and squaring off against the amethyst dragon in front of the rest of the army.

Inside the command center of the golem dragon, Old Gonga was already leaping up and down with excitement. He swept aside the operators and leaned enthusiastically against the monitoring crystal, where the image of the amethyst dragon was being displayed.

“A Fourth Grade dragon. A real, actual, genuine Fourth Grade dragon! Our magical golem dragon can only be considered a true Fourth Grade magical machine after we defeat it. Otherwise, we will forever have to endure the name of a pseudo-Fourth Grade. All of you need to focus! We must perform to the best of our abilities. We cannot bring shame upon our magical golem dragon.”

“Yes, sir!”

“Yes, sir!”

As the magical golem dragon was the product of adept and magical machine civilization, the actual piloting of the golem was performed simultaneously by magical spirits and goblins.

For a moment, the Crimson Clan was not able to find a powerful magical spirit that could match the might of the golem dragon. Thus, they could only settle for the use of multiple smaller magical spirits. That was why the magical spirits’ purpose was only to direct and coordinate the golem dragon’s movements, while the magic-infused goblin technicians and operators were the ones giving the spirits combat orders.

Indeed, after working with a magical creature like the golem dragon for so long, these green-skinned goblins were showing signs of becoming magical.

The magical energy that filled the inner corridors of the golem had incited the mutation of the goblins. It caused their skin to turn an even darker shade of green, their muscles to become stronger, and sharp claws to grow on their limbs.

Apart from stronger bodies and quicker movements, the magical goblins also became more excited and radical in their emotions. They quickly fell into a state of berserk fury at the slightest of provocation.

After some research, the adepts found nothing that would damage their intelligence. As such, they let the issue slide and paid no mind to it.

These magical goblins might have been ‘crazy’ and ‘insane,’ but they fundamentally understood that everything they possessed lay within the grasp of the adepts. That was why they remained just as respectful to the adepts of the Crimson Clan, never daring to challenge their authority.

Greem stomped his feet lightly and quickly sent a message, “Gonga, you better cool down. Don’t do anything without my orders.”

The frenzied old Gonga immediately shivered in fright. He hastily stood straight and replied loudly, “Don’t worry master, we will listen to you. Your loyal slave, Gonga, awaits your orders!”

It was then that Greem nodded in assurance and turned his sights back on the Fourth Grade dragon that had intercepted them.

This Fourth Grade amethyst dragon was perfect and beautiful no matter how you looked at him. His body looked less like a living creature than a flawless piece of art. Just looking at him could make a person obsessed and infatuated.

“Might our esteemed guest by Sir Toril himself?” Greem asked solemnly.

His voice wasn’t loud, but the resonance and shockwave of the powerful fire energy made it a loud and commanding voice.

The unmoving amethyst dragon finally shifted.

He stretched his slender and elegant neck, and a pair of pretty prismatic eyes looked toward Greem.

Greem’s heart sank slightly as an indescribably powerful spiritual pressure crashed down upon him like a mountain. If it weren’t for the spiritual and mental defenses he had set up ahead of time, he would have had a hard time looking unfazed at the mere gaze of a Fourth Grade dragon.

“You are the leader of this adept army?” The amethyst dragon finally spoke.

His voice was crisp and clear, with the clear and resounding quality that came with colliding crystals. It was refreshing to hear it. However, the aura that the words were steeped in still struck fear into the hearts of all the adepts, making it hard for them to gather the will to fight.

“I am Greem, leader of this army as well as the owner of the Capital of Eternity behind you! You may speak to me if there’s anything you wish to talk about.”

“Good, very good.” The amethyst dragon’s voice instantly turned cold, “You evil adepts broke into our dragons’ lands and started an indiscriminate slaughter. Are you not afraid of the revenge of us dragons?”

A faint smile appeared on Greem’s face.

“Sir, you aren’t a wyrmling that just emerged from your shell. How could you speak such childish words?! How many otherworldly civilizations have you dragons invaded and destroyed? Why is it that you become so furious and such a proponent of justice when it is your plane that becomes the target of an invasion? If you are here to threaten me, then I advise you to choose another path. If you are here for negotiations, then present yourself with the proper attitude.”

“You dare.”

Greem’s calm tone of voice had clearly infuriated the Fourth Grade dragon. He roared in anger, and his colorful crystal wings unfurled. The terrifying majesty of a Fourth Grade dragon was on full display.

Greem stared coldly, not showing any signs of fear or recoil.

Behind him, the chariots, skyships, the Mothership, and the golem dragon had all revealed their black cannon barrels, slowly charging up and gathering powerful magical energy within.

The army waited in grim silence, waiting to fire in unison at a single order.

The other magical cannons might not be able to threaten the Fourth Grade amethyst dragon, but the few giant cannons reaching out from the golem dragon and the Mothership made him frown. He could faintly sense a trace of danger on them.

The Fourth Grade dragon couldn’t help but fall into thought at the sight of this army that was armed to the teeth.

Finally, he withdrew his wild display and once again looked at Greem.

“Human adept, I am not here to fight today, but to negotiate and…trade!”

The amethyst dragon gritted his teeth when speaking the word ‘trade.’ Even his tone seemed to fluctuate for a moment.

“Oh? I wonder what you intend to negotiate and trade about?”

A sincere smile appeared on Greem’s face as he passionately pursued the topic.

“I am here to ransom the dragons!”