Above the mage

Chapter 296 Back on Track and Good News

Following Gao De's orders, Grant had already recruited a group of people from the tribe and was working tirelessly to cultivate the first batch of 300,000 acres of land.

However, before the emergence of "Northwest Barley No. 1", the Zhenbing tribe could not devote too much manpower to land reclamation.

Before a stable food source is available, the tribe's workforce must focus on obtaining food as their primary task, rather than engaging in land reclamation where no immediate returns can be seen.

Food storage has always been a difficult task for the people of the North—they struggle to even get enough to eat, let alone store food.

This also results in their poor ability to withstand risks.

Even though the Zhenbing tribe is the largest tribe in the North, it's not much better in this respect. Not to mention, the Zhenbing tribe has just experienced a "squandering" attack on the Icefield Temple, and its already meager food reserves are almost completely depleted.

Therefore, even if Gao De was 99% certain of the success of hybrid barley, he could not rashly make such a decision, which would lead to the starvation of many people if there was even a 1% chance of failure.

Naturally, with relatively little investment of human and material resources, the area of ​​farmland that Phoenix has cultivated so far is still far from the target of 300,000 mu.

The snowfield outside the Phoenix Ice City wall is the starting point for the first batch of 300,000 mu of farmland to be reclaimed in the Gaode plan.

The group brought Northwest Barley No. 1 seed to this place.

Nearly a hundred members of the Zhenbing tribe have been waiting here for some time as ordered.

They were the people responsible for reclaiming the land during this period.

Following Gao De's instructions and under Flora's guidance, the nearly one hundred Zhenbing tribesmen took over the Northwest Barley No. 1 seed and began sowing it at the most suitable spacing and density.

The dozen or so apprentices from the Ministry of Agriculture were responsible for taking notes.

After the Bing Clan had planted all the Northwest Barley No. 1 seeds they brought, Gao De nodded slightly to Sunaifa beside him.

Sunefa immediately understood, selected a row of planting pits that had already been covered with soil, and cast a nature spell.

At this moment, Gao De was also a little excited. He was not worried about the growth of Northwest Barley No. 1, and he had great confidence in the hybridization breeding experiment.

What he cared about was that this was destined to be a great moment.

Starting today, barley will officially appear on the permafrost tundra, and the changes in the North will begin from this moment.

Under Sunefa's "Nature Arts," and under the watchful eyes of the crowd, over a hundred barley seedlings quickly sprouted from the soil and began to grow rapidly.

Although the wheat seedlings have not yet been harvested, everyone in the Zhenbing tribe was astonished to see that these wheat seeds, which are clearly harvested from golden wheat that can only grow on volcanic soil, were sprouting on the snowfield.

Those Zhenbing tribesmen who came to carry out the sowing work according to orders were even more stunned.

The following steps are actually the same as the breeding process of cold-resistant wheat native varieties.

Except for the need to stop artificial pollination during the flowering period, all other flowers were induced to bloom in one go by Sunefa's "natural magic".

Everything went smoothly and naturally.

More than a hundred tall and lush Northwest Barley No. 1 plants, laden with heavy, golden ears of barley, appeared before everyone in such a "fresh and vibrant" manner.

With just a quick glance, Gao De knew that the yield per acre would definitely meet his requirement of "120 kilograms".

As the cold wind gently blows, a rich aroma of wheat fills the air, making people feel refreshed and relaxed.

Gao De used his magic to casually pluck a handful of wheat ears from a barley plant and gently rubbed them in his hand.

The hard outer shell then peeled off, revealing the golden wheat grains inside, which had a few translucent vertical stripes.

It resembles Jin Hui Mai in appearance, but the differences are clearly visible.

Gao De stuffed a handful of wheat grains into his mouth and began to chew them carefully—this is the best way to eat Jin Hui wheat.

It has a crispy and fragrant texture with a slightly sweet taste.

Of course, while taste is important, it's not the main focus for Gaode Maps.

After he chewed and swallowed the barley grains, a warm current instantly rose from his abdomen and spread throughout his body, making him feel much warmer in an instant.

This is precisely the cold-dispelling property of Jin Hui Mai, and it is also what Gaode values ​​most.

Keeping warm and finding food have always been the biggest survival challenges for people in the North.

The Northwest Barley No. 1 variety provides solutions to both of these major challenges.

"You should all try it too," Gao De said to everyone with a smile.

