Age of Adepts

The man was masculine and hearty and the girl was seductive and charming; a grand show of eroticism was about to occur.

But the two performers didn't throw themselves into the show enthusiastically, and the words quickly exchanged between them would make anyone who heard them speechless.

"Hey, that thing on your body is so hard! You've hurt me…"

"Hmph! If you dare to bite me, I'll blow you away from here!"

"Alright, alright! Don't be mad… anyhow, the smell of your blood is getting sweeter, I just can't help but wish to taste it!"

Mary was now kneeling and sitting intimately on top of Greem's body, while he was sitting half way up from the bed. Her juicy lips had just left his shoulder and she was touching her pair of tiny fangs and complaining about the pain. Meanwhile, a small Fire Shield that had suddenly burst out was hovering on top of Greem's shoulder; the fierce flames had just subsided.

One of Greem's hand was gently stroking Mary's back while the other hand was pressing against her lower abdomen. Both hands were now glowing faintly with red light. With a single thought, the explosion of Fire Elementium could blow Mary away from his body.

"Greem, the smell coming from your body is getting tastier! Couldn't you please let me taste just a little bit? Just one tiny little bite will do…" Mary brought her tongue to her lips. She couldn't bear it and kept trying to enchant the man.

But too bad, Greem had long become immune towards her tactics.

"Hmph. I'm sorry, I don't have the luck to enjoy it. You female vampires are simply too terrifying! I'm scared that if I really received an ecstatic kiss from you, by the time I stepped down from this bed, I would have dropped back to Advanced Apprentice from Pseudo-Adept! Do you know the situation right now? Don't be ridiculous!"

"I just can't stop myself!"

"Ugh… this vampire race's illness of biting someone when they get excited has really gained a deep root in you…"

"Alright, let's call a stop for now. Since we still have some time, I'll need to improve my strength as well!" After she finished saying that, a pair of large leather bat wings spread out from her back. Following a gentle swinging motion from the wings, she gracefully leapt into the air, flying backward and out from the narrow room.

She gave Greem a beautiful smile before turning around and leaving.

As Mary disappeared from his sight, Greem finally breathed out a brief sigh of relief.

He couldn't help it. The power of Mary's charm was getting stronger and she had better learned how to use her innate Natural Charm. Although Greem had confidence that she wouldn't hurt him, the habit of female vampires where they would simply bite someone when they were aroused really made Greem's hair stand on end.

Although both he and Mary were Pseudo-Adepts, once he allowed Mary to bite through the protective layer of Fire Shield, the sharp fangs would release a frightening hallucinogenic agent upon contact with his blood. It was a hallucinogenic agent that even he as a Pseudo-Adept did not have immunity for. That was the reason why the fellows with weak resistance factors in their body couldn't struggle, even as they were killed by Mary's bloodsucking ability.

Greem also didn't have confidence that he could survive the ecstatic kiss of a Pseudo-Adept level female vampire!

Even though they were having fun just now, the information Greem wished to tell her had been transmitted into her mind using Spiritual Whisper. Yes, Mary was a hot-tempered person, but when she was faced with a life-threatening situation, she still showed prudent behavior. If during normal times, she behaved like a hot-tempered and irritable person, it was because she believed she could solve everything with her sharp fangs and claws, and therefore, she was too lazy to employ any treacherous plot or scheme.

However, when her enemy was an official Adept, the profound knowledge and life experience she had accumulated during her apprenticeship would instinctively tell her what to do. This was also a must-have survival skill for every single Apprentice Adept!

When fist and fireball could solve everything, using force to break through the tough situation was the easiest approach! And when fist and fireball couldn't crack the nut, the smart brain of an Apprentice was something that no one could underestimate!

Greem stepped down from his bed and walked slowly to the living hall. He recited a short incantation and summoned a smooth mirror of water. He took a few slow turns in front of the mirror, giving his own body a serious look.

