Above the mage

Chapter 124 New Record: 19 Days!

In the following period, Gaode's life at the academy was free of any further "incidents".

The threat from Gerry Harrell seems to have been dropped because he was pursuing a "shell-collecting" strategy rather than a "mining" strategy.

After all, alchemy can't reach into potion-making.

The various departments within the Magic Arts Department were not on good terms to begin with.

Resources are limited; if one party takes more, another party will have to take less.

Alchemy and Potions, as major departments within the Magic Arts Department, have always been competitors.

The mentors and students in the two departments have never been very harmonious.

Gerry Harrell's status as the top alchemist is indeed of little use in the potions department.

Since Gerry Harrell didn't bother him, God was naturally happy to see it happen.

He didn't dwell on whether something big was waiting for him behind him; he just focused on doing his own thing.

Building 30 in Zone 1, the bottom of Coolie Cliff, and the restaurant—three points in a straight line, Gaode mechanically repeating the same thing:

Go into the water to collect clams—go ashore to restore mana and body temperature—go back into the water to collect clams—eat—cultivate—sleep—go back into the water to collect clams.

The number of maid clams collected each day ranges from a minimum of 2 to a maximum of 5.

Although he had the assistance of [Detection Magic+], Gao De's physical condition limited his movement area, and he could not and dared not go to the center of the river to collect clams.

The central part of the river is where the density of maiden clams is most concentrated.

There are indeed maiden clams on the edge of the deep waters where he operates, but not in large numbers.

If it weren't for having "built-in radar," other people might not even be able to find a single clam in a day if they relied solely on their own exploration.

It's no wonder that freshmen who follow the "clam harvesting" route take an average of more than three months to complete their tasks.

It should be noted that those who choose to "harvest clams" are, apart from Gao De, all of whom are extremely skilled swimmers.

Given this premise, the fact that it still takes so long demonstrates just how difficult "clam harvesting" is.

Gaode's consistently high returns are something that no one else can achieve.

Gao De was completely absorbed and unaware of the ripples his "achievements" had caused within the academy over time.

His greater concern was that his savings were dwindling rapidly.

The signature dishes in the college cafeteria change daily and are never repeated.

With an average price of nearly 10 silver coins per unit, it was extremely expensive.

However, the restaurant's signature dishes have a very noticeable effect on replenishing qi and blood.

So Gaode, who had been diving for clams all this time, didn't skimp on himself, ordering local specialties for dinner every day.

In this situation, one Sean gold coin is only enough for his food expenses for two days.

This is why his savings dwindled so rapidly—because of food.

……

Time passed day by day.

Dark Night Moon 12th.

Gaode has handed over 29 maid clams, completing half of the enrollment task.

That same night, his channeling technique achieved another small breakthrough, increasing his magical power to the point where he could cast nine spells in one go.

The deposit balance fell to 217 gold and 16 silver.

Dark Night Moon 15th.

The maidservants were given 38 clams.

Double good news! Gaode's apprentice meditation technique, which had been stagnant for some time, also made a breakthrough on this day, successfully manifesting the 9th lotus petal.

Over the next few days, news about Gaode gradually spread, causing quite a stir throughout the entire Seres Magic Academy:

It's unbelievable that someone can gain admission with top-tier treatment based solely on a "letter of recommendation".

It should be noted that the last person to enter the Cyrus Academy of Magic with the highest honors is now a fourth-circle mage and is regarded as the next chief archmage of the court mage order.

Therefore, whether they are ordinary monks who entered through the enrollment examination or "second-generation monks" who entered through the back door, they are all very resentful about Gaode's admission treatment.

The former are ordinary people at the bottom of society who inherently hate so-called "privileges";

The latter, as a "privileged" class, resents those who are even more "privileged" than themselves.

Perhaps this is what Gerry Harrell intended.

Making things difficult for Gaode during the enrollment process was just a last resort for him.

The real scheme is to expose Gaode's admission process, thereby inciting dissatisfaction and exclusion of Gaode among most of the students in the academy.

If you are truly a genius, or have an extraordinary background, then you enjoy this privilege. Even if others are unhappy about it, they will only keep it to themselves.

But you're just a country bumpkin, lacking both talent and connections, yet you enjoy the highest level of treatment. That's "unworthy of your position," and naturally, you'll be targeted by others, whether intentionally or unintentionally.

However, before the public's dissatisfaction could ferment for long, new news about Gaode emerged.

