Wizard: My career panel has no upper limit

Chapter 331 Restarting the Era

"These are... rule enforcers?"

Ron asked with difficulty, his voice becoming fragmented under mental pressure.

"They have many names—observers, balance maintainers, cosmic cleaners..."

Even the King of Illusions' voice became strained, as if the transmission of this message had been specially encrypted:

"But the most accurate name is 'anomaly catcher'."

They exist for only one purpose:
To maintain the fundamental stability of the universe and eliminate any anomalies that may threaten the established rules.

During a break in the mental pressure, Ron quickly analyzed this information.

The existence of anomaly catchers suggests that there is some kind of invisible regulatory mechanism in this universe.

Any development that deviates too far from the norm is likely to attract their attention.

"In the long past, there have been individual civilizations that attracted the attention of others by violating certain rules."

As a result… those civilizations were completely erased from the timeline, as if they had never existed.

Ron felt a deep chill.

"And you, as an outsider, are yourself seen as an anomaly disrupting their order."

His tone carried a strong warning:
"Your soul does not belong entirely to this universe, and this trait naturally places you within their surveillance."

The King of Illusions' words struck like lightning, causing a violent fluctuation in Ron's consciousness:

He had anticipated the Witch King's insight as an outsider, but being suddenly exposed by the other party still startled him.

Moreover, if these "abnormal catchers" really exist, then his current situation is extremely dangerous.

On the other hand, Ron was also filled with complex emotions.

Although he had long felt that even after completing the soul fusion, there was still a subtle disconnect between him and this world.

But hearing such direct confirmation still gave him a jolt.

"Don't get too hung up on your origins."

The King of Illusions seemed to sense his inner turmoil:

"In this universe, what matters is not where you come from, but where you are going."

The phrase "the blessing of the Creator" actually provides you with a certain degree of cover.

Since you are a being blessed by the embodiment of the universe's rules, your abnormality will not seem so glaring.

At least for now, they won't be focusing their attention on you. You must focus on the opportunities at hand, leverage your unique strengths, and gradually build real power.

This information gave Ron a slight sense of relief, but he immediately realized that this protection was only temporary.

As his strength grows, he will one day break through the threshold of this cover.

The King of Illusions then offered his own advice:

"You can try to move forward with your research plan, but you must be extremely careful."

Start with small-scale experiments and don't rush into large-scale creative projects.

If necessary, I will provide you with relevant ancient knowledge through clandestine channels, but I cannot offer any overt assistance.

Ron understood what it meant.

Any overly obvious act of support could attract higher-level attention.

"Besides these warnings, we can talk about topics you're really interested in."

The King of Illusions changed the subject, his tone becoming relatively relaxed:
"Regarding...the advancement of ancient alchemists."

This is one of Ron's biggest concerns right now.

Ancient alchemists, as a four-star profession, not only represent a significant boost in power but also serve as a crucial stepping stone to higher levels.

If he can successfully change jobs, the effect of his "Blessing of the Creator" should also be further enhanced.

Guided by the King of Illusions, the surrounding scenery began to change.

Those strange floating islands gradually gathered together, eventually forming a relatively stable space.

This place looks like a huge library, but the shelves are not filled with books, but with all sorts of strange objects.

Some are sparkling crystal balls, some are metal sculptures that constantly change shape, and some look like living memories trapped in containers.

"To become an ancient alchemist, four necessary conditions must be met simultaneously."

The King of Illusions controlled an ancient scroll that floated up automatically:

"First, you must reach the expert level in all three core skills—Potion Making, Alchemy, and Enchanting. With your current skill level, you can meet this requirement very soon."

"Secondly, it is necessary to create alchemical creatures with self-awareness."

Note that this is not simply about creating golems, but about creating real artificial life.

This kind of creature must possess independent thinking ability, emotional responses, and even a certain potential for self-evolution.

Ron thought of his "ink".

That autophagic slime has indeed demonstrated a certain level of intelligence, but it is probably still quite far from having "autonomous consciousness".

"Third, one must master at least one ancient skill that has been lost in this era."

These skills are usually recorded in forbidden texts or hidden in special ancient ruins.

The third condition made Ron frown slightly: "An ancient technique that has been lost?"

