Wizard: My career panel has no upper limit

Chapter 265 Professor Utter

In the early morning, the towers are bathed in the soft glow of dawn. Their towering spires, like spears piercing the sky, divide the first rays of sunlight into beams of seven colors, scattering them across every corner of the city.

Ron walked along the main road of the Central Lands, feeling the subtle magical pulses of the floating islands beneath his feet.

Unlike the lifeless magic field in the Black Mist Forest, the magic here surges like a torrent, and every inch of air contains a heart-pounding energy density.

The "Star Projection" property becomes exceptionally active in this environment, like a greedy devourer, constantly plundering nutrients from the surrounding magical ocean.

In just a few days, his magic reserves had increased by several times, and the quality of his magic had also improved significantly.

Ron silently calculated the rate at which his magic power was increasing.

"If this continues, within two years, I will be able to reach the magical reserves of a Moon-level wizard."

Of course, magical reserves alone are not enough to rival a true Moon-level wizard.

Those experienced spellcasters possess countless exquisite spells and unique techniques, the result of years of accumulated experience.

However, it cannot be denied that the environment of the Central Lands provided excellent conditions for his growth.

Today, he was heading to an inconspicuous complex of buildings in the western district—the Central Division of the Abyss Observatory.

As agreed, Reynolds would wait there, show him around, and explain in detail the benefits of joining the observatory.

Along both sides of the main road, various extraordinary races and professionals shuttled back and forth.

The dwarf craftsman carried gleaming metal tools and called out his wares;
The cat-man huddled under the eaves, his eyes scanning every passerby warily.
Several half-elf scholars dressed in magnificent robes were engaged in a heated discussion about the derivation of a certain magic formula, the magic model in their hands constantly changing shape as they talked.

Ron took in all of this, but did not stop.

As the distance shortened, he keenly sensed that he was entering a special area.

It was like moving from shallow water to deep water; the surrounding magical fluctuations began to show subtle changes.

On the surface, things remain calm, but beneath the surface, undercurrents are surging, harboring an indescribable sense of danger.

"This magical composition is mixed with the aura of the abyss."

Ron activated his superhuman perception, carefully analyzing the energy fluctuations in the air.

That barely perceptible, slightly corrosive gray energy flow is one of the hallmarks of abyssal energy.

"Ralph the Wizard! Over here!"

A familiar voice interrupted Ron's thoughts.

He looked up and saw Reynolds standing at the entrance of a low building, waving at him.

Unlike his casual appearance on the airship, Reynolds was wearing a formal dark blue robe today.

He wore a silver six-pointed star badge on his chest—the insignia of a member of the Abyss Observatory.

"Good morning, Wizard Reynolds." Ron nodded slightly, his eyes showing appropriate friendliness.

Good morning! It seems you've fully adapted to the environment of the Central Lands.

Reynolds smiled warmly and stepped forward to shake hands with Ron:

"Many new wizards are probably still in bed suffering from headaches due to magical overload right now!"

His gaze lingered on Ron, seemingly quite surprised by the young wizard's condition:
“You look to be in excellent health and your mental state is very stable, which is quite rare.”

"Thanks to the unique characteristics of my meditation method, I am particularly adept at adapting to my environment."

Ron smiled, his tone neither arrogant nor deliberately modest: "Speaking of which, I should thank you for taking the time to show me around."

"Of course, and congratulations on successfully joining the Crystal Spire!"

Reynolds patted Ron on the shoulder, his overly enthusiastic gesture contrasting sharply with Ron's composure:

"Perhaps we'll soon be colleagues. Come on, let me show you what the Abyss Observatory is all about."

They passed through what appeared to be an ordinary wooden door.

However, Ron's extraordinary perception skills immediately detected the three layers of concealment runes covering the door:
The first layer is used to conceal internal energy fluctuations;

The second layer blocks external mental detection;

The third layer is a kind of memory interference structure that makes passersby subconsciously ignore the existence of this entrance.

Clearly, this unassuming building holds many secrets.

Behind the door was a long, narrow corridor with walls made of a special kind of dark gray stone.

A peculiar metallic rust smell permeated the air, mixed with some indescribable exotic atmosphere, as if echoing from the depths of an abyss.

"This corridor serves as a buffer zone for the entire facility."

Reynolds led the way while explaining, his voice a few decibels lower than those outside:
"It helps visitors gradually adapt to the special internal environment and is also the first line of defense against the leakage of abyssal energy."

Ron nodded, his gaze sweeping over the runes on the wall.

