[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-above-the-mage":3,"chapter-above-the-mage-above-the-mage-chapter-464":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},2257468,4404,"Chapter 464: First-Rank Rune Apparatus: 【Winter","above-the-mage-chapter-464",464,"\u003Cp>The room’s windows were tightly shut, blocking out the sunlight from outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In its place, light generated by magic filled the space.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was to ensure stable illumination.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A long table stretched across the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Standing before the table was Gao De.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beside the table, in the corner of the room, stood Anna, her big eyes gleaming as she stared at the table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the tabletop, four components forged from gleaming copper were arranged in a straight line, their edges fitting together perfectly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Four more days had passed, and the four components crafted by the blacksmith had all arrived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Merely by shape, these four parts resembled shoulder armor, chest armor, arm guards, and leg guards.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet though their exteriors were complete, they were still only half-finished until runes were inscribed upon them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the saying goes, painting the pupils on a dragon brings it to life—how much more so are runes to rune apparatus?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beside the four components lay a design sketch Gao De had stayed up all night to create.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A first-rank rune apparatus tailored specifically for himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Winter’s Arrival】.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The entire design and calculation process consumed an entire stack of paper, yet the final design sketch was merely this small sheet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Overall, it resembled a mech design from a sci-fi novel, divided into four sections, each illustrating one of the apparatus’s components.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each of the four components carried a single, functional rune array.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To miniaturize a rune array—composed of hundreds, thousands, even tens of thousands of runes—onto a surface no larger than a scrap of cloth demanded extraordinarily advanced rune fabrication techniques.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was a hard requirement: just as you must have legs to play soccer, there is no arguing with it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though this step was already extremely difficult, what truly limited the number of rune apparatus makers was the next step:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While each component’s rune array operated independently, they also had to be capable of merging into one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They combined to form a single ultimate rune array, granting the apparatus its unique effect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This process required masterful command of runes, constant expansion of knowledge, genius insight, and unparalleled creativity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially the three words: “creativity.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This thing, like talent, was elusive and mysterious—no physical form, yet undeniably real.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, Gao De possessed it, and even exceptionally so.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just how exceptional, and where its limits lay, Gao De himself did not know—but at least it was enough to astonish He Xi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet under He Xi’s newly constructed rune system, this massive obstacle—“creativity”—on the path of rune apparatus making now had a way to be cleverly bypassed:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—as long as one mastered rune knowledge thoroughly and fully understood the Six Fundamental Rules of Runes, one could, through vast computation and trial-and-error, ultimately design a qualified rune apparatus blueprint.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, this did not mean “creativity” was unimportant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the contrary, under the new rune system, creativity became even more vital.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Computation could allow ordinary rune masters to design rune apparatuses, but such designs relied on existing blueprints, essentially recombining known knowledge—like assembling one’s own work from fragments.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet truly outstanding rune apparatus designs could not be achieved by computation alone—they ultimately depended on “creativity.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A somewhat imperfect analogy: in the world Gao De had come from, after artificial intelligence developed, its immense computational power could replace many low-level artists in design fields.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But true artists remained irreplaceable—and even grew more precious amid the dominance of artificial intelligence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Artists would never lose their jobs; as AI advanced, their status only rose higher.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The same principle applied to rune apparatus making.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With his thoughts concluded, Gao De gathered his focus and cast aside all distractions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He took a deep breath and spread out the materials he had prepared on the crude table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was ready to begin inscribing 【Winter’s Arrival】.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m starting,” Gao De whispered to Anna beside him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anna’s eyes lit up, and she nodded obediently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then Gao De ignored her, letting a faint flow of magical energy course through his body—【Divine Guidance +】 was already active.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He picked up the light-engraving pen gifted by Master He Xi and filled it with magical ink.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Immediately, golden symbols flickered to life within his left pupil.