[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-above-the-mage":3,"chapter-above-the-mage-above-the-mage-chapter-511":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},2257515,4404,"Chapter 511: Overload","above-the-mage-chapter-511",511,"\u003Cp>The wind elemental dragon breathed downward, spewing a cyan vortex.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And this cyan figure hid beneath the cyan vortex.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The wind elemental dragon’s eyes looked downward, just barely able to see the vortex it had expelled, unable to detect the “tiny” cyan figure beneath it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only the high-ring mages led by Theo could clearly see the movements of that cyan figure, as they hovered below the wind network, from a different angle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, if a full-fledged fifth-rank wind elemental creature relied solely on its eyes to observe, it would be utterly undignified.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The problem was, this cyan figure was composed entirely of pure wind element; in the absence of its true form, to the wind dragon’s perception, it was simply a pure wind elemental being.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only by witnessing it firsthand could one understand: though this cyan figure’s composition was identical to that of a wind elemental being, it had absolutely nothing to do with one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, given that the wind elemental dragon believed the cyan figure was merely a wind elemental being, why would it pay attention to it at all?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, the cyan figure entered the wind network with perfect naturalness and ease.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The wind network restricts passage to third-rank beings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its rank clearly did not reach third-rank, so it faced no obstruction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What the hell?!” Gao De dragged another mage who was nearly drowning to the surface, took a deep breath, then instinctively glanced toward the wind network.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He understood that the key to this moment lay in the outcome of the battle between the high-ring mages and the wind elemental dragon at the wind network’s entrance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, after his own team capsized, he became even more attentive to how the high-ring mages were faring against the wind elemental dragon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And with just one glance, Gao De saw a scene that stunned him deeply:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His Storm Soul had appeared at the mouth of the wind network and was sneaking into it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Come on, it’s only been a few minutes since I last checked on this thing—where the hell is it even going?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Is it coming back for dinner?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cyan figure—the Storm Soul—naturally couldn’t hear Gao De’s endless internal complaints, nor did it care about the shock of the high-ring mages before the wind network.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It simply followed its instinct, moving forward relentlessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Storm Soul’s body was wrapped in a layer of fine cyan shimmer, like flowing light gauze, making its movement incredibly light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In its perception, at the source of this cyan vortex, there existed an unimaginably, unimaginably, unimaginably dense concentration of wind element energy—so alluring, it rivaled the lure of gem berries to beasts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the Storm Soul’s “appetite” was practically limitless—it seemed it could never be full, no matter how much wind element energy it consumed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only thing limiting it was the speed at which it could absorb wind element energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the wind network was still unstable, it was still very smooth for a lowly creature like this to pass through.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As it moved through the wind network, the surrounding space rippled faintly, like a fish gliding through water and parting its ripples.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Brushing past the wind elemental beings constantly emerging from the wind network, it became the sole traveler moving against the current.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a moment of shock, another bright beam shot out from Theo’s obsidian staff.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Dawn】.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Theo cast a fifth-ring spell once more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The beam resembled a giant sword blazing with solar power; as it pierced the wind network, the surrounding space groaned under unbearable strain, and even the edges of the wind network warped into twisted ripples.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It skillfully avoided the cyan vortex spewed by the wind elemental dragon and struck precisely upon its back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Golden light element energy instantly shredded a large portion of its back into fine wind element particles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those particles danced in the air like scattered dandelion fluff or glittering stardust.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though it didn’t cause blood and flesh to spray or scales to shatter as with a physical creature, it still forcibly tore off a sizable chunk of the wind elemental dragon’s body, leaving a gap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the wind elemental dragon paid no mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, as an energy being, it had no sense of pain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Second, it had already endured such damage many times within the past few minutes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It merely activated the slight rotation of its cyan crystal core within its head, swiftly drawing in the wind element particles formed from its own body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under the immense power of the cyan crystal core, these particles became like easily molded clay, reshaped into body parts and reattached to fill the gaps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the next instant, a flicker of unmistakably human-like disbelief and confusion passed through the wind elemental dragon’s vortex-shaped pupils.