Wizard: My career panel has no upper limit

Chapter 157 Charming Song
Turquoise water rippled in the huge pool, and sunlight filtered through the school's specially designed transparent dome, casting dappled light and shadow on the water's surface.

The protective walls surrounding the arena shimmered with light, serving both to prevent combatants from escaping and to protect the safety of the spectators.

The stadium was packed, with apprentices of all levels crowding the circular stands, their voices rising and falling in discussion.

For apprentices who are constantly immersed in grueling training and dangerous experiments, bloody gladiatorial combat is one of the few places where they can relax and unwind.

The annual gladiatorial extravaganza always attracts a large audience.

Some advanced apprentices even went so far as to spend precious magic stone fragments just to enjoy this cruel yet magnificent performance from the front row.

In the center of the pool, a graceful, silver-haired siren was swimming leisurely.

The long, slender fish tail swayed gracefully, each stroke creating a perfect ripple, demonstrating extraordinary control.

Her long silver hair flowed freely in the water, as beautiful as a silken ribbon, and her slightly purplish-red eyes intently observed the enemy opposite her.

Facing her was a gigantic blue-skinned fishman, over three meters tall.

Its upper body is covered with hard scales, while its lower body is a thick and powerful fish tail with sharp, knife-like edges on its tail fin.

At first glance, the size difference between the two is like night and day.

The merman held a rusty trident, his face was ferocious, his fangs protruded, and his eyes gleamed with cruel light.

This is a meticulously modified combat creature, with bulging muscles and an uncontrollable bloodlust emanating from its body.

Each flick of its tail creates a huge splash, demonstrating its amazing power.

"That fish-man is a rare find hunted by the 'salvagers,' and it's said that it can easily tear apart an adult magic shark in the deep sea."

A mid-level apprentice in the stands introduced the exhibit to his companion, his tone full of anticipation:

"I saw it swallow a sea serpent in just three bites during the last match. I heard its owner spent several hundred magic stone fragments to buy it."

"Whose combat slave is that siren? She looks like an ordinary-blooded siren, and she's even quite young."

His companion asked, puzzled, a look of confusion in his eyes:
"This comparison is too stark! It's practically sending them to their deaths."

"He's Ron's slave, the one in the candidate wizard sequence."

The novice apprentice lowered his voice, a look of awe on his face:

"That's the genius potion master who started as a sixth-rank star and became a mid-level apprentice in less than a year. The amazing thing is, it's said he saved this little sea monster from the brink of death and raised it for less than six months..."

He paused, then added mysteriously:
"This matchup seems lopsided, but I've heard that insiders have bet on her. In the previous rounds, she's already taken down three opponents who were twice her size."

With the referee's order, the battle officially began.

The blue-skinned merman let out a deafening roar, causing ripples to spread across the water, and charged toward Dale like an arrow released from a bow.

The trident flashed a cold light across the water, its momentum unstoppable.

The size difference was particularly obvious at this moment; the fishman's massive body almost completely enveloped Dale in shadow.

Ordinary sea monsters would probably not even have a chance to escape before being pierced through on the spot.

However, there was no fear in Dale's eyes; instead, she revealed a chilling, cold smile.

Just as the trident was about to strike, her body suddenly twisted strangely in the water, becoming as flexible as if she had no bones, easily avoiding the fatal blow.

At the same time, she uttered a strange syllable, and the sound wave propagated in the water, forming a visible ripple.

"Hooray~"

This syllable sounds like some ancient language, with a strange allure.

"Huh?" The merman paused, his movements noticeably slowing down, a hint of confusion flashing in his cloudy eyes.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Dale swam to the center of the pool and began to slowly swim around the fishman, drawing a perfect circle.

Her silver hair swayed in the water, forming a beautiful arc, like an elegant ribbon that tightly entangled her prey.

The merman snorted coldly, shook his head to dispel the brief feeling of confusion, and once again raised his trident to launch a fierce attack.

This time, however, Dale didn't avoid it, but went straight to meet it.

Amidst the astonished gazes of all the audience, she opened her arms as if to welcome a hug.

"Has it gone mad?" someone in the stands exclaimed. "Isn't it courting death?"

Just as the trident was about to pierce Dale's chest at the critical moment.

The water surface suddenly rippled, and dozens of water spheres surged from all directions, striking the fish-man's joints and eyes with pinpoint accuracy.

The water balloon may appear soft, but it is actually as tough as steel and contains a high concentration of acid, which can cause severe stinging if it gets into your eyes.