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Third-Rank Mandora Magic Eye activated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under the effect of the Law-Resistant Body, Gao De slipped into a state of extreme focus in the blink of an eye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All external disturbances vanished; his world now held only the light-engraving rune pen in his hand and the gleaming copper components awaiting inscription.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then Gao De leaned forward slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He began to write.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pen tip trembled faintly, releasing a soft glow, carrying threads of condensed magical energy that slowly formed lines, etching themselves onto the surface of the gleaming copper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Months of relentless practice, consuming one stack of black jade paper after another, had made Gao De’s brushwork highly refined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His strokes flowed smoothly, like clouds drifting and water flowing—no hesitation, no sluggishness, no errors; his grip was as steady as a mountain, not a single tremor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—The runes on apparatuses were miniaturized; even the slightest wrist tremor, magnified onto such tiny runes, became a catastrophic error.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To Anna, watching from the side, the lines Gao De drew on the gleaming copper were as fine as hairs—she could barely make them out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only by pressing her eyes close could she barely discern the exact runes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But within Gao De’s Mandora Magic Eye, the scene was entirely different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everything was magnified; the miniaturized runes he drew appeared no different from normal runes—even larger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every detail of each rune, every line’s direction, was crystal clear to him—this was one reason his strokes flowed so effortlessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For rune apparatus makers, the Mandora Magic Eye was a cheat, a powerful external mod granting them precision and insight beyond ordinary humans.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Time slipped away minute by minute; the room fell silent except for Gao De and Anna’s faint breathing and the whisper of the pen touching gleaming copper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao De was utterly immersed in the world within his brush.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the triple enhancement of Divine Guidance, Law-Resistant Body, and Mandora Magic Eye, even though this was his first time crafting a rune apparatus, Gao De performed as if he were a seasoned first-rank rune apparatus maker with years of experience.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, Gao De made the last stroke, completing the final rune.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before him lay four brand-new rune apparatus components.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to before, their pale yellow gleaming copper surfaces were now covered in dense, hair-thin blue lines.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These lines intertwined, forming intricate, beautiful patterns—as if painted with artistry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even without considering function, their appearance had become far more elegant, almost like works of art.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Done?” Anna asked softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Done,” Gao De nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Did it work?” Anna pressed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t know yet,” Gao De replied, his voice tinged with caution and nervousness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Try it!” Anna looked at him, waving her tiny fist. “It must have worked!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For rune apparatuses, the most important thing was actual effect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After responding, Gao De picked up the arm guard-shaped component and channeled his magical energy into it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the energy flowed in, each rune on the arm guard component lit up one by one; light shimmered along every line, casting a faint blue glow over the entire piece.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, a single piece of information surged into Gao De’s mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“First-rank Spell Damage Boost (increases potency of first-tier and below spells by 29%).”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the rune effect of the array on this component—only one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, a rune apparatus component was not limited to possessing only one effect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But more functions were not necessarily better for rune apparatuses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because the total number of runes a set could carry was always limited.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Generally, the more functions a rune apparatus had, the weaker each individual effect became.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Conversely, the stronger an effect, the fewer functions the apparatus typically had.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Between quantity and quality, one had to find the optimal balance based on the wearer’s own condition and needs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet there was often a problem here:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aside from oneself, a mage could never fully reveal their needs to others—they could only describe their requirements as precisely as possible to the rune apparatus maker.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This inevitably meant the final apparatus could never achieve perfect compatibility.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But since Gao De was crafting the apparatus for himself, he could avoid all these issues and achieve perfect alignment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was one of his advantages.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The effects on first-rank rune apparatuses were naturally all first-rank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet even among first-rank effects, there were differences.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For example, a first-rank Spell Damage Boost rune array could vary in potency increase from 20% to 40%, depending on rune design, materials used, and craftsmanship.