Chapter 319: Sea Abyss Bai Ta

After a four-hour journey, the airship departing from Holder Town finally arrived at Dorn City, Bairo County, in the Cornflower Dynasty.

The Cornflower Dynasty uses the county as its basic local administrative division, like a precisely woven web, neatly dividing this vast land into eighteen counties.

The county where Dorn City is located is Bairo County.

At the same time, Dorn City is the seat of Bairo County, serving as its political, economic, and even cultural center.

If Holder Town had already given Gao De a sense of the Cornflower Dynasty's power and prosperity, then Dorn City completely refreshed his perception of this world.

After arriving in this world, and before coming to the Cornflower Dynasty, Gao De's footprints had only wandered between the Saint Xi En Principality and the northern realm.

There is no need to mention the northern realm; the environment is harsh, and the people live in tribes, leading a primitive life that is nearly akin to drinking blood and eating raw meat.

As for the Saint Xi En Principality, apart from the airships and certain special buildings resembling master towers, the urban landscape, cultural level, and other aspects combined gave him the feeling of being extremely similar to medieval Europe.

However, the Dorn City before his eyes, although on the same continent as the Saint Xi En Principality, displayed a style that seemed to span a long chasm of time, not at all like it belonged to the same era.

This is a city near the sea, and the scale of the entire city is at least ten times that of Saint Xi En City.

It is said that the population living in this city and its surrounding radiation area has already exceeded ten million.

In addition, Dorn City also possesses the largest port in Bairo County; even looking at the entire Sword Bay, the cargo throughput of Dorn Port ranks in the top five.

Only before this, Gao De's impression of Dorn City had remained in these rough numbers and written introductions, like looking at flowers through a fog, always lacking a bit of reality.

Not until this moment, as he looked out through the airship's porthole, did everything become vivid and concrete.

Above the sky, all kinds of airships came and went like crucian carp in a river; there were small, fast private airships leaving distinct tail marks in the air, and also huge, sturdy cargo airships flying at a steady speed.

The "Holder No. 87" airship he was riding was mixed among them, looking as inconspicuous as a small fry.

Looking further at the distant port, with the help of the Mandra Eye's long-distance vision, Gao De could clearly see the dense, deep-draft large ships fully loaded with cargo or passengers, connected in a line—a truly spectacular sight.

Amidst Gao De's exclamation, Holder No. 87 landed steadily at the airship base.

"Dear passengers, the airship has landed at the Dorn Airship Base. Thank you for choosing this flight. Please take all your personal belongings with you. We wish you a wonderful time in Dorn City."

A gentle, pleasant female voice came from the airship's amplification barrier at the right time.

Gao De regained his composure, took his simple luggage, and followed the bustling crowd as they shuffled toward the hatch.

The moment he stepped out of the airship, a unique atmosphere rushed toward him.

The incoming air was slightly humid, with wisps of water vapor like invisible thin gauze gently brushing against his face, carrying a faint salty taste.

This is the unique scent of a coastal city.

There are simply too many people coming and going through Dorn City by airship every day, so when Gao De followed the spacious passage out of the airship base, he did not attract anyone's attention.

At the entrance of the airship base, there were many parked carriages; some with gorgeous decorations were private carriages there to pick people up.

Others were plain and simple, with scratches and dents on the carriage bodies. The coachmen stood by the carriages, shouting loudly at the passengers filing out of the airship base: "Carpooling to Dorn Port, going or not? We leave once we have five people!"

"Little sister, where are you going? Want a ride? Going to the city center, we're just two people short!"

"..."

Besides these, there were also young boys weaving through the crowd, also constantly soliciting customers.

"Need a guide? I'm a Dorn native, born and raised, and I know this area very well."

"Need accommodation? My family's inn rooms are clean and bright, the price is fair, it's right nearby, and we provide free breakfast!"

The voices rose and fell, very lively.

Gao De looked at the young guide who seemed to be about his own age. "What are your fees?"

Arriving in an unfamiliar place, without the internet to make advance plans and navigate as in his past life, hiring a local guide is a very necessary thing.

In this regard, Gao De is never stingy.

"3 Silver Dragons, hiring me for a day only costs 3 Silver Dragons!" the boy said loudly.

"Then let's go." Gao De looked at the sky. He had departed from Holder Town at noon, sat on the airship for four hours, and now it was already evening. "Tonight, first take me to find an inn and a restaurant, then give me a general introduction to the situation in Dorn City. Tomorrow, be my guide for the whole day. 5 Silver Dragons, deal?"

"Deal!" The boy's face was full of joy.

It must be admitted that any outstanding ruler of any world or era possesses wisdom and foresight that ordinary people find difficult to reach.

People of later generations looking back hundreds or even thousands of years always feel that those rulers or great men were just "so-so," but in reality, that is just an illusion produced because you are standing on the peak of the era looking down.

If you come down from the mountain of the era and arrive at their position, you will find that the person you thought was "just so-so" is actually so high that you cannot see them at all.

As an ancient city, Dorn's beautiful environment and increasingly perfect urban zoning planning all prove this point.

