Above the mage

Chapter 402 Whirlwind Rescue

"A massive cyclone?" Gao De didn't react immediately.

"Master Gaode, you are not from our Bailuo County, so you may not know this, but here we have a saying: 'When the seawater is boiled hot, the sky leaks a hole,' which refers to a whirlwind."

"In summer, as soon as the weather gets hot, the seawater is baked like boiling fish soup. The heat rises straight up, and the clouds are stirred up by this heat into the shape of a giant conch shell. They start to spin and spin faster and faster, and then they become whirlwinds."

As he spoke, he gestured with his hands in the air, trying to make Gaode understand more intuitively.

"The cyclone that hit Oakland this time was really something else. The wind speed at the center reached 200 feet per second. This level of cyclone is the largest in 56 years."

"They've really suffered over there. The wind is so strong that it uproots century-old trees, and the raindrops are harder than crab shells. Auckland may be in a better situation because it often experiences cyclones and has comprehensive protective measures, but the surrounding villages and towns are doomed."

The two staff members looked grave. "Although they took cyclone attacks into account during construction, they could only withstand ordinary cyclones at most. This time it's a super cyclone, and these small towns definitely can't withstand it."

What whirlwind? This is just a typhoon!

After listening to what the two people said, this was the first thought that came to Gaode's mind.

In his previous life, people in inland areas might not have encountered typhoons, but they must have heard of them.

People from coastal areas are people you run into several times a year; they're practically intimately familiar with each other.

In other words, the typhoon hitting the Auckland area this time is a super typhoon.

Gao De quickly calculated in his mind that 200 feet per second was roughly equivalent to a wind speed of 60 meters per second at the center.

In his previous life, this was already a Category 17 typhoon, enough to cause enormous damage and economic losses to a city.

"Didn't they observe the formation of the cyclone in Auckland beforehand and evacuate the population?" Gao De asked, puzzled.

The technological level of this world is far inferior to that of his previous life, so it is definitely impossible for it to observe the formation of typhoons early on, and to determine the typhoon's strength, path, landfall location and time as early as it did in his previous life.

But with the help of supernatural powers, it's impossible to say that one would be completely unaware, right?

If even a simple Druidic trick can easily predict the next day's weather, wouldn't a High Ring Mage have spells to predict whether a whirlwind will form?

Magic is not such an inconvenient thing.

Anyway, Gaode doesn't believe it.

"We in Barlow County experience two or three cyclone attacks every year. Over the years, we have accumulated a wealth of experience in dealing with cyclones. We even have a dedicated storm agency to monitor cyclones and prepare for emergency response and cyclone defense based on their development."

"That?"

"I heard this whirlwind is a bit strange," the two of them said, quite puzzled. "Whirls need to be hot enough to form, so they usually only appear between the Sun Moon and the Frost Moon."

"As the saying goes, the sun shines with a muffled thunder, frost and gold warn of a surprise attack, and the most dangerous times are the harvest and the dark of night."

"But it's only the first ten days of the month, and the temperature hasn't even risen yet. This whirlwind has come way too early."

"Furthermore, this whirlwind formed extremely quickly. For a whirlwind of this magnitude to go from discovery to growth and finally make landfall, it only took half a day."

"Although the Storm Control Department discovered it immediately, the city of Auckland had far too little time."

"I understand," Gao De said, his expression slightly serious, and asked earnestly, "So what is my specific task now?"

"The orders from above are to rush to Auckland City for disaster relief as soon as possible. The primary task is to rescue people. In addition, as the cyclone strikes, many water monsters will also come along, and you will be responsible for clearing them out."

The two men exchanged a glance and then replied, "Before you set off, please go to the White Tower of the Abyss. They will give you specific arrangements there."

"Okay." Gao De knew that there was no time to lose, so he didn't waste any more words with the two of them. He immediately waved for a carriage and headed straight for the White Pagoda of the Sea Abyss.

Haiyuan White Tower, Testing Plaza.

Gaode arrived relatively early, so there weren't many people on the field at the moment.

The Sea Sentinel's dormitory was already close to the Sea Abyss White Tower, so Gaode Maps received the messages quickly.

At this moment, in addition to the sea sentinel mages who were arriving one after another, there were also many staff members busy in the square.

Captain Merrick is directing operations on site.

He was dressed in a crisp sea sentinel captain mage uniform, issuing various orders.

This whirlwind came so suddenly that even the experienced Captain Merrick now wore a worried expression.

"Are the boats and horses ready?" he asked loudly.

"It's still being coordinated, but a batch is already ready and can depart at any time," an adjutant ran over and replied.

"Hurry, hurry! Get the vehicles and boats ready before everyone is here!" Captain Merrick shouted, glancing at the mages on the field. "Mages with healing spells, step forward!"

