Above the mage

Chapter 789 City Hall Briefing

In the system, it is very important to build your own team.

In particular, a "secretary" who you can trust and who is easy to use is extremely rare and hard to come by.

Melia was a semi-full-time clerk whom Gao De had to go to great lengths to acquire; she was essentially his personal secretary.

After about half a year of getting to know each other, Melia's abilities and character were recognized by him, and they had finally developed some tacit understanding.

More importantly, when he took the initiative to invite Melia to be his part-time clerk, she made a careful choice that risked her future.

As a native noble mage of the Golden Flower Dynasty, with a legitimate lineage, she could have steadily advanced through the conventional path.

Yet she resolutely chose to bind herself to a "wild mage" who had immigrated from outside the realm, had no background or foundation, and rose purely from humble beginnings.

Body.

Although he had already demonstrated exceptional talent and ability at the time, it was still an extremely difficult decision.

Not only does it require sacrificing a lot of personal time, but it also requires enduring gossip from the elite circles; the cost is self-evident.

Admittedly, even if Melia remained in the Sea Sentinels after his departure, she would still be highly regarded within the original system and would receive some implicit benefits simply because of her past working relationship with him and his status as a newly promoted elite mage of the Light Sentinels.

But Gao De still wanted to give Melia more help, so as not to let her down.

In addition, joining the Sentinels of Light means entering a completely new environment with new rules and complex factional affairs, which will inevitably require a sufficiently compatible and reliable person to help manage internal affairs.

It's always more reliable to bring your own people than to find them later.

Gaode had already asked Melia for her opinion beforehand.

The latter was naturally delighted to have the opportunity to go to the Light Sentinel with Gaode.

The platform you use determines your perspective and, more importantly, the upper limit of your social standing.

With her qualifications and abilities, without external support, she would never be able to even touch the threshold of the dynasty's top military law system, such as the Light Sentinel.

Now that I can take advantage of Gaode's success to get in, even if it's just as a "secretary," it's better than staying at the Sea Sentinel.

Moreover, Gao De's performance in the Unparalleled Magic Tournament is remarkable, and he is likely to grow into a top-tier mage of national protection in the future.

This kind of "following the dragon" merit is something many people would love but can't even dream of.

"Melia?" Upon hearing God's request, Lieutenant Colonel Grayling hesitated for a moment before slowly speaking.

"I can submit a special transfer application for you and help you transfer the person away from the Sea Sentinel. There's a high chance there won't be any problems."

He didn't rule it out outright, but he was already certain in his heart that the matter was safe.

Gao De is a grassroots Buddhist monk, which is often his disadvantage.

This is because it means he has no background or powerful connections, limited networks and resources, and should have faced difficulties within the system.

But after Gaode demonstrated its amazing capabilities, this weakness turned into its biggest advantage.

Being rootless and without support means that all of Gaode's foundations and experiences are marked by the mark of Hai Sentinel, and that it is a top talent cultivated by the system in its pure blood.

In this situation, investing in Sell Good Deed is actually a very cost-effective choice.

As a member of the Sea Sentinel, you only need to pay a small price to establish a relationship with them. Other organizations would have to pay several times or even dozens of times more to win over Gaode.

Therefore, as long as the request is not an outrageous one that crosses the line, the management of the Sea Sentinel will grant it as appropriate.

Gaode Maps understood the intricacies of the situation, which is why it made its request so readily.

His request actually helped to strengthen his relationship with the sea sentry.

"However—" Grayling still had a slight doubt, "You've just joined the Sentinels of Light. As a new recruit, you should, according to custom, enter the game alone."

"Only after being promoted to a full-fledged military officer can one build a private team and allocate accompanying personnel. How can you directly bring people to the post?"

"Just a little bit of privilege," Gao De said with a faint smile.

Can a regular newcomer who joins through the selection and assessment process of the three major military mages be the same as a genius newcomer who is directly invited to join?

'

"Lieutenant Colonel Grayling realized what was happening and was speechless.

A biting, clear northern wind blew in his face, and Gao De felt completely refreshed, as if all the meridians in his body were relaxing.

"This is truly a suitable place for spiritual practice."

Gao De expressed his heartfelt feelings.

The lush foliage of Yogathira above his head swayed gently in the wind, rustling as if welcoming his return.

As for Yas, she gave him a three-month leave, and the Sea Sentinels wouldn't assign him any military duties during this time.

So after Gaode finished his miscellaneous tasks in Wanhao, he immediately took the tree seeds he had accumulated over the past few months at Walmart Magic Material Store and the rewards he had just received, and activated the Astral Teleportation to return to the North.