Under the recommendation of the young guide, Gao De boarded a public carriage heading to the city center.

The old but clean carriage emitted a faint, fresh woody scent, and the wheels bumped and rolled on the stone road, making a rhythmic sound.

The urban landscape along the way was like a slowly unfolding scroll; many townhouses stood by the street, their brown exterior walls covered with vines and purple plum blossoms.

The windows were inlaid with stained glass, refracting colorful light in the sunset glow.

The towering clock tower emitted a melodious bell sound from time to time.

Tonight, Gao De did not arrange too many itineraries for himself; just a simple dinner, finding a place to stay, and getting a rough understanding of the local situation was enough.

"Near the city center, the price is around 5 Silver Dragons per night, with a better environment." Gao De stated his requirements.

The young guide was also very efficient, leading Gao De directly to an inn called "Oukeweier."

This is a striking red-brick building with a simple and generous overall design, without too many redundant decorations.

The regular rectangular shape is matched with a flat roof, and several rows of symmetrically distributed windows are like the eyes of the building, with simple wooden window frames painted in dark brown.

A standard room costs 4 Silver Dragons a night, slightly expensive, but the interior is clean and tidy, the bed is soft, the white sheets are starched until stiff, the wooden tables and chairs placed inside are wiped until they shine, and a heater is thoughtfully placed in the corner for cold nights.

After checking into the room and simply putting down his things, the young guide took Gao De to a small restaurant that was said to be very popular with locals.

The interior space of the restaurant is not large, with a few raw wood tables placed casually.

Gao De found an empty table and sat down. Following the young guide's recommendation, he ordered a Dorn City specialty dish—sea oysters.

Actually, this is a type of seafood similar to oysters; whether in appearance or taste, they are extremely similar.

And the ways of eating them are diverse, ranging from raw to grilled.

This small restaurant's method is to eat it raw.

Fresh sea oysters just caught from the sea are pried open, placed on a plate, and served with a few lemon slices on the side.

Simply squeeze the lemon juice onto the oyster meat, and the fine juice can instantly seep into the plump meat, not only removing the fishy smell but also cleverly stimulating the fresh sweetness of the oyster. One bite down, and it is smooth, fresh, and tender.

Gao De is not very able to accept this way of eating; in the country where he lived in his past life, the diet system was mainly cooked food.

However, upholding the idea of "since I'm already here," he still tried it a little—he did indeed taste the original flavor of the sea oysters, but he really could not stand the raw, cold, and fishy taste.

In the end, he ordered a portion of oyster stew.

"Is that high tower the Sea Abyss Bai Ta of the Sea Sentinels?" Gao De asked while eating the stew, his eyes looking out the window toward the white high tower standing in the center of Dorn City.

"Yes." The young guide nodded, then, as if discovering something, "Are you also here to participate in the Sea Sentinels' selection for this quarter?"

This is not a secret; after all, every time there is a selection, there must be many magic users like him who rushed here specifically, so Gao De just nodded casually.

"Then I wish you success!" The guide was very clever and immediately said nice things, his face full of sincere smiles.

"Are there many magic users who successfully pass the Sea Sentinels' selection and join the Sea Sentinels this year?" Gao De asked curiously.

"I heard they only took three or four people this year," the young guide shook his head and added, "but it's about the same number in previous years. The threshold for the Sea Sentinels is very high!"

"Just the application fee is 5 Cornflower Coins per person. With so many people applying and only taking a few, they make quite a lot just from the application fees!" He couldn't help but sigh.

Ordinary people living their lives are often more sensitive to money matters.

"Is the assessment that difficult?" Gao De asked again.

Every year, so many people participate in the Sea Sentinels' selection, so this mouth definitely cannot be sealed. Therefore, Gao De believes that many people should know the specific content of the Sea Sentinels' assessment.

"It's nothing more than those three items: magic user rank, spell mastery, and water affinity. However, it is said that if you have special skills, you can be specially recruited into the Sea Sentinels provided you reach the baseline in the first three items."

"Water affinity? Special skills?" Gao De raised his eyebrows slightly, somewhat surprised.

"The main duty of the Sea Sentinels is to patrol the sea and even water areas to ensure that no earth-vein creatures cause trouble within their jurisdiction. The main combat environment is water, so naturally, one must have water affinity. This is a basic requirement."

"And it must be that you have water affinity yourself, not by relying on spells." Speaking of this, the young guide looked at Gao De in surprise. "You don't even know this?"

"I really just found out. I came from another country and officially entered the Cornflower Dynasty registry just a few days ago," Gao De said with a smile.

However, this does not have much impact on him.

He does not count as having water affinity, but with the help of 【Adaptive】, his body can already be called gifted. Whether it is oxygen intake in water or cold resistance, it is something others simply cannot reach.

This is called: operation is not enough, but stats crush.

"Then you might suffer a bit..." The young guide did not know this.

In his cognition, in the entire Nolan Continent, except for the Holy Empire and their Cornflower Dynasty which possess vast coastlines, other countries are basically inland countries.

Under these circumstances, the possibility of wanting to be proficient in water affinity is actually not high.

