Age of Adepts

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After a long time spent on repairs, the badly ravaged Fire Throne finally had regained its luster.

A small portal slowly opened on the fire altar in a magical room on the fifth floor, and two fire creatures of different shapes appeared.

Due to the existence of the tower's defensive system, several coils of energy chains extended from the walls the moment the creatures appeared. They wrapped around the fire creature on the left and lashed at the one on the right.

"Back off!"

As the shout rang out throughout the room, the defensive systems shut down, and the energy chains that had extended to the flaming tiger vanished without a trace.

The blazing shroud of fire dispersed, revealing Greem's young, handsome face beneath. The red elementium flames quickly turned into a red adept's robe and fell upon his broad and muscular body.

"Lord Cindral, welcome to my tower. Do you intend to leave at once, or do you wish to find a place to rest first?"

Greem was once again in his tower. He could sense the diverse energy spectrum and magical runes about him. That indescribable sense of power caused him to no longer fear the threat of the Third Grade flaming tiger.

One couldn't think too much of Cindral's might just because of his display of power in the Fire Elementium Plane. Here in the World of Adepts, suppressed by the world consciousness, he would not be able to square off against the owner of an adept's tower. Also, both of them had signed a friendly contract that forbade mutual aggression and violence.

However, the methods of adepts were strange and unpredictable. Cindral couldn't be sure that Greem didn't have any unique means by which to work around the contract and set out a deadly trap for himself. As such, the tiger shook his head when he heard Greem's question and said, "I still have some matters to attend to. You just need to use your authority over the tower to send me into the lava sea."

"If that is the case, then I won't ask Lord Cindral to stay any longer. Please…"

Not much longer after the first portal on the fire altar had closed, a new portal slowly opened under Greem's control. One could vaguely sense the overwhelming fire energy on the other side of the door of light, and the rumbling sound of surging lava echoed throughout the room.

Cindral sensed with his Spirit and confirmed that it was an open sea of lava on the other end. He chose not to dally any longer and immediately leaped into the lava, disappearing without a trace.

Once the portal had closed, Greem considered for a moment and shut his eyes to sense everything within the tower.

It seemed the tower had received severe damage sometime earlier. Several of the lower floors were detached from the control of the defensive system, and plenty of energy dead spots had appeared on the defense network of the tower walls. That meant the energy nodes within the tower walls had been damaged. They couldn't be restored to their previously integrated state without extensive overhauls and repairs.

Greem's spiritual appendages were like tentacles and freely extended throughout the tower's structure and along the energy network. He silently assessed the damage left behind after the last battle.

Apart from the damage to the tower itself, Greem also sensed the minds of several dozen adepts within the tower. The soul aura of these adepts was unfamiliar and foreign, but without exception, all of their soul brands had been left in the central control crystal of the tower.

Naturally, as the owner of the tower, Greem possessed the highest authority!

He quickly read through the records of everything that had happened in the tower, including the brutal battles that had ensued around Fire Throne. Soon, he figured out the origins of these foreign adepts.

To think they were adept prisoners that had chosen to serve the Crimson Clan to work off their crimes!

Greem also found several magical messages from Lance and the Goblin Plane in the control crystal. In particular, the number of magical messages from Lance reached the hundreds. It seemed Gazlowe was in a hurry to talk with him.

Greem hesitated for a moment before contacting Gazlowe in Lance through the crystal.

Who knew that the moment the connection went through, another familiar soul flux butted in.

"Greem. Greem, you finally came back! Hurry up and help me! As long as you can help me get Iritina back, I'll be willing to establish a companionship contract with you."

It was Thunder Dragon Arms!

The so-called companionship contract was just a more elegant name for a dragon enslavement contract.

Once a dragon signed a contract like this with another individual, it would no longer be able to reject requests for aid in battle. Still, as a companion, the other party couldn't force it to fight excessively powerful enemies. In most material planes, the intelligent races could only become the proud dragon knights by establishing companionship contracts with dragons!

The fact that a Third Grade thunder dragon was willing to surrender part of his freedom meant that the situation was fairly severe.

As such, Greem didn't agree to Arms' request on impulse and instead started to draw out all the details from Arms' mouth.

