Chapter 653
City of Glory
Chapter 653 City of Glory
Golden light instantly condensed into a thick protective barrier in front of Roddy.
The light, condensed to a tangible form, carried an unshakeable protective power, forcefully blocking the oncoming fireball.
boom!
A deafening roar erupted in the Molten Core Arena.
The golden-red flames, like surging lava, crashed violently against the golden protective barrier.
The violent collision caused wild ripples to spread across the surface of the barrier, and the golden light flickered as if it were about to shatter at any moment, but in the end it still managed to firmly block the fatal impact.
However, the massive shockwave still sent Roddy flying.
He fell heavily to the ground.
The guard badge on his chest dimmed instantly, completely losing its energy fluctuations.
Roddy was completely limp and unable to move. The burning and stinging sensations over his body made him too weak to even speak.
Gao De slowly withdrew his right hand, and the fire element energy at his fingertips gradually dissipated.
He looked at Roddy, who was lying on the ground, and felt quite satisfied.
The performance of [Fireball+] far exceeded expectations.
The spell's increased casting speed and reduced mana cost, combined with the additional effect of "spell penetration," make its stats so powerful that they're almost too much to bear.
However, there was no hint of pride on his face; he simply said calmly, "Thank you for your kind offer."
The audience was completely silent.
The mages in the stands were completely silent, their faces filled with disbelief and shock.
They originally thought it would be a wonderful game of mutual restraint, but they never expected it to be such a one-sided crushing defeat.
Deacon Finn stood at the edge of the arena, his pupils constricted, his eyes revealing undisguised shock and confusion.
He originally thought that even if Roddy was no match for Gao De, he could at least last for dozens of rounds.
But I never expected it to end like this.
Not only did it fail to last five rounds, it was also defeated head-on by Gao De using the [Fireball] spell, which he had never used before.
Gaode's strength and methods are far more terrifying than any intelligence report suggests.
Moreover, everyone noticed the unusual nature of Gao De's fireball spell.
Even as a fourth-circle mage, he couldn't understand why Gaode's [Fireball] spell was so peculiar.
Is it some kind of top-tier expertise?
Countless thoughts churned in Fein's mind.
But in any case, the outcome of this legal battle has been decided.
Suppressing his shock, Finn announced decisively, "The third challenge of the Morrison Magic Hall has been won by Mage Gaode! Congratulations on passing the challenge."
Gao De bowed and clasped his hands in greeting to Deacon Fein.
Another museum badge in hand.
Before mastering [Fireball+], the gym challenge was a piece of cake for Gaode, but he still had to think about the so-called "combo".
After mastering [Fireball+], the gym challenges become simple and mindless.
Regardless of the opponent's style or attributes, just spam [Fireball+] repeatedly. There's no need for any fancy maneuvers; the main goal is to unleash a powerful, devastating attack.
Having obtained the Morrison Academy badge, Godd boarded the airship bound for Orkney that very noon.
Two days later, he arrived at Thunder City, Orkney County.
As the name suggests, Orkney is a county known for its thunder.
The local mages are skilled in water and lightning elemental magic, characterized by their powerful bursts of energy and speed, adept at instantaneous attacks to quickly defeat enemies.
In the Evocation spell system, lightning spells are comparable to fire spells in terms of destructive power.
However, at this point, Gaode no longer needs to care about the local schools or systems of mages.
He went straight to the Orkni Art Museum as soon as he got off the airship, without any delay.
Here, he received the same treatment as at the Morrison Academy, directly advancing to the third level of the academy.
The guardian mage of the Orkni Magic Academy is a tall and beautiful female mage.
Unfortunately, Gaode didn't have any chivalrous intentions.
Fireball, fireball, and more fireball.
After casting six fireballs, God calmly left the Orkney Dojo.
The reason for using an extra fireball was simply that the Orkney Dojo had received intelligence about his performance at the Morrison Dojo and was taking precautions.
But so what?
Gaode (the game developer) directly revealed his hand, so my strategy was to unleash a barrage of fireballs.
If you can block it, then we can talk about other things.
If you can't stop them, then hand over the museum badge.
Less than an hour later, Gaode arrived at Leiming City Airport again.
After a short wait of another hour, he boarded the airship bound for Villando County.
It's worth noting that Wirando County is Walmart's next key target for expansion.
The reason is simple: this is the only "Ice County" within the Golden Flower Dynasty where ice element cultivation is the mainstream practice.
