Chapter 29: The Approach of Battle (II)

After being promoted to a Black Iron Mage, Donald now had the authority corresponding to an LV1 Soul Level. He could withstand the mental strain of summoning up to a hundred Level 3 summoned creatures at once, or at most ten Level 4 creatures and two Level 5 creatures. Summoning units above Level 5 was currently impossible due to the lack of magic cores of that level and his Soul Power not yet reaching the required standard.

Apart from special species, creatures of Level 1 were only slightly stronger than ordinary people, making them of little use in this dangerous world. However, Level 2 and Level 3 summoned creatures, thanks to their numerical advantage, were more than sufficient to deal with most lower-level magical beasts. As summoned creatures, they didn’t have to worry about injury and could fight to the death, allowing them to exert even greater strength.

Moreover, with Level 4 and Level 5 creatures as backup, even if a Level 6 magical beast at the peak of Bronze strength appeared, it wouldn’t be able to defeat them, and they could still escape.

“To enhance my strength, I can’t rely solely on the Book of Truth. I also need to read more in-depth mage cultivation books and acquire other essential mage equipment. I currently have all these things—thanks to the promotion gifts from the mages at the guild and the library there. This ensures I won’t lack the necessary equipment or knowledge until I reach an advanced Black Iron Mage level.”

“But relying solely on occasional visits to Stone City to study for a while will likely delay my progress greatly. Aside from training time, I also have a lot to deal with at my estate, so I can’t stay in Stone City for long. I need to find ways to save time!”

As a mage’s level increased, so did his mental power level, enabling him to gain greater access to the Book of Truth and further control his abilities. This way, even if the Book of Truth disappeared suddenly, he would still have enough strength to protect himself and survive.

Therefore, Donald came up with an idea: he planned to copy all the books from the guild’s library so he could read them at home anytime.

Two days later, Donald returned to the Stone City Mage Guild. This time, he didn’t bring any special items or talk to any mages. Instead, he spent some time in his resting room before leaving to go to the library and browse its collection.

No one noticed that before leaving the resting room, Donald had already summoned a Level 2 Orc soldier, the Soul Walker, using a Level 2 crystal core.

After ordering the white bull-headed creature to use Soul Chains on itself to connect their souls, Donald left it in the lounge and headed straight for the library.
Each mage’s lounge was a place meant to be left undisturbed by outsiders, so as not to interfere with the mage’s rest and meditation.
While Donald quickly browsed through the books in the library, in his own lounge, a poor white bull-headed creature was bent over the desk, writing furiously. It was hard to believe that with its degenerated hoof-hands unaccustomed to holding a pen, it still managed to write with such dedication!
This was exactly Donald’s plan: to use the special mental transmission ability of Soul Walkers to copy the books in the club’s library.
It should be noted that aside from spells and incantations, books in all mages’ libraries generally were not allowed to be copied. Although the library in Stone City Club was an important location, being surrounded by mages and protected by them, it only had simple protective spells outside and minor spells to preserve the books—nothing with great power.
Moreover, the abilities of Soul Walkers far exceeded what ordinary mages could achieve; generally, only mages at the Silver rank or above could truly access knowledge related to souls. Even among non-mages, the requirements were similar, with warriors needing even higher standards.
After spending most of the day in the library, Donald stretched contentedly and returned to his own lounge.
Seeing the seven mage books copied by the white bull-headed creature on the desk, Donald was delighted. He gave it a few words of praise before recalling it into the Book of Truth.
Summoned creatures spoke the language of this world—a capability granted to them by the Book of Truth through the knowledge in Donald’s soul. Upon checking, the writing was mostly clear, with no errors, almost identical to what he had copied himself.
Donald couldn’t help but fantasize further: “With this, I can copy seven or eight books at a time, enough for me to study for ten days or half a month. Then I can come back and copy another half day—no one will notice! If I keep doing this for a year or two, won’t I be able to build a magic library in my manor too? Haha!”
Just as Donald was secretly copying the books from the mage club, shocking news arrived from the western border of the kingdom.
The orcs were coming!

Orcs have always been the greatest threat to the Kingdom of Celt. Celt and the Northwest Wastelands are located in the northern part of the continent. Although separated by the Rocky Ridge Mountains, there are still direct connections between parts of their southern territories.

The northern counties can be considered safe. The distant, narrow Rocky Ridge Mountains and the Bloodstone Fortress block the path for orcs from entering from the Northwest Plateau. Over the years, only small groups of orcs have managed to cross the complex and vast Rocky Ridge to reach the northern counties of the Kingdom of Celt. Yet, faced with the Rocky Canyon, which has only one exit, and the sturdy fortress built of rocks, even the strongest orcs are forced to halt.

It is said that an orc tribe once underestimated the perilous terrain of the Rocky Canyon and the strength of the Bloodstone Fortress. In their carelessness, the entire raiding party composed of the tribe’s strong men perished in the Rocky Canyon beneath the Bloodstone Fortress. The city walls of the Bloodstone Fortress, built from huge stones, were stained red with orc blood, giving it its name. This name became a lasting pain in the hearts of the surviving orcs from that tribe.

Even if orcs attempted to bypass the Rocky Ridge and head north, they would need to cross the Cloud Mountain Range and the vast Green Cloak Forest before entering the northern counties under the rule of Baron Redmaple. Not to mention the numerous magical threats along the way, the area north of the Cloud Mountain Range is already the icy tundras near the far northern tip of the continent. The harsh cold winds are largely blocked by the Cloud Mountain Range. Those who venture through the frigid northern end of the range, even without attacks from magical beasts, will likely have few left alive by the time they reach the southern side, given their orcish strength.

Thus, the Bloodstone Fortress has become the only place in the northern counties of the Kingdom of Celt where one must face orcs. It is also the safest place.

In contrast, the March of Ansel, located in the westernmost part of the kingdom, is the area most threatened by orcs. Although the March of Ansel, which is as large as an entire province, does not border the Northwest Plateau directly and is separated by some mountains and hills, these natural barriers are easily overcome by the strong and powerful orcs. Therefore, whenever orcs invade the countries of the continent, a certain number of them manage to reach the borders of Celt, causing significant damage to the villages and towns along the way.

Especially during years of famine, when the barren land is unsuitable for farming, the number of orcs with limited agricultural capabilities invading will surge. In previous years, orcs usually invaded human borders during the harvest season, but perhaps this year they have anticipated a poor harvest, which is why small groups of orcs have come early to raid human territories.
Currently, scouts from the border troops of King Donald’s Celt Kingdom have detected the presence of orc vanguard forces, suggesting that war is inevitable.