Above the mage!

Chapter 296: On Track and Good News
Following Gode's orders, Grant has already recruited a group of people from the tribe and is working non-stop to reclaim the first batch of 300,000 acres of land.

However, before the birth of "Northwest Barley No. 1", the Zhenbing Tribe could not devote too much manpower to land reclamation.

Because before having a stable food source, the labor force in the tribe still has to focus on obtaining food as its main task, and cannot engage in land reclamation that will not bring any immediate benefits.

Storing food has always been a very difficult thing for people in the North - it is difficult to get enough to eat, so how can they store food?

This also leads to their poor ability to resist risks.

Even though the Zhenbing Tribe was the largest tribe in the North, it was not much better off in this regard, not to mention that the Zhenbing Tribe had just experienced a "waste" of troops on the Icefield Temple, and its food reserves, which were not rich to begin with, had suddenly run out.

Therefore, even if Gaode was 99% sure of the success of hybrid barley, he could not rashly make a decision that would cause many tribesmen to starve to death if there was a 1% chance of failure.

Naturally, with less investment in manpower and material resources, the area of ​​farmland currently reclaimed in Phoenix is ​​still far from the target number of 300,000 acres.

The snowfield on one side outside the Phoenix Ice City wall is the starting point for the first batch of 300,000 acres of farmland to be reclaimed in Gode's plan.

The group came here with Northwest Barley No. 1 seed.

Nearly a hundred members of the Zhenbing tribe have been waiting here for a long time according to orders.

They were the ones responsible for reclaiming the land during this time.

Following Gao De's instructions and under Flora's guidance, nearly a hundred members of the Zhenbing tribe took over the Northwest Barley No. 1 seeds and began to sow them at the most appropriate spacing and density.

The dozen or so apprentices from the Ministry of Agriculture were responsible for taking notes.

After the Zhenbing people had planted all the Northwestern Barley No. 1 seeds they brought, Gaode nodded slightly to Sunaifa beside him.

Sunaifa immediately understood and selected a row of seed pits that were already covered with soil and performed his natural magic.

At this moment, Gao De was also a little excited. He was not worried about the growth of Northwest Barley No. 1, and he had great confidence in the hybrid breeding experiment.

What he cared about was that this was destined to be a great moment.

From today on, barley will officially appear on the permafrost tundra, and the changes in the north will also begin from this moment.

Under Sunaifa's "natural technique", under the watchful eyes of everyone, more than a hundred barley seedlings quickly broke through the soil and grew rapidly.

Although the wheat seedlings have not yet been harvested, everyone in the Zhenbing tribe was already jaw-dropping when they saw that these wheat seeds, which were clearly harvested from the golden wheat that can only grow on volcanic soil, were sprouting on the snowfield.

Those Zhenbing people who came to carry out the sowing work according to orders were even more stunned.

The next steps are actually the same as the cultivation process of native varieties of cold-tolerant wheat.

Except for the time when they need to stop for artificial pollination during the flowering period, all the others are brought into being in one go by Sunaifah using the "art of nature".

Everything went smoothly and naturally.

More than one hundred tall and lush Northwest Barley No. 1 plants, loaded with heavy, golden ears of wheat, appeared so "lively" in front of everyone.

With just a cursory glance, Gao De knew that the yield per acre would definitely meet his requirement of "120 kilograms".

As the cold wind blows, a rich wheat aroma is already spreading, making people feel relaxed and happy.

Gaode cast the Mage's Hand, plucked a handful of wheat ears from a barley plant, and rubbed them gently in his hand.

The hard outer shell fell off, revealing the golden wheat grains with a few transparent vertical lines.

It looks similar to Golden Wheat, but the difference is obvious.

Gao De stuffed the handful of wheat grains into his mouth and began to chew them carefully - this is the best way to eat Golden Wheat.

The taste is crispy and slightly sweet.

Of course, although taste is important, it is not what Gaode is concerned about.

After he chewed the barley grains and swallowed them, a warm current instantly rose from his abdomen and spread throughout his body, making his body warmer in an instant.

This is exactly the cold-resistant property of Golden Wheat, and it is also what Gaode values ​​most.

Keeping warm and having food have always been the biggest survival problems for people in the North.

The Northwest Barley No. 1 variety provides solutions to both of these two problems.

"You can try it too." Gao De said to everyone with a smile.

