Wizard: My career panel has no upper limit

Chapter 301 Eternal Chaos
"And then?" Thinking this, he pressed on, trying to learn more details:
“I remember the ‘Clock King’ didn’t end up becoming the Witch King…”

Yutel's phantom sighed:
"Yes, she successfully ascended to the rank of Archmage, and in the following centuries, she also created many unprecedented time-based spells."

But the story's ending... wasn't perfect.

He paused for a moment, his voice filled with obvious sadness:
"During a massive invasion of the 'Primal Abyss' in the late Second Era, the 'Clock King,' a rare time specialist, would benefit immensely from being devoured by the Awakened."

Therefore, they faced immense pressure, with over a dozen apostles launching a joint attack.

"Even with her ability to control time, she could only choose a near-suicidal defensive strategy when facing an enemy of this size."

This created a massive 'time-freezing field,' isolating the entire battlefield from the outside world.

"When everything settled down, Erica's ethereal remains had long since vanished."

Only the endless tolling of bells remains, echoing across the ancient battlefield, and even today, the sound of those bells still reverberates there.

Yutel's voice became unusually heavy:

"Some say she died in the siege of the apostles, but more rumors suggest that she may have somehow transferred her consciousness to an anchor, choosing a completely new way of being."

This rumor was never confirmed, and the anchor disappeared without a trace during the subsequent war.

This story made Ron think deeply.

Perhaps this is why the "Silver Pocket Watch" and the Time Hound both had the ability to "reset time"?

After all, as Yutel just said, Erica incorporated the "Dog King" structure when forging this soul anchor.

"A tragic yet magnificent story."

Ron concluded, his tone reflecting both reverence for the great wizard and contemplation of similar fates:
“Every path to power seems to come with a corresponding price.”

“It’s not just the price, Ron.”

Yutel's voice softened, and the phantom dimmed slightly:

"Erica's tragedy reveals the cruelest truth about this universe—that the ordered forces we wizards represent are always a minority in the universe."

His illusory figure swayed slowly in the air, the silver light appearing exceptionally dim:

"Did you know that every time an Abyss Explorer is swallowed by the Abyss, countless twisted creatures born from its power are conceived within it?"

When a formal wizard perishes within it, the abyss, as if savoring a delicious snack, releases some unique abyssal creatures…

Utter's voice carried a deep sense of powerlessness:
"Every time those abyssal creatures and apostles successfully devour one of our strong individuals, they gain some distorted knowledge and skills from the devoured one."

A mutant that originally acted solely on instinct could gain a degree of intelligence and spell-like abilities after consuming a legitimate wizard.

He paused for a moment, his voice becoming even more somber:
"This is why Erica faced a combined attack from more than a dozen apostles. Her ability to manipulate time was a 'nutrient' that those who were disordered desperately craved."

Imagine if those apostles had successfully devoured her; they would likely have gained the ability to manipulate time.

A group of apostles capable of resetting battle outcomes and predicting future attacks—that would be the end of the entire ordered world.

Yutel's phantom trembled slightly:
"Therefore, the more powerful Erica is, the more deadly her attraction to chaotic forces becomes."

Her very existence was a provocation to the abyss; each of her breakthroughs was a message to the hungry mutants—a sumptuous feast awaits.

His voice became almost desperate:

"The most ironic thing is that if Erica had chosen mediocrity and become an ordinary wizard, she might have been able to live a peaceful life."

But it was precisely her pursuit of power and her yearning for perfection that pushed her into the abyss of certain death.

This is the destiny of orderly forces; we strive to become stronger in order to protect ourselves.

But the stronger we become, the more numerous, stronger, and more insane our enemies will be.

"But if we are defeated, the enemy will gain far more than we have accumulated."

Yutel's phantom became almost translucent:

"At the entrance to the Abyss Research Center, there is this warning:"
Order is like a candle flame, chaos is like a raging storm;

The brighter the candlelight, the fiercer the storm;
When the fire is extinguished, darkness will last forever.

This is why even someone as powerful as Erica ultimately had no choice but to perish together with her enemy.

He sighed at the end:

“Power is not a blessing, Ron.”

In this universe, every powerful being is prey in the eyes of chaos, a marked lamb.

What we call growth is nothing more than a countdown to our own death.

Despite this, the wizarding civilization has flourished and borne fruit.

This terrifying abyss seems to be a breeding ground for those witch kings and higher beings, allowing it to develop wildly.

Clearly, there are deeper power struggles that he is unaware of.

But at this moment, Ron could only nod in agreement:
"Of course, Professor, I will keep your teachings in mind and remain humble in the face of power."

………………

After concluding his conversation with Yutel, Ron returned to his residence with heavy thoughts in his mind.

Night had fallen, and the starry sky over the central region was still brilliant, but he had no interest in appreciating those distant lights.

The information I had just heard kept echoing in my mind:
The weaknesses of the Time Hound, the principles of the three-phase explosion, the legendary story of the Clock King, the chaotic nature of the universe... every detail is worth examining repeatedly.

