Above the mage

Chapter 220 Another Link to the Origin

"And what about you?" Gao De asked after thinking for a moment.

"What?" Du Wei didn't react.

"You said you had your own reasons for climbing Dandong Snow Peak, which means you weren't just doing it to challenge yourself."

Gao De shrugged and asked, "So, what's the reason?"

It seems rather illogical that a rich young master would stay home to inherit the family business and instead come to a place like this to do such dangerous things.

"One reason is to complete a test or task, and the other is to relieve stress."

Du Wei looked calmly at Gao De and realized that it seemed that because he rarely had the opportunity to express his true thoughts to others, once he started talking, he couldn't stop.

"You can probably tell that I come from a relatively wealthy family, so I was taught from a young age that I would have to take over the family's responsibilities."

"I don't doubt my abilities, but this heavy burden still troubles me often and even makes me uneasy."

"Few people in this world have to bear as much pressure as I do at this age."

Gao De was not surprised by Du Wei's explanation.

Because he had long ago realized that the other party came from an extraordinary background.

Having been influenced by movies and TV dramas in his previous life, Gao De also understood that for these "young masters," they either indulged in wine and women all day long without any worries, or their minds and lives were so tense that they cut off all entertainment.

To put it humorously, "The thought of inheriting the family business makes me anything but happy."

Of course, at this moment, Gao De could never have imagined that the "family burden" Du Wei mentioned was such a huge family business.

So he simply offered a realistic consolation: "Who doesn't have pressure in this world? No matter how great the pressure, can it surpass the pressure of life and death? Life still goes on as usual."

Gaode is actually using itself as an example.

When he first arrived in this world, the sorcerer Seda's "test drug" was like the sword of Damocles hanging over his head, ready to fall and behead him at any moment.

The pressure was immense, but he still ate and slept as usual.

That's how he did it, so he used the same approach to comfort the other person.

Du Wei was taken aback.

This was also the first time he had been "refuted" by an outsider.

But surprisingly, he didn't dislike the experience.

Not disliking something doesn't mean agreeing with it. He looked at Gao De and said seriously, "Some pressures can indeed surpass the life and death of an individual."

Gao De shook his head, feeling that the overly handsome young man in front of him was somewhat "affected".

However, it's important to avoid speaking too much with someone you don't know well, so Gao De didn't actually engage in a debate with Du Wei. He simply said casually, "Perhaps, but that level of pressure is still very rare. You've probably just exaggerated it."

"Do you want to be the emperor?" he joked.

Du Wei glanced at Gao De.

It was an extremely "strange" gaze.

It has a playful and intriguing quality that makes Gaode feel a little uneasy.

Then, Du Wei laughed out loud.

He laughed out loud, extremely happy.

He knew the other person meant well and wanted to comfort him and help him relax.

But why do I feel even more pressure?

The pressure was clearly greater, yet I felt a little more relaxed.

It feels like it's been a long time since I've laughed this happily.

Du Wei thought to himself.

I rested for most of the day.

Du Wei took the initiative to leave.

"I've almost recovered."

He explained earnestly, "I have to continue my journey. My time is very tight, so I can't linger too long at Dandong Snow Peak."

Since that's what they said, Gaode naturally wouldn't raise any objections.

"Take care then," he said.

"You too," Du Wei said.

Flora looked up at God.

"Is there anything Lady Flora needs to say?"

"No need."

"oh."

"If you want to say it, it's not impossible."

"Take care then," Flora said happily, mimicking the mage.

"Lady Flora too." Du Wei squatted down and bent over until his line of sight was level with Flora's before speaking to her in an extremely gentle voice.

Yes, it's gentle, not mild.

If anyone who knew Du Wei were here, they would probably be so shocked they'd pop their eyes out.

There are actually people in the world who can make Du Wei bow down and who can be addressed as "Sir".

Standing up, Du Wei paused for a moment, then suddenly said, "How about we have a competition to see who reaches the top first?"

Du Wei didn't know why he made that suggestion.

But anyway, I just want to.

Gao De paused for a moment, then laughed and said, "Then you might be humiliating yourself."

Du Wei seemed surprised to receive such a response.

There was a hint of seriousness in his voice: "You're the first person who dares to talk to me like that."

"But I don't want to get your attention." No wonder he picked up a line from Gu Long; he's going for the "domineering CEO" style. Gao De has always had a great attitude, one of the manifestations of which is that he can always come up with some inappropriate lame jokes at various times.

Unfortunately, Du Wei still couldn't grasp the joke.

He simply turned away in silence, heading towards the mountaintop, to start anew.

No matter how illustrious Du Wei's birth was, how much pressure he bore, or how cold he usually was, he was still just a seventeen-year-old youth who was not yet eighteen.

In Gao De's previous life, this age could not even be called youth; it would be more appropriate to call him a teenager.

Anyone who has been through this age can understand the torment of adolescence, the feeling of trying to suppress one's emotions due to dogma or academic pressure.

