This story is from a very long time ago, so distant that even an old man like myself cannot recall the name of that era. If a timeframe must be established for this story, then according to the Scholars' deductions, this period should fall under the reign of Kayne's third-generation monarch.

During that period, the Kayne Empire—although strictly speaking, it could not yet be called an Empire at that time—had, after a long period of forbearance, gradually established the name Kayne as a firm foothold on the continent.

Whether it was the Mantai People from the west or the Vero People from the southeast, they all considered Kayne a naive child ripe for bullying. In the histories of these two empires, the Kayne People were the eliminated weaklings; weaklings who had no right to speak.

Every so often, these two empires would come to the Kayne Realm to plunder. The forbearing Kayne People, with their tenacious spirit, endured year after year.

During these years, the Scholars of the Kayne Realm enjoyed unprecedented and unparalleled status. They diligently led the six major professions to rapid development, soon forming a Class System.

The rise of the Kayne Empire was inseparable from this Class System. A clear division of labor led to unprecedented development. They made the limited land yield far more food than usual; they found uses for discarded things, and suddenly, miracles blossomed everywhere across the once-barren land.

But the two invading nations knew nothing of this. They only knew how to demand and take; they would come, take what they wanted, leave, and return for more when they needed it, completely oblivious to the Kayne Realm's burgeoning strength. Both the Vero People and the Mantai People believed their slaughtering blades were sharp enough and their power formidable enough to keep those weaklings intimidated.

Lacking a sense of crisis is a very bad habit. Even the once-mighty Mantai and the insidious Vero had not learned their lesson from the rebellion led by Kayne's first-generation monarch.

They coveted the Kayne People's ability to produce food and, by allowing the Kayne People to develop, unwittingly let them grow strong.

The desire of the Mantai and Vero for extortion knew no bounds. Their frequent, successful plundering led them to see the Kayne Realm as merely a flock of lambs awaiting slaughter.

Resentment had long since taken root in the hearts of the Kayne People. Under the leadership of Kayne's second-generation monarch, they had long ago begun to plan their revenge. This plan was nurtured in forbearance, as the six major professions developed slowly, all while they awaited an opportunity.

The accumulation of old and new hatreds turned every Kayne person into a potential Soldier. Their unity was unprecedented, their tenacity boundless, as they waited for the day they could strike back against those arrogant bastards. The Kayne People found a suitable pretext at an opportune moment. They finally had their chance, and they launched a counterattack against the formidable Mantai Cavalry.

The course of events was actually quite simple. The Mantai Empire, as was customary, came to the Kayne Realm to demand supplies. Their conflict with the Dwarves and Mountain Monsters consumed vast amounts of resources, so taking a few lambs from the Kayne Realm was a perfectly normal affair for them.

The Kayne People dutifully presented their tribute before the knights, but the knights deemed the offering too meager. They demanded to take a few more lambs, which led to a verbal conflict.

This minor verbal dispute ignited the flames of hatred within the Kayne People. They had long been prepared, waiting for this very day. Their Fighters used homemade Copper Swords to slay the leading knight, raising the curtain on their renewed counteroffensive.

The Mantai Empire paid little heed to this small-scale resistance. There had been similar incidents before, and they believed this rabble would naturally retreat upon seeing the vast Mantai army. Just as in the past, these people would once again bind their own hands and kneel, begging for mercy. Such an incident had occurred before, so Mantai's Emperor dismissed it.

They believed that such a rabble only needed a good scare to blunt their audacity. Thus, they dispatched only a single cavalry unit for a show of force.

On one side, a flame of hatred nurtured for over ten years; on the other, a cavalry unit merely making a show of force. The difference between the two was starkly clear.

The outcome was self-evident. The Kayne People annihilated that cavalry squadron sent merely for a show of force, unleashing the flames of their hatred upon them. Each cavalryman was hacked into countless pieces by the Kayne People; not a single intact corpse could be reassembled. Their mounts were confiscated by the Kayne People, becoming new subjects for the Scholars' research and improvement.

When this news reached the ears of Mantai's Emperor, he simply could not believe that a mere rabble could utterly defeat his elite cavalry. Without a second word, he personally led his main army toward the Kayne Realm.

As his grand army advanced, Mantai's Emperor had intended to awe the Kayne rabble with his might. However, he had not anticipated that on their march, even as they neared the borders of the Kayne Realm, they would be counterattacked by the Kayne People.

The mounts beneath his proud cavalry suddenly began to rear and bolt as if they had lost their wits, and the entire advancing column could not maintain formation. This chaos completely disrupted the rhythm of his cavalry, shattering their offensive formation before they even reached the Kayne Realm.

The Kayne Realm's counterattack surprised him even more. Soldiers, appearing as if from nowhere, stealthily reaped the heads of his cavalrymen. It was only when his cavalry charged into the enemy's formation that Mantai's Emperor realized the Kayne Realm now possessed its own military strength.

Although the weapons these people wielded were unfamiliar to his men, those strange implements consistently inflicted disastrous blows upon his cavalry.

Mantai's Emperor's grand army was thus routed, and he fled in disarray, not even daring to look back.

The same battle strategy could not succeed twice, and Mantai's Emperor, having been tricked once, would not be fooled again. After retreating to the Ghost Realm, he once more amassed a large army, determined to strike back.

The fully prepared Mantai People, seething with fury, presented a terrifying sight. Beating their chests with their scimitars, they galloped forward on their mounts with fervor.

This time, the Mantai army discovered that the many tall walls erected in the Kayne Realm in previous years were now connected, forming a continuous, formidable barrier that obstructed the advance of their mounts.

However, nothing could stop the valiant Mantai People. They surged forward, wave after wave. To avenge their Emperor's humiliation, they used their own blood and bodies to form human ladders, with those behind trampling upon the corpses of their fallen comrades to press the assault...

The momentum of the Mantai People was like an arrow loosed from a taut bowstring, instantly striking fear into the Kayne People. This overwhelming, relentless onslaught showcased the Mantai People's formidable physical strength and unwavering resolve.

The connected walls teetered precariously; the defensive lines established by the Kayne People were on the brink of collapse.

But they had no path of retreat; their homes and families were right behind them. If the defenses fell, their homeland would be destroyed. At that point, all their past forbearance would have been in vain, and what would follow would be a bloody slaughter at the hands of the Mantai People...

To protect their homeland and effectively resist the frenzied onslaught of the Mantai People, Kayne's third-generation monarch made a difficult decision.

He decided to adopt the suggestions of the more radical Scholars and Wizards: to use the extremely fragile yet highly sensitive Spirit Communication Spell.

The development of the six professions had granted them powers beyond ordinary comprehension. The Spirit Communication Spell was one such power, but this spellcraft was perilously close to death, making Kayne's third-generation monarch hesitate. Now, in this time of crisis, he could no longer afford such reservations and resolutely decided to use this spellcraft to resist the Mantai army.

This spellcraft was one of the secrets recorded in the sealed scroll of this mountain—the Spirit Communication Spell, a form of Spellcraft that could use Natural Force to summon the souls of those who had already journeyed to the Eternal Tranquility Realm!