Wizard: My career panel has no upper limit

Chapter 298 Nowhere to Escape?
That sense of crisis, like a chilling current, shot up his spine, and Ron began to deliberately maintain absolute stillness in his consciousness.

"The observation of the 'Hermit's' ancient memories just now seems to have attracted the attention of some creature."

As his "Hermit's Sense" enhanced, he detected energy fluctuations seeping from the misaligned crevice:
Cold as ice, sharp as a knife, like a spider lying in wait, closing in on its struggling prey in its web.

"Time Hound..."

The word surfaced from the depths of my memory, carrying a strong sense of foreboding.

That was something Eve had warned about during one of their conversations.

Her expression was unusually serious, and her eyes were filled with genuine fear:

“Professor Ron, historical research is dangerous, especially when it involves venturing into fragments that span the long river of time.”

Those places...have guardians.

No, they're less like guardians and more like a pack of hyenas that come running at the first sign of a scent.

The Time Hounds are not dutiful dimensional inspectors, but true territorial animals; any intruder is seen as prey…

He simply nodded politely at the time and didn't pay much attention to it.

In retrospect, those warnings were indeed worth their weight in gold.

After all, he never imagined that he would delve so quickly into these ancient fragments of memory, to the point of attracting... a hunter...

"It's too late, the link has already been established."

His alertness came at just the right time; this miniature passage was some kind of spacetime hunting device.

The crack was expanding silently, from being invisible at first to becoming as thick as a hair, then a needle, and then a quill pen...

His expanded perception made him realize that it was not just a simple crack, but more like a special "anchor point" connecting to a completely unfamiliar dimension.

What made his heart sink even more was that, in this special angle where consciousness and the river of time intersected, he had been completely locked in by some invisible net.

It was as if I was trapped in an isolated little world, where any outward fluctuations were like stones sinking into the sea, unable to reach my physical body in the real world, and I couldn't ask anyone for help.

"The trap is now complete."

Ron had already figured it out: "This is a hunting strategy—trapping the prey in a narrow space and cutting off all possible escape routes."

"Calm down...analyze the situation..."

He forced himself to suppress that instinctive fear and began to think rationally:
"At least I sensed something was wrong beforehand. If I were attacked at the crucial moment of returning to reality, I would be powerless to resist while stuck between the two states."

Ron decided to look for a solution in the consciousness space, since it was his home turf and he held at least some initiative there.

He carefully adjusted his mental structure while strengthening his mental barrier, trying to perceive more clearly what lay behind the crack.

As concentration increased, the crack underwent a subtle visual change...

The crack expanded from a two-dimensional line into a vortex-shaped three-dimensional entrance, like a miniature vortex in the river of time.

Deep inside, something is wriggling.

Without warning, a spike-like mouthpart shot out from the crack like an arrow!
Its speed is so fast that its trajectory cannot even be tracked.

The mouthpiece was aimed directly at the core area of ​​his consciousness.

If it were a physical object, it would roughly correspond to the location of the heart.

——Flowing wall

With an almost instinctive reaction, Ron instantly activated this defensive skill, which he had honed to the point of being an instinctive reflex.

A silvery-gray liquid surged from the depths of his spiritual power, quickly forming a flowing barrier around his body.

This was his first line of defense against unknown threats, and it had saved his life in countless battles.

However, a scene that horrified him occurred.

The cone-shaped mouthpart pierced through the flowing protective barrier as if it were nothing, without slowing down at all, and directly entered his consciousness!

"Crack!"

An indescribable, excruciating pain instantly overwhelmed all of Ron's senses.

This is a tearing sensation that directly affects the essence of the soul.

It was as if someone had dissected his entire being and peeled it away piece by piece.

A terrifying hole appeared in the consciousness body, from which a darkness as black as ink spread and devoured the surrounding consciousness structure.

The pain was so intense that he could barely maintain his basic ability to think.

The surrounding space began to distort and collapse, and everything became blurry and distant.

Ron roared silently, only to find that he couldn't even utter the most basic sound.

His soul was trembling, his spirit was shattering.

This experience far surpassed all the pain he had ever endured, even a hundred times more terrifying than the "bloodline baptism" he had suffered at the bloodline altar.

[WARNING! Abnormal time fluctuations detected!]

[WARNING! Extradimensional Invasion!]

[Warning! Consciousness structure has suffered severe damage!]

Warnings from the translucent panel flashed in his remaining consciousness, but Ron could barely concentrate to understand them.

The only thing he could feel was an unprecedented sense of powerlessness.

The mouthparts were quickly withdrawn, and the bright red spiritual energy flowed along the straw-like structure into the unknown depths.

As the hunting action was completed, a blurry outline began to coalesce around the crack.

That is an existence that completely violates all known physical laws.

Its form is constantly changing, and it has no fixed shape or structure.

Sometimes it resembles a giant snake with countless segments, sometimes it resembles some kind of multi-legged arthropod, and occasionally it twists into geometric shapes that are completely beyond Ron's comprehension.