"Soul Forging, Causal Reversal, Shadow of Time..."

The voice of the King of Illusions echoed deep within his consciousness, each word like a sharp shard, cutting into the very edge of his mental defenses:

"The masters of these arts have long since vanished into the river of time. Most modern wizards only know their names, not their methods. But you..."

Soul forging, cause and effect reversal, the shadow of time... It all sounded inexplicably alluring, and Ron silently memorized them all.

"Greed is a virtue for researchers, but it is also a curse. Mastering one thing can bring you endless benefits. Don't be too delusional; you can't handle it."

The King of Illusions seemed to have read his thoughts, and his voice carried a hint of warning:

"The last condition is the most difficult for you right now—gaining the approval of the ancient alchemists."

There are no true ancient alchemists left in this era; you can only search for fragments of consciousness that remain in the river of time through historical projections.

"But be careful, some fragments often carry intense resentment and distortion. Many who attempt to contact them are completely corrupted during the process, becoming mad puppets."

Ron quickly analyzed in his mind the possible ways to gain approval.

He had indeed been exposed to historical projection technology, and Yutel's guidance gave him the basic skills.

The key is how to connect with those ancient consciousnesses without being corrupted.

This reminded him of Erica's projection in the silver pocket watch; there were indeed precedents for such dialogues that transcended time and space.

"After completing these basic requirements, you will need to choose a specialized path."

The pages begin to split into three parts, each depicting a different terrifying scene:
"Ancient alchemists would choose different paths of development based on their talents and preferences. Each path had its unique requirements and challenges."

For more details, you can consult the literature yourself. Due to time constraints, I won't go into further detail here... Oh, by the way…

The surrounding scenery suddenly changed drastically.

Those eerie floating islands began to sway violently, like ships in a storm.

The air itself became viscous, and with each breath, one could feel something alive wriggling deep in the throat.

“I understand that you seem quite interested in Lance’s concept of a consciousness archive.”

The King of Illusions suddenly changed the subject, his tone becoming increasingly menacing:

"Tell me, what do you want to achieve with this technology? Is it merely academic research, or is there a deeper plan?"

Ron forced himself to remain calm, even though the mental pressure was almost crushing his consciousness.

He realized this was a test.

It's not just a test of his courage, but also a test of his true motives.

"My current experimental concept is to combine consciousness archiving technology with mobile simulated combat devices."

He expressed his thoughts slowly and clearly, each word carefully chosen:
"The ultimate goal is to create a virtual environment that allows for multi-person consciousness interaction."

There, wizards could conduct various experiments, exchange knowledge, and even simulate the entire development process of civilization.

After saying these words, Ron felt a strange sense of relief.

Even at the last academic review meeting, he still held back.

This idea had been brewing in his mind for a long time, but he had never expressed it so fully to anyone.

As soon as he finished speaking, the surrounding chaos suddenly stopped.

The swaying islands stabilized again, and the whispers gradually faded away.

The air flowed normally again, but Ron could sense a deeper scrutiny taking place.

"Virtual world..."

The King of Illusions' voice carried a complex emotion, a mixture of surprise, excitement, and deep worry:

"Do you know what you're saying? You're trying to challenge the authority of reality itself."

He paused for a long time, so long that Ron almost thought He had left.

When the voice rang out again, it carried an almost sorrowful tone:

“There was indeed a civilization that possessed similar technology in the past. They were known as the ‘Dream Weaver Civilization’ and were able to create virtual worlds that were indistinguishable from reality.”

The surrounding scenery began to change, revealing a magnificent yet eerie scene:

Enormous biomechanical constructs floated in the void, each the size of a city.

The surfaces of these structures are covered with countless intricate neural networks, flashing with electric light representing thought processes.

"Initially, the virtual world was merely an auxiliary tool for them. Researchers conducted dangerous experiments in it, and explorers simulated the exploration of unknown environments."

In the image, countless tiny points of light flow through the neural network, representing tens of millions of consciousnesses active in the virtual environment.

"But gradually, they discovered that the virtual world could be made more perfect than reality."

No pain, no death, no limitations. Why endure the constraints of the physical world? The scene then shifted eerily.

