[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-above-the-mage":3,"chapter-above-the-mage-above-the-mage-chapter-76":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},2257080,4404,"Chapter 76: Burrower","above-the-mage-chapter-76",76,"\u003Cp>After two days of travel, the caravan finally reached the town Grul mentioned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The town was small, with only one inn total.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The caravan would spend the night here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feed the horses well, replenish food and drinking water, rest one night, then push straight through to Bremen City.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The inn’s food was plain: a stew of root vegetables, paired with smoked pork and salted fish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet everyone ate heartily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The room rate was cheap: one silver per night for a single room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, it was also very basic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The room held nothing but a bed and a table—no extra space at all, and even the toilet was shared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Gao De didn’t mind a bit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For one silver, with free water refill, what more could you want?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, he had spent two consecutive nights outdoors and was completely exhausted; seeing such a bed, he felt no complaints, only genuine happiness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After eating his fill, Gao De returned to his room, launched himself onto the slightly hard bed, rolled over once, and let out a contented sigh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a full night’s rest, the caravan departed promptly at dawn the next day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao De, having finally slept well, sat on the cart with full energy, just as he had at the journey’s start.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, he seemed to be growing accustomed to the bumpy ride—even attempting to enter a meditative state while on the cart, practicing meditation techniques.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was said that High-Ring Masters could enter meditation anywhere, anytime.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By that logic, perhaps an apprentice mage could too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To his own surprise, whether from innate talent or something else, after multiple attempts, Gao De managed, haltingly, to enter a meditative state.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His daily practice, interrupted by the journey, had left him unaccustomed and uneasy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, mastering cultivation during a bumpy trip was a significant gain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though his meditation was often interrupted by disturbances, it was better than wasting time entirely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Flameflower Month, 29th.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The second day after leaving the town, at dusk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to Grul, they should reach Bremen City by afternoon tomorrow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the entire caravan reveled in the joy of nearing their destination, an unexpected change occurred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The lead cart suddenly jolted violently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those on the cart, caught off guard, tumbled off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the caravan members were all sturdy men, and they quickly rose to their feet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Beast attack!” The caravan leader, fastest to react, shouted loudly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amid a cloud of dust,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>a massive, segmented creature burst from the ground, flipping the lead cart clean over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The creature looked terrifying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its legs were long and thin, ending in sharp claws.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its entire body was covered in hard, brown chitinous armor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Above its powerful mandibles, two black eyes glowed fiercely as they stared outward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Burrower!” Gao De didn’t recognize the creature, but Grul shouted its name, face pale.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What is that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A subterranean carnivorous earth-vein creature, one of the most common earth-vein beasts on the highway.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Burrowers move underground; once they detect prey above, they burst out to attack,” said the usually silent driver—the longest sentence Gao De had ever heard from him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Earth-vein creature!” Gao De shuddered, nerves tightening, his right hand instinctively gripping the Hidden Mist Fang strapped to his waist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Grab your weapons!” The caravan leader roared like thunder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At his command, over a dozen caravan members snatched up the long spears beside them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These were the caravan’s most common defensive weapons—effective for maintaining distance and easy to carry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The terrified group drew their spears and counterattacked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This wasn’t their first encounter with beast attacks on the road; their response was disciplined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though every face was tense, their movements remained steady, no one fled in panic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Led by the caravan leader, they formed a tight formation around the Burrower, spears raised.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their faces were filled with dread.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet they summoned courage, thrusting their spears in unison toward the Burrower’s eyes—like forest thorns, trying to halt the monstrous beast’s advance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only this spot lacked chitinous armor—it was the Burrower’s weakness. All caravan members knew this; the Burrower knew it even better.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It turned its head to dodge the spears, swung its body, and lashed its tail at the two lead drivers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The spears struck its thick chitin, leaving only white scratches—no real damage, not even a scratch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its massive body possessed tremendous strength; its rock-hard tail swept the two drivers clean away, flinging them three or four meters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, the caravan leader’s eye twitched, but he gritted his teeth: “Don’t retreat—keep holding ground, or this beast will eat us all!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wild beasts are usually bullies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Show weakness, and they’ll push further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But fight back fiercely, and after a struggle, unless they’ve been starving for days, they’ll usually retreat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s just a meal—no need to die for it!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Earth-vein creatures are the same.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The caravan leader, seasoned for years in this trade, knew this instinctively.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To repel an earth-vein beast, you must fight to the death—only then might you drive it off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he also knew: this time, the caravan would likely suffer serious injuries—perhaps even lose one or two men.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Earth-vein attacks were unavoidable; you just had to blame your bad luck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom! The Burrower charged the spear formation, trying to smash through it with brute force and armored bulk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the caravan’s coordination was surprisingly seamless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several men drove their spears into the ground; as the Burrower charged, they abruptly lifted the shafts—using the “lever principle” to trip it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well done!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Grul, fire!” The caravan leader, seeing the Burrower tripped, bellowed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fire! Yes, fire—the Burrower fears fire!” Grul suddenly realized.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a subterranean creature, the Burrower lived in perpetual darkness; its eyes had atrophied, and it feared flame intensely—both heat and blinding light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The problem: they’d just arrived, set up camp, hadn’t lit a fire yet—how could they find something flammable to throw?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Opportunity won’t knock twice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Burrower, battered by the spears, had cleverly shut its eyes and was struggling to flip over—about to rise again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Grul panicked, a searing wave tore past his side without warning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a beam of blazing light, slicing through the air, hurtling toward the Burrower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The flame struck like an arrow, exploding against the Burrower’s closed right eye in a burst of blinding fire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Burrower, normally calm, panicked wildly, thrashing its body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The heat seared it in agony.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stones and dust flew from its convulsions, forming a chaotic storm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shh! It wasn’t over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another flame, like a meteor, shot toward the Burrower’s other eye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The flipped Burrower was a stationary target, unable to dodge effectively.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two beams of flame shattered the eye armor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The caravan saw victory—no time to wonder about the flame’s source—they all thrust their spears into the exposed eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A piercing shriek rang out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soil and stones sprayed in the tremors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone gritted their teeth, moving swiftly and decisively—spears plunged again and again into the Burrower’s eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Burrower’s struggles weakened—signs of imminent death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Move aside!” A low voice rang out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the high-tension atmosphere, no one recognized the voice, but all instinctively obeyed, stepping aside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another searing flame struck the Burrower’s dying right eye with perfect precision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like the final straw.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Burrower twitched once, then fell still—life gone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The caravan members stood around the Burrower, panting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their eyes held triumph—and a touch of shock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Calm now, they realized: those three flames were spells.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Magic!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From whom? Only one outsider in the entire caravan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1234,"2026-06-19T14:28:48.629Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","6d138d6761b5a519c11c1a9a24523ccede5ab193ceb7efce893592db15dc90ea","above-the-mage-chapter-77","above-the-mage-chapter-75",529,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fabove-the-mage-cover.jpg"]