[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-above-the-mage":3,"chapter-above-the-mage-above-the-mage-chapter-488":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Above the Mage!",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2257492,4404,"Chapter 488: Yili? Eevee!","above-the-mage-chapter-488",488,"\u003Cp>Montre Seed Shop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mr., thank you for your visit.” The shopkeeper divided the seeds Gao De needed into small bags, then placed them all together in a larger cloth sack and handed it to Gao De.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao De carried one cloth sack in each hand, walking cheerfully toward his temporary inn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The left sack contained the new tree seeds he had just collected from the town’s seed shop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For him, every time he went out on a mission to a new place, there was a guaranteed reward: new local tree seeds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were simply too many types of trees.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even among small towns under Dacheng’s jurisdiction, each possessed different tree species.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To him, this already resembled the catalog-collecting mechanics of certain simulation games from his past life—collecting new tree seeds was like unlocking a brand-new entry in the catalog.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once the number of unlocked catalog entries reached a certain threshold, he received a reward (Yujia Teshilin’s advancement).\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This ample positive feedback made him endlessly enthusiastic about collecting tree seeds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The right sack contained the blood-crystal wheat given to him by Officer Harper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was an unexpected gain—and a substantial one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hadn’t expected that simply going for a free meal would yield such a pleasant surprise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next three days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao De used his divine berry as bait, paired with the dumpling, to aggressively “fish for enforcement” within the designated areas of burrowing crab activity provided by the Montre Town Constabulary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The harvest was abundant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The spiritual awareness and intelligence of geopulse creatures far exceeded that of ordinary animals, yet their innate instincts were not easily suppressed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, even among humans, how many can resist temptation?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the end of the standard workday—eight hours in the morning, six in the evening, with a two-and-a-half-hour lunch break—Gao De had collected over four hundred burrowing crab eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d already gathered over three hundred on the first day; the following two days were merely filling in the gaps, catching the scattered stragglers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the fourth day, he continued using the divine berry as bait.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After testing every location and confirming no more burrowing crabs appeared, Gao De decisively ended the mission and returned home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Burrowing crabs reproduce extremely rapidly; under normal circumstances, Sea Sentinel mages take much longer to complete such missions, as the crabs breed new offspring even as they are being exterminated, further increasing mission duration and difficulty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Gao De’s approach was swift and decisive—he gave these crabs no chance to reproduce further, so his mission completion time was accelerated even more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the return trip, Gao De no longer chose to travel by boat, but switched to a carriage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although the Jin Quehua Dynasty’s road network was equally developed and lacked dangerous uninhabited zones, its speed was still slower than water routes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this was for the sake of caution.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to his arrival, Gao De now carried an unusual egg discovered underwater, glowing faintly and clearly extraordinary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He feared that continuing by water to Dacheng might cause the egg’s “father” or “mother” to sense its presence and attract unnecessary trouble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the likelihood was low, it was not impossible—and spending a few extra hours on land was hardly worth the risk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back in Dacheng, Gao De first went to the Supply Office to submit his mission voucher and apply for settlement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Information flowed freely among all offices on the first floor of the Sea Sentinel headquarters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So when he saw the full sack of burrowing crab eyes Gao De submitted, Mage Neil immediately widened his eyes:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The [Burrowing Crab Infestation] mission wasn’t even picked up five or six days ago—how was it completed so fast?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He scrutinized Gao De from head to toe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He remembered correctly: Gao De was a lowly first-ring mage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such a completion speed was typical only of high-ring mages, who possessed special techniques, or noble mages.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reason for the latter was simple: noble mages, beyond ordinary magical abilities, possessed a “money” ability—wealth naturally made things easier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The privacy of mage methods was a universally accepted truth; even Sea Sentinels did not pry into how missions were accomplished, as long as the methods were just.