Chapter 48

Cook stood at the entrance of the classroom, took a deep breath, and firmly held the letter containing secrets given to him by his mother.

A dreamlike scene appeared before Cook's eyes. Red, green, yellow, black, and white light points swirled in front of him. Cook was very familiar with these light points; they were magical elements. However, it was evident that the water and earth elements were more predominant in this underground river. Blue and earth-yellow elements formed beautiful ribbons.

Cook was very uncomfortable with the scene before him. Feeling the continuous consumption of his fighting spirit, Cook slightly moved his mental energy and increased the input of fighting spirit. As the fighting spirit flowed in, Cook's eyes gradually turned green, and his vision changed. The light points gradually disappeared, but Cook noticed different colors emanating from several people. Lori and Mitch emitted red, while Mike's transparent color puzzled Cook. Concini emitted a dark green, the color of magical poison. When Cook turned to look, Kaka emitted a grayish-white color, which also puzzled him. The shadows of Little Bad and Big Mouth did not appear in Cook's vision, nor did those of Big Gray and Little Gray. Clearly, these four did not have any magical fluctuations. The two bonfires emitted a hazy red light, indicating the presence of magical elements. Lori's staff, a few small accessories, and Cook's magical cleaver emitted a golden yellow light, though faint. Mitch's apprentice staff also emitted a light.

Cook looked around and found no other shadows with light points. Realizing the excessive consumption of his fighting spirit, Cook slowly withdrew it, and the surroundings returned to their original state. Cook thought for a while, unsure whether this eye mutation was good or bad, so he decided to probe a bit.

Concini was extremely frustrated, tossing and turning, unable to sleep. From being a high-ranking general to being captured by a nobody and then becoming a servant's servant, Concini felt uneasy. The servant-master contract, though common, was a powerful bond, but Concini was relieved it wasn't a slave contract, which would have been unbearable.

"Hey! Come here! Come on!" Concini was half-asleep when Cook pushed her awake. She was startled to see Cook beckoning her under the firelight, and her heart tightened.

"What do you want?" Concini was hesitant about whether to go, but Cook came to pull her, causing her to shout.

Cook was stunned because Lori and Mitch had opened their eyes. The three women were sleeping together, but there was some space between them. Lori coldly asked, "Cook, don't you have an explanation?" Mitch also looked at Cook with suspicion.

"My lord, I just have a few questions," Cook said, sweating profusely and cursing Concini in his mind.

"Ask!" Lori sat up and said coldly, seeing it as an excuse.

"I want to know why fighting spirit cannot flow into the nose, eyes, or ears. Although I've only been practicing fighting spirit for a few days, I've noticed significant changes in my limbs and internal organs, so I tried it out. But the fighting spirit couldn't flow into my ears, eyes, or nose," Cook explained, knowing that if he didn't clarify, Lori and Mitch's anger would surely erupt.

"Haha, haha, haha, haha, that's hilarious! A beginner in fighting spirit actually has this idea, haha!" Cook didn't realize that after he spoke, Lori and Concini burst into laughter.

"What's so funny? Is this method impossible?" Cook asked, embarrassed.

"Haha, no, your idea is correct, but these issues are something you might never need to consider. These are things that only reach the Saint level, and you're just an apprentice," Concini explained, laughing.

"What do you mean?" Cook still didn't understand.

"Let me explain it this way: the essence of the human body is the soul, and the soul resides in the head. To strengthen the soul, one must reach the Saint level to have the means to do so. Therefore, until the Saint level, fighting spirit cannot enter the head," Concini said, not wanting to elaborate further to avoid revealing secrets.

"Then are there no exceptions?" Cook asked, thinking about his eyes.

Concini paused before answering, "Yes, there are exceptions, such as racial talents. For example, elves can channel fighting spirit into their eyes to enhance vision and accuracy. Dwarves can channel fighting spirit into their beards to sense the temperature of the equipment they are forging. Cyclops can channel fighting spirit into their giant eyes to cast petrification spells. These are innate racial talents."

"Oh, it's a talent!" Cook felt relieved and recalled the changes in his eyes when his magical talent was activated. It seemed he had a rare double talent, but he didn't plan to reveal it. From the examples Concini gave, he realized that such talents were indeed excellent. Elves and cyclops were legendary races, and Cook deduced that his talent might be truly rare.

"Cook, don't always think too much. Focus on your training. You haven't received systematic education, so although you have some ideas, don't act impulsively. Magic and fighting spirit have been passed down for countless generations, and many people have more ideas than you. They have already found a successful path, which is the simplest. Just follow their path," Lori said, looking at Cook with a mix of appreciation for his quick thinking and concern for his well-being.

