Iya Continent: Card God

"How do you strengthen your mental power?" Jingong pondered in response to Linta's question.

That face, already drenched in sweat from the furnace, seemed to be in even greater pain now.

"This...this...?"

Kim Gong kept muttering to himself, as if he knew something, but also as if he didn't. He was completely at a loss for words.

Linta sighed, "Sigh..."

It seems they really didn't know.

"There's no such thing as a definitive answer to this. You just become stronger naturally!" Jin Gong said bluntly in a gruff voice.

Linta was speechless.

Become stronger? That's why I'm asking how to enhance my mental strength. I can't cultivate magic right now, so how can I become stronger?

"You're busy, I'll go ask Boss Shi, maybe he knows," Lin Ta said calmly.

Jingong said, "Ask him, it's useless. I don't know him. What you're talking about, some people on the continent of Iya have practiced, but it wasn't very useful. In the end, everyone discovered that as long as the magic power is strong enough, it's more useful than anything else. However..."

"If you really want to know, you can check the books. Doesn't the city library have books from all over the world? Maybe there are records of some magicians in there."

Linta's eyes lit up. "That's right, how could I forget? Books are the best way to find them."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

library.

The library built by the Vázquez family was always the same; the limited number of visitors was predetermined by the ticket restrictions.

Linta returned here; her last visit was to learn more about the Vasquez family. This second-generation hereditary ducal family's efforts to maintain their title were somewhat laughable. But that was irrelevant to her. What mattered was whether the library had the books she wanted.

"Tsk tsk..."

Linta looked at the densely packed books with a bitter expression.

I had no idea where to begin, and what I was looking for was extremely rare—books related to mental power. Whether or not anyone had written this type of book was another matter entirely.

His eyes moved, looking in the direction of the stack of books on the counter.

"Mr. Old Donkey".

The librarian seemed to know everything about the books in the library's collection.

"Old donkey..." Lin Ta didn't dare to make a loud noise in the library, only whispering as he kept moving closer to the seat.

Linta arrived at the stack of bookshelves and was slightly taken aback. Hidden beneath the pile of books was not the old man with the donkey, but a richly dressed, noble-looking young man.

The boy lay back in the rocking chair, his hands resting on his head like a pillow, fast asleep.

"Huh?" Lin Ta frowned. The person in front of him was definitely not the old donkey.

Other library staff?

Whether he was woken up by the noise or sensed someone in front of him, the boy quickly opened his eyes and stared at Lin Ta with his clear blue eyes.

"The old gentleman isn't here. You want to borrow a book? Please register and leave a deposit," the boy said impatiently.

The library's rules for borrowing books are simple: register the books you borrow, leave the corresponding copper coins, and return them on time. They don't care if you don't return them; the deposit will be more than the cost of printing a copy.

Linta explained, "Um, I came here looking for a book... I wanted to ask Mr. Old Donkey."

The boy said, "Don't ask me, I'm not familiar with this place. I'm just watching over it for Mr. Old Donkey for a while."

Linta realized that this guy didn't look like a library staff member at all. The fabric and quality of his clothes were rare in the entire city. His family was clearly wealthy and powerful.

That's strange. Why would a boy like that come here?

Curious? Just playing around?

"Kid, get up. I told you to mind the shop. You're sleeping so soundly, aren't you?" A voice, weathered yet carrying a hint of authority, rang out.

Lin Ta's eyebrows lifted, and he looked with delight at the old donkey who had spoken.

"Mr. Old Donkey".

The boy immediately became respectful, got up from the rocking chair, and said with a smile, "I admire you and want to learn from you."

Mr. Donkey snorted and said, "Learn from me? Humph, you don't learn anything good, you just learn the bad things..." As he spoke, he lazily leaned back in his rocking chair.

Linta's eyes narrowed slightly as he pondered.

The old man in the library is so respected by this young man; he must have some status and influence.

That's right, I almost forgot, this is the Vázquez family library. The person who can be the librarian of their family library is definitely not an ordinary old man. He must be at least a Silver-level powerhouse.

"It's you again. What's your name again?" Old Donkey looked at Lin Ta and asked slowly.

"Linta, my name is Linta. I'm here to borrow books," Linta said directly.

"What book do you want to borrow?" the old donkey asked curiously. He was a little curious about the young man in front of him, after all, he was the first person to borrow a biography of the Vázquez family from the library.

"Are there any books about mental power, preferably about how to strengthen mental power?" Linta asked earnestly.

"Hmm?" The old donkey's eyes flickered slightly, a strange light flashing within them.

The young man present was taken aback at first, then said with a mocking tone, "What do you need this kind of book for? Spiritual power, that ethereal existence. Why not borrow a few biographies of legendary magic users? I recommend..."

"Boy, shut up." The old donkey interrupted the boy with a stern voice.

The boy immediately shut up and didn't say another word.

The old man, Mr. Donkey, rose from his rocking chair, exhaled softly, and slowly walked toward a certain spot on the bookshelf.

Linta's face lit up with joy; it seemed there was one!

"Linta boy, what do you need this kind of book for?" the old donkey asked.

Linta naturally wouldn't tell the truth, but instead said, "I'm curious. I think strong mental strength is strong willpower, and only with a strong enough willpower can one better cultivate magic power."

The old donkey's lips trembled, letting out a slight smile. "Heh, this claim has long been proven to be fallacy."

Linta remained silent, not intending to argue. There must be a reason behind what the other party said. Over thousands of years, the continent of Iya had already proven enough that many cultivation paths were viable, and it was common knowledge which ones were not.

"However..." Old Donkey changed his tone slightly, "Some people have actually come to believe this kind of fallacy, hehe."

Linta's eyes widened, and her heart started racing.

The old donkey stopped and stood in front of a bookshelf, its eyes fixed intently on a book that hadn't been touched for who knows how many years. Perhaps, since the library was founded, no one had ever picked up this book.

"Yes, this is the one."

With calloused hands, he took out a book and handed it to Linta.

Linta stared stiffly at the book that was handed to him. The boy leaned closer curiously and muttered, "The Unusual Magic of Mage Gul."

The boy's blue eyes widened. "Master Gul! Is it that Master Gul?!"

Linta took the book, puzzled, and asked, "Who is it?"

The boy looked at Linta in surprise, "Huh? You don't even know Mage Gul? Are you human?"

In the year 1414 of the New Era, the most powerful magician organization in the history of the continent of Iya, the "Delos Magic Society," was founded. For centuries, countless magicians have cultivated their power, all inextricably linked to the Delos Magic Society.

Guru the Mage, one of the seven founders of the Magic Society.

The most famous "melee mage" in the legends of the continent of Iya.