This repression is often released in various ways after the college entrance examination.

Only in this way can youth be considered complete.

Du Wei originally had no opportunity to do this.

He could only spend his "adolescence," which should have been full of passion and rebellion, in an impeccable and perfect manner, before becoming a true "adult."

But now, he seems to have the opportunity to experience even a little bit of what it means to be a "young person".

Silence, but with a surge of emotion.

After a strong wind.

Many places in Dandong Xuefeng have changed.

This is insignificant in the context of the entire mountain's ecosystem.

However, for individuals and specific regions, these changes are still quite significant.

The most noticeable difference with Gaode Maps is the significant increase in the number of animals and creatures found on the earth's veins.

Another point is that, whether it's due to strong winds or because, with increasing altitude, the areas that Gaode now covers are less frequented by other users.

In short, he gradually began to discover some snow-covered plants that were quite valuable in the outside world.

Just two hours after leaving their lodgings, Gao De discovered three magical plants that were almost completely exposed on the ground.

Two of them are level 0 magical plants, and the other is a level 1 magical plant.

The market price of a Tier 0 Magic Plant is between 2 and 4 gold, with an average price of 3 gold.

The value of a Tier 1 magical plant is between 12 and 15 gold.

In other words, in such a short time, the net income is close to 20 gold.

The same applies to the snow-capped peaks of Dandong.

The vast northern frontier, one can only imagine, is an absolute treasure trove of gold.

"Why did the mage dig it up?"

While Gaode was using the Hidden Mist Fang he carried with him as a small dagger to dig out the last first-tier magical plant he had found, Flora, who had been watching for a long time, finally couldn't help but ask.

"It's valuable," Gao De said succinctly.

"It's very valuable."

"About 13 or 14 gold coins."

"So many?!"

"That's under ideal circumstances. We still need to take it down the mountain and deliver it to a city far from the snowy region before we can sell it for that price. We also need to pay the corresponding transportation costs and ensure that it doesn't lose its spirituality during the transportation process," Gao De patiently explained.

"Without losing its spirituality," Flora said thoughtfully for a moment, then added, "Then you shouldn't have used it to dig, mage."

Flora refers to the Fang of the Hidden Mist.

"Why?" Gao De was taken aback.

"Because it will contaminate it."

It's a bit convoluted, but Gaode Maps understands it.

"How do we dig it?"

"Dig with your hands."

"Would the Mage's Hand work?"

"Can."

"How did Lady Flora know?"

"That's what it told me."

"Lady Flora is truly intelligent." This time, God was genuinely praising her.

Having just put away the Hidden Mist Fang and used the Mage's Hand to acquire the Tier 1 magical plant, Flora suddenly flapped her small wings, went into alert mode, and issued a warning signal.

"Master!"

Gaode received the signal and immediately focused its attention.

This time, he didn't need to use [Detection Magic+] to find the enemy's tracks.

Because the enemy just swaggered out of the snow in front of them.

It's still a small ice element.

But a group.

Gaode glanced at it and immediately obtained the accurate number.

5.

The body size is four small and one large.

The smaller one is similar to the small ice elemental you encountered at the beginning, equivalent to a mage in the early stages of the first ring.

As for the larger one, it's a level stronger, equivalent to a mid-stage first-level mage.

Even though ice elementals have low intelligence and are considered easy targets among leyline creatures.

However, the sheer quantity and quality of ice elements present a significant challenge for Gaode Maps.

After all, he had only been a first-ring mage for a little over a month.

They haven't even learned or mastered a single damaging first-level spell.

However, Gaode did not say that they panicked.

The sheer number of spells, combined with the rising ring spellcasting, provided ample confidence.

Before the ice elements could react or even unleash their power, Gao De had already taken the initiative.

The double [Magic Blast] was fired in the blink of an eye.

Under the effect of the rising ring spell, the energy beam of [Magic Burst] will become two beams.

The two shots fired in quick succession resulted in four shots, which were aimed directly at the four smaller ice elementals.

As for the large, small ice elemental that was leading the pack, it received special treatment.

Gaode Maps recommends "Flame Arrow+".

Five magical attacks, each with its own trajectory, flew out in quick succession, with no more than a second between them.

Small ice elementals may have low intelligence, but they are not stupid; they still have the necessary combat instincts.

Therefore, upon discovering Gaode's attack, they all began to dodge. Those who couldn't dodge in time spat out ice vortexes to confront Gaode's magical attack head-on.

The four small ice elementals were completely unharmed by the first wave of [Magic Blast] attacks.

[Magic Blast] can be dodged, but the precise trajectory adjustment of [Fire Arrow+] caught the leading ice elemental off guard.

After it thought it had dodged Gao De's attack and relaxed its vigilance slightly, the flames made an unreasonable trajectory adjustment and exploded directly on its body.