Upon hearing this, Gao De stepped forward.

More than a dozen people followed him out of the ranks.

Healing spells are relatively rare, but Sea Sentinel Mages are all elite mages, and since they are all battle mages, the proportion of mages who have mastered healing spells is extremely high.

"You set off first. Once you reach the disaster area, prioritize rescuing people, then assess the extent and severity of the damage. Also, if you encounter a large number of aquatic creatures, do not attack rashly unless you are confident in your ability to defend yourself!"

"Understood!" everyone answered in unison.

"The aftershocks of the whirlwind have not yet dissipated, and the airship is unable to take off," Captain Merrick continued.

The cyclone had only recently made landfall in Auckland when the airship was obviously doomed. The turbulent airflow and the occasional strong winds caused it to crash.

"To get to Auckland, you must either travel by water or by land. I know there's some distance involved, and the aftershocks of the whirlwind are still lingering, making it extremely dangerous. But we Sea Sentinel Mages must be the first to act and utilize our abilities, especially in times of crisis. I order you to reach Auckland within one day. Any questions?"

Within a day?

Although Auckland and Dorne are practically adjacent, the "map" of this world is much larger than that of the previous one. Although they appear to be adjacent, the actual distance between them is quite long.

Not to mention that the Auckland area is currently experiencing strong winds and heavy rain, which will greatly hinder travel.

In this situation, can we say no?

"No problem!" everyone shouted.

"Give each of them a copy of 'Whirlwind Rescue Guide' and a map of the Oakland area," Captain Merrick instructed the staff member beside him.

Barrow County is hit by cyclones every year, and they have long since developed a complete set of disaster relief and response strategies, which have been compiled into a book.

Soon, the staff distributed a thin booklet made of parchment and a map to everyone.

"We'll see about the east and west routes later. Now, set off immediately. Whether you choose the waterway or the land route is your decision!"

Urgent!

Being a Sea Sentinel Mage is no easy task. While enjoying benefits and status far exceeding those of ordinary people, one must also bear corresponding responsibilities.

Without stopping, Gao De stuffed the book wrapped in a waterproof cloth into his arms and hurriedly left the White Tower of the Abyss, just as he brushed past the other sea sentinel mages who had just arrived.

This is an urgent and mandatory mission that everyone must participate in, regardless of their status, even noble mages are not exempt.

In fact, while nobles in the Plantagenet dynasty may have had their flaws, they did have one advantage: in the face of disaster, they were always at the forefront, leading the charge.

The most striking example is that when war broke out, nobles in other countries would generally choose to protect themselves, but the nobles of the Plantagenet dynasty had an extremely high mortality rate.

Whether it stemmed from genuine belief or was influenced by the traditional concepts and customs of the Plantagenet dynasty, that's how it was done.

Judge by actions, not intentions.

This is one of the reasons why the people of the Plantagenet dynasty have a very high sense of identity and belonging to the country.

A whirlwind attack is a natural disaster, but it can also lead to man-made disasters. Natural disasters are more likely to cause chaos, and chaos will inevitably lead to trouble. There will always be evil people who will take advantage of the chaos, not to mention the many aquatic beasts that come ashore with the whirlwind.

Gao De first rushed back to his dormitory, donned his armor (rune construction) and took his sword (North Wind), then quickly headed to Biboting with Tuanzi.

He is a very good swimmer, and for a mage, waterways are definitely faster in this situation.

Therefore, Gaode Maps didn't need to think twice and directly chose the waterway.

The situation is urgent, and manpower is being deployed in batches while large ships are reserved for transporting supplies, making ship scheduling extremely tight.

The so-called waterway was actually just a small longboat equipped with a special "pig saddle".

The so-called "pig saddle" is somewhat similar to a horse saddle. One end of it is tied to the capybara and the other end to the small boat, allowing the capybara to pull the boat forward quickly.

This is why waterways are faster.

Otherwise, for the average person, even if the waterway is shorter, a small boat would lack power, and with complex wind conditions, the speed would certainly not be as fast as the safer land route.

Gao De tossed the saddle aside, patted Tuanzi's round head, and fed it a few more divine berries. "You'll have to work hard from now on."

Tuanzi remained silent, happily finished eating the divine berries, nodded emphatically, patted its "chest" with its short forefins, and then aimed at the gag and crawled into the pig saddle.

Gao Degu tightened the rope and shouted at the top of his lungs towards the water, "Let's go!"

The dumpling immediately began to exert its strength, pulling the small boat through the waves with a whoosh, gradually accelerating and speeding towards Auckland.

Don't underestimate Tuanzi just because it's only a little over a year old, small in size, but as a first-tier earth vein creature, its strength and endurance are beyond the realm of ordinary measure.