These runes can both isolate the interior from external detection and prevent abnormal internal energy from leaking out.

As he went deeper, Ron could sense that the energy composition in the air was subtly changing.

In addition to the regular magical fluctuations, there was also a peculiar gray energy flow mixed in, a more primal and chaotic power.

"The aura of the abyss is indeed quite strong."

"Your observation skills are exceptionally keen!"

Reynolds gently patted the wall:

"The concentration of the abyssal aura here remains within a safe range."

This design serves two purposes:
First, it allows researchers to maintain their sensitivity to abyssal energy; second, it provides a relatively realistic abyssal research environment without causing substantial physical or mental harm.

At the end of the corridor was a heavy door made of some kind of silvery-white metal, with a complex hexagonal verification system embedded in it.

Reynolds pressed his badge onto the verification system and entered a magic password.

The door slowly opened, and an eerie atmosphere seeped out, as if countless eyes were watching every intruder from the shadows.

It must be said that the abyss's aura does indeed seep into a person's mental world silently, just as recorded, inducing various negative emotions and distorted thoughts.

Without sufficient mental strength and willpower, prolonged exposure to such an environment can easily lead to madness or moral decay.

Behind the door is a spacious circular hall, surrounded by dozens of small laboratories and storage rooms, with a huge multi-level observation platform in the center.

The space was filled with complex instruments and energy monitoring devices, and a dozen researchers in uniform were busy at their respective posts.

"Welcome to the Abyss Observatory."

Reynolds made an exaggerated gesture, his eyes gleaming with undisguised pride:
"This place brings together the most advanced abyss research resources and talents in the Huanyuan Continent Group, making it the best place to understand the mysteries of the abyss."

Ron's gaze swept quickly across the entire hall, where the floor, walls, and ceiling were covered with tiny detection and protection runes, forming a complete security network.

In the event of an energy anomaly or a deep-sea contamination leak, this network will immediately activate, completely isolating the affected area from the outside world.

"The precision of the equipment is truly astonishing; it is indeed a project that Cassandra Tower has fully invested in and built."

Ron commented sincerely.

They boarded a special magic elevator and slowly descended to the underground floor.

"The basement level houses the main research laboratories."

Reynolds explained:

"The second basement level is the specimen storage area and the preliminary analysis area."

The third basement level is a top-secret area; special permission is required to enter, and I don't have the necessary authorization.

The elevator stopped on the second basement level, and when the doors opened, a breathtaking sight was revealed.

This was a huge circular space, with hundreds of sealing devices of varying sizes arranged along the walls. Each one emitted a faint blue light, and inside were sealed various bizarre abyssal substances.

“Sample storage area.” Reynolds’s explanation became more professional:
"This place contains material samples collected from all layers of the abyss, ranging from the most basic abyssal dust to the most dangerous mutant tissues. For us researchers, this is an inexhaustible treasure trove."

Ron approached several of the larger sealing devices, activated his superhuman identification, and carefully examined the samples inside.

The first device contained a seemingly ordinary gray rock, but Ron perceived that an energy flow was occurring inside the rock that defied the laws of nature.

It consumes its own matter to maintain an abnormal state of existence, like a self-devouring cycle that never stops.

“The 'Memory Stone' from the seventh layer of the Abyss,” Reynolds explained.
"It can record and replay fragments of memories from creatures that pass by it. Activating it under safe conditions allows one to see the final moments of those extinct creatures in the abyss."

The second device contained a constantly changing mass of black liquid, its shape shifting every few seconds.

From spheres to cubes, then to hexagonal pyramids, and then to some bizarre shape that completely defies geometry.

"The 'morphorheological fluid' from the fourth layer of the 'Twisted Forest' is also one of the results of my last exploration."

Reynolds' voice carried an undisguised pride:

“I extracted it myself from a moving tree trunk. This liquid can temporarily alter the basic structure of matter, making metal flow like water or water hard like stone.”

Ron nodded, silently memorizing the information.

The properties of these abyssal substances closely matched the descriptions he had read in the "Abyssal Creatures Atlas," but seeing them with his own eyes was a completely different experience from reading about them in books.

They continued onward, reaching the depths of the storage area.

The containment measures there were significantly more stringent, with each device encased in multiple energy barriers and surrounded by additional monitoring equipment.

Ron's gaze was drawn to a special sealing device deep inside.

It was a hexagonal crystal pillar nearly two meters tall, with a twisted, dark purple object suspended inside.

It looks like the limbs of some kind of creature, covered with countless tiny tentacles and eyeball-like structures.

