Chapter 131: Emerging into the Spotlight

Grie Harrel watched helplessly as Gao De’s back vanished from view.

He truly could do nothing.

The academy’s rules—even if he came from the Harrel family, even if he was the alchemy department’s top student and nearly a second-circle mage—were absolute and could not be broken.

After all, in the Duchy of Sein, if the Sein royal family was the top magical faction, the second-ranked was unquestionably the Ceres Magical Academy.

And this second-place ranking would not change before the fall of the Duchy of Sein.

Grie Harrel would never dare to cause trouble within the academy.

“This country bumpkin—what’s his background? His nerve doesn’t seem like something a peasant would have.”

Thinking of Gao De’s demeanor just now, Grie Harrel gritted his teeth inwardly.

Years ago, his father had sent men all the way to Bremen City to obtain a recommendation letter from the former dean, “Gavin Hogg,” so Grie could enter Ceres Magical Academy under the highest privileges.

It failed.

Supposedly, the last member of the Norman family refused to hand over the letter, slipped away unnoticed by his father’s men, and vanished without a trace.

The matter had long been forgotten.

Although he hadn’t entered Ceres Academy through the recommendation letter, his family’s power and status made securing a spot there easy enough.

After entering through that slot and with his family’s resources, he had achieved modest success and even became the alchemy department’s top student over the past two years.

He had long buried the incident in his memory.

Until yesterday, his father received word that someone had entered Ceres Academy using a recommendation letter from former dean Gavin Hogg.

According to his father, Gavin Hogg had issued only two such letters during his tenure.

One went to the Harrel family; the other was held by the Norman family.

So without doubt, the recommendation letter Gao De used was the one that “belonged” to him.

Upon hearing this news, Grie Harrel’s heart erupted with unexplained rage, and memories he thought long buried instantly returned.

In his mind, that recommendation letter was his property.

Now it was being used by some country bumpkin—a petty thief stealing what was his.

How could he not be furious? And how could a country bumpkin enjoy privileges he himself had never received?

He had expected to confront Gao De with certainty, but instead received this response—leaving Grie Harrel both furious and bewildered. Gao De walked freely, familiar with the path, and soon arrived again at the Laborer’s Cliff base.

The events in the dining hall had not stirred his emotions much.

In fact, anyone who, at the very start of their transmigration, had faced a situation where life and death hung by a thread, would find it hard to be shaken by minor matters afterward.

Gao De drifted through the shallow waters of the riverbank, approached the safety post, tied a safety rope around himself, took a deep breath, lowered his head, and plunged into the river.

The afternoon river water, though still cold, was clearly less unbearable than in the morning.

“Afternoon is the golden time to dive. Tomorrow I’ll bring rations—can’t waste time on the way.” Gao De thought to himself.

Compared to his morning clumsiness, he was now far more skilled at diving.

As he descended deeper, Gao De activated his magical model and cast [Detect Magic+]; his eyes flickered with spiritual light as he searched for hidden female pearl oysters in the riverbed silt.

With magical aid, his efficiency in harvesting oysters depended solely on their density.

Three minutes later.

Gao De surfaced on the river’s surface, slowly expelling the stale air from his lungs.

He casually glanced at the shore.

Instructor Sha Hu had appeared on the riverbank, somehow.

He would accompany them throughout the entire process until all new students completed their enrollment tasks, both to watch over and to supervise.

Gao De had gradually grown accustomed to Sha Hu’s presence; he took another deep breath and dove again.

He repeated this motion over and over—diving into the water, surfacing to breathe.

Half an hour after Gao De entered the water, the other five arrived one by one at the Laborer’s Cliff base, picked up their tools, entered the mine, and began their afternoon work.

Although the "Magic Second Generation" from noble families had different personalities, all those sent to Ceres Academy were among their families' most outstanding members.

They all understood one truth: if something cannot be changed, adapt to it as best you can.

