Age of Adepts

The number of magical machines that were charging down from the fourth level of the tower was shocking.

They advanced in unison and launched a vicious assault at the Alliance adepts within the winding corridors; the first few Alliance adepts could not dodge in time. They were riddled with holes by a storm of bullets before they could even see if their instant-cast spells had any effect on the flood of metal.

In truth, these metal bullets could only inflict physical damage and should only have posed a minor threat to the defenses of an adept. However, the number of rounds was simply overwhelming.

The adepts’ magical shields were instantly shattered, their bodies quickly following after.

The wildly advancing magical machines didn’t care about the Alliance adepts they had just killed. They continued pushing rapidly toward the lower levels under the control of the person behind them.

There were some individuals with strange and unique skills amongst the Alliance adepts. They used Earth Alteration to raise uneven stone pillars across the corridors to temporarily seal off the path of the magical machines. They then hastily gathered into a defensive formation in the third level hall.

The Alliance adepts might not belong to just a single clan, but as noble and wise adepts, they still had the combat discipline to fight in cooperation with one another.

Several body-refining adepts and bloodline adepts stood at the forefront. They roared and prepared themselves to endure the attacks that would come their way. Meanwhile, the many elementium adepts took out their staffs and started to chant their spells loudly. The alchemists of the Magic Forest Hut once again summoned swarms of elementium creatures and had them fill the empty spots on the frontlines.

These weak minions might not have been of much use, but they were perfectly suited as fodder for the enemy’s firepower.

There wasn’t much time for them to prepare at all. A mere dozen seconds later, the fierce and ferocious magical machine army smashed through all the obstacles, pushing down walls as they charged into the magical hall.

A blinding stream of spells surged forth from the ranks of the adepts, blasting into oblivion the twenty-seven magical machines that had entered the hall. There was absolutely no resistance at all. Yet, before the storm of spells had even ceased, another wave of magical machine warriors entered the fray.

The Andorra adepts yelled and transformed into bloodmouths with terrifyingly large jaws. They twisted their fat bodies and clashed with the magical machine warriors.

A thundering thud rang out. Deep dents had appeared on the surface of the dozen magical machines at the very front, and uneven bite marks could be seen on their metal bodies. Meanwhile, several of the bloodmouths had also sustained some injuries from the clash. However, they didn’t seem to mind at all and flicked their fat tails, sending the magical machines flying backward.

A storm of metal bullets descended.

Since the magic energy rifles and cannons in the hands of the magical machines were all powered by magic energy, there were none of the loud bangs produced by alchemical gunpowder. However, the fearsome barrage was still as terrifying as ever. Sparks were sent flying as the bullets crashed against the magical and elementium shields of the frontline adepts, causing their defenses to tremble without stopping.

Only five seconds had passed when the second wave of attacks from the elementium adepts descended upon the magical machines.

The destructive flood of elementium engulfed the metal machines and twisted their bodies beyond recognition.

The machines had no sense of fear. The ones behind immediately filled in the ranks once the ones in front had fallen. It didn’t matter how many the adepts exterminated; the magical machines that swarmed out of the corridors didn’t seem to be decreasing in number.

Dammit. How many magical machines did the Crimson Clan store in reserve?

The faces of all the Alliance adepts flushed white!

They had no idea what was currently happening in the fourth level teleportation room now. A large portal loomed steadily above the array as four to five magical machine warriors walked out from it with every passing second before heading downstairs under the orders of the small brain monster, Gru.

Brain Monster Gazlowe had committed everything for Alice’s promise.

Apart from teleporting the small brain monster to Fire Throne, he had even allowed Gru to bring along the magic energy furnace. It was precisely because of the existence of the magic energy furnace that the teleportation array could be supplied with an endless stream of magical energy. It allowed him to bring the entire magical machine army to this bloody battlefield.

Small Brain Monster Gru might not look like he cared, but today was most definitely a painful yet glorious day for Gazlowe.

It might have been very liberating to crush the enemy by recklessly unleashing his magical machine army upon them. However, Gazlowe was currently squandering the energy and magical machine reserves that he had accumulated over the last few years in the metal fortress.

Faraway in Lance, Gazlowe’s heart bled wildly with the death of each wave of magical machines.

When the Third Grade brain monster decided to smash the enemy with his reserves from the past few years, the enemy standing in his way was fated to misfortune!

The conflict between the magical machine army and the Alliance adepts quickly intensified. Large numbers of casualties occurred every moment. With their layered defensive formation, the adepts had managed to keep the magical machines in the corner of the hall since the start of the battle. They had made it impossible for the machines to successfully spread out and had thus restrained the machines’ ability to capitalize on their nightmarish numerical advantage.

