Age of Adepts

The magic surge didn’t just affect any single plane, but every one of the planar worlds.

The spatial barriers that could protect a planar world in the past would be riddled with holes. Any simple rift could allow a terrifying otherworldly creature to slip in.

There was no truly-safe spot across the universe!

Such magic surges weren’t exactly disasters for high-grade adepts. After all, it was an opportunity to obtain rare and valuable resources. However, for the numerous mortals and low-grade adepts, there would no longer be any guarantee of their safety. Many of them would die because of a single magical creature’s rampage.

Moreover, the primary world wouldn’t be the only world under siege. Even the subordinate lesser planes of the World of Adepts would be assaulted.

Ordinary adept clans would have to send patrols to each of these worlds, continually monitoring the weak spots in space while also maintaining order in the lesser plane. Most adept clans would find themselves at a loss at this point. They did not have sufficient adepts to oversee everything.

Consequently, most lesser planes controlled by adept clans would face problems following a magic surge. A clan’s income would be significantly affected.

That was about all that Greem knew about the magic surges. However, after a long talk with Alice, Greem finally recognized their horror.

If Greem were only the clan leader of a small clan, his only worry would be casualties within the clan and among the populace of his territory.

However, he was not just the Crimson Clan’s leader now. He was also the most powerful Fourth Grade adept of the Central Lands. The very safety of the entire of the Central Lands fell upon his shoulders.

It was a responsibility as well as a burden!

Ten years was not long, but it wasn’t a short time, either. Should the magic surge occur and spatial rifts start appearing, any adept clan that failed to make preparations would be staring down the barrel of invasions from magical creatures and monstrous starbeasts. This event would undoubtedly be a major trail for the Crimson Clan, who had just established itself.

If the Central Lands suffered excessive casualties in this magic surge, Greem and the Crimson Clan would likely lose their best opportunity to unify the Central Lands!

At this point, even Greem wasn’t sure if he was the unfortunate one to have run into a magic surge at this crucial moment or if the very rise of the Crimson Clan was encouraged by the planar consciousness for this event.

After some serious thought, the latter scenario was the more likely of the two.

After all, the Crimson Clan had only been a regional adept clan in the past. Their military might had exploded exponentially, and they had ravaged the Central Lands without contest. Their rise to power had been the result of a series of coincidences and fortunate events. Step by step, they had made their way here.

Before he heard the news of the magic surge, Greem had believed the current situation to be the fruit of his patience in hiding the clan’s power. When Alice told him about the magic surge, there was a shift of reference in his mind.

Perhaps all of this had been the planar consciousness’s intent. It pushed Greem onto the throne of the ‘hero’ of the Central Lands, making him unify the Central Lands’ forces to overcome the looming calamity.

If he performed well, the planar consciousness would probably generously ‘reward’ him with the Crimson Clan’s rule for the next thousand years to come. If he performed poorly, perhaps a new ‘savior’ would emerge and rescue the Central Lands.

It was precisely because Greem was growing increasingly powerful that he could slowly begin to come into contact with the workings of the world behind the scenes. He began to have a strange feeling. It was a sense that the heavens and earth themselves were no more than a chessboard and the individuals living within them, no more than pieces!

However, he was no longer an insignificant pawn as he had been in the past. No, he was a rook who could charge forth and stir the chaos. Even if the planar consciousness wanted to achieve some purpose, it would have to do so through Greem’s hand.

This process was an excellent opportunity for Greem to peek into the principles that governed this world!

Naturally, now that he knew this, Greem would not sit by and let the opportunity slip past him. After a quick moment of thought, Greem quickly gave out a series of orders.

Surely the Adept’s Association, Silver Union, and the Northern Witches had received similar news by now. No one would be interested in starting a war during such times. Their focus would be on defending themselves.

Thus, the pressing calamity that the Crimson Clan had been facing was dissolved by an even greater calamity on the horizon!

…………

Ailovis, the Crimson Wing.

This place was the Crimson Clan’s territory and likely the future heart of the Central Lands.

After two hundred years of diligent management, this rich and bountiful land had become populated and wealthy.

Villages, towns, and cities rose from the ground, dotting the green and yellow plain alongside the patches of green growth and forests. It was a microcosm of the unique liveliness and prosperity of the Central Lands.

