Wizard: My career panel has no upper limit

Chapter 323 Conquest Showcase
Back at the materials analysis department of the observation station.

Ron's near-perfect performance earned him significant recognition and a rise in status within both of the two very different factions.

On the research team's side, Director Wayne was extremely impressed by the exceptionally keen perception he had demonstrated.

"The early warning ability you demonstrated today is truly rare,"

Wayne frankly expressed his views in private conversations:
"I plan to recommend you to participate in the upcoming 'Deep Material Properties Analysis' project."

This project will involve access to samples brought back from the fourth layer of the abyss and even deeper, which are of extremely high research value, but the corresponding level of risk should not be underestimated.

He paused and added:
"In addition, if you agree, I would also like to recommend you to join the observatory's 'Anomaly Investigation Team'."

They are specifically responsible for analyzing and handling abyssal phenomena that cannot be explained by conventional methods.

Based on your perceptive abilities demonstrated today, you should be able to play a significant role in this field.

As for the exploration team, Miller, the team leader, also informed Ron of some information related to the explorers.

"According to the station's personnel policy, the identities of researchers and explorers are completely compatible."

Miller explained in detail:
"In fact, some of our best core members have dual identities."

You can continue to focus on materials analysis and research, while also participating in some relatively safe missions as a part-time explorer.

He took a detailed document from the breast pocket of his uniform:

Part-time explorers enjoy many additional benefits:
For example, priority access to the allocation of rare abyssal materials, eligibility to participate in high-value missions, additional danger allowances, and most importantly—legal access to the deep abyss region.

This arrangement was indeed very tempting for Ron.

As a formal explorer, he will gain more legitimate opportunities to access the deep abyss, which will be of immeasurable value to his various secret research projects.

At the same time, the Explorer identity can also provide perfect cover for some of his "special activities," such as the secret operation of deploying substitute puppets like today.

"I have decided to accept this arrangement."

After careful consideration, Ron made a decision:

"Being a part-time explorer does indeed provide more possibilities for my research."

In addition to these tangible gains, today's actions have also yielded an extremely important intangible result.

The substitute puppet was successfully deployed to the "Sea of ​​No Light" area on the fifth level of the abyss, establishing a crucial outpost for his subsequent deep exploration.

Through the sensory information transmitted back by the puppet in real time, he has gained a preliminary understanding of the basic environmental characteristics of the fifth layer:

It was a boundless body of water shrouded in eternal darkness, its seawater possessing strong corrosive properties and some unknown active characteristics.

Various bizarre deep-sea creatures swim among them, some of which even possess rudimentary collective intelligence.

………………

At this moment, in the seventh layer of the abyss, extremely far from the main world.

This is the secret meeting place of the Supreme Apostles, a special space that even a great wizard cannot easily detect or reach.

The surrounding environment itself is a complete denial of normal reality:
Gravity changes at will according to the observer's intention, color is transformed into sound, time flows in a spiral, and thoughts leave visible light trails in the air.

"The plan failed."

The voice of Nas, the "Invisible Mist," was like whispers overlapping from countless different dimensions:

"This little guy can actually accurately predict the coordinates of the target to be teleported."

Its misty body churned violently, and all its internal eyes turned in the same direction, staring intently at the observatory.

"I have already replaced the teleportation coordinates of the Chaotic Spirits, and even the most advanced detection equipment at the observation station has been completely deceived."

But he was able to sense threats in advance, an ability that far exceeded the normal range.

The "flesh sculpture" Bradesh unleashed a furious roar that shook the entire dimension, a sound like the simultaneous howls of a million wild beasts:

"I told you long ago, this roundabout strategy is too complicated! Wouldn't it be simpler and more effective to just send the Awakened Legion to attack the observation station, capture that brat, and reform him?"

Its enormous fleshy tentacles lashed wildly in the void, leaving deep red marks with each swing:
"For a nobody who has just been promoted to a formal wizard, direct military conquest is the only way to solve the problem!"

“You still don’t understand, Bradesh.”

Nass's tone grew colder, and all eyes in the mist turned to the flesh-and-blood aggregate:

"This human being possesses some special quality that none of us can fully comprehend."

It wasn't just the purity of the primordial wizard's soul, but also some deeper, more mysterious qualities.

It paused, and the sound became like an echo from the deepest abyss:
“I can sense that if we can successfully turn him into our ally, it will have a decisive impact on the entire grand plan.”

