Chapter 516: First Reward: [Dragon-Bird Blood Fungus]

The petition for reward was extremely concise, with clear and economical wording, so everyone finished reading its contents quickly.

“Merrick, this Gao De is your subordinate—I see his military rank is still First-Class Apprentice Mage. Yet he received such praise from Count Roland. How do you evaluate him?”

Captain Merrick had just set down the parchment when Lieutenant Colonel Graylin called his name.

Captain Merrick thought carefully before speaking cautiously: “Gao De joined the Sea Sentinels only last Frostgold Month as an apprentice mage; I’ve had little direct contact with him.”

“But during his first mission, he earned several Second-Class Merits—he’s clearly an exceptionally capable individual.”

“However, since he is not a native of the Dynasty and is still in his apprenticeship, he was only promoted one minor rank at the time.”

“I see.” Lieutenant Colonel Graylin picked up the petition again and studied it for a few more moments.

“The Fengluo Plague is a major matter. To have achieved the primary merit in such a crisis—even if some fortune was involved—the ability is undeniable.”

The evacuation of civilians from Yaxi Town was a minor task, yet the logistical complexities were immense. He arrived immediately and handled it with great care—his attitude is evident.

The subsequent purge of water beasts was routine work—mage teams worked tirelessly, exhausted and busy, yet earned little merit. Yet with major achievements already secured, he never grew arrogant or looked down on these minor tasks—his perspective is clear.

Great matters reveal ability; minor matters reveal attitude; trivial matters reveal perspective.

“Ability, attitude, perspective—all three are present,” Lieutenant Colonel Graylin tapped his knuckles lightly on the table, producing a soft tapping sound.

After a moment of silence, he turned to Captain Merrick and asked: “What is Gao De’s current mage rank?”

How could someone like Captain Merrick, holding such a high position, possibly know the precise mage rank of an apprentice mage?

But Gao De was different—when he chose his mentor mage, no one was willing to take on the responsibility, so Captain Merrick had convened a small meeting specifically for him, and thus remembered him more clearly.

“During last year’s Sea Sentinels selection, he was at Mid-First Ring, with 24 drops of liquid mana, and only fifteen years old. Considering his background as a homeless beggar, he surely received no proper cultivation resources.”

“Under such conditions, to reach this mage rank at his age, he must be an exceptionally gifted mage,” Captain Merrick replied.

“Mid-First Ring—that’s indeed low for a mage. He’s only sixteen now, still in his apprenticeship. But with such meritorious deeds before him, it would be unreasonable not to grant him an exceptional promotion.” Lieutenant Colonel Graylin spoke slowly.

For Gao De himself, aside from the three negative factors Lieutenant Colonel Graylin mentioned, there was another barrier: his non-native status in the Dynasty.

All these were stumbling blocks on Gao De’s path to promotion.

But if one is outstanding enough, all barriers vanish.

Moreover, Count Roland specifically emphasized Gao De’s humility and lack of self-congratulation in the petition—clear evidence of noble character.

“Virtue and talent” and “talent and virtue” may seem identical, but they are not—their difference reflects the “cultural disparity” between the two strongest nations on the Nolan Continent.

In the Holy Empire, talent comes before virtue: talent and virtue combined.

But in the Jin Quehua Dynasty, virtue comes before talent: virtue and talent combined.

In the Jin Quehua Dynasty, a verifiable display of virtue is an extremely significant bonus for a mage’s promotion.

Count Roland, holding such a high position, naturally understood the Dynasty’s internal intricacies. By emphasizing this point in the petition, he clearly meant to genuinely support Gao De’s merit claim.

“Promote him to Sergeant first. If he advances to Second Ring before turning twenty, then appoint him as Warrant Officer.

If he advances to Second Ring after twenty, then promote him to Sergeant the moment he succeeds in ascending rings.” Finally, Lieutenant Colonel Graylin made his decision.

Upon hearing this, Captain Merrick’s eyebrows lifted slightly.

Gao De is still in his apprenticeship—jumping two ranks directly, from First-Class Apprentice Mage past Corporal to Sergeant—this treatment is exceedingly rare!

But what was even rarer was the next clause: if he ascends to Second Ring before twenty, he becomes a Warrant Officer.

A Warrant Officer mage at age twenty—while saying “never before in history” is hyperbolic, in the Sea Sentinels’ recent decades, no such Warrant Officer mage had ever existed at that age!

“Wouldn’t this be inappropriate?” As expected, someone immediately voiced objection.

“What’s inappropriate? Given his performance and contribution in the rescue mission, how much merit do you think he deserves?” Lieutenant Colonel Graylin’s tone was firm, countering the objecting mage directly.

The man thought for a moment, realizing this was no place for pretense. After careful consideration, he ventured: “One First-Class Merit?”

