Age of Adepts

Inside a wide, golden hall.

The elegant crystal chandelier hanging high on the ceiling released a gentle, yellow glow. It washed against the beautiful murals, coloring the place a royal gold while lending it a solemnity of sorts.

Adepts in robes of various colors held crystal glasses in their hands, nodding and acknowledging each other with gentle smiles on their faces. Some acquainted adepts had gathered in small groups of two or three, quietly whispering and making conversation between themselves.

Several apprentices dressed in fine formal wear were standing by the entrance, diligently receiving every arriving adept. When a visiting adept showed their invitation, printed in gold foil, a loud apprentice would shout the clan and name of the guest.

Of course, such an announcement was like a rock sinking in the sea for most of the visitors. The adepts in the hall were all preoccupied with their own matters; they hardly cared about who had arrived.

However, when the apprentice standing by the doors shouted the name of ‘Adept Yurga of the Kamala Clan.’ almost all of the adepts stopped speaking. They couldn’t help but turn their heads and cast their gaze upon the Third Grade adept who had just entered the hall.

Of course, what attracted their attention wasn’t his identity as a Third Grade. After all, even within this hall itself, there were as many as five Third Grade adepts. What really drew their attention were the gossip and rumors that were spreading throughout the central area like wildfire.

An organized alliance of five adept clans, led by two Third Grade adepts, were defeated by a new clan that had only been established less than three decades ago. One of the Third Grades had even been caught and imprisoned in the opponent’s tower.

That was already a terrible mark to the reputation of everyone involved in the alliance!

Even more embarrassing for the defeated Kamala Clan was the fact their territory was being upturned by a mere Second Grade adept. It was said that over forty percent of the Kamala’s low-grade adepts and apprentices had been devoured by the bug adept. The losses were heavy.

Moreover, Third Grade Adept Yurga had failed to kill the bug adept after two attempted ambushes. He had even let the enemy slip into their headquarters and allowed a direct descendant and heir of his family to become feed.

To think that such a result had developed in a confrontation between a Third Grade and a Second Grade. It was no wonder that the Third Grade adepts of the Central Continent all betrayed expressions of disdain whenever they talked of Yurga.

That said, the only ones that could comment on Third Grade adepts had to be other Third Grade adepts!

The expressions of judgment quickly faded from the faces of the adepts in the hall. They pretended to once again return to their lively conversation. However, their ears and eyes still somewhat lingered on Yurga, secretly observing his every move.

It was said that Adept Yurga had already requested for the forceful intervention of the Zhentarim Association. The location for the arbitration was set within the adept’s tower of Rhein. It indirectly explained why Adept Yurga had appeared here!

The forceful intervention of the Association?

The adepts secretly talked and communicated with each other. None of them could understand Yurga’s actions.

Were the old fogeys of the Association so easily dealt with?

Yurga had given up the initiative in his clan’s war the moment he requested for arbitration. He had now put the future and the fate of his clan in the hands of the Association elders. The Kamala Clan would have to pay a hefty price to sate the bottomless appetites of the elders now!

Yurga, dressed in black robes and wearing a calm expression on his face, walked through the hall. All the adepts he met along the way bowed and pressed their hands against their chest in a show of respect. He continued to walk to a corner of the hall, ignoring all of these greetings and approached a middle-aged man in white robes.

Several Second Grade adepts gathered around the man immediately turned to pay respects to Yurga before silently stepping aside.

“How has the thing I asked you to arrange gone?” Yurga didn’t seem to mind all the surrounding adepts whispering about him. He immediately asked his question in a soft voice.

“The matter is still as troublesome as before!” Frustration flashed on the face of the Third Grade adept in white robes, “They refuse to back down and insist that the Kamala Clan will have to hand over two First Class resource sites. Otherwise...”

A wicked smile suddenly appeared on Yurga’s face. It was so drastically bent that even his face look twisted and contorted.

“Well...very well. As expected, even the bastards of the Association can’t wait to tear a few bites out of us while we are down. Have those assholes forgotten? If it weren’t for their coaxing, I would never have taken the initiative and started this war in the first place!”

Yurga’s voice was practically cracking now as the sound waves would even hurt the ears.

However, the two translucent layers of forcefield around them ensured that no sound would get out.

“You had best calm down! You were the one that messed up, after all!” The white-robed adept complained unamusedly, “I have no idea how you two even managed to make a living for yourself. To think that two of you together would get pushed into such a corner by a new clan without even a Third Grade adept! Won’t you look at it now? There isn’t a way for this thing to end amicably now.”

Splotches of purple and red instantly appeared on Adept Yurga’s face as all sorts of twisted expressions surfaced on it. Still, he chose not to erupt in the end. Instead, he let out a hearty sigh and buried all of his anger and frustration in his heart, seemingly as if he would leave everything to fate.

