[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-above-the-mage":3,"chapter-above-the-mage-above-the-mage-chapter-3":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},2257007,4404,"Chapter 3: Interrogation","above-the-mage-chapter-3",3,"\u003Cp>Through the narrow, arched corridor, the end revealed a slightly larger brown-black door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The leading apprentice, “Old Cheng,” stopped before the door and knocked three times with careful precision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The knock echoed unnaturally in the silence: “Master Seda, Gao De has arrived.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the words faded, the tightly shut door opened without warning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let him in.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A low, grating voice drifted from inside the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The apprentice bowed deeply in reverence, answering “Yes,” then silently withdrew.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao De’s gaze turned toward the doorway; the interior was dim, obscuring all details, yet the oppressive aura was undeniably real—as if a dangerous beast lurked within, ready to devour him whole.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a fleeting hesitation, Gao De stepped boldly inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment he crossed the threshold, the door silently closed behind him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His vision first blurred, then dimmed to a dull yellow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before him stood an extremely long wooden table, scattered with parchment sheets and simple tools: a balance scale, a mortar for grinding powders, and a wooden shelf lined with numerous slender glass vials resembling test tubes. To the table’s left stood a massive bookshelf, neatly arranged with bound volumes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To the right of the table was a crucible, beneath which rested a complex heating apparatus.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao De’s gaze swept the room swiftly, finally settling behind the table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There sat a man of unimposing stature, his back turned to Gao De.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao De knew without doubt: this was Master Seda.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master Seda,” Gao De said, fixing his eyes on Seda’s back, tilting his upper body roughly fifteen degrees forward in a bow, then returning to his original stance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He did not understand the customs of this world, so he defaulted to the most common Western bow to express respect for Master Seda.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At Gao De’s voice, Master Seda turned around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Seda’s true face for the first time, Gao De was startled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From behind, Seda appeared merely unremarkable in stature, but face-on, his complexion was ashen, utterly lifeless—as if death were already at his door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Cough, cough.” Seda coughed twice, his voice weak: “You’ve awakened, my good apprentice.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I heard you came to,” he said, a strange, almost feverish expression flickering across his withered face: “Tell me—how do you feel now?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seda stared fixedly at Gao De, a flicker of anxiety and longing deep in his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seda’s question was expected; on his way here, Gao De had already prepared his answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Compared to before taking the potion, there seems to be no change,” Gao De shook his head, hesitating: “Except for the period of unconsciousness.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing this, Seda’s expression darkened instantly, his tone growing harsh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How could there be no change? Either you die—or you shouldn’t be unchanged at all!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao De’s heart lurched at Seda’s reaction; unease surged within him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet he was not afraid Seda would detect that this body’s soul had been replaced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To Seda, apprentices were expendable—no one paid attention to their habits or personalities, so there was no reason he’d notice any change.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Come here!” Seda suddenly snorted coldly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao De donned a look of fearful submission and hurried forward until his body pressed against the table, then bowed his head, avoiding direct eye contact.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seda stared at Gao De, expressionless, silent for a long while.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao De knew Seda was displeased and dared not speak to provoke him, so he stayed still, waiting for Seda to speak first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Long minutes passed, and Seda still said nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The atmosphere grew eerie; Gao De’s nerves tightened, and his eyes flickered upward slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you want to look, look,” Seda’s cold voice cut through the silence: “Are you sneaking glances because you’re guilty?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao De froze, then lifted his head, letting his gaze sweep over Seda’s face before immediately dropping it. Seda watched him with a cold, humorless smile, his eyes darkening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the next instant, Gao De felt a sudden force shove him from behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Already close to the table, the push sent his upper body tilting forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, as if anticipating it, Seda extended his right hand like a clamp and seized Gao De’s throat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seda’s grip was not strong—but it inflicted upon Gao De an indescribable agony.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pain was so intense Gao De nearly fainted, his stomach churned, and he felt sick to vomit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It felt as if Seda’s palm had sprouted sharp thorns, piercing his neck, drilling into his bones, twisting his marrow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, Seda’s hand bore no thorns.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao De understood: this was the effect of a spell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master… I…” his voice trembled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“After taking the potion, do you truly feel no change in your body?” Seda asked again the same question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes,” Gao De answered through gritted teeth, enduring the searing pain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seda frowned tightly. “It’s the truth.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a pause, his voice returned to calm, and he released Gao De: “I assume you dare not lie to me. Leave.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.” Gao De, still trembling from the agony, stammered his reply and stumbled blindly out of the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The vast room was left alone again with Seda.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His withered face, lost in shadow, revealed nothing of his thoughts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Long after, Seda exhaled deeply, releasing his frustration, his murmured voice echoing in the sealed room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“At least this test subject survived—my direction is correct. Adding sage effectively neutralizes the conflicting properties between other ingredients…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But there’s still an issue: why no effect? Did the sage also neutralize the spirit-awakening property of the Bone Powder?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seda never doubted Gao De was lying. As one who held absolute power over these “ants” he could crush with a thought, he believed none would dare deceive him—and even if they dared, could they possibly succeed? Before magic, all schemes were futile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just now, he had cast the spell “Interrogation.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Interrogation】 (Necromancy, 0th Level):\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon contact, inflict strange pain as threat to interrogate the target.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The target may choose to lie, but the pain will reveal deception.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The spell confirmed: Gao De told the truth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Replace the ten-year sage with five-year sage—and try again!” Seda clenched his teeth, finally making his decision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He clenched them because the main ingredient in his potion—Spirit Bone Powder—was extremely expensive, even for him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Spirit Bone Powder was not a common material; even with money, one could not always buy it—only wait.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His last supply had been exhausted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only one apothecary in the city regularly imported small quantities of Spirit Bone Powder—and he had bought it all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That apothecary restocked once a month; it was only the second day of the month—meaning he must wait nearly another month for the next delivery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A month… I can only wait…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t have much time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I must hurry—break through and become a 1st-Level Mage!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1117,"2026-06-19T14:28:48.629Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","654035e5d0e557daf2905abdd18eb555b9886a0df3eaaa7ebd280c5b321a9530","above-the-mage-chapter-4","above-the-mage-chapter-2",529,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fabove-the-mage-cover.jpg"]