He hasn't returned to the North for nearly three months because of the French fighting tournament.

Taking a deep breath of the pure, frosty air of the North, I suddenly realized that it wasn't just the "Secret Transmission of Perfect Ice" that was being activated by the abundant ice elements of the North and was now running at high speed.

Even the "Green Wood Longevity Scripture" is starting to stir.

This is because the surrounding vegetation is rich in vital energy, and the "Qingmu Changsheng Jing" is designed to enhance the vital energy of vegetation.

Gao De closed his eyes and felt it for a moment.

The surrounding air was filled with a very faint, almost transparent green scent, like countless tiny plant essence particles suspended in the air.

These are the essence of plants.

However, when he left the Northern Territory, although the essence of plants and trees in the core area of ​​Flora Forest was abundant, the concentration of that abundance was far from enough to actively guide the operation of the "Green Wood Longevity Scripture".

Now, without any deliberate guidance, the internal energy within him is stirring, eager to absorb the essence of the surrounding plants and trees on its own.

During his absence, the Flora Forest grew faster than he had anticipated, having already completed a comprehensive energy level leap, with its spiritual energy and vitality levels surging dramatically.

As Gao De was deep in thought, a slight trembling sound came from the distant woods.

His gaze was unconsciously drawn to it.

As the bushes parted, a sturdy, dark brown figure slowly emerged.

Oak stick.

The first treant in Flora Forest.

The tangled branches were even thicker than before, with a few leaves still hanging from the tips of the thin twigs, swaying with every step.

But what caught Gao De's attention were the two figures behind the oak staff.

They are both tree people.

However, it is nearly half again as tall as the oak staff, about four and a half meters, with a slender and upright figure.

Their bark is lighter in color, a silvery-gray common in birch trees, with a smooth surface and longitudinal striations that are much lighter than those of oak canes.

The proportions of the limbs are well-balanced, and the length of the arms and legs is close to that of the torso, which is close to that of a human figure. It does not have the disproportionate feeling of "arms that are too long and legs that are too short" that the staff has.

Their gazes fell on Gaode, quiet and focused, as if waiting for confirmation at some point.

Gao De stared at them for a moment, then turned to look at the oak staff.

As a tree-person, its innate duty is to be responsible for the daily patrols and cultivation and maintenance of the entire forest, making it the most reliable guardian and gardener of the forest.

He rushed there as soon as he noticed something unusual happening in Flora Forest.

Upon discovering it was Gaode Maps, I immediately lowered my guard.

The oak cane moved before Gaode even spoke.

Those long, slender wooden fingers habitually touched their fingertips together, then they took short strides and walked towards Gaode with a thud.

"It's...you! You're back!" The staff's words were still noticeably paused, but it was much better than before; at least there was no longer a noticeable disconnect.

Gao De glanced at the two silver-gray tree-men behind him.

"A new member?" he asked.

Following his gaze, Oak Staff glanced at his companion behind him, nodded dramatically, causing the dry branches above to rustle: "Yes, him, a month ago, he, two months ago... were all... birch tree people."

"This is the...master of Flora Forest," he introduced to his two companions.

"Hello!" *2.

Gao De scrutinized the two birch tree figures, each nearly four and a half meters tall.

Their bodies are much longer than the oak staff, making the latter appear more sturdy and stocky when standing next to it.

But compared to the oak staff, these two birch tree people were unusually honest and spoke very little.

Sure enough, once it happened, it happened again.

Gao De nodded slightly, thinking to himself.

After the Oak Staff appears, the number of Treants appearing in Flora Forest will only increase and increase rapidly until the forest reaches its limit.

With his luggage in tow, Gao Degang drove straight along the smooth 318 highway and soon returned to Phoenix.

"You still remember to come back?" He had only been in the city for a short while, and before he could even sit down properly, his Grand Consul Elsa came looking for him, full of resentment.

Gao De also knew that he had been away for quite a while this time, and knew that he was in the wrong.

However, he had already developed a thick enough skin around Elsa, so when faced with her resentful gaze, he skillfully chuckled and changed the subject: "Where's Sunefa?"

Every time he returned, Sunefa was always the first to come to his door, or she would come with Elsa.

With Sunefa around, Elsa is generally too embarrassed to vent her anger.

But this time, for some reason, Sunafa was not there.

Gao De felt a slight doubt in his heart.

Did something major happen that made her leave Phoenix?

