Chapter 45

Please collect, Hua Hua, and all kinds of votes!

Kangknie not only exuded the charm of a mature woman but was also the supreme commander of an army, naturally radiating a unique aura. This aura was mixed with the tenderness of a woman when she was sick, evoking an irresistible urge to protect her. It was no wonder that Cook couldn't resist such a woman.

However, what Cook didn't notice was that Lori and Mitch, who were meditating, had a relieved smile at the corners of their mouths. Then they resumed their meditation. The keen perception of a mage wasn't just talk.

After returning, Kangknie remained gloomy. She couldn't understand why, even if she offered herself to Cook, what kind of title could he give her? For a magic attendant, any great achievement belonged to the master. Moreover, to Kangknie, the noble titles of this world were nothing. If she could become a magic warrior, that would be something else! Anyway, Kangknie remained gloomy, and in the end, she realized that what she was most unwilling to accept was Cook treating her as a bargaining chip for a promotion.

Cook felt extremely drowsy after sitting for a while. He instructed Kaka with a click, then leaned against a large rock by the fire and fell asleep. As for Little Bad, he had already fallen asleep in Cook's arms with Little Ash. Big Mouth also buried his head under his wings on the rock, clearly entering a deep sleep.

Lori, on the other side, was utterly shocked. As a mage, Lori was already very skilled at controlling her mental energy. She could capture tens of thousands of elements at once. Initially, she tried Cook's method out of curiosity, weaving a mental energy net to capture elements. Soon, Lori wove a large enough net, and a mental energy pocket appeared.

Lori almost couldn't believe her eyes. Why? Changing mental energy into other shapes was generally only possible at the Saint Mage level, when mental energy became semi-material. At that point, mental energy was not only more substantial but also easier to shape.

However, the fact was that Cook's method worked. Lori suppressed her shock and began capturing elements. Just one net down, and Lori was thoroughly convinced.

"At least a million elements, my goodness!" Lori looked at the fire elements captured by the mental energy net. These fire elements were like lively little fish.

Lori then compressed the elements using Cook's method, stuffing them into the mental energy pocket. Lori did even better, making the pocket continuously contract, clearly increasing the pressure.

"Boom!" When Lori first opened the mental energy pocket, she felt a loud noise in her head, and the space inside her magic source instantly doubled.

"I've advanced!" Lori was stunned, then realized what had happened. This was a sign of advancement. From today on, Lori would be a mid-level mage, officially becoming a Magic Knight.

Lori didn't stop meditating immediately but continued to consolidate her new level. This time, she discovered that her mental energy had almost doubled. Lori calmed her mind and began her first meditation as a Magic Knight.

"Huh? She advanced?" Kangknie sensed the magical fluctuations coming from Lori's direction and the red aura around her body. She was also amazed. Among all professions, mages were the hardest to advance, but once they did, their combat power increased exponentially. Moreover, Kangknie was shocked that Lori was only twenty years old, which, for a mage, was just the beginning of their magical journey.

Mages must wait until their mental energy stabilizes and no longer grows. They also need to learn a lot, and many mages start learning at ten years old. The first meditation usually happens five years later. If one has excellent talent, they can become a magic apprentice in a year, capable of capturing elements. However, becoming a novice mage takes at least three years, which is the most critical threshold. As for becoming a mage, it takes at least five years. These first three levels are considered beginner mages. Advancing to a Magic Knight, from beginner to mid-level mage, is a threshold that stops about 80% of mages. Therefore, becoming a Magic Knight at twenty is a sign of a genius.

After meditating for a while, Mitch also emitted magical fluctuations. Kangknie couldn't sit still, stood up, and looked at Cook, Lori, and Mitch, thinking, "What kind of people are these?"

"Huh? Could this be the benefit of natural awakening?" Lori opened her eyes and immediately saw that Mitch was already a novice mage. Lori was shocked that Mitch had learned meditation in less than half a month, a speed that amazed her.

"Congratulations!" Kangknie said to Lori with a faint smile.

