Age of Adepts

Greem, Emelia, and Remi had been acting separately ever since they accepted the mission from Sage Moat.

Greem came here to investigate the blight, while Emelia snuck over to the Spore Forest. Meanwhile, Remi was wandering the Marsh Wetlands aimlessly.

Before they split off, Greem had already warned Remi that he could not freely spread his plague virus as he did in other lesser planes. Otherwise, if they provoked the fury of those Fourth Grade Sages, even Greem couldn’t guarantee his survival.

After all, even Zhentarim of the World of Adepts had no more than thirteen Fourth Grade adepts. Yet the Marsh Wetlands, despite being a dozen times smaller than Zhentarim, contained eight Fourth Grades. When it came to individual territories, the Spirit World undoubtedly had more high-grade beings than the World of Adepts.

If they were to act brazenly as they had in the past in this alien world, they would eventually be hunted by the natives. Out of consideration and convenience, Greem had agreed to the Sage’s request to investigate the blight.

However, it seemed like Moat’s suspicions weren’t without reason.

This so-called blight wasn’t a natural disease caused by a drought of water. It was a terrifying virus that had been cultivated through unique means.

Greem tapped his staff without any hesitation when he identified the black smoke. A ring of fire appeared around him, and he immediately summoned Remi from afar.

“Master, what do you want now?” Remi found himself in front of Greem and immediately complained, “I just found a somewhat interesting merloc and you…hmm, what is this?”

Remi quickly smelled the virus trapped in the fireball. His beady green eyes quickly opened wide.

“It smells like modified viruses and spores…Master, it seems like there’s someone skilled at manipulating plague spores here as well. Where did you get this?”

“They were in the bodies of those infected by the blight. What do you think? Are you able to identify where they are from with your expertise?”

“Release them all! I can’t get more information if I don’t devour them.”

Greem waved his hand, and the fireball dissipated.

The black smoke immediately attempted to escape but was devoured by Remi in a single breath.

After inhaling all the black smoke, Remi smacked his lips, and his eyes glazed over. He muttered to himself as if daydreaming, “Feed…infection…dispelling.”

Several minutes later, Remi shivered and woke up from his dazed state.

“I figured out how these creatures got infected! Follow me.”

Remi brought Greem to a clearing in the center of the Dead Mire. There was a shallow puddle about a hundred square meters in size here. It was also the region where the swamp creatures were most concentrated.

A large pack of swamp creatures had gathered here. Some of them showed visible signs of the blight’s decay on their limbs, and many flies hovered around them. Other animals actively avoided those infected by the disease, not daring to approach at all.

“Master, do you have any means of concealing us? We should be able to see something good soon!” A vicious smile appeared on Remi’s pig face.

Greem tapped his staff against the ground, and a ring of fire engulfed them.

As the flames washed over them, their figures vanished without a trace.

Remi looked around him and at his own body curiously through the flames. Everything in sight appeared scarlet as if his eyes had been covered in a red veil. Everything he saw was twisted and distorted.

“Is this one of the fire laws you have mastered? Truly wondrous.” Remi looked around enviously, even walking near a Fungal Giant and baring his teeth, only stopping when he confirmed that no one could see him.

“What are we waiting here for?” Greem asked.

“For a good show to begin!” Remi smiled wickedly. “They intentionally neutered the virus’ ability to transmit aerially. The virus can only be transmitted through direct contact. It seems like the culprit doesn’t want the virus to spread without restraint.”

“And what about that?”

“Therefore, the best method for them to selectively infect the creatures in a specific region is by throwing out feed. This way, they can control the infected in a particular area without becoming infected themselves!”

“When will the culprits arrive?”

“Soon. At the very least, I can sense that the virus in the infected creatures only appeared recently!”

“Very well, we will wait then!”

…………

Time spent waiting is often long, but very valuable as well.

Remi went out to collect samples of the infected’s waste, while Greem started to collect some native spores and mushrooms.

He could sense that the unique environment of the Marsh Wetlands was related to the strange mushrooms here. Meanwhile, some of these mushrooms’ contents greatly interested Greem.

While the two of them were busy working, an insignificant and sneaky figure slipped into the area.

