Wizard: My career panel has no upper limit

Chapter 339 The Call of New Stars
After finishing his meditation, Ron slowly opened his eyes, feeling the gentle flow of stellar energy within his body.

The illumination of the Scholar Star brought him unprecedented knowledge integration capabilities and gave him a clearer understanding of his future path.

"The requirements for becoming an astrologer..." He gently stroked the ancient star chart on the table, his brows furrowing slightly.

To become an astrologer, one must not only reach a proficient level in astrology, but also complete a full "star-gazing ritual".

This is undoubtedly an extremely complex and dangerous process.

The ceremony must be performed under specific celestial conditions and uses dozens of precious materials, including celestial crystals, astrological stones, and space stabilizers.

More importantly, during the ritual, the practitioner's consciousness is projected into the depths of the starry sea, making direct contact with the ancient consciousness among those stars.

“This level of risk…” Ron recalled the mental pressure he had endured while communicating with the King of Illusions, and a deep sense of vigilance rose in his heart:
Even beings at the level of a Witch King must be so cautious when mentioning certain higher-dimensional powers.

Conducting a stargazing ceremony rashly could easily attract unwanted attention.

He got up and walked to the window, gazing at the twinkling stars in the night sky.

Every star may harbor an indescribable consciousness.

An astrologer's initiation ceremony is essentially an active request to make contact with these beings.

"Let's find an opportunity to ask Professor Yutel for his opinion before making a decision."

He had to prepare to return to the observation station tomorrow, and he made a plan in his mind:

"As a occultist, the professor should have a deeper understanding of these kinds of dangerous rituals."

On the other hand, the preparation of materials required for the ceremony is also extremely complicated.

The quality requirements for celestial crystals alone necessitate finding different crystals corresponding to specific constellations, each of which is quite valuable.

Not to mention the auxiliary equipment used to construct stable spatial fields.

"A gradual approach is the right choice." Ron finally decided on his strategy:
"First, solidify your current skills and profession before considering breakthroughs at a higher level."

The next morning, in the office lobby of the Academic Affairs Office, Evan, the staff member in charge of course management, was organizing the teaching schedule for the month.

He had a thin build, deep-set eyes, and a slightly tired look from handling documents for a long time.

When Ron walked into the office, Evan looked up, a hint of fear in his eyes.

Being the second-in-command in the Rising Star Program put significant pressure on this ordinary staff member.

“Instructor Ralph, is there anything I can do for you?”

Evan's voice trembled slightly, and the quill pen in his hand swayed involuntarily.

“I need to adjust the curriculum,” Ron said bluntly.

"Change the existing regular courses to monthly advanced courses, which will only be offered for one week each month, but the depth of the content and the price will be increased accordingly."

Evan paused for a moment, and the quill pen in his hand stopped swinging:
"You mean... the price increases for one week every month? By how much?"

“Three times,” Ron replied calmly.

"Three times?!" Evan's voice rose several octaves, drawing sidelong glances from several colleagues around him.
“Ralph, are you sure you want to make this adjustment? This price… might affect students’ willingness to enroll.”

He explained cautiously:
"Your courses are already much more expensive than other tutors' courses. If we increase them to three times the original price... each course will cost three hundred magic stone fragments."

This price doesn't even match the courses offered by some senior lecturers; it's almost as high as those for associate professors.

The female staff member in charge of finance chimed in:

"Furthermore, according to academic statistics, for every 50% increase in price, the number of applicants decreases by about 30%. If it goes directly to three times..."

The female staff member didn't finish her sentence, but her meaning was already quite clear.

She believes Ron's pricing strategy is too aggressive and could lead to the embarrassing situation of no one taking the courses.

“The depth and value of the content will also increase accordingly.” Ron’s tone remained calm.

"Students who are willing to pay for high-quality teaching are usually the most diligent students. This kind of selection benefits everyone involved."

Evan frowned, quickly calculating in his mind the possible consequences of this adjustment:
"Ralph, we all recommend that you proceed gradually."

We can start by increasing the price by 50%, see the market reaction, and then consider further adjustments..."

Another older academic affairs officer standing nearby echoed the sentiment.

These academic staff members clearly believed that his assessment of the market was overly optimistic.

“I understand your concerns,” Ron said calmly.

"But I have full confidence in the value of my course, and I will personally bear the loss if there are insufficient enrollments."

