[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-above-the-mage":3,"chapter-above-the-mage-above-the-mage-chapter-129":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},2257133,4404,"Chapter 129: Cliff Top","above-the-mage-chapter-129",129,"\u003Cp>Another quarter hour passed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao De followed Candice, stepping off the final platform of the cliffside stairs and returning to the top of Hardship Cliff.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other four had already arrived at the cliff top some time ago and were now resting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luca, who had led the group and carried the heaviest load of water-gold ore, lay motionless on the ground like a dried salted fish, breathing heavily in a sprawling X shape.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Candice and Gao De finally climb up, the others merely glanced at them listlessly, too exhausted to speak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon reaching the cliff top, Candice abandoned all ladylike poise and noble etiquette, plopping down cross-legged on the ground, utterly drained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Royas, who had already rested for a while, hesitated, then stood up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He walked to Candice’s side and handed her a bottle of orange-colored magic potion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Strength recovery potion. I asked Coach Shahu—it’s permitted to consume recovery potions, not a violation,” Royas said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Candice glanced up at Royas, then shook her head slightly and whispered, “Thank you, but I don’t need it yet.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rejected, Royas’s face seemed to pale further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luca, who had already sat up from the ground, caught sight of this and smirked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In his view, Royas’s attempt to “flatter” Candice and being turned down was both childish and humiliating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet Candice did possess a certain charm—her features delicate and refined, her brown-gold hair smooth and radiant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even now, pale-faced and drenched in sweat, her noble bearing remained unmistakable, untouched by exhaustion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Cappalan, how was your morning’s haul?” he suddenly called out loudly to Cappalan. “I mined thirty kilograms this morning—push a bit harder this afternoon, another thirty won’t be a problem.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cappalan, suddenly called out, froze for a moment, then quickly understood his “good brother’s” intent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Trying to draw Candice’s attention by showing off his “muscles”?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He naturally refused to let Luca succeed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The problem was, Luca had indeed carried significantly more water-gold ore than he had—he had no counterargument.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eyes darting, Cappalan decided to shift the topic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Gao De, look—we’ve all gathered some hauls, even Candice has about ten kilograms of water-gold ore,” he turned to Gao De, feigning not to have heard Luca’s question, and “kindly” advised him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’ve wasted the whole morning—face reality, abandon your unrealistic fantasies, and join us in mining properly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The others nodded slightly at this, clearly agreeing with Cappalan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No problem—I’ll try again. This morning I was focused on practicing water techniques, didn’t look for clams much,” Gao De replied cheerfully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wasn’t blind to their petty schemes—he simply didn’t care to engage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao De, having crossed over, held a mindset far beyond his years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To these tactics—shouting loudly to attract girls’ attention, only seen in middle or high school—he found every world’s young boys were equally “adorable.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cappalan had only meant to change the subject, but seeing Gao De ignore him, he genuinely grew agitated:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Didn’t you hear Coach Shahu? Harvesting clams is harder than mining, let alone you’re a half-baked diver who’s still learning how to swim underwater.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Clam harvesting won’t work!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How will you know unless you try?” Gao De replied with the same cheerful smile—his demeanor noticeably more relaxed than the others’ panting exhaustion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why are you so stubborn?” Cappalan grew irrationally furious. “I’ll bet you—even after another week—you’ll get nothing!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’ve already lost the bet,” Candice suddenly spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh?” Cappalan turned to Candice, confused by her words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Look at Gao De’s basket,” Candice said softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At her words, everyone instinctively turned to Gao De’s basket.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One glance—and they were stunned: Gao De’s basket was not empty as they’d assumed! “T-That’s a Maid Clam?!” Cappalan couldn’t believe it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lucky on my last dive—I caught one,” Gao De smiled shyly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That single Maid Clam contained fifty kilograms of water-gold ore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cappalan had slaved all morning and hauled up barely twenty-five kilograms. “You can’t be this lucky every time,” Cappalan’s face flushed crimson as he choked out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao De pretended not to hear, chuckled, and said, “I’m heading back to eat.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d been starving since morning, and it was already lunchtime.