Above the mage

Chapter 367 [Comfortable Sleep+] and New Spells

After leaving the training room of the academy, Gao De returned to Haiyinrong Orphanage.

The orphanage lacked clothing and food, but it did not lack rooms.

In addition, with the association registration and crew recruitment and formation happening at the same time, Gaode also found it troublesome to travel between the two places, so he simply chose to stay at Rongguyuan.

As soon as they returned, Elsa and Dr. Danica knocked on the door and entered.

"I've already drafted the apprenticeship contract. Take a look." Elsa handed over a piece of parchment first.

If you're going to put on a show, you have to go all the way. After the association registration and bylaws are finalized, the design of the contract text is also necessary.

However, Gaode didn't worry about this matter anymore and left it entirely to Dr. Danica and Elsa.

It also serves as a chance to see Elsa's abilities.

Although I knew she had received royal education from a young age, was well-versed in governance, and was extremely adept at these official intricacies, including document formats, knowing this was one thing, but witnessing it firsthand was another.

"Party A (Chaoyu Children's Aid Association) promises to provide Party B (orphans at Haiyinrong Orphanage) with crop cultivation skills training. Party B shall serve Party A's overseas plantation for 10 years, during which time Party B shall enjoy room and board, basic medical care, and a subsidy of 1 Silver Dragon Coin per week."

A quick glance reveals a comprehensive picture; it's impossible to tell that this is merely a forged contract used to pass official scrutiny in Lagos. It appears more like a genuine, official contract.

"Thank you for your hard work," Gao De said.

"It's nothing," Elsa said honestly. She could draft such a document in a few minutes as long as she knew the general requirements and specifications.

"How's the crew recruitment going?" Gao De asked, putting down the documents.

"As per your request, we need to recruit as many loyal and confidential crew members as possible, especially for the captain position. Therefore, we have selected Cornwall and Buridi as our recruitment targets. These two fishing villages are relatively isolated from the outside world, so it is easier to build loyalty among the fishermen there."

"Finally, we found an experienced old captain. More importantly, he was once a follower of the Teochew Church, but later the caravan he served went bankrupt and he lost his job, so he stopped believing in the church," Dr. Danica reported methodically.

Good heavens. They really have some of the spirit of our ancestors. So-called faith—they believe when they need it, and they don't believe when they don't.

Gao De mentally muttered a complaint.

"Has he agreed to sign a long-term employment contract?" Gao De confirmed.

In his view, while the selection of the target group is important for recruiting loyal and confidential crew members, what is truly binding is a long-term contract with a high penalty for breach of contract, using economic means to ensure loyalty.

Not everyone is as isolated as him, with nothing to lose and nothing to fear. Once he signs the contract, if he really doesn't want to continue, he can just walk away and be done with it.

"We offered him a five-year employment contract, and he agreed without even asking for anything extra," Dr. Danica explained. "Many people lost their jobs after the Spiritual Fever, so..."

So there's no other choice; you always have to support your family.

“The captain is from Cornwall, so we recruited the first and second mates from Briddy,” Elsa added. “Then, we had the three of them recommend other crew members through their personal networks.”

"Because the salary and benefits we offered were not low, and given the current economic downturn in Lagos, a long-term contract would actually be a form of security for them, so the process went very smoothly."

"We've recruited almost everyone now. We just need to get to know each other, make preparations, and once the supplies you need to purchase arrive, we can set sail."

Gao De nodded slightly.

This is the advantage of choosing the right people. Throughout the process, apart from providing the money, he handled most of the miscellaneous tasks, which were taken care of by Elsa, Dr. Danica, and Harland. He didn't have to worry about much.

He thought for a moment, then looked up at Dr. Danica and changed the subject, "Dr. Danica, can you teach your healing spell to others? If so, I would like to purchase its spell recipe from you."

This wasn't an idea that suddenly popped into my head.

When Dr. Danica was seen using the Healing spell in the Marco district, God had already begun to think about the spell's recipe.

Putting aside the so-called rare spell title, [Healing] is one of the few healing spells among low-level Evocation spells, and its applicability is too wide, which is why Highlords are so eager to have it.

When you're out and about, who can guarantee they won't run into some trouble?

After joining the Sea Sentinels, injuries are almost inevitable, so mastering such a spell is truly necessary.

Not to mention, he now has a "BOSS" to fight.

