Age of Adepts

There was a dark, sinister, and narrow cave.

As it was underground, the walls of the cave were covered in moss and lichen, glowing with a faint light in the darkness.

At this very moment, a slender figure was clearing out an area in the center of the cave. She squatted down and silently started carving an unusual array into the cold, hard stone floor.

It was a small directional teleportation array– thirty-three mysterious runes, two hundred and eighty-eight runic lines, and not a single mistake or deviation in every brush and stroke. Otherwise, it would not only fail to summon the clan leader, but it would also cause a terrifying magical backlash, thereby exposing the existence of this secret passage.

Honestly, it was challenging to complete such a complex task without the Spirit of a high-grade adept.

High-grade adepts pursued the improvement of their Spirit so aggressively because only exceptional Spirit could sustain calculation and sensory abilities comparable to a super-computer. High-grade teleportation arrays were composed of hundreds of runes woven in an intricate pattern. The lines that guided the flow of energy were as thin as silk and overlaid at such incredible density they could compare to the hair on a person’s head.

It was impossible to draw such an array without a mind that could run at superhuman speeds.

That was only the high-grade arrays!

Ultra-grade arrays–those of Fifth Grade and above–were even more astounding. Those arrays were composed in three dimensions.

One would have to memorize the exceptionally complex runic patterns, the innumerable runes, and each individual node’s coordinates. Without tremendous Spirit, you would probably need a brain as large as a brain monster to complete such a colossal task.

After half a day, Emelia finally completed the directional teleportation array.

She scanned the array a few more times with her Spirit. After confirming there were no mistakes or gaps in the array, Emelia took out a dozen high-grade magical crystals and carefully placed them in the array’s energy nodes.

Emelia checked the time and activated the array.

Faint energy radiance seeped out from the energy nodes, flowing down the magical lines carved into the ground towards the rest of the array. All the magic nodes and runes along the way were illuminated by the magical lines, one by one.

A nearly imperceptible magical fluctuation trembled through the cave, penetrating the stone walls, the rock layers, and slowly emanating into the distance.

A short moment later, the array began to run with increasing intensity, as if it had obtained a response.

The changes in the energy of the cave’s surroundings could no longer be concealed when the array started functioning. Several strange roars and howls came from the distance, through the countless layers of rock. The sound of crumbling caves and stone could be heard now.

Layer after layer of the rock walls shattered as the roars slowly approached.

Emelia looked at the directional teleportation array that was now running at full capacity and gritted her teeth. She instantly armed herself to the teeth and charged into the darkness without turning back.

An endless series of magical explosions could be heard ringing from the depths of the tunnel, mixed with the furious roars of Fungal Giants and strange, fleshy sounds.

At this crucial moment of life and death, a humanoid figure standing two meters tall appeared at the center of the teleportation array. The air roared with the sound of surging magic energy. Sparks of fire elementium split out of the atmosphere and merged into the humanoid silhouette like moths to a flame.

With every bit of fire elementium that entered the silhouette, the profile became even firmer and stable.

Gradually, the facial features of the humanoid form could now be discerned. It was finally showing signs of materialization!

Seemingly dissatisfied by the rate at which the fire elementium was gathering, Greem’s crisp voice rang out in the air.

“This is too slow! All of you, get over here!”

A large, overwhelming spiritual pressure appeared around the silhouette. The entire cave glowed red as countless fire elementium particles were forcibly pulled out of the air towards the humanoid figure.

Greem’s hand, legs, shoulders, back, chest, stomach, head, and organs began to grow, quickly forming into an entire person.

A muffled explosion rang out.

Greem stepped out of the teleportation array with the fire coral staff in hand. His tremendous Spirit spread outward, allowing him to see everything that was happening within ten kilometers instantly.

He could clearly ‘see’ that he was currently inside the narrow passage of a giant underground labyrinth. Emelia had transformed into the Mystique about sixty meters in front of him, brandishing her countless appendages and fending off the attacks of several Fungal Giants.

Emelia might be known as the Mystique, but in the end, she was only a plant attribute adept who excelled at odd, unexpected attacks. She was an excellent fighter among Second Grade adepts when it came to adaptability and the element of surprise.

However, when it came to a frontal conflict, she was not the opponent of a few Fungal Giants.