After he had gone through the washing in the underground lava ocean, his current body was completely different from the past. The tall and burly body was now clad in a simple long robe; by putting out slight force, bits of lean muscles would poke right out. He had dark red skin, long dark red hair, and there was even a ring of tiny dark red spots surrounding his black pupils.

Flowing under the tough muscle was a copious amount of bodily strength. With his current muscle strength, he could fight face to face with an Iron Rhinoceros. With his Physique and the toughness of his muscle, he could resist the piercing of some small sharp weapons. Taking the super high resistance and personal protection of his Flame Body into consideration, he could even take a walk naked in the Magical Swamp and only a handful of demons could hurt him.

And that was not because the level of demons in the Magical Swamp was not high!

Although he was only 17 years old, his two meter tall burly body and the glossy skin hardly anyone would believe that he was just a teenager who hadn't reached adulthood. Both the firm muscle and the dark red skin tone had given him an impressive touch of evilness and charm.

Just as Greem was admiring his near perfect body, a chuckle that spoiled the pleasure suddenly broke out from the side.

"Eh, I never know you had such a hobby? You're growing into a narcissist now!"

It was Mary!

Greem rolled his eyes. Only Mary could enter his residence freely and never knocked the door before she came! Also, she could move at high speeds and lightly; on many occasions, even the Chip could hardly detect her until she drew very close.

Embarrassed, Greem waved his hand and dispelled the water mirror. Then, with a shake of both arms, all of the magical equipment scattered over the floor flew back onto his body, armoring him rapidly.

"I thought you had gone for training? Why did you come back?" Greem asked grumpily.

As he had just gone through a few days of painful torture, he was planning to give himself a half day's break so that he could just relax and enjoy the happiness and joy brought by his skyrocketed overall strength.

"Hmph! Do you really think I like to watch how you pose yourself in front of a mirror? Your old friend is here; that's what I'm here to tell you about!"

"Old friend?"

"That Alice who was defeated twice by you. She is now standing right in front of the Swampy Tower main entrance and is demanding to see you in person!"

Greem drew in a cold breath instantly. He had just begun to feel the beauty of the life, but now he was struck with a headache.

…………

At the main entrance of the Swampy Tower.

Clad in a long princess dress, the petite doll-like Alice was standing right in front of the main entrance, expressionless. Even though she didn't express any emotions, there was an oppressive and low-pressure force field that kept emanating from her tiny body, pressing against the two Advanced Apprentices in front of her and making them furrow their brows.

A Beginner Apprentice, Tony, who used to be rather 'familiar' to Greem, lay in pain at her feet. Both his arms were twisted like dough. If he didn't go through a full healing, it would likely be extremely tough to recover.

Though it was Madwoman and Hawkeye Clutha who blocked Alice, they showed no intention to attack the little girl. It was because they actually sensed a Pseudo-Adept level spiritual ripple come from the 'petite and cute' Alice.

This was the only kind of spiritual ripple that made them hate with gnashing teeth!

Because… because in just the short period of half a year, they had repeatedly sensed it at least three or four times!

Damn it, since when did the Pseudo-Adept stage became so easy to achieve? How were there so many new Pseudo-Adepts appearing in front of them!

To be honest, Madwoman and Hawkeye had no opinion with regards to any outsiders who became Pseudo-Adepts. However, when, one after another, 'familiar' people around them suddenly became Pseudo-Adepts, yet it had been so long for them and they had hardly obtained any critical breakthroughs; this was the main reason why they hated and were jealous to their bones!

Just as they joined forces and barely held up the brutal and violent spiritual pressure coming from Alice, they heard footsteps coming from inside the tower behind them. It was Greem and Mary who walked out side by side.

Alice suddenly retracted her spiritual pressure. Then she threw her cold glance onto Greem's face like a razor-sharp blade. Madwoman and Hawkeye, who were struggling miserably from the pressure, instantly felt the burden lift. Without hesitation, they quickly moved backwards and gave way to Greem. Though their hearts were filled with hate, when the two Pseudo-Adepts, Greem and Mary, made their appearance, they couldn't help but breathe out a sigh of relief.