It's easy to imagine how sought-after the extraordinary materials from the North will be in Verandor County.
The airship landed at the airport in Quietstream, the county seat of Virando County.
The rich, icy atmosphere in the air made Gaode feel right at home.
Same process, same result.
Gao De continued to maintain his persona as a "follower of the Fireball Cult," using five Fireball spells to take the Vilando Gym Badge from it.
At this point, he had accumulated seven badges, just one step away from the current record for the most badges held by a challenger mage.
The 21st day of the Harvest Month (July) in the year 9659 of the Nolan calendar.
Pembrokeshire has earned its eighth museum badge, successfully tying the record.
More and more people are starting to pay attention to Gaode's challenge journey, and it has even gone beyond the circle of art galleries.
Harvest month, 24th, Rutlandshire.
With the ninth Magic Hall Badge in hand, Gao De officially became the person with the most Magic Hall Badges among all the challenging mages in the entire Golden Flower Dynasty.
His fireball spell also became a hot topic of discussion among countless mages in the dynasty.
Many people want to know just how amazing Gaode's fireball technique is.
Harvest month, 29th, Kelvinshire.
Gao De earned his tenth Academy badge.
In less than two weeks, Gao De swept through five gyms from Morrisonshire to Kelvinshire, making rapid progress and gaining far more fame than he had three months prior. What's even more astonishing is that he has been using the same fighting style ever since he started at the Morrison gym.
To be precise, it's the same spell, the [Fireball] barrage.
There are no complicated tactics, no fancy spell combinations, just simple, brutal, and mindless fireball barrages.
Despite using this strategy, for nearly half a month across five different martial arts schools, not a single guardian mage could find a way to break it.
At the beginning of the Gym Challenge, it was not uncommon for a genius mage to sweep across the counties and collect all twelve Gym Badges.
But absolutely no one could have imagined that someone could achieve such a terrifying feat with just one Fireball spell.
Of course, this is not the end.
Gaode Maps is only two badges away from collecting all twelve art museum badges, and these are the two most difficult ones to obtain.
The remaining two counties are Liuge County, where the Wang Mian family resides, and Guangrong County, the capital of the Golden Flower Dynasty.
According to the itinerary previously planned by Melia, the route was to first go to Glorious County, and then head to Ruka County.
This arrangement is extremely reasonable.
First, Ryukyo County is located at the northernmost point of the dynasty, separated from the northern border only by the formidable Evenlaya Mountains, making it the county furthest from Bairo County.
If it's not arranged as the last leg of the journey, we'll inevitably have to backtrack, which will only increase the time spent.
Secondly, Ryukago County is the venue for this Unparalleled Magic Tournament.
When Gao De arrived, he should have already secured a substitute spot in the tournament, allowing him to stay in Liuge County, rest, and prepare for the French Fighting Tournament the following year.
The airship pierced through the clouds and headed straight for Glorious County, the heart of the Plantagenet Dynasty.
As the airship officially entered the territory of Glorious County, the scenery outside the porthole had completely changed, unlike any county that Gao De had ever passed through before, exuding a sense of order and solemnity unique to the core of the dynasty.
From above, this land appears as if it has been meticulously measured by the most discerning craftsmen, with every inch exuding an exquisite sense of order.
The vast plains were divided into squares.
Golden waves of wheat fields, orchards laden with fruit, and lush green meadows stretch across the land like an intricately pieced-together chessboard, extending to the very edge of the field of vision.
Scattered throughout the area are numerous villages and towns, all built of pure white natural stone with roofs covered in light gold terracotta tiles, and the streets and alleys are laid out in a straight line.
Even the stone bridges in the countryside are carved and symmetrical, and one can tell at a glance that the area is prosperous and peaceful.
The oak forests are lush and green, their deep green canopies forming a sea of clouds.
The winding stone path through the forest is like a silver ribbon, with the occasional silhouette of a carriage or horse flashing by through the gaps in the trees.
On the wide, straight road, as straight as an ink line, squads of knights clad in gleaming silver armor galloped at high speed from time to time.
The silver sheen of the armor shone brilliantly in the sunlight, and the broom emblem embroidered on the banner fluttered in the wind.
The Green Tooth Peak mountain range stretches across the horizon, its dark blue-green peaks undulating like a sleeping dragon, forming a natural barrier for Glorious County and even the entire Golden Flower Dynasty.
