Age of Adepts

“My lady, all the representatives are present and awaiting your arrival!”

The door at the end of the hall opened. Meryl, the other figure of authority in the Crimson Clan, walked in wearing a perfectly tailored adept’s robe made of an incredibly soft material. She bowed and paid her respects to Mary.

The two of them had been the closest of sisters in the past. However, as Mary grew stronger and stronger, the massive gulf in power between the two of them had cemented their positions as superior and subordinate.

Given the Crimson Clan’s wealth now, they would have no problem pushing both Meryl and Emelia to Fourth Grade. However, that was the limit of the clan’s power. Every step above Fourth Grade was a complicated and drawn-out process that couldn’t be accomplished with a simple accumulation of resources.

The two prideful women were also incredibly confident in themselves. Consequently, even as they were swamped with the numerous clan affairs, they still found time to improve and train themselves further.

Meryl was only advanced Third Grade at the moment, while Emelia was only intermediate Third Grade. Their grades were not very impressive, but their future potential was quite considerable.

At the very least, both of them had confidence that they would be able to advance to Fourth Grade with their own power!

It was an attitude and belief they had taken on for the sake of achieving greater heights in the future.

According to all the past data that adepts had collected, those who had been able to advance to Fourth Grade under their own power were the only ones who had a chance of advancing even further. Those who pushed into Fourth Grade with the accumulation of resources should count themselves fortunate if they could rise to intermediate Fourth Grade.

“The time is upon us. Let us leave!” Mary turned around, looking at the two women awaiting her. She nodded and walked out of the hall.

Everyone waiting outside the hall was a higher-up of the Crimson Clan.

Standing at the very front of the procession measuring only a single meter tall was Goblin Sage Snorlax, dressed in a luxurious formal suit. As the most veteran of the goblins who followed Greem, he was almost three hundred years old. It was comparable to a human being eight hundred years old. It was also a record for the oldest goblin in history.

Though Snorlax was supported by a tremendous quantity of excellent resources, he was still stuck at advanced Second Grade and unable to improve any further. As a result, he was slowly approaching the limit of his lifespan and quickly growing decrepit.

Even so, on this most important day, he put on an intricate suit that represented the highest glory and bowed before Mary ahead of anyone else.

“Congratulations, mistress. The greatest congratulations…Snorlax pays his respects!”

If it weren’t for two young goblin maids holding him up, Snorlax would have collapsed to the ground when he bent over ninety degrees with that bow of his.

Mary took a quick glance at his body and sighed as she nodded. She waved her hand, and a surge of blood energy entered Snorlax’s body.

Snorlax’s spirit seemed to improve visibly.

“Do what you can! And take care of yourself,” Mary stopped to give a few words of advice. Her gaze then turned to the goblin standing behind Snorlax. “Locke. You are responsible for Snorlax today. Make sure he doesn’t get too excited!”

Mary finally started walking away again after saying that.

Locke the goblin was now an intermediate Third Grade Crimson adept. His status in the Crimson Clan was higher than even Snorlax and the other goblin nobles.

Upon hearing Lady Mary’s instructions, he waved away the goblin maids and personally supported Snorlax by the arm as he followed after this tough lady of theirs. Of course, they walked after Meryl and Emelia.

The Crimson higher-ups who had been scattered in the various corners talking amongst themselves began to gather around. They bowed, paid their respects to Mary, and joined the procession.

Blood Knight Soros, Split-Brain Sock, Bug Adept Billis, Blood Knight Windsor, Blood Mage Isa, Blood Elf Magic-Archer Lila, Icelady Snowlotus, Berserk Witch Sofia, Forest Spirit Eva, Vanlier the Old Fox, Commander Drusilla La Salle of the Brutalblood Army, Dragonborn Zacha……

After all these years of development and growth, the number of Second and Third Grade adepts in the Crimson Clan had increased to as many as three hundred individuals. A new batch of recruits and fresh blood had taken over key positions within the Crimson Clan. However, these veterans still held a certain status within Mary’s eyes.

With the passage of time, some of the veterans had already passed away. Missing among the veterans were Magical Goblin Leader Gonga, Tigule the Goblin, Medusa Dana, Charon the Manticore Leader, and Wind Adept Deserra.

In the past few hundred years, they had either died of old age or unnatural causes during their expeditions or experiments. They were forever gone to the wind.

The banquet hall was located on the seventh floor of the adept tower.

When Mary stepped into the hall alongside the Crimson higher-ups, the entire area instantly broke out into thunderous applause.

