Age of Adepts

[Beep. Warning. Warning. High-energy low-temperature particle stream surging towards Host. The estimated core impact area will contain energy over 7900 degrees in intensity. Impact radius is estimated to be 216 meters. Suggest that Host conduct evasive maneuver immediately.

[Beep. Detecting unusual ice laws. The effects are unknown. Suggest that Host immediately avoid the area.

[Chaos Physique effect activated. Absorbed and converted 783 points of low-temperature energy damage.

[Innate bloodline ability Energy Blackhole activated. Transferring and neutralizing 1695 points of low-temperature energy damage.

[Fire laws activated, neutralizing 3742 points of low-temperature energy damage.

[Defensive fire forcefield activated, negating 630 points of low-temperature energy damage.

[Elementium resistance negating 561 points of low-temperature energy damage.

[……

[Host will sustain 489 points of low-temperature energy damage.]

A large cloud of ice energy surged forward and instantly engulfed Greem in blue mist as the Chip continued to beep.

The frost rolled forward and clashed violently with Greem’s fire defenses and elementium forcefield. The blazing magical shields were frozen into ice shards in an instant. Even the ice floor beneath Greem’s feet couldn’t endure the cold. Frost rapidly appeared over the floor as the ice itself shattered.

Even Shadow Demon, who was hiding in the shadows, was affected by the ice laws. A layer of ice crystals appeared on its metal body, and it almost seemed like it would be frozen dead on the spot.

Greem’s flowing sleeves immediately turned hard as steel. The frost started to spread from the corner of his sleeves, intent on turning him into an ice sculpture.

The towering skeletal ice dragon roared and charged over.

Should Greem be frozen in ice, he would probably be crushed to pieces by the dragon before he could break free.

Compared to their Dragontongue magic, dragons preferred to end their battles in the most primal, violent way possible!

“Go, Shadow Demon!”

They had only just met, yet the ferocious old dragon had almost forced Greem into a corner. Thus, Greem didn’t dare drop his guard. He shouted an order to Shadow Demon, all while the Tome of Corruption’s pages flipped rapidly in his hand. Ugly wights filled with horrible plagues were summoned, one after another.

These wights were mostly First Grade and were completely useless on a Fourth Grade battlefield. The moment Greem summoned them, they were instantly frozen into sculptures by a passing cold wind.

However, when the skeletal dragon thrashed past, these sculptures erupted, releasing large clouds of yellow poison mist, eroding Nax’s blue bones and causing black spots to appear.

“Plague poison…dammit! This is plague poison! You bastard! How dare you release plague poison in my chambers! I will kill you!” The infuriated dragon lunged forward, its blue jaws snapping at the quickly retreating Greem.

At this point, Greem could no longer hide his powers.

Emerald light flashed from the Tome of Corruption as Greem was surrounded by a poison halo.

The focusing crystal on his forehead glowed as bright as a star as his Spirit violently surged into his fire coral staff. The disguised Orb of the Fire God began to glow brilliantly, emitting the prismatic radiance unique to ultra-grade items.

The next second, all light in the room dimmed. There was only the radiance from the increasingly bright orb. The Orb of the Fire God was like the bright moon in the sky. When it appeared, all other sources of light seemed to lose their color. It was the only thing in the room burning with all its ferocity. Its temperature and brightness rose without stopping; it was…a sun.

Indeed, the Orb of the Fire God was like a miniature sun descending upon the ground. It let off horrifying heat and light as its power continued to rise.

Shock and horror appeared in Nax’s blue soulfire as it charged forward. It could sense that the terrifying sun blazing in the young adept’s hands was an ultra-grade artifact not inferior to the Ancient Reliquary of Deep Winter.

What was scarier was the fact that the adept seemed to be able to control the devastating fire energy within that artifact freely!

Nax could feel this miniature sun rise before it, all while it continued to approach like a moth to the flame. Nax let out a terrified roar and extended both blue wings to their limits. The dragon beat its wings with all it had and barely managed to kill its momentum.

Nax’s claws sunk deep into the ice beneath its feet, ripping twenty deep ridges into the ground.

However, just as its rush came to a screeching halt, Greem’s charging attack had reached its peak as well. Greem waved both his hands together, and a tremendously violent stream of fire energy shot out of the Orb of the Fire God. The flames turned into a one-meter-thick pillar of fire that struck the skeletal ice dragon’s body.

