Wizard: My career panel has no upper limit

Chapter 295 Memory "Blind Box"

The building in front of him looked unremarkable, but Ron keenly noticed that its surface was covered with at least three hidden protective layers, far more secure than those in ordinary areas.

Two guardian golems stood at the entrance, their sculpted eyes displaying an unnatural silver-gray hue, clearly having undergone some kind of enhancement.

"Hello, Wizard Reynolds."

The guardian golem recognized Reynolds and nodded in greeting: "Routine check, please show your license."

Reynolds took a silver badge from his chest and placed it in front of the golem.

After carefully scanning the golem, it turned its gaze to Ron: "Your guest?"

“Yes, Wizard Ron Ralph, the new mentor of the Crystal Spire, I will take responsibility for his actions.”

Reynolds officially reported this.

Upon hearing this, the golem paused for a moment, then a small magic detector emerged from its body and performed a simple scan of Ron.

The detector emitted a soft beep, and a line of green text flashed on the display screen.

"Verification successful. Please note that any actions taken by Ralph Wizard during this period will be recorded and linked to your account."

The golem emphasized this to Reynolds, then mechanically raised its arm and gestured for the two of them to come in.

Stepping inside the building, the air immediately becomes cool and dry.

The corridor was painted in a pure white, almost like a hospital environment, with countless tiny blue dots embedded in the walls, providing soft and even lighting.

"Where is this place?" Ron asked in a low voice, sensing the unusually pure energy field around him.

"The observatory's 'special containment center'."

Reynolds also lowered his voice in response:
"Some special items brought back from the abyss, those that cannot be easily classified or have potential research value, will be temporarily stored here, awaiting further research or allocation."

They walked along the corridor, with enclosed rooms on both sides, each door labeled with a different color and number.

"Most rooms are categorized according to the abyss levels, with colors ranging from light to dark, representing the depth of their origin and the corresponding level of danger."

Reynolds explained, pointing to a door with a purple tag in front of him:

"Our destination is that containment room specifically for storing 'memory crystals'."

Arriving at the purple-labeled door, Reynolds affixed the badge to the lock and simultaneously entered a complex string of code onto the control panel next to it.

The door lock made a series of crisp clicks before slowly sliding open.

Upon entering the room, Ron was immediately struck by the sight before him.

The entire room is hexagonal, with a circular display stand in the center and rows of sophisticated storage cabinets around it.

Each storage cabinet contains dozens of transparent containers, in which crystals of various shapes and colors float.

These crystals shimmered with a peculiar light in the dim light, like miniature stars.

"Memory Crystal." Reynolds' voice was filled with awe:

"One of the most mysterious and dangerous creations of the abyss."

Ron stepped forward slowly and carefully examined the crystals.

Each piece radiates a unique energy fluctuation, some as calm as a lake, others as violent as boiling magma.

In his "supernatural perception" vision, these crystals exhibit complex energy structures inside, like solidified fragments of thought.

“What are these things?” Ron asked softly, captivated by the strange objects.

"After the fourth level, the environment of the abyss begins to affect the explorer's spirit and mind."

Reynolds explained:

"Sometimes, when a strong thought, a deep memory, or a huge emotional upheaval occurs..."

The surrounding abyssal energy will 'materialize' these non-material conscious activities in a way we don't yet fully understand, forming these crystals.

He carefully took a light blue crystal from the display stand and placed it in front of Ron:
"The initial discoverers called them 'congealed thoughts' or 'memory fossils,' but later they were uniformly named 'memory crystals.'"

Ron stared at the crystal, sensing a faint mental fluctuation emanating from it.

Unlike ordinary energy bodies, it is a more complex existence that can almost be called "conscious".

"They...preserve memories?"

“It’s not just memories.” Reynolds’ voice deepened.
"It is a complete fragment of the experience, including perception, emotion, and even the thought process at the time."

Some memory crystals even preserve the essence of certain skills or fragments of knowledge.

He carefully placed the crystal back in its original position:
"However, attempting to interpret these memories is extremely dangerous."

Without proper training and protection, unauthorized contact with memory crystals may lead to serious mental pollution or cognitive impairment.

Just then, a strange fluctuation appeared in the air of the room, followed by a voice behind them:

“Ron, it seems you’re quite interested in our collection.”

Reynolds whirled around, a look of panic on his face:
"Professor Yutel! You... what are you doing here?"

Ron turned around and saw a semi-transparent figure made of silver light standing in the doorway.

That was Professor Utter's ethereal projection.

Although its form was indistinct, its aura was exceptionally powerful, making the air in the entire room feel even heavier.

