Above the mage

Chapter 786 Snatching People

Just as Gaode was excitedly placing an order and redeeming military merits, a small meeting was simultaneously taking place among the upper echelons of Haiyuan White Tower.

Although the meeting was small, with only five people including the host, the people who attended were all of considerable importance.

Because Lieutenant General Karen, who had single-handedly passed the decision to promote Gao De to the rank of military officer, and who was ranked among the top twenty in the entire Sea Sentinel, was not seated in the main seat at this meeting, but rather in the second seat.

That would indicate that the person in charge of this meeting holds a position and authority far exceeding that of a lieutenant general.

In the main seat sat an elderly man with white hair and gray eyes.

His clothes were plain with few decorations, except for a simple silver sentry insignia embroidered on the collar.

His magical power was completely contained, like a deep, silent sea, seemingly peaceful but unfathomable in reality.

This person is one of the three generals of the Sea Sentinel, and one of the people in charge of personnel appointments and resource allocation for the entire team.

The other three officers present were lined up on either side. They were all high-ranking military mages with cold faces and solemn demeanors, holding important positions and rarely appearing in public.

Everyone sat upright and no one made a sound.

The only topic of this closed-door meeting, from beginning to end, was Gaode's reward.

In fact, there was no need for Gaode to make a special trip to the White Pagoda to exchange merits and announce its return.

From the moment Gao De won the World's Unparalleled Fighting Tournament, the high-ranking officials of the Sea Sentinel Corps kept their eyes firmly on him.

So after Gaudé boarded the airship back to Dorne in the City of Glory, they received the news immediately and even knew exactly when Gaudé would return to Dorne.

It can be said that they have a thorough understanding of Gaode's dynamics.

This is because Gaode's achievements this time are truly remarkable.

He swept through twelve martial arts schools single-handedly, becoming a substitute member with an absolutely crushing victory, and helped Dynasty win the championship with a stunning performance in the Unparalleled Fighting Tournament.

This directly led to the Sea Sentinel taking the top spot in the rankings for the first time in hundreds of years.

According to the military regulations of the Plantagenet Dynasty, for the next ten years, the Sea Sentinels will receive the highest level of resource allocation from the dynasty.

This includes many core benefits such as high-level potion quotas, rare spellbooks, magical material supplies, and priority for general military rank promotions.

Rewarding those who have made contributions is essential.

Gaode's monumental achievement, which has altered the trajectory of the entire industry's development over the past decade, deserves the highest level of reward.

But what to reward them with became a headache for the high command of the Sea Sentinels.

The simplest way is to reward military merit and award Gao De a first-class merit.

Gao De can use his merits to enter the treasure vault to exchange for the resources he needs. At the same time, the accumulated merits can also pave the way for his subsequent military rank promotion.

This is the safest and most standard answer.

However, this conventional approach has failed when applied to Gaode Maps.

Everyone knows that with Gao De's terrifying talent, combat prowess in battles beyond his level, and brilliant record, his career as a Sea Sentinel is already nearing its end.

The Sentinels of Light, the Silver Dragon Riders, and the Vanguard of Justice have all definitely listed Gao De as a key target for recruitment.

Once Gaode transfers to one of the three top military mage factions, the Sea Sentinel's merit system will automatically become invalid.

No matter how many military merits you accumulate, they become useless numbers that cannot be redeemed.

Gao De understood this principle, which is why he used up all the military merits he had accumulated as soon as he returned to Dorne.

If it's not appropriate to give direct military merit rewards, then deciding on the specific reward becomes a major problem.

"Although he will soon no longer be our Sea Sentinel's military mages, we must not let him down. After all, his achievements have affected our resource allocation for a full ten years," Lieutenant General Karen said, setting the tone for the entire meeting.

As soon as he finished speaking, the white-haired mage in the main seat nodded slightly, a hint of approval flashing in his gray eyes, tacitly acknowledging this core principle.

The general tone has been set, but the specific reward plan remains unresolved.

The group exchanged glances, all looking thoughtful, and no one spoke.

Just then, a younger officer sitting opposite Karen at the very end of the side seat slowly raised his eyes and suddenly said, "I have an idea."

"Speak," the presiding monk said calmly.

The young officer gathered his thoughts and said slowly, "Gao De's performance in this magic competition is enough to prove that he is an extremely rare all-around spellcaster."

"In this situation, all kinds of conventional resources, potion supplies, and alchemical equipment are actually beneficial to him."

"But precisely because of this, we have no way of determining his current core needs."

"The treasures we subjectively select are most likely just treasures in our eyes, but may not be suitable for him, thus wasting this reward for merit."

"More importantly, the resources, spell access, and potion quality of the Light Sentinels, the Vanguard of Justice, and the Silver Dragon Riders are all superior to those of our Sea Sentinels, and each of them has its own strengths."

"The material rewards we can offer are not competitive compared to the treasures of these three major entities, and may even be somewhat useless."