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And all the high-ring mages outside the wind network exchanged glances, their expressions unreadable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The root of this shift in emotion on both sides was this: on the wind elemental dragon’s back, even after the cyan crystal core’s absorption and reshaping, a small portion was still missing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Previously, no matter how severe the bodily damage, the wind elemental dragon could rapidly reassemble its form by reabsorbing scattered wind element particles—the only change being that the reformed parts appeared faint and ethereal, less solid than before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this time, a piece was plainly and undeniably gone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It looked as if some of the raw material needed for reconstruction had been stolen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But how could part of it be missing?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The wind elemental dragon didn’t understand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But only it didn’t understand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was currently distracted by the attacks from the Auklan magic crystal cannon, its attention largely occupied—even its head couldn’t turn significantly, let alone look behind itself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So it didn’t see: a sneaky cyan figure, perceived by it as harmless wind element, was drifting across its back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the instant the 【Dawn】 spell shattered part of the wind dragon’s torso into wind element particles, the cyan figure pounced like a starving stray dog.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cyan shimmer swirling around it transformed into miniature tornadoes, spinning rapidly to form an energy vortex that greedily sucked in the surrounding wind element particles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the wind dragon immediately activated its cyan crystal core to reabsorb those particles and reconstruct its body, in that fleeting moment, the Storm Soul had already “eaten” a significant amount of wind element particles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This left the wind elemental dragon lacking sufficient raw material for reconstruction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The purity of wind element particles from a fifth-rank wind elemental being was, to the Storm Soul, like a thousand-year ginseng—supreme nourishment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just that one bite had already strengthened the emerald-green light points within its body considerably.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It lifted its head, gazing at the high-ring mages beyond the wind network.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—The wind dragon couldn’t turn back or see its actions, but the high-ring mages opposite it could see every movement of the Storm Soul clearly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Storm Soul had not yet developed true eyes or expressions, yet at this moment, every high-ring mage unmistakably understood its meaning:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Keep going!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom! Boom! Boom!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The thunderous crashes of collapsing warships hitting the sea came one after another.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each boom felt like a sledgehammer striking their hearts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the first warship exhausted its Aorik crystal’s magic power, lost its holy light shield, and toppled onto the sea surface, it triggered a chain reaction—more and more warships fell into the same fate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Water walls, dozens of meters high, rose like thick curtains and crashed down with ten-thousand-ton force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Within the spray were shattered planks, broken masts, and even some air-element spirits caught in the chaos—scenes of utter disorder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the water walls fell, the waves they raised reached over a zhang high, churning the sea into violent surges that swallowed everything nearby.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, Gao De no longer had time to focus on the Storm Soul, now deep in the enemy’s lair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He dove back underwater again, dodging the crushing pressure, while coordinating with Tuanzi to rescue mages who had lost control and were in peril.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao De’s feet and hands, transformed by 【Ocean Touch+】 into webbed fins, moved swiftly through the water, leaving a long trail of bubbles behind him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This isn’t good,” Gao De thought grimly as he rescued others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching the warships sinking around him and his fellow mages struggling in the water, his face was heavy with concern.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This campaign had plunged the human mage side into total disadvantage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the problem, as Gao De had anticipated before departure, was that in a war of this scale, his own role was extremely limited.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This defense battle wouldn’t be won because of one more first-ring mage, nor lost because of one fewer first-ring mage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Victory or defeat had little to do with him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Far away, the battle between the wind dragon and the magic crystal cannon continued; powerful energy fluctuations occasionally reached them, causing ripples across the sea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What could a first-ring mage like him do?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wasn’t the protagonist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the tasks of spotting targets from the warships and rescuing survivors after capsizing—though seemingly insignificant—had already contributed far more than any other first-ring mage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“With Tuanzi here, even if things go south, my chances of survival are still much higher than others’,” Gao De could only think to himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This war wasn’t a slaughter—the wind elemental beings had no intent to kill them outright, so if the situation truly collapsed, survival was still possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was the only good news.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the sea’s surface, the wind elemental beings still rampaged, but they made no effort to hunt down and exterminate the drowning mages—this brought Gao De slight comfort.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huh!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao De expertly pulled up a mage who had just fallen from a ship into the sea; before the man could thank him, Gao De waved him off and dove back into the water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No cost required—save one more if you can.