"As for special skills, although the Sea Sentinels' main duty is to patrol the sea, they also need talents in various aspects outside of combat. So if you have strengths in fields like potionology, alchemy, etc., you also have the opportunity to rely on these abilities to enter the Sea Sentinels," the young guide added.

The Sea Sentinels' selection is held four times a year, and after so many years, much information has long been known to everyone.

"So that's how it is." Gao De nodded thoughtfully, but he had other ideas in his heart.

If he cannot pass the formal assessment, perhaps he can try the "special recruitment" route.

Just don't know if a first-rank rune constructor meets the Sea Sentinels' special skill standard?

After finishing dinner, Gao De had no other arrangements and let the young guide go back first.

Frost Gold Month, 5th, Gao De's second day in Dorn City.

After enjoying the free breakfast in the inn's restaurant, he left the inn, preparing to head to the Sea Sentinels headquarters—the Sea Abyss Bai Ta he saw while eating yesterday—to register.

The young guide was already waiting for him at the inn entrance according to the time agreed upon yesterday, very proactive.

—He had to be proactive; Gao De pays him for one day of work at a time, and he hadn't received today's 3 Silver Dragon coins yet!

Under the guide's leadership, Gao De passed through several streets and finally arrived at the city center.

The tallest buildings in Dorn City are basically concentrated here.

However, even among this crowd of tall buildings, the Sea Abyss Bai Ta belonging to the Sea Sentinels is the most outstanding.

The tower is pure white, built from a type of coral stone that emits a faint light, refracting holy brilliance under the sunlight.

Calling it a white tower, it is actually a complex of buildings built around the white tower, surrounded by a wall.

The main gate is located in the center of the wall, with three entrances, a hundred paces wide.

Above the widest gate in the middle, the four characters "Sea Abyss Bai Ta" are written in ancient script.

And next to the side gate on the right, there is an instruction sign.

It says, "Selection applicants go from here."

And at this moment, there are scattered young men and women walking into that side gate one after another.

Most of them have some trepidation and nervousness in their eyes, as well as some excitement and anticipation; one look and you know they are magic users who came to apply for the Sea Sentinels' selection.

Before rushing to Dorn City, Gao De had already confirmed that every quarter, the Sea Sentinels would hold a major selection at the end of the quarter to recruit qualified magic users into the Sea Sentinels.

Now it is Frost Gold Month, exactly the end of the third quarter of this year, so he doesn't have to worry about running empty or waiting.

The registration time is a full half-month, lasting from the beginning of the Frost Gold Month to the middle of the month, very ample.

"You go in first, I'll wait for you outside." The young guide looked at the gate of the Sea Abyss Bai Ta with awe and said cautiously.

Gao De nodded slightly and lifted his feet to walk straight toward the side gate.

After crossing the gate, what came into view first was an extremely spacious square.

At this time, many people had already gathered in the square, very lively.

And on the side of the side gate, there was a row of tables temporarily moved out, with some staff sitting behind them. Seeing Gao De come in, they greeted, "Those coming to participate in the selection, line up here to pay the fee and register."

The line was not long, and Gao De didn't wait long before it was his turn.

The staff behind the table pushed over a piece of parchment and handed over a quill pen dipped in ink: "Fill in your information first."

Gao De looked carefully; it was actually just some basic identity information, including name, age, origin, and magic user rank.

He finished filling it out quickly.

After filling in the information, the other party checked his identity documents.

As a naturalized citizen, what needs to be checked is the identity jade tablet and the naturalization certificate.

Once this was finished, he had to pay the 5 Cornflower Coin application fee; this amount of money is already the salary of many ordinary people for a month and a half.

Gao De honestly paid the money, got his number plate, and joined the waiting crowd in the square.

5 Cornflower Coin application fee, one person can participate in the selection at most once a year, and the age is limited to under thirty.

Even with so many conditions and restrictions, the number of people in the square continued to increase, becoming increasingly crowded.

However, Gao De could also understand this situation very well.

The history of the Cornflower Dynasty can be traced back to ancient times.

The long history, on one hand, represents the terrifying foundation possessed by the dynasty, and on the other hand, it has also caused the solidification of classes.

Within the dynasty, the hierarchy is distinct, and those dynasty nobles who also possess a heritage of at least a thousand years firmly occupy the most precious resources of Cornflower, controlling the most important positions.

Under these circumstances, the paths for ordinary commoners to advance are already very, very few.

And whether within the dynasty or within the entire plane, the path of the magic user is the most effective way for the bottom layer to achieve class crossing.

As the number one magic user force in Dorn City and even Bairo County, and also one of the few paths that faces ordinary commoners and has a clearly visible promotion channel, it can be said that countless wild magic users have sharpened their heads wanting to drill into it.

Therefore, it leads to every quarterly selection of the Sea Sentinels being so lively and extraordinary.

It's just that the threshold for the Sea Sentinels to recruit people is too high, and the magic users who can successfully join the Sea Sentinels in each selection can be counted on one's fingers; even having none at all is not a rare thing.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 320 =====