Above the mage

Chapter 802 Anivia (Part Two)

"You mean, we're going north to Viking Wolf Harbor?" Sunefa's expression turned solemn; clearly, the decision that Gao Dexin had put forward was not an easy one.

"Yes," Gao De nodded.

This was something he had been planning in his mind for a long time.

The selection of export products and the introduction of relevant regulations are only part of expanding trade.

Another aspect that is equally important to the North is sea power and shipping.

That is, a well-developed port and feasible shipbuilding technology.

In terms of ships, the North must also break free from its dependence on the outside world.

A power without its own deep-water ports, its own shipbuilding technology, and its own ocean-going fleet, no matter how sophisticated its trade system, will never be able to truly break out of the polar regions and connect with the extraordinary trade patterns of the entire continent.

But without a doubt, shipbuilding technology is a truly complex technology, requiring extremely high levels of both industrial expertise and technical skill.

It involves multiple thresholds such as materials science and rune science, and is the result of countless years of technological accumulation. There is no way to take shortcuts; we must be down-to-earth and proceed step by step.

Fortunately, there was already a group of shipbuilding experts in the North:

Wolf offspring, Vikings.

Before the construction of the deep-water port of Valar Bay, the Vikings had already established Viking Wolf Harbor on the northern coast of the North for countless years.

The wolf ships they built by hand are adapted to the cold polar seas, are storm-resistant, fast, and exceptionally sturdy, possessing formidable combat capabilities. They are the top-tier ship type best suited for the environment of the northern seas.

Every summer when the sea ice melts and the shipping lanes reopen, Viking wolf ships sail south in droves to plunder the resources, food, and supernatural consumables of various coastal powers in order to sustain their tribes.

This also made the Vikings a thorn in the side of many powers along the coast, and no one dared to provoke them easily.

Tracing back to ancient times, the Iceborn and the Wolfborn were once the two heroes who dominated the snowy northern plains.

During the heyday of both tribes, there were many battles on the snowy plains.

At that time, thanks to the natural advantage of the extremely cold environment, the Iceborn always had the upper hand over the Wolfborn.

Later, for reasons unknown, the Vikings suddenly suffered a devastating blow that could be described as annihilation. The tribe's most elite wolf-born mages were almost wiped out, and the high-level lineage suffered a severe break.

In this situation, the Vikings had no choice but to abandon their core northern territory and migrate as a whole to the harsh, frigid coastline of the far north, barely surviving.

But perhaps it was fate that brought them here, for the Vikings discovered a forest on the northern coastline of the North.

The forest is home to Norwegian cedars, large magical plants that thrive in the frigid environment of the North. Their wood is tough, cold-resistant, and impervious to seawater erosion...

Relying on this cedar forest, the Vikings re-settled and took root, spending thousands of years rebuilding their settlements, repairing their harbors, and developing the craft of wolf-ships.

From then on, the Vikings completely transformed into a sea raiding tribe, making their living from the sea and their profession of raiding for generations.

He never ventured south to the snowy plains again, completely severing ties with the Ice People.

Another reason for the complete severing of ties between the two is that the Iceborn themselves are already preoccupied with their own problems.

The decline of bloodline power over generations has caused the Iceborn race's combat strength to regress.

With their own survival a struggle, how could they possibly care about the Vikings who had fought them so fiercely in the past?

"Although the Vikings suffered a severe shortage of high-level mages due to certain events, their top wolf-blood mages were wiped out."

"But they haven't suffered an unknown curse on their bloodline power like the Iceborn mages. According to outside information, there are quite a few fifth-ring mages among the Vikings, and maybe even some hidden sixth-ring mages?" Elsa disagreed with God's suggestion.

The atmosphere inside the room was slightly tense.

Just as Elsa finished speaking, Sunefa spoke softly, her voice steady yet full of confidence: "But now, I'm already at the fifth ring."

Her five rings are different from other people's five rings.

Even though there are many five rings in Viking Wolf Harbor, she is not afraid.

"We're not going there to fight, we're going to make a deal." Gao De waved his hand, signaling the two not to be so tense.

"Use our resources to exchange for their shipbuilding technology and some personnel assistance."

His gaze was profound: "A true transaction is never based on words, but on two things: the incentive to entice the other party, and the strength to deter them from making any rash moves."