The numerous Crimson adepts stood on both sides of the red carpet, clapping vigorously and cheering with all their might. When Mary walked past them, they held their hands over their chest and bowed down as much as possible, their faces brimming with prideful smiles. They were overjoyed to be allowed to bask in this glory.

Mary nodded at both sides as she passed through the crowd.

Those who could enter the celebration’s main venue were all veterans who had joined the Crimson Clan a long time ago or promising recruits who had recently risen to prominence in the academy. Even though most of them had not seen the legendary Bloody-Queen Lord Mary in person, this did not stop them from cheering for the clan’s bright future, the academy, and themselves.

Mixed in the crowd were several unusual faces from lesser planes. These included giants, drow, beastmen, trolls, Redstone dwarves, goblins, gnomes, lightborne, flower sprites, stonewalkers, and half-dragons.

The lightborne were a strange species whose entire body was formed of light elementium and who fed on light. They were natural spellcasters of the light elementium and could freely cast all the power associated with that elementium.

Their light powers made them quite powerful at illusions and healing.

Flower sprites were not flower fairies. They might seem similar, but they were two very different creatures at their core. Flower sprites had green bodies with two pairs of thin wings on their backs. They might be less than half a meter tall, but they were exceptionally savage. Their claws and teeth contained terrible venom, and they flew at incredible speeds.

Flower sprites were fearsome magical creatures when used as scouts or assassins!

Stonewalkers, on the other hand, were a sort of strange lifeform somewhere between an actual organic being and an earth elemental. The plane they lived in consisted of ranges of mountains and hills. You could scarcely find any water, fire, or even plants.

Stonewalkers were born with the ability to traverse underground, unobstructed by earth or dirt. They also possessed numerous earth powers, making them exceptional miners and ambush forces!

Half-dragons, on the other hand, were bloodline descendants of dragons and humans. The descendants that had inherited the bloodline of dragons would often awaken related bloodline powers.

Half-dragons like these might have trouble reaching the higher grades, but they were often powerful magical warriors, versed in both martial and magical arts. Placed in an army, half-dragons were a formidable force that could both defend and assault.

The more distinguished among the half-dragons were also the best assistant or bodyguard candidates for the high-grade adepts.

After all, the loyalty of half-dragons was well-known!

Of course, apart from these people, Mary also spotted some more unusual and indescribable individuals in the crowd. For instance, adepts that looked like slime, centaur adepts, and even one adept that looked like a walking sunflower.

Ever since they started recruiting foreign students from the lesser planes, Horton Magic Academy’s diversity had truly expanded.

After walking through the crowd, Mary and her procession moved up a large platform with ten giant steps. Representatives from all over the world were already waiting there.

Mary looked over and instantly noticed Fourth Grade Thunder Lord Arms, who was now in his human form. He was accompanied by Emerald Dragon Iritina, who had also turned into a beautiful young girl.

Ten muscular men with bald heads and green skin stood behind them. They were pointing at the various magical decorations hanging from the banquet hall’s walls and ceiling, drooling as they did so.

Mary did not even have to get close. Just from the aura they radiated, she could tell that these were First and Second Grade green dragons that had polymorphed.

Arms’ thunderous voice immediately rang out when he saw Mary.

“Mary, you are finally here! I’ve been waiting here all day with my subordinates.”

Mary frowned slightly. An inviolable and mighty aura instantly permeated the place.

Arms’ expression froze, and Iritina immediately stepped forward, holding his arm and pulling him down into a bow.

The ten human-shaped green dragons behind them also hastily paid their respects.

“Arms, I am so happy to see you here. Walk with me!” Mary faintly smiled as she walked past the thunder dragon.

Arms scratched his head in frustration before asking Iritina in a soft voice, “Did I say something wrong again?”

Unamused, Iritina rolled her eyes and said in an annoyed voice, “Human adepts love face. You must express proper respect to Lady Mary!”

“Respect,” Arms’ face instantly turned dark as he said in an upset tone, “She might not necessarily be able to beat me. Why should I respect her? Hmph! If it wasn’t on account of Lord Greem, I—”

“Just shut up already. You don’t get to say a single word more today!” Iritina might only be Third Grade, but she was very intelligent. She knew the adept’s customs better than Arms, and this was the only way to get Arms to make fewer mistakes for the day.

Mary walked straight to a corner of the platform after walking past Arms.

A large group of undead spellcasters in black robes were gathered there around the infamous Lich Kanganas.

As a powerful lich who could be of equal standing with Greem, Kanganas’ appearance at Horton Magic Academy’s celebrations undoubtedly demonstrated the powerful network and allies they possessed.