With an attack power of up to 16 degrees, coupled with the element of weakness, it suffered heavy damage for a time.

Waaah!

It let out a sharp cry, opened its mouth wide, and prepared to launch a counterattack against Gaode in a fit of rage.

Dangdang Dangdang!

But it was at this moment that...

A strange bell suddenly rang in the air.

The death knell.

Gao De had just used [Ice Skating] to walk on the snow as if it were flat ground, closing the casting range of [Death's Bell].

The Death Knell itself has a power of 8 degrees, and when facing an already injured target, its power can be increased to 12 degrees. With the upgraded ring casting, it becomes 24 degrees.

[Flame Arrow+] has already dealt damage to it.

Therefore, this ice elemental will bear the full power of the spell [Death's Bell].

The powerful spell, reaching a temperature of 24 degrees, instantly made the leading ice elemental feel an unprecedented sense of crisis.

This was not only the oppressive power of the spell itself, but every syllable of the [Death Bell] seemed to directly tremble the depths of its soul, striking the core of its spirit.

Its body began to tremble uncontrollably, and a shadow fell over its frost-forged surface.

The Death Bell deals Dark Corrosion damage.

This type of damage can have a certain impact on the target's mental state, and can also interrupt spellcasting at crucial moments.

Just like now, the ice vortex that the large ice elemental was about to unleash came to an abrupt halt.

But Gaode did not stop its offensive.

While its consciousness was still being eroded by the Death Knell and had not fully recovered, the second Fire Arrow was already fired from God's hand.

It points directly to the chest of the small ice elemental containing the Ice Soul Stone.

That place is the core of ice elemental life, equivalent to the human brain.

An invisible, transparent magical light wave had already appeared around Gao De, forming an unseen barrier.

[Shield Spell]

This is to protect against possible attacks from the other four ice elements.

Although Gao De possesses many magic tricks, he actually has very few area-of-effect spells, and most of them have limited casting range.

Therefore, his current strategy can only be to launch targeted attacks and defeat the enemy one by one.

Catch the thief first to catch the king.

Gaode's primary target is naturally the large ice element in the lead.

The flames sliced ​​through the air, remaining intensely hot despite the near-minus fifty degrees Celsius, and continued straight toward their target.

The ice element sensed the approaching threat and its first reaction was to dodge.

However, due to the effects of the Death Knell, its reactions and movements are much slower.

The flaming arrow struck it squarely in the chest.

Having suffered repeated blows, even though it is of a higher rank, it is now nearing its limit.

At this moment, with the help of the [Ice Skating] skill, Gao De had already closed the distance to the group of ice elements.

A thought struck him, and he closed his eyes at the opportune moment.

Then, a dazzling light burst forth from Gaode's fingertip, instantly illuminating the surrounding area.

[Flash]!

A rare crowd control spell among magic tricks, it does not have direct killing power, but it can briefly dazzle all creatures within range, making them unable to distinguish friend from foe.

As the caster, God could naturally close his eyes beforehand, thus becoming immune to the effects of the [Flash] spell.

These small ice elements can't do that.

The intense light ripped through the darkness like lightning, instantly causing all the ice elements to be temporarily blinded.

They let out angry and confused roars, instinctively using their hands to shield their front, trying to block any possible attacks.

Gao De seized this moment to condense a ball of blazing flame in his palm once more.

[Fire Arrow+] was fired from his hand once again, tracing a perfect arc and accurately hitting the leading large ice elemental once more.

The hissing sound of fire colliding with ice at this distance was clearly audible.

With a mournful wail, the ice elemental's body began to collapse, instantly turning into shattered ice crystals scattered all over the ground.

The remaining smaller ice elementals, having just recovered from their dizziness, were thrown into a panic upon discovering that their leader had perished.

Although they have low intelligence, they can sense the threat posed by the fall of their leader.

The four small ice elementals made the same decision at this moment.

escape!

They fled frantically, trying to escape the battlefield.

But Gaode Maps wouldn't let them off so easily.

This is an excellent opportunity to gather the essence of [Small Ice Element].

With a thought, Gao De fired two more [Magic Energy Blasts] in succession.

In a proper battle, these ice elementals would normally be able to handle [Magic Blast] with ease.

But in their panic, they were completely focused on escaping and had no time to care about Gaode's attack.

And the more it is like this, the easier it is to deal with.

Several booming sounds rang out in succession, and this wave of attacks hit its mark every time.

Ice elements are inherently quite resilient, and the [Magic Burst] spell increases the number of rays rather than the attack power, so they can easily withstand this attack.

Upon seeing this, Gao De frowned, knowing that if he wanted to capture them all in one fell swoop, he would most likely have to release the remaining four small ice elementals.

He decisively changed his strategy, switching to using the [Fire Arrow+] spell, which posed the greatest threat to them, to continue picking them off one by one.

Of the four small ice elementals, only one was lucky enough to escape after being pursued by Gaode.

(End of this chapter)