Therefore, rather than resorting to simple and brutal arrest and torture, I would much rather he 'voluntarily' join our cause.

Meanwhile, Magus, the "Void Spider," used its unique perception ability, which allows it to traverse different timelines, to examine countless possibilities in the distant future.

Its sound is like an echo from the past, present, and future:

"But the window of opportunity has closed, at least in the near term."

The threads that Magus was controlling vibrated:

"Cassandra has now reached the stargate outpost at the edge of the main world, and in a day or two at most, she will officially return to the Central Lands through this transit station."

We cannot take any further large-scale direct action until she returns.

This news left the other two Supreme Apostles feeling deeply frustrated.

Cassandra's power is undeniable; even to the Supreme Apostles, she is an extremely dangerous opponent.

Moreover, as the main driving force behind the deep-sea observation network, she provided meticulous protection for the observation stations and all related personnel.

"Damn stargate outpost!"

Bradesh roared in fury, his fleshy tentacles tearing wildly at the distorted space around him: "Those old geezers of the Court of Truth!"

The Stargate Outpost is located in a special space within the "Labyrinth Domain," the sixth level of the Great Abyss.

It is not only the most important strategic facility in the Wizarding World, but also a stable passage from the main world to various planes and dimensions.

The outpost is not only equipped with the most advanced defense systems, but also has a Witch King-level being keeping a close watch on it.

Even the so-called Supreme Apostle would never dare to act recklessly in such a place.

Nass's misty body slowly contracted:
"Since direct action is not feasible in the short term, we can only wait patiently for other opportunities."

Its tone became even more sinister:

"But sooner or later, this human will be driven by needs to explore deeper into the core areas of the Great Abyss."

By then... on the Abyss's absolute home turf, we'll have plenty of ways to 'persuade' him.

"Don't forget that brat Yutel is secretly protecting you."

Magus promptly pointed out that a blurry image of the old man's silver phantom had appeared in its special vision:
"His ethereal form has fully adapted to and taken root in the abyss environment, and his ability to recall history and sense crises here is extremely terrifying."

Its voice carried a faint warning:

"Let's leave this attempt here for now. Let's all be careful and avoid attracting unnecessary attention from the main world."

The three shadows began to fade away, and the secret meeting came to an end.

………………

Two days later, in the largest "Hall of Falling Stars" of the Crystal Spire.

The gentle light originally used for academic gatherings has been replaced with blazing golden-red demonic flames.

Hundreds of floating flame lanterns slowly rotated under the dome, illuminating the entire hall like a palace of the god of war.

The stone slabs on the walls, originally engraved with famous quotes from scholars throughout history, have now been transformed into three-dimensional reliefs depicting scenes of conquest:
Dragons prostrate themselves at the feet of wizards, otherworldly cities burn in magical flames, and various non-human races kneel in surrender.

Each relief exudes a faint magical aura, making the scenes in the paintings appear as if they were actually happening.

Ron was standing in the queue belonging to the Abyss Observatory.

Beside him were Wayne, the head of the research group, and a dozen other researchers and explorers from the observatory.

He activated his "superhuman recognition" skill, carefully observing the situation of the thousands of attendees around him.

Everyone was at least a formal wizard of the Morning Star level, and their expressions and postures were all different.

Traditional wizards mostly have serious faces and a hint of worry in their eyes;

The young wizards, on the other hand, seemed excited and expectant, as if they were about to witness a historic moment.

Most disturbing are the changes in the observation station queue.

Those members who had long suffered from the corruption of the abyss were now exhibiting a kind of morbid excitement.

Wayne's petrified half of his face began to glow faintly, and Mary's artificial eyes began to blink rapidly.

Even the usually composed Martin unconsciously tapped the instrument at his waist with his calloused fingers.

"They can sense things that I can't."

Ron analyzed this unusual phenomenon in his mind:

"A consequence of the abyss's corruption, causing them to resonate with certain energy fluctuations?"

Just as he was thinking, the space in the center of the hall began to distort violently.

The air rippled like water, emitting a low hum.

Then, a gigantic portal, occupying the entire field of vision, slowly opened. It was a complex hexagram array, with each point pointing to a different spatial dimension.

The door frame is made of some kind of living metal that moves on its own, and its surface is engraved with a declaration of conquest written in an otherworldly script.

The characters kept changing color and shape, as if telling the tragic story of countless conquered civilizations.

"What an... impressive entrance."