Gaode, who chose the "Clam Harvesting Stream" option in the enrollment task, is advancing the enrollment task at an alarming speed.

If Gaode can maintain its current pace, the "25-day" record set by former Dean Gavin Hogg seems imminent.

Before this, the entire Cyrus Academy thought that Gaode was just a country bumpkin who got lucky.

However, Gaode's reputation has changed somewhat due to his remarkable performance in the enrollment task.

Although the entrance exam doesn't represent anything and provides no reference for a mage's future achievements.

Regardless, the possibility of breaking the record set by the former dean is always particularly noteworthy.

Some of the older students have already started betting on whether Gaode can break the old dean's record.

Later, the betting even evolved into a question of how many days it would take Gaode to set a new record.

The potion department also cooperated exceptionally well, providing daily updates on the latest progress of the Gaode enrollment task.

Gaode was completely unaware of the lively discussions within the academy, including those about himself, and even if he had known, he wouldn't have cared.

He is now focused solely on completing his enrollment as soon as possible.

Dark Moon, the 16th, the 13th day of the enrollment mission.

The number of maid clams handed over by Gaode has exceeded 40.

On the 17th, I was incredibly lucky and collected 6 maid clams in one day.

On the 18th, luck was still on my side; I only managed to collect 2 maid clams today.

19th.

The 21st marked the 18th day of the enrollment task.

The total number of maid clams handed over by Gaode has reached 57.

He was only 150 kilograms of water gold ore, or 3 maid clams, away from completing his enrollment task.

Dark Night Moon, 22th.

As usual, Gao De braved the chill and plunged into the river after the sun had risen high in the sky.

Nearly half a month of mussel harvesting rapidly improved Gaode's swimming skills.

Compared to when it first started, it's completely different now.

However, his progress in harvesting clams did not improve much as a result.

Because the number of maiden clams at the edge of the deep water area is limited, every one harvested reduces the number available.

The further you go, the harder it becomes to find a maid clam.

In other words, with the [Detection Magic+], a thorough search can be conducted, allowing Gaode to maintain a stable progress in its clam-collecting efforts.

Gaode once again dived into the water, swimming around in this familiar area of ​​the riverbed.

The light representing detection magic flickered slightly in his eyes.

The next moment, a magical light flickered in a corner of the riverbed and shone into Gao De's eyes.

A thought struck him, and with a push of his feet, he quickly approached that corner.

Then he reached out and gently brushed aside the sediment, and sure enough, he found a clam shell.

Gao Deping calmed the pounding in his heart and swept away all the mud and sand around the clam shell.

Then, he picked up the maid clam with both hands, kicked his legs hard, and floated to the surface of the river.

On the riverbank, Instructor Shahu waited for Gaode to appear.

He was also aware of and concerned about the progress of Gaode's enrollment task.

"Why did you surface so quickly this time? Did you make a profit?" Instructor Shahu asked incredulously as he saw Gao De's head emerge from the river.

Having followed this batch of new trainees for over half a month, he knows that Gaode (the company name) needs to stay submerged for more than three minutes before surfacing each time it enters the water.

Only a minute or two has passed since he descended.

Gao De had no idea what Instructor Shahu was thinking.

He put the newly collected maiden clams into a basket tied to a safety post, then untied the rope, put the basket on his back, and swam to the shore.

It's really done. Seeing Gao De's action, how could Instructor Shahu not understand what it meant?

Gao De quickly got ashore, put his basket aside, and started to put on his clothes.

"It's been many years since Dean Gavin set this record, and everyone thought that no new student would ever break it."

Instructor Shahu glanced at the three maid clams sitting still in Gaode's basket, let out a long sigh, and exclaimed:

"You completed the enrollment task in just 19 days, which is only one-third of the average time it takes other freshmen to complete the enrollment task."

Gao De nodded in deep agreement, "If we go down the mining route, I don't think anyone will be able to break this record even in a hundred years."

3000 kilograms of water gold ore were processed in 25 days, averaging 120 kilograms per day.

Unless a new student can reach the level of a 1st-ring mage upon enrollment, it will be extremely difficult to break this record without the aid of magic.

As for him...

Clam harvesting and mining are not on the same track.

Therefore, when Gao De broke the record set by Dean Gavin Hogg's mining strategy by using the clam-collecting strategy, he was not complacent and even thought he had gained an advantage.

Regardless, the academy recognizes this record.

That's enough!

(End of this chapter)