Age of Adepts

Hakans was the largest city in north Zambez.

Even with his arrogance and hypercritical standards, Greem had no choice but to admit that this was a beautiful and prosperous human city.

The towering walls surrounded the city, while the wide and flat stone roads mapped out stretches of winding streets. Hakans had an excellent drainage system that kept the streets dry and clean, without any of the griminess typically seen in other cities.

There was the lively commercial area, the congested warehouse area, the elegant and grandiose noble area, as well as the Chapel of the Holy Light standing tall in the center of the city.

The architectural style of the Zambez Empire leaned toward soft and rounded features of gentle beauty. Looking down from above through the view of the wind spirits, Greem could see that every single building appeared to be so massive and beautiful. The roofs of the buildings were always round domes.

The most eye-catching landmark of the city had to be the massive chapel sitting in the center of the city. It was a strange religious building in its own right that almost every Zambez city would construct.

The Holy Light Chapel was the central area of activity for the holy knights. They did their daily training there, along with their chivalry lessons and holy light assimilations. However, the main function of the chapel was as a cemetery for holy knights that died in the line of battle.

A massive crypt lay beneath the chapel, used for the express purpose of storing the bodies of dead holy knights. The chapel would open its gates at the same time every week, allowing the believers to enter to pray and sing the praises of the Holy Light, as well as the warriors that had sacrificed themselves for the Empire’s sacred cause.

As members of the Zambez Empire, the holy knights that were trained in the Chapels often became important pillars of strength that ensured regional stability across the nation. Ordinary imperial soldiers were only the foundational force used to maintain order amongst the common folk. The holy knights that admired the Holy Light and kept to their beliefs were the real powerhouses of Henvic Plane.

That was why the first mission Greem assigned to the wind spirits upon entering Hakans was to monitor the activity of the holy knights within the city.

One had to admit that the holy knights were indeed terrifying individuals who had undergone strict training and possessed incredible discipline and combat power.

The gates of the Holy Light Chapel rumbled and swung open moments after the adepts entered the city. A group of holy knights in exquisite knight armor charged out from within. They rode on muscular and sturdy warhorses whose hooves stomped against the ground like thunder as they rushed toward the enemy like a whirlwind.

The tall knight at the forefront wore a fine suit of silver armor. His helmet covered his entire head and face, and only a pair of calm, composed, and determined eyes could be seen through the cross-shaped opening on the faceguard. The warhorse beneath him was particularly tall and strong. It almost sounded as if thunder were striking and tigers were roaring when it sprinted across the city.

Naturally, Greem didn’t judge the enemy on their size or atmosphere, but by scanning their energy aura. The holy knights were not like the adepts. They had no idea how to distort or conceal their aura. Thus, this method of obtaining data was the most reliable and direct way of doing so.

With the help of the wind spirits’ vision, Greem chanted a few words, and the holy knights storming down the streets immediately turned into red light spots of various intensities.

There were a total of three hundred and four points of light.

Most of the points were light red. Judging from the intensity of the energy, these two hundred and eighty-two knights were at First Grade. Apart from that, there were also twenty-one spots of light that glowed with a deeper red. It was evident that these were Second Grade Silver Knights. Meanwhile, the knight in silver armor at the very front was shining with blinding red light, making for a fearsome sight to behold.

Greem narrowed his eyes as a vicious expression appeared on his face.

Third Grade. He’d finally run into a Third Grade of Henvic Plane!

Much like how imperial armies often looked down upon militias and local armies, Greem, who came from the World of Adepts, looked down upon this man of the same grade who came from a low-magic plane.

Holy knight? No more than a group of warriors trained in both the mystic and martial arts!

Weaker than the body-refining adepts when it came to physical force, and inferior to the elementium adepts when it came to the mastery of elementium magic. They had only barely made it to the higher ranks due to the blessing of the mysterious Holy Light. How could they ever possibly hope to compare to a proper adept like himself!?

Fully confident and disdainful of the knights, Greem did not choose to avoid their charge. Instead, he rushed toward them.

Meanwhile, Blade Princess Katherine had oddly vanished without a trace after charging into Hakans.

The complexity of life auras in the city and the geography itself provided her with far too many places to hide. Even Greem had no ability to continue pursuing her.

Thunder rumbled along the streets as horse hooves smashed against the earth.