Ron narrowed his eyes. Through the special perception of the "Hermit's Sense," he could sense the terrifying energy contained within this portal.

A single inter-world teleportation of this scale would likely consume the equivalent of a year's worth of magic power in Dawnport.

The otherworldly aura emanating from the other side of the portal instilled a deep sense of unease.

The first thing to appear was not Cassandra herself, but a huge battle banner.

This flag is made up of six small flags from different civilizations, each flag representing an alien race that she conquered.

At the very top is a transparent flag woven from crystal threads, with sparkling points of active thought within it;

On the left is a silver flag woven from metal fibers, with geometric patterns unique to mechanical civilization flowing across its surface;
On the right is a rainbow-colored flag made of pure energy binding material, constantly changing colors that are dizzying.
The flags at the bottom were actually woven from living tissue.

The surface was still slightly undulating, as if it still retained some kind of life characteristic.

"Every flag is a funeral dirge for a civilization."

Ron sensed the faint energy fluctuations emanating from the flags, and a complex mix of emotions welled up within him.

As a rational researcher, he certainly understood the value of conquest and plunder.

But seeing this behavior, which reduces the entire civilization to mere decoration, still made him frown.

Cassandra followed closely behind, appearing not in human form but in a demigod state.

It was a radiant energy body that was constantly expanding, with a diameter of several hundred meters.

Inside the void, there is a complex three-dimensional structure composed of countless tiny energy particles.

Each particle flashes with light at a different frequency, together creating a dizzying multidimensional picture.

The entire void resembled a miniature purple sun, radiating an awe-inspiring brilliance that was impossible to look directly at.

As soon as Cassandra appeared from the portal, an immense mental pressure instantly swept through the entire hall.

Even formal wizards, when faced with the pressure of a great wizard, have to do their best to maintain their mental defenses.

Ron felt a wave of dizziness, and all the magic in his body was activated on its own, trying to resist this overwhelming pressure.

But what caught his attention even more was the reaction of the observation station members.

Those researchers and explorers who had long suffered from the corruption of the abyss showed obvious signs of relief when they came into contact with the light of Cassandra's ethereal remains.

Wayne's petrified half of his face began to regain color, Mary's artificial eye's blinking became stable, and even Martin's keratinized fingers temporarily stopped deteriorating.

"Her ethereal structure...can suppress the erosion of the abyss to some extent?"

Ron keenly perceived this crucial information:
"No, it looks more like it can produce some kind of synergistic effect with the energy of the abyss. This also means..."

His thoughts were interrupted by Cassandra's change.

The radiant void began to shrink, reforming into human form.

When the light faded, a young witch who looked to be in her early twenties appeared before everyone.

She resembled a fully mature Eve, with hair as black as the night sky, delicate and aloof features, and an enviable figure.

But what's most striking is the witch's eyes, which are practically two slowly rotating purple vortexes.

"Colleagues."

Cassandra's voice echoed in the hall, her gentle tone a stark contrast to the imposing aura she had just displayed:
"After decades of intermittent conquests in other worlds, I have brought back a precious gift for the School Alliance."

She waved her right hand lightly, and various awe-inspiring beings began to emerge from behind the portal.

The first items on display were spoils from the "Crystal Mind Civilization".

Six transparent crystal giants, each tens of meters tall, were slowly pushed out; their bodies were entirely composed of some kind of living crystal.

Inside, countless shimmering points of light can be clearly seen; these are the embodiment of their thought processes.

Each point of light represents a fragment of thought, and the entire network of points of light constitutes a complete system of wisdom.

“These are ‘thought carriers’ from the Crystal Civilization of the Fourth Quadrant.”

Cassandra's voice was filled with obvious satisfaction:
"They were originally the philosophers and scientists of that civilization, possessing spatial theories and energy manipulation technologies that are beyond our reach. Now, all their knowledge belongs to us."

As she spoke, one of the crystal giants began to "perform".

Its body is shimmering with complex patterns of light, with countless energy threads intertwining and entwining within the crystal.

Immediately afterwards, a sophisticated three-dimensional model of a galaxy appeared in the air, showcasing the Crystal Civilization's unique understanding of the structure of the universe.

The model not only includes conventional stars and planets, but also shows the distribution of various hidden dimensions and energy fields.

This knowledge is of immeasurable value to wizards, especially those who specialize in spatial magic.

Ron carefully observed the internal structure of the crystal giant, and through his "supernatural perception," he could discern the essence of these beings.