As expected, the reason Arms was willing to become Greem's contracted dragon was to have Greem help him deal with a powerful Fourth Grade dragon- Wing of the Azure Sky, Krille.

Arms had indeed led an idyllic-like life after tricking the emerald and green dragons to follow him back to Lance. Unfortunately, the prideful Iritina was not a dragon that could be restrained to a tiny Third Grade dragon's territory.

She led the green dragons on conquests everywhere, taking over the territories of three Second Grade dragon-lords in a row. However, one of those dragons was a direct subordinate to Fourth Grade Krille.

Just as expected, the reckless behavior of Iritina and the other dragons drew the powerful Fourth Grade dragon upon them.

However, what no dragon had expected was for Wings of the Azure Sky Krille to be attracted to Iritina's shocking beauty the moment he met her. After a bit of fighting around and getting to know each other, Krille successfully captured Iritina's heart, and the two dragons got together to move into the same place.

Once Arms realized the situation, he hurried over, only to be beaten up by Krille.

Naturally, he was not the opponent of a Fourth Grade dragon with his power. He could only swallow this humiliating and bitter pill. In the end, he made his decision and came here searching for help from Greem.

In all honesty, if it weren't for this lack of options and his inability to find another helper to deal with a Fourth Grade dragon, he would never have extended the offer to an adept.

Forming a companionship contract with an adept meant that it was very likely that he would lose his most precious freedom!

Third Grade Arms had still been wondering if this decision of his was worth it. However, now that he sensed Greem's hesitation in his mental flux while listening to the request, Arms couldn't help but feel anxious once again, concerned that the adept would reject the offer.

After all, agreeing to his offer meant engaging in direct conflict with a Fourth Grade dragon!

Even Fourth Grade adepts would have to think over such a matter repeatedly before making a decision.

Just as Greem was silent and frowning in thought, a hidden mental message rang out in his mind.

"Agree to his offer! I can help you think of something to deal with the Fourth Grade dragon!"

It was Alice's voice.

Greem instantly calmed down with Alice's assurance. He pretended to hesitate for a bit longer and then feigned reluctance as he agreed.

Arms couldn't help but let out a long roar when he heard this mysterious adept agree to his request.

"That is it then. If you help me beat that Krille and take back Iritina, I will immediately sign a companionship contract with you."

Greem let out a cold snort, "I will do my best when it comes to defeating Krille, but I can't make any promises when it comes to taking back Iritina."

"That will work too. I swear in the name of the Dragon God, if you chase away Krille from Iritina's side, I will immediately sign a companionship contract with you without hesitation!" The furious Arms cut his finger immediately and swore with immense binding power using an origin contract.

"Then wait for my news! I will arrange for this matter as fast as I can."

After consoling Arms, Greem cut off the connection with Lance and silently contacted Alice, far away in the Tower of Fate.

Alice appeared to have been waiting for him for some time. Their mental fluctuations almost instantly connected with Fire Throne as the medium.

"Alice, do you actually have the confidence to deal with a Fourth Grade dragon?" Greem couldn't help but ask doubtfully.

The Crimson Clan did not have the ability to deal with a Fourth Grade dragon, even if they were to exhaust all of their forces. In fact, a slight mistake could expose the existence of the metal fortress and cause Gazlowe to be expelled from Lance.

When that happened, the Crimson Clan would lose their sturdy metal outpost and their plan to benefit from Lance would be gone. The losses to the Crimson Clan would be immeasurable!

That was why Greem was so concerned about Alice's plan.

"Don't worry. I already have a plan to deal with this matter!" Alice consoled with a gentle tone, "Dealing with the Fourth Grade dragon won't use any of the clan's forces."

"You mean?"

"Mm. The Fourth Grade hags of the Northern Witches still owe me a favor. It's time for them to pay it back now!"

Fourth Grade witches?

Since Alice had said so, it meant that the Crimson Clan would have to open up the abundant dragon resources of Lance to the Northern Witches as well. It was a bit of a pity, but Greem believed that this was inevitable when he thought of those powerful Fourth Grade dragons in Lance.

After all, there was no way that the Crimson Clan could swallow the entirety of Lance without first removing these Fourth Grade dragons.

But now, it seemed there was a chance!