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, noble mages mobilizing family influence to “farm” missions was common—and though unspoken, it was tacitly accepted as compliant within the Sea Sentinel ranks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, family influence was part of a mage’s true strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was roughly equivalent to players in certain online games from Gao De’s past life paying experts to carry them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Money talks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But there was an unwritten rule.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Missions “farmed” in this manner did not qualify for the special bonus of “overcoming the strong with the weak.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao De was neither a high-ring mage nor of noble birth—so how had he completed this difficult mission so quickly?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Old Neil was puzzled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao De gave a “shy” smile: “I’ve crossed the Green Tooth and Sword Mountains, hunting and killing geopulse creatures—I have ample experience.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This explanation was barely plausible; Old Neil knew there must be other reasons, but pressing further would be rude, so he stopped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After much thought, Old Neil suspected it had something to do with Gao De’s awakened specialty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Old Neil efficiently completed the necessary documentation, then told Gao De: “Once the mission evaluation is complete, we’ll notify you. But for now, consider the mission concluded—you may accept other missions during this period.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The [Burrowing Crab Infestation] mission was special, requiring a half-month observation period before final confirmation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao De had known this already, so he remained calm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you, Mage Neil.” He tucked away his identification badge, left the Supply Office, and headed to the adjacent library.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The books in the library on the first floor of the Mage Tower were mostly introductory texts, meant to broaden knowledge—not containing much true magical knowledge or skill, so most were freely accessible to Sea Sentinel mages.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao De searched around, entered the section on geopulse creatures, then found the subsection on aquatic beasts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For any competent Sea Sentinel mage, thorough knowledge of aquatic beast behaviors was a fundamental and essential skill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao De understood this well and often came to the library to read and memorize descriptions of aquatic beasts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But there was nothing in any of them related to the egg he had retrieved from underwater.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao De did not believe he had overlooked something or had poor memory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He suspected the aquatic beast this egg belonged to was of high rank and not listed in the common aquatic beast catalog.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the library, the limited descriptions of rare aquatic beasts were in a “paid section,” and unlocking them required a military rank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao De did not hesitate—he paid to unlock every rare aquatic beast volume accessible to a First-Class Apprentice Mage, then carefully studied them in the reading area.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The result: he flipped through them all—and found nothing relevant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was both good and bad.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The good: the aquatic beast this egg belonged to might be even stronger and rarer than he’d imagined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bad: not knowing what it was, even extreme rarity seemed useless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He thought for a moment, turned, and went to find the mage on duty on the first floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You found a geopulse creature egg while traveling by water to Montre?” After hearing Gao De’s purpose, the on-duty mage found it unbelievable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Passenger ship routes were fixed—how could everyone else miss it, but Gao De found it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And then you searched the library’s geopulse creature descriptions, found no matching aquatic beast, and suspect it’s a high-rank or rare species?” The mage’s expression turned serious as he confirmed further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.” Gao De gave a slight nod.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The on-duty mage gave Gao De a look of approval, paused briefly, then said: “I’ll report this immediately. Wait here. If it turns out to be a high-rank aquatic beast, you, as the discoverer, will receive a reward.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After giving instructions, the on-duty mage headed toward the second floor—a zone still forbidden to Gao De.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a short while, he returned, his expression even more serious than before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Captain Merick is here right now. He requests you come up. Follow me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Captain? Gao De was stunned—he hadn’t expected such a simple report to summon an officer of this rank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under the guidance of the on-duty mage, he was led to an office on the third floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Opening the door, behind a black wooden desk sat a mage whose age hovered between youth and middle age: Captain Merick.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, for mages—especially high-rank ones—age could not be judged by appearance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A third-ring mage lived up to 375 years; their prime was greatly extended. Even at one hundred, they were still considered young, appearing as such.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“First-Class Apprentice Mage Gao De?