The areas representing the real world began to dim, while the parts representing the virtual world became brighter and brighter.

The flow of the light spots also changed.

More and more consciousness is flowing into the virtual area, while the real area is gradually becoming empty.

"Ultimately, the entire civilization chose to migrate collectively. The consciousness of trillions of individuals simultaneously detached from their bodies and entered the virtual paradise they created themselves."

Ron saw the final scene:

Those massive biomechanical structures floated silently in the void, their surface neural networks shimmering with a frenzied light.

But beneath them, cities on countless planets are slowly decaying, and lifeless bodies are scattered in the streets.

"The maintenance of this virtual paradise requires energy support from the real world. When everyone is immersed in this false perfection, who will maintain those supporting systems?"

The King of Illusions seemed to be mourning this civilization:
"The system crashed after running for thousands of years. Energy depleted, servers overloaded, maintenance programs failed... The virtual paradise evaporated in an instant, and trillions of consciousnesses vanished simultaneously."

"In fact, the inherent strength of this civilization meant it wouldn't have perished so quickly."

The King of Illusions' voice was reduced to almost inaudible levels:

"But this complete departure from reality attracted the attention of the anomaly hunters. They did not intervene directly, but simply accelerated the system's decay process."

The image reveals some almost imperceptible details:

The key systems that support the virtual world experienced subtle "malfunctions" at certain critical moments.

These malfunctions may seem random, but when linked together they create a fatal chain reaction.

"Anomaly hunters rarely act directly," the King of Illusions explained.

"They prefer to subtly intervene, leading derailed civilizations toward self-destruction. This makes it appear as a natural outcome, leaving no trace of intervention."

At the end of the scene, the massive structures faded into darkness one by one.

Another desolate cemetery has been added to the universe.

"I will keep this warning in mind."

Ron's voice remained steady, but he had begun to reassess the risks of his plan:

"Any technology has the potential to be abused; the key is how to design appropriate restriction mechanisms."

He quickly analyzed in his mind the reasons for the failure of the Dreamweaver civilization.

The technology itself is not the problem; the problem lies in how it is used.

If sufficient security mechanisms can be established, it may be possible to avoid repeating the same mistakes.

Moreover, one must be extremely careful not to make one's research appear too radical.

"My original intention was to create an assistive tool, not a replacement."

Virtual environments should serve real-world research and development, not become a means of escaping reality.

"It's truly remarkable that you can remain calm under pressure."

The King of Illusions' tone returned to calm:
"Most people, upon hearing this warning, are either so frightened that they abandon the entire idea, or stubbornly believe that they will not repeat the same mistake. But you are thinking about how to prevent the tragedy from happening again."

"The key lies in establishing multiple security mechanisms,"

Ron continued his analysis:

"Time constraints, real-world validation, forced regression procedures..."

Every consciousness that enters the virtual environment must periodically return to the real world to ensure they do not lose their ability to perceive physical existence.

"Furthermore, access to virtual environments should be strictly tiered. Core functions should only be controlled by specially trained operators, while ordinary users should only be able to operate within restricted security areas."

This systematic thinking prompted the King of Illusions to let out a soft chuckle:
“Very good, it seems you are indeed qualified to access that dangerous knowledge.”

Lance's original research notes did indeed record more fundamental theories about 'consciousness weaving,' and I have a copy of those here as well.

"But I must warn you, this knowledge will be passed on to you in a... special way."

They cannot be obtained through normal channels, because any obvious connection could attract unnecessary attention.

Ron immediately understood what it meant.

Even beings at the level of a Witch King need to be cautious in the face of certain higher-level threats.

"Those documents will appear before you disguised in other forms,"

The King of Illusions continued:
"Remember, you must act as if you discovered this knowledge through your own research."

"I see."

Ron nodded in understanding, while mentally considering how to reasonably "discover" this knowledge:
"The illusion of independent research can protect me. Overly advanced knowledge, if it doesn't have a legitimate source, will only arouse suspicion."

At this point in the conversation, the King of Illusions' tone suddenly became unusually serious.

Ron felt the pressure around him rising again.

The oppressive force emanating from the higher-dimensional being was as heavy as a mountain, making it difficult for him to breathe.