Grant, the Deputy Minister of Agriculture, swallowed hard, plucked a handful of wheat, rubbed off the husks, and nervously put the grains into his mouth to chew.

The next instant, Grant's slightly cloudy eyes suddenly gleamed.

Seeing his reaction, the others couldn't resist and followed suit, plucking a handful of wheat to taste.

Immediately afterwards, everyone's eyes lit up, and their bodies trembled slightly with excitement.

"My king, if this kind of barley can grow without volcanic soil, then no child in Phoenix will ever starve again. Can it really be grown on a large scale in the snowfields?" Grant's voice was a little dry and trembling, still in disbelief.

"As you can see, Deputy Minister Grant," Godd said, spreading his hands, "the snowfield is the most suitable growing environment for Northwest Barley No. 1. On the contrary, if it is planted on volcanic soil, it will not be able to grow normally."

"However, we haven't yet reclaimed enough suitable farmland in the snowfields for planting," Gao De said, shifting the focus to the current problem.

He paused, then turned to Sunefa and said, "Next, provided that the food supply is not a problem, we should shift the focus of the tribe to cultivating the fields."

"That is certainly true, my king," said Sunefa.

"We still need your help with the breeding of Northwest Barley No. 1," Gao De added.

To quickly obtain the Northwest Barley No. 1 variety with stable and ideal traits, the rapid growth method of "natural techniques" is indispensable in the short term.

Thinking of this, Gao De couldn't help but feel secretly fortunate.

Without the "art of nature," it would have taken at least four or five years to cultivate the first generation of Northwest Barley No. 1.

The subsequent multi-generational selection process will take several more years, unlike now, where everything has already gotten on track in just half a month.

Sunefa nodded emphatically.

This is not just about "working in the fields," but a momentous event that will change the entire Zhenbing tribe and even the entire Northern Territory.

"As for the guidance and standard supervision of land reclamation, as well as the subsequent multi-generational screening and breeding of Northwest Barley No. 1, these are the responsibilities of the Ministry of Agriculture."

"The Ministry of Agriculture currently has few available personnel and so much work to do, so I'm afraid you'll have to work hard for a while," Gao De said to Flora and Grant.

The hybrid barley project is on track, and Gaode Maps is not prepared to be a "full-time manager".

He handed over the remaining work on grain planting to the Ministry of Agriculture. Gaode would at most check the progress and results occasionally and offer some relevant suggestions.

Delegating power when it's time to do so liberates oneself and also cultivates talent.

—It's not just the Department of Agriculture that has too few available people; the entire city of Phoenix has too few available people.

A rapidly developing organization can never consist of only one department.

However, the establishment of a department represents a new responsibility and capability, which requires sufficient management talent and foundation; otherwise, building an empty shell is meaningless.

The more Gao De thought about it, the heavier the burden on his shoulders felt.

Because Phoenix lacks so much, it's basically like starting from scratch.

The only consolation is that, because of its "primitive, closed, and backward" environment, coupled with the blind faith of the Zhenbing tribe in him, any idea of ​​Gao De that might be considered "heretical" by outsiders can be resolutely implemented here.

而在高德看来，在北境的从「0」到「100」，其实比外界的从「40」、「50」到「100」是要来得容易的。

Because going from "0" to "100" only requires "100" of effort.

From the outside perspective, it might mean first destroying "40" and "50" down to "0", and then starting from "0" again, which would require an effort of "140".

Ten days passed quickly.

With the blessing of a fourth-tier spiritual land, Gao De condensed a new drop of liquid mana six months after advancing to the first-ring mage.

The matter of cultivation has finally gotten back on track.

Mana Power: 21 drops of liquid mana.

Mental power: 132.

This is the current state of Gaode Maps.

He also successfully mastered the last four first-level spells he obtained from the Snowfield Guardian, having constructed spell models for them all during this time.

The number of first-level spells in the Highlord's spell library has now been expanded to 14.

This number of first-level spells is actually not much different from that of a seasoned first-level mage.

In addition, thanks to the "efforts" of the Zhenbing tribe, Gao De gained another 6 points of first-ring origin, which, together with the original remaining point, gave him a total of 7 points of first-ring origin.

However, at this point, his efficiency in acquiring the source was not as high as before.

After all, there are only about twenty or thirty kinds of creatures commonly found in the first ring of the snowfield, and only about ten kinds exist in the area around Phoenix.