It was a male sporeperson about half a meter tall. He had sharp facial features, shifty-looking eyes, and looked as if he was about to do something bad. He had swollen bumps on his back as well.

Supposedly, with how weak the sporepeople were, he would have been torn to pieces by the frenzied swamp creatures here before he could reach the center of the Dead Mire. Somehow, he had managed to slip all the way in without being attacked at all.

The reason for it was simple. The sporeperson was emitting the blight’s unique stench, causing all of the swamp creatures to keep as far away as possible. However, Greem’s scans could not find any signs of decay that the blight inflicted on this sporeperson.

After looking around and confirming that there were no abnormalities, the sporeperson carefully approached a shambling Fungal Giant and tossed a white mushroom the size of a fist at it.

The white mushroom rolled along the ground and finally drew the attention of the Fungal Giant.

Perhaps sensing the mushroom’s fragrance, the Fungal Giant lunged forward madly, grabbed the white mushroom with its arms, and ate it.

A short moment later, the Fungal Giant started to tremble and roar. Large parts of its once muscular body began to wither and dry rapidly. Flies flew out of its mouth and circled its body.

Seeing as the Fungal Giant had fallen victim, the sporeperson immediately moved towards his second target.

However, just as he took out a white mushroom and prepared to do the same again, a soft male voice from behind scared him.

“Who made you do this?”

The sporeperson turned back abruptly and saw Greem appeared out of nowhere in the air.

Greem was dressed like a human adept, but he did not radiate any of his fearsome magical aura. From the outside, he looked just like an ordinary human. However, the sporeperson was not an ignorant fool either. He was able to recognize that Greem was no average person.

Moreover, what he was doing was an act of evil that should never see the day of light; he immediately turned and ran.

However, with his power that was only comparable to an advanced apprentice, there was no way he could escape the legendary fire adept. Even the very thought of it was laughable!

Greem snapped his finger, and a ring of fire mysteriously appeared beneath the spore person. Shackles of flames as solid as actual steel extended from the flames and bound the sporeperson tightly.

Greem stepped upon the soft mud and appeared beside the sporeperson. He waved his right hand, and a small golden flame gathered on the tip of his index finger. The sporeperson was panicking, but the small flame immediately drew his attention.

When his eyes settled on the flame, his mind and thoughts seemed to have slowed down in a mire. He could no longer effectively organize his thoughts or put together a response.

He had been charmed…by a simple fire spell!

“Where are you from? Why did you come here to poison the swamp creatures? Where did you create these viruses?” Greem immediately began his interrogation without any hesitation.

“Podling Cave…Podling Cave…Podling Cave.”

For some reason, it seemed like the sporeperson’s mind no longer worked properly. He could not remember anything apart from the words ‘Podling Cave.’

“Sir Moat, what do you think we should do about this?” Greem could not get any other answer despite repeated attempts. He could only turn his head and ask the strange eyeball on his shoulder.

Through this Eye of Nature, Moat had been able to witness the entire process from a hundred kilometers away.

Sage Moat was not in a good mood. His voice, even through the Eye of Nature, carried a heavy killing intent.

“Podling Cave is the sacred land of the magical sporepeople! Many terrifying traps and guards guard the cave. Even I can’t freely extend my mental consciousness into it. Judging by the current situation, the viruses were created by the sporepeople in Podling Cave with the purpose of forcing the other species and creatures out of the Marsh Wetlands. Hmph! These bastards have crossed the line this time!”

“Then, you mean?” As someone uninvolved in the local affairs, Greem couldn’t care less about the residents’ lives. However, upon hearing that Podling Cave was the sacred land of the sporepeople, he couldn’t help but become excited.

“Have the sporebat bring this sporeperson and the virus carriers back. I will contact the hydra’s king and the leader of the sporebats. We will discuss the matter of exiling the sporepeople. In the meantime, if you can produce more decisive evidence, I will not hesitate to use the Marsh Wetlands’ entire force against the sporepeople. When that happens, we will be able to break into the sporepeople’s sacred land, and you will naturally get your Primal Water.

“Furthermore, we can consider your mission to find the mastermind behind the blight to be completed! I will get the rewards to your hands as soon as possible.”