Chapter 14: Reflections

As he entered the Caucasus territory, the climate gradually became warmer, which made Komer miss life there even more. Though he hadn’t stayed in the Caucasus for long, Komer found himself unconsciously considering that remote and desolate town of Ugru as his home, the place where his roots lay. Whether in Jazair or Versailles, whether on the road or upon waking, he often found himself subconsciously imagining what the Caucasus was like now, what Puber, Ilot, Hes, and Baoling were doing, and whether any changes had taken place there during his absence. This shift in his mindset surprised even him.

A meteor streaked across the dark sky. Lying back by the fire, Komer stared blankly at the heavens. The flickering flames cast a rosy hue on his pale face. Although there were already a dozen households at the Darman Pass, Komer didn’t want to stay at a farmhouse. He preferred to stay in the wilderness like this, enjoying the atmosphere of his own territory, as it helped calm his mind and reminded him of many things.

Following military traditions, Ilot assigned soldiers from three groups of a platoon to duty. From afar, the vague figures of orc soldiers lurking in the bushes could be seen. The triangular defense formation was designed by Ilot and Baoling, perfectly suited for a small unit to rest while on the march. In fact, orcs weren’t very suitable as guards. Though their night vision was even better than that of ordinary humans, their thick nerves made them prone to overlooking various signs of an enemy attack. However, almost all of the newly recruited soldiers were orcs, making it an extremely difficult task to train them as scouts and archers.

To compensate for the shortage of archers, Bao Ling and Ilot came up with a workaround: they selected a group of strong-armed orc warriors to serve as throwers, replacing the archers. This idea arose after Bao Ling noticed the orcs’ exceptional physical fitness and recalled the orc armies he had once fought against. The orcs were equipped with ten short javelins, each only 1.5 meters long, and five small flying axes. These throwers could launch attacks before the enemy infantry attacked their sword-and-shield warriors or spearmen. Although their effective range was shorter than that of archers, their powerful attacks surpassed those of archers. Whether it was heavy infantry or cavalry, it was difficult for them to avoid casualties under the impact of these weapons—of course, this required thorough training for the throwers.

Komer had learned everything about the changes in the territory from Ilot without any reservation. Puber and Neptune’s enthusiasm for work, along with Hess’s experience, left Komer deeply impressed. It seemed that as long as the right people were chosen and their thoughts and temperaments understood, many seemingly unremarkable individuals could exhibit unexpected abilities.

The large-scale formation of the guard also relieved Komer, as this had been a concern of his. The influx of over a hundred thousand people would inevitably lead to many unforeseen conflicts. When these conflicts escalated to the point where no other means could resolve them, it was time to show force. Especially in such a remote area where he couldn’t rely on others, establishing a military force entirely under his control was a top priority.

It seemed Puber had also realized this. However, just over a hundred people were far from enough. According to Komer’s plan, the guard needed to be expanded to around 500 members before the immigrants arrived. Although these orc warriors might not be strong enough in terms of actual combat skills, their robust physiques and fearsome appearances would be enough to instill fear in the immigrants. Fear was often one of the best foundations for establishing authority. Komer had decided that upon his return, he would immediately recruit more orc soldiers, so that the immigrants would witness the strength of the Caucasus forces upon their arrival, giving them a sense of deterrence and shock. This would be highly beneficial for implementing various policies in the future.

After that nightmare, Komer found that his dark magic had improved significantly. Especially after that unknown Kynifer III, who might or might not have existed, guided him in the nightmare on how to absorb the magic contained within the dark magic crystal he had left behind, Komer found it much easier to draw upon that magic. He could clearly observe that whenever he kept the crystal close to his body during meditation, its color would change—once dark, its surface became increasingly lighter, much paler than when he first obtained it.