This move was clearly meticulously designed to disrupt the opponent's movements and line of sight to the greatest extent possible.

The merman let out a painful howl, and his attack faltered.

It blinked hard, trying to dispel the intense stinging sensation.

Dale seized the moment, getting close to the fishman, but instead of attacking directly, she began to sing.

The sound was like celestial music, spreading through the water and creating a strange resonance.

Each note seemed to possess a magical power, causing the entire pool to tremble.

The audience found themselves unconsciously drawn to the song, their thoughts drifting away.

Some of the less determined intermediate-level apprentices even began to sway slightly, as if they had fallen into a mild hypnotic state.

This is not an ordinary song, but the siren's unique "singing" ability, which can directly affect the listener's mental state.

In ancient legends, countless ships sank because of this song, and sailors were lured into the sea to become the siren's meal.

"Amazing technique!"

Someone in the stands exclaimed in surprise:
"This is the 'Enchanting Song' unique to sirens? I thought only adult sirens could master it."

"It is indeed a spell-like technique, but it seems to be more effective than that of a regular siren."

An older, highly skilled apprentice explained, a hint of professional appreciation flashing in his eyes:

"This level of sound wave control requires a fairly pure bloodline. This little siren must have undergone some kind of special bloodline transformation."

The fishman's movements slowed down, and his eyes gradually became dazed.

Dale's singing was like an invisible net, gradually entangling her consciousness and then slowly tightening it.

Its eyelids began to feel heavy, and it could no longer hold the trident firmly in its hand, slowly sinking to the bottom of the water.

Its consciousness has been largely controlled, and it has fallen into a trance-like state between wakefulness and sleep.

Dale slowly approached and continued to whisper in the fishman's ear.

The song, like a venomous snake's tongue, seeps into every inch of its prey's body and soul.

"This little sea monster is quite powerful."

A senior apprentice commented, a thoughtful glint in his eyes:
"Her innate spell 'Enchanting Song' has reached at least the level of our mental magic, which is rare even among adult sirens. What kind of bloodline modulation did her master perform on her?"

Just as the fishman was about to fall into a complete coma, Dale's actions suddenly changed.

The siren suddenly opened its mouth, revealing a row of fine, sharp teeth, and bit down hard on the fishman's bare neck!

"Ah!" The merman suddenly came to his senses and roared in pain, but it was too late.

The blood spread in the water, forming a blood cloud.

Dale's teeth were deeply embedded in the fishman's flesh, greedily sucking up the fresh life energy.

Her eyes turned completely purplish-red at this moment, her pupils vertical like those of a wild beast, revealing an almost insane hunger.

In the audience, many apprentices gasped in surprise.

This seemingly cute little siren actually reveals such a bloody and cruel side.

The fish-man struggled desperately, trying to shake off the small but terrifying parasite.

But Dale clung on tightly, like a hungry vampire, relentlessly demanding every drop of blood.

The merman writhed in agony under the attack, but his strength was visibly draining away.

Dale was like a sophisticated hunting machine, each bite precisely targeting vital points, tearing off chunks of flesh.

Even more chillingly, the water around her body began to spin faster, forming a miniature whirlpool.

The vortex grew larger and faster, soon completely engulfing the fishman.

Blood and bits of flesh swirled rapidly in the vortex, creating a hellish scene.

"My God!" A bystander gasped, his face turning pale.

"This is more like a primal form of some kind of deep-sea predator. What kind of bloodline experiment did Ron do to her?"

At the center of the whirlpool, the merman let out a final, desperate scream before being pulverized by the whirlpool.

Its body was compressed, decomposed, and eventually disappeared completely into Dale's mouth.

The whole process was as bizarre and terrifying as a nightmare.

The bloody scene brought a brief silence to the entire arena, followed by deafening cheers.

In this extraordinary world where strength reigns supreme, such astonishing hunting ability undoubtedly aroused awe and excitement among the people.

"The victor belongs to Dair, the battle slave of Ron Ralph's apprentice!"

At the highest point of the stands, several mentors watching the match whispered among themselves, discussing the game.

"This little siren has great potential."

A middle-aged man, dressed in a long robe and with his hair meticulously combed, commented:
"His bloodline is very pure, and it seems to be able to absorb the characteristics of its prey. Ron's bloodline modulation technology has progressed very quickly."

