Above the mage!

Chapter 456 Return to Auckland

tempered into a steel.

After nearly two weeks of torment and tempering, I finally obtained the [Primary Healing Body].

The last line of the [Primary Healing Body] skill that Gaode looked at said was: Your blood contains special power that can increase the healing speed of others' wounds by 46.4% and can also inhibit wound infection to a certain extent.

Previously, when he evolved into the [Primary Azure Amber Body], his blood already possessed the attribute of "being able to repel ordinary poisonous insects and having a slight detoxifying effect," and now it has added the healing effect.

As it continues to develop and accumulate, will it eventually become like Arhat blood, a cure-all?

The thought flashed through his mind, and Gao De slowly exhaled.

It has finally come to a temporary end.

Of course, this is just the beginning. Whether we continue to strive for the [Intermediate Healing Body] or explore a new "track", there is much to be done.

However, Gaode Maps will have to temporarily suspend the development of its adaptive feature.

Today is the 13th, and in two days, the title conferment ceremony for the "Honorary Mage of Auckland" will be held.

He is already preparing to leave for Auckland City first thing tomorrow morning.

Under the effect of [Primary Healing Body], Gao De could clearly feel that every wound on his body was slightly itchy, and his flesh was wriggling and healing.

This recovery speed, compared to before the evolution, is not just a difference of "0.1%", but an improvement of several times.

The difference between evolution and non-evolution is simply too great.

But that's not enough.

I'm about to attend a grand ceremony, so using a disguise isn't an option.

So Gao De immediately activated the spell model and cast the [Healing Spell] on himself. That wasn't enough, so he used the [Divine Berry Spell+] to conjure a handful of gem-like sweet berries and stuffed them into his mouth.

Before going to bed at night, use a "Comfortable Sleep+" spell, combined with the effect of "Basic Healing Body". With these four methods working together, you should wake up in top condition tomorrow.

During his daily evening practice, Gao De had a stroke of good luck and successfully constructed the spell model for the [Blindness/Deafness] spell.

At this point, he had nine spells in his second-circle spellbook.

To master so many second-circle spells, it would generally take at least three or four years.

In a sense, although he has only been promoted to the second ring for less than two months, he has already moved beyond the initial stage of entering the second ring.

The next day, just as expected, Gao De's injuries had mostly healed, with the wounds scabbed over and only slightly itchy.

After these scabs fall off, they will leave a faint mark that is completely different from the normal skin color.

However, as a man, he naturally didn't care about that.

He packed a few things; actually, he didn't need to bring anything except money, since he wasn't going on a mission this time, but merely to participate in the title conferment ceremony.

For such a formal occasion, one should certainly pay a little more attention to their attire.

After hesitating for a moment, Gao De finally chose to wear the sea sentry warrant officer uniform that had just been delivered a few days ago.

Compared to the previous sergeant uniform, the warrant officer uniform is made of a different material, using a higher-grade water-patterned fabric, and the style has also changed to some extent.

First, he changed into a dark blue stand-up collar robe with silver buttons. The tailoring was exquisite. The whalebone support hidden at the back waist was slightly tapered, making Gao De's figure look as tall and straight as a mast.

The three-dimensional tailoring at the shoulders still allows for some room to move.

While providing a more flattering fit, it also offers flexibility and won't interfere with daily activities.

The morning light shone through the window and fell on the robe, causing the surface of the garment to shimmer with tiny phosphorescent particles, like the surging tides under the moonlight.

This is one of the characteristics of water-patterned fabric.

Furthermore, Water Pattern Cloth is already considered an extraordinary material. Clothing made from this material not only offers some protection against magical attacks, but also does not leak water after being soaked in it. Even without removing the clothing, it will not affect the mage's movement in the water.

In addition, there are five silver stars on the cuffs, arranged in a fan shape, and a silver triple-ring badge on the chest, with the sea sentinel's emblem embossed in the middle ring.

These are all used to indicate his military rank.

Wearing this outfit and standing in front of the mirror, you can clearly feel that your whole demeanor and spirit are different.

No wonder so many people have a thing for uniforms.

This time, without the interference of cyclones, there was no need to travel by water or land. Gaode Maps spent 2 Golden Bird Coins and 4 Silver Dragon Coins to buy an airship ticket and chose to travel by air.

In less than three hours, the airship had already landed at the airship base in Auckland.

Wearing a sea sentry uniform, Gaode was able to leave through the fast lane, avoiding the hassle of queuing.