The spiritual ripples of Alice and Greem collided in midair. Then they retracted it at the same time.

She had become a Pseudo-Adept!

He had also advanced into the realm of Pseudo-Adepts!

An astonishment of unknown sentiment surged up in both hearts at the same time.

Compared to the past, both of them had significant changed, from their outward appearance to their temperament. However, there was no way they could fake their spiritual ripple. Therefore, just through brief contact, they immediately realized the transformation of their opponent. Of course, what had changed and what remained the same was still obvious, as always, which made both of them gnash their teeth in hatred!

"Are you here to have another fight with me or are you here to fulfill your pledge?" Greem crossed his arms on his chest, touching his clean chin with one hand. Following the improvement of his overall strength, his self-confidence had taken a leap; together with that, his personal charisma had increased significantly as well.

"I'm here to, of course, I'm here to… to…" Initially, Alice, who had come with an imposing manner, had intended to flaunt her prowess. However, when faced with Greem, who was not any weaker than her, for some unknown reason, she actually lost some of her confidence. "Last time was just an accident, this… if you can defeat me this time, I'll be sincerely convinced!"

"Are you sure this is the last time? And there won't be a fourth time, or fifth time…" Greem tilted his body forward slightly, so he sent forth a stronger sense of pressure.

"Bullsh… Nonsense! You only defeated me once… the first time I was defeated because of the sneak attack that came from that rascal female vampire. That didn't count…" Though she realized her oppressive air was weakening, Alice still clenched her fists tightly, wanting to fight for her honor. "Also… also if I defeat you this time, I'll not kill you… I'll spare you once too, and give you a chance to seek your revenge…"

After she finished saying that, she once again held her head high and snorted coldly at Greem.

"It seems like you lost to me in the previous fight. Why should I use my own possessions to bet with again?" Greem let out an evil laugh, with a weird expression of flirting a little loli.

"Hmph! I knew you would say this!" Alice said, like she was disdainful and refuting Greem. She reached her hand into the air and pulled out a magical scroll that emanated with a startling magical ripple. "Not long ago, you visited the territory of the Zuber Family and wreaked havoc, nearly destroying their resource site. If not for Granny Endor helping you stop this crisis, do you think you could have escaped from the revenge of the Zuber Family? Their Second Grade Adept almost come here to strangle you! Do you really think they are just a bunch of idiots and cannot figure out the trouble you caused underground?"

The expression on Greem's face became rigid.

True enough, he had been rather thoughtless in what he did, as he had only concentrated on how to strengthen his overall strength. He had neglected the possible reaction of the Molten Giants. He had gone too far by destroying their ancestor's graveyard!

"So, what do you want?" Greem now spoke in a milder tone.

"So long as you accept my challenge and fight another round with me, we, the Northern Witches, will assume part of your responsibility in causing that trouble. Now, sign this magical scroll. With that, it will make sure we fulfill our pledge!"

"Is this all you want? Since you're so eager to defeat me and get rid of the pledge you made before, don't tell me you are from the clan of Destiny Witches?" With the aid from the Chip, Greem knew nearly all of the experts from the different powerful clans throughout the entire Adept Continent. That was why he could sense something from Alice's eager attitude.

"That is none of your business! My only question for you is whether you want to sign it or not. Sign the contract and we'll have a new bet. If you win, I'll still be your slave, and we'll bear the responsibility. If you lose, we'll still help you, but all previous pledges between us will be voided. I'll not kill you, but grant you the opportunity to seek your revenge. So, are you going to sign it or not?"

"I'll sign it! Of course I will! You're going to suffer from this!" Greem burst into laughter.

As his words left his mouth and rippled through the space, the magical scroll suddenly broke out into fierce flames.