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And from a pragmatic standpoint, each rescue was a life-saving debt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not everyone would repay kindness, but even if just one in ten remembered the favor, the return rate would be extremely high.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Above the wind network.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Attack!” Theo snapped out of his stunned pause and roared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He still didn’t understand the Storm Soul’s origin, but it was unquestionably on their side—and helping them fight the wind elemental dragon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing hope, all the high-ring mages unleashed unprecedented passion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In an instant, magical lights blazed brighter than ever, their assault reaching its peak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One after another, chunks of the dragon’s body were shredded or blasted into raw wind element particles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And each time this happened, the Storm Soul seized the chance to absorb a small portion of those particles into itself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This coordinated effort caused the wind dragon’s body to gradually become riddled with holes—missing chunks here, gaps there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though relative to its massive frame, these losses weren’t fatal, they certainly made the dragon look utterly disheveled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The wind dragon’s vertical pupils spun faster and faster, their fury unmistakable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It does not feel pain, but its bodily injuries still made it unable to accept and filled it with rage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The direct pressure from the Oakland Crystal Cannon temporarily prevented the Wind Dragon from diverting any strength to attack the mages.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was now relying solely on its immensely powerful body, built up over countless years, to endure the mages’ assaults.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its extremely high intelligence allowed it to understand from the very beginning that the Oakland Crystal Cannon’s attacks had a time limit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, it endured with clenched teeth, furious yet patient, waiting to settle accounts all at once after the Oakland Crystal Cannon fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thirty seconds, at most thirty seconds.” The truth the Wind Dragon understood, Master Theodore understood even better.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And he knew precisely to the second when the Oakland Crystal Cannon would shut down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He glanced at the countless wounds covering the Wind Dragon’s body, his heart filled with anxiety.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Storm Soul had indeed performed excellently, inflicting real damage upon the Wind Dragon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it had appeared too late, and the amount of wind elemental particles it had consumed was far too small.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This one minute was utterly insufficient to deliver a fatal blow to the Wind Dragon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In another thirty seconds, once the Oakland Crystal Cannon fell silent and lost its ability to draw the Wind Dragon’s frontal fire, their current unrestricted magical assaults would become impossible—and facing the Wind Dragon’s counterattack, their own lives would be in extreme peril.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What to do? What to do?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Master Theodore was anxious, yet his gaze remained locked on the Wind Dragon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, he noticed the Storm Soul making an abrupt gesture toward him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It extended its hand, circling its own head with its index finger, then pointing to the Wind Dragon’s head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was still silent communication.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But damn it—Master Theodore understood instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether it was perfect synergy or the Storm Soul’s “sign language” being uncannily precise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Storm Soul’s meaning was clear: attack the Wind Dragon’s head—target the blue crystal core at its center.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Understanding was one thing; being able to accomplish it was another.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The head was far too close to the Wind Dragon’s mouth, from which it spat its swirling blue currents—any spell aimed at the head’s crystal core would be like a moth flying into flame, shattered before it could even draw near.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was precisely why they had helplessly watched the Wind Dragon continuously “regenerate” using the blue crystal core.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this time, faced with the Storm Soul’s instruction, Master Theodore’s expression was not one of difficulty—it was hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The hesitation lasted only one second.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Master Theodore’s experience and composure as the chief mage led him to make the critical decision at the critical moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Overload the Oakland Crystal Cannon!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He lowered his head and spoke softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, Master Theodore’s voice carried across hundreds of meters straight to the Thorn Crown.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides its standard output mode, the Oakland Crystal Cannon could enter an overload mode—at the cost of damaging the barrel and mount.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In overload mode, the cannon’s mana consumption doubled, and its power increased by four to five percent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it could last only ten seconds; beyond that, the barrel would explode from overload.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if it did not exceed ten seconds, damage to the crystal cannon was inevitable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a war-grade alchemical weapon, the repair cost of the Oakland Crystal Cannon was undoubtedly astronomical.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unless in absolute emergency, overload mode was never activated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now, this was the emergency.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2398,"2026-06-19T14:28:50.414Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","db8b9fc9ea23b46713864b7f2fb71089a053bdea8a886f994e11230b6b3726e0","above-the-mage-chapter-512","above-the-mage-chapter-510",529,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fabove-the-mage-cover.jpg"]