“That brat isn’t as weak as described in your reports. The power of his subordinates is mysterious. I do not have a clear grasp of it, even now!”

“We have already done some research. That brat was really not with the clan when the war broke out. He was trapped in the Fire Elementium Plane. Despite this ideal scenario, you and Haines did not manage to seize the day and destroy his lair. Isn’t it just great now? Haines has been caught and you...you can’t even deal with a Second Grade from their clan. The elder has already spoken. Give over those two First Class resource sites, and he will give your clan an opportunity to turn things around.”

“What kind of opportunity?” Yurga asked hurriedly.

“A fair duel!” The white-robed adept laughed sinisterly, “The opposing clan doesn’t even have a Third Grade adept. If you can’t even grasp an opportunity like this, then I figure it would be best for you to step down from being a clan leader!”

Yurga’s expression stalled for a second, and he couldn’t help but lower his head in contemplation.

“What are you hesitating for? Could you be unable to defeat a mere Second Grade fire adept already? I’ve only managed to get this chance for you after a lot of effort. You couldn’t be afraid of something like this, could you?”

Another name was announced at the entrance of the hall while the white-robed adept tried to convince Yurga.

“Crimson Clan Leader Adept Greem, Adept Mary, and Adept Billis have arrived.”

A dozen adepts from various places had already entered the hall since Yurga started talking with the white-robed adept. However, none of these inconsequential ‘small fry’ had managed to draw the attention of the two Third Grades.

It was only when the names of ‘Crimson Clan,’ ‘Greem,’ and ‘Billis’ reached their ears that Yurga lifted his head abruptly. His cold, sharp eyes immediately cut across the few hundred meters of distance to land on the three adepts walking into the hall.

It wasn’t just Yurga. Even the white-robed adept and everyone else in the hall stopped talking.

They stopped moving as well, save to turn their heads and look at the entrance. These looks–sharp, curious, resentful, surprised–all landed on Greem and the two others.

The hall fell silent, and the air suddenly froze.

“Billis, it seems you’ve established quite the name for yourself during this time!” Greem led the way into a hall, a faint smile on his handsome face. His tall and muscular body stood straight, making him seem all the more reliable as if he could prop up the sky even if it were to collapse on him.

Meanwhile, Mary, dressed in her crimson armor, was still as pretty and seductive as ever. Her perfect figure and delicate appearance. Her voluptuous chest and hips, swaying as she walked. She held onto Greem’s arm as she walked into the hall, a glint shining in her ruby-like eyes as they swept across everyone present. A maddeningly alluring smile appeared on her beautiful face.

When he heard Greem’s banter, Billis couldn’t help but lift his head and look around the hall, still cloaked in his thick black robe. The strange, ghostly green compound eyes under the shadow of his hood gleamed with a cold light. All adepts that crossed eyes with him felt a shiver in their hearts, and they couldn’t help but frown.

What a sinister bug adept!

The eyes of the other adepts were very sharp. They instantly determined the identities and standings of the three individuals based on how they were dressed and where they were standing. Though several somewhat playful eyes landed on Greem and Mary, most of the other people kept their gaze around Billis.

They had seen many, many fire adepts, but a bug adept as strong as Billis was a first for the center of the continent!

It undoubtedly piqued the curiosity of the adepts.

“I seemed to have spotted the old crow. He’s in the southwest corner, and he’s staring at us.” The smile on Mary’s face was the same as ever as she softly sent a message.

Greem and Billis’ eyes immediately shifted across the hall and landed on Third Grade Adept Yurga.

The eyes of the two parties met and clashed in chilling fashion.

It was almost as if sparks had appeared in the air.

Naturally, those who could make it into the hall could not possibly be ordinary individuals. Almost every adept had their small social circle and source of information. Consequently, they all had a basic understanding of the situation between the two parties.

The adepts couldn’t help but step aside when they saw the tense atmosphere that had broken out at first sight. They provided a straight and direct path between Greem and Yurga.

Though Greem had never before seen Third Grade Adept Yurga, his attention was fully concentrated on the Third Grade adept due to the guidance of the unique aura.

“Come, let us go and give our greetings!” Greem smiled generously and led Mary and Billis toward Yurga and the white-robed adept.

“You can go and tell that fellow now. I’ll agree to his request. The two First Class resource sites will be handed to him immediately. Have him arrange the matter properly. I definitely...will...receive...them, with all I have!”

A cruel smile appeared on Yurga’s face after he quickly sent a message to the white-robed adept. He then coldly stared at the three approaching adepts.

The atmosphere of the hall turned ever more solemn.