"Since you are in this situation now, I have to tell you some of the truth about the current situation."

His voice seemed to come from the deepest abyss, each syllable carrying a suffocating weight:
"Cassandra's actions were secretly supported by certain ancient beings within the Court of Truth."

This is a profound struggle concerning the future direction of wizarding civilization.

Ron forced himself to stay rational, even though his mind was on the verge of collapse under the pressure.

The importance of this news forced him to focus all his attention on analysis.

If the conquerors truly have the support of a Witch King, then the scale and impact of this conflict far exceed his imagination.

"Specifically, they actually welcome this highly expansionary status quo."

For great minds, the ability to expand the possibilities of a timeline is more meaningful than its ability to persist stably.

He paused for a moment, his voice becoming even more somber:
"For beings at our level, the rise and fall of civilizations on a single timeline is not an unbearable loss."

If the current trajectory proves to be without a future, restarting the process of a new era may be necessary.

These words struck Ron like a thunderbolt, filling him with unprecedented fear.

Restarting the era... what does this mean?
Is everything right now—all the effort, all the emotions, all the existence—just a game that can end at any time?

In the eyes of these ancient beings, the trillions of lives of the wizarding civilization are nothing more than pawns on a chessboard.

I understand your surprise.

The King of Illusions seemed to sense his emotional fluctuations:

"But that's the harsh reality. On a higher scale, the life and death of a single civilization is just a temporary ripple. What really matters is ensuring that some form of intelligence can continue."

"But you are special."

His spirits lifted again, but the deeper meaning behind it made Ron even more uneasy:
"Your soul possesses a quality that transcends constraints."

Even if history were to be restarted, some of your core memories and traits might be preserved. This makes you a… valuable variable.

Outsider... The other party mentioned this word again.

"Don't get too hung up on the origins of the virus."

The voice of the King of Illusions interrupted his thoughts:

"The important thing is how to utilize this trait. You need to accumulate enough power and influence as soon as possible so that you can influence the direction of civilization's development at critical moments."

"In addition, you must also pay attention to cultivating some real abilities that will allow you to survive the 'reboot'."

A deep grasp of knowledge, a powerful soul structure, a connection with higher-dimensional beings… these can all become your protective charms.

The dream began to show signs of instability.

The basic elements that make up this space of consciousness begin to become transparent, and the whole world is slowly melting away.

Ron could feel a tremendous pulling force trying to pull his consciousness back to the real world.

Clearly, this cross-dimensional exchange is coming to an end.

Finally, here's some advice from those who've been there.

The King of Illusions' voice grew more distant, yet remained exceptionally clear:

"No matter what difficulties you face, never give up your thirst for knowledge."

Only absolute wisdom can find a way out of eternal chaos;
Only an unshakeable force can create hope from inevitable despair.

"In this dangerous universe, true power lies not in controlling others, but in controlling one's own destiny."

Only when you step out of the chessboard can you truly become the player.

As soon as those words were spoken, the entire dream world began to collapse rapidly.

Ron opened his eyes abruptly and found himself still lying in that sealed sleep pod.

The surrounding rune stickers still shimmered with a faint protective glow, and the air was filled with the familiar smell of disinfectant.

Everything seemed normal, as if the experience just now was just an ordinary dream.

But he knew it was not a dream.

The information revealed by the King of Illusions completely changed his understanding of the current situation.

The struggle between the conquerors and the traditionalists is merely a surface phenomenon of a larger game.

At a higher level, the great ones are determining the fate of the entire civilization.

He, a soul from outside the realm, was drawn into this sandbox game that could determine the fate of trillions of lives.

Yes... According to the King of Illusions, the recurrence of the wizarding civilization's era is like a sandbox that can be repeatedly demolished and rebuilt for them.

Ron slowly sat up and gently pressed his temples with both hands.

Although the exchange just now took place only at the level of consciousness, the pressure from the higher-dimensional being still left a mark deep within his mind.

As the first rays of dawn began to stream into the room through the observation window of the sleep pod, a new day was about to begin.

But for Ron, this is not just a continuation of time, but the beginning of a completely new phase.

He had clearer goals, more feasible plans, and... a deeper sense of crisis.

(End of this chapter)