Ever since the Crimson Wing was chosen as the headquarters of the Crimson Clan, three tall adept towers had been erected in a triangular formation. They were the most remarkable landmarks in this land.

There were about a hundred kilometers of distance between each other. The triangle that they protected was the most prosperous and populated territory of the Crimson Clan.

It was early in the morning.

A silver-white flying ship wove through several white clouds that were drifting leisurely in the light blue sky. The ship was headed toward the Crimson Wing.

A muscular man with a stern and determined face stood at the bow of the ship. He wore a golden robe and was calmly observing the beautiful scenery flashing by on the ground.

Suddenly, footsteps rang out behind him.

A handsome young man in golden armor stepped forward and said, “Clan Leader, we are approaching Crimson Wing!”

“Mm!” The middle-aged man said in a deep voice, “Have we established communications? What was the Crimson Clan’s purpose in summoning all of us here?”

“We have inquired. Molten Fire City and the Dener Clan have already arrived. As many as seven Fourth Grade adepts are already at Crimson Wing. However…”

“However, what?”

“They are keeping a tight lip. We weren’t able to find out anything. Only Molten Fire City replied. They only gave us two words– ‘magic surge.’ We don’t know anything else.”

“Magic surge!?”

Leader of the Clan of Gold, Mornashen Gaia, couldn’t help but tremble at the mention of that taboo term. His face turned dark.

“Are you sure that was what Molten Fire City said? Magic surge?”

“Yes, we are absolutely sure!”

Mornashen’s expression turned solemn. He waved his clan member away and brooded in silence.

The flying ship cut through the air quickly, passing by a forest that stretched for fifty kilometers and crossing a river before finally arriving at its destination, Crimson Wing.

Three adept towers stood silently on the horizon, their structure piercing the clouds.

There were large areas of farms around the towers, along with numerous cities. You could see a stream of carriages proceeding along the grid-like roads as if they were ants marching in a chain.

Perhaps they had seen the ship in the sky, but some of the tiny humans below waved their hands and hats at the ship.

A massive human city slowly came within sight in the center of the three towers. It became clearer and clearer as the ship got closer.

There were more flying objects in the sky now!

Eyeball combat machines the size of human heads roared as they buzzed through the sky. They scanned the aura of the flying ship and did not intercept it. Instead, they escorted the ship, cutting an elegant arc in the sky as they moved toward a landing strip on the edge of the city.

As expected of Crimson Wing. There were two Motherships merely hovering above the city. They hovered at the edges of the city, serving as giant aerial platforms.

You could make out the countless black dots and flying objects that took off and landed on these Motherships from a distance.

The flying ship stopped at Landing Bay 3.

Mornashen had just led his five clan members down the steps of the ship when Molten Fire City Lord Alfred’s tall and skinny figure appeared.

Two Fourth Grade adepts whose names sent tremors throughout the Central Lands smiled as they greeted each other.

“You arrived earlier than me! How is it? Did you manage to find out anything?” Mornashen Gaia asked impatiently upon their meeting.

“Come into the city with me. We will have a talk once we find a place and settle down!” Molten Fire City Lord Alfred waved his hand, and a black carriage lying in wait drove up to their side.

The two Fourth Grade adepts got onto the same carriage while their followers hopped onto the other carriages.

Soon, the wheels creaked as the carriages drove out of the landing bay toward the city of Crimson Wing in the distance.

Molten Fire City Lord Alfred waved his hand, and a layer of green magical particles engulfed the carriage. The two of them then started whispering to each other.

“What’s with the whole thing about a magic surge? Why were we summoned for a gathering? Could it be…an actual magic surge is coming?” Gaia asked hastily.

As Fourth Grade adepts, they both understood much of the true nature of the world’s secrets. They were not unfamiliar with the term ‘magic surge.’

“Given the information I currently have, I am certain that a magic surge is on the verge of occurring! Greem has summoned all of us to discuss how the Central Lands will respond to the magic surge.”

“How else can we respond? Obviously, we will all be guarding our own territories……could it be? He does not intend for the various clans to transfer command of their forces to him, does he?” Mornashen’s face turned dark at the mention of this, “We can’t mobilize any more forces from our clan. If that is what he intends to do, I will never agree, even if it means I will have to fight him again!”

Alfred finally couldn’t help but shake his head and laugh.