Above the mage

Chapter 18 Amy's Intelligence

In the quiet studio, the candlelight flickered.

Gao De remained motionless for a while, then suddenly raised his right hand, extended his index finger, and pointed diagonally forward.

Just looking at this action, it seems somewhat inexplicable and strange.

However, after Gao De made this move, a magical energy fluctuation was generated at his fingertips, and a blue-white beam of light shot out out of thin air.

The beam of light itself was not thick, but it carried an inexplicable chill.

The next instant, a cold beam of light shot out from Gao De's fingertip like a flying knife, striking the small gray mouse corpse that Gao De had placed in front of him.

The moment the beam of light touched the little gray mouse, a faint cracking sound could be heard in the air.

A thin layer of ice instantly froze on the little gray mouse's fur.

The thin ice lasted for about twenty seconds before dissipating.

"It lasts for twenty seconds on dead gray mice, but if the target is Mage Seda, it would be good if it lasts for three seconds."

Gao De calculated in his mind.

Then, he let out a long breath.

"Six days, and I've mastered all three magic tricks!"

After thoroughly perfecting the new method for constructing spell models, they successfully constructed the spell model for acid splashing in one go.

While the main reason was that the construction method he used was far more efficient than traditional methods, there was also an element of luck involved.

Perhaps there are some kind of beginner benefits to learning magic.

In short, Gaode did not continue his good luck from the first day when constructing the spell models "Increase Resistance" and "Freezing Ray".

Both spells failed after excessive mental energy depletion, and a second or even third attempt can be made after mental energy recovers the next day.

Six days have passed since I purchased the three spell recipes from Yom.

Just now, Gaode finally succeeded in building the spell model for the Freezing Ray.

This signifies that he has mastered all three new spells.

A first-class apprentice learns three magic tricks in six days.

No one would believe it if I told them!

This is the advantage of Gaode's current method of constructing spell models.

However, Gao De did not consider himself a genius.

He clearly understood that the reason he was able to achieve this incredible transformation was simply because he stood on the shoulders of giants.

In the end, it's nothing more than picking up scraps from the works of predecessors.

For the people of this world:

First, we need to change our ingrained mindset and transform the traditional construction method of determining the position of stars while connecting star orbits into a new method of determining the position of stars first and then connecting star orbits.

To determine the position of a star by using analytical geometry to establish a coordinate system and then disassembling the spell model, requires both the courage to question authority and the knowledge to solve the problems of the new method.

More importantly, there also needs to be a "Wind Spirit Moon Shadow".

The traditional method of constructing spell models has been passed down for countless years.

The more powerful a mage is, the more deeply ingrained their traditional methods of practice are for so many years, and the less likely they are to question or change them due to their ingrained thinking.

As for weak mages, they would never have such wishful thinking.

Just like the heliocentric theory, which seems like an obvious truth now, the geocentric theory was a sacred and inviolable truth back then, and could not be questioned.

However, Gao De, a visitor from another world, would not have any outdated concepts of truth or falsehood.

He was still a complete novice in magic, and his mindset regarding magic was not yet fixed.

Moreover, for an excellent math student, daring to question and daring to change is one of the basic qualities.

If the teacher's method is incorrect or ineffective, then it's perfectly normal to solve the problem using your own method.

As for analytic geometry and the Cartesian coordinate system, they represent entirely new fields of knowledge and pioneering new concepts for people around the world.

For Gaode, this is simply taking a practical method from its own knowledge base.

In Gaode's previous version, analytic geometry and the Cartesian coordinate system were not considered particularly advanced knowledge; any ordinary junior high school student could easily make the connection when encountering such a situation.

But for people in this world, figuring out a coordinate system is as difficult as climbing to the heavens.

Some things, once you figure them out, are actually quite simple in principle, but getting to this point can be a stumbling block for countless people.

You just can't believe it.

Apples have fallen countless times, but only Newton conceived of universal gravitation.

Even the seemingly simple Cartesian coordinate system was born in the 17th century; before that, no one had ever thought of it.

"Having mastered five spells, my current magical power is just enough to support me in casting five tricks."

Gao De rubbed his slightly throbbing temples and muttered to himself.

While there are shortcuts to building spell models, the growth of mental and magical power requires a down-to-earth approach.

He had already tested it and found that his mana would be completely depleted after casting five zero-ring spells.

—After casting all five spells I've mastered in turn, I'm out of mana.

This awkward situation can be described with a common saying: "Even a mage with god-tier gear is useless without mana."

Gaode Maps has no way to deal with this.

The growth of magical power cannot be achieved overnight; at least, this awkward situation will continue for some time.

"Money, and its origins."

Since it's unrealistic to increase mana in a short period of time, we need to find ways to do more with limited mana, such as enhancing the effectiveness of spells.

This might be unrealistic for others, but it's something that can be found on Gaode Maps.

Because he has the Wind Spirit Moon Shadow, he can "add points".

However, adding points requires consuming source energy.

Thinking about this, Gao De felt a pang of regret.

The Gray-Eyed Rat's essence shouldn't be so easily used on repair techniques.

Although the [Repair Technique+] is good in every way, it is ultimately unusable in actual combat or battle.

……

With the spell problem temporarily resolved, the focus now shifts to obtaining a new source.

"I'll go to the commercial district again tomorrow and see if I can find any connections," Gao De thought to himself.

He had been in this world for eleven days, and as time went by, his anxiety grew.

Even if he had connections, it still required money, and after purchasing those three spell recipes, his savings had shrunk to 30 silver and 8 copper.

Thinking of this, Gao De couldn't help but sigh again.

Indeed, you can't do anything without money anywhere, or even in any world.

When Gaode left the workroom and returned to his cramped bedroom, his roommate Amy was already in bed.

These past few days he's been focused on building spell models, and he's been coming home very late.

Gao De quietly took off his coat, lay down, and prepared to rest.

"Gao De, you're back?" Amy's voice came from the darkness and silence.

Gao De was taken aback, then gave a soft "hmm" and apologized, "I've been cultivating for longer these past few days, so I got back late. I'm sorry I disturbed you."

"No, I got home a little late today too. I just lay down and haven't fallen asleep yet."

Amy's voice was soft, as if she hesitated for a moment. After some internal struggle, she finally spoke cautiously, "God, are you planning to deal with Mage Seda?"

In the darkness, Gao De's expression changed, and his heart skipped a beat. He even subconsciously wondered if he had revealed something these past few days.

"I know, you told me a long time ago that if we don't do something, we'll all die."

Amy took a deep breath, as if she had made up her mind. "The Mage is too powerful. I always felt that no matter what we did, we couldn't change anything."

"Master Seda is indeed very powerful," Gaode replied ambiguously.

"You asked me that day," Amy repeated, mimicking Gao De's tone, "what would you do if someone tried to kill you?"

"I couldn't answer that back then, but I've been thinking about it these past few days," he nodded vigorously in the darkness, and said, "At least we can't do nothing, right?"

"I'm not going to sit here and wait to die," Gao De expressed his attitude.

"The mage Seda specializes in necromancy. There's one spell in particular that I don't know the name of, but I know that once he touches a target, that target will become powerless."

Gaode remained silent and did not respond.

Amy added, "I've heard Ilan mention that one of the three fundamental principles of mages is 'Never let anyone know your spells.' I don't know the specifics, but I think it might be helpful to you."

(End of this chapter)