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The others were just as hungry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But since this was everyone’s first mission, none had brought rations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After hours of physical labor, failing to replenish energy through food would weaken the body. The priority now was returning to eat—not lingering here to “compete for attention.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao De placed his morning’s “haul” on the cliff top, then, lightly dressed, walked toward his “dormitory.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His movements were swift—he soon vanished into the distance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With Gao De gone, the atmosphere grew strangely tense from the earlier exchange.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The remaining five each held different thoughts—some merely envious of Gao De’s luck, others feeling embarrassed or awkward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, Jelica staggered to her feet and whispered gently to Candice, still seated on the ground: “Let’s go. If we don’t eat something now, the afternoon task will be even harder.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She noticed Candice’s legs were weak, barely able to walk, and out of kindness wanted to help her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Candice snapped back to awareness, nodded, and, with Jelica’s support, left the cliff top together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cappalan remained standing, his face still pale. He took a deep breath, suppressing his resentment and shame.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew his outburst had been impulsive, childish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But seeing Gao De effortlessly reap good fortune, his heart burned with unfairness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t believe you’ll be this lucky this afternoon!” Cappalan muttered inwardly, then turned and trudged heavily toward the academy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao De returned first to Dormitory 30 in Zone One, took a shower, and changed into clean clothes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He washed his morning clothes, hung them to dry on the balcony, then left the dormitory for the dining hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though he’d missed mealtime, the dining hall was still crowded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, many academy students didn’t adhere to fixed meal schedules.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao De also noticed the sign by the dining hall door had changed from yesterday.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Today’s Special: “Charcoal-Grilled Centipede,” 8 silver per portion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sss—Gao De, who had already seen and tasted “Charcoal-Grilled Bird Spider” yesterday, still sucked in a sharp breath at the sight of “Charcoal-Grilled Centipede.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seriously? This is your idea of a delicacy? Fine, fine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And it’s so expensive—8 silver per portion. With that money, I could eat anything else… wait, this price is cheaper than yesterday’s “Charcoal-Grilled Bird Spider”? Gao De fell into thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Five minutes later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sir, your charcoal-grilled centipede, expertly prepared—enjoy!” The server placed a large platter of “Charcoal-Grilled Centipede” before Gao De’s table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A small bottle of wine accompanied the meal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once again, curiosity overrode reason. Gao De silently studied the specialty dish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His gaze first held confusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because at first glance, he saw no “centipede” at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead, he saw five plump, golden onions, their skins slightly charred, arranged neatly on the plate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, this was no trick.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The true star—the charcoal-grilled centipede—was cleverly concealed within the onions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao De sliced open the top of an onion with his knife and fork.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A complex aroma—smoky charcoal, sweet honey, spicy spices, and the centipede’s unique scent—burst forth, making his mouth water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each centipede inside the onion had been meticulously prepared: inedible parts removed, leaving only the most tender, succulent flesh, glowing a tempting amber.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their outer layer was coated in a thin glaze of honey, spices, and a special sauce.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao De speared one centipede with a piece of onion and popped it into his mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first bite: the sweet, slightly spicy onion burst on his tongue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Immediately after came the centipede’s savory richness and unique texture.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Slow-roasted over charcoal, the centipede’s skin was crisp and golden, while its interior remained perfectly tender and juicy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The contrast between the crunchy exterior and tender interior, enhanced by the skillful seasoning, created a layered, unforgettable mouthfeel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The accompanying wine—onion wine—added a distinctive note, perfectly balancing the centipede’s faint fishiness and unifying the entire dish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having finished every last bite of the charcoal-grilled centipede, Gao De felt a faint warmth surge through his body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His body had been chilled by the cold water during diving; even ashore, a lingering chill clung to his insides.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, under the warmth from the centipede, that chill dissolved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1351,"2026-06-19T14:28:48.629Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","3862aebacac4f69b2edee6402699982ea05337d4ca417e01cca389880bc8f879","above-the-mage-chapter-130","above-the-mage-chapter-128",529,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fabove-the-mage-cover.jpg"]