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.” Gao De hurriedly replied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your performance in the Lages City aquatic beast mission was excellent,” Merick nodded slightly, a faint smile on his face—acknowledging Gao De’s actions in that mission—before turning to the matter at hand: “Tell me again, in detail, how you discovered that aquatic beast egg.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The process by which the dumpling found the egg was ordinary, with no secrets, so Gao De recounted it openly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your concern is reasonable under normal circumstances,” Merick said after listening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Finding an aquatic beast egg on a passenger route means its parents are likely swimming nearby—indicating the presence of an aquatic beast on the route. This must be reported and eliminated quickly, or it could cause great harm to civilians.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is basic knowledge every Sea Sentinel mage must possess.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You reported this promptly,” Merick first affirmed Gao De’s action, then returned to the core issue: “But this time, the situation may be unusual.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Did you bring the egg?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I did.” Gao De unfastened the bag tied at his waist—it was made of specially treated leather, tough enough to protect its contents.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside was the egg the dumpling had found.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Reporting was no impromptu act—he had prepared in advance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao De removed the egg from the bag and placed it on the table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Captain Merick rose, carefully examined the egg’s glow and patterns, pressed his hand against the shell to sense its energy, then sat back down, his expression calm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Captain Merick, what kind of aquatic beast is this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It can’t even be classified as an aquatic beast. Its original form was first discovered in the Green Tooth Mountains, so we never categorized it among aquatic beasts—hence why you couldn’t find it in the catalog. Its official name is Yili.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yili?” Gao De had never heard the name, and his confusion deepened: “Then why is its egg in water? And the egg clearly contains water element energy?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This relates to Yili’s unique supernatural trait,” Captain Merick explained: “It is a geopulse creature capable of extraordinary transformation.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In its egg stage, it begins as a colorless gray egg, absorbing surrounding elemental energy until it acquires its own attribute; upon hatching, it becomes a different type of Yili depending on its environment.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Like this strange Li  egg, because it stayed in water too long and absorbed enough water element, it became what it is now. If it hatches successfully, it will become a water strange Li .\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, this is just an Eevee. Gao De’s thoughts flashed through his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Over here, Lieutenant Merick continued, \"Thirteen years ago, we found a female wind strange Li  at Desalin Town, severely injured and just after giving birth. It must have been attacked by other geopulse creatures. In any case, shortly after we discovered it, it died.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Later, we searched the surrounding area and, as expected, found another fourth-rank geopulse creature—the attacker of the female wind strange Li . Fortunately, we discovered it in time.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But the strange Li  egg the female gave birth to was never found. Still, it wasn’t a big deal—without its mother’s help, that egg likely couldn’t hatch anyway, so we stopped looking.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Desalin Town lies near the waters where you found this strange Li  egg.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So this strange Li  egg must be the one left behind by that wind strange Li ,\" Lieutenant Merick concluded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We never expected it would hide the egg underwater—that’s why we couldn’t find it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We’ve long maintained the inland waterways and cleared out aquatic beasts. Under normal circumstances, there’s little chance of hidden beasts, but your awareness is excellent. I’ll award you a Third-Class Merit for this.\" Finally, Lieutenant Merick gave Gao De a small surprise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Thank you,\" Gao De quickly replied, then looked at Lieutenant Merick uncertainly and asked, \"What about this strange Li  egg?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Take it home and play with it,\" Lieutenant Merick waved his hand dismissively.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Alright,\" Gao De put away the strange Li  egg, then couldn’t help asking, \"May I ask, what rank is a strange Li  as a geopulse creature?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lieutenant Merick knew exactly what Gao De meant and smiled lightly. \"These creatures don’t just change species depending on their environment—they change rank too.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The wind strange Li  we found earlier was a third-rank geopulse creature. As for your egg, even if it does hatch, it’ll be at most a first-rank water strange Li .\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And whether it hatches at all is still uncertain.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If you want to learn more about strange Li ,\" Lieutenant Merick glanced at the duty mage beside him and said casually, \"Freddie, take Gao De to the second-floor library later and fetch the entry on strange Li  for him.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao De’s face lit up: \"Thank you, Lieutenant Merick!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2234,"2026-06-19T14:28:50.414Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","9637278371cf5378cb876b151ba5688a03ddccaed075296223e9611ad4c14e5c","above-the-mage-chapter-489","above-the-mage-chapter-487",529,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fabove-the-mage-cover.jpg"]