Above the mage!

Chapter 321 Retest and Giant Octopus
[Light Feather Step+] (Transmutation, 1st level):

For the duration of the spell (10 minutes), the subject ignores the penalties imposed on movement by difficult terrain.

Additional: For the duration of this spell, the subject costs less energy to move.

Frosty gold moon, 16th.

The sea breeze blowing towards me has a slightly salty smell.

There were a lot of guys around wearing striped jackets, with a dark but faded and old tweed or canvas jacket over them.

Many of them braid their hair into small braids and hang decorative items such as glass beads or beads made of fish bones on them, and most of them have messy beards.

They often wear red, gray or black scarves on their heads and move around the port like a colony of industrious ants.

Not far away is the vast and boundless surging sea with white foam.

This is the seaport of Dorne, the Port of Dorne.

The streets at the port are a bit crowded.

Gaode withdrew his gaze from the sea level in the port.

The cries of seagulls above the harbor and on the sea, mixed with the bagpipe tunes coming from the harbor taverns, were torn to pieces by the sea breeze and finally landed in the noisy clamor of the harbor.

In addition to the smell of sea water and fish, there is also a unique fragrance in the air.

It was a sweet, winey aroma that came from the rum sold in large quantities in the port's numerous taverns.

Rum is a strong liquor made from fresh sugarcane juice rich in sugar and water through fermentation and distillation processes.

The flavor is quite strong and the price is very cheap. You can buy a large cup (about a pint) for 20 coppers and drink as much as you want.

For sailors who drift on the water all year round and engage in physical labor, this is a very cost-effective enjoyment.

The entire port is paved with smooth stone slabs.

This is a necessary project for the harbor which is often exposed to wind and rain.

However, not all seaports can afford the construction and maintenance of such a huge project. Only a small number of ports can afford such a scene.

Apparently, Dorne is one of these small number of ports.

The entire port is very lively, with many large ships docked there, and all kinds of supplies can be seen on the road.

This is because many large ships dock at ports, often selling goods while replenishing their stocks.

Gao De walked along the busy harbor road and saw many new and interesting things.

For example, the porcelain from the distant Middle East continent includes blue-and-white porcelain with fresh and elegant tones and blue flowers on a white background, pastel porcelain with soft and bright colors, and painted porcelain that combines the painting styles of the Middle East continent and the Plantagenet dynasty.

These exquisite items were the fashion symbols of the Plantagenet nobles and were treasures for them to decorate their homes.

If you don’t have one or two pieces at home, you’d be embarrassed to call yourself a noble, so there’s no need to worry about sales.

In addition, there are even small monkeys that are 20 to 30 centimeters long, and their fur is usually olive or gray.

It is said that it was also transported across the ocean from an alien continent. It is smart and human-like, and is also an exclusive pet of wealthy families.

There are countless gadgets like this, which really opened Gaode's eyes.

Finally, Gode arrived at a corner of the port.

This is a place specially designated for official ships to dock, so there are not many idle people here. It is much quieter and tidier than other places in Dorne Port.

At this time, a large North Sea three-masted square ship was docked.

The hull is made of hard and durable oak, with seamless seams and a streamlined shape.

The bow is sharp, which is conducive to breaking through the waves, while the stern is relatively wide and square, which can provide better stability for the boat.

There is a black line on the waterline of the hull, like a black ribbon, tightly wrapped around the hull, separating the upper and lower parts of the hull.

The three tall masts are made of multiple sections of wood, and each section is tightly connected by iron hoops and ropes. Moreover, they are not ordinary wood, but are taken from the magic tree.

There is also a special observation tower on the main mast.

In addition, sails made of the fur of earth creatures are hung on the mast.

Compared to traditional and common linen sails, sails made of earth vein creature fur have certain extraordinary properties. They can better capture the sea breeze, convert it into more powerful power, have waterproof capabilities and even some unknown strange abilities.

This large sailing ship has three floors.

At the boarding gate, officials in naval uniforms were conducting inspections.