"The reason we haven't acted yet is because we lack the latter. Although the Ice Jade Wutong is strong, it can't move. Now that Sunafa has advanced to the fifth ring, we are qualified to trade with the Vikings on an equal footing."

"However, just to be on the safe side, let's wait until your 'True Ice Secret Manual' is also upgraded to the fifth ring before we talk about it," Gao De added, looking at Sunaifa.

Sunafa nodded slightly.

She has always agreed with Gaode's decisions.

"I will go with you," Gao De added.

Sunefa shook her head.

She opposed Gaode's decision.

The conflict between the Iceborn and the Wolfborn dates back many years, but it has indeed lasted for many years.

Therefore, she was unsure of the wolf descendants' current attitude towards the ice descendants.

But she was certain that if she wanted to leave, no one could stop her.

She could also be certain that her beloved king did not yet possess her abilities.

Therefore, she wouldn't allow Gaode to take that risk.

"Objection overruled." Gaode rarely acted so domineeringly.

Sunafa frowned.

She suddenly realized that she had become so accustomed to "complying" with Gaode that she didn't know how to refute Gaode.

Sunefa pursed her lips, lowered her gaze to stare at the table for a moment, and then turned her gaze toward Elsa.

It means: You come.

Elsa received this gaze from Sunefa.

She hesitated for a moment before speaking, "Your Highness, there has always been an unspoken rule in the Duchy of Xidian that all members of the royal family must never ride in the same carriage when traveling."

"The system in the North is quite different from that of the Duchy of Westminster," Gao De said with a smile, looking at the two who were on the same side.

He waved his hand and said, "Don't be too nervous. Before Quentin joined Phoenix, he was invited by the Vikings to Viking Wolf Harbor to help them solve a problem."

They still owe Quentin a favor, and according to Quentin, the Vikings don't have any prejudice or hostility towards the Iceborn.

After all, the conflict between the Iceborn and the Wolfborn was just a normal one, far from reaching the point of blood feud...

Besides, to be honest, even if it is a deep-seated blood feud, many people can forget it after a few decades. There are clear examples of this in Gao De's previous life, let alone tens of thousands of years ago.

The Light Sentinel gave Gaode a three-month leave.

Gao De chose to return to the North.

Although there will be many government affairs to handle and worry about after returning, it is actually a relaxing vacation for Gaode.

One reason is that he only makes decisions and doesn't participate in the actual implementation. Another reason is that he is in a very relaxed state in the North.

Because here, Gaode has many people you can completely trust, unlike outside where you always need to be on guard.

After reviewing and finalizing the "Northern Border Security Management Regulations" drafted by the Public Security Bureau, Gao De stretched and looked out the window at the huge clock tower in the square, which had cost a lot of money to build.

Ding ding ding— ding— ding—

The deep, resonant chimes of the bells rang out, blending with the chimes of other clock towers scattered throughout the city, almost covering the entire city.

It's five o'clock... which is exactly the dismissal time for the General Education College.

Gao De gazed into the distance, activating his Mandora's Eye, and sure enough, he saw that the gates of Phoenix First General Education College in the distance were open, and students were pouring out in groups.

He pondered for a moment, and a thought stirred within him.

As time went on, his sense of responsibility grew, and he finally began to take care of the fact that he still had a student in name only.

It's not that he completely ignored it; it's just that he had become accustomed to self-study throughout his academic career.

So when it was his turn to be a teacher, he unconsciously used this method to educate.

He got up, pushed open the door, and strolled out.

Because of her sister Elsa's identity, Anna quickly moved from the temporary residence she had taken when she first arrived in the North to a place near the city hall.

Anna's figure blended into the crowd.

She was far more intelligent than her peers, precocious and insightful, yet she still received compulsory education normally, and did not deliberately distance herself from her peers because of her superior intelligence.

At this moment, she was walking briskly with her classmates.

He speaks fluent and natural Ace dialect, perfectly authentic, and looks exactly like a native Northern child.

At the street corner, she waved goodbye to her companions, then her childish expression vanished, replaced by a thoughtful, mature look, though it was unclear what she was pondering.

These were not things Elsa asked of her; they were things she did naturally.

A very clever approach.

However, Anna was a very intelligent child.

Therefore, she can easily master the mathematical logic and rune theorems that give many adults and even mages a headache.

