Above the mage!

Chapter 515 "Hero Saves the Beauty"

Ice anchor slaughter dock.

Gao De leaned against a stone pillar inlaid with bronze anchor chains, watching with great interest as skilled workers on the dock dissected the carcass of a newly hunted sea monster, his fingertips unconsciously rubbing the [Misfortune] charm at his waist.

After communicating with Lan Wen, Gao De had no intention of leaving Black Sails City and returning to the Fireblade.

Sarah had already awakened from her slumber when he left the Fireblade.

She slept for a full nine hours.

The effects of 【Comfortable Sleep+】are much better than I expected.

After nine hours of deep sleep, enhanced by the spell and her own special abilities, while the damage to her soul was still far from being fully recovered, the lingering, soul-piercing pain was almost gone.

At this level, Sarah is still unable to cast spells reliably, but it no longer affects her normal activities and daily communication.

This means that as long as a fierce battle doesn't break out, no one can tell that she is actually a "pretty face" who is all show and no substance.

It's unrealistic to wait until she recovers from her injuries to deal with things in Black Sails City, and Sarah isn't exactly conservative either.

The first thing she did after waking up was to gather the core members of the Gold Coin Hunters to discuss their next course of action.

The veteran members of the bounty hunter group who followed her were mostly people who had a blood feud with Davy Jones.

But this does not mean that after avenging their great grudge, they became indifferent to worldly desires and remained detached from worldly concerns.

On the contrary, before seeking revenge, they may only have revenge as their obsession and not care about worldly desires.

Only after his enemy died did he finally have the mind to pursue these powers and strengths.

And now is the best opportunity.

These hunters, who had followed Sarah for many years, were now determined to use the momentum of Sarah killing David to make the Gold Coin Hunters the new overlords of Black Sails City.

Almost everyone was very enthusiastic and eager to try.

If Sarah is not interested or hesitates even slightly, a Blue Flame Islands version of "being crowned emperor" might just happen.

Although Sarah warmly invited him to participate in the meeting, Gao De politely declined.

As an outsider, he had little understanding of the Gold Coin Hunters' organizational structure and members' specialties, and his knowledge of the Black Sails City's power distribution was only superficial.

Attending a meeting without proper consideration will only result in an outsider giving advice to an expert, not only failing to offer effective suggestions but also potentially interfering with decision-making.

Everyone on the Fire Knife was either in a meeting or making preparations for battle, but he, as an "unofficial member," had nothing to do and seemed out of place staying on the ship.

Gao De figured he was bored anyway, so he decided to leave the Fireblade and return to Black Sails City to talk to Lan Wen.

Otherwise, if the situation becomes tense, there might not even be time to explain the situation to Lan Wen, and it would be bad if some misunderstanding or conflict occurred.

Gao De calculated the time accurately; the Fireblade should have already departed from Ash Isle and was on its way to Black Sails City.

He only needs to wait here in Black Sails City; there's no need to rush back to meet up.

Just as Gao De was deep in thought, he seemed to notice something unusual and instantly straightened up from leaning against the stone pillar.

His previously relaxed shoulders tensed slightly, his brows furrowed almost imperceptibly, and his gaze, sharp as a hawk's, shot towards the entrance leading to the lower city at the other end of the slaughter area.

In his line of sight, a group of figures appeared and walked towards the slaughter dock.

Gao De's gaze swept over the group of uninvited guests, finally settling on the young man in the middle.

Judging from his appearance, he seemed to be only twenty-three years old. Although his skin was somewhat dark, he was quite handsome, with a high nose bridge and thin lips. However, the undisguised arrogance between his brows was as glaring as a thorn.

Beside him followed an old monk with white hair and beard.

Gao De activated his Mandora's Eye to observe the old man, and through the occasional magical fluctuations emanating from his body, he performed calculations and quickly deduced data related to the mage's level:

The probability of becoming a third-ring mage is 0.56%, the probability of becoming a fourth-ring mage is 35.79%, and the probability of becoming a fifth-ring mage is 63.65%.

This is the mage level assessment result given by [Insight·Calculation].

Due to Gaode's limited understanding of fourth-ring and even fifth-ring mages, this judgment cannot be guaranteed to be accurate and is for reference only.

Moreover, this was largely thanks to his recent observation of Sarah's life-or-death battle with David Jones, which allowed him to load and update the relevant data on the Fifth Ring Mage in his "local database."

Otherwise, the judgment result would not only be a matter of inaccuracy, but it might even be impossible to give a result at all due to "insufficient conditions".

However, as Gaode increases its contact with mid-to-high-level mages and continuously improves its "local database," this mage level assessment will become increasingly accurate.

"The Five Rings Master?" Gao De squinted his eyes.

He didn't recognize this group of people, but they made no attempt to hide their ill intentions, and the possibility of a Fifth Ring Mage among them made him very wary.