However, the magical machines weren’t dull idiots either. They possessed a powerful warfare mastermind with the command of Small Brain Monster Gru. The magical machines on the frontlines could not make any progress at the entrance of the corridor. Meanwhile, the magical machines behind them weren’t just standing still and waiting for something to happen. Instead, they used their bodies as weapons and tore down the stone walls that were standing in their way, forcefully creating several more paths of attack.

While the Alliance adepts were busy assigning forces to seal off these openings, the magical machines dove into their lines without any hesitation. They were fighting with a numerical advantage and creating as much chaos as they could. At any rate, the magical machine army didn’t mind any casualties they suffered. Trading the life of one adept with the lives of ten magical machines was still more than worth it.

The magical machines continued to swarm into the room, quickly taking up the edges of the hall.

The elementium adepts who were protected in the back and could freely chant their large-scale spells were now forced to engage in melee combat with these machines. They used instant-cast spells and instant wands to dispose of the machines quickly. However, the rate at which they were doing so was much slower than before.

At this moment, casualties finally started occurring amongst the body-refining adepts and bloodline adepts who had been fighting at the frontlines of the war.

The battlefield situation that had once appeared to be orderly was rapidly thrust into chaos. Signs of an upset was starting to show.

The two unbearably furious Third Grade adepts emerged from within the ranks. Both of them resorted to their special techniques and easily exterminated the machines that charged at them.

Third Grade Vampire Haines started wandering through the hall, his movements quick as a phantom and his claws soaked in crimson energy waving in the air. Every strike from his claw would pierce the body of a machine and wreck its internal mechanisms. Meanwhile, Adept Yurga transformed into a massive group of Death Heralding Crows. The birds crowed and weaved between the ranks of the machines.

Pupupu!

The gray death beams landed like arrows upon the machines. One by one, the devices were coated in a visible layer of gray before suddenly falling to the ground, their soul connection with Gru having been cut off.

“Dammit, dammit, dammit! These fellows are not easy to deal with at all!” The small brain monster cackled coldly in front of the portal. He couldn’t help but extend his Spirit toward the tower’s central control crystal.

He might be able to defeat these enemies with the power of the magical machine army alone, but he was sure to suffer tremendous losses this way. That was why Gru placed his hopes on the defensive system of the tower itself. The combined might of the tower and the firepower of the magical machine army gave him the confidence to exterminate all of these damned enemies.

“Authority…authority. I want authority.” Gru waved his tentacle-like appendages and shouted loudly.

Gargamel hesitated for a moment before finally stepping forward. He used his Spirit to communicate with the control crystal and handed over his authority to Gru. Small Brain Monster Gru started chuckled chillingly to himself after obtaining authorization over the tower. He then struck a lethal blow at the Alliance adepts in the hall.

The battle between the magical machines and Alliance adepts raged on in the magical hall on the third level. While both parties were engaged in inseparable combat, a massive surge of magic energy raced through the stone walls around them, rapidly lighting up the mysterious arrays within them.

This subtle change might have eluded the low-grade adepts who were engaged in the intense battle, but it couldn’t escape the notice of the two Third Grade adepts, whose spiritual senses were stretched across the entire battlefield.

No! The enemy had managed to activate the tower’s defensive systems in the end. This place was dangerous now!

Several profound and mysterious arrays surfaced on the walls under the solemn and watchful eyes of Haines and Yurga. All the adepts in the hall felt the elementium power within them stall. Their intimate connection with the elementium particles seemed to have been shut off by some sort of protective forcefield. They could no longer wield their elementium powers as freely as they had before.

Magic-Interference Barrier!

The Alliance adepts present were no rookies. They instantly figured out the effect of this Magic-Interference Barrier.

Currently, all magic of other attributes–apart from fire–were under immense interference within the tower. If they were fortunate, their spells would only fail. If they were unfortunate, they could even suffer spell backlash!

The appearance of the Magic-Interference Barrier instantly affected the combat potential of the adepts.

Those who wielded fire among the elementium adepts were only a minority. The shields on most of the other elementium adepts flickered before disappearing. Without shields to protect them, the First Grade elementium adepts were no more than pathetic individuals whose physical state was only slightly better than the average human.

The defensive line completely collapsed in a matter of seconds!

The Alliance formed from the various clans could no longer sustain itself. All the adepts gathered around the high-grade adepts of their own clans and started fleeing the tower without hesitation.

“Don’t run. If we can rally, charge up to the fourth level, and destroy the enemy’s teleportation array, we still have a hope of victory.” Yurga shouted with all he had.

Sadly, at this juncture of life and death, there was no longer anyone who was willing to listen to his orders!