As soon as he left the airship base, he noticed that many people who had come to pick him up were staring at him with strange looks.

This made Gao De frown slightly. Although his uniform was eye-catching, it shouldn't be this bad, right?
He quickly understood the source of those strange looks.

Walking a few steps further out, in the spacious base square, which was also where horse-drawn carriages picked up passengers, Gaode discovered that a group of people were waiting there.
As soon as this group of people saw him come out, they greeted him with enthusiastic smiles, clearly having been waiting for him on purpose.

Moreover, many of the people in this group were dressed in well-tailored casual clothes made of high-quality fabrics, and the women were dressed in extremely exquisite attire. In terms of both appearance and prestige, they were truly impressive.

The problem is that, at a glance, he didn't recognize most of these people.

Only the few people at the very front looked somewhat familiar, as if they were mages from the same ship when they set out to conquer the secondary plane of wind elements.

While Gaode was still thinking, the group of people had already approached.

The man at the front, who appeared to be of the highest status and was dressed in a dark purple velvet tailcoat, said with a smile, "Master Gaode, I am Adrian Leon. We heard that you would be arriving in Auckland by airship today, so we came together to pick you up."

"The last time we went to the secondary plane of wind element, our ship was capsized by wind element creatures. If it weren't for your help, we would have been in serious trouble."

At that time, the disaster was still ongoing, and we were busy with disaster relief after returning. By the time we finished a little and wanted to thank you, you had already returned to the sea outpost. We heard you were coming today, so we came here early to wait for you.

Looking at these smiling and welcoming faces, Gao De finally realized that they were all the people he had pulled out of the water.
Because of his sea sentry uniform, he was assigned to a noble mage's ship, and as a result, he was able to salvage many noble mages after the ship capsized.

However, he didn't take it too seriously and basically forgot about it afterward, never expecting that these people would feel any gratitude towards him.

First, he didn't go to save people with that purpose in mind. Second, his preconceived notions made him think that aristocratic children rarely had any sense of "gratitude" and were more driven by self-interest.

While he was still pondering, several other noble mages, who were also clearly of distinguished origin, came forward to introduce themselves.

“I am Eleanor.” This was a woman wearing a pale yellow taffeta dress with puffy leg-of-mutton sleeves adorned with lace, exuding an exceptionally noble air.

Beside her stood a younger woman in a high-waisted navy blue velvet dress who spoke softly, "Isalind Windsortin."

After everyone had finished introducing themselves, Adrian spoke again: "Venerable Master Gaode, we've prepared a banquet to welcome you. Would you be able to attend?"

Unable to refuse such hospitality, and since he didn't really have anything urgent to attend to, Gao De didn't hesitate for long. After a moment's thought, he nodded slightly.

They've already shown goodwill and sincerity. He'll be an honorary mage of Auckland from now on, which means he's tied to the Auckland region. It's always good to maintain good relations with these local bigwigs.

High-class carriages were already prepared in the square.

Adrian led God to one of the carriages decorated with the Adrian family crest, and the carriage started moving with the clatter of hooves.

The wheels rolled over the granite-paved street with a steady sound.

Sitting inside the carriage, Gao De's thoughts wandered aimlessly for a while.

This is a gathering of "rich kids". I never participated in it in my previous life, which lasted for more than 20 years. But I've managed to get involved in it in this world. I wonder what it's like.
Is it like in novels and movies, extravagant and decadent, with a bunch of dancers dressed in revealing veils?
If they really pull this tactic, how can I refuse without hurting their feelings?

Soon, the carriage stopped.

When Gaode got out of the car, it wasn't the kind of entertainment venue he had imagined, but rather a typical red brick tower building with a pointed roof.

The domed windows complement the ivy-covered exterior walls, and the stone wreath above the main entrance is inlaid with the proverb "Knowledge is power" written in magical script.

Adrian raised his hand to indicate: "This is where we hold our spell salon. When we have free time, we will discuss academic topics and exchange our experiences here."

The servants at the door opened the carved oak door to both sides.

Adrian led the group inside as he spoke.

Upon entering the building, the lobby is filled with a mixture of smells of leather, ink, and beeswax.

The walnut bookshelves reach all the way to the ceiling, but there is no ladder for retrieving the books.

For a mage, this is useless; a mage's hand can easily take down the book from the top.

The bookshelves are neatly arranged with books featuring gilded spines, and many books are marked with silk bookmarks. The glass display case next to them displays rare parchment scrolls and manuscripts.

