[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-above-the-mage":3,"chapter-above-the-mage-above-the-mage-chapter-466":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},2257470,4404,"Chapter 466: BOSS","above-the-mage-chapter-466",466,"\u003Cp>For the next hour, any damage Gao De inflicts on Aldrich will gain additional damage bonus due to the Hunter’s Mark.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More importantly, Gao De will find Aldrich’s whereabouts far more easily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is crucial for combat in aquatic environments.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“!” Aldrich sensed the Hunter’s Mark and glared furiously at Gao De.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Gao De had not yet dismissed [Disguise Shu +], so he still wore Hack’s appearance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Dare to show your true face!” he barked, half-serious, half-bluffing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“As you wish.” Gao De smiled faintly—and actually replied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stirred his mind, dismissed the disguise, and revealed his true form, attire, and face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aldrich instinctively widened his eyes, trying to pierce the darkness and see Gao De’s features.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao De silently thought, his gaze instantly sharpening like a hawk’s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In his arcane star-sea, a cantrip model had been activated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Flash!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Flash was merely a cantrip—a functional one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that didn’t mean it was useless against a second-circle mage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Used well, even a cantrip could achieve extraordinary results.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like right now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An extreme flash erupted, spreading instantly in all directions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The light was so intense it blinded the eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao De had closed his eyes in advance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Aldrich failed to react—his eyes burned with searing pain, tears instantly spilled, and he entered a dazzled state.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The light vanished in an instant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao De reopened his eyes, watching Aldrich instinctively shielding his face with his hands, then flicked a finger—magic rippled in the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two energy beams shot out like arcs of lightning, glowing faintly, starkly visible in the night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Arcane Burst+]!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though Aldrich, dazzled, could not see Gao De’s movements, he easily guessed Gao De would seize the opening to attack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So he drew a deep breath and plunged violently underwater, mimicking Gao De’s earlier maneuver to evade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether from water’s immense resistance or its obscuring effect on vision, the underwater realm became a temporary sanctuary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet the two energy beams of Arcane Burst+ did not lose their target due to Aldrich’s dodge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They behaved like two heat-seeking torpedoes, chasing Aldrich into the water and striking him with perfect precision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Arcane Burst+’s auto-lock feature proved devastatingly effective under such low-visibility conditions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hss! Boom!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two distinct sounds erupted, like twin thunderclaps detonating underwater.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They signaled two different types of damage being blocked by Shield Shu .\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A single spell had produced two separate damage effects.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Arcane Burst+ did not inherently possess dual-damage effects.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The construct effect of [Winter’s Arrival].\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The force damage of Arcane Burst+ combined with the cold damage from Winter’s Arrival totaled two layers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re a first-circle mage!” Aldrich finally recovered from the dazzled state.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had no time to ponder why Gao De’s spell had struck him so precisely—he surged out of the water and roared at the pitch-black surface.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aldrich’s voice echoed across the sea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Arcane Burst+] was merely a cantrip, but if cast by a second-circle mage, its power under double-circled casting would never be this weak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet it was clearly stronger than a novice’s [Arcane Burst+].\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, Gao De’s mage rank was obvious—he was unquestionably a first-circle mage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this realization filled Aldrich with unease.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He never imagined a first-circle mage would dare challenge him—a second-circle mage—alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What kind of heretical act was this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a Sea Sentinel mage, he should understand better than anyone how higher-circle mages dominate lower-circle ones.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In a flash of thought, Aldrich swiftly cast a first-circle protective spell on himself: [Absorb Element].\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only two attacks—and already, Gao De, a first-circle mage, had nearly shattered his [Shield Shu ].\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He saw now: Gao De had too many tricks, was unnervingly cunning in water; if he launched an attack, he might not land a hit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under these circumstances, reinforcing his protective spells was the most cost-effective choice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, there was zero chance of the spell missing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Second, a first-circle protective spell cast with double-circled enhancement would take considerable effort for a first-circle mage to break—even if Gao De stood still and unleashed his full skill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was effectively an invincible position.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The logic held—but Aldrich felt deeply humiliated:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a second-circle mage, being unable to swiftly crush a first-circle mage was already disgraceful; now he was reduced to passive defense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he had no other choice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was a second-circle mage, yet he had only ascended half a year ago—he had not yet mastered any second-circle spells.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Normally, a first-circle spell under double-circled casting was sufficient against a first-circle mage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But aquatic environments were unique—many spells simply could not function here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Foremost among them were the most destructive low-circle spells: fire spells like [Burn Hand] or [Flame Slash].