“More than that,” Lieutenant Colonel Graylin shook his head, not letting him guess further. “Set aside the Second-Class Merits—just the First-Class Merits alone total three.”

“Three?!”

Everyone involuntarily gasped.

It wasn’t that those present were inexperienced—it was simply that the Sea Sentinels’ criteria for awarding First-Class Merits were extremely strict. Many of the mages in the room had never even earned two First-Class Merits in their careers.

“It’s already decided,” Lieutenant Colonel Graylin said calmly.

“The Sea Sentinels’ criteria for awarding First-Class Merits are: first, in major combat operations, playing a decisive role that directly affects campaign outcomes—such as killing or capturing key enemy figures, destroying critical targets, or achieving victory against overwhelming odds or saving one’s own forces from peril, with personal performance far exceeding normal standards, like covering a large unit’s retreat.”

“Second, in non-combat missions such as disaster relief, saving large numbers of lives or preventing major losses.”

“Third, making revolutionary contributions to the Dynasty—such as developing cutting-edge war weapons or achieving breakthroughs in magic.”

“Fourth, suffering permanent injury or severe sacrifice during mission execution, with conduct meeting the standard of ‘outstanding merit, exemplary conduct.’”

“The Fengluo Plague clearly qualifies as a major combat operation. According to Count Roland’s account, Gao De’s illusionary spirit destroyed the wind dragon’s energy core—this is destruction of a critical target, directly affecting the campaign’s outcome, satisfying the first criterion. That is the first First-Class Merit.”

“This Ockland relief mission also qualifies as disaster relief. Gao De made a major contribution to destroying Fengluo, thereby preventing Ockland City from suffering further disasters—the avoided losses are self-evident. This satisfies the second criterion. That is the second First-Class Merit.”

“To destroy the wind dragon’s energy core, Gao De sacrificed his unique illusionary spirit, satisfying the fourth criterion—the third First-Class Merit.”

“You can count it like that?” The mage who had spoken earlier still sounded resentful.

The same event, counted three times over like a revolving cart—how could this be reasonable?

“Counting three First-Class Merits is within regulations; counting one is also reasonable,” Lieutenant Colonel Graylin understood his objection perfectly and spoke calmly. “But he is young, so the higher-ups have decided to award him the maximum under the rules.”

After Lieutenant Colonel Graylin finished speaking, no one in the room voiced further objections, regardless of their private thoughts.

The truth was simple: everywhere, the young are always treated more leniently.

Because youth means potential, and potential is worth cultivating.

The Sea Sentinels’ merit evaluations are generally flexible, allowing for fluctuations within a range.

For instance, Gao De’s achievements during the Fengluo Plague could earn him anywhere from one to three First-Class Merits.

If Gao De were a mage of several hundred years, his potential long since exhausted, whether he received more or fewer resources would make little difference. Investing in him would not be wasteful, but the return-on-investment would be inferior to investing in the young.

In such cases, the Sea Sentinels would likely award him only one First-Class Merit, at most two.

But Gao De is a sixteen-year-old First-Ring mage who has received almost no cultivation resources.

For a young man with such obvious limitless potential, the Sea Sentinels are naturally willing to invest more resources—and in merit evaluation, they will lean toward the upper limit of the regulations.

Walmart Magical Materials Store.

Gao De stepped inside.

The clerk Joel hurried forward to greet him.

Due to the rescue mission, Gao De had not visited the shop in a long time.

The Walma Magical Materials Shop’s business remained unimproved.

Yet with the northern goods Gao De brought, it had at least gained some customers and a modest reputation.

Some nearby mages now knew this unassuming shop occasionally sold rare ice-element magical materials and bought tree seeds and magical tree seeds at high prices.

Gao De glanced briefly at the ledger, unbothered by the dismal sales figures. He set it down and inquired about the recent tree seed acquisitions.

In this area, Walma Magical Materials Shop was thriving—this period had added nearly twenty new tree seeds.

Moreover, two magical tree seeds had also been acquired, though both were only First-Rank. Still, for Gao De, this was a pleasant surprise.

After reviewing Walma Magical Materials Shop’s recent status, Gao De went upstairs.

The star portal’s energy charge was complete, but the reward and merit evaluation would arrive in two days.

Though he had accumulated many valuable items he wished to return to the north immediately, he restrained himself and chose to wait quietly in Duan.

Otherwise, if others couldn’t find him, it would be impolite.

More importantly, he feared delays might cause the reward to change.

The reward had not yet arrived, but Gao De had already guessed its likely content.

Unless something unexpected occurred, it would be a combination of a First-Class Merit from the Sea Sentinels and a cultivation potion or magical plant, with a small chance of including a supernatural equipment item.

