Age of Adepts

Grim had only spent 2 hours in the lava sea before returning to the underground passage.

And it could be seen that the two hours of exploration hadn't depleted too much of his strength.

For this, the accompanying Fraina showed heartfelt admiration.

With her 2nd rank intermediate strength, she could barely sustain a quarter of an hour in the Lava Sea. And although those rank 3 witches in Lava Fire City held on a bit longer, they were just barely surviving. Once they encountered that 3rd-rank Flame Tiger, their own strength wouldn't be able to exert eleven in that special environment of the Lava Sea.

Low-tier anti* agent to cope with the general flame environment is fine, but to face the fluid lava like an abyss like a sea, the face of the ferocious and cunning 3rd-order flame tiger, it is not enough to use.

If not, the powerful Melting Fire City would not have exposed itself to the outside world for help.

Therefore, seeing the Grim Wizard invited to the Lava Sea as a fish and coping with it, Furina was also sincerely happy from the bottom of her heart.

"I already have a basic understanding of the environment here... let's go back!" Grim's relaxed look brought smiles to the faces of even a few of the Molten Fire City witches.

The two resident wizards hurriedly waved their special wands to seal the entrance and exit again.

When Grim was about to leave with Fraina accompanying him, he glanced back at the stone door that was slowly closing, and a meaningful smile hinted at the corner of his mouth.

.................

The depths of the lava sea.

The tumbling and vibrating lava fluid was as viscous as jelly, and it was extremely difficult for ordinary witches to navigate through it even if they reached the level of fire immunity.

Therefore, true flame creatures had their own unique set of movement methods!

After Grim left, the lava sea was once again calm, continuing to flow forward according to its long-established rhythm. Although the speed was not as fast and ferocious as the surface rivers, it still seemed unstoppable.

However, in the midst of the surging magma fluid, a strange red gemstone was also rolling and floating with the current.

When time reached a certain set 'singularity', the surface of the gem covered with strange and intricate patterns suddenly lit up with a little red mane. This bit of red mane was so inconspicuous in the sea of dark red burning lava, but it swiftly stained the entire gem.

The elemental gems frantically absorbed the surrounding fire element that was so dense that it was almost materialized, and then quickly sketched out a nearly 2-meter flame human shape. As a large amount of fire elements filled the interior of the flame figure, a new 'Grim' was born in the depths of the lava sea!

This was a new type of flame sorcery that used the Demonic Puppet's crystal core as its base, mixed with some of the sustenance and projection techniques, and incidentally copied some of the chip's basic functions - the Flame Splitter.

With the help of the surging and exciting elemental vibrations of the lava sea, the flame billet avoided the rune sorcery array attached near the underground tunnels, and swiftly swam and flickered as soon as it was condensed and formed, moving incessantly towards the depths of the lava sea.

Due to the immaturity of the technology, this flame billet only had the strength of a 2nd stage beginner, it might not be suitable to be used as a hitman, but it was more than enough to be an eyesore and 'messenger'.

As a pure flame creature, the flame billet was only 2nd stage, yet it moved around in the lava sea as usual and coped well. And as it cruised deeper into the lava sea, it transmitted a voice in all directions with the unique elemental language of a flame creature.

Sindar...Sindar...Sindar....

This voice wasn't loud or surging, but it could be transmitted far and wide with the help of the omnipresent fire element here....

Until this strange sound was captured by a certain strange being.

It was a lava boulder that was the size of a small mountain.

The loose and fragile soil and rocks on the surface had been eroded away by the lava sea, and what remained were huge metal ores that could not even handle the high heat of the lava sea. From afar, the top of the lava boulder was pitted with honeycomb holes everywhere, while its surface was densely covered with glittering exotic metals.

It was the existence of these strange metals that prevented the further erosion of the lava sea, and allowed the lava boulder to persist in this terrifying environment.

However, at this moment, a 3-meter-long strange flame tiger wrapped in violent flames was lying down in a small lair in the center of the lava boulder, sleeping soundly with its eyes closed comfortably. On its side, this small cave was filled with metal ores of various sizes and shapes, as well as a large number of magic gems.

Through the Flame Tiger's translucent body, one could faintly see a purple-red metal ore hoarded on its abdomen, being wrapped in a crimson flame. With every layer of molten metal, the Flame Tiger would instantly absorb them into its body and integrate them into its own body.

If Grim was here, he would have been surprised to discover that as that violet gold mineral liquid slowly merged into the Flame Tiger's body, it's breath of power was gradually growing stronger.