It was Soren Griffith, because this was the last match of this round of eliminations, and the opponent was a battle slave of an apprentice he was watching, so he made a special trip to watch the match.

Meanwhile, in the stands, a tall, veiled girl sat in the most inconspicuous corner.

She held a crystal ball in her hand, recording the entire battle process.

Ron was busy with other things and couldn't come over, so he simply let his disciple do it for him. At this moment, Lilia was focused on observing Dale's battle situation.

Moreover, the tree spirit cannot stray too far from the workshop, and more importantly, she is currently at a critical juncture.

The crystal ball in Lilia's hand was a special tool recently crafted by Ron, its surface engraved with intricate recording runes, capable of capturing in detail the subtle processes of energy flow and bloodline changes. While ordinary viewers could only see the surface changes, Lilia, through this crystal ball, could roughly observe the flow and transformation of bloodline energy within Dale's body.

"The terrifying aspect of the 'big eater's' special talent lies in its ability to completely absorb all the advantages of its prey."

Lilia murmured to herself, her eyes gleaming with the light of a researcher:

"The teacher's prediction was completely correct."

Inside the crystal ball, energy points flow along specific trajectories.

The fish-men's deep-sea adaptability, strength, endurance, and even some water element resistance were successfully absorbed and integrated into Dale's own bloodline.

This is not a simple process of swallowing and digesting, but a more advanced form of bloodline assimilation and purification.

Lilia gently stroked the crystal ball, her face showing sincere admiration.

The teacher's bloodline manipulation techniques have reached an unbelievable level, enabling a young sea monster to undergo such an astonishing transformation in just a few months.

"I would be content if I could master even one-tenth of the skill."

She murmured to herself, a hint of longing flashing in her eyes:

"However, with my qualifications and talent, I'm afraid I still have a long way to go."

As the battle ended, the audience gradually left, with only a few apprentices still discussing the astonishing victory.

Lilia put away the crystal ball, carefully placed it into a special storage bag, and then walked towards the waiting area to pick up Dale.

"Sister Lily!"

Dale leaped out of the pool, water droplets on her silver hair sparkling in the sunlight:
"I won!"

At this moment, she had completely returned to her girlish innocence, as if the bloody and cruel side she had just experienced had never existed.

“Well done, Dale.”

Lilia gave her a soft compliment and handed her a soft towel:

"Your teacher will be proud of you."

Dyer happily wiped her body, her excitement overflowing:
"That big guy wasn't difficult to deal with at all, much easier than the training my master arranged for me! After each training session, my master would give me special 'food,' which tasted much better than the fishman I met today!"

Lilia smiled slightly, feeling a little proud inside.

These are the products of Ron's Workshop, each one far exceeding the norm.

"Should we go back now?" Dale asked, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.

"I want to tell my master about my victory! I can't wait to tell him how I ate that big guy!"

"Not urgent."

Lilia shook her head, a hint of anticipation flashing in her eyes:
"There is another important task: I need to certify the qualifications of junior apprentices."

Dale's eyes widened: "Sister Lily is going to become an apprentice too? That's great!"

This gladiatorial tournament was originally scheduled to take place a month earlier, but it was postponed due to the Oliver incident.

Most members of the candidate wizard sequence are very busy, with their own research and tasks.

Therefore, elimination rounds like this are usually supervised by assistants.

………………

The two walked along the stone path outside the arena toward the school's central hall.

The autumn sun shone on them, adding a rare touch of warmth to the dark fog forest.

Why isn't the master coming?

Walking down the street, Dyer asked somewhat dejectedly, pouting her little lips, revealing the unique willfulness of a young girl:
"I performed so well."

"The master is preparing for something more important."

Lilia reassured them, her tone gentle yet firm:
“Those major plans concerning the future require his full commitment. Moreover, he has complete confidence in you and knows that you will definitely defeat your opponents.”

Seeing that Dale still looked somewhat dissatisfied, she patted the silver-haired girl's head:

"If he didn't have confidence in you, why would he let you compete alone? That in itself is an affirmation of your abilities."

Lilia continued explaining as she walked:
"Today is the final elimination round, and you have successfully advanced. The next round is the beast fighting, where all the slaves who have won the elimination rounds will fight together against the experimental subjects chosen by the wizards."

Dale nodded, a hint of excitement flashing in her eyes.

Lilia noticed that whenever fighting or hunting was mentioned, the little siren's pupils would involuntarily narrow slightly, revealing its predatory instincts.

"You need to be extra careful in the chaos."

