Chapter 89: Ke Long's Gift and Commission

"Lans Bil? I never expected—a spy actually infiltrated the army. Damn, who knows how much information he passed to the Sai Er?"

Luo Jia slammed his hand onto the table, his uniform wrinkling from the forceful motion; he paced anxiously back and forth, shook his head and said, "No, I must inform the General—we have to purge the army!"

Naimi Xisi lifted the bridge of his glasses, a hint of amusement in his gaze at the frantic human. What could he possibly purge? If the Sai Er mages need, they can beguile countless soldiers for their use; Enchantment Spell is no joke.

He closed the Spellbook, walked to the map strewn with troop deployment data, studied it for a moment, then placed his hand on the front‑line position: "They're coming fast; that Sai Er mage sensed me."

Naimi Xisi's gaze seemed to pierce the map, addressing the unseen controller on the other side: "If we don't want to lose Degen City, we must act faster."

As if answering him, a soldier burst in hurriedly, rushing to Luo Jia: "Sir, the front line has fallen; the General's sealed message arrived, ordering us to complete the fortress within three days."

Naimi Xisi turned and left the intelligence office, deciding to help the workers accelerate construction.

Lans Bil's memories were completely extracted by Naimi Xisi before his death; the Sai Er wizard who contacted him had only met him once— after the Bill family's annihilation, that Sai Er wizard summoned him.

The chest of the red robe bore an embroidered mysterious eye, the attire of a Sai Er magistrate.

That means a being of at least 12th‑level mage or higher is commanding the Sesi Ke army.

It's obvious, yet oddly the Sai Er mage's rank seemed low; even though all Sai Er main forces are now resisting the Witch Nation Laiseman's assault, a chief‑level combatant should still be able to spare some strength.

Unless Naimi Xisi suddenly gets a bad premonition— is that Conjuration mage hiding in the Yinbu Tu Kingdom truly only twelfth‑level? Summoning ancient demons at that tier, would the chief of the Red Robe Wizards' Conjuration division be so careless? He extended his hand, softly chanting, a faint white light glowing in his palm.

"Nie Rong may appear in Yinbu Tu; inform General Ke Long to watch the demon seal."

The message was dispatched via Divination magic; although Naimi Xisi doubts that the Conjuration chief—Nie Rong—will come to Degen City, he believes the Balo Flame Demon beneath the royal capital aligns better with Nie Rong's aim. Yet he hasn't forgotten that almost every Yinbu Tu city hides a high‑level demon underground; if it were Nie Rong, he might send minions to stir trouble elsewhere before seizing his chance.

After delivering the message, Naimi Xisi flew to the fortress construction site, where workers were laboriously hauling massive stones from the canyon; afterward they would still need to spend considerable time carving the stones into regular shapes before stacking them into walls.

And that is the most time‑consuming part.

Hovering in the sky, Naimi Xisi casually pointed at a spot, began chanting, a shimmering yellow light coiling around his fingertips, then turning into a beam that struck a stone wall; dozens of meters of stone instantly liquefied into gray‑brown mud that flowed to the ground.

That was the effect of the Five‑ring Transformation spell 【Fossil to Mud】.

Then he pointed at the mud again, uttered the opposite incantation; under the mage's will the mud obeyed like an arm, turning into huge rectangular blocks that quickly solidified into hard stone.

That is the effect of 【Mud to Stone】.

Naimi Xisi kept casting nonstop, even employing Super‑Magic—Extension; all Five‑ring and Six‑ring spells were nearly exhausted, carving a cavern thousands of meters long and nearly a hundred meters deep into the canyon wall.

The stones were transmuted by the spells into tidy blocks, placed before the workers who stared in amazement; their limited imagination could not grasp how mighty a force could sculpt nature with such god‑like precision.

Next, Naimi Xisi selected a few robust workers, infused them with 【Strength of the Ox】 and 【Toughness of the Bear】; under the spells, the fortress's construction speed rose several notches.

For the next few days, he would repeatedly take part in the building process in this manner.

Soon the three days elapsed, and eight thousand stationed troops in Degen City arrived at the completed 【Earthhorse Spike Fortress】, yet Naimi Xisi saw no sign of General Ke Long.

"General Ke Long has gone to Gobenlan City, Reverend; this is the letter General Ke Long entrusted to you," a general's bodyguard handed Naimi Xisi a letter inside the office.

Naimi Xisi frowned, took the letter, and scanned it from top to bottom.

"Lord Naimi Xisi, the Gobenlan seal may be compromised; the royal family hopes you can aid the troops in holding the fortress until I return."

Then the bodyguard produced a thick tome, its cover in countless gold filigree, a faint magical aura emanating from it.

"These are the magical books the General personally procured for you; they record almost every Five‑ring spell the royal house has catalogued. The General also promised that when the war ends, the royal house will grant you a richer reward."