Aldrich is a second-ring mage, and even with all the advantages of timing, location, and support, Gao De cannot be certain of victory.

Before such a battle, mastering the [Healing Technique] would be an extra trump card.

At that time, however, he and Dr. Danica were complete strangers.

In this situation, proposing to buy a spell recipe is a very presumptuous thing to do, and if you encounter a mage with a bad temper, it may even cause you to become enemies.

But now that we've crossed paths, Gaode (the map service provider) went straight to the point.

Dr. Danica thought for a moment, "The Healing Spell is actually a family secret, and it shouldn't be passed on to outsiders."

"But," she said magnanimously, "even the Duchy of Xidian no longer exists, let alone my family, so these regulations naturally no longer need to be followed."

"Please wait a moment."

After saying that, Dr. Danica left.

Half an hour later, she solemnly walked in carrying a yellowed and slightly old booklet.

"When I fled my family, I hadn't mastered this spell yet, so I took the spell recipe with me when I left."

"It's alright, otherwise, after so much time, I could write down the spell models, but I definitely wouldn't remember the recipes for spells and potions," Dr. Danica said with a self-deprecating laugh as she handed the booklet to God.

Once the spell model is successfully constructed, it will exist in the sea of ​​spells and can be easily replicated.

However, if you don't put your mind to it, it's not an easy task to remember the matching spells and potions over time.

As for a mage like Dr. Danica, who was born into nobility, her spells and potions should be readily available, so she wouldn't need to collect raw materials and mix them herself. It would be impossible for her to reveal the potion recipes.

Gao De took the booklet and took out money from his pocket.

A single first-level spell recipe is worth around 25 gold, with the [Healing Spell] being particularly valuable; selling it for 40 gold wouldn't be unreasonable.

Danica stopped God's actions, saying, "Sir, compared to a spell recipe, a kind heart is the most precious. Your willingness to help the children has already made me forget how to thank you enough. It's just a spell recipe that I no longer need."

Gao De looked at Dr. Danica.

The latter responded with a sincere smile.

"Thank you." He didn't insist any further.

"5 elderberry leaves, 1 teaspoon of dried calendula petal powder, 5 grains of fermented sea salt crystals."

Although he had just returned, in order to master the [Healing Spell] before "fighting the BOSS", Gao De immediately left Rongguyuan and headed straight for the city center.

The largest magic supply shops in Lagos are all located here, so gathering the main and auxiliary materials needed for the [Healing] spell potion shouldn't be a problem.

Indeed, at the first shop, I bought both main ingredients needed for the Healing Spell potion, and also collected four of the five auxiliary ingredients. Only the last one, Tumbleweed Dew, was out of stock.

However, Tumbleweed Dew wasn't anything rare, so Gaode was able to buy it easily at the second magic supplies store.

The total cost was 39 gold coins.

Rare spells are rare because of the spells themselves, so spell recipes are more expensive than ordinary spells. However, the main and auxiliary materials required for spell potions are still quite common and are not more expensive.

Returning home laden with the ingredients, they cooked them all together in one pot, and a small bottle of emerald green potion was freshly made.

On the eve of his departure from Dorne, Goddard acquired three new spell recipes: Disguise, Comfortable Sleep, and Rapid Excavation.

Nearly two weeks after its release, the spell models for [Disguise] and [Comfortable Sleep] have been successfully constructed.

[Quick digging] is still a bit lacking.

Now, Gaode has decided to "give up halfway" and temporarily abandon the [Quick Digging] skill, which he has not yet mastered, in favor of [Healing].

However, it's worth mentioning that [Comfortable Sleep], which Gaode originally considered a potent and side-effect-free sleeping pill, brought him a pleasant surprise after Fenglingyueying added points to it:

[Comfortable Sleep+] (Necromancer, 1st Ring):

You can cast this spell just before you rest. When affected by this spell, the recipient will enjoy a peaceful and restful sleep during the night.

Additional: When the subject is in a comfortable sleep state, the speed of mental energy recovery will also be significantly improved. For every hour of comfortable sleep, the subject can obtain the same mental energy recovery effect as 1.5 hours of sleep without the procedure.

It was upgraded in one fell swoop, from an ordinary first-level spell to a minor divine skill.

Aside from a few rare potions that can help mages restore their mental energy, in most cases, mages can only restore their mental energy through rest.

When a monk overexerts his mental energy, he often becomes completely exhausted and needs several days of rest to recover.