"Hehe, thank you!" Lori gratefully replied, but then she looked at Cook. This country bumpkin treated meditation like a lowly fishing job, but because of this bumpkin's idea, the profession of mages was entering a new era. Lori could imagine that if this method were widely adopted, the time for low-level mages to advance would be greatly shortened. In essence, a mage's advancement depends on the amount and purity of the elements they can absorb. Of course, if one's mental energy is limited, no matter how many elements they absorb, it would be useless.

"Cook, come here." Thinking of this, Lori limped over to Cook and tapped him with her staff.

"Ah! Hey!" Cook was having a strange dream, dreaming of being attacked by bandits and fighting them. When Lori tapped him, Cook instinctively reacted, flipping Lori to the ground and pinning her hands and a knee on her back.

"Uh! Sir, sir!" Cook finally woke up and quickly released Lori's arms.

"Will you dare to be disrespectful to me again?" Lori sat by the fire, rubbing her arms and asked Cook, who was kneeling on one knee, with a stern face.

"Sir, I was dreaming, dreaming, fighting a big bear." Cook's head was covered in lumps from Lori's hits, and he was in tears. He slowly activated his martial energy to heal himself while smiling and explaining.

"Hmph! Dreaming!" Lori's little nose was almost twisted with anger. Cook's explanation made it hard for Lori to question him further; everyone dreams, after all.

"Yes, sir, I was dreaming." Cook quickly explained, knowing that, regardless of gender, he was a servant and had to let Lori vent her anger.

"Hehe, that's how warriors are. Even in their dreams, they remain vigilant. It seems you have good talent." Kangknie smiled from the side.

Cook's face turned green, and he glared at Kangknie, thinking, "Why stick your neck out so far? Like a duck's neck."

"Hehe, is that so?" Lori's eyes twinkled, and she chuckled.

"Sir." Seeing Lori's expression, Cook quickly called out, feeling wronged.

"Cook, since you say that, then go wash my clothes, and Mitch's too. Also, give Big Ash a bath, and I want bread for dinner." Lori smiled and instructed.

"Sir, everything else is fine, but bread?" Cook asked hesitantly, finding it difficult.

"Yes, bread." Lori turned her back to Cook after giving the order.

Cook glared at Kangknie. It was this woman who made him go find bread, but where could he find bread in this underground cave?

However, seeing Lori's expression, Cook knew he was just a scapegoat for the two women's quarrel. It was unfair, and he muttered to himself as he began searching the edge of the underground lake.

"Brothers, goodbye. Let's split up. The Roland Empire is chasing us so hard. If we stay together, we won't make it back." In the territory of the Muny Kingdom, a small squad of soldiers from the Ceylon Empire hid in a small forest. Their plan for the night was to disperse and retreat, which was a polite way of saying each man for himself. This squad had killed three Roland Empire soldiers during their escape and was now being pursued by a large Roland Empire force. They found a forest to hide in and began discussing their next move. The captain, a regular soldier, spoke first.

"But we don't know the way?" A farmer asked weakly.

"Simple, follow the direction of the setting sun. That's our homeland." The captain pointed to the sunset.

"Sir, it's just two cavalrymen. We're ten, why be afraid of them?" Another soldier asked.

"Please, everyone, they're from the Roland Empire's Royal Cavalry, not some random guards. Enough talk, let's split up. It's getting dark." The captain said irritably, giving his final order. The other soldiers didn't know that this was the captain's last command.

"Damn war, I hate war." The captain watched his men disappear into the forest, then leaned against a tree, struggling to pull a bloody black bread from his pocket. He had been injured during the pursuit but had persisted. None of his men knew. When he gave his final order, the captain was determined to die. He bit into the bloody bread, cursing and trying to chew it.

"Clippity-clop, clippity-clop, clippity-clop." As the captain's face remained calm, the sound of hooves and rustling branches approached.

"Roar! Damn Roland Empire scum, come on!" The captain closed his eyes, then jumped out, shouting loudly.

"Trash!" The two Roland Empire knights looked at the Ceylon Empire soldier with a single-handed sword and spat out two words. They raised their lances and gently squeezed their horses' flanks.

"Hey! Scum, come on!" The Ceylon Empire squad leader charged at the Roland Empire cavalry. Under the towering figures of the cavalry, the Ceylon Empire captain looked so frail.