Other creatures in the first ring of the earth veins are either uncommon or there aren't enough to make up a total of seven.

However, this is not a big deal.

Because right now, Gao De's only requirement is that his people capture some first-ring ley line creatures while they are hunting for food.

Once the Northwest Barley No. 1 variety is fully planted and food is no longer a concern, he can assemble a hunting team specifically to capture leyline creatures for him.

With a clear understanding of the situation, Gao De allocated all points to the four newly mastered first-level spells without being stingy with his source energy.

[Animal Conversation Skill+] (Prophecy, 1st Ring):

Gain the ability to understand and communicate with beasts during the spell's duration.

Many beasts are not very intelligent, so their cognitive abilities are quite limited, but they can at least provide you with information about the surrounding area and monsters, including anything they have now or that they have detected in the previous day.

There's a small chance you can persuade a wild beast to do you a small favor.

Additional: The spell will also affect ley line creatures of a lower rank than you.

The original [Animal Conversation] spell was considered one of the essential spells for members of the Snowfield Guardians.

Because in the remote snowfields, this spell is extremely useful for both gathering intelligence and finding targets.

Moreover, even in cities, the [Animal Conversation Skill] can still be very useful.

—The size and lifestyle of wild animals allow them to go to and notice many places that humans would not pay attention to.

In addition, humans are naturally less wary of wild animals—just as a fugitive might be killed to cover up his tracks if spotted by a human, but if spotted by a rat, they generally wouldn't take such a meticulous step as exterminating the rat.

The "Animal Conversation Spell+" expands the spell's effective range, further enhancing its practicality.

[Hunter's Mark+] (Prophecy, 1st Ring):

Specify a visible creature within casting range (180 feet = 60 meters) and mark it with magic as your prey.

Until the spell ends (one hour), each time you hit the target with a weapon, you will deal additional damage, and you will find the marked creature more easily when searching for it.

Additional: Your spell attacks will also deal an equal amount of additional damage when they hit a target.

【Beast Bond+】(Prophecy, 1st Ring):

You form a spiritual connection with a beast you encounter, whether it is friendly to you or seduced by you.

If the beast is too intelligent (more intelligent than monkeys, wolves, or certain birds), the spell will fail.

The link remains active as long as you and the beast are within each other's line of sight until the spell ends.

Through this link, the beast can understand the messages you transmit telepathically, and it will also telepathically convey its basic emotions and desires to you.

Additional: You can successfully establish a mental link with a creature as long as it is friendly to you or charmed by you, regardless of its intelligence.

【Mystic Chorus+】(Illusionist, 1st Ring):

A type of music of your choice plays within a 60-foot radius around you.

The music can travel around corners, and it moves with you, remaining centered on you throughout its duration.

Until the spell ends, you can use an action to lure a creature of your choice that is around you, can see you, and can hear the music.

You must engage in a mental battle with this creature. If you lose the battle, the creature will become friendly towards you for the duration it can hear the music and for the following hour.

The success rate will be increased when engaging in negotiation or deception with creatures that have been befriended by this spell.

Additional: You can control who hears the music. Creatures not within the spell's range will not hear the music, even if they are within the spell's area of ​​effect.

【Hunter's Mark】 is a typical combat spell, and it is extremely cost-effective against tough, resilient creatures.

However, since the spell's effect only increases weapon damage, it is actually only suitable for "melee" mages like Baruch who are skilled in martial arts.

At least for Gaode, this is a useless spell.

However, after the Wind Spirit Moon Shadow allocates points, [Hunter's Mark+] becomes suitable for all mages.

【Beast Bond】 is a beast taming spell used by members of the Snowfield Guardians to increase their bond with animals and establish a close connection.

【Mysterious Chorus】is a rare illusion spell.

For Gaode, although both spells are rare, there are actually not many occasions where they can be used; they are spells that are better than nothing.

However, for the entire Zhenbing tribe, [Beast Link] is a spell that Gaode believes can be vigorously promoted, as it can be of great use in the future development of "animal husbandry" or "transportation".

Gao De got up, preparing to head to the Jinhui Farm outside the city, which was being developed in full swing, to inspect the progress.

—The first batch of 300,000 mu of land to be reclaimed has been named Jinhui Farm, after Jinhui wheat.

Unexpectedly, Sunafa came to them first.

"My King, the area of ​​land transformed by the Sacred Tree in Valar Bay has met your requirements."

She brought Gaode some good news.