\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Essentially, any spell with a visible trajectory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With poor visibility and Gao De’s ability to vanish into water at any moment, hitting such spells was extremely difficult.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The more unusual the environment, the more it tested a mage’s depth of spell repertoire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And this was precisely Gao De’s strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For Aldrich, it was his weakness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A mage from a bottom-tier gang might have far more combat experience than a academy-trained mage—but in spell reserves, he was vastly inferior.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, Aldrich now found himself with no viable spells left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, he had one option: under the protection of his defensive spell, he could swim blindly toward shore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once on land, he had countless ways to deal with Gao De.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the problem was—he wasn’t sure if Gao De would follow him ashore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And he had a compelling reason to capture Gao De—if Gao De returned to the Sea Sentinels with this information, he was finished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course—the boat!” In a flash of insight, Aldrich remembered the key point.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Get on the boat first—at least he’d have a foothold, unlike now, drowning in water with nowhere to push off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The boat had been coated with [Grease Shu ], slippery and impossible to climb—he’d already failed once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that was no issue; as a mage, he had many options.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aldrich stirred his mind, activating a spell model.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Again, [Water Impact]—but this time, his target was himself, and he controlled the force precisely: enough to propel, not to injure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he cast, the sea churned, forming a swirling vortex.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The vortex surged upward with tremendous force, like a whale’s spout, lifting Aldrich high into the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aldrich adjusted his posture mid-air, elegant as a flying bird, and landed smoothly on the boat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Plop!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But before Aldrich could savor his triumph, Gao De snapped his fingers lightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instantly, flames erupted across the boat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fire spread with unprecedented ferocity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the synergy of [Spark Shu ] + [Grease Shu +].\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under Spark Shu ’s ignition, the grease coating the entire boat ignited instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Flames surged, engulfing the boat in a sea of fire, licking every plank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The wood blackened, warped, and crackled under the intense heat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d boarded the boat—but it was gone in an instant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aldrich’s face darkened; with no other choice, he leapt back into the sea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the moment he entered the water, a violent vortex slammed toward him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The vortex resembled a massive, rapidly spinning funnel, churning waves in the sea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At its center was a dark shadow—Aldrich couldn’t make out its shape in the murky water, but his hair stood on end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Water beast!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only now did he realize: there was another water beast in the water!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was this beast that had capsized their boat in the first place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But after they fell into the sea, the beast vanished suddenly—and with Gao De’s relentless assault, Aldrich had temporarily forgotten its existence amid the frantic pace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tuanzi moved with extreme speed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For Gao De, the waters were at best a half-homeground; for it, they were a true paradise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A faint blue aura surrounded its body, pulling the water to slam violently toward Aldrich.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The summoned water surged like a tidal wave, overwhelming in force—nearly identical to the spell [Water Impact] Aldrich had used earlier to attack Gao De.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he was nowhere near as agile or quick as Gao De, and could not dodge this strike.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The force of the water sent his body tumbling uncontrollably, and he involuntarily swallowed foul, rotting seawater.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before he could gag, Tuanzi lunged straight into him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud—the [Shield Spell] finally shattered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under the water’s impact, Aldrich’s body lost all balance, unable to defend front or back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Undoubtedly, this was the best opening so far.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao De would not miss it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he ignited the boat, he had already slipped into the water, using the Ocean Touch’s granted aquatic mobility to speed toward the vessel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, the distance between Gao De and Aldrich was only twenty feet or so.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He keenly sensed the shield’s rupture and unleashed his ultimate attack point-blank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A speck of silver light flared, shooting from Gao De’s ear like a meteor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was an extremely thin silver needle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But its true name was Blade, not needle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Frost Blade+]!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao De’s only currently mastered first-tier attack spell, and after infusing it with Ice Wraith, its power far surpassed a standard first-tier spell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was his hidden trump card.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An invisible ripple spread.