Above the mage

Chapter 209 Breath of the Wilderness (Final Chapter of this Volume)

Saint Sein City Mage Prison.

Since being brought here, Gao De has been as if he had been forgotten, having spent a whole day in the dark cell.

Throughout the day, the interrogators did not come, and even the prison staff who delivered meals did not come.

Gaode had no idea what had happened.

Perhaps he's planning to starve himself for a few days so that he can't take it anymore and begs for mercy?

maybe.

Gao De didn't think too much about it, but instead focused all his attention on the runes on the prison walls.

With enough focus, even hunger can be blocked out.

In the sunless prison cell, the concept of time also becomes blurred.

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I don't know how much time has passed.

"Clang!"

The door to Gao De's cell was suddenly opened.

Two prison staff members, like stars surrounding the moon, followed a young mage dressed in a well-tailored long robe and military uniform as he entered.

"What crime has this person committed?" the young monk asked.

Amnesty is never about pardoning all crimes indiscriminately, regardless of their severity.

Some crimes are not eligible for pardon.

"He doesn't have any prison paperwork. This man was just imprisoned yesterday. It seems he offended some noble minister and was sent here," the prison guard replied respectfully and obsequiously.

"That poor fellow offended a noble minister, but he's lucky to have run into us," the man chuckled, then waved his hand casually and said, "Release him!"

"What's going on?" Gao De hadn't even reacted yet, but the alchemical artifacts restricting the flow of magic power in his hands had already been quickly removed by the prison staff.

"Congratulations, you're free," the prison staff said. "Why don't you thank the great men of the Holy Empire?"

Freedom? The Holy Empire?

Gaode was completely stunned.

Emerging from the gloomy mage prison, I was bathed in fresh sunlight once more.

Gao De didn't feel much joy; he felt mostly calm.

No one knows what he figured out during those two days in prison.

Gao De has only been to Saint Sein City twice.

One such instance was over a year ago, when, with Gerica's help, I traveled by airship from Bremen to Saint-Sien.

The second time, which is this time, he was escorted to the Saint Sein Mage Prison.

But Gao De could clearly sense that the current city of Saint Sein was somewhat different from the past.

He squinted slightly, surveying the city.

It seems like nothing has changed, yet it also seems like everything has changed.

Gaode quickly realized where the change had occurred.

The flag that once hung high on the flagpole, representing the Duchy of Sien and the royal family of Jeros, has disappeared.

Instead, there was a flag with a burning heart of fire and a black eagle flag, half a pole tall, in black and gold.

Gaode didn't recognize the flag in front of him.

However, Gaode, who had taken geography classes, was very familiar with the other side.

That was the flag of the Holy Empire, the most powerful nation on this continent.

"A black eagle against a gold background."

Gaode walks on the street.

It is obvious that this once bustling city is much more desolate today, with far fewer pedestrians on the streets than before, and even many shops in the surrounding area are not open.

In stark contrast to this desolation is:

Almost every household in the residential area had a miniature version of the Holy Empire's Black Golden Eagle flag hanging in front of their window or door, making it look like a festival.

Most of the flags looked quite rough; only the flags hanging in front of the detached houses of wealthy families were more refined.

Clearly, these flags were made overnight by the people of Saint Sein.

Some residential buildings even had slogans like these hung on them in a rather exaggerated way:

"Warmly celebrate the Duchy of Sien joining the Holy Empire and becoming the Sien Province under the jurisdiction of the Western Governor of the Holy Empire," "Long live the Holy Empire," "Long live the Iceflame Legion."

No one needs to give specific instructions, nor does anyone need to teach you.

After the Sean royal family announced their surrender, the residents of Saint Sean accepted the fact as quickly as possible and tried their best to please the country's new rulers.

After making a few inquiries, Gaode quickly figured out the specifics.

After just one day in prison, the outside world had completely changed.

But for him, this change of events was like "a pie falling from the sky."

Gao De couldn't help but think of his instructor, Morsen, who was full of enthusiasm and highly praised the Holy Empire's political system in his "Geography of Nolan Continent and Geography of War" course.

He smiled to himself.

Mentor Mosen probably never imagined that just one year later, he would become a citizen of the Holy Empire.

Occasionally, you can also see soldiers of the Holy Empire along the way.

These soldiers have tough faces, are well-equipped, and possess an aura of iron-blooded bravery and confidence.

There is a saying that "the temperament of soldiers reflects the temperament of the nation."

From these soldiers, Gao De could glimpse a unique quality belonging solely to the Holy Empire.

There are definitely reasons why so many people admire this country.