Two hours later.

Splash! Gao De surfaced again near the safety post. On the riverbank, Luke, Candice, Jelica, and the other four had stopped working and were resting.

They had not planned it, yet they were all waiting for Gao De.

Seeing Gao De emerge from the water, Kaplan was the first to speak, not even waiting for him to reach shore: “Did you collect any female pearl oysters this afternoon?”

“A modest haul.” Gao De chuckled, untying the basket tied to the safety post.

To save effort, Gao De had temporarily tied his basket to the safety post, storing collected oysters directly inside so he wouldn’t need to expend extra energy climbing ashore.

Soon, he unfastened the basket, slung it onto his back, and swam powerfully toward shore.

The five on shore exchanged glances, disbelief written on their faces.

Especially Kaplan, who stared wide-eyed at Gao De.

Two minutes later, Gao De reached land.

He set the basket aside, dried himself, and began dressing.

Kaplan, unable to contain himself, stepped closer and opened the basket to inspect its contents.

The next instant, his face twisted into a look of utter shock.

Seeing Kaplan’s expression, the others could no longer hold back—they crowded around to look.

Even Instructor Sha Hu’s gaze flickered “accidentally” toward Gao De’s basket.

Inside the basket, three beautiful female pearl oysters lay quietly.

“Wow, three female pearl oysters—that’s equivalent to 150 kilograms of water-gold ore!” Candice was the first to exclaim, genuinely awed: “Good heavens, comparing people will drive you mad!”

She had gradually adapted to the mine’s intensity this afternoon and gathered slightly more than in the morning—about seventeen or eighteen kilograms of water-gold ore.

But compared to Gao De? There was no comparison.

“I’ve always had decent luck,” Gao De smiled.

“Four oysters in one day equals 200 kilograms of water-gold ore.”

Candice calculated seriously: “Gao De, if you keep this luck, you’ll finish your enrollment task in just… fifteen days?!”

“Even Dean Gavin Hogg took twenty-five days!”

“Maybe you just got lucky today,” Gao De replied calmly. “It won’t be easy later—collecting female pearl oysters will only get harder.”

Hearing this, the others nodded.

It was true—the total number of female pearl oysters was fixed; the more collected early on, the harder they’d be to find later.

Meanwhile, Gao De had finished dressing.

“I’m heading up. Water-gold ore will be collected by the alchemy department; I must deliver the oysters to the alchemy department myself.”

He placed all the oysters he collected this afternoon into a new basket and prepared to climb the cliff.

“By the way, Gao De, how did you offend the alchemy department’s top student?” Candice suddenly remembered and asked.

The incident in the dining hall had spread in small circles.

Grie Harrel, a departmental top student, had targeted a new student who hadn’t even completed his enrollment task—and who, rumor said, entered using a recommendation letter from the former dean.

This had plenty of “explosive” elements, and the gossip spread naturally.

“What else could it be? He got in under the highest privileges thanks to the recommendation letter—so the alchemy top student got jealous,” Luo Yasi muttered bitterly.

Though he too envied Gao De’s privileges, if forced to choose between Gao De and Grie Harrel, he’d pick Gao De—the fellow new student he at least vaguely knew.

“Maybe,” Gao De said indifferently, slung the basket of oysters onto his back, and swiftly climbed the cliff.

His casual demeanor once again made the remaining five envious.

They hadn’t even hauled their afternoon haul of water-gold ore to the cliff top yet! On this very day, the first day of the enrollment task, Gao De submitted four female pearl oysters to the alchemy department—equivalent to 200 kilograms of water-gold ore.

He completed one-fifteenth of his enrollment task in a single day.

Neither skill nor luck like this had occurred at Ceres Magical Academy in a long time.

This news was fermenting alongside the lunchtime gossip.

Gao De, merely a second-circle mage apprentice, was beginning to stand out at the academy—in a unique way.

(End of Chapter)