They were once intelligent beings with independent consciousness, but now they have been completely enslaved and turned into living knowledge repositories.

"Forced memory retrieval and consciousness reconstruction..."

He analyzed the implementation principle of this technology in his mind:

"Through special modulation techniques, the brain structure of the target life form is completely modified, retaining knowledge and memories, but eliminating personal will. Although this method is cruel, it is indeed the most direct way to obtain knowledge from other worlds."

What followed was even more breathtaking: dozens of "synthetic hounds" marched out of the portal in neat rows.

They look like a perfect fusion of machinery and flesh.

The bones and internal organs have been replaced by sophisticated mechanical structures, but the skin and muscle tissue retain their biological characteristics.

Each hound has a streamlined body, hydraulically driven joints in its limbs, and deployable energy wings on its back.

The most bizarre thing about them is their eyes: one is a blood-red biological eyeball, and the other is a mechanical detector that flashes blue light.

"These are the standard law enforcement units of the 'Iron Federation'."

Individually, their combat strength is equivalent to that of a standard Morning Star level wizard; when combined into a hunting squad, they pose a deadly threat to Moon Star level wizards.

Cassandra gently stroked the head of one of them, and the synthetic hound immediately lay down, emitting a low growl that sounded like a machine in operation.
"At its peak, the Iron Federation had tens of thousands of such war machines. After the war, there were still more than four thousand left, and they all obeyed my orders."

To demonstrate the synthetic hounds, Cassandra gestured for several of them to perform.

They instantly transformed into different combat forms:
Some of them stretched out their limbs and transformed into a multi-legged form similar to a spider, moving so fast that their tracks were almost invisible.
Some of them spread out energy wings on their backs, hovered in the air, and fired high-energy laser beams from their mouthparts, easily leaving charred marks on the anti-magic ground;
Most surprisingly, one of them underwent a brief phase shift, becoming translucent and passing directly through the solid pillar.

This combination of biotechnology and magical technology showed the wizards present entirely new possibilities.

Especially those researchers specializing in bloodline modulation and alchemy, their eyes began to gleam with greed.

"Technology for modifying mechanical life forms..."

Ron intently observed the structure of the synthetic hound, trying to understand its mysteries:
"This is not just a simple mechanical modification, but a deep reconstruction that takes place during the embryonic development stage."

The biological growth process has been reprogrammed, allowing flesh and machinery to fuse perfectly at the molecular level.

The final exhibit was even more practical, featuring several "rainbow sprites" trapped in specially made crystal containers.

They have no fixed form; their bodies are made of pure elemental energy, like a living rainbow flowing within a container.

Even through the thick crystal walls, the wizards present could feel the intense fear and despair emanating from them.

These spirits kept changing colors, from bright golden yellow to deep blue-purple, each color change accompanied by painful emotional fluctuations.

"These are the natives of the 'Spectral Plane,' who are born with the ability to manipulate light and various forms of energy."

Cassandra's tone was one of satisfaction, as if she were introducing a precious work of art from her own collection:

“Each rainbow sprite can provide us with the energy output equivalent to a magic factory. Moreover, their lifespan is measured in centuries, making them an extremely stable energy source.”

To demonstrate the value of the Rainbow Fairy, she lightly tapped the surface of one of the containers.

The touched sprite immediately began to release energy in agony, the colorful light inside the container became intense and dazzling, and the magic concentration in the entire hall instantly doubled.

This forced energy extraction process was extremely painful; the elven light began to dim, and its color gradually shifted towards a deep red, representing suffering.

But Cassandra's expression remained unchanged, as if the pain had nothing to do with her.

Many viewers felt distinctly uncomfortable, but for many more, their eyes gleamed with greed.

Ron also experienced a complex emotional conflict.

As a rational researcher, he certainly understood the value of such a highly efficient energy source.

The energy output of the Rainbow Spirits is not only stable but also virtually pollution-free, making it an ideal condition that any research would dream of.

"The eternal conflict between morality and pragmatism..."

He analyzed his own emotions in his mind:
“If these rainbow spirits are cooperating voluntarily, providing energy in exchange for protection and resources, I will have no objection.”

Cassandra noticed the wizards' reactions in the hall and a satisfied smile appeared on her lips.

Fear, greed, shock, awe... a variety of emotions flashed across the faces of the crowd, which was exactly the effect she wanted to achieve.

(End of this chapter)