The only things that remained unchanged were the cone-shaped mouthparts that were still dripping with spiritual energy, and a pair of "eyes" that shimmered with a scarlet light.

If those really can be called eyes...

Ron could sense that the creature was assessing his worth in its own way, like a gourmet commenting on an expensive dish.

This suffocating sense of oppression even surpassed his previous experience when facing the "holy disk".

Back then, at least he could find the other party's weakness, but now... he was on the verge of death before he could even react.

"...I can't...die here..."

Ron gritted his teeth, enduring the indescribable pain, and began to gather his remaining mental strength.

Driven by that survival instinct, his mind gradually regained some clarity, and he began to quickly analyze the current situation.

The enemy before him was moving much faster than he could react, so simple defense was clearly ineffective.

However, if we can anticipate the next attack, we might find an opportunity to counterattack.

First, he needs to understand the creature's attack patterns.

The newly acquired "Hermit's Knowledge" has begun to take effect.

He could sense that the hound's energy was regrouping, clearly preparing for a second attack.

Moreover, the energy condensation speed this time is faster and the intensity is higher than last time.

It seems that it has confirmed how "delicious" Ron is and has decided to intensify its hunting efforts.

Time is running out; we must act immediately.

"Combining 'super magic techniques' with 'flowing protective barriers'..."

In addition, there's the defensive bonus from the 'Eternal Inscription' trait after the first hit, and the enhancement of the spell's structure by 'Microstructural Modification'..."

Ron quickly mobilized all available mental energy to build a completely new defense system.

Unlike previous protective barriers that relied solely on energy density, this time he designed a more sophisticated and complex defense system.

It's as if dozens of micro-energy reflective layers have been added to the original barrier, each layer absorbing a portion of the impact and redirecting it in another direction.

Energy flowed and intertwined in his consciousness, forming an exquisite defense network.

Almost at the same time he completed his last layer of defense, the Time Hound's second attack arrived!
The terrifying maw pierced straight at an even faster speed than before, but this time, it crashed into layer after layer of energy reflection.

With each layer it penetrates, its speed is reduced, and some of its energy is dispersed.

Although he still couldn't completely stop him, Ron at least bought himself valuable reaction time.

Just as the mouthparts were about to pierce his consciousness again, Ron decisively released the "Mental Blast" that he had been holding back for a long time!
A pure mental shockwave erupted from the core of his consciousness, like a materialized lightning bolt, striking the central nervous system of the Time Hound.

This attack does not depend on physical form, but directly acts on the essential level of existence.

It is difficult for any being with a conscious structure to completely avoid it.

"Buzz!"

A strange howl emanated from the Time Hound. It was not a sound in the usual sense, but rather like an energy fluctuation of some frequency.

Its movements visibly faltered, and the mandible that was about to devour Ron's consciousness stopped just millimeters away from him.

Its terrifying suction force is still trying to extract his spiritual energy.

"Now! The pocket watch!"

Ron seized the fleeting opportunity and decisively activated his most powerful life-saving technique.

Space seemed to freeze around him for a moment, and the flow of time became viscous and slow.

Accompanied by a subtle energy fluctuation, the shocking hole in the consciousness began to heal at a visible speed.

The shattered consciousness structure reassembled, the forcibly extracted mental energy began to flow back, and the damaged mental energy circuits gradually regained their vitality.

Ron could feel his condition improving rapidly; his consciousness was becoming clearer and his thinking was becoming more agile.

Although he hasn't fully recovered to his peak condition, it's enough for him to continue fighting.

Almost as soon as he finished recovering, Ron immediately poured all his mental energy into his strongest attack spell.

—Sonic oscillation erosion state!
The invisible sound waves, like materialized blades, tore through space and struck the core of the Time Hound.

The effect is immediate the moment the sound waves come into contact with the Time Hound.

The constantly changing form suddenly stopped, its shape becoming visibly distorted and broken, like a mirror struck by a heavy hammer.

Several deep cracks spread outward from the point of contact, and the entire organism seemed to be on the verge of collapse.

"efficient!"

Ron's eyes lit up, and a glimmer of hope welled up in his heart:
"Keep attacking, don't give it a chance to recover!"

Just as he was preparing to launch a second wave of attacks, a chilling scene unfolded in the next moment...

The Timehound's body is like a reversed image, with every broken part visibly piecing itself back together.

Those deep cracks seemed to have never appeared, and the entire creature was restored to its original state almost instantly!
"Damn it!" Ron's pupils contracted sharply, a sense of despair creeping up his spine:
"It can also reset its own state? And it seems to be an innate instinct, able to use it without any medium..."

This is absolutely the worst-case scenario.

With the time-keeping ability of the silver pocket watch, he might still be able to barely protect himself.

However, if the opponent can also manipulate time, then his biggest advantage will vanish.

The Timehounds seemed to be enraged by the attack.