"My child, have you forgotten?"

Yutel's voice carried a hint of teasing:

“These little gadgets are under my jurisdiction, and my projection is always patrolling this area.”

His figure floated closer to the two of them, and the mountain-like pressure made Reynolds visibly tense.

But Ron found that when Yutel's gaze fell on him, the pressure miraculously lessened.

“Ron, I was just about to look for you,” Yutel said, a hint of pleasure in his voice.

“Reynolds is a good kid, but his understanding of memory crystals is still superficial.”

Reynolds' face flushed slightly, not from anger, but from an embarrassment similar to being pointed out for one's shortcomings by an elder.

Yutel, completely oblivious to his reaction, continued:

"To truly understand the mysteries of memory crystals, one needs the perspective and skills of a professional 'historian'."

In my experience, your progress in this ancient field of study has recently stalled, hasn't it?

"Indeed, Professor."

Ron nodded slightly, somewhat surprised that Yutel was so aware of his progress.

"Although I have been practicing the basic skills of historical research repeatedly recently, the progress has been quite slow due to the mental burden brought about by the study process."

"That's perfect!" Yutel's illusory projection clapped his hands, emitting a burst of energy.
“Memory crystals happen to be one of the research subjects that historians are most interested in.”

Yutel floated to the front of the display stand and waved to Ron:

"Come, let me show you some of the special samples we've just collected."

Ron followed Yutel to the other side of the display stand, where several memory crystals that were clearly different from the others were placed.

These crystals are larger and have a deeper color, with internal energy flow forming complex spiral patterns.

"These are high-level memory crystals that were recently brought back from the fifth floor."

Utter's voice carried the focus and enthusiasm unique to researchers:
“Judging from their energy characteristics, they may contain some extremely valuable fragments of information.” Ron carefully observed the crystals.

With his "superhuman insight," he can see the subtle energy flow patterns inside the crystal.

Each pattern represents a different type of memory or experience.

“The core value of memory crystals,” Yutel continued to explain:
"The reason is that they not only preserve the explorer's experience, but sometimes also capture the 'memory' of the abyss itself."

Some of the most precious memory crystals even contain abyssal secrets never before witnessed by humankind.

“But analyzing these memories inevitably comes with risks,” Ron pointed out.

“That’s right!” Yutel nodded approvingly.
"That's why we divide memory crystals into two categories: resolved and unresolved."

Unanalyzed memory crystals are like sealed boxes; their contents and risks are unknown.

The analyzed memory crystals have been processed by professional historians to remove dangerous components while retaining valuable information.

He pointed to another set of crystals on the display stand:
"These green-marked samples are safe samples that have been analyzed, while those marked in red are samples that have been confirmed to contain high-risk psychological contamination, and even senior historians do not recommend handling them."

Reynolds cautiously interjected, "Professor, you mentioned the memory crystal from the seventh floor earlier..."

Yutel's silver phantom flickered, seemingly laughing:
"Ah, that's a story from quite a while ago. Decades ago, Cassandra, who had just completed her ascension to the rank of Archmage from the Abyss, brought back an unusual memory crystal."

His voice grew even heavier:

"That memory crystal actually contained a fragment of the consciousness of a 'Supreme Apostle'."

The analysis process was extremely dangerous. Of the three historians involved, two permanently lost their minds; only I remained clear-headed enough to complete the final extraction.

The "Supreme Apostle" is the most mysterious and powerful being in the Abyss, and legend has it that only top-tier archmages can possibly contend with him.

Extracting memories from such an existence is tantamount to dancing on a volcano.

"Where is that memory crystal now?" he couldn't help but ask.

Yutel's phantom floated to the center of the room:
"It was kept tightly sealed in the core archives of the Court of Truth. However, the information extracted from it became a crucial breakthrough in our understanding of the nature of the Abyss."

He turned to Ron, his phantom eyes gleaming with a deep light:
The reason I'm 'coincidentally' here today is because I want to tell you some good news:

Considering your potential in historical research, and with Eve's strong recommendation, the Academic Alliance has approved your eligibility to participate in the Memory Crystal Primary Analysis Project.

“This is a rare opportunity, young man,” Yutel continued.
"Memory crystal analysis can not only substantially improve your historical research skills, but may also help you acquire valuable knowledge that cannot be obtained through conventional means."

Ron pondered this unexpected development.

Participating in the memory crystal analysis project is indeed a rare opportunity.

Not only can it improve one's skills, but it may also uncover information that is valuable for one's own research.

However, this also means more time investment and potential risks.

