Above the mage

Chapter 219 Two Young Men Climbing Mountains (Part Two)

After turning the person who "fell from the sky" over and seeing his face clearly, Gao De was stunned for a moment.

Looking at that familiar face, which he had seen for the third time, he couldn't help but shake his head.

It's you again. Now I have a reason to save you.

Gao De moved slightly closer to his mouth and nose, then gently pressed his carotid artery with his fingers.

After confirming that the person's heartbeat and breathing were still normal, Gao De was slightly relieved.

It seems that he has only temporarily lost consciousness and fallen into a coma.

However, we don't know if he suffered any other internal injuries after rolling around like that; we'll have to check him later.

"He doesn't look like a complete novice. How come he doesn't even know the basics of seeking shelter from the wind on a windy day?" Gao De muttered to himself.

And it's hard to say whether he was unlucky or lucky.

Being blown down by a strong wind is really unlucky.

But the fact that it landed so precisely on his tent shows that he was somewhat lucky.

Otherwise, if they continued rolling like this, it might not just be a matter of losing consciousness.

Gao De first gave the guy a cursory examination and found that there were no obvious external injuries.

It seems this guy cast a protective spell on himself when he got into trouble, or perhaps he had some kind of automatically triggered protective supernatural object.

Otherwise, rolling down like that, there's no way he wouldn't have suffered any external injuries.

However, this is for the best. Otherwise, given the limited resources available, he wouldn't be able to provide any effective assistance if the other party were truly injured.

The strong wind was still howling outside.

Or rather, it can't be called "outside," because the roof is gone, and it's now an open-air tent.

Gao De gently turned the handsome young man's head to one side, and after confirming that there was no snow blocking his mouth and nose and that there was no immediate risk of suffocation, he moved the young man onto his sleeping bag.

This was to prevent him from directly contacting the cold snow while unconscious, thus avoiding heat loss.

Flora stared intently with her bright eyes as Gao De did all this.

"Lady Flora is very studious!" God also noticed this scene.

"If a mage is ever swept away by a strong wind in the future, Lady Flora can save you like this." Flora said earnestly.

Gao De was both amused and exasperated. "Lady Flora is so kind."

He originally wanted to give the young man some more hot water.

But now the weather is bad, and we can't find fuel. Even if we did, the fire would go out immediately.

Left with no other option, Gaode had to give the young man a dose of reality.

Next, we just had to wait for the wind to stop and for the young man to wake up.

Two people, one big and one small, were stuck in a daze, waiting in the open tent.

An hour or so later, snowflakes began to fall.

"It looks like it's starting to snow, mage."

"Yes."

"But we didn't have a roof."

"Lady Flora isn't afraid of the cold, right?"

"But the monk will be afraid."

"."

"Master, why aren't you saying anything?"

"I think Lady Flora is truly insightful."

"What do you mean?"

"Lady Flora is very clever."

"certainly."

Snow-capped mountains, strong winds.

Humans are as insignificant as a grain of millet in the face of the great power of nature.

If it weren't for Flora's company, this journey would have been much more lonely.

As the wind gradually subsided, Gao De, who was busy clearing snow from the open tent, suddenly heard a weak voice that was both unfamiliar and familiar.

"Where is this?"

Gao De didn't stop what he was doing and answered without turning his head, "In my tent."

"A tent?" The young man looked at the unobstructed sky with a somewhat blank expression.

"It's all your doing, yet you have the nerve to say that." Gao De was speechless.

Then he turned around and saw that the other person's face was still a little pale.

"You're finally awake. How are you feeling?" he asked.

"I'm alright." Du Wei used his hands to support his body and struggled to get up.

His eyes were very calm, not at all like the eyes of someone who had just narrowly escaped a terrible disaster.

This tranquility is unlike any other kind of tranquility.

Calmness can be like a still, deep sea.

Calmness can also be stagnant, devoid of vitality.

But the other party's calmness was more like an iceberg; it looked unmoved, but it was actually quite terrifying.

Du Wei never expected that the first person he would see when he woke up from his coma would be that novice.

To be honest, he had no desire to deal with Gaode Maps again.

If it weren't for competing with this "newbie" I initially thought I was, and to leave Gaode far behind...

He wouldn't abandon his current foothold and climb further up, even knowing that strong winds were coming.

As a result, after leaving this place, it took nearly two hours to find another suitable place to shelter from the wind.

Then, the strong winds came.