Its form became even more chaotic and unpredictable, and the surrounding space of consciousness began to distort and shatter due to its rampaging energy fluctuations.

Those "eyes" gleamed with an even more intense light than before.

Its terrifying mouthparts also became larger and larger, like a scythe of death ready to reap at any moment.

Ron felt unprecedented pressure.

Since merging with his soul, he had never been so close to death, except for the time when Daward lost control.

Faced with a target whose strength was far inferior to his, all his skills and knowledge seemed to become pale and powerless.

Simply resorting to brute force is pointless here; a smarter approach must be found.

"Calm down...think..."

Ron forced himself to calm down and reassess the situation:
"No matter how powerful an individual is, there are patterns and limitations to their actions. Finding their weaknesses is the key to victory."

He began to observe the Time Hound's behavior patterns more closely, especially its movement trajectory and the laws governing energy flow in the space of consciousness.

As observation deepened, a subtle pattern gradually emerged—

"interesting……"

Ron noticed that whenever the Timehound was about to attack, it would always prioritize the darkest corners.

It seems that only by utilizing these special "angled spaces" can the opponent unleash the unavoidable nature of their attacks.

"It depends on the shadows within this space... or rather, some kind of spatial intersection..."

Ron quickly mentally went through the process, and a bold plan began to take shape.

If this assumption holds true, then simply reducing these shaded areas would limit the Time Hounds' mobility.

Of all his spells, the one most suitable for achieving this goal is...

—The Ring of Radiance

A golden halo formed around Ron, like a miniature sun.

As Ron continued to channel his mental energy, the halo gradually expanded, illuminating every corner of the consciousness space.

The shadowy areas that were originally hidden in the darkness began to decrease significantly, and the range of activity of the Time Hounds was also compressed.

"Sure enough!"

Ron confirmed his guess and immediately increased the output power of the "Radiant Ring".

Light surged like a tide, almost dyeing the entire space of consciousness a dazzling gold.

Every inch of darkness was dispelled, and every shadow was filled.

The Timehound's reaction confirmed Ron's judgment.

Its agility, which had been like a fish in water, was gone, and it began to wander among the few remaining shadowy areas.

Its form also became more unstable, like a dancer who had lost his balance.

But merely restricting its movement is far from enough; Ron needs a power that can counteract the nature of the Timehound, an energy that can truly harm it.

Currently, his two most powerful trump cards are "time stop" and "record".

"Time stop"... The other party is also capable of manipulating time to a certain extent, and the power to manipulate time comes from within themselves, not from external objects like he does.

Using the stagnation ability rashly might backfire and make things worse.

In this critical moment, Ron had no choice but to resort to the "Whispers" recorded by "Thousand-Faced Illusion".

It did not come from the sea urchin monster he had defeated during his early apprenticeship.

Rather, it was a more primal "murmur" recorded during his adventures as he established a connection with the "Devourer" while advancing to become a formal wizard...

This "talking" carries a terrifying, high-dimensional pollution; it was his last resort.

Using it is undoubtedly a risky move, which may lead to more serious mental pollution or even complete loss of control.

But at this moment, facing a time hound that could devour him completely at any moment, Ron had no choice.

"We must take this risk..."

He gritted his teeth, his eyes hardening and turning cold: "When it comes to survival, everything else is secondary."

Ron took a deep breath, concentrated his last bit of mental energy, and began to play the "talking" that he had sealed away for so long.

It was a sound that could not be described by conventional language; it was more like a vibration that transcended dimensions, with each syllable carrying a power that distorted reality.

"Iai'leth N'gha Fhtagn..."

The moment the first syllable escaped his lips, Ron felt a terrifying backlash of energy.

It was as if he had touched a switch that shouldn't have been turned on; a chaotic and violent energy surged into his consciousness from the depths of the dimension, almost causing him to collapse on the spot.

But he gritted his teeth and persevered, continuing to play, one syllable after another, each one more distorted and more dangerous than the last.

"Shugal V'doru Nyth'drn..."

As the rambling continued, the entire space of consciousness began to distort and deform in an incredible way.

It's like a reflection on the water's surface being suddenly shattered, blurring all rules and boundaries.

Ron could even see the edges of his consciousness beginning to dissolve, turning into wisps of ethereal mist.

However, the Timehound reacted to this change far more violently than he had imagined.

The constantly changing entity suddenly stopped moving, and its "eyes" revealed an emotion Ron had never seen before—fear.

Pure, instinctive fear.

"It...is afraid of this too?"

Ron instantly grasped the key point: "Afraid of higher-dimensional power?"

Ignoring the continuous collapse of his own consciousness structure, he gritted his teeth and continued playing, while guiding that high-dimensional pollution power toward the Time Hound.

Those twisted, filthy words, as if alive, coiled around the hound, beginning to erode its very structure.

The Time Hound struggled desperately, trying to break free from this force that it could neither understand nor resist.

It frantically darted through the remaining shadows, even attempting to escape back to the dimensional rift.

(End of this chapter)