"Regular military merits are no longer effective for him, and it's difficult to choose exclusive material rewards."

"In that case, why don't we choose a universal, permanently effective reward?"

Lieutenant General Karen's eyes flickered slightly, already vaguely guessing what the other party was thinking, but she still asked, "What do you mean?"

"A large sum of Golden Bird Coins will be directly allocated as a reward."

He spread his hands calmly, his tone resolute: "Whether he joins the Sentinels of Light, the Silver Dragon Cavalry, or the Vanguard of Justice in the future, the Golden Bird Coin will be universally accepted."

"This not only directly matches his achievements, but also allows him to independently purchase the resources he needs, which is far more practical than us subjectively bestowing them."

As soon as he finished speaking, the entire secret room fell silent.

Everyone present fell into deep thought.

In the mage community, especially among high-level mages, most of the things they need are things that money can't buy.

Therefore, most of the rewards are in the form of physical goods.

Using common currency as a reward is too straightforward and simple, even a bit "vulgar," and completely inconsistent with the style and conventions of high-level mage rewards.

Therefore, no one thought of it that way.

But after careful consideration, everyone had to admit that this seemingly simple and crude solution was actually the safest and best option at the moment.

Gaode returned to the Walmart Magic Materials Store flagship store.

His residence in Dorne was located on the second floor of the magic supplies shop.

The location of the magic supplies shop is not ideal; in fact, it is somewhat remote and inconspicuous within the entire mage community.

Even though Walmart's Magic Supplies store has gained some fame recently due to its expansion, high-level mages still rarely come here on weekdays.

But today, that is not the case.

As soon as Gao De pushed open the door of the magic supplies store, he saw a tall figure in black standing in front of the shelves, casually examining something.

The man was dressed in a plain black uniform without badges, standing upright and composed, exuding a cold and austere aura as if he had long held a high position and judged all matters.

Gao De paused slightly, a hint of wariness and doubt flashing in his eyes.

Before Gao De could speak, the man in black turned to look at him and said, "No need to be wary. I am Xiao Lai. I've come to you on behalf of the Vanguard of Justice to extend an invitation for you to join us."

The introduction is simple, but its significance is immense.

The Vanguard of Justice is one of the three top-tier military mages in the dynasty.

"Can we talk alone?" he asked.

"A champion of justice?!" Gao De looked at Xiao Lai in front of him.

He knew that his outstanding performance and remarkable achievements in the Unparalleled Magic Competition would definitely attract the attention of the three major military mage organizations.

Gaode just didn't expect that the other party would come to him directly instead of communicating with him through the Sea Sentinel channel.

"I cannot verify your identity," Gao De said after a moment's hesitation.

This vigilance is by no means superfluous.

Grand Duke Wang Mian had already warned him that there were secret foreign forces spying on and investigating his background.

The more glorious the moment, the more likely it is to harbor deadly intent.

Before verifying someone's identity, any rash trust could sow the seeds of fatal danger.

Xiao Lai was not dissatisfied with Gaode's caution; in fact, she even felt a bit of appreciation for it.

Ordinary young mages would be flattered to learn that they had been personally invited by the three top factions.

Who can remain true to themselves and stay vigilant when faced with an incredible opportunity?

However, this composure in the face of glory and in the face of adversity is precisely the most essential quality of a top military mages, and also the fundamental trait that the vanguard of justice values ​​highly.

Xiao Lai chuckled and tossed a matte nameplate into the air, where it landed steadily in Gao De's palm.

The nameplate design is the same as that of the Sea Sentinel Army Mage, inheriting the unified regulations of the dynasty's military.

However, the patterns are more intricate and precise, with the unique patterns of the vanguard of justice engraved on the edges.

Most importantly, the magic imprint is deep, subtle, and seamless, a forging technique exclusive to royalty, making it extremely difficult to counterfeit.

Gao De probed into it with his spiritual power, and the magical imprint clearly reflected his name, rank, and faction number: Vanguard of Justice, Lieutenant General Xiao Lai.

"I'm sorry," Gao De bowed slightly in apology, and invited, "Let's go upstairs and talk."

He pointed upstairs.

The fact that a lieutenant general from the Vanguard of Justice personally attended speaks volumes about the importance attached to the event.

"You live in a rather simple place." Once upstairs, Xiao Lai glanced at the somewhat cramped living area and remarked casually.

"I don't come back often, so I haven't been thinking about finding a better place," Gao De explained.

Xiao Lai nodded slightly, said nothing, and silently raised his fingertips to create a silencing barrier.

A thin magical barrier enveloped the entire attic, completely isolating it from outside sounds and probes.

With proper precautions in place, he cut to the chase: "First of all, congratulations on winning the overall championship of this year's Unparalleled French Fighting Tournament."

"It wasn't all my doing," Gao De said humbly.

