Age of Adepts

As unconventional individuals amongst adepts, the power of Second Grade vampires was almost entirely invested into Agility. However, to avoid massive flaws appearing in the overall coordination of their bodies, they still had to work hard on their Strength, Physique, and Spirit.

If her Strength were too low, Mary’s attacks against her enemies would be too weak.

If her Physique were too frail, her speed would only make it easier for her to hurt herself.

If her Spirit were insufficient, she would have trouble controlling the finer and more detailed movements of her body.

All these factors combined made it such that Mary had to raise her other bodily attributes to a certain standard, even though her Agility was her absolute trump card. That was the only way for her to unleash the fullest potential of her extreme Agility.

In contrast to Mary, the Second Grade alchemist adept stood on the extreme opposite of the spectrum.

Alchemist adepts were still classified as elementium adepts. Naturally, this meant that their primary focus was Spirit. As they didn’t need to engage in melee combat like body-refining adepts, they rarely ever spent time improving their Strength or Physique.

Meanwhile, Agility was their shameful weakness!

However, all these weaknesses could not be said to be flaws for alchemist adepts.

If they were too weak, they could simply drink an Elixir of Giants.

If their Physique was too bad, they could drink an Elixir of Dragons.

If their Agility was too low, they could use a Potion of Haste.

In fact, even if they lacked Spirit, they could choose to drink a Potion of Ancient Knowledge.

Either way, they would be able to drink away any flaws that they might possess!

It was such an extreme thought process that drove alchemist adepts away from the habit of seriously training their own body. If they were to take off their magic robes, put aside their magical equipment, and remove all of their magical enhancements, their Physique would not be much higher than the average human.

Moreover, they also didn’t seem to be all that passionate and active when it came to training their Spirit, which was supposed to be the one attribute they relied on.

As Second Grade adepts, most elementium adepts would choose to spend much of their time on raising their Spirit. For example, Greem, despite only twenty years since his advancement, had managed to raise his Spirit from twenty-one points to twenty-six points.

Alchemist adepts, on the other hand, spent most of their time in their laboratories on the collection, organization, and brewing of alchemical potions!

That also caused Roy to only possess twenty-four points of Spirit despite having advanced seventy-nine years ago.

This number might have been passable amongst ordinary Second Grade adepts, but it was utterly inadequate in the face of Bloody Mary, whose Agility was as high as twenty-six points.

At the very least, Roy was at a certain disadvantage on the battlefield!

After all, alchemist adepts were naturally not skilled in combat!

The battle erupted the very instant Mary charged onto the battlefield.

Roy had undoubtedly done very well as the defending.

In just half a second, he had taken out various colorful potions from his pouches and activated them.

The first vial thrown into the battle suddenly exploded, and a thick gray mist was released. A powerful aura appeared and the grey mist quickly gathered into a humanoid creature that was five meters tall.

From a distance, this powerful lifeform had a body, arms, head, and even some vague facial features. However, everything below its waist was still a swirl of mist and fog.

This Second Grade cloud giant roared loudly upon being summoned. It then rushed at the approaching Mary.

Roy still didn’t feel safe, despite the cloud giant stalling Mary and him being protected by multiple alchemists and magical creatures. More and more vials exploded in his hands.

Some of these potions exploded into brilliant magical lights and applied magical halos on Roy and the lifeforms around him. Some summoned odd wind spirits that giggled as they turned invisible and vanished in the air. Some solidified into an oddly-colored magical armor that clung onto his body. Some summoned a massive, twenty-meter long, one-meter thick black mamba on the spot that cautiously watched Roy’s surroundings for danger.

That was only Adept Roy’s battle preparation. There were thirteen more First Grade adepts around him. When they acted together, the explosion of mysterious lights and magical enhancements, along with the summoning of their servants, was bright enough to blind an ordinary mortal.

A moment ago, these alchemist adepts had been alone in the room. The very next, they were surrounded by a massive crowd!

Just as they alchemist adepts completed their combat preparations, the cloud giant they had put out as a sacrifice vanished amidst its cries and roaring.

Summoned creatures were summoned creatures after all. Even though it was of the same grade as Mary, there was still a massive difference in strength. Mary managed to pierce the consciousness brand within its body after thirty seconds, causing it to fade into oblivion.