Moreover, there was even an advanced Third Grade among those Fungal Giants. If Gargamel had not invested everything in his daughter and equipped her with the best magical equipment he could find, she would certainly never have lasted until the moment Greem arrived.

Emelia’s slender, rope-like appendages swarmed at the Fungal Giant charging through the walls. However, all the vines were torn to pieces by the giant’s muscular hands, and green sap spilled all over the ground.

Four or five green lights lit up around Emelia’s petite body.

Emelia endured the intense pain, supported by the countless pieces of magical equipment, and let out a sharp scream. She summoned even more vine appendages to lash at the attacking Fungal Giant.

Victory through numbers, conquest by swarm.

Emelia was like a monster with infinite regeneration. A forest of vine limbs reached out from her body, sealing off the Fungal Giants’ path of advance. Even if all her appendages were smashed to pieces and torn to shreds, Emelia refused to take even a single step back. She was defending this tunnel leading to the cave with her very life.

Upon sensing the increasingly intense energy flux in the passage, the Fungal Giants started to attack even more ferociously. The Third Grade Giant in the lead let out a furious roar and charged into the storm of vines, rushing forward like a madman.

Fighting a Third Grade enemy as a Second Grade was hopeless, even aided by an arsenal of magical equipment.

The Third Grade Giant came closer and closer to Emelia. His violet and purple appendages were about to reach her very own body when a gentle, long-awaited voice rang in her mind.

“Good job. You can rest now. Leave the rest to me!”

It was the clan leader!

Emelia’s tense mind relaxed upon hearing the voice. The hundreds and thousands of instances of pain being transmitted through her vine appendages almost instantly devoured her soul.

She let out a scream and almost fainted on the spot.

All of her vines fell limply to the ground when she lost her mental control.

The Third Grade Fungal Giant, now freed from the vines’ obstruction, roared and strode forward. A strong and powerful appendage howled through the air and crashed towards Emelia.

“You dare raise a hand in my presence?”

A tall figure appeared in time and caught Emelia as she collapsed to the ground. The staff he was holding in his other hand managed to stop the appendage dead in its tracks.

The red staff held the violet appendage in place as a sizzling sound came from the point of contact.

Aaaaaah!

The terrifying searing produced by the staff inflicted unspeakable agony on the Third Grade Fungal Giant. He stumbled back several steps before he managed to regain balance. He then looked solemnly at his opponent. A clear, black burn mark could be seen on his limp appendage.

“Fourth Grade. You’re Fourth Grade!”

The Third Grade Fungal Giant was not wholly ignorant, after all. He had managed to identify the power of his opponent based on the aura that Greem was radiating. Then, his gaze landed on Emelia, and an expression of shock and anger appeared on its ugly, green face.

“Emelia. You have the aura of Emelia’s soul! You are the magical princess that ran away.”

Greem ignored the Fungal Giant’s surprise and brushed his hand over Emelia’s forehead. A thread of Spirit seeped into Emelia’s mind, and she instantly felt her pain reduced by half.

“What now? Should I kill this guy or let him live?” Greem asked casually.

Judging from his tone, killing a ‘mere’ Third Grade seemed to be a simple matter!

“Uncle Ersund, do you still intend to follow Fahssn down this path of darkness and evil, or are you willing to rejoin my side? You will only have this one chance to decide.” Emelia lifted her pretty face and looked at the Third Grade Fungal Giant with sympathy.

A vicious expression appeared on the Third Grade Fungal Giant’s face. He once again brandished his appendages.

“No need for the facade, Emelia. When have we Fungal Giants ever been truly free? You should never have come back! Now Die!”

The appendage swung downwards, causing even more violent winds than the last strike.

“Hmph! Fool.”

Greem snorted. He didn’t seem to do anything, yet a light red elementium barrier appeared from his body and engulfed all the Fungal Giants.

Burning Domain.

Elementium barriers like this might not be much against opponents of the same grade, but they were terrifying machines of slaughter against a large group of low-grade enemies.

The moment the Burning Domain took shape, flames ignited on the bodies of the Fungal Giants. Their entire persons burned violently.

The Third Grade Fungal Giant was no exception!

Its appendage was still traveling through the air when he was blown back by a ring of fire. He had just stabilized himself when the Burning Domain appeared. His entire body started burning.