Having said all that, Victor and his colleague sighed and offered no further advice.

"Well... since you insist, we certainly have no objection."

Evan had no choice but to compromise, but he still couldn't help raising another issue:
"However, as per your request, since it's an advanced course, more advanced teaching aids are needed, so you'll need to pay additional venue fees..."

"No problem, just give me the bill."

Evan and several other staff members exchanged glances.

In their view, the young lecturer was clearly blinded by his newfound status and made an extremely unwise decision.

"I'll arrange it for you right away." He sighed softly, "But have you really thought this through? What if the number of applicants drops drastically..."

“That means this price range has filtered out unsuitable students.” Ron turned to leave. “Let me know as soon as there are results.”

After watching Ron leave, Evan shook his head and said to his colleagues:

"That's too impulsive. Three times the price? I bet his classroom will be only a fifth full."

The finance manager chimed in:
"The title of second place in the Rising Star Program is indeed valuable, but not worth this much money."

Students aren't stupid; this price is more than enough to attend classes taught by some experienced instructors.

However, four hours after the course adjustment information was released, Evan's Magic Crystal Communicator began flashing wildly.

“Mr. Evan, the advanced course registration system for Instructor Ralph seems to have encountered a data malfunction.”

The apprentice in charge of network maintenance reported in a panic:

"The number of applicants is growing a bit too fast, no, it seems to be the real data... The prepaid magic stone fragments have already been deposited into my account..."

"What?" Evan looked at the real-time data in disbelief. "This... how is this possible?"

In just a few hours, the number of people who signed up had exceeded 100, and it is still growing at a rate of 5-6 people per hour.

Even more surprisingly, the applicants included not only apprentices but also several formal wizards.

"Quickly, contact the equipment department and request the use of the large lecture hall!" Evan frantically gave instructions.

"We also need to add loudspeaker equipment and temporary seating!"

That afternoon, Evan had to go to Ron's residence in person to report the situation.

When he saw Ron, his face was filled with deep respect.

“Instructor Ralph, I… I must apologize to you.” Evan bowed, his voice trembling slightly.

“I completely underestimated your appeal; the number of applicants has already exceeded 150 and is still growing.”

He carefully handed over a detailed report:
"This includes 8 full-fledged wizards, 67 advanced apprentices, and the rest are intermediate apprentices."

We had to apply to use the college's larger lecture hall, which has enough seats to accommodate 350 people.

As is your practice, we also provide opportunities for some of the poorer apprentices to audit the classes, so we need to set up more seats.

Ron took the report and quickly scanned the data.

In his eyes, the position of second place in the Rising Star Program was a quantifiable resource, and its value far exceeded his expectations.

"How much does the equipment cost?" he asked.

"In total... in total, an additional 50 magic stone fragments will be required." Evan's voice was even softer:
"This is for renting a large lecture hall, adding amplified text, and temporary seating. This is already an internal discounted price..."

"It's okay, just deduct it from my income from the first class."

Based on what he knew, this was indeed a relatively favorable price, and Ron was too lazy to haggle over such a small amount of money.

When Evan returned, several staff members who hadn't yet left work immediately surrounded him.

"Evan, what was the result? Is there really anyone willing to pay such expensive tuition?"

"How did Instructor Ralph look? Was he very disappointed?"

Evan shook his head, his eyes filled with awe:
"In less than a few hours, more than 100 people signed up, including several formal wizards."

"We're not worried about not having enough applicants, we're worried about not having enough classrooms." A deathly silence fell over the office; everyone stared wide-eyed.

"This...this is impossible," the finance administrator muttered to himself.

"A course requiring 300 magic stone fragments has attracted over 100 applicants?"

"It seems we completely misunderstand what 'the value of reputation' means," Evan said with a wry smile.
"The title of second place in the Rising Star Program is worth much more than we imagined."

He recalled the nonchalant expression on Ron's face earlier; the other party had probably anticipated this outcome.

This young man has a remarkably accurate assessment of his own influence.

"Geniuses are called geniuses because they possess qualities that are completely incomprehensible to us ordinary people."

Evan sighed to his colleagues.

………………

At dawn, the large aircraft heading to the Abyss Observatory slowly started up, its magic engine emitting a deep and powerful roar.

The waiting hall was filled with researchers of all kinds, preparing to return home, and each of their faces showed a complex mix of emotions about the dangers they were about to face.