Meanwhile, Gaode remained stationary, while Apache, the nominal owner of the Ice Anchor Wharf, appeared and quickly went to greet him.

Apache seemed to recognize the other party, bowed slightly, and asked cautiously and with a hint of ingratiation, "Young Master Case, is there something important that you have brought so many people to our Ice Anchor Wharf?"

Case paused, not even glancing at Apache, his gaze sweeping across the crowd, settling coldly and arrogantly on Gaud, who was observing him from a distance. He gave a cold laugh: "I'm here to see him."

Apache's ingratiating smile froze instantly.

Although he was a native, he was also a shrewd person and could tell that Case and his group were full of murderous intent.

Now that he understood who the other party's target was, his heart sank.

He didn't know how Gao De had offended Keith, but it was clear that there was a conflict between the two.

Apache turned to God, who remained motionless in the slaughter area, his eyes filled with shock and confusion.

One was someone he couldn't afford to offend, and the other was his current backer, which made him anxious.

Over here, Case ignored Apache, who was standing there dumbfounded, and led his men straight towards God.
Apache could only hurry to catch up, his mind racing as he tried to figure out how to resolve the crisis.

Gao De remained standing still, his eyes growing sharper as he silently watched Case walk toward him.

Lan Wen stood silently behind Gaode, ready to deal with any emergencies.

“Master Gaode, this is Casey, the second son of the leader of the Layton Mercenary Group! The leader of the Layton Mercenary Group is a sixth-circle mage.”

As the group approached, Gao De suddenly heard Apache send a message using the [Communication] spell, his voice trembling slightly.

“With this identity, Case is very influential in Black Sails City. Even the top local gang, Raven Jar Gang, is on good terms with them. Look at the people behind him, most of them are mages from Raven Jar Gang.”

The mercenary group. Upon receiving Apache's reminder, Gao De narrowed his eyes, a thought flashing through his mind.

The term "mercenary group" is rarely used on the continent of Nolan.

This is a unique feature of the Terra continent, where mercenary culture is extremely developed, and it's no exaggeration to say that some powerful mercenary groups are comparable in strength to a country.

Therefore, this Case is from the continent of Terra.

The Blue Flame Islands are a diverse and complex place, attracting mages and merchants from all over the world. It's not unusual to encounter mages from the Terra continent here.

The problem is, I've never left the continent of Nolan, so how could I have offended the people of the continent of Terra?

This made Gao De a little suspicious.

At this moment, everyone on the dock stopped what they were doing and watched this scene. Many people even started whispering among themselves, preparing to watch a good show.

Although Case wasn't from Black Sails City, he was quite famous there.

Ignoring the whispers of passersby on the dock, Case walked up to Gao De and stopped.

He sized Gao De up and down as if he were examining a product, the sneer on his lips never fading. "So you were the one who tried to steal something from me at the auction?"

"Hand it over, Siren's Salt Marsh Elixir," he said bluntly.

Gao De was slightly taken aback, then he understood.

The owner of box number six?
In the slightly tense atmosphere, his gaze slowly swept across Case's face, and then over the dozens of mages behind him, some with scimitars at their waists and others with gun holsters.

He suddenly smiled and said to Case in a calm and polite tone, "I'm sorry, I don't quite understand what you mean?"

Case stared coldly at the smiling God, his eyes looking at an ant that knew no bounds.

He knew perfectly well that Gao De would not give in so easily.

So he waved his hand impatiently, and a mage with a bandit-like air and a crow-shaped copper whistle hanging from his waist stepped forward.

"He is Bone Spur, a minor leader in the Crow's Den Gang." Just then, Gao De received another message from Apache.

The Abaddon monk's eyes betrayed his unconcealed anxiety, his forehead was covered in cold sweat, and his hands were nervously clasped together behind his back. He was even more nervous than Gao De, who was the person involved.

Bone Spike stood casually in front of Gaode, spittle flying as he spoke, though he deliberately kept his voice low.

“Kid, don’t play dumb with Master Case. Some of the registrars, guides, and even appraisers at the Anguish auction are from our Crow Jar Gang.”

"You might think you're well disguised, that wearing a hood and a long robe will make you unrecognizable? But in the eyes of the Crow's Vessel Secret Gang, you're nothing."

At this moment, Gao De's expression slowly darkened.

The other party did not reveal how they saw through his disguise, nor did he press for details.

In the world of mages, all sorts of spells, feats, and extraordinary items are constantly emerging, so there are naturally many ways to see through someone's disguise.

What truly chilled him was the other party's behavior:

The Crow's Gourd Gang, one of the forces behind the Soul's Day auction, actually embezzled funds and leaked the guests' information to unscrupulous individuals afterward.

They even went so far as to send men, including scoundrels, to their doorstep.

This is a violation of "business ethics." In other places, such an incident would completely ruin one's reputation once it gets out.

But in a chaotic place like Black Sails City, the small leader from the Raven Cocktail Gang, though lowering his voice, was actually not afraid of being exposed at all, and even acted with an air of arrogance that seemed perfectly justified.