The bodyguard's words made Naimi Xisi's eyes flash; this is exactly what he lacks—a Five‑ring spell model worth five thousand gold coins, while the contents of this Spellbook could fetch over a hundred thousand gold coins! He opened the book, discarding all Conjuration and Divination spells; it listed twenty‑one Five‑ring spells across six schools, namely:

Abjuration: 【Barrier Break】, 【Psychic Shield】, 【Anti‑Spell Domain】, 【Lesser Steel Guard】

Evocation: 【Ice Spike】, 【Protective Palm】, 【Greater Explosion Technique】, 【Force Wall Technique】, 【Rainbow Beam】, 【Arctic Wind】, 【Spherical Lightning】

Illusion: 【Illusory Scene】, 【Retribution Phantasm】, 【Mirage】

Necromancy: 【Pain Emblem】, 【Gift of Extraction】; Transformation: 【Malevolent Transmutation】, 【Purgatory Form】, 【Lightning Leap】

Enchantment: 【Stupidity Spell】, 【Monster Immobilization Spell】

Naimi Xisi tucked the book away, nodded in satisfaction; his own interests align with the Yinbu Tu Kingdom—once the Sai Er iron hooves break through, not only Yinbu Tu but also Degen, which he governs, will be destroyed.

Even without this Spellbook, he would still intervene in the war, but General Ke Long's character makes him feel quite comfortable.

Luo Jia entered at that moment, having heard the news of General Ke Long's bodyguard arriving.

Seeing Luo Jia arrive, the bodyguard's eyes lit up, stepped forward and saluted, "Major General Luo Jia!"

Luo Jia nodded and asked, "Soldier, does the General have any message for me?"

The bodyguard immediately produced a ring set with a golden tiger head, handed it to Luo Jia; upon seeing it, he recognized it as the General's everyday ring and, astonished, opened his mouth, "What does it mean that the General gave this to me?"

The bodyguard reiterated that General Ke Long would not come, then continued, "The General appoints you as the temporary commander‑in‑chief of the army during his absence; this ring is the token."

"This," Luo Jia forced a wry smile, "I don't know if I can fulfill this role."

As he feared, after the bodyguard left, the news he brought sparked dissent within the troops; without the General's leadership, the soldiers' morale grew negative. Though Luo Jia's abilities are decent, he lacks authority, and only a few young, vigorous officers continuously speak up for him.

That evening, Luo Jia gave all soldiers a night's rest, had the workers prepare a lavish dinner, and delivered a speech before everyone, trying to inspire them.

But the effect was minimal.

The front‑line situation is already crystal clear: the Sai Er and Sesi Ke allied forces decimated the kingdom's army like a withered scourge; survivors are few. During the fortress's construction, occasional escapees from the front returned, recounting horrific battlefield scenes.

Endless undead, unstoppable golems, and Sesi Ke's elite cavalry left the kingdom's troops virtually defenseless.

Rear‑line commander Major General Rosco sacrificed himself, destroying two golems, and that was all.

The Earthhorse Spike Fortress stands as the final barrier between the kingdom and Sesi Ke; once crossed, Degen City lies behind.

Naimi Xisi remained stationed within the fortress; a dragon dislikes being watched, so he prefers solitude. The cramped barracks prevent him from reverting to his true form, making him often miss his graceful draconic body.

He paid no heed to the rumors in the army or the soldiers' negative moods; the battlefield is cruel, and when life and death loom, they have no time for such thoughts.

"Almost there, almost there."

Having finished the Spellbook, Naimi Xisi blew out the candle, his silhouette vanishing into darkness; through the window he silently watched the moonlight outside and the distant darkness at the canyon's end.

Soon he will be free to be himself again. — At this moment, thousands of miles away in the canyon, within the Sai Er army camp.

Under the moon, the camp is unusually quiet; the soldiers have long been asleep, no one patrols. Yet if an intruder attempted entry now, they'd find countless undead silently lurking in the moonless darkness.

A wizard in a red robe sat within a magic circle; a faint candle offered a sliver of light, faintly revealing a smooth skull tattooed all over. He silently gazed at the shadows beyond the candle, awaiting the honored guest.

Soon, a wisp of mist tangled in the shadows, and a gaunt, almost skeletal man faintly materialized within them.

"Sa Zhas Tan."

The Red-robed Mage lowered that proud head and paid respect to the illusion in the shadows.

"Your heart is in turmoil," the dark whisper sounded at the Red-robed Mage's ear.

The Red-robed Mage's body stiffened, and in a low voice said, "I am afraid, Sazhas·Tan, I am afraid of Nie Rong's revenge."

The man in the shadows let out a short, low laugh, as if mocking the Red-robed Mage's indecision.

"Nie Rong, Nie Rong," the ethereal whisper flickered and vanished.

"He will not return."

(End of Chapter)