Yes, this big ship is the re-examination location for the Sea Sentinel.

As soon as he entered this area, Gao De was stopped by someone.

He handed over the parchment he had received during the initial test, which not only stated the time and place of the retest, but also served as an "admission ticket".

After verifying that there was no problem with his "admission ticket", Gao De was taken to the deck of the large ship named "Interceptor".

The deck was made of planks of oak that was at least fifty years old, and unlike ordinary merchant ships or cargo ships, it was scrubbed very clean.

A clean deck not only provides safety, but also gives a very good visual experience.

When Gao De arrived, there were already nearly twenty young mages on the deck, all looking a little nervous and expectant.

Obviously, they are all people who have passed the initial selection test like him and are here to take the re-examination.

The moment these people saw Gao De get on the boat, they all looked at him, but there was not much hostility in their eyes.

Because the assessment of the Sea Sentinel is not a competitive mechanism, that is to say, as long as you meet their requirements, you can join the Sea Sentinel.

If it cannot be achieved, I will not settle for anything even if I don't want it.

After waiting for about ten minutes, more than ten people came one after another, and it was time to meet in advance.

For such an important event, naturally no one would be late.

In other words, the selection of sea sentinels lasted for nearly half a month, and in the end, only about thirty mages passed the preliminary test, an average of two and a half per day.

And in the re-examination stage, most or even more candidates will be screened out.

This is the threshold of Sea Sentinel.

Although the time had come, the examiner from the Sea Sentinel did not show up.

As time passed, the thirty or so people on the deck gradually began to get anxious and started talking in low voices.

Gaode didn’t feel much about it - come on, is it so strange that the “leader” is slow to appear?

Fortunately, the wait didn't last too long.

Ten minutes later, a middle-aged man who looked to be in his forties and had a long and narrow face walked out of the cabin on the deck.

He was wearing a majestic Sea Sentinel Mage uniform. The soft black leather was inlaid with gorgeous metal buckles, engraved with the Sea Sentinel emblem, and the golden epaulettes on his shoulders were eye-catching. It was a crown pattern, representing his rank as a warrant officer mage.

Behind him were three younger sea sentinel mages of lower ranks.

"Warrant Officer Xilin." A staff member in charge of logistics brought up a stack of documents and handed them over one by one respectfully.

At the same time, two people worked together to carry up a slightly complicated alchemical machine. There was a transparent plate on the machine, but no one knew what it was used for.

The man called Warrant Officer Xilin took the pieces of parchment and asked, "Am I not late?"

"It's exactly the appointed time. Warrant Officer Xilin is always punctual, we all know that." The staff member had a perfect smile on his face and his tone was full of flattery.

"That's good." Warrant Officer Xilin smiled slightly and scanned the parchment.

He is the chief examiner in charge of the re-examination today.

The parchment handed over by the staff was the list of wizards who passed the preliminary test, followed by some brief personal information and comments from the preliminary test examiners.

"Then let's start the assessment right away and don't waste time." Warrant Officer Xilin looked at the information intently and gave orders slowly. His voice was steady and powerful, with unquestionable majesty.

"receive."

The staff member immediately responded loudly.

Then, he straightened his back, took a step forward, and spoke to the thirty or so mages on the deck who were taking the re-examination.

"The mage whose name I'm going to announce is here. Please get ready."

"Bohn Mac."

The staff called out the name of the first mage to take the re-examination.

The sound traveled far in the sea breeze.

Then, a young male wizard with a square face and about twenty years old stood out from the crowd.

The staff member clapped his hands and looked into the sea outside the deck.

The next moment, with a splash, a huge monster suddenly jumped out of the sea.

A huge octopus jumped out of the sea.

It was a giant octopus, as big as a small hill, with a bunch of thick tentacles extending from its leathery body and dancing wildly.

Its entire body is covered with black grooves that meander and, at first glance, look somewhat like the wrinkles on a genital sac.