Left with no other choice, he had to find a less-than-ideal sheltered spot to stay temporarily.

Then, unfortunately, they encountered a small avalanche.

The culprit is none other than Gao De, who is right in front of us.

Du Wei knew, of course, that this matter had nothing to do with Gao De, and was entirely due to his own inappropriate reserve and pride, but that did not prevent him from feeling a bit annoyed.

His feelings became even more complicated when he discovered that he had been saved by Gaode.

Someone saved me, and I'm still angry with them? What kind of behavior is that?

His education and beliefs made Du Wei clearly understand that his current emotions were wrong, but he could not help but feel these emotions.

This contradiction only intensified his anger.

Of course, this even greater annoyance was directed at himself.

"You're not exactly a novice, so why don't you know to find shelter in this kind of weather? Luckily you landed on my tent, or you'd be in big trouble."

Du Wei's expression darkened slightly.

For someone of his status to be lectured like this was a completely new experience for him.

What's even more unbearable is that Gaode is lecturing him on principles he already understands, so he can't refute them.

Unless he has the nerve to say that it was the other person who caused him to temporarily lose his mind.

"I understand," Du Wei replied sullenly.

"You're not being sincere," Flora said, looking at Du Wei. She could tell that Du Wei's words came out reluctantly.

Du Wei was slightly startled, only then noticing that there was a little person in the scene.

Although Flora was somewhat novel to him, Duve had seen far too many rare and unusual things in his life.

Therefore, he understood that there are many unknown things in this world, and it is impossible to have seen them all, let alone possess them all.

"Lady Flora," Gaud called out.

"Lady Flora has a wise heart," Flora said firmly.

"Then be more sincere," Gao De said, looking at Du Wei.

Du Wei's face stiffened, his lips twitched slightly, and finally he solemnly said again, "I understand."

Flora nodded in satisfaction.

Gao De shook his head helplessly, stood up, took out his water pouch, and handed it to Du Wei.

"Have some water first. When the wind calms down a bit, I'll find some fuel, start a fire, and cook you something hot."

Du Wei stared at the water bag Gao De handed him, and suddenly found himself lost in thought.

He couldn't remember the last time he had eaten food and water from outsiders.

Because those who want to harm him will have a thousand ways to poison his food.

No matter how careful he is, he cannot prevent all methods of poisoning.

And there are far too many people like that.

Therefore, the best approach is to refuse all food from outsiders.

He stared silently at the water pouch in Gao De's hand, smacked his lips, and suddenly realized that it was a little wet. Only then did he belatedly realize that the other party must have given him water while he was unconscious.

Like the last straw that broke the camel's back, a sudden, untimely determination flashed in Du Wei's calm eyes. He tilted his head back and gulped down the water in his water bag.

After a while, Du Wei's spirits had clearly improved a lot.

Seeing that his condition had improved, Gao De relaxed a little.

"We've known each other for a while now, but I haven't asked your name yet," Gao De sincerely extended a hand and said earnestly, "My name is Gao De."

Seeing Gao De's outstretched hand, Du Wei hesitated for a moment before extending his own hand and slowly saying, "Du Wei."

The strong winds that had been blowing all day finally began to subside.

Gao De cast [Druid Trick] again, and the tornado representing the strong winds transformed into a golden ball symbolizing clear skies.

We're pretty lucky; it's not impossible for strong winds to last for one or two weeks in Dandong Xuefeng.

"I'm going out to find some firewood," Gao De said.

"No need for that." Du Wei, who had already regained his familiar "expressionless" face, stopped Gao De.

Under Gao De's questioning gaze, a bright flame appeared in Du Wei's palm, then flew out of his hand, swirling and dancing in the air, before slowly falling to the ground and turning into a roaring bonfire.

A fire-starting spell certainly wouldn't exceed the third level, but even Gao De, who had taken the "General Spell Recognition" course, had never heard of such a spell.

Clearly, this is a rare spell.

Creating a campfire out of thin air is really useful.

Gao De couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

With a campfire lit, Gaode set up a pot and put the remaining beef in to simmer.

"Eating some meat will help you recover your strength," he told Du Wei.

Du Wei nodded without saying a word.

Gao De actually admired him to some extent.

Falling down a mountain and even losing consciousness, it's impossible to say you're completely unharmed.

But Du Wei didn't utter a single sound from beginning to end, which shows that he was still very tough.

Gaode Maps focuses on beef cooked in a small pot.

