Age of Adepts

On the seventh day of the war between the Dener Clan and the Crimson Clan, the fervor finally peaked.

Scarface Gallow of the Dener Clan, peak Third Grade adept, had been surrounded by the Crimson Clan outside the Swamp of Tragedies and escaped with grievous wounds. It was rumored that his injuries had affected his foundations as an adept. He would no longer have any hope of advancing to Fourth Grade in his life now!

Shapeshifter Spalla of the Crimson Clan, advanced Third Grade adept, had slipped into Black Rose Manor in an attempt to rescue Crimson Grand Duke Antoniel, only to be trapped in Marily Mona’s Labyrinth of Illusions; she died in battle.

The retirement of the two Third Grades from the conflict indicated that the war was slowly moving beyond everyone’s control.

The fires of hatred and grudges that had accumulated between the two rival clans could now only be extinguished by blood a hundredfold. The fires of war would not cease until then!

The crippling of Gallow and Spalla’s death were like two massive bombs that instantly blew up the battlefield. It shattered all sense of silent, mutual agreement between the two clans to contain the conflict. The leaders’ efforts to prevent the war from turning into an all-out slaughter had gone to waste.

The intensity and severity of the war instantly escalated beyond the grasp of both clans. Neither side held back anymore; they couldn’t hold back, even if they wanted to.

The war went from skirmishes between low-grade adepts to intense fighting between high-grade adepts. Blood from both clans flowed like a river, and the flames of war burned without an end in sight. All sorts of taboo magic and devastating strategies that scarred the land started to appear on the battlefield.

In all honesty, despite the commotion the vampires made, they had all been eagerly waiting for this promise from her mouth.

The moment Mary gave her word, the entire mansion bustled with commotion.

Beng. Beng. Beng!

Red mist erupted all over the building as bats fluttered out into the night.

All the vampires swarmed out of the hall, circling once over Coldmountain City before flying southwest in a massive crimson cloud.

They summoned their forces and allies along the way, calling more intermediate and low-grade vampires to their cause, as well as gathering all their blood servants.

The red cloud traveled quickly, swelling in size as it went. By the time it flew out of Coldmountain City, it had turned into a thunderous army of countless vampire bats. They flew into the distance without any hesitation.

No one knew when it had happened, but the vampires in the Crimson Clan had grown in such great numbers that they were now a truly horrifying army!

Twenty-five kilometers away from Coldmountain City was where the Dener Clan had set up camp.

Several Third Grade Dener Clan adepts were gathered in the strategist’s tent discussing their current situation. However, before they could conclude their discussion, a few clan adepts burst into the tent with pale faces.

“My lords…my lords, trouble! Outside, out there…the enemy has arrived.”

The Third Grade adepts froze upon hearing this and quickly emerged from the tent.

As expected, after casting Eagle Eye and other sight-enhancement spells, they could see the furious crimson cloud charging out of Coldmountain City. Even the advanced Third Grade adept couldn’t help but feel his head spin at the sight of that.

Vampires…all vampires!

Judging by the scale of that cloud, all of the Crimson Clan’s vampires have mobilized! Still, the real question was: Was Fourth Grade Mary among their ranks?

At the thought of possibly running into a Fourth Grade vampire adept, the Third Grade adepts of the Dener Clan couldn’t help but gulp nervously. They could feel how dry their mouths were.

“Prepare for battle…prepare for battle,” The adept in the lead was a male adept in a dark green robe. He had tan skin, a sharp face, and a wolf-head helmet on his head. He was a muscular man as well, and upon seeing the vampires, he pulled out a shortsword from his belt and shouted, “All adepts, immediately cease your resting. Come out and prepare for war! Everyone, return to your forces. We must stand firm against this wave of attack.

“If…and I’m only saying if…Mary appears among the enemies, you are permitted to retreat ahead of time. Remember, if our forces are routed, the next gathering point is—”

Unfortunately, the vampire army had mobilized too quickly. They had far too little time to prepare.

Just as the Third Grade adepts prepared to return to their own armies and await the battle, the cloud turned slightly, passing by their encampment and heading somewhere southwest.

All the Dener adepts were already gripping their staffs and wands in hand, so tight they could almost crush the magic tools between their fingers. No one expected the vampire army only to be passing by.

They watched dumbfoundedly as the vampire army cut through the sky and disappeared over the horizon. They had no idea how to respond.

Should they pursue, wait, or disperse and go back to rest?

The Dener Clan adepts had no idea what to do!