"Thank you!" Cook felt deeply moved by Lori's concern, and Concini watched with a playful look, surprised by Lori's reaction.

Concini looked at Lori, then at Mitch, and finally at the contemplative Cook. She sighed, "How does Cook have such good luck? But luck is one thing, and whether it will lead to results is another." Concini, having been a young girl herself, understood a lot.

First, Cook's talent was excellent, and his contributions to the team were significant. As a woman, she admired heroes, and Cook was a hero in this team. He bravely fought the earth bear, carried Lori for hours, found food, fuel, and had a talent for potions. These were all shining points. Although Lori was a mage, she was still a human, and she was at a stage where she was easily attracted to someone like Cook. Concini knew that love has no conditions.

"Alright, let's continue on our journey," Lori said, sighing at Cook's appearance.

The group quickly packed up. Food was scarce in the underground cave, and the largest fish Cook had seen was only the size of two fingers. There were five people, plus Big Gray, Little Gray, Little Bad, and Big Mouth. Big Gray, being a wolf, could go without food for a short time, but Little Gray, Little Bad, and Big Mouth needed to eat a lot. Lori understood the importance of food.

"My lord, what do the colors of the magical elements represent?" Cook asked Lori as he walked, not looking back.

"Red represents fire, and sometimes blood, which is a very rare type. Blue represents water and also earth variants like crystal. Black represents darkness, white represents light, purple represents lightning, and yellow can be gold or earth. Gold represents the metal element, and earth represents the earth element. Green represents the wood element. Ice is white, and the wood element's poison is black. So colors don't always indicate the element, but variants are rare. Generally, red is fire, blue is water, black is darkness, white is light, purple is lightning, earth yellow is earth, and gold is metal. The rest can be ignored because they are rare," Lori explained in detail.

Lori paused and continued, "Not only can you sense elements, but you can also determine the element based on the creature's environment, especially for magical beasts. For human mages, it's the same, but humans are more mobile."

"What about gray and transparent?" Cook asked, puzzled.

"Slap! I just told you not to think too much. If a living creature is gray, it's likely to be a rare non-elemental, or a undead creature. Transparent is only for air and mental elements," Lori lightly tapped Cook's back, scolding him.

"Non-elemental?" Cook was puzzled about Kaka.

"Yes, this attribute is only recorded in legends, meaning it has no element. All elemental attacks, including magic and fighting spirit, are almost ineffective against such creatures. However, non-elemental is only in legends, and the mental element is very powerful. The air element, though rare, is considered a rare and weak element. The rarer the element, the harder it is to cultivate because there is no experience to draw from. Your wood element, though rare, is still manageable. So don't focus on the element, as the rarer it is, the harder it is to cultivate," Lori's words changed Cook's perception. He had always thought that rare elements were the most powerful, but Lori's words made him see the two sides of the matter.

Cook thought for a while and decided not to reveal Kaka's secret. He was curious about Mike's element, but since Mike didn't say, Cook had no chance to ask. The group fell into silence, with only the sound of their footsteps and the flowing water.

Cook walked at the front, his mind constantly pondering his eye talent. Unfortunately, he didn't realize how powerful it was to see elemental fluctuations. Since Cook's magical talent wasn't great, Lori didn't elaborate much, as his main profession was a hunter, and magic was just a side skill. Not only did Lori think this, but Cook also agreed, so some things were left unsaid.

Cook tried to form a small circulation of fighting spirit in his eyes, but his efforts were in vain. There was no clear path for circulation in the eyes, only the consumption of fighting spirit. As he continued to try, Cook noticed a pattern: the more fighting spirit he channeled, the farther and clearer he could see, and the scattered magical elements were automatically ignored. When he channeled less, he felt dizzy due to the chaotic colors.

Cook didn't realize that whenever he channeled fighting spirit into his eyes, his pupils turned green. Fortunately, he was at the front, and only Little Bad, Big Mouth, and Kaka noticed. After much thought, Cook named his eye talent: Magic Eye.

"Cook, do you find anything strange?" Mitch approached and asked.

"Strange about what?" Cook turned to ask.

"Strange that there are no large fish in this underground river. If there are small fish, there should be large fish," Mitch pointed out a simple fact.

Cook was startled by Mitch's question and realized there must be a problem. The underground river wasn't entirely underground and must connect to the outside. With so much food, some aquatic predators should have come, but why were none found? Cook quickly asked Lori, "My lord, why are there only small fish in this underground river and no large fish?"

"Hehe, you just noticed? It's not strange. It's mainly because of the hot spring we passed a few days ago. Although hot springs are good for bathing, they are toxic, did you know?" Lori said excitedly.

