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"If the Pope knew that the number of Shamans in the Alliance has increased by one-fifth, would he be so happy that he'd have a stroke?"

The crowd on the city walls buzzed with discussion, their gazes all fixed on Minos Chief Bloodhoof. Even if this Old Niu had a hide as tough as iron, he couldn't withstand everyone's intense scrutiny and confessed obediently.

"Hehe, actually, it wasn't my skill, but the effect of the White Wolf's divine crystal. Last time, I heard it was very magical, so I borrowed it to take a look. Unexpectedly, when I used the Enlightenment Spell and casually tapped a child with it, a little Shaman emerged. So, I got excited and tapped all the kids, and this is what happened."

"Casually... tapped... and it turned out like this... Old Niu, do you know how much the War God Temple spends each year to select reserve Shamans? Do you know the proportion of Shamans in the Alliance's army? Do you know that thing could be the second 'Eye of the War God'? Do you know how much trouble this could cause?" The female fox, a Middle-level Shaman, was already losing her temper, pulling at Bloodhoof's battle robe and shouting. After all, such a mind-bending phenomenon truly disrupted her understanding as a certified Shaman.

"Shaman Linda, please calm down. Things are not as you imagine. The power of that silver crystal is not the 'Eye of the War God,' and these warriors did not receive true Shaman powers." Speaking was Blackk, the only High-level Shaman in the Minos Shaman group. "Initially, we were also shocked by this phenomenon, but after careful testing, we found that they only gained two Shaman abilities, similar to innate skills of magical beasts. They cannot continue learning or improving them. Moreover, apart from Minos warriors, the crystal has no effect on other races in the city or on certified Shamans. Therefore, there's no need to worry about causing a major upheaval."

"Then, Shaman Blackk, what is the other Shaman ability they received?"

"Spontaneous Battle Song—the Song of the Aura of Endurance."

"Indestructible iron warriors who can neither be injured nor exhausted? This is really going overboard."

"Ladies and gentlemen, now is not the time for discussion. The humans have arrived at the city gates and are beginning their attack."

Only then did everyone look up and see that the human army's siege vehicles had advanced to the city walls. Tall ladders were being extended towards the battlements. When Basten realized that the catapults could not suppress the orc guards, he dispatched his mages to cover the soldiers. Facing the incoming magic, the newly married old mage Wellington raised his staff and retaliated with all his might.

Chapter 31: Martial Souls and Beasts Fighting Through the Ages

In the entire war history of the Mainland, mages have always been a crucial force. With only one-thousandth the number of warriors, they have become an equally important combat unit, which is indeed a remarkable achievement. However, for any mage, they first consider themselves scholars rather than killers. Mages seek to explore and discover knowledge in the endless ocean of wisdom. Even when they must convert this knowledge into power, it is merely a means to better explore the unknown world.

To the uninitiated, the levels of mages seem similar to those of warriors, representing differences in combat strength. A Great Mage is akin to a Sword Saint, while a Mage Master is equivalent to a Sword Emperor, and so on. Even in the third-rate tales of bards, there are often stories of Great Mages dueling Sword Saints. In reality, for those who understand mages, these are nothing more than idle speculations and jokes.

Mages start as apprentices selected from among thousands of talented youths. Apart from daily meditation and basic magic practice, they systematically study mathematics, culture, history, nature, philosophy, astronomy, geography, various languages, and other complex foundational subjects. Even with exceptional minds and unwavering willpower, only one in ten apprentices qualifies. Afterward, apprentices become Mage Novices, learning elementary magic while also studying advanced mathematics, celestial theories, magical philosophy, ancient history, and other complex and profound knowledge. Only one in five graduates to become a regular mage.

Once mages can independently study and research magical knowledge, they can advance to Senior Mages. However, without substantial research achievements and publications, they will never become Great Mages. Great Mages must produce significant results to apply to the Mage Guild to become Mage Masters. The title of Master signifies their ability to recruit Mage Novices and pass on their knowledge.

As for Great Mages, they are granted the honorary title at the quadrennial Mage Conference, where the Mage Guild convenes all magical authorities to review and evaluate contributions. This title is awarded to Mage Masters who have made historically significant contributions. While theoretically, the higher the research level, the greater the magical power and prowess, it is common to find mages with excellent theoretical knowledge and achievements but lacking in practical combat strength. There have even been cases of mages losing all their magical power due to experimental mishaps yet still receiving the title of Great Mage based on their research. Thus, assuming titles represent actual combat strength is absolutely incorrect.

Of course, on this war-torn continent, completely avoiding involvement in wars is impossible. Therefore, the world needs a standard to measure a mage's combat strength. To avoid offending mages' pride, this standard bypasses their titles and instead evaluates all possible combat-related spells based on their power, effects, and consumption, comparing them to the ten-tier system of magical beasts. The twelve-tier spell system includes forbidden spells, and a mage's combat strength is measured by the highest tier of spell they can cast. For example, a mage who can use eighth-tier spells is called an Eighth-level Mage. Although this system has its shortcomings, it is widely accepted. Discussing a mage's level in front of them is considered impolite and should be avoided. Most mages, except for a few dedicated war mages, prefer to be judged by their intellect rather than their power.

However, our Great Mage Wellington happens to be one of the war mages. Though he lacks outstanding talent and has not achieved the qualifications of a Mage Master, he has devoted decades to cultivation since following Catherine's father, the previous orc king, Carter. His magical power is immense, and after the New Year's battle, he rejuvenated, breaking through the bottleneck of the eighth tier and initially mastering two ninth-tier spells, officially entering the realm of Ninth-level Mage. This level of cultivation is quite formidable even among Mage Masters.