The small boat parted into two long lines of water. Water droplets hit the bow of the boat and, under the force of the high speed, shattered into white foam that splashed in all directions.

Gao De sat at the bow of the boat, took out "The Whirlwind Rescue Guide," and let the splashing water hit him from time to time as he carefully read through it.

He had some basic typhoon safety knowledge in his head, such as staying away from water bodies, valleys, and low-lying areas that are prone to flooding, and not taking shelter near tall trees, as strong winds could cause tree trunks to break and cause injuries.

But when it comes to disaster relief knowledge during typhoons, they are completely clueless.

No doubt, I need to cram for this at the last minute.

For the Sea Sentinel Mage, there are three most important tasks in the whirlwind disaster relief efforts.

First, we must save lives, racing against time to prioritize the search and rescue of those trapped in dangerous areas.

This is of utmost importance; everything else is secondary.

Because every second wasted could mean the loss of precious lives in a disaster.

In a time of relatively backward technology, the difficulty of rescuing people far surpasses that of the previous life. Navigating through ruins and turbulent waters to save lives is beyond the capabilities of ordinary people; only a sorcerer possesses this ability.

In addition, the injured should receive treatment as soon as possible.

Second, maintain order.

To prevent looting and other illegal activities that might occur amidst the panic in disaster-stricken areas, immediate action should be taken upon discovery.

At the same time, efforts were made to eliminate the aquatic beasts that appeared, stabilize public sentiment, and prevent public panic.

Third, we need to ascertain the extent and scope of the disaster and closely monitor any potential secondary disasters.

The monks will use their own abilities to help survey the affected area, draw up a disaster map, and mark the severely damaged areas.

In addition to the direct damage caused when cyclones make landfall, they can also bring about many derivative geological disasters, such as floods, mudslides, and landslides.

The good news is that the terrain of the Plantagenet Kingdom is mainly plains, with the main mountainous areas concentrated in those three mountain ranges, so there is no need to worry about mudslides and landslides.

The main purpose is to provide early warnings and prevent potential storm surges, guard against seawater backflow and flooding, and prevent objects from falling from heights due to strong winds.

The book also records a lot of useful knowledge and regulations, such as allowing special handling and severe punishment for crimes and illegal acts encountered during whirlwind rescues; methods for drawing concise disaster maps; and the criteria for judging geological disasters, etc.

The Complete Guide to Rescue is not a thick volume, but it is full of essential information.

Gaode read it carefully several times and memorized all the key points.

He then opened a map of the Auckland area to check his current location.

Meanwhile, the sky above Gaode's head had gradually darkened.

Even from a considerable distance from Auckland, such a noticeable change in the sky is evident, which gives you an idea of ​​how serious the situation must be in Auckland.

About two hours later, the small boat, towed by the dumpling, finally officially entered the Auckland city boundary.

However, the scene here made Gaode's heart sink even more.

The torrential rain poured down as if the Milky Way had burst its banks.

The sky seemed to be completely shrouded by a huge black cloth, and the light was so dim that it was as if night had fallen prematurely.

Under the terrible sky, the water surface had long since turned a hazy gray, blurry and indistinct, making everything unclear.

A suffocating and oppressive atmosphere permeated the surroundings.

The water flowed incredibly swiftly, rushing forward like a herd of horses being whipped.

The waves crashed and tumbled one after another, creating a deafening roar.

The small boat didn't have a roof, but in such extremely harsh conditions, even if it did, it wouldn't have been of any use.

The raindrops were enormous, falling like hailstones, landing heavily on the boat with a dull "thump," then shattering and splashing everywhere before being instantly submerged by new rain.

Gao De's face stung from the rain.

But he couldn't care less about that at the moment; he was busy using [Water Manipulation] to draw the rainwater that had fallen into the hull and continuously discharge it out of the ship.

Otherwise, if too much water accumulates, the boat will sink.

The dumpling was completely unaffected underwater. Its round body swayed nimbly in the rushing water, and even the rapid current did not cause it much disturbance.

However, Gaode's little boat was not so sturdy in this situation.

As the current grew more turbulent and the waves rose higher, the small boat began to rock violently, like a leaf falling in a storm.

The bow of the boat would sometimes be raised high, and sometimes it would be slammed down hard, causing the boat to tilt at an increasingly greater angle.

Suddenly, a giant wave, more than two people high, rushed towards the small boat like a furious beast.

Such a massive wave was beyond Gao De's ability to stop even with his desperate use of [Water Manipulation].

A huge wave crashed heavily onto the small boat, instantly capsizing it.

Gao De suddenly felt his body lighten, and he fell into the icy, surging floodwaters!

(End of this chapter)