[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-above-the-mage":3,"chapter-above-the-mage-above-the-mage-chapter-20":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},2257024,4404,"Chapter 20: The Power of Spells","above-the-mage-chapter-20",20,"\u003Cp>“The Three Tenets of Mages?” Hearing this unfamiliar term, Gao De’s heart stirred, and he silently committed this tenet to memory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It was Yilan who told me—he said the Mage Seda told him,” Amy explained. “But he only mentioned this one; he didn’t say the other two.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why would Yilan tell you this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Also, if ‘Never let anyone know your spells’ is one of the Three Tenets of Mages, how did Seda ever reveal his spells to you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao De frowned slightly, asking casually.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing Gao De’s question, Amy understood his meaning and quickly explained: “Yilan once boasted about his status as Seda’s true apprentice, bragging about it to us in the dining hall.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You weren’t there at the time, so you didn’t hear it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s true—Seda never told us anything about the Three Tenets of Mages. If Yilan hadn’t mentioned it, we’d never have known about it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“As for Seda’s spells, do you remember? Half a year ago, when Seda ordered Nio to test a potion, Nio was terrified and tried to flee—he ran toward the backyard. I happened to be there and saw Seda simply reach out and touch Nio, and Nio collapsed instantly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If that spell worked without physical contact, why would Seda bother touching him?” Amy smirked, certain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I see.” Gao De pondered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amy’s explanation was reasonable; he believed it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He also recalled how, on his very first day in this world, he had experienced Seda’s spell firsthand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That hand, capable of inflicting immense pain, still sent shivers down his spine whenever he thought of it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So it seems Seda has at least two spells that require physical contact… Therefore, if I’m forced into a final confrontation with him, my first priority must be to avoid any bodily contact.” Gao De noted this carefully, his thoughts spreading.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Besides avoiding it, could this be exploited?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I get it. Get some sleep. We’ve got work tomorrow.” As he thought, Gao De spoke softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amy didn’t get the response he’d hoped for. He opened his mouth to say something, but couldn’t think of what, so he fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, the room filled with Gao De’s steady, sleeping breaths.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next day, afternoon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After quickly finishing the preparation of the Chujizhuduyaoji , Gao De left the workshop and headed for the commercial district of Hogan City for the third time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t notice that, in the shadows of the bushes directly opposite the herb garden’s gate, three pairs of eyes had simultaneously lit up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The owners of those eyes were three lean but muscular men.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each was unkempt, with alcohol-stained beards, greasy matted hair, and clothes stained with oil that wouldn’t wash out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These were the hallmarks of the lower class.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet their eyes were cunning and combative—clearly not good men.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After watching Gao De walk away, the three whispered among themselves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Boss, is that him?” asked the man with the darkest skin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s him. I checked—Seda the herb gardener hardly ever leaves home. Whether selling potions or buying raw materials, he always sends his apprentices to do it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But the one handling this before was an older apprentice. Recently, it’s been this kid.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man called Boss spoke, his voice sharp—unlike his Xionge  gaze, it sounded more like a rooster’s crow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good. This kid looks young—he’ll be easier to handle.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But he’s a mage apprentice—he can cast spells…” The shortest of the three hesitated. “Are we really going to attack him?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We’d fear the old mage, but this little brat? What’s there to worry about?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mage apprentices this age have no combat strength—maybe they know one or two minor tricks.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And most likely it’s just Mage’s Hand—a harmless trick. We’ve spent years working in the mines—each of us is strong. How hard could it be to take down a little brat like him?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among 0-level spells, Mage’s Hand was the most famous and representative, and essentially the first spell every mage apprentice learned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So even non-mages knew this spell well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Third, your courage is still too weak,” the second man agreed with the boss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This kid isn’t carrying a bag—so he’s not going to sell potions. He’s buying raw materials for the old mage,” the boss spoke again. “I asked around—this old mage has been researching a high-grade potion, requiring extremely rare and expensive ingredients. So this kid must be carrying a lot of money.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We were planning to leave Hogan City for Bremen anyway. After this job, we’ll just vanish. Even if that old mage is powerful, he’ll never find us.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other two nodded, convinced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When do we strike?” the third man asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We strike once we reach the slums. It’s chaotic there—harder to trace. That buys us more time to escape Hogan City and ensures no mishaps.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Agreed!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The dark, filthy stretch between Hogan City’s commercial district and the slums remained the unavoidable route.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But compared to his previous two trips, Gao De now had confidence—he’d just mastered three 0-level spells. He no longer needed to walk with his head down, wary and cautious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides, even if the slums were full of thieves and ruffians, in broad daylight, a plain-clothed commoner like him shouldn’t encounter many incidents. But Gao De forgot one truth: an accident is called an accident precisely because it’s unexpected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just then, as he turned from an alley onto the street, the alley’s dimness hid shadows completely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In that moment, he felt a chill at the back of his skull and heard a sudden, fierce rush of wind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ambush!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And it was aimed straight at his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao De reacted instantly—but too late. In panic, he instinctively bent his body to lower his center, avoiding his vital head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His body’s reflex saved him from a skull-splitting blow—but his back took the strike. The powerful impact made him grunt, staggering his steps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feeling the searing pain in his back, Gao De did the most correct thing—he rolled with the force, executing a donkey’s roll, successfully dodging the second blow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He sprang up quickly and saw his attackers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three sturdy men, each gripping a wooden club, stared at him with hostile eyes—robbery was the plan, but none intended to kill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were cruel, but not murderous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, they only wanted money—not revenge against Gao De. Normally, they’d never consider killing. A single blow to knock him out, loot his coins, and flee—that was the plan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank goodness it’s just clubs.” Gao De breathed a silent sigh of relief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they’d held weapons, he’d already be dead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who are you? Why attack me!” Gao De demanded sharply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Kid, you’re quick. Hand over your money, and we’ll let you go!” The leader glared at Gao De, threatening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So it’s robbery.” Gao De finally understood. He realized he’d barely interacted with the outside world since arriving—how had he angered anyone?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, Gao De had no intention of paying to avoid trouble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides, he only had a few dozen silver coins—far too little to satisfy these three thugs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking this, he raised his hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A beam of cold blue light shot from his fingertip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The beam moved like lightning, streaking straight toward the leader, leaving a glittering trail.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The beam appeared suddenly, moving at blinding speed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And since Gao De’s donkey roll hadn’t put much distance between them, the attack left no time to react.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao De hadn’t asked their identities expecting an answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He spoke only to distract them slightly, buying himself time to cast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The beam struck the leader directly. With a faint crackling sound, a thin layer of ice instantly formed on his skin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He felt a bone-deep chill and searing pain, his face twisting in icy agony.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ice Beam!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1278,"2026-06-19T14:28:48.629Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","a1dd924263597752e0e653876b853edf358d43ec14609cf33801c2911082cf29","above-the-mage-chapter-21","above-the-mage-chapter-19",529,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fabove-the-mage-cover.jpg"]