The Holy Empire's transformation from a barbarian state into the world's most powerful empire must have had its reasons, and was not due to luck.

After walking through several blocks, Gaode arrived at the entrance of a magnificent chamber of commerce.

The chamber of commerce did not temporarily cease operations due to the Holy Empire's arrival; its doors remained open.

Above the entrance hangs a conspicuous gold emblem, with the overall color scheme dominated by gold and dark red.

The badge features a circular design with an exquisite alchemical furnace at the center, where flames roar and starlight rises above. Around the edge of the badge are a ring of mysterious alchemical runes.

Directly below the furnace image is the abbreviation of Oakenley written in the human language.

Yes, this is the St. Sein City branch of the Oakley Chamber of Commerce.

Even if it's just a small branch within a small principality, its scale is enormous, fully demonstrating the strength and wealth of the Oakenli family as one of the four major merchant families in Linhai City.

Long nights bring many dreams.

Although Gao De was fortunate enough to benefit from the Holy Empire and escape from prison.

The rulers of this city and even this country have changed.

But Gao De did not intend to stay in Saint-Sien for long.

To be precise, he was not prepared to stay in the Duchy of Sien any longer.

Firstly, although the nobles of this country, including the Ursus family and Dean Sher, have temporarily lost their status.

However, their power and wealth remain, and moreover, given the Holy Empire's meritocratic system, Shel Ian is highly likely to restore Dean Cyrus to his position.

Gao De couldn't guarantee that he would be safe and sound once the rulers of Sean changed.

Secondly, during his time in prison, he had already planned his future career path.

The most urgent task is to find a suitable location.

Then, plant trees!

Sean is no longer a good fit for him.

He wanted to leave as soon as possible and wouldn't be returning to Sean anytime soon.

Or rather, the next time I come back, it will be to settle scores with these people.

Therefore, before leaving, Gao De needs to retrieve the things that He west has stored in the Oakley Chamber of Commerce, which he intends to leave for him.

The St. Sein City chapter of Oakenley is just a low-level chapter.

In addition to acquiring unique local minerals and raw materials and selling some lower-end alchemical items, they also engage in businesses similar to paid vaults and lending.

With the backing of the O'Kenley family, they have extremely high credibility in this field, making them the first choice for people in St. Sein who have such needs.

Gao De strolled inside and said softly to the receptionist, "Hello, I would like to retrieve the item stored in cabinet number 666 of the Bronze Vault."

"Okay, sir, please come with me."

Guided by the receptionist, Gao De entered the bronze vault.

The interior is softly lit, with rows of cabinets made of dark metal arranged in a staggered pattern.

A faint magical aura permeated the air.

Gaode arrived at cabinet number 666.

Upon arrival, the lady from the Chamber of Commerce tactfully withdrew, leaving Gao De alone.

The Chamber of Commerce's treasury does not verify identity, but a corresponding secret code is required to retrieve items.

Of course, Jose had already informed him of the secret order.

Gao De entered a complex and precise secret code into cabinet number 666, which also belonged to the category of alchemical items.

With a slight click, the cabinet's locking mechanism was activated.

The cabinet door, crafted from precious magic-guiding metal, opened automatically, revealing its contents.

After what happened these past two days, Gaode had already made some guesses about what was inside, and was 90% certain that it was a rune construct.

In fact, his guess was correct.

However, it is not a set of multiple rune constructs.

There is only one set.

A set of stacked, shimmering runic constructs lay quietly within.

It consists of multiple parts and is made of materials with excellent magic-conducting properties.

These magic-conducting materials not only perfectly hold runes, but also conduct and enhance the wearer's mana.

These components are interwoven with silver and white light, and their surfaces are covered with intricate runes and patterns.

They are as delicate as silk, tiny yet full of surprises, arranged according to specific logic and rules, and possess great power.

The overall design resembles a traditional battle robe, comprising multiple parts including the head, body, and limbs.

Each part carries different rune attributes and effects, but is more abstract and streamlined, and smaller.

Logically speaking, rune constructs need to be customized according to the wearer's body shape and needs to ensure optimal comfort and combat effectiveness, but this set of rune constructs clearly does not have a so-called custom-made user.

Therefore, in order to make it suitable for future users to wear, some precious rune slots must be reserved for adaptation design.

Gao De reached inside and took out the entire set of battle robe-style rune constructs, which were noticeably smaller.

He focused his mental energy slightly on it.

In an instant, a dazzling light flowed across the surface of this set of runes, and some information was instantly transmitted into Gao De's mind.

[Breath of the Wild] (Tier 4 Rune Construct):

Rune effects: Level 4 Elemental Resistance, Level 4 Fortitude, Level 4 Agility, Level 4 Spell Damage, Adaptive Tolerance.