“I am very grateful for this opportunity, Professor,” he replied cautiously.
Could you please provide more details about the project's timeline and specific content?

"The project conducts a centralized analysis every two weeks, each session lasting about half a day."

As a junior participant, you will conduct basic analysis attempts under my direct guidance, primarily processing low-risk samples that have already undergone preliminary screening.

He added:

"As your skills improve, you can gradually work on more complex samples. The entire project will last three months, after which we will decide whether to continue the collaboration in more depth based on your performance."

Three months, half a day every two weeks—this schedule is acceptable for Ron at the moment.

Moreover, Utter's direct guidance is undoubtedly a valuable resource, especially for a novice who has only recently begun studying history.

“I accept the invitation, Professor.” Ron nodded in agreement. “Thank you very much for your and Princess Eve’s recommendation.”

"Very good, very conscientious!" Yutel's illusory figure rippled slightly, showing his satisfaction:
"The first analysis course will begin in two weeks. Before then, you can purchase some unanalyzed memory crystals as practice materials."

At this point, Yutel turned to another corner of the display stand, where several unanalyzed memory crystals were placed:
"By the way, there are also quite a few unanalyzed memory crystals in the trading area, usually priced at around one magic stone, which is reasonable for most low-risk samples."

“As you said, I do intend to buy a few for practice,” Ron said. “Do you have any recommended suppliers?”

“The ‘Real Collection’ in the southeast corner of the trading area is a good choice,” Yutel suggested.
"The shop owner is a retired explorer with extensive experience in memory crystals. He won't deliberately sell you samples with excessively high risk factors."

Afterwards, Yutel led Ron on a tour of the entire containment chamber.

It provides a detailed introduction to the classification methods, storage techniques, and basic analytical theories of memory crystals.

Reynolds remained respectful throughout, occasionally adding a few words on certain professional details.

During the visit, Ron's "superhuman recognition" skills continuously captured the subtle energy fluctuations and structural features within the memory crystal.

[Exceptional Recognition (Mastery) Experience Points +1]

[Exceptional Recognition (Mastery) Experience Points +1]

[Exceptional Recognition (Mastery) Experience Points +1]

[Current Progress: Exceptional Recognition (Mastery 45/300)]

Because "superior recognition" has almost become his passive skill.

Therefore, even though you have advanced to the proficient level, your experience points are increasing at a very fast pace.

Before leaving the containment chamber, Ron suddenly remembered a question:
“Professor, I’ve noticed that some memory crystals seem to emit a peculiar…malicious energy? It’s different from other energy fluctuations.”

Yutel's phantom image froze for a moment, then slowly nodded:

“Very keen observation, Ron. Indeed, some memory crystals contain not only memories or knowledge, but also a special kind of crystallization we call ‘mind virus’.”

This typically appears in memory crystals that record scenes of abyssal creatures hunting, or traces of the activities of apostles.

“You seem to have a natural sensitivity to identifying this kind of ‘virus’ at the level of consciousness.”

Yutel looked at Ron, his words carrying a hidden meaning:
"This is a very valuable talent, especially for historians."

Ron realized that this might be related to his "hunting evil" skill.

Although this skill is rarely used in daily life, it seems to provide additional perception when facing the abyssal contamination within memory crystals.

[Collaboration detected: Extraordinary Recognition + Hunting Evil]
1. Enhanced accuracy in perceiving evil energy through extraordinary identification.
2. Hunting evil can react to non-physical evil energy.

This unexpected discovery sparked a thought in Ron's mind.

Once the linkage takes effect, he will be able to identify and avoid potentially dangerous samples more safely than ordinary historians when dealing with memory crystals.

Another point is, since these "memory crystals" are carriers of highly condensed information, is it possible to load them into analog devices?

This will allow for further analysis of those lost skills and traditions, helping to accelerate the accumulation of skill experience points.

He has recently been worried about the problem of too few loadable samples available for the simulation device.

And those malicious memory crystals with so-called "mind viruses," after being rendered harmless, might also find a place to be used in simulation devices.

For example, it can be used to generate virtualized abyss environments, and to rehearse various dangerous scenarios in the abyss, such as being preyed upon by monsters or discovered by apostles.

"I will buy two memory crystals as initial practice."

With that in mind, Ron made a decision:

"Let's start with the 'RuiSi Collection' that you just mentioned."

Yutel nodded in agreement:
"Good idea. Remember, for beginners, taking it step by step is the safest learning path."

Start with the most basic samples, gradually accumulate experience, and then try more complex analyses.

On his way out of the containment chamber, Ron felt a strange sense of unease, as if he had completely forgotten something.

(End of this chapter)