Age of Adepts

The Sage appeared very calm when he saw Greem.

In the outside world, a Second Grade creature would surely shiver in fright when they saw a Fourth Grade adept. However, here in the Spirit World, the panther appeared utterly calm and even slightly relaxed.

“Welcome to the Spirit World, great spellcasters from the World of Adepts.” The Sage crouched within a hut just large enough to fit himself. He looked calmly at Greem and his party, and not at all surprised because of their identity. “I am Anthony. What can I help you with?”

Emelia shot a glance at Greem before stepping forward and saying, “Wise Sage, we intend to travel to the Spore Forest, and we were hoping you could point us in the right direction!”

“The Spore Forest?” A human expression appeared on Anthony’s feline face. He lifted his snout and sniffed Emelia’s body a few times. “You are the Spore Princess that ran away to a different plane. It seems like you intend to start a slaughter in the Spore Forest now that you are back in the Spirit World.”

“There’s no need to ask about our intentions. We just wish to complete this transaction without any trouble!” Emelia’s expression seemed a little dark now that her secret had been dug up of the ground.

“You guys didn’t come at the best time!” Anthony ignored Emelia’s words and said, “The Sporepeople have recently formed an alliance with the Fungi Giants and the Swamp Lords. They took over nearly eighty percent of the territory in the Marsh Wetlands, chasing out the lizard people, the bullfolk, and the hydralings. The two forces are still fighting there. You guys will probably get caught up in a war if you head there now.”

“We came here for war to begin with!” Emelia replied with resolution.

“That does sound like good news! Alright, since the Marsh Wetlands used to be your home, why don’t you tell me what we should do next?”

“We should go to the Cave of Shadows and look for Moat! He is a famous Sage in these marshes. We can only slaughter without being rejected by the Spirit World if we obtain his support. Otherwise, killing any swamp creature will draw the hatred of all the natives. It will make our journey much more difficult then!”

“What Grade is this Moat person?”

“Fourth Grade!”

Greem immediately drew in a breath of cold air.

The Marsh Wetlands was only one of twelve regions in the Spirit World, yet the number of Fourth Grade creatures in this region alone approached a dozen. In pure numbers of powerhouses, the Spirit World was no weaker than the World of Adepts. They were a planar world with their own unique civilizations.

Even as tough as he was, Greem didn’t dare wreak havoc in the Marsh Wetlands. A small misstep, and he could be the enemy of every being here.

After some discussion, the three of them put on some simple disguises.

To avoid being recognized by the enemy and alerting them of her presence, Emelia threw on a thick black cloak, put on the hood, and hid her aura with the Assassin’s Ring. Greem remained dressed like an adept and placed Remi on his shoulder.

The three of them stepped into the Marsh Wetlands, one after another.

Upon stepping into the marshes, Greem couldn’t help but be impressed. The Marsh Wetlands was indeed the most beautiful and fantastical of all the marshes he had ever seen.

The entire place was filled with vast lakes and interconnected rivers. The ground was covered in a thick moss and grass layer, upon which a shocking number of mushrooms and fungi grew. The air was filled with a unique, fragrant, and damp aura, along with plenty of spores.

These spores were almost the size of a finger, each with their strange caps and tiny tail wings.

They floated about in the air, glowing with a faint light, illuminating the Wetlands, and turning it into a dream-like paradise.

For some reason, these tiny spores seemed to be afraid of Remi. They would drift away when they approached within ten meters of the adepts.

As the party of three walked through the Wetlands, they could see massive fungus creatures everywhere, floral creatures that could walk upright like humans with their roots, and water elementium that wandered the rivers aimlessly.

They might be intelligent, but it was obvious that their thoughts weren’t too complex, and they hardly schemed at all.

Instincts drove every one of their actions. They ate when they were hungry, slept when they were tired, and drank when they were thirsty. Most of the time, they roamed the land freely, like patrols of this magnificent land. They were free, unbound, and without purpose.

Even when they ran into the adepts, they only looked at them curiously for a brief moment before leaving!