Although conditions are limited, the agricultural tradition's emphasis on food still led him to carefully control the heat, trying his best to make this clear beef soup more palatable.

While he was focused on cooking, Du Wei had already silently sized up Gao De with his sharp eyes.

He noticed everything about Gaode, including his age, height, clothing, and luggage.

Even Du Wei noticed that although Gao De wasn't very wary of him from beginning to end, he was subconsciously protecting the package next to him.

Clearly, the package contained something he valued highly or that was very precious to him.

Du Wei had no interest in finding out what was hidden in the package.

Firstly, Gaode had saved my life, and if I were to invade his privacy, it would violate the principles I uphold.

Secondly, for Du Wei, there are actually very few things in the world that can be called "precious".

After reviewing Gaode Maps, Du Wei's last bit of vigilance finally disappeared.

Over here, Gao De had already cooked the beef soup and brought it over to Du Wei.

Du Wei was neither picky nor polite.

After finishing a bowl of hot soup, eating a few pieces of relatively fresh and tender beef, and resting for a while, his spirits and condition improved significantly.

He leaned casually against the dilapidated tent.

Du Wei knew he owed Gao De a favor.

Moreover, he saw a sincerity in Gao De's eyes that he had almost never seen before.

Sincerity without any ulterior motives.

This was something Du Wei had rarely seen before.

Gao De also keenly noticed that the other person's gaze, in addition to its calmness, contained a touch of gentleness.

However, this gentleness is not warm; rather, it carries a condescending tone.

This is something Gaode isn't quite used to.

He wasn't stupid; he had already discerned from the other party's casual act of handing over a first-level spell recipe and his demeanor that Du Wei must have come from a wealthy family.

But this has little to do with Gaode Maps.

Although he is indeed short of money and loves money, he is used to earning it himself.

Moreover, Gaode is now focused entirely on planting trees.

Although he was in a hurry to leave, Gao De couldn't just abandon Du Wei, who had only recently regained consciousness, now that he had saved him.

Following the principle of seeing things through to the end, Gao De decided to stay on this sheltered slope for two more days until Du Wei fully recovered.

"I'll rest for halftime," Gao De thought to himself.

It took Du Wei a while to realize that Gao De had chosen to stay because of him.

—Given his past life experiences, it was perfectly normal for people around him to revolve around him.

After realizing what was happening, he slowly said, "Thank you. I can take care of myself, you don't need to waste your time because of me."

Gao De raised an eyebrow and said casually, "It's okay, I'm not in a particular hurry anyway."

After another moment of silence, Du Wei took the initiative to ask:

"Is this your first time challenging a snow-capped mountain?"

Gao De nodded.

"I had my own reasons for climbing Dandong Snow Peak, but what about you? Is it just to challenge yourself?" he asked again.

"No, it's just that we need to pass through on our way."

The sound of Du Wei's voice paused for a moment as it passed by.

Dandong Snow Mountain, which is considered one of the "Glorious Eight Challenges" in the Liszt family, was reduced to a so-called "passing by" in the other party's tone.

It's as if Dandong Xuefeng isn't the highest peak on the mainland, but some small hill.

This was emotionally difficult for Du Wei to accept.

He remained silent for a moment before finally calming himself down, and then asked, "On the move?"

"I'm preparing to enter the North." Gaudí shrugged.

"The North?" Du Wei frowned, clearly unable to understand why Gao De wanted to go to that extremely cold place.

Then, he suddenly noticed a detail that he had previously overlooked.

"You haven't mastered [Tolerance of the Environment] yet, have you?" he asked.

Because Du Wei discovered that there was no magical fluctuation on Gao De's body, which meant that he had not cast any spells on himself at this moment.

"I've learned it, but I don't need it yet," Gaode replied.

"Not for now," Du Wei's eye twitched.

He glanced at the clothes on Gao De's body; they were clearly not extraordinary items that could keep Gao De from changing color in the current climate of nearly minus fifty degrees Celsius.

"You really are thick-skinned," Du Wei complimented.

It's not sarcasm, it's genuine praise.

No wonder he could never shake off such an obvious novice.

It turns out he was born with extraordinary talent.

With his knowledge, he naturally understood that at this temperature, it couldn't be simply a matter of physical constitution.

The reason the other party is so resilient is most likely because of their "specialty".

The talent that Du Wei was referring to was precisely his expertise.

(End of this chapter)