Along the mountain passes and ridges, watchtowers stand majestically, their stone towers gleaming coldly in the sunlight, highlighting the formidable defense of the border.
Most strikingly, from the formidable border fortresses to the stone arch bridges and boundary markers in the countryside, almost all the major buildings on this land are predominantly white.
This is a unique type of stone called tuff.
What makes it unique is that the tuff contains anti-magic stone powder.
This is a unique architectural feature of Glorious County.
The entire region was enveloped in an atmosphere of glory and prosperity, yet also one of solemnity that brooked no desecration.
From the moment he stepped into the airspace of Glorious County, Gao De vaguely sensed a subtle sense of suppression.
Like a thin veil wrapped around the body, it is not intense, yet it is real.
As the airship drew closer to the capital, the oppressive feeling grew stronger, as if an invisible hand was gently pressing down on the surging magical power within him, making the stars in the magical star sea more subdued.
"Anti-magic stone," Gao De murmured to himself, understanding the source of this oppressive feeling.
That was the foundation of the Golden Flower Dynasty, the most magical and precious extraordinary mineral in the Mage Plane, with a hard texture and the ability to naturally suppress all elemental energy and magical fluctuations.
As for this magic-suppressing stone in the world, so far, it has not been found anywhere except within the territory of the Golden Flower Dynasty.
This is a divinely bestowed treasure unique to this dynasty, and it is also the source of their enduring strength.
As the airship continued forward, a faint gray outline slowly emerged on the horizon.
It is like a lurking ancient behemoth, silently guarding the heart of the plain.
That was the capital of the Plantagenet Dynasty, the glorious capital.
The outline became clearer and clearer, and finally, a colossal city reaching to the sky was fully revealed before Gaode's eyes.
Its magnificent momentum and ultimate grandeur are enough to give any first-time visitor a breathtaking visual impact.
The entire city is based on a color scheme of pure white and dark gray. Pure white is the base color of the tuff, while dark gray is the cold light of the anti-magic stone.
Building materials mixed with anti-magic stones were incorporated into every part of the city's structure, from city walls to buildings, from stone bridges to towers, without exception.
The city wall, constructed from a mixture of anti-magic stone and tuff, stretched across the land like a giant gray dragon, reaching towards the horizon with no end in sight.
The wall surface is polished smooth but not glossy, retaining the rough texture of the stone.
The walls are engraved with intricate defensive runes, which shimmer and gleam in the sunlight, forming an insurmountable barrier that firmly protects the entire City of Glory.
Every hundred feet along the city wall stands a straight, pointed tower, its towering spires piercing the sky like sharp swords, becoming the most striking landmark on the skyline of the glorious city.
At the top of the tower, the dynasty's banner embroidered with broom fluttered in the wind, exuding an aura of dominance and intimidation.
From a high vantage point overlooking the city, Gaode Maps can clearly see the magnificent square in the very center of the city, wide enough to accommodate tens of thousands of people.
The square is paved with white marble, with a statue of the founding monarch of the dynasty standing in the center, surrounded by commemorative columns symbolizing the dynasty's glory.
Since its inception, this square has witnessed the granting of imperial power through generations and countless grand celebrations, making it a sacred place in the hearts of all the people of the Golden Plantagenet Dynasty.
On one side of the grand square, the outline of the Hall of Justice stands solemnly, with its huge dome piercing the sky and its white pillars arranged like a forest.
That was the central venue for the dynasty's political discussions and important ceremonies.
The throne of the Plantagenet dynasty sits in the Hall of Glory, deep within the Hall of Justice.
Countless noble and heroic deeds, countless choices that determined the fate of dynasties, all took place in that hall, bathed in the white marble and the golden sunlight, and will be forever remembered by history.
The entire city of glory is devoid of any magical embellishments or chaotic fluctuations of elemental energy; it is characterized only by its neat layout, solid architecture, and strict order.
What strikes you is an overwhelming sense of power, as well as a deep-seated, almost stubborn, sense of tradition and authority.
The airship slowly adjusted its course and flew towards the airport outside the City of Glory.
As the capital of the dynasty, Glorious City has a strict no-fly zone, so its airport is different from other counties and is located outside Glorious City.
As the airship slowly swept past the side of the city wall and circled around to the front of the Glorious City wall, Gao De's breath hitched, and the shock in his eyes was almost impossible to conceal.
(End of this chapter)