"Uh!" Cook understood that the high sulfur content in the hot spring made it toxic, but he then realized Lori's mistake.

Cook quickly said, "My lord, even if it's toxic, the small fish can survive, so why are there no large fish?"

"Idiot, this is an underground river. It's autumn now, and the rainy season has passed. If the rainy season hadn't passed, what would it be like?" Lori asked, annoyed.

"Whoa!" Everyone gasped, knowing it would be a torrent of water.

"My lord, shouldn't we hurry? Autumn rains can be heavy," Cook felt a chill run up his back.

"Hmph, do you think I would have limped and run with you a few days ago? Look at the cave walls now compared to a few days ago," Lori coldly said, forgetting who had carried her.

"Huh? The cave walls were wet and smooth a few days ago, and we had to be careful walking on them. Now, except for a small part in the middle, the rest is dry," Mike said, looking closely.

"That's right. Since the hot spring, we've actually taken a branch of the underground river. This might be an ancient volcano, which is why there's a hot spring. Look at the water marks; there's never been much water here. And as we've been going uphill, we're clearly inside a large mountain range. I estimate it's the Angus Mountains. If we keep going, we might reach the Yalan Empire," Lori said proudly.

"Teacher! You're amazing," Mitch said, eyes sparkling.

"Hehe, it's all from books," Lori laughed.

"It's from the 'Continental Travelogue,' which I've also read," Concini smiled.

"I remember now, the 'Continental Travelogue' does mention this," Mike said, agreeing with Concini.

Cook asked, puzzled, "But our starting point is far from the Yalan Empire?"

"Idiot, we're traveling underground, almost in a straight line. The Angus Mountains have many places where you can almost hear people on the other side, but to walk there, it would take a day at best, and some places are impossible to cross. If you take a detour, well, you know," Lori said, somewhat disdainfully.

"My lord, you're right," Cook knew this but decided to play dumb to give some people a sense of importance.

While Cook and his group were struggling in the mountain, the war in the Muny Kingdom was tilting in favor of the Roland Empire. The destruction of the 300 Mammoth Knights dealt a heavy blow to the Roland nobility, causing them to lose their voices. But then came their anger. In the eyes of the Roland people, the Ceylon Empire was a barbaric land, and the Roland Empire was noble. Today, these barbarians not only invaded the noble's home but also slapped them and spat on them before trying to escape. The Roland nobility's council declared a full-scale war on the Ceylon Empire within half an hour. Ceylon merchants were arrested, and their funds were frozen. Then, the nobility's private armies, totaling 1.7 million, pursued the 1.1 million Ceylon army led by Melif. These new private armies, like hungry wolves, ruthlessly crushed the Ceylon army.

These private armies were the nobility's personal guards, skilled in dealing with peasants. In just one day, the front line advanced over 100 kilometers, and Melif had to move his camp again.

Griffin Knights, Mage Corps, and the Crescent Moon Knights fought independently. War is the largest distribution of interests. The 1.1 million Ceylon soldiers were worth a lot of money, even as slaves, which could fetch millions of gold coins, several times the price of regular slaves.

"Ah, move the command post again. Those guys even brought slave traders. Tell everyone not to kill, and make some pocket money," Melif said, as the private armies were not under his control, and he didn't want to offend the nobility.

"Yes!" Melif's subordinates were excited and quickly left to prepare, knowing that Melif used to not take prisoners, but now, capturing prisoners meant money.

"Commander, Commander, good news! The Roland nobility have gathered 1.7 million private armies, pursuing the Ceylon army and advancing 100 kilometers in a day. They even brought slave traders, so Melif had to change his orders to capture prisoners. Melif's command post is now separated from the main army. The two Archmages and the Mage Corps, as well as the Crescent Moon Knights, are tens of kilometers away, giving us a good opportunity for a surprise attack. Although it's not our ideal location, it's still a good chance," on the other side of the Angus Mountains, the Yalan Empire's Black Riders were still in a small village, but the occasional laughter of men and the cries of women indicated what was happening.

"Melif's position?" The Black Riders' commander immediately took out a map.

"Here. Our magic wolves can reach in two days, avoiding Griffin Knights during the day. If we don't, it would take one night. Considering maintaining combat readiness, it would take three days, and a week for the round trip, allowing us to return for the Harvest Festival," the deputy commander pointed to the map.

"Let's do it! Leave a squad, and the rest will set out tonight. Remember our route," the commander clenched his fist.

"Yes! I'll prepare right away," the deputy commander saluted and ran off.

"Hehe, Melif, you destroyed my home, and now it's my turn, hahaha!" The commander laughed, his face twisted with deep hatred.