"This is your test target, Paul. It's a giant mutant octopus in the late first ring. You don't need to defeat it. Of course, you can't do it. It has already beaten all the first ring mages of our Sea Sentinel. It is truly invincible."

"You just need to show your best ability and fight it. The examiner will give you a corresponding score based on your performance in the battle. If the score reaches the passing line, you will pass the retest."

The staff briefly introduced the re-examination process and rules, and then looked at the wizard named Bonn Mike.

"When you're ready, get in the water."

Then he added, "Once you leave the deck, the battle will be considered to have begun, and Paul will attack. Friendly reminder, you can cast some buff spells that take time beforehand."

The wizard named Bonn Mac took a deep breath and tried to calm his nervous mood.

He knew the importance of this re-examination. Under the gaze of everyone, Born began to cast a first-level spell mage armor and tricks on himself to increase resistance.

These are all very common choices.

In fact, there was more than that, because two waves of magic power surged from his body one after another.

However, compared with [Mage Armor] and [Increased Resistance], it is impossible to tell what specific spells these two fluctuations are with the naked eye.

Then, Bonn, who was ready, had a flash of determination in his eyes, and he exerted force with his legs and jumped out from the deck to the sea.

This jump was actually five or six meters away, drawing a neat arc in the air.

【Jumping Technique】

Seeing this scene, Gode determined that it was one of the two additional spells that Born had cast.

flutter!
Just as Gao De's thoughts were dissipating, a loud whipping sound was heard, like a thunderbolt that cleared the air.

One of Paul's tentacles looked thick and wet on the surface, but it was not heavy at all. It was like a whip, accompanied by a whistling sound, and it came over with lightning speed and hit Bonn's waist accurately and without error.

This swift blow not only interrupted the attack spell that Bourne was about to cast, but also sucked him into the water.

Pass!
Immediately afterwards, there was a deafening sound of someone falling into the water, accompanied by a huge amount of water splashing up, forming a white mist.

After the white mist dissipated, Bonn and Paul disappeared in an instant, leaving only circles of ripples that continued to spread outward.

No wonder Gao De thought to himself that it was no wonder that no one else had to avoid seeing this scene.

He was just thinking that there was an obvious loophole in this re-examination: the people who were drawn later could prepare some response strategies in advance based on the battle between the previous mages and Paul, which was obviously unfair to the mages who took the test first.

As it turned out, except for the initial lashing, the rest of the battle took place underwater.

Even if the onlookers stretched their necks and opened their eyes wide, they could only catch a few occasional waves. As for what the battle situation was like underwater, they had no idea.

The problem is, it’s okay if they can’t see it, but what about the examiners?
How can the examiner give a score if he cannot see the specific battle process?
With this question in mind, Gao De looked towards the examiners and found that the four examiners were concentrating on looking at the transparent board of the alchemy machine.

At this moment, the transparent board was emitting a soft glow.

Although he couldn't see what was on the board from his angle, Gao De realized that it should be an alchemical machine similar to "underwater monitoring" that broadcast underwater images in real time.

Gao De was still immersed in this discovery, and his thoughts had not yet come to his senses when there was a loud "bang", like a thunderclap.

The giant octopus named Paul broke out of the water again, its huge body carrying a large amount of sea water, reflecting a dazzling light under the sunlight.

One of its tentacles was tightly wrapped around Bonnie Mac.

Bonn was completely soaked by the sea water, with strands of hair sticking to his cheeks, looking miserable.

Paul swung his tentacles slightly, and Bonn was thrown onto the deck like a rag doll.

Fortunately, because it was just a test, Paul did not use any heavy hands, so after Bonn landed, he used his hands and feet to quickly get up.

It's just that his complexion looks a little ugly.

Because he knew that his performance was too bad and he would definitely not pass the re-examination.

that's the truth.

Warrant Officer Xilin calmly and slowly put a cross behind Bonn Mac's name on the parchment.

The action was quick and decisive, without any hesitation.

"Next," he said.

"The next one is Pao Locke." The staff member quickly stood up and read out the name.

(End of this chapter)