"Captain!" Just as the captain was about to deliver a final blow to the Roland Empire knight, a familiar voice called out.

"Run! Run! Run... *thud*" The captain turned and saw a soldier with a crude weapon, shouting loudly. Each shout brought a mouthful of blood. The captain waved his hands, trying to stop the soldiers from coming, but as he raised his hands, *thud*, he saw the bright tip of a lance pierce his chest, and the world spun.

*Thud* The Roland Empire knight gently lifted his lance, and the Ceylon Empire captain was thrown far away, landing ten meters away.

"Run... run... run..." The captain fell to the ground, spitting out blood, his voice growing weaker, his vision blurring. In the end, he only saw a red glow, the last light of the setting sun.

"Another squad, the third one today." The two knights looked at the bodies on the ground and said coldly.

"Let's go, we have one more squad to find. Leave this to the infantry." The two knights mounted their horses, identified the direction, and one of them led the way. On their chests was a bright golden emblem, a crescent moon. If the captain had seen it, he would have been amazed, for it was the emblem of the Roland Empire's Crescent Moon Knights, the strongest knight order in the Roland Empire.

"The Fox of Ceylon, I hope you're still alive. A simple plan has disrupted our entire strategy." Melif looked at the setting sun in the distance and sighed. To him, this campaign against the Ceylon Empire was a naked robbery.

The Fox of Ceylon not only used a million farmers to eliminate 300 Mammoth Knights but also stole all the grain from the Muny Kingdom. Then, the Ceylon Empire's forces scattered like bandits, and in the chaos of nearly three million soldiers, no one could predict what would happen. Three million armed soldiers, Melif thought, made him uneasy, but he had no choice but to disperse his army and begin the pursuit.

In a village near the Angans Snow Mountain, the air was filled with a strong scent of blood. On a small drying field, bodies of men, women, and children were piled up. Beside these bodies were hundreds of people, most bare-chested, wearing only animal skins around their waists. Their weapons were heavy, such as battleaxes, maces, and war hammers.

"Captain, 641 people in the village, 532 dead, the rest are women." A large man walked to a middle-aged man with numerous scars and said in a deep voice.

"Hmm, what's the situation in the Muny Kingdom?" The captain grunted and asked.

"According to the latest intelligence, Melif's position has not reached the designated location." The large man replied.

"Hmm, keep a close watch. Once the Roland Empire's command reaches the designated location, we'll set out. With our magic wolves' speed and endurance, we can reach there in two days. Then we'll give the Roland Empire a hard blow. We'll settle the score for the knights of the Yalan Empire killed by the Mammoth Knights. Also, throw these bodies far away; the griffins have a keen sense of smell." The captain looked at the distant snow mountain, grunted, and said through gritted teeth.

"Captain, why throw them? Feed them to the magic wolves. Human flesh is the best food for magic wolves." The large man muttered.

"Stupid! If the blood smell is too strong, can you control them?" The captain shouted and scolded.

"Hehe, sir, there are a few pretty women in the village. What do you think, sir...?" The large man, scolded by his superior, quickly smiled and said.

"Hmm, leave me three! The rest are yours. But clean up the area first to avoid being discovered by the griffin knights. Although there's a snow mountain between us, who knows if those damn guys will come here." The captain smiled strangely and instructed.

"Yes, captain, we know when to play. But it might be hard to explain when we return, as this is still imperial territory." The large man then said.

"Hmph! Who dares to complain about the Black Riders? These peasants should be grateful; they are serving the empire!" The captain raised an eyebrow and said coldly.

The large man, seeing his superior's bad mood, quickly responded and shouted, "You, you, you, and you scum, get up, quickly, bury these bodies and clean up the area. The captain said, play at the right time. If anyone doesn't have eyes, I'll stuff them into the magic wolves' mouths."

"Hmph, Melif, I've heard your wife is quite beautiful. Melif, you didn't expect to see me alive again, did you? You treated me like this before, and now I'll do the same to you. As for the Saint Mage's anger, ha, I'll play with his daughter and see what he can do!" The captain of the Black Riders looked in a certain direction and said with hatred.

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