The usefulness of the additional effects brought by 【Comfortable Sleep+】 is self-evident.

In particular, sleep is a long-term thing, and even the smallest improvement becomes quite significant when accumulated over time, not to mention that a 1.5-fold improvement is not insignificant at all.

呲!

Inside the furnace, sparks burst and scattered like fireworks, drawing bright trails in the scorching air before finally falling to the bottom of the furnace and turning into dark red specks.

A burly, middle-aged blacksmith with a full beard stared intently at the blazing furnace in front of him.

Inside the furnace, orange-red flames raged wildly, and a piece of bronze, emitting a ghostly glow, was gradually turning red.

The young apprentice beside him was using all his strength to pull the bellows.

The powerful airflow from the bellows caused the flames inside the furnace to leap even higher, and the temperature to rise sharply.

The air was filled with a pungent, scorching heat.

At high temperatures, copper enamel softens at a slow rate that is almost imperceptible to the naked eye, and its surface, in addition to becoming increasingly intense red, also radiates a strange, pale yellow glow.

The temperature in the courtyard was astonishingly high. Even in the freezing month when the temperature was extremely low, large beads of sweat still rolled down the foreheads of the apprentices working the bellows and the blacksmiths holding hammers.

Sweat rolled down their cheeks, evaporating instantly on the ground, leaving only faint water stains.

However, Gaode, who was observing from the sidelines, had a good experience.

Because he had already set a goal for himself to "endure the environment" early on.

After a long time, when it was almost done, the blacksmith carefully used a pair of specially made pliers to take the softened copper out of the furnace and place it on a huge anvil.

The surface of the felt is pitted and uneven, marks left by countless hammer blows.

Then, he raised the iron hammer in his hand high. The hammer was engraved with runes, which were now glowing slightly.

The middle-aged blacksmith took a deep breath, his arm muscles tensed, veins bulged, and with a whooshing sound, he slammed his hammer heavily onto the bronze.

Each strike produced a deep, powerful sound that echoed through the courtyard.

His sweat dripped onto the edge of the furnace, turning into white steam that rose into the air.

With each hammer blow, the copper undergoes a subtle deformation.

Under this constant hammering, some impurities were shaken out of the copper alloy and fell off like black powder.

At the same time, the microstructure of copper pyroxene becomes denser and its composition gradually becomes more uniform.

After about thirty hammer blows, the originally soft copper had cooled down, and its surface luster had become dull, making it no longer as easy to shape as it had been at the beginning.

The burly blacksmith quickly put it back into the furnace, completing the task in one smooth motion.

Then, he straightened up, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and said to Gao De, "Sir, copper is hard and cools down quickly. To ensure that the copper is as uniform in composition as possible and that the impurities in different parts are almost identical, it needs to be forged in this way at least five times."

Gao De nodded slightly, not surprised.

This was his request.

Bronze must be refined and continuously forged until the final forging and weighing, and only if the weight does not decrease at all is it considered qualified.

This state indicates that 99% of the impurities in the copper slag have been removed.

The reason for such high requirements is not that Gaode has obsessive-compulsive disorder, but that this is the only way to create rune constructs.

The most important and core part of rune construction is undoubtedly the runes and the magic circles.

However, this does not mean that other aspects are unimportant. On the contrary, the requirements for raw materials for rune constructs are far higher than those for other extraordinary equipment.

In the old runic system, there is a well-known theory: when making runic constructs, if the raw materials themselves are not forged enough or are not of high enough quality, it will be difficult to successfully make runic constructs.

As for why this happens, there has never been a universally accepted conclusion.

However, in the new symbolic system pioneered by Hoshi, the answer to this question is obvious.

Insufficient forging times will result in different impurity levels in different parts of the same material, leading to variations in resistivity.

A slight difference can lead to a huge error; it is this small discrepancy that can cause the rune array to fail.

The apprentice, who had just taken a short rest, was instructed by the blacksmith to vigorously pump the bellows once again.

The bellows made a creaking sound.

The flames burned fiercely.

However, as a magic-conducting material, Brilliant Bronze has a different texture from ordinary copper and iron, and it takes at least 15 minutes to reach the forgeable stage again.

This is just Brilliant Bronze for making Tier 1 Rune Constructs, a Tier 1 Conduit material. Higher-level materials require much longer to forge.

(End of this chapter)