Because here, this kind of thing is perfectly normal, it's an unspoken rule, and everyone who comes here to participate in the Wrath of the Dead auction understands this.

But don't the tickets still sell out every year?

This is the source of their unbridled confidence.

Just like those who traveled to Myanmar in their past lives, didn't they know the risks there but still went?

After the leader of the Crow's Gourd Gang finished speaking, Case chuckled coldly and said, "In a place like Black Sails City, what I want must be in my hands."

Upon hearing this, Gao De fell silent.

This silence lasted for a long time.

Finally, just as Case was getting impatient, God raised his head, glanced at the mages Case had brought who were already itching to make a move, and finally looked at the mage Luke, who had remained calm and silent throughout. He frowned slightly and said, "Sorry, I still don't quite understand what you're talking about?"

The opposing team has a mage who is likely at level five, and frankly, Gao De doesn't want to break off relations.

The Five Rings Mage still has a certain intimidating power; even if Gao De is calm, he can't help but be wary.

"Don't understand?" A smile appeared on Case's face as he said sharply, "Then I'll make you understand."

"Mage Luke!" He waved his hand and shouted coldly, signaling Mage Luke to make his move.

The old man's eyelids twitched slightly.

Just then, Lan Wen, who was behind Gao De, stepped forward, his body radiating a powerful aura of magic. "Everyone, is there some misunderstanding here?"

"My lord, something's wrong. This old mage is no ordinary opponent. I might not be a match for him and can't stop him." As he stepped forward, Lanwen immediately used the [Telecommunications] spell to warn Gaode, clearly having also sensed the strength of the mage Luke.

Case raised an eyebrow slightly as he watched the surge of magical energy emanating from Lanvin.
He could sense that Lanwen's mage level was not low, and that Gaode had such a servant mage, perhaps as Luke had said, because he had some kind of background.

Thinking this, the caution born of the unknown finally surfaced in Keith's heart. He managed to suppress his inner rage, paused in his hand, and did not insist that the mage Luke make a move. Instead, he spoke again:

"To tell you the truth, this bottle of Siren's Salt Marsh Elixir is of great use to me, but I am not entirely unreasonable."

“I can compromise, 20,000 gold coin, that was the starting price at the time.”

"You hand over the Siren Salt Swamp Elixir, and I'll give you 20,000 Golden Bird Flower Coins as payment for it. Then this matter will end here."

Gao De's eyes flickered slightly.

The opponent is powerful, and if there is really no other way, it is certainly frustrating, but handing over the Siren Salt Swamp Elixir is the best solution at the moment.

The loss of property is not entirely unacceptable.

A gentleman's revenge is never too late.

He now has a powerful backer in Black Sails City. If he tolerates this now, he can always get his revenge later!

Thinking this, Gao De was about to speak when, as if he had discovered something, a smile reappeared on his face.

It wasn't in vain that I spent so much time rambling and procrastinating.
"Heh, as one of the organizers of the Anling Festival auction, shouldn't the Crow Jar Secret Gang give me an explanation for their actions?"

Ignoring Case's gaze and suggestion, God suddenly turned to Bone Spike and questioned him.

"Give you an explanation?" Bone Spike was momentarily stunned, his mouth agape for a long time before he burst into ear-piercing laughter: "What are you, daring to demand an explanation from the Crow's Vessel Gang?"

"Young Master Case, stop wasting words with this guy and just attack!" he said sternly.

“Don’t be so stubborn,” Case’s face darkened completely, and a violent glint appeared in his eyes. “I’m giving you a chance!”

“Indeed,” Gao De nodded in agreement and said with a smile, “Since that’s the case, I’ll give you a chance. Now give me 20,000 Golden Bird Coins, apologize, and then leave. That will be the end of this matter.”

These words exploded like a thunderclap in the crowd, and everyone watching wore expressions of disbelief.

They were all stunned, feeling that they could never have imagined the plot would develop this way.

When faced with Case's threat, what did Gao De actually say?

Even Lan Wen, who was "one of their own," was taken aback.

"Interesting, interesting." Seeing God's behavior, Case's last bit of patience and caution finally ran out.

"Kill him." He didn't waste any more words, simply waving his hand downwards.

Luke the Mage was also taken aback by God's outrageous words. At Keith's prompting, they both paused for a moment before reacting.

After regaining his senses, his cloudy eyes suddenly lit up with blue light, directly activating a fifth-circle spell model within the spell star sea, preparing to crush and brutally kill Gaode and Lanwen.

At this critical moment, a dazzling golden afterimage shot out from behind Gao De like a meteor.

The golden afterimage carried a powerful aura of destruction, sucking away the air in its path as it headed straight for Mage Luke.

"Heh." Along with the golden afterimage, a woman's cold snort also appeared:

"Did you ask for my opinion before making a move against Black Sails City?"

(End of this chapter)