"Speaking of which, it has been more than two months since I returned from the Abyss Outpost."

Ron sat at his desk, took out a detailed schedule, and began to review the progress of the past few days:

"My historical research skills are improving faster than expected, and each interaction with Professor Yutel brings significant progress. At the current pace, I should be able to break through to the proficient level in about half a month."

He gently flipped through the notebook, where dense symbols and annotations recorded his research findings each day.

From initial stumbles and setbacks, I've now become relatively proficient at analyzing low-level memory crystals.

This pace of progress is astonishing, even in the Crystal Spire, a place teeming with geniuses.

But Ron knew in his heart that behind this rapid progress, in addition to his own talent and hard work, he could not have done it without the careful guidance of Utter, a top historian.

In each memory crystal analysis course, the professor would personally demonstrate the most exquisite techniques.

The practical experience that can never be learned from books is the key to his rapid growth.

However, in recent conversations, Ron keenly noticed some subtle changes.

Yutel occasionally revealed a subtle worry, an expression he never showed when discussing academic matters.

"The professor seems to have something on his mind lately."

Ron recalled the subtle fluctuations in the projection of Yutel's ethereal form tonight:

"And it's not just him, Eve's been acting a bit off lately too. Although she still actively attends my classes, she always seems distracted."

As an observant person, Ron found it hard to overlook these details.

Inside the crystal spire, there seems to be some kind of profit-sharing mechanism that he has not yet fully understood.

Although everything appears orderly on the surface, the undercurrents of power struggle never cease.

"Speaking of which, Eve mentioned something to me recently; it seems her mother, Cassandra, is coming back soon..."

Ron thought of this information, but frowned, somewhat puzzled:
"But that doesn't make sense... The return of Cassandra from her expedition is undoubtedly a good thing for both Yutel and Eve."

"Eve is actually unhappy because her mother, who has returned triumphantly from another world..."

A few days ago, he was on his way to the review meeting to submit his new paper.

I happened to see several lecturers who were usually very dignified gathered together, communicating silently using magic, and their expressions were unusually solemn.

This even included Associate Professor William, who was known for his composure, and whose face showed obvious concern.

"We must be more cautious and more focused."

Ron reminded himself:
"No matter what changes occur at the higher levels, for a mid-level wizard like me, the most important thing is to improve my own strength."

Only by being strong enough can one protect oneself in the face of any change.

He closed the schedule and took the silver pocket watch from the drawer.

Moonlight streamed through the crystal window, casting a mysterious and ancient glow on the watch's surface.

"Since tonight's history research training hasn't started yet, why not give it a try..."

Ron took a deep breath, his eyes hardening:
"I failed last time, let's try again this time. After injecting the power of the Time Hound, I feel something inside this pocket watch being awakened."

This idea had been brewing in his mind for a long time.

Since acquiring the pocket watch, it has demonstrated unimaginable capabilities, but he knows very little about its origins and maker.

Yutel's story about the Clock King had further piqued his curiosity.

"That ability to reset time, and the time laws inherent in the pocket watch itself, do indeed fit the legend of the Clock King very well."

He carefully placed the pocket watch on the specially designed sensor platform, and then began to enter a meditative state dedicated to historical research.

This was an advanced technique taught to him by Yutel, which allowed him to perceive the "time imprints" remaining on objects through a special way of circulating mental energy.

As consciousness gradually sinks in, the surrounding reality begins to blur, replaced by a peculiar state of perception. In this state, the pocket watch is no longer a simple object, but a vessel carrying countless fragments of time.

Every scratch and every bit of wear records a specific historical moment.

Ron's mental energy extended like a thread, gently touching the time markings on the pocket watch's surface.

At first, only some blurry fragments flashed by:

Battlefields of blood and fire, complex alchemical rituals, countless meticulous adjustments...

But as he became more skilled, these fragments began to become clearer.

Suddenly, a shocking image appeared in his mind.

It was a magnificent clock tower, soaring into the clouds, its body cast from a special metal that emitted a faint glow.

On the huge clock face, the hands do not run according to the conventional twelve-hour system, but move in a complex trajectory, as if recording the passage of multiple dimensions of time.

In the workshop at the top of the tower, a tall, slender woman is working intently.

She had long gray hair and eyes that were a peculiar indigo color, as if they contained the depths of time.

But what is most striking is the countless translucent clock phantoms surrounding her, each rotating at a different speed.

"Clock King Erica..."

Ron's heart raced slightly; he knew he was watching an extremely precious historical moment.

Erica is making something in the picture, and every movement she makes is so precise it's breathtaking.

Various rare materials flowed and merged in her hands as if they were alive, while the illusory clocks were responsible for precisely controlling the timing of each step of the process.

Ron could tell that she was forging the pocket watch in his hand.

However, the production process is far more complex than imagined, requiring not only top-notch alchemical skills but also a profound understanding of time manipulation.

The scene suddenly shifts, and Ron's perspective shifts to a strange temporal rift.

There is no fixed ground or sky here; there are only countless distorted streams of time intertwined, forming a chaotic and dangerous hunting ground.