The instant the pillar of fire struck, the dragon felt like it had been thrown into a terrifying, blazing cauldron. Every part of its body started burning furiously, from inside to outside.

What was even more horrifying was the fact that this pillar of fire had also ignited the surging ice energy in its body. Even the ice energy was burning now.

Nax reared its head and let out a roar of agony. It was no longer blue ice energy that surged out of its maw, nostrils, eye sockets, and ears now– it was red, blazing flames.

This single attack had injured Nax’s very soul origin. The dragon retreated into the mist like a whimpering puppy.

Kanganas was rapidly approaching the tall platform in the depths of the mist. All sorts of strange undead swarmed all around him.

Because of these undead wandering everywhere, Kanganas managed to figure out the approximate location of the platform.

However, while he gleefully snuck towards his destination, he abruptly stopped in his tracks and turned back to look into the mist.

There, a thousand meters away, a terrifying energy aura was rising. It was so powerful that it had managed to suppress the ice energy that was everywhere in this palace. When he felt the traces of heat that pierced through the mist and the oddly searing consciousness attached to it, Kanganas couldn’t help but become nervous, even as composed and cold as he usually was.

Even though he was quite a distance away, and the chaotic ice energy was obscuring his senses, Kanganas still managed to identify the source of this energy aura in an instant.

Greem…it was Greem, the human adept who called himself Fireman!

Since when did he become so powerful?

The last time they had fought in Morrian Plane, he had over a seventy percent chance to kill Greem. It was precisely because of this certainty that Kanganas had boldly invited Greem on this mission to slay the dragon.

However, judging by the energy aura he was radiating, Kanganas probably did not have any chance of winning. The appearance of such a powerful individual in the party made Kanganas nervous. He was no longer sure if his scheme would succeed now.

However, Kanganas had no idea that even as he was shocked by Greem’s eruption of power, Tulas had already snuck onto the platform and was searching desperately for the Ancient Reliquary of Deep Winter.

The instant Greem’s energy aura erupted in the distance, Tulas lifted his head from the magical runes he was analyzing. He also looked towards the distant battlefield.

“This power,” Tulas couldn’t help but brood in silence, “Even if they aren’t a Fifth Grade, they aren’t far away now! Did that human adept use some sort of explosive magical equipment, or was this his true power? Either way, we would have to be cautious around this fellow now!”

Due to his unique energy system, Tulas wasn’t actually afraid of these same-grade opponents of his. However, out of respect for an ultra-grade powerhouse, he had no intention of finding trouble for himself.

Ultra-Grade powerhouses. Those were terrifying individuals, even in the eyes of the starspirits!

Never mind. Let them fight their own fights. He had best find a way to get the Ancient Reliquary in his hands first.

Even Tulas felt excited at the thought of soon possessing an ultra-grade item.

While the two powerful spellcasters were scheming their own plans, Sshina was cursing furiously in a corner of the ice palace.

“Bastard! Bastard! Bastard! Kanganas, where did you find this absolute monster! I thought the ice dragon was a freak, but now, it seems like the real freak had been hiding by my side all along. Bastards! This battle is way beyond my level already! I can’t stay here any longer, or I will turn into a stepping stone for those bastards.”

Sshina cursed angrily as she lunged at the edge of the mist as quick as lightning.

The battle had escalated severely at this point. It was no longer a fight that small fry like herself could be involved in now. If she insisted on staying here despite the situation, she would become the variable that all the competitors would focus on getting rid of first.

It couldn’t be helped. Only the most powerful individuals of the party had the right to obtain a powerful treasure. At the very best, the second and third most powerful could give it a try. However, the best a small fry like herself could get were some leftovers.

However, the fact that the inconspicuous human adept was the largest raid boss hiding in the party was beyond her expectations. Sshina became nervous at the thought of all the cold words she had directed at the human along the way. She started to curse herself for her lack of foresight.

“Bastards! Bastards! All bastards! They’re all so powerful, and they just want to pretend like they are the rookies. Hmph! I curse you all! May none of you leave this palace of ice!”

Sshina spat and slithered out of the ice palace in the blink of an eye.