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Frost Blade, needle-thin and swift as lightning, shot toward Aldrich with biting cold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The icy gleam targeted Aldrich’s heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aldrich’s pupils shrank sharply—he was terrified as the Frost Blade hurtled toward him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He twisted his body with all his strength, every muscle tensed, pushing his potential to its absolute limit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His effort was not in vain—the Frost Blade aimed at his heart veered slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whoosh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Frost Blade pierced clean through his body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Drops of blood splattered, rapidly spreading in the dark seawater like blooming dark red flowers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this was only the beginning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aldrich’s face twisted repeatedly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He felt one piercing pain after another, relentless and unceasing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Frost Blade dealt two stages of damage: the first was 15 degrees of piercing damage, the second 32 degrees of cold damage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With [Winter’s Arrival] and [Hunter’s Mark] enhancing it, both stages gained an additional 10 degrees of cold damage, becoming four stages of damage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Four stages of damage triggered four instances of [Hunter’s Mark], inflicting four extra hits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One spell, eight stages of damage!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All eight stages benefited from [Winter’s Arrival]’s 37% power boost.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The total power of this single spell had soared beyond first-tier limits, leaving any first-tier mage utterly incapable of matching it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Agony slammed into his mind—Aldrich’s face contorted into a demonic grimace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet he did not die; if anything, the intense pain made him more alive than ever.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A mortal body should not even withstand a cantrip’s damage—how could it endure such a terrifying spell?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because Aldrich had long ago cast [Absorb Element] upon himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This spell captured a portion of incoming energy, lessening its effect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao De’s Frost Blade dealt physical damage only in its first stage; the other seven stages were elemental, mostly ice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This Qiahao  played right into Aldrich’s strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to first-tier mages, second-tier mages gain the ability [Elementalized Flesh].\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That is, their magic radiates into their bodies, allowing them to choose one element to reinforce their flesh and gain resistance to that element.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mages also vary by region—those near the coast almost always specialize in water magic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, when ascending to second-tier and choosing [Elementalized Flesh], Aldrich unhesitatingly selected water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ice is a variant of water; though their differences are significant, after [Elementalized Flesh: Water], he still gained some extra resistance to ice spells.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With [Absorb Element] and [Elementalized Flesh: Water] combined, Aldrich endured Gao De’s ferocious spell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Die!” Aldrich’s blood boiled—he had been driven to this by a mere first-tier mage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stared fixedly at Gao De’s blurred silhouette in the darkness, a shadow flickering in his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Cause Fear], a first-tier necromancy spell!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Awakens the inner fear of any living creature within range and in sight—the target must resist with willpower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the resistance fails, the target falls into a state of fear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could a first-tier mage possibly resist? A second-tier mage casting this on a first-tier mage leaves no chance of success.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The result matched his expectation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao De froze as if under [Paralysis], suddenly still, then trembling slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the sign of fear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Seeking death—a sea sentinel mage with a bright future, throwing it all away to fight me?” Aldrich snarled, each word forced through gritted teeth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He kicked off with his legs, using the water’s buoyancy to surge forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In his hand now appeared a dagger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A faint blue energy shimmered along its blade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the power from Gao De’s [Frost Blade+].\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Absorb Element] not only absorbed part of incoming energy but stored it for use in his next melee attack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aldrich gripped the dagger, full of rage and murderous intent, and drove it straight into Gao De’s chest—still paralyzed by fear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clang!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A metallic clash rang out—the hard impact startled Aldrich for a moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he reacted swiftly—in the blink of an eye, the dagger slid downward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then Aldrich’s face froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked down in disbelief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao De’s fingernails had grown razor-sharp and elongated, piercing straight through his chest into his body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Primordial Brutal Strike].\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A golden symbol flashed in Gao De’s left eye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Mandora Eye, activated since the battle began, had built a model of Aldrich’s body and exposed his weaknesses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Gao De fell into fear, Aldrich chose not to reinforce himself with protective spells—but to attack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A reasonable choice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the flaw was that Gao De’s fear lasted far too short a time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, Aldrich, unprotected, was caught off guard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without protective spells, [Elementalized Flesh: Water] offered zero defense against [Primordial Brutal Strike].\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ahh!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aldrich let out a pained moan, filled with despair and fury.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His sclera flooded with bloodshot veins.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then his eyes rolled back, and his body collapsed backward into the water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sea swiftly swallowed his form, leaving only ripples.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2298,"2026-06-19T14:28:50.414Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","5f526e4c7fc9f12eeb91720f30b9f14be613180be6e6b777278abc27426c8174","above-the-mage-chapter-467","above-the-mage-chapter-465",529,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fabove-the-mage-cover.jpg"]