Grant, the Deputy Minister of Agriculture, swallowed his saliva, took the lead in plucking a handful of wheat ears, rubbed off the husks, and nervously stuffed the grains into his mouth and began to chew.

The next moment, Grant's slightly cloudy eyes suddenly lit up.

Seeing his reaction, the others couldn't help themselves and followed his example, plucking a handful of wheat ears to taste.

Immediately afterwards, everyone's eyes sparkled and their bodies began to tremble slightly with excitement.

"My king, if this kind of barley can grow without volcanic soil, there will be no more children starving to death in Phoenix. Can it really be grown in large quantities on the snowfield?" Grant's voice was a little dry and trembling, and he still couldn't believe it.

"As you can see, Deputy Minister Grant," Godard said, "the snowfield is the most suitable growth environment for Northwest Barley No. 1. On the contrary, if it is planted on volcanic land, it will not grow normally."

"However, the area of ​​snowfield farmland suitable for planting that we have reclaimed is not enough." Gao De changed the subject and pointed out the current problem.

He paused, turned around and said to Sunaifa, "Next, under the premise of ensuring that there will be no problem with food supply, we must shift the focus of the tribe to cultivating the fields."

"That's right, my king." Sunaifa said.

"We still need your help in the breeding work of Northwest Barley No. 1." Gao De said again.

If you want to quickly obtain the Northwest Barley No. 1 variety with stable and ideal traits, you cannot do without the "art of nature" to quickly produce it in a short period of time.

When he thought of this, Gao De couldn't help but feel secretly fortunate.

If it weren't for the "magic of nature", it would take at least four or five years to cultivate the first generation of Northwest Barley No. 1.

The subsequent multi-generational screening will take several more years, but now it’s only been half a month and everything is already on track.

Sunaifa nodded heavily.

This is not just "going to the fields to farm", but a world-changing event for the entire Zhenbing Tribe and even the entire Northern Territory.

"As for the guidance and standard supervision of field reclamation, as well as the subsequent multi-generational screening and breeding of Northwest Barley No. 1, it is the responsibility of the Ministry of Agriculture."

"There are not many available people in the Ministry of Agriculture at the moment, and there are so many things to do. I'm sorry to trouble you for a while." Godard said to Flora and Grant again.

The hybrid barley project is on the right track, and Gaode is not prepared to be a "full-time housekeeper".

He handed over the rest of the work of grain planting to the Ministry of Agriculture. After that, Gaode would at most occasionally check the progress and results and make some relevant suggestions.

Delegating power when it is time to do so is both a way to liberate yourself and a way to cultivate talent.

——Not only is there a shortage of available people in the Ministry of Agriculture, but there are also too few available people in the entire Phoenix.

A rapidly growing organization cannot possibly have only one department.

However, the establishment of a department represents a new responsibility and capability, which requires sufficient management talent and foundation, otherwise it is meaningless to build an empty shell.

The more he thought about it, the heavier the burden on his shoulders became.

Because Phoenix lacked so many things, it basically started from scratch. The only consolation was that because it was "primitive, closed and backward" enough, and the Zhenbing people believed in him blindly, any of Gaode's ideas that were considered "heretical" by the outside world could be implemented most resolutely here.

而在高德看来，在北境的从“0”到“100”，其实比外界的从“40”、“50”到“100”是要来得容易的。

Because from "0" to "100", only "100" effort is required.

In the outside world, it may be necessary to first destroy "40" or "50" to "0", and then start from "0", and the effort required is "140".

Time passed quickly and another ten days passed.

With the blessing of the fourth-level spiritual land, Gao De condensed a new drop of liquid magic power half a year after being promoted to a first-ring magician.

The practice of cultivation is finally getting on the right track.

Mana Amount: 21 drops of liquid mana.

Mental power: 132.

This is the current status of Gaode.

He obtained the last four first-ring spells from the Guardian of the Snowfield. During this period of time, he also constructed spell models for all of them and successfully mastered them.

The number of first-level spells in God's spell library has now expanded to 14.

This number of first-level spells is actually no different from that of a senior first-level wizard.

In addition, with the "efforts" of the Zhenbing tribe members, Gaode obtained another 6 points of the One-Ring Origin. With the remaining point, he now had 7 points of the One-Ring Origin in his hand.

However, at this time, his efficiency in obtaining the origin was not as high as before.

After all, there are only about 20 to 30 common earth vein creatures on the snowfield, and there are only about ten species in the area around Phoenix.