"Grand Duke Wang Mian specifically vouched for you, saying that if you could rank among the top twenty in the combat power list, you could choose to join any of the three major military mage factions. I originally had some reservations, thinking that this exceptional treatment was too much, but I didn't expect your performance to be so outstanding," Xiao Lai said.

Gao De was slightly surprised, but did not respond.

Xiao Lai nodded: "But my invitation today is not based on Grand Duke Wang Mian's guarantee, but entirely on the strength and potential you have demonstrated."

"You deserve to be actively fought for by us, the vanguard of justice."

"It shouldn't just be us, the vanguard of justice; the gates of the Sentinels of Light and the Silver Dragon Riders should also be completely open to you."

""

After a pause, Xiao Lai said quite frankly, "I understand. Among the three major military mage organizations, our Vanguard of Justice should be ranked the lowest in your hierarchy."

"However, we should still fight for what we should fight for. Our senior management is very optimistic about your future," Xiao Lai said directly.

"Among the three major military mage units, our Vanguard of Justice is recognized as having the most demanding missions."

"But there are advantages and disadvantages. Because the mission is so demanding, the military mages of the Vanguard of Justice can obtain the most resources."

"If you choose to be a vanguard of justice, we can completely exempt you from all attendance duties for the first ten years, and you will still enjoy normal resource supply and privileges."

"In addition, for the first twenty years after you join the Vanguard of Justice, we can give you double the military merits and rewards for all the missions you complete." Xiao Lai didn't bother with those empty words and directly gave the most substantial exceptional conditions.

This treatment is unprecedentedly generous.

There is no upper limit to the double rewards; the redemption is entirely dependent on Amap's own capabilities.

This provides Gaode with ample time to grow while preserving its potential for advancement, demonstrating generosity and fairness. "You can decide for yourself; there's no need to give an immediate answer."

Xiao Lai didn't try to persuade him deliberately; his attitude was very Zen. After stating the conditions he offered, he nodded slightly and said, "I'll leave first. The rest is up to you."

He was efficient and decisive throughout.

Gao De politely saw Xiao Lai off.

Before long, another figure entered the Walmart Magic Supplies store.

He was a middle-aged man with graying temples, wearing silver-scaled armor, exuding a fierce and fiery aura, and his unique sharpness was overwhelming.

Gao De looked up and saw completely unfamiliar faces.

Before Gao De could ask, the newcomer smiled and spoke in a familiar and casual tone, with a hint of cheerfulness: "Little guy, no need to guess, I am Lieutenant General of the Silver Dragon Cavalry, Lake."

Lake glanced at Gao De. "Shao Lai should have already come over to say hello, right?"

Gao De's heart skipped a beat, but he still nodded and said, "I came by, but I just left a little while ago."

Lake raised his hand and tossed out a military-issue nameplate as well.

The silver background features a dragon pattern, engraved with the core emblem of the Silver Dragon Cavalry, with clear information on their rank.

"I watched your games live. At first, I thought you had a decent foundation and some talent, but you weren't exactly a formidable player. But later... I was wrong about you."

"A third-ring warrior fighting a fourth-ring warrior, and the opponent was one of the Empire's top battle mages. His fighting style was sophistry, his methods were numerous, and he was good at both offense and defense. His mentality and combat power were impeccable."

"In all my years of service in the Silver Dragon Cavalry, I have never seen a new generation mage like you."

His gaze was intense, and he looked at Gao De as if he were examining a piece of uncut jade, full of certainty and appreciation: "If you come to the Silver Dragon Cavalry, even at the worst growth potential, you can reach my current level."

Lake paused for a moment, then said, "General Richard should also be happy to see you join the Silver Dragon Cavalry."

However, he only touched on this point briefly without going into detail, and then continued, "If you are willing to join the Silver Dragon Cavalry, we can exempt you from all the new recruit assessments, directly issue you the qualification to adopt a dragon bird, and give you priority in receiving faction-exclusive dragon bird magic equipment."

"In addition, you can freely choose to join any of the main combat formations in the team, including... the core main force formation personally led by General Richard."

"Your magical combat skills and practical talent are outstanding, and we Silver Dragon Cavalry train true warriors."

"Your abilities would be somewhat wasted in other factions, unable to be fully utilized. From this perspective, our Silver Dragon Cavalry is the most suitable for you."

Lake laid out all his conditions and his optimism about Gaode in one go.

After saying that, Lake solemnly added his most crucial trump card: "You should think about it carefully. The dynasty's system... is somewhat rigid after all. Even our three major military mage systems are not immune to this."

"The other two companies can indeed give you important responsibilities, and with your abilities, your rank will likely rise rapidly after joining them."

"But there is a limit to this kind of improvement... Once you reach a certain point, relying solely on your talent and ability may not be enough to go further; you will be constrained by seniority, connections, and the system."

"But if you choose to join our Silver Dragon Cavalry, you shouldn't have to worry about this issue," Lake concluded.

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