Upon hearing Gao De mention Sunafa, Elsa's resentment intensified: "A month after you left, the Ministry of Construction started construction on 319..."

While driving on the highway, they unexpectedly unearthed a complete frozen carcass of a blue-backed dragon.

Gao De raised an eyebrow.

Hearing this name, one can tell that it is a subspecies of dragon, inheriting some of the dragon's bloodline essence.

Although it is a subspecies, it is still an extremely powerful superhuman being because it is related to dragons by blood.

With the disappearance of dragons, even sub-dragon species are becoming increasingly rare, and intact corpses are extremely scarce.

Elsa crossed her arms over her chest and continued, "Because of the extreme cold of the North, its body was completely frozen in ice, completely preventing decay and the dissipation of elements. Its flesh did not decay and its energy did not dissipate."

"The prolonged low temperature actually congealed the essence of its bloodline, causing all impurities to settle, resulting in a dragon blood with a purity far exceeding that of fresh dragon blood commonly found in the world."

"After the body was unearthed, the War Mother used its blood to aid her cultivation."

"The energy in the dragon lizard's blood is exceptionally pure, without any impurities or external influences, making it easy to absorb. As a result, the Battle Mother Mage's level increased rapidly, jumping directly to the late fourth ring. The entire process took about a month."

"A week ago, Zhan Mu even went into seclusion under the Ice Jade Wutong tree to advance to the fifth ring mage level."

Upon hearing this, Gao De took a deep breath, and a genuine look of joy instantly lit up in his eyes.

Upgraded to the fifth ring.

Given Sunefa's resources and the top-tier five-ring upgrade potion, Siren's Salt Marsh Elixir, that he had given him, he simply couldn't fathom the reason why Sunefa's upgrade had failed.

In other words, the North will finally have a legitimate fifth-circle mage in charge.

Even though Sunafa is only a fourth-ring mage, her strength is comparable to that of a fifth-ring mage. However, there are certain abilities that a fifth-ring mage possesses that a fourth-ring mage does not.

The power of a Fifth Ring Mage is far greater than that of a Fourth Ring Mage.

Only after becoming a fifth-ring mage can one truly begin constructing the mage tower.

The Five Rings Mage is also a necessary condition for establishing a duchy.

Even if a recognized principality on the mainland does not currently have a fifth-ring mage, its founding foundation must still retain the legacy of fifth-ring and above high-ring mages.

This is the core threshold for establishing a nation-state.

After a brief moment of joy and excitement, Gao De looked at Elsa's eyes, which seemed to say, "Do you know how I've been these past few days?" He could only feel a pang of sympathy and finally understood why Elsa harbored such resentment.

The three core members of the city hall: him, Sunafa, and Elsa.

He didn't say anything; he was a hands-off manager, and Elsa must have gotten used to it.

But Sunefa was a workaholic, often even more diligent than Elsa, handling all the big and small affairs of the Northern construction and shouldering most of the pressure of Phoenix's political affairs, allowing Elsa to barely keep up.

As a result, after he left, the diligent Sunafa also temporarily went into seclusion to cultivate the Ascension Ring.

That means all the tasks were left to Elsa alone.

Meanwhile, the North was in a period of rapid development, with a massive amount of affairs happening every day, as numerous as the stars in the sky.

The city hall has long suffered from a lack of talent.

Gaode can already imagine how busy Elsa must have been these days.

No wonder she was so melancholy.

"I'll be staying for a longer time this time, at least until Sunafa comes out of seclusion," Gaode said to Elsa, feeling a little embarrassed even though he had a thick skin.

"You'd better be," Elsa said weakly.

"The North has changed a lot recently," Gao De added.

"Of course." Although tired, Elsa became excited immediately when this was mentioned.

She's not afraid of being tired, she's afraid of being tired and not getting any feedback.

The enormous changes happening in the North every day provide her with constant positive feedback, allowing her to work efficiently and effectively even when she's extremely busy.

But in an instant, her expression turned serious, and she reported earnestly: "While we are developing rapidly, a large number of entirely new problems have emerged that never occurred before you left."

"Many issues are beyond my authority and experience, so I dare not make a decision on my own. I can only put them aside for now and wait for you to come back and make a decision."

Although Gaode is a hands-off manager, he still sets the direction for the top-level planning of the development of the Northern Territory.

Correspondingly, the difficult and complicated problems that arise during development also ultimately require his approval and judgment.

"Call all the heads of the city hall departments for a briefing. They should report on their achievements and the problems they have encountered during this period. We will then review them and resolve them one by one." Gao De nodded slightly.