Construct Effect: The wearer's stamina regeneration rate is increased by 57%, mana regeneration rate is increased by 62%, and the mana cost of casting spells is reduced by 31%.

The effects are doubled when the wearer stands with both feet on the ground.

……

Gao De was stunned for several seconds before he gradually came to his senses.

What He west left him was indeed a runic construct, but it was not a third-order runic construct; it was a fourth-order one.

Unexpected, yet perfectly logical.

He west said that he used up all his savings to verify the interference constant.

Once the interference constant is correct, then the six fundamental rules of the complete rune system are also considered valid and correct.

Once the six basic rules of runes are established, it means that the construction of magic arrays no longer requires "rune tuning" and can be constructed entirely by logic and calculation.

This also means that the entire rune system will be completely overturned.

How can we prove the correctness of the interference constant and the six basic rules of runes?

Following the logic above, the answer is obvious:

The solution is to overturn the existing rune system.

He west did the same thing.

And he did indeed do it.

He west, at the level of a third-ring mage, created a set of fourth-tier rune constructs, exceeding his own level.

The first and only set of Tier 4 rune constructs in the entire world made by a Third Ring Mage.

In the realm of rune construction, where precision is paramount, all six fundamental rules of runes apply.

Not to mention other rune domains.

From this point on, a new system of runic literature was born.

Although, at present only Gaode knows about this.

******

******

On the fourth day after the Holy Empire's Iceflame Legion occupied Saint Sein City.

Foggy Frosty Moon 25th.

Another airship, like a sharp sword slicing through the sky, gracefully traversed the clouds and appeared above Saint Sein City.

This is a peculiar airship that no one has ever seen before; it is not very large overall.

However, the flat, streamlined hull glitters in the sunlight, like a meticulously sculpted silver giant fish, exuding both beauty and a sense of speed.

The most eye-catching feature is the propulsion device at the tail of the airship.

It was an unprecedented design, with several slender tailpipes that spewed out brilliant pale blue flames, a stark contrast to the typical propellers at the tail of airships.

In short, this is an airship that you can tell at a glance is definitely a high-end product.

The airship flew all the way into Saint-Sien and finally stopped over the airship base in Saint-Sien.

It stood there quietly, motionless.

Many citizens in the city also looked up and saw the airship.

However, in their eyes, they all assumed that this was an airship of the Holy Empire, carrying important figures from the Holy Empire.

Such a high-end airship could only have come from the Holy Empire.

They had never seen an airship like this before the Holy Empire occupied Saint-Sien City.

Until a large number of fully armed Holy Empire soldiers were dispatched and arrived at the airship base.

The stern-faced Holy Empire officer ordered the evacuation of the surrounding crowd and the isolation of the area. Only then did the native inhabitants of Saint Sein City begin to sense that something was amiss.

The mid-level officer of the Ice Flame Legion who rushed over was also extremely surprised when he saw the airship in the sky.

That airship is incredibly fast.

By the time their scout mages spotted it from afar and sent back a message, it had already entered the city of Saint Sein.

Given the Oakenli insignia on the airship and its advanced design, the senior officers did not order the legion's anti-aircraft forces to engage.

"Send a signal to contact the people on the airship and inquire about their identity and purpose," the Holy Empire officer who had arrived ordered.

Soon, the legion soldiers brought over a special machine for air communication.

It was a set of magical devices called the Airship Magic Communication Unit, which could transmit magical signals of a special frequency over a distance. As long as the other airship had the matching magical devices, it could receive the signal and respond.

The airship magic communication device is already standard equipment on all airships.

The message was delivered smoothly and a reply was received quickly.

"The Oakenley family has come to pick them up."

The Iceflame Legion mid-level officer breathed a sigh of relief upon receiving the reply.

Although the Holy Empire is powerful, it is not invincible.

At least the Golden Flower Dynasty to the west and the coastal city to the south are still worthy of our attention.

Ten minutes later.

Upon receiving the news, Helen, the deputy commander of the Iceflame Legion, personally arrived at the scene.

The Ice Flame Legion showed this airship considerable respect.

Helen, the deputy corps commander, also felt it was only natural.

Because the airship above is the latest model airship in Linhai City.

Those who can ride in such an airship are undoubtedly among the very top figures, even within the Oakenliy family.

At least, none of the private airships of any officer in the entire Iceflame Legion, including Commander Fleming's private airship, are as impressive and advanced as this one, and cannot compare to it.

Helen, the deputy commander of the regiment, was puzzled.