Because he was young and still regarded by the Sea Sentinels as a limitless potential candidate, cultivation potions or magical plants were the “tools” to unlock his potential.

For the next three days, Gao De resumed his normal routine in Duan.

The three points: Walma Magical Materials Shop, Sea Sentinels dormitory, and Collinwood Art Hall.

Magic cultivation, rune practice, and sword technique classes remained unshakable pillars; in spare time, he visited the Sea Sentinels Mage Tower’s library.

On the fourth day, the Sea Sentinels’ reward had still not arrived—but an unexpected visitor arrived first.

While still practicing rune drawing in his dormitory, Gao De received a visitor notification and hurried downstairs.

A lavishly decorated carriage stood silently below, its body meticulously painted with intricate golden vine patterns that shimmered in the sunlight.

What truly caught Gao De’s attention was the prominent golden feather emblem on the carriage’s side.

Having lived in Duan for half a year, he was no longer a naive newcomer—he recognized it instantly as the unique insignia of the Dukedom of Drake, the Lord Mayor of Duan City and Marquis of Bai Luo.

Someone from the City Lord’s mansion? Why would they seek him out?

Gao De pondered silently.

At that moment, a middle-aged man in deep purple brocade robes stepped gracefully from the carriage.

His face was stern. He looked at Gao De descending the stairs and asked directly: “Are you Gao De, the apprentice mage under the Sea Sentinels?”

Gao De nodded slightly in response.

After confirming Gao De’s identity, the man immediately pulled out a parchment from his sleeve, with no hesitation.

“I am York, steward of the Marquis’s household. I have come to convey the Marquis Drake’s message.”

“With the sudden appearance of a secondary plane and the disaster in Ockland,” York began with a string of official phrases, then turned to the subject, detailing the origin, timing, location, and specific events of the Fengluo mission, along with Gao De’s actions and corresponding merits.

He followed with lavish praise, then moved directly to the reward announcement.

“Gao De, apprentice mage of the Sea Sentinels, native of Donghaoer Town, Bai Luo County: Marquis Drake, in recognition of your outstanding contribution, bestows upon you one prime commercial shop in Fanzhuolun District and one branch of thirty-year-old Dragon-Bird Blood Fungus.”

Gao De’s heart leapt.

Fanzhuolun District—the same district housing the Sea Sentinels dormitory and Collinwood Art Hall—was Duan City’s mage quarter, densely packed with mage-related businesses.

Its land value was only one tier below Kensington District, the noble enclave.

In such an area, regardless of whether “prime shop” was exaggerated or not, regardless of size, any commercial property was worth at least a thousand Jin Quehua coins—and often had no market price at all.

This is a substantial, tangible reward—direct and blunt.

He didn’t know whether others liked Gao De, but he himself was very fond of it.

As for the second reward, Longqin Xuejun, just from the name you could tell it was a demonic plant, but Gao De had no idea what its specific effects were.

Because he had never heard of this demonic plant before.

After reading out the rewards, Clerk York waved his hand backward; two servants in uniform immediately hurried forward, carrying two boxes, and respectfully handed them to Gao De.

Gao De quickly took the boxes.

His fingers felt the left box’s surface carved with exquisite cloud patterns, the wood grain fine and smooth, with tiny copper inlays along the edges, radiating an ancient, elegant aura;

the right box was clearly different—its overall hue was deep brown, its material unusual, its surface covered in dense pores, cool to the touch, with a faint herbal fragrance barely perceptible—clearly specially crafted to preserve the demonic plant’s medicinal properties.

“The left box contains the land deed and property deed for the shop; the right box contains the Longqin Xuejun,” Clerk York explained, following Gao De’s gaze. “You might as well open them.”

Gao De followed his advice and opened the left box first, finding two neatly stacked sheepskin scrolls inside.

One was the land deed, the other the property deed.

The sheepskin scrolls bore detailed records of the shop’s location and area in ornate cursive script, with bright red seals stamped along the edges, exuding solemnity and authority.

Then Gao De turned his gaze to the right box and slowly lifted the lid.

Instantly, a strange fragrance surged forth—a unique blend of animal scent and herbal freshness that sharpened his spirit.

Inside the box lay a peculiar fungus, its cap translucent white, covered in fine silver veins resembling dragon scales, shimmering faintly under the light.

“Longqin Xuejun,” Clerk York explained to Gao De in detail, “is a demonic plant unique to the Jin Quehua Dynasty, growing on cliff faces where silver Longqin birds roost, imbued with their aura.”

“The blood fungus contains pure, unadulterated silver dragon magic power; consuming it directly helps you condense your magical energy and raise your mage rank without any side effects, and it also slightly enhances your physical constitution and extends your lifespan.”

“A thirty-year-old Longqin Xuejun is perfect for a first-rank mage like you.”

(End of Chapter)