Komer could also distinctly feel the surge of dark magic within his body. That overwhelming sensation of magic sometimes even frightened him, as he feared losing control over this power that wasn’t originally part of his cultivation. Coupled with the many magical memories inherited from the emperor of the Dark Empire, including spells for advanced magic, he often found himself instinctively casting these powerful spells in times of danger or difficulty. If the spells he cast exceeded his control over the magic, the intense backlash could instantly consume his sanity.

There was no shortcut to fully harness this power that didn’t belong to him. The only way was to continuously improve his mental control through meditation, so he could truly master and control this gift from the heavens. It was like a poor person who had suddenly acquired endless wealth but didn’t know how to use it, with external temptations constantly trying to lure him into hell. Only through continuous learning and adaptation could he gradually adapt to this world and ultimately integrate fully into it. Similarly, Komer had to improve his mental control through study and cultivation to match the level of dark magic he possessed, so he could truly utilize it and integrate it into his own being.

However, the extremely strong dark aura from the dark magic also troubled Komer greatly. Hiding such a powerful magical presence was quite difficult for him at the moment. Although he had done his best to transform some of this dark magic into elemental magic or even sacred power in an attempt to strengthen it and mask the overt dark aura, it had achieved some success. With the help of the sacred properties of certain magical artifacts, Komer even managed to deceive Mage Mondel at Duke Zelin’s banquet. But that guy named Rebril seemed to have some issues. Since he didn’t point it out then, it meant there was still room for negotiation. Aside from hinting that everything could be discussed once they went to the Caucasus, Komer made no promises.

The abundant magical energy within him allowed Komer to truly experience the power of being a magician. With an elite fire magic spell—“Flame Dragon City Burn”—he could cast it in just a few breaths by silently reciting the incantation, turning the ground within ten feet into a sea of fire in an instant. Fire magic was the element magic Komer mastered most skillfully, probably due to his proficiency in fire magic during the time of King Kenifer III. Meanwhile, his interest in dark magic grew even stronger. Although King Kenifer III seemed to disdain necromancy, Komer, drawing parallels, took an even greater interest in this seemingly gloomy and obscure genre than in dark magic itself. In Komer’s eyes, only magic that could be fully utilized for his own benefit was truly useful. No matter how dazzling or grand a spell might be, if it didn’t bring tangible benefits, it was not as good as a useful small fireball spell.

Seeing Komer lying on the grass, lost in thought and gazing at the sky, Ilot, who had been tending the fire, finally found a topic to talk about. “Boss, it seems your magical aura is getting stronger. I have a feeling you’ve changed again this month. Could it be you’re really a magical genius, constantly improving your abilities?”

“Ilot, there are no geniuses in this world. Maybe some people are more talented in certain areas. If they can leverage their strengths and work hard to achieve something, then they become what people consider geniuses.” Komer, pulled back from his thoughts, smiled faintly. He could tell his companion was somewhat frustrated, probably dissatisfied with the progress of his own martial skills, which led to such remarks.

“But no matter how hard I try, my combat energy can only stay at this lowest level and never improve. Over these months, I’ve trained day and night with no progress at all. Why isn’t my effort rewarded? Looking at those Ramma knights and those mysterious Fallen Knights, each of them is several levels stronger than me. Against them, I fear I have no chance of standing my ground. Their ages seem only a few years older than mine—why can they reach such a level?” Eirwen gently drew the heavy sword from its sheath, running her fingertip lightly along the blade, looking depressed.

“Eirwen, although I’m not very interested in martial arts, I do know that to improve, aside from hard training, it’s important to understand the true essence of the martial way. Only when you reach a higher level of understanding can you break through the plateau in your regular training and advance to a higher level. And to grasp the essence of each level of martial arts, one must seek inspiration through continuous daily training and real combat experience—that’s the true meaning of pursuing the ultimate in martial arts.” These words flowed out instinctively from Komer’s mind; he didn’t even know how he could say such things, as if they had been hidden in his mind for a long time. Komer knew it was the fragmented memories of King Kenifer III left as mental imprints that were at work. From Eirwen’s shocked and enlightened gaze, he could tell just how profound an impact his words had on her.