So she was able to pick out Gao De, who was wearing a sea sentry uniform and was "kind," from among the many passengers on an airship.

Anna walked home by relying on muscle memory while pondering with her head down.

"What are you thinking about? Why aren't you watching where you're going?"

"Brother Gaode." Anna was startled, looked up, and immediately saw Gaode standing at the door. Her eyes instantly lit up with a bright light, and she quickly ran to greet him: "I missed you!"

Gao De chuckled.

"Didn't my sister say she's been working a lot lately?" Anna tilted her head and looked at Gao De, asking questioningly.

"She hasn't come home for two nights already!"

Elsa, the office manager, is working through the night, so how come Gaode still has time to appear here?

This is Anna's question.

"I took some time out of my busy schedule to come and check on your studies." Although Gao De felt a little guilty, he didn't seem guilty at all and immediately gave himself a "high-sounding" reason.

"Is that so?"

That's right.

"Okay." Anna pouted slightly upon hearing this, opened the door, and led Gao De inside.

After a home visit and academic check-up, Anna did not disappoint him.

"Elsa is so busy, she probably doesn't have much time to supervise your studies. The fact that you're making such progress in your rune studies shows that you're very self-disciplined and hardworking in your studies."

Despite his completely laissez-faire approach to education, Anna's progress in learning runes was still astonishingly fast, truly remarkable.

This requires not only talent, but also self-discipline.

Therefore, Gaode Maps is not stingy with its praise.

"That's how it is." Anna glanced at Gao De, feeling a little guilty, but her face showed no sign of it. She immediately followed up on Gao De's words.

Gao De glanced at Anna suspiciously, sensing that something was amiss.

Sunafa's progress to the fifth ring in "The Secret of Perfect Ice" was faster than expected.

On the fourth day after her successful ring upgrade, Gao De was in his office reviewing the household registration plan submitted by the Public Security Bureau.

Without a sound, the surrounding free-floating ice elements suddenly became active.

Pure, frigid, and heavy ice elements instantly filled the area.

Massive amounts of ice elemental energy converge wildly from the northern permafrost, high-altitude cold clouds, and polar air currents.

They piled up in layers, surging and boiling, rushing towards the office next door.

Gao De paused, his eyes instantly lifting, understanding dawning on him.

Sunefa is about to be promoted to the fifth ring again.

He rushed over immediately and waited at the door.

The entire ring lifting process was very smooth.

Compared to the rigorous preparation for advancing to the fifth ring in "The Longevity Scripture of Green Wood", the ring-up process in "The Secret Transmission of Zhenbing" seems somewhat casual.

Sunafa was even dealing with government affairs a moment ago, until the Zhenbing bloodline in her body began to stir, at which point she put down the budget approval report in her hand and directly completed the ring upgrade in her office.

As the boiling, restless ice element energy subsided, the plummeting temperature rose again, and the door was opened from the inside.

"Sorry to keep you waiting." Sunafa's cool and calm voice came from inside the door. The tone was still calm, but the underlying meaning had become more profound and distant.

"Congratulations." Gao De stepped into the house and looked at Sunaifa as he spoke.

Regardless, achieving double five-ring status is a cause for celebration.

"My King." But at this moment, Sunafa's expression was somewhat serious.

Silence fell over the office, but in Gao De's mind, Sunafa's voice echoed:

I just met Anivia.

Communication techniques.

Gao De's mind sharpened.

It's no wonder Sunefa was so cautious; this matter was of great importance, and the abilities of the Void creatures were unpredictable.

Just now... Gao De instantly realized that Sunefa was probably referring to the knowledge inheritance gained during the ring upgrade.

"What's going on?" Gao De asked, suppressing his shock.

Sunafa's gaze was deep, a hint of seriousness hidden in her eyes:

She is not in good condition and is very weak.

Anivia possesses powerful resurrection abilities; as long as the North exists, her soul's essence will never be extinguished.

After her last breakdown, she could have slowly calmed down, healed herself, and gradually recovered with the passage of time.

But fewer and fewer people in the world remember her name and know of her existence. The forgetting of the masses is gradually stripping away the source of her power, making her increasingly weak and feeble.

[For this reason, Anivia's path to resurrection has been indefinitely postponed, with no end in sight.]

She now lies dormant in the depths of a sea covered in solid ice.

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