The other earth vein creatures in the ring are either uncommon or there are less than seven of them.

But this is not a big deal.

Because now Gaode’s request is only for the tribesmen to help him capture some first-ring earth vein creatures while hunting for food.

Once Northwest Barley No. 1 is fully available and he no longer has to worry about food, he can form a hunting team that will be responsible for capturing earth vein creatures alive.

With a clear idea in mind, Gaode added points to all four newly mastered first-ring spells, without being stingy with the essence.

Speak with Animals + (Divination, 1st level):

Gain the ability to understand and communicate with wild beasts for the spell's duration.

Many beasts are not very intelligent, so their level of cognition is quite limited, but they can at least provide you with intelligence about the surrounding area and monsters, including anything they are aware of now and in the past day.

There is a small chance that you can convince the beast to do you a small favor.

Bonus: The spell also affects leyline creatures of a lower level than you.

Originally, [Animals Talking] was one of the spells that the Snowfield Guardians had to learn.

Because in the sparsely populated snowfield, this spell is extremely practical whether for obtaining intelligence or finding targets.

Moreover, even in the city, [Animal Talking Skill] can still play a big role.

——The size and living habits of wild animals allow them to go to and notice many places that humans would not pay attention to.

Another thing is that humans are naturally not very wary of wild animals - just like if a fugitive is seen by humans, they may kill him to silence him, but if he is seen by a mouse, they generally will not take such rigorous measures as exterminating the mouse.

[Speak with Animals+] expands the effective range of the spell and further enhances its practicality.

Hunter's Mark+ (Divination, 1st level):

Choose a creature you can see within range (180 feet = 60 meters) and magically mark it as your prey.

Until the spell ends (one hour), you deal extra damage each time you hit the target with a weapon attack, and you gain an easier time finding the marked creature when searching for it.

Additional: Your spell attacks deal an equal amount of extra damage to the target.

[Beast Bond +] (Prophecy, 1st level):

You establish a telepathic link with a beast you touch that is friendly to you or that you charm.

If the beast is of high intelligence (greater than monkeys, wolves, or some birds), the spell fails.

Until the spell ends, this link remains active as long as you and the beast are within line of sight of each other.

Through this link, the beast can understand your telepathic messages, and it will telepathically communicate its basic emotions and intentions to you.

Bonus: As long as the creature is friendly to you or is charmed by you, you can successfully establish a telepathic link regardless of its Intelligence.

[Mystical Chorus +] (Illusion, 1st level):

A form of music you choose plays within a 60-foot radius around you.

The sound of the music can be transmitted around corners, the music moves with you, and always stays centered on you for the duration.

Until the spell ends, you can use an action to trick a creature of your choice near you that can see you and hear the music.

The creature must attempt a mental challenge. If the challenge fails, the creature becomes friendly to you as long as it can hear the music and for 1 hour thereafter.

The chance of success is increased when performing a diplomatic action such as deception on a creature that has been made friendly by this spell.

Additional: You control who the music is transmitted to. Creatures that are not within the spell’s range cannot hear the music, even if they are within the spell’s area.

[Hunter's Mark] is a typical combat spell, and it is extremely cost-effective against those thick-skinned and tough earth creatures.

But because the spell effect can only increase weapon damage, it is actually only suitable for "melee" mages like Baruk who are good at martial arts.

At least for Gaode, this is a useless spell.

But after adding points to Wind Spirit and Moon Shadow, [Hunter's Mark+] is suitable for all mages.

[Beast Bond] is a beast taming spell, used by Snowfield Guardians to increase affection and establish close connections with animals.

[Mystical Chorus] is a rare illusion spell.

For Gaode, although these two spells are rare spells, there are actually not many occasions where they can be used. They are spells that are better than nothing.

But for the entire Zhenbing tribe, [Beast Bond] is a spell that Gaode thinks can be promoted vigorously. Whether it is the future development of "animal husbandry" or "transportation industry", this spell can come in handy.

Gao De stood up and was about to go to the Jinhui Farm outside the city, which was being cultivated in full swing, to inspect the progress.

——The first batch of 300,000 acres of land to be reclaimed has been named Jinhui Farm, named after Jinhui wheat.

But unexpectedly, Sunaifa came to the door first.

"My king, the area of ​​land transformed by the sacred tree in Valar Bay has reached your requirements."

She brought good news to Gaode.

(End of this chapter)