Lilia instructed:

“Other combat slaves might join forces against you, after all, the strength you have displayed has already attracted a lot of attention.”

She paused and continued:

"After the melee, the four best-performing combat slaves will advance to the final round to compete for the championship. At that time, most of the mentors will personally come to watch the battle."

Dale's eyes lit up:
Will that 'substitute puppet' be given to the champion? My master has always wanted it.

"exactly."

Lilia nodded, a thoughtful look flashing in her eyes:
"So the upcoming matches will only be more difficult, but with the ability you showed today, I believe you can go all the way."

The little siren grinned, revealing a row of fine, white teeth, looking completely harmless.

Only Lilia knew how terrifying those fine teeth would become in battle.

The central hall was bustling with people. Lilia led Dale through the noisy crowd to the duty area.

There was a long queue here, mostly of apprentices coming to complete various procedures.

After a short wait in line, they were greeted by a kind-looking middle-aged female officer.

The woman's eyes were sharp yet gentle, clearly those of a seasoned veteran.

"Name?"

The officer on duty asked routinely, his quill pen already prepared to take notes.

"Lilia, from Ron Ralph's workshop."

She answered respectfully, her heart pounding involuntarily.

The officer on duty raised an eyebrow slightly, and his quill paused for a moment:
"Ron Ralph? That genius potion master who was a candidate for wizardry?"

Lilia nodded gently, feeling both nervous and proud.

The teacher's name already carried considerable weight within the school of thought, enough to attract the special attention of those on duty.

"interesting."

The officer on duty spoke with a hint of curiosity as she scrutinized Lilia, seemingly trying to discern something special about the veiled girl.

Lilia felt a pang of unease.

The officer on duty took her to a room to test her mental strength, then flipped through a thick booklet and skillfully found Lilia's information among the densely packed lists.

"Your mental strength test result is: mid-level of fifth-rank star, initial meditation meets the standard, and basic potion preparation is qualified."

The officer on duty read aloud, his tone calm but with a hint of approval:

"It will take about half a year to reach the Black Mist Jungle."

She nodded slightly, a hint of approval in her eyes:
"For a candidate apprentice with a five-star aptitude to break through to the beginner apprentice level within half a year is already quite an impressive achievement. Apprentice Ralph has indeed cultivated an extraordinary student."

Lilia lowered her head slightly, her expression humble: "This is all thanks to the teacher's careful guidance."

"Interesting." The officer on duty put down his pen, his expression turning somewhat nostalgic.
"This reminds me of Ron Ralph's own growth trajectory back then."

She closed the heavy booklet:

"When he first came here, he was just an ordinary candidate apprentice with a sixth-level spiritual aptitude, but in less than a year he broke through to the intermediate apprentice level, creating a miracle in the history of the Black Mist Forest."

A hint of nostalgia flashed in the eyes of the officer on duty:

“I remember he was standing here certifying his junior apprentice qualifications back then.”

She gave Lilia a meaningful look:
"Now his students are also showing a similar growth trajectory, although the speed is not as amazing as his, but for a five-star aptitude, it is already impressive enough."

Lilia listened quietly, a complex mix of emotions welling up inside her.

She knew that being compared to Ron was a great honor, but at the same time she felt an invisible pressure.

"I still have a long way to go."

She silently admonished herself:

"Don't let superficial success blind you."

However, one thing gave her a slight comfort: the officer on duty said that her growth trajectory was similar to that of her teacher...

"If I can keep going, maybe one day I can stand shoulder to shoulder with my teacher."

This idea quietly took root and sprouted in Lilia's heart.

Leaving the central hall, Lilia and Dale set off on their way back to the workshop.

She touched the novice apprentice badge on her chest, her heart filled with mixed emotions.

"This is just the beginning, not the end."

Lilia silently reminded herself, "If I am content with the status quo, I will never be able to catch up with my teacher."

………………

Meanwhile, deep within the Black Mist Forest, in an ancient tower, Ron sat upright before an elderly man with silver hair—the alchemist Thompson.

The air was filled with the distinctive smells of various alchemical materials, and ancient alchemical instruments sat in the corner, bearing the marks of time.

"Your question is very insightful."

Thompson slowly put down the alchemical tools in his hands, a hint of admiration flashing in his eyes:
"The combination of special materials and energy insulation layers is indeed a direction worth exploring. Few apprentices could come up with such an innovative combination in such a short time."

(End of this chapter)