Erica was standing in the center of this dangerous area, surrounded by at least seven or eight Timehounds.

They constantly travel between different timelines, launching attacks on her from different angles and points in time.

"This is... the lair of the Time Hounds?"

Ron watched this scene in astonishment.

Erica did not fight the Time Hounds in the conventional space, but instead deliberately entered their home turf—the Time Rift itself.

The battle begins.

The first Timehound attacked from the side, its mandibles flashing towards Erica's head.

But just as the shot was about to hit, Erica's figure suddenly disappeared, and the next second she appeared behind the hound.

"Time jump?"

Ron carefully observed Erica's technique.

It was discovered that she did not simply teleport, but rather made subtle adjustments to the timeline in some way, allowing herself to temporarily jump out of the current moment.

The second and third Timehounds then joined the battle, and the three-pronged attack put Erica in a dangerous situation.

But her response was even more astonishing—she unleashed three psychic blasts simultaneously, each striking one of the three hounds.

Three-phase detonation

Ron's eyes lit up; this was exactly the advanced technique that Yutel had mentioned.

He watched Erica's spellcasting intently, trying to understand its secrets.

In his observation, the key to the three-phase explosion is not simply a split in consciousness, but rather learning to exist simultaneously at multiple points in time.

Erica uses a special talent for time to anchor her consciousness simultaneously in the past, present, and future.

Then, she released mental blasts at these three points in time, creating a continuous attack that spanned time.

This type of attack is almost impossible to defend against because the target needs to withstand impacts from three different times simultaneously.

The Time Hounds were clearly thrown off their rhythm by the attack, but they quickly demonstrated the terrifying power of their group cooperation.

The remaining hounds began to adjust their attack rhythm in an organized manner, attempting to coordinate with each other through time resets to form an unsolvable attack loop.

Erica sensed the danger, and her expression became unusually focused.

The surrounding flow of time suddenly became viscous, as if the air had suddenly turned into a gel.

Time Anchoring

Ron recognized the technique; it was the spell that Yutel had mentioned that could imprison the Time Hound's ability to reset.

Under the effect of time anchoring, the Time Hounds lost their greatest advantage and could no longer reset their state.

Erica seized this opportunity and launched a full-scale massacre.

Her attack skills far exceeded Ron's expectations; each blast precisely struck the Timehound's weak point.

In addition, she seems to be able to predict the movement of each hunting dog and always make the best response in advance.

"This is the power of a top-tier combat-type wizard..."

Ron was shocked; the battle before him gave him a direct understanding of a higher realm.

Erica's every move demonstrated perfect control over her power, with not a single wasted movement, and every attack was perfectly timed.

All the veteran wizards he had met so far, including Eunice and Hayek, had done extensive research on the compression and concentration of power.

All offensive spells aim to cause maximum destruction to a single target; causing damage to the surrounding environment is considered a sign of poor control.

The battle was drawing to a close, with the hounds having been defeated for most of the time.

Only one remained—the largest of them, which should be the so-called king of dogs.

The King Dog clearly realized that defeat was inevitable, and it began to unleash an ability that Ron had never seen before.

The entire spacetime rift began to tremble violently, and countless fragments of time fell like raindrops, each containing a terrifying twisting power.

But Erica did not panic. She slowly raised her right hand, and a beautiful silver pocket watch appeared in her palm.

"I see……"

Ron suddenly realized that the pocket watch in Erica's hand was the same one he now owned.

………………

The battle ended, and the pocket watch emitted a dazzling light, like a newly born star.

Erica looked at the finished product in her hands with satisfaction, her eyes revealing the pride unique to creators.

However, at that moment, she suddenly looked up.

His indigo eyes pierced through time and space, staring directly at Ron, who was observing all of this.

The feeling was extremely eerie, as if she had known all along that someone would come along to observe this experience through historical research.

The gray-haired witch's lips slowly curled up into a meaningful smile.

That smile contained a wisdom that transcends time, and also carried a hint of indescribable expectation.

"Funny little guy."

Erica's voice clearly entered Ron's consciousness, despite the vast expanse of time separating them:
"Being able to glimpse this memory shows that you have mastered some good historical research skills."

Her figure began to blur, clearly indicating that this memory was about to end:

"Use it well; it is the culmination of my life's work."

Remember, time is both the fairest judge and the most formidable enemy.

The image completely disappeared, and Ron's consciousness returned to the real world.

He opened his eyes and found that the pocket watch in his hand was emitting a faint warmth, as if responding to the historical recollection he had just experienced.

[Special historical fragment analysis detected, additional skill insights gained]

[Historical Research (Beginner) Experience Points +1]

[Historical Research (Beginner) Experience Points +1]

[Historical Research (Beginner) Experience Points +1]

……

[Current Progress: Historical Research (Introduction 45/50)]

[The essence of the "Triple-Phase Blast" skill has been detected; upgrade direction for the Mental Blast skill has been provided.]

However, the biggest takeaways went far beyond that...

(End of this chapter)