In a small place like St. Sein, who could possibly be worthy of the Oakenley family, thousands of miles away, sending a prominent member of their clan to personally greet them?

After receiving approval from their superiors, the airship above finally began its descent.

However, several mages arrived before the airship.

Before anyone could react, a dazzling light suddenly burst forth from the ground in front of them, in the previously empty space, like a falling star, illuminating everything around them in a dreamlike way.

The light rapidly converged and spun, eventually condensing into a giant circular portal.

It hovered quietly a few feet off the ground, neither touching the ground nor floating too high.

The portal's edge is surrounded by a ring of flickering two-dimensional runes that constantly flow and change.

The inside of the portal was shrouded in mist.

The next moment, several mages dressed in magnificent robes emerged from the mist.

They walked steadily and looked calm, as if they were already used to this scene.

Leading the group was an elderly man, yet remarkably spry, dressed in an exquisitely beautiful magical robe embroidered with intricate rune patterns.

When Helen, the deputy commander of the legion, saw this scene, her heart skipped a beat.

He knew what the portal before him was:

6th Ring Evocation Spell [Arcane Gate]

Even in the Holy Empire, sixth-ring mages are an absolute core force.

Among humans, the number of sixth-ring mages is one of the important indicators for measuring a country or power.

Without a doubt, there was at least one sixth-circle mage among this group from the Oakenliy family.

Faced with such a lineup, Deputy Commander Helen dared not be negligent in the slightest.

He straightened his chest, walked up to the group of people, and gave a military salute from the Holy Empire.

"I am Helen, the deputy commander of the Iceflame Legion of the Holy Empire, currently stationed in Saint Sein City. Saint Sein City, including the Duchy of Sein, joined the Holy Empire three days ago and became a province under its jurisdiction. Your airship has entered the city's airspace under martial law. May I ask the specific purpose of your visit?"

Upon hearing Helen's question, the elderly man at the head of the group nodded calmly. Then, one of the mages behind him stepped forward and handed a document to Helen.

Helen took the document, and the first thing that caught her eye was the black and gold eagle emblem symbolizing the empire. She was immediately invigorated and began to read it carefully.

It turns out this was a special pass issued by the Empire.

With this pass, the airship from the Oakenli family can legally enter and pass through any airspace within the Empire's territory, except for Class I airspace, and can land and leave freely.

In addition, there is a special note that the Imperial local garrisons that receive this document should cooperate as much as possible with the other party's repatriation operation.

The authenticity of a document can be easily verified by the magic mark at the bottom.

But Helen's doubts only deepened.

—Who exactly is this important figure from the distant coastal city of Oakenley coming to Saint Sein to pick up? Is it really worth making such a grand entrance?

Shel Ian stood at the top of the Seraphim Tower, overlooking the academy below, as always.

The sudden arrival of the Holy Empire caused him to temporarily lose his position as the Dean of Seres Academy.

However, he had adjusted his mindset in the shortest possible time and was confident that with his talent and performance over the years, it was only a matter of time before he was restored to his original position under the empire's meritocratic system.

After all, for the Duchy of Sien, Seres Academy is a holy land for all mages, but for the mages of the Holy Empire, it is just a "country school".

Why would those high-ranking figures be interested in the position of a "rural school principal"?

In his view, the annexation of the Duchy of Sien into the Holy Empire might actually be a good thing.

Unlike those noble ministers, he, Sher, was a truly talented man, and did not simply rely on his ancestors to obtain his current position.

Leaning against the big tree is good for the coolness.

For him, becoming a citizen of the Holy Empire was essentially like moving to a much larger platform.

Just as Sher was still lost in thought about the future, there was a rapid knocking on the door.

Shel Ian frowned slightly, somewhat annoyed by the visitor who had interrupted his mood, but quickly adjusted his mindset and expression.

Now is different from other times; we should try to maintain a humble attitude.

But before he could even nod, the door was already pushed open.

A group of people walked in.

The man at the head was a sprightly old man whom Sher Ian did not recognize.

However, he was very familiar with the person accompanying the old man.

Helen, deputy commander of the Iceflame Legion.

"This is the former dean of Seres Academy," Vice Commander Helen introduced to the old man beside her.

After the old man nodded slightly, Vice Commander Helen, without waiting for Sher to speak, stepped forward and said to Sher in a stern, commanding tone:

"Shel Ian, this is the mage Dunley Oakenley from the Oakenley family of the coastal city. He has come to Saint Sein City to pick up Hosie Oakenley, an important member of the Oakenley family who has been teaching at Cyrus Academy for many years."

Shel Ian’s respectful facial expression froze in that instant.

(End of this chapter)