Above the mage

Chapter 61 Three Essential Survival Techniques for Mages in the Wilderness

"Bremen hasn't seen any ley lines emerge for too long, so everyone has lost their vigilance and developed a blind spot in their thinking, not even considering this possibility," Pierre sighed.

"The formation of ley lines takes time, and the accumulation of magic and the increase of ley line creatures are among the precursors to the formation of ley lines."

"Of course, perhaps as most people think now, these anomalies are just caused by high-level magical plants attracting earth vein creatures, and it's all just my oversensitivity and suspicion."

Pierre said seriously, "It's just that I'm too old to gamble. By the time the ley lines are fully formed, it will be too late to leave."

"Furthermore, if the strange disappearances of people in the city are not resolved, no one knows when something strange might happen to them."

"Living in constant fear and anxiety is not a good thing."

There is no such thing as being able to guard against thieves for a thousand days.

"So, after much deliberation, I decided to leave."

"You should think about it carefully too," Pierre hesitated for a moment, but still offered a gentle suggestion.

Gao De's mind raced, and he nodded, saying, "I will."

"Let's put that aside for now. Is there something you need from me today?" Pierre waved his hand and asked.

Gao De tightened the pack on his back and said honestly, "I originally wanted to get another batch of potions from you, but considering your current situation, it's not really a good idea."

Clearly, Pierre was busy clearing out his inventory, so there was no reason for him to order any more stock.

"Haha, you've been selling your wares to me all this time. Why don't you take a look at what I have in my shop today?" Pierre laughed. "The prices of the items in my shop are basically at cost price or even at a loss right now. It's a great deal."

After glancing at the merchandise in the store, Gao De shook his head and said apologetically, "I don't need anything at the moment."

Pierre thought for a moment, then suddenly leaned closer to Gao De and asked in a low voice:

"What about the spell recipe?"

"Huh?!" Gao De exclaimed in surprise.

Pierre had already casually sat down in the chair behind the counter and said slowly, "I wonder if you've ever heard of the 'Three Essential Spells for a Mage's Wilderness Survival'?"

"Three essential survival techniques in the wild? What are these?"

Clearly, Gaode Maps had not heard of it.

Those who haven't received systematic Buddhist education are simply short-sighted.

"It refers to the three magic tricks: [Water Creation], [Northward Direction], and [Food Purification]."

"When I was young and still adventuring, it took me a lot of effort to collect these three spells." As he said this, the old man showed a nostalgic expression, reminiscing about his youth.

"As you know, only a small portion of the Bremen region has been developed; most of it is still undeveloped primary forest and wasteland."

"But whether it's hunting creatures from the ley lines or searching for precious magical plants, you need to set foot in these primeval forests."

"You hunted ley line creatures when you were young?!" Gao De exclaimed in surprise, never expecting that this lazy old man had been so "passionate" in his youth.

It's no wonder that Pierre, an ordinary grocer, knew so much.

It turns out he was a "hero" in his youth.

"Of course, any aspiring mage, unless born into a noble family, would risk their life to earn money, wouldn't they?" Pierre said matter-of-factly.

"You should be aware of how much money a monk's spiritual practice consumes."

"Only by hunting creatures from the ley lines and gathering magical plants can one earn enough resources for cultivation. Money earned through ordinary methods is simply not enough for cultivation."

Gao De nodded in deep agreement.

Leaving aside the "boss" Seddar, his starting point was already better than many others—he started with a herb garden.

With a stable business like the medicinal herb garden, he was still just a first-class apprentice.

Even so, he often lamented the difficulty of finding a place to live when faced with the resources needed for his spiritual practice.

It is easy to imagine how luxurious a "profession" a monk is.

"Back then, in order to earn some money, I would often spend at least half a month at a time venturing into the primeval forest."

"Surviving in the primeval forest for so long would be impossible without the aid of magic."

As he spoke, Pierre glanced outside the shop several times, and only after confirming that no one was around did he open the drawer of the counter.

There were three booklets inside.

These are three spell recipes.

Clearly, Pierre was prepared and was just waiting for Gao De to arrive.

"Take a look first, we'll talk about the rest later."

Gao De quickly took the three spell recipes and began to browse through them:

[Water Creation] (Curse Magic, 0 Rings):

This spell will produce two gallons (which can be increased as the mage's rank increases) of clean, drinkable water, just like clean rainwater.

You can create water in an area of ​​a suitable size to hold the liquid, or an area three times the size mentioned above—this water may pour down like rain, or fill many smaller containers.

If this water is not consumed, it will disappear after one day.

Note: Each gallon (approximately 4.8 liters) of water weighs about 8 pounds. One cubic foot can hold 8 gallons of water, which weighs approximately 60 pounds.

[Guide to the North] (Prophecy, 0-ring):

When you cast this spell, you will immediately know which direction is north from your current location.

This spell only tells you your north position for a brief moment when you cast it. If you don't use a reference point to maintain a certain direction, you may lose your way again.

[Purify Food] (Change type, 0 rings):

This spell can purify 1 cubic foot (which can be increased as the mage's rank increases) of spoiled, rotten, infected, poisonous, or otherwise contaminated food and water into an edible and drinkable state.

This spell cannot prevent subsequent natural decay or spoilage.

Evil water and similar foods and drinks lose their effects after being treated with purified food, but this spell is ineffective against any type of creature or magical potion.

Putting down the spell recipes, Gao De finally understood why these three spells were called the "three essential spells for a mage's survival in the wild."

Survival boils down to four things.

Food, drink, lodging, and transportation.

These three spells correspond to three of these points: eating, drinking, and moving.

[Water Creation] ensures drinking water, [Northern Direction] ensures he won't get lost in the complex environment of the primeval forest, and [Food Purification] ensures food supply to a certain extent.

"Strictly speaking, the third of the three essential methods should not be [purifying food], but rather [the art of food production]."

"But the [Food Creation] spell is a third-circle spell, which has a very high barrier to entry, so we can only use [Purify Food] as a substitute," Pierre explained again.

"How much?" Gao De asked, clutching the spell recipe in his hand.

With three such useful spells right in front of you, how could you not be tempted?

"Didn't I tell you that trading spell recipes privately is strictly prohibited by the authorities, and I don't do anything illegal?"

Pierre's answer, however, took Gao De by surprise.

In his view, Pierre's question was an attempt to sell him a spell recipe.

After all, the reason Pierre refused to trade spell recipes with him privately was because his shop was located there.

If his shop is reported for trading spell recipes, it will be shut down, and the risk is too great compared to the potential profits.

But now that Pierre's grocery store is preparing to close down and sell, it shouldn't have such concerns anymore.

Moreover, they've already presented the spell formula, clearly waiting for him, so why won't they sell it?

We can't be playing a trick on him, can we?

Before Gao De could figure it out, Pierre had already burst into laughter:

"So, I'll just give you these three spell recipes!"

(End of this chapter)