The formerly peaceful and quiet street broke out into panic as the terrified civilians scattered and hid within their shops and houses. When Greem and the elementium magical machine arrived at the broad avenue leading straight to the Chapel of Holy Light, the roaring legion of holy knights had also just appeared at the other end of the street.

“In the name of the Holy Light! Knights, charge!”

“Charge!”

Deafening warcries and roars reached the skies as the holy knights charged forward in formation. They raised their double-edged longsword and yelled out short holy prayers.

“Valor!”

“Resilience!”

“Glory!”

“Blessing!”

“......”

As the short prayers filled the air, beams of blinding holy light started to gather upon their bodies. Layer after layer, layer upon layer, the prayers stacked atop each other and merged. It made every knight radiate with such majesty and holiness that it was hard to look straight at them.

Greem couldn’t help but frown as he watched with a cold eye.

He wouldn’t have been worried if it was only an illusory light effect. However, the Chip’s scans and analysis revealed that the holy light around the knights contained high magical energy.

Valor gave them protection over their souls.

Resilience provided them with intermediate magical resistance.

Glory increased all of their attributes: Strength, Physique, Agility, and Spirit.

Blessing even shielded the holy knights from certain mortal strikes.

......

The mundane First Grade Iron Knights were nothing in Greem’s eyes. However, with the layers of holy blessings piled upon them, their power rose exponentially, so much so that Greem couldn’t help but brood in silence.

Meanwhile, the Second Grade Silver Knights had been enhanced to a level where they were a threat to Greem.

However, that wasn’t the end of it!

Apart from their single-target holy blessings, the holy knights were also capable of fearsome group blessings.

The leading Third Grade Gold Knight shouted as he raised his longsword above his head. A milky white sacred halo appeared beneath his feet and instantly provided all the holy knights with a brilliant Aegis of Light.

Divine Protection!

A Third Grade holy knight ability!

It provided all holy knights within sixty meters of the scared halo with an Aegis of Light with a defensive power of four hundred points.

Apart from that, the Third Grade Gold Knight was also chanting even more holy prayers as he charged forward. Almost every combat technique he was unleashing was a group blessing.

Holy Strike, an increase to Physique and critical hit chance!

Holy Shock, a boost to Strength and physical damage!

Dawn’s Light, a reduction to elemental damage!

......

In all honesty, when the hundreds of holy knights applied their various divine protections to themselves and their allies, the glorious light that pierced the heavens was so bright it could blind the enemy before them.

These holy knights had been no more than weak sheep in Greem’s eyes when they first started charging. However, now halfway across the street, they had transformed into ferocious tigers armed to the teeth.

Greem’s expression finally couldn’t help but change!

That was because, at this moment, the berserk aura that the Third Grade Gold Knight gave off had far surpassed his own.

Name: Unknown

Gender: Male

Profession: Gold Knight

Bodily attributes: Strength 34 | Agility 16 | Physique 35 Spirit 28

Greem felt his head swell when he saw the attributes being fed back from the Chip.

Two of the Third Grade’s attributes had exceeded thirty points after receiving the myriad of holy blessings. Greem’s surprise was immense.

It was important to note that even a proper elementium adept like Greem, who came from a higher plane, only had one attribute that exceeded thirty points. Moreover, this was his attribute after transforming into the Flame Fiend of Terror. His usual attributes were only weaker than the Gold Knight.

Dammit! I can’t fight this fellow head on!

The thought had just appeared in Greem’s mind, and he immediately slowed down in his path. The elementium magical machine charging alongside him rushed forward. Even more terrifying magical energy surged out of the gaps in its metal body.

The magical machine roared as both parties drew to a close. It launched a rapid charge under the propulsion of powerful magic energy, and its blinding red metal fist smashed down upon the Gold Knight, howling with violent winds.

The opponent let out a battlecry. His entire body was encased in blinding holy light as he raised his longsword and bucked his horse, slashing wickedly at the magical machine’s fist.

Dong!

A deafening blast rang out as an energy shockwave spread from the point of impact, engulfing all living creatures in the street and around it.

The elementium magical machine’s body sunk down as its two giant metal legs were hammered into the stone road. The sound of splashing blood rang out from beneath the Gold Knight’s armor as he and his horse slid backward from the impact.

The tough hooves left sparks in the air as they rubbed against the ground, leaving four clear ditch marks in the road.