Only that this breath grew extremely slowly, and without the nano-scale scanning and perception ability of the chip in Grim's brain, it would have been impossible to detect it.

This growth of power was slow, but it was real.

If this Flame Tiger could be given enough time and enough Violet Gold Ore, I'm afraid that it really might be able to push its strength up to the peak of the 3rd stage with this method.

This... was already astonishing!

In the past 2 years, ever since the discovery of the metal ore in that piece of metal ore there is a constant gold ore that they need, flame tiger Sindar is entrenched in this place attachment to not go, from time to time to go to the human stronghold to loot some of the things that they need.

Unfortunately, the constant gold ore is also the other side of the more urgent things, a few times down, miscellaneous metal ores although looted a lot, but the constant gold ore Sindar urgently need is very little.

As a last resort, Sindar could only open a hidden lair near the human stronghold and play guerrilla warfare with those human sorcerers.

However, today, as Sindar was slowly and comfortably absorbing the Constant Gold Liquid, an inexplicable elemental ripple swept through his elemental condensed body.

Sindar.......Sindar....

Sindar bolted upright, a look of incredulity appearing on the flame-filled tiger's face.

What... why did it seem like someone was calling his name outside?

Is it some kind of trick played by those human witches?

But how did your name get out? Couldn't the harsh environment of the Lava Sea hinder the prophecies of human shamans?

Despite his astonishment, Sindar had no intention of stopping here.

With a flurry of flames, Flame Tiger Sindar had silently dived out of the lair, detouring to touch in the direction of the strange elemental ripples coming from the lair.

This feeling... why was it a little déjà vu?

....................

Within the sea of lava.

Grim's flame billet was moving swiftly through the sea of lava while vibrating the magma fluid without stopping, and rimmed the message it wanted to convey, allowing it to spread slowly through the sea of lava in the promise.

An hour had already passed, but still nothing was found.

Hmm? Did the flaming tiger hide further away?

The flame billet frowned slightly, and with a turn of its body, it intended to continue 'broadcasting' in a different place.

However, as soon as the flame billet turned back, it was shocked to discover that a tall Flame Tiger made up purely of tumbling flames was standing majestically behind it, surveying it curiously with a pair of strange pupils made up of golden flames.

The proximity between the two sides was so close that it could literally be heard.

The sulfurous flames emanating from within the other party's massive snout could almost ignite the epidermis of the flame splitter.

"Do we know each other?" Flame Tiger Sindar inquired curiously.

It was really really curious.

The flame humanoid in front of it vaguely had some familiar sensations, but the other party's means of shaping solids were very clever, so if it didn't smash the flame humanoid's body, it would be difficult to detect the spirit fluctuations that the other party was concealing.

It seemed that he only knew one wizard in the Wizard World... But that guy was only a 2nd stage, it was impossible for him to condense a split body and come so far away to find himself!

In the Flame Tiger Sindar's doubtful stall, a sudden shake at the blurred face of the flame billet condensed into Grim's appearance.

"Sindar, we've only been apart for a few days, and you don't know me?"

"It really is you!" Sindar was first startled, bringing his nose up to the side of the flame billet and inhaling furiously, and then said in horror, "You... you've advanced?"

"It's also thanks to you Sindar that I've gained a lot in the fire elemental plane. It was only a few years ago that I just advanced to the 3rd level!"

"You won your harvest by your own skill, no need to pull it on me..." the pupils of Sindar's golden eyes sharpened, "You were invited by the sorcerer in that stronghold to come this time?"

"Good!"

"So what are you going to do? Help them against me?" At this point, Flame Tiger Sindar put on a fierce appearance.

"If I was bent on dealing with you, do you think I would have sent this billet here?" The flame-condensed Grim's face now had a no-good look to it.

Although this Flame Tiger was intelligent and cunning, its personality was still the same as any other elemental creature, and it was not as fancy as a human wizard.

"Then what are you here for this time?" Sindar was also not a bit confused.

"Before we negotiate, I think it would be better for us to find out what we need from each other... I wonder what Lord Sindar has been entrenched here for a long time without going for?"

Sindar hesitated.

It didn't feel any malice on Grim, so it told the truth after a hesitation.

"I need the constant gold ore here!"

With this answer, Grim immediately had a 'charming' smile on his face.

"Good... very good..."

"Good what?"

"Our interests do not conflict, for I need the Quillus ore..."

Flaming Tiger asked tentatively, "What do you mean, we can work together?"

"Must cooperate! Maybe if the two of us plan properly, we can come up with the perfect win-win plan..."