After learning about the upgrade, Ronan slowly walked out of the basement that had been turned into a research workshop.

With him gone, the dark gold alchemy furnace that had been striking lost its luster.

The surface darkened, and the large mouth of the blood basin opened in the middle slowly closed, like a part of a protruding wall, merging with the environment.

The birch research platform, the three books carried above, the original record inside, the scenes of Ronan's study and research disappeared, leaving only blank pages.

All was silent.

......

Dusk has arrived, and night is approaching.

Ronan stood outside the castle and looked at his soldiers who had finished tidying up their homes not far away.

Ed was using his earth-shattering voice to direct them through their final drill before they disbanded tonight.

"My lord, the food we have on hand at present can only last for two weeks, and the environment near the castle lacks woodland and rivers, making it difficult to find prey to hunt, and we urgently need a new way to replenish food."

Old Mo Tou walked towards Ronan from one end, reporting the current situation of supplies with a serious expression.

Ronan nodded, indicating that he understood.

Not only that, but he knew that there were many other problems besides food that needed to be addressed as soon as possible.

His soldiers also need to have a goal after they are well fed.

In the previous trip, in the face of various difficulties along the way, the soldiers' goal was to reach their destination safely, and they were nervous about this and devoted themselves to training.

But now they've reached the finish line.

Ronan could see from the training in front of him that many of the soldiers had slackened in their movements.

It's not a big deal, it's human nature to want to rest and relax after a long journey, and no one can avoid it.

The problem is that if Ronan can't set new goals in time, even if he retains his normal training, this team that has managed to get a little momentum will start to loosen.

This is the cold wind collar, a strange land, where they have no relatives, no memories, no life.

Ronan needs to give them a visible goal, let them know that as long as they are under their hands, they can be rewarded after sweating.

For example, you can marry a beautiful wife, get a rich life, and be respected by the people. This will also allow them to take root in the Coldwind Collar and protect his territory with their hearts.

Strict military discipline is only the exterior of a strong army, and the internal belonging is the reason for their desperate efforts.

Fortunately, these problems were not unsolvable, and Ronan looked at the place where the sun had set, and there was a black city in that direction.

The plan to open up the permafrost will not be carried out anytime soon, but the nearby Black Rock City can help him solve his worries.

"The gap in food, artisans, population, and finance is a bit big, but it's not necessarily, maybe you don't need to spend money." Ronan thought for a moment and called Ed over in the distance.

"The day after tomorrow, I will take Old Mo Tou to Black Rock City with me, and I will come back in about a week, and you will stay here in the territory to continue training soldiers."

"Big brother, don't you take me with you?" Ed looked worried.

"I need someone I trust enough to help me guard this place, and I don't have to worry about my safety."

Ronan patted him, and then asked White to bring ten soldiers to get ready and go with him the day after tomorrow.

With his current ability, he didn't need to be afraid of outside attacks.

The enemy he can't stop, it doesn't make sense to have Ed by his side.

After arranging his trip, Ronan set his sights on a dead old tree outside the castle, where a flock of black crows was gathering and calling noisily.

After seeing Ronan coming, the crows were not only not afraid, but the cries were louder and their eyes looked at him.

As a social bird, crows have a high IQ, which gives them a certain desire to socialize in groups, and they especially like to make noise before bedtime, like a human talking in bed at night.

Ronan took a small piece of bread from his bosom and handed it in their direction.

There was a brief silence in the crows, tilting their heads to each other.

After a few seconds, one of them couldn't resist the temptation and flapped its wings towards Ronan.

flew very fast, and it could be seen that there was a plan to run away if it was grabbed.

But when it grabbed the bread, Ronan had already pointed his finger at its head.

Spiritual projection.

This is Ronan's newly acquired specialty, which can spend mana to mark the brains of living beings, and when the mark is successful, he can project his own spirit to control the actions of the other party.

Wisdom will be judged when marking, too high wisdom will be exempted from the mark, and too low will not be able to carry spiritual projection.

The former is representative of human beings, and the latter such as insects, microorganisms, etc., individuals have almost no intelligence, and will be directly drowned by Ronan's spiritual projection.

And the crow is undoubtedly a good choice.

After spending half of the magic power, the mark was successful, and Ronan projected his own spirituality onto the crow.

He found himself with a whole new perspective.

Ronan looked at the crow perched on his arm, who also looked at him in sync, stretched out his wings and shook his hand.

Since the crow is only controlled by the projection of his own spirituality, it does not affect the control of Ronan's own body, and it is more like playing a small game with his mobile phone.

Ronan then began another attempt.

Marked creatures, when manipulated by him with spiritual projections, can use his powers.

Such as sharpness from swordsmanship, star barriers, mount enhancement from mounted archery, and auto-aim.

Of course, it also needs to consume mana, and normal creatures don't have mana themselves, so Ronan has to inject it in advance.

Ronan gently stroked the crow's smooth feathers, and the magic flowed into its body in the palm of his hand.

When the injected mana reaches 3, Ronan stops, because if he continues, the injected mana will quickly escape from the crow.

It's like a cup full of water, and if you keep pouring it, it will only overflow.

"It takes half a bit of mana to mark a crow, and each one can carry up to three points of mana." Ronan stopped stroking and canceled the spiritual projection.

The raven, which had regained control of itself, did not fly away, and looked at Ronan with its large, curious eyes.

It began to rub its wings eagerly against Ronan's arm, only to quiet down when he stroked the feathers with his hand again, tilting its head comfortably.

The creatures that have carried Ronan's spiritual projection will spontaneously get close to him, producing a reaction of dependence and obedience.

As he stroked it, Ronan looked back at the crows in the dead trees.

Crows are large birds with a pitch-black body, a long, strong beak with a slightly hooked shape, and powerful claws that can walk or stay on branches. It is a bird with a unique shape, agile flight, aggression and adaptability.

When they come out in groups, they can easily drive away other creatures.

Ronan needs their help, and the crows will rule the skies under his leadership.