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because this component only carried the single function of “Spell Damage Boost,” and despite gleaming copper not being top-tier material and Gao De being a first-time maker, the spell potency increase still reached 29%—a mid-to-high value.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because it was pure, it was powerful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Setting down the shoulder armor component, Gao De picked up the remaining three rune apparatus pieces in turn and channeled magical energy into each for testing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“First-rank Agility (increases movement speed by 1.5 meters per second), First-rank Durability (cannot be destroyed by first-tier and below spells), First-rank Spell Damage Boost.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These were the rune effects of the other three components.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Spell Damage Boost effect was duplicated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Repetition does not mean uselessness, but rather stackability.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, it is not additive stacking: two level-one spell-boost runes result in a power increase of nearly 37% at the upper limit, not 58%.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stacking identical rune effects has diminishing returns—the higher the stack, the smaller the gain—so two identical rune effects offer the highest cost-to-benefit ratio.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Verification passed: the rune arrays on all four rune-embedded components activated successfully, granting the wearer the corresponding rune effects.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this was not over; the most critical step had yet to be tested.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao De exhaled slowly, calming his slightly tense emotions, and carefully aligned the four rune-embedded components along their edges.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, he channeled Qi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All the runes now fused into a single whole, as if awakened to life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Powerful energy nearly burst forth from within.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, Gao De’s heart finally settled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He extended his mental force toward the rune-embedded set.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instantly, information flooded into his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Frost’s Arrival】 (Level-One Rune-Embedded Set):\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rune-Engraver: Gao De\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rune Effects: Level-One Spell Boost, Level-One Fortitude, Level-One Agility\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Set Effect: wearer’s Qi recovery rate increases by 15%, Qi consumption reduced by 8%\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When casting offensive spells, additional Qi can be consumed to inflict 5–10 degrees of cold damage (proportional to extra Qi spent)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The “Rune-Engraver: Gao De” displayed at the top was a minor technique in rune engraving—a method known to every rune master, simple and requiring no extra runes, serving merely as a kind of “watermark.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was akin to an artist signing their finished work.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not just rune-embedded sets, most rune masters also used this technique to “sign” their rune arrays.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because rune masters, compared to other professions, leaned more toward “artists.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their “works” were exceedingly rare, while other transcendent professions were more like craftsmen, capable of mass-producing transcendent items.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The subsequent rune effects need no further explanation; as for the set effect, it drew inspiration from 【Wildland’s Breath】, hence sharing its Qi recovery boost and consumption reduction—but the values were far inferior to those of Wildland’s Breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The difference was that Gao De had not focused on endurance; instead, he deliberately added an extra damage mechanism tailored to his own needs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at the 【Frost’s Arrival】 set he had crafted entirely by himself, Gao De felt a strange sense of daze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In this moment, his heart could no longer remain still; memories surged through him, scattered and unbidden.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eventually, all these thoughts settled on He Xi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It had been over two full years since he entered the rune workshop at Gavin Tower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His year studying runecraft under He Xi had profoundly shaped him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, over a year had passed since He Xi left, and he had finally succeeded in crafting his first level-one rune-embedded set using the six fundamental rules He Xi had left behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This meant he was now a level-one rune-embedded master.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This title far surpassed that of a first-circle mage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rarity confers value.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In most people’s eyes, even a second-circle mage could not compare in status to a level-one rune-embedded master.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a brief surge of joy and melancholy, Gao De steadied his turbulent emotions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For him, everything had only just begun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether on the path of magehood or rune-embedded mastery, it was so.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Level-up completed, accompanied by an unexpected breakthrough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>New spell acquired.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, the “top-tier gear” 【Frost’s Arrival】 was in hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All preparations were complete.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All is ready—waiting only for a dark, wind-swept night to capture the thief and claim the reward!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2119,"2026-06-19T14:28:50.414Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","bff6a27d19f6cc433d3c1961cc5417e174ac140fc058e9494f060f3e04e89da9","above-the-mage-chapter-465","above-the-mage-chapter-463",529,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fabove-the-mage-cover.jpg"]