This sight was truly a revelation to Gaode.

An exquisite tea set was placed on a long table in the center of the hall. The aroma of black tea wafted from the bone china teaware, and scones and small cakes covered with icing were arranged on a silver tray.

There wasn't a single servant, let alone a maid, in the entire hall.

Where are the dancers in their see-through gowns? Where is the decadent smell of alcohol? Where are the beautiful maids in their maid outfits?
Gaode fell into deep thought.

This was completely different from the stereotypical image of a gathering of rich second-generation individuals; instead, it resembled an exchange among a group of highly educated people.

"Please have a seat."

As Adrian finished speaking, the twelve noble mages present skillfully took their seats in their respective positions, clearly indicating that this was not their first time attending such a gathering.

Adrian then led God to a seat.

“Master Gaode, I would like to express my sincere and formal gratitude once again for your help after the ship sank.”

“Since we’re all in the same boat, we’re comrades-in-arms. This is what I should do, so you don’t need to be so polite,” Gao De said with a smile.

“These are two different things,” Adrian said seriously, not taking advantage of Gao De’s politeness. “If you encounter any trouble or need anything in Auckland, just let us know.”

“This is Eleanor, her family is a viscount family, and their family businesses are involved in many potions. This is Isalien Windsortin, also from a viscount family, her family owns mines.” Adrian introduced the backgrounds of all the noble mages present.

"As for my family, we're involved in the gold business, nothing else. We just have some money and are fairly well-informed." Finally, he formally introduced himself.

They were all local rich guys, at least from baronial families, and more than half of them were third-ring mages, while the less fortunate ones were still senior second-ring mages.

"Warrant Lieutenant Gao De, how old are you this year?" Adrian asked after the introduction.

"Almost seventeen."

"Under seventeen, a warrant officer, a second-ring mage—how are we supposed to feel? You truly deserve to be a hero who's about to be awarded the title of Honorary Mage of Auckland!" Adrian patted Gao De on the shoulder and exclaimed.

It is clear that his claim of having well-informed sources was not an exaggeration.

This was followed by some polite exchanges; although everyone hadn't interacted much before, they were all very warm and welcoming.

Firstly, this group of people already knew each other and had a good relationship. Although Gao De was a stranger, he could easily integrate because of the "life-saving grace".

Secondly, Gaode is young and promising, and even setting aside the "life-saving grace," he is qualified to integrate into this circle.

This resulted in an unusually harmonious atmosphere.

However, since he didn't know these people well before, Gaode mostly kept silent, only responding briefly when called upon, and mainly listening and speaking less.

"Last month I found an ancient book at the market. It talks about the ancient sorcerers' understanding of magic. I read some of it. Although most of the ideas are outdated, there are two points that are quite interesting and enlightening. Let me tell you about them."

"Speaking of new discoveries, I've found that if we apply the theory of water diversion to utilize [water flow impact]..."

"Recently, the instructors at the Vandroren Academy of Magic have discovered a type of glowing moss. It doesn't contain any magic; it's just an ordinary plant. But it can resonate with light elemental spells. I wonder if you've heard about it?"

"This can't happen? Really?!"

"Last week I condensed the last rune of my mana crystal, and now I'm preparing to advance to the third ring!"

"So fast! Congratulations! Hahaha, you've surpassed Massimo!"

"I'm currently crafting a wand, but I'm missing a few materials: a high-quality fire crystal block, and something else you could keep an eye out for."

As Gao De listened, he realized that these gatherings of rich and powerful second-generation heirs were a bit too serious, with all the topics revolving around knowledge exchange, sharing of magical experience, material collection, and cultivation progress.

Is he such a hardworking and ambitious rich kid?
It may seem surprising, but upon closer examination, it makes sense.

The circle of rich kids is actually quite extreme, consisting of two types of people.

One type is the stereotypical image of the "rich second generation" who are lazy, extravagant, and dissolute.

Another type belongs to the elite "second-generation rich".

This type of person is actually more determined, harder-working, and more outstanding than the average person.

The noble mages on the field who were on the same warship as Gao De were all of a high level, and of course they belonged to the latter category.

Listening to their discussion, a thought flashed through Gao De's mind. He no longer held back and took the initiative to speak up: "If any of you have any information about the three elemental magical plants, namely Rock Ridge Giant Oak, Azus Feather Whistle Tree, and Angmar Flame Curse Tree, please keep an eye out for them for me."

(End of this chapter)