Despite being locked up by multiple seals, Ron could still feel the heart-stopping energy fluctuations emanating from it.

That fluctuation contained an almost primal malice, as if it came from some chaotic force at the beginning of the universe.

“That is…” he asked involuntarily in a low voice.

Reynolds' expression turned unusually serious:

"Those were fragments of a limb cut off from an apostle."

Twelve years ago, a Dark Sun Wizard briefly clashed with an Apostle during his exploration of the Abyss and managed to cut off a small portion of it.

Subsequently, with Professor Utter's remote assistance, they managed to escape at great personal risk and successfully brought back the sample.

Ron carefully examined the mutated limb.

Despite being sealed and bound by layers of seals, its abilities were suppressed to an extremely low level.

But you can still see those tiny tentacles wriggling slowly and almost imperceptibly, like tiny twitches in a dream.

Even more frightening is that those eyeball-like structures seem to possess some kind of activity.

Their "eyelids" tremble slightly from time to time, as if they might open at any moment to gaze upon the world.

Even under such tight sealing, it still exudes an undeniable vitality.

It's like a flame that can never be completely extinguished, which may reignite under the right conditions at any time.

"This sample is one of the higher-level research subjects in the entire observation station."

Reynolds lowered his voice and explained:
“Even researchers like myself rarely have the opportunity to come into direct contact with it. It is only briefly activated for research purposes in special experiments personally supervised by Professor Utter.”

"The power of the apostles is indeed awe-inspiring."

Ron gave a brief assessment, while inwardly weighing the value and danger of this level of abyssal matter.

Apostles are terrifying beings who dwell in the depths of the abyss and possess near-divine power.

Even a small part of their bodies contains the potential to destroy a city.

Such research materials are undoubtedly a treasure trove that any abyss researcher would dream of.

"However, I noticed that there don't seem to be any Abyss Treasures here."

He casually brought it up, his gaze still fixed on the apostle's limb.

Reynolds looked slightly surprised: "You also know about Abyssal Treasures?"

"I've only heard a little about it."

Ron cautiously replied, "Back in the Black Mist School, I once obtained an item called 'Substitute Doll,' which is said to be a type of Abyss Treasure."

"You actually possess a treasure from the abyss."

Reynolds' eyes revealed envy:

"That is something that is countless times more precious than ordinary abyssal materials, and each piece has unique power and effects."

He shook his head, a hint of regret in his eyes:
"The observation station does indeed possess several abyssal treasures, but they are all locked in the highest-level vault on the third underground level."

The two continued their tour, with Ron constantly assessing in his mind the research value and potential applications of these abyssal substances.

"If you are interested in studying these abyssal materials, joining the observatory would be a wise choice."

After the tour came to a close, Reynolds' tone became even more enthusiastic:

"As a full member, you will not only have priority access to research, but you will also be able to purchase some non-high-risk abyssal materials at internal prices for your personal research."

The two arrived at a quiet conference room, where Reynolds took out a detailed document and handed it to Ron.

"This is a detailed explanation of joining the observatory."

He explained, "It includes information on rights, obligations, benefits, and promotion paths."

Ron took the documents and read them carefully.

This document is quite detailed, covering almost everything an observatory member needs to know.

"Of course, as a member, the first thing you need to sign is a confidentiality agreement."

Reynolds added, "Many of the observatory's studies are top secret and must not be disclosed without authorization."

“I understand, that’s only natural.” Ron nodded in understanding.

The document specifically emphasizes several advantages:

Members of the observation station can apply for reimbursement of experimental resources related to the station's research plans;

When participating in the Abyss exploration, you can receive remote guidance from Professor Yutel, as well as assistance when necessary;

More importantly, outstanding members have the opportunity to participate in higher-level core projects and access the abyssal mysteries that are usually only open to wizards of the Dark Sun level and above.

"Professor Utter is the key figure at the observatory."

Reynolds spoke of this name with obvious respect:
"Without his persistence and dedication, the observatory could not have developed to its current scale."

The moment Reynolds finished speaking, the magic field in the entire room underwent a subtle change.

It was almost imperceptible at first, but quickly became more and more obvious:

An ancient and profound energy wave surged from all directions, creating a peculiar resonance in the air.

Ron instantly became alert, but did not adopt any defensive stance.

He had long sensed a subtle, persistent feeling of being watched ever since entering the Abyss Observatory, as if the entire space was under the gaze of some being.

Sure enough, the seemingly ordinary portrait on the wall suddenly spoke the next moment:
"Just mentioning my name makes my old bones itch!"

(End of this chapter)