Mary had now returned to her Bloody Sorceress form: the skintight crimson armor, crimson wings, sharp claws, protruding fangs, and her blazing red eyes.

Mary beat her bat wings and slowly approached the alchemist adepts. Her intimidating aura resembled that of an empress descending upon her subjects. The fearsome smell of blood filled every corner of the stone hall.

The many alchemist adepts couldn’t help but turn white as a sheet, even while hiding within the horde of magical creatures and protected by layers of magical defenses.

"Adept Mary, stop dreaming of fending off our invasion!" Adept Roy, who thought himself safe, couldn’t help but say, "The number of adepts in our alliance is beyond your imagination. Surrender quickly, and we can give you a chance to join us. Or else..."

Adept Roy’s passionate gaze swept across Mary’s seductive body. A blazing flame of desire rose up in his heart.

"What? Interested in me? Then come out and let me take a look at you!" Mary chuckled as a beautiful and sweet smile appeared on her face. Only those who knew her well could sense the anger bubbling in her cold eyes.

“Fend off your invasion? Hahaha, why does it look like I’m the one attacking you guys now, then?"

"Damned girl, don’t you talk back. Once we’ve broken into your tower, you will grovel before me and beg for mercy." Roy cursed angrily, utterly ignorant that Mary’s crimson eyes were glowing ever brighter as he talked. They were almost as bright as stars at night now.

"Hmph! Do you think you guys are the only ones with numbers? Numbers are useless before true power. Only power and power alone is fundamental for establishing ourselves. Come out, my servants."

Mary opened her wings to their limits and shouted with the tone and command of the Bloody Queen.

As her high-pitched voice reached its limits, a horrifying energy aura abruptly erupted from the shadows on the ceiling. Four powerful bloodkin appeared simultaneously and dove at the backs of the alchemist adepts.

Four more Second Grades?

Though the energy aura in their bodies was one or two levels weaker than a Second Grade adept, that overflowing soul aura was indeed that of Second Grades.

The enemy had sent five Second Grades to deal with the Magic Forest Hut. One of them was even the famous Bloody Queen. This...this was way too over the top!

The thought of running arose in Adept Roy’s heart before the fight had even started.

However, nearly eighty percent of the adepts of the Magic Forest Hut were here. If he, the leader of the organization, were to run now, the remaining adepts would be subjected to the slaughter of the enemy. It would be far too big of a blow to the Magic Forest hut!

Thus, Roy expelled the idea from his heart the moment it appeared.

Defend. Wait for our allies to send reinforcements.

After making up his mind, Roy no longer dared to hold back. He threw out another two vials glowing with brilliant magical light. In a single move, Roy summoned a blood giant and a lightning elemental, both of them Second Grade creatures. It was only now that he felt a bit calmer and composed.

"Charge! End it fast!"

Mary laughed coldly as her silhouette turned into a crimson bolt of lightning. She leaped headfirst into the alchemists’ range of attack. The two blood knights and blood elves followed in order, launching their ferocious charge as well.

The next second, blinding light erupted in the hall, and a dozen magical lights of various colors gathered together and turned into an overwhelming magical tide that engulfed the bodies of the vampires.

The alchemist adepts were considered elementium adepts still. Though they experimented with potions a lot more, they did not wholly abandon their fundamental spells and magic. The thirteen First Grade adepts cast thirteen First Grade spells, while Roy’s Second Grade Starfire Poison Cloud engulfed all five of the vampires in a light yellow cloud.

The next second, the spells exploded and rang out. The magical creatures roared as elementium explosions appeared everywhere. Flesh and blood splattered across the ground, and the sounds of elementium shields shattering mixed into the chaos, turning into a deafening sound wave that further complicated the scene.

However, during this chaos, Mary and her four subordinates had successfully broken free of the range of attacks.

Though their bodies and armor had been ravaged by the tide of magic, Mary and her two blood knights had each managed to catch a First Grade alchemist adept.

These captured adepts hung limply from their arms; it seemed their limbs had been disjointed. However, they were still entirely conscious and yelling for help.

Sadly, before the other alchemists could even respond, Mary and her two blood knights sank their fangs into the necks of their prey and started sucking.

The wounds on their bodies healed and recovered at a visible rate as they were shrouded by blood energy. Soon, not a scratch was left.

The faces of the alchemist adepts, Roy included, immediately turned green!