Light Magic
Auwest, Allied Hall.
Dugu Qing sat in the leader's seat, reviewing the battle reports from various units. Finding that the soldiers' losses were minimal, a smile crept onto his face.
"These Demons only look numerous; in a real fight, they're nothing special!"
Frieren drank her black tea and relaxed in her seat.
"Most Demons are transformed, possessing only a very small amount of original magic. After discovering the Demons' conspiracy, Serie didn't give the new Demons time to cultivate; she immediately issued Holy War Decree, summoning a million-strong army and seizing the opportunity, which allowed us humans to achieve such a great victory."
Fern stood behind Dugu Qing, her delicate hand resting near Dugu Qing's temples, gently massaging them.
"Therefore, having a highly respected Mage of God isn't necessarily a bad thing!"
Dugu Qing sighed, his expression grave.
"Serie is powerful, but compared to the new Demon King, there's still a huge gap. I need to think of a way to increase my magic power."
He held a soup ladle and gently tapped the teapot.
A crisp sound rang out, and a soldier outside the hall immediately entered to receive orders.
Dugu Qing sent a messenger to fetch Kanonie. The soldier bowed, accepted the order, and quickly left.
A moment later, after resting, Kanonie, dressed in a military uniform and high boots, walked steadily with a calm gaze to Dugu Qing, raised his hand in salute.
"Alliance Leader, you wanted to see me?"
Dugu Qing stood up from the chair, her eyes clear.
"Kanonie, I desperately want to increase my strength. Please give me the magic that allows me to enhance my own magic by utilizing the magic of others!"
Kanonie looked at Dugu Qing with a puzzled expression. Although she didn't know how he knew the Empire possessed such powerful magic, the fate of humanity concerned this, and she had to make the most of this opportunity.
"My Lord, the magic that enhances magic power you mentioned must be Light Magic, right? Yes, it is magic that can enhance a person, but its amplification may not be as great as you imagine."
Light Magic! It is a divine-level magic that the empire spent a thousand years developing, mobilizing countless mages and spending enormous sums of money.
To successfully cultivate a magician's art, one must be meticulous, kind-hearted, exceptionally talented, and possess extraordinary comprehension.
Moreover, even if one is fortunate enough to succeed in cultivating it, one must gain the voluntary recognition and genuine willingness to offer one's magic power.
Therefore, in the decades after this magic was created, only one person in the entire empire successfully mastered it.
"Light Magic? What a great name!"
Dugu Qing's heart skipped a beat; she was determined to obtain the Light Magic.
He believed that with the Light Magic, he would surely be able to defeat the Demons and conquer the Demon King.
"Alright, for the sake of the Alliance Leader, I can offer up my Light Magic, but I have one condition."
"Explain."
"After defeating the Demons and restoring the empire, I will become the new emperor!"
Kanonie's face was cold, yet he uttered startling words.
Upon hearing this, Frieren and Fern never expected that the seemingly aloof Kanonie was also a born political animal. They spilled their tea and coughed unexpectedly.
"Many of those who joined the Human Allied Army were civilians and vagrants. After defeating the Demons, I plan to settle them in the north."
Dugu Qing calmly stated his post-war plans.
"I am willing to defend their interests, and besides, such a vast territory as the Empire must have a master, mustn't it!"
Kanonie's gaze was intense, fixed intently on Dugu Qing.
Dugu Qing nodded slightly, agreeing readily.
"Alright, if we can defeat the Demons, I will entrust you with the task of reclaiming the old territories of the empire."
Kanonie turned and left, but a moment later he returned and placed a heavy iron box in front of Dugu Qing.
She entered the password and opened the sturdy outer box.
Inside the box was another iron box, which was heavily protected.
Kanonie entered the password again, opened the inner hidden box, took out the Grimoire containing the Light Magic, held it with both hands, and solemnly handed it forward.
"It seems the Empire Light Magic quite a bit!"
Fern held the ballpoint pen, resting the barrel lightly against his chin, lost in thought.
"Everyone in the Empire exudes a shrewd and calculating political aura. If everyone were as meticulously planned as the Empire, this Human Allied Army would probably never be able to be formed."
Frieren shook her head slightly, feeling very uncomfortable being with Kanonie.
"Thanks. After defeating the Demons, I will appoint you as the vanguard to reclaim the empire's territory."
Dugu Qing opened the Grimoire and made a generous promise.
Kanonie didn't say a word, flicked his cloak, and strode away.
The allied forces, centered on Auwest, held advantageous terrain, built fortifications, and fought against the Demons.
Dugu Qing ordered the dispatch of elite cavalry to implement a scorched-earth policy, burning down the northern forests and relocating human towns and villages.
The area hundreds of miles north of Auwest was completely turned into a no-man's-land.
This prevents the Demons from replenishing their resources by plundering humans.
Days passed, and Dugu became immersed in the world of magic.
He quickly learned the Enlarge Magic, the Divine Heavenly Might Magic, and the Light Magic, practicing them repeatedly and greatly increasing his strength.
The construction team told Dugu Qing that the highway running north to south was under full-scale construction.
Unfortunately, three mountains and a lake block the way in the middle. If they were to take a detour, they would have to travel thousands of kilometers more. Therefore, they asked Dugu Qing for help.
Having mastered the Enlarge Magic, Dugu Qing could move mountains and fill seas with ease, so he followed the construction team leader southward.
Upon hearing that Dugu Qing was heading south, Frieren and Fern quickly caught up with him.
Sein, who was part of a medical rescue team with other monks and served as its captain, was practicing rescue skills and therefore did not participate.
Stark was burdened with a mountain of mundane tasks by Dugu Qing. He had to help a frighteningly large number of defenseless civilians and vagrants, organize them into a guard, train them in formations, and teach them martial arts. He was so busy that he had no time to spare and could only watch Dugu Qing leave.
Led by the construction team, the group boarded Flying Boat and quickly traveled to the central part of the continent.
Dugu Qing gazed at the majestic mountains in the distance and immediately cast Enlarge Magic.
His body instantly expanded a hundredfold, reaching the sky and towering into the clouds, standing shoulder to shoulder with the sun and moon, majestic, magnificent, and sacred.
"These are the three mountains, aren't they!"
Dugu Qing bent down, his snow-white, jade-like giant hand opening in mid-air to uproot the obstructing mountain range, finding a deserted area, and gently setting it down.
"These fish, could you please find another place to rest?"
Frieren used her Fishing Magic to catch all the fish and shrimp in the lake and put them into other lakes.
Dugu Qing strode forward, grabbing countless grains of yellow sand from the sandy plateau and dumping them into the lake.
The yellow sand gradually merged with the lake water, and the vast lake eventually transformed into a flat plain, a thousand miles of fertile land, where people could travel safely.
"Amazing, absolutely amazing!"
"Hero, you will surely lead us to victory against the Demons!"
A group of construction workers stood on the ground, witnessing the migration of mountains and the transformation of the sea into fertile land, their eyes filled with heartfelt admiration.