Ron stood in the crowd, with the exquisite briefcase containing the compression workshop beside him.

This attracted envious glances from several young researchers nearby.

“Instructor Ralph, your spatial device looks quite advanced,”

A materials analyst wearing thick glasses sighed:
"With this level of compression, you'd need at least dozens of complete magic stones on the market, right?"

"It's alright, the main problem is the complexity of the process," Ron replied modestly.

A middle-aged researcher who looked quite experienced shook his head with a wry smile:

"We ordinary people can't enjoy this kind of treatment."

My experimental equipment can only be shipped, and it will need to be readjusted once it arrives at the observation station, which will waste at least several days.

After boarding the aircraft, the captain showed significantly more respect to Ron than to the others when confirming the passenger list.

“Ralph Wizard, your seat is in Section A, third row, where the view is the best.”

The captain personally led the way for him: "If you need any special services, you can call the crew at any time."

This special treatment drew even more attention from other passengers.

Some people's eyes were full of envy, while others held a subtle hostility.

The aircraft's interior design is full of a utilitarian, cool aesthetic.

The metal panel was engraved with dense protective runes, each emitting a faint blue light.

The seats are made of a living material that can automatically adjust its firmness, and they feel warm to the touch but also have a strange wriggling sensation.

About an hour after the aircraft had been flying smoothly, the magic crystal communicator next to Ron's seat suddenly lit up with a blue light.

"Lecturer Ralph, this is Evan," came the slightly excited voice of the academic administrator from the communicator.

"I have some good news to report to you."

Your advanced course has reached a final enrollment count of 227 people, and we have added a magic amplification array.

Evan's voice was filled with awe:

"To be honest, the scale of this registration, your influence... is truly incredible."

"In addition, several lecturers from other colleges have also sent collaboration invitations, hoping to have academic exchanges with you."

It seems your reputation in academia extends beyond the Crystal Spire.

Ron calmly replied, "I understand, thank you for letting me know."

After the communication ended, several researchers sitting nearby overheard the conversation, and the complex emotions in their eyes became even more apparent.

A young research assistant couldn't help but sigh:

"227 people signed up... I remember that only a few hundred people attended some of the lectures given by associate professors."

"The title of second place in the Nova Project is truly well-deserved," another researcher said sourly.
"With political status, even academic reputation can rise accordingly."

Ron didn't participate in the discussion; he simply looked out the window quietly.

Outside the porthole, the clouds rolled like ocean waves, and in the distance, one could vaguely see those eerie clouds polluted by the abyss.

"Ralph the Wizard, here's your tea." The flight attendant carefully served him the drink.

The flight attendant looked to be no more than thirty years old, but her left arm was completely mechanized, with intricate energy circuits engraved on its silver metallic surface.

After prolonged exposure to the abyss's aura, the mutation of certain body parts is inevitable, and actively replacing them with mechanical parts is actually a safer option.

"Thank you." Ron took the teacup, noticing the look of awe in the flight attendant's eyes.

He'd seen that look in his eyes far too often lately.

In the wizarding world, power is often equated with danger.

………………

As the aircraft descended, the entire view of the abyss observation station gradually became clear through the porthole.

Those twisted buildings made of living metal looked particularly eerie against the backdrop of the gloomy sky.

As the aircraft opened its hatch, Ron could feel that familiar sense of oppression in the air wash over him once again.

Everything here serves as a reminder that people are on the border between reality and the abyss, a dangerous zone where they could be swallowed by darkness at any moment.

After being given priority to leave the cabin through the VIP channel, Ron walked into the entrance of the observation station and completed routine checks.

“Ron… I’m sorry, I should call you Wizard Ralph.” After the test was completed, a familiar voice came from the side.

Manager Wayne was walking over from the reception desk, forcing a smile onto his half-petrified face.

However, compared to before, his address and attitude have undergone subtle but obvious changes.

“Welcome back to the observatory.” Wayne’s tone sounded polite but distant.
"I heard you're now second in the Rising Star Program, that's truly... truly a cause for celebration."

Ron felt uncomfortable with the overly polite tone.

Although Wayne was serious before, he at least treated him as an equal colleague.

This deliberate show of respect has only created distance between them.

"Manager Wayne, it's fine to do things the same way as before," Ron tried to ease the awkwardness.
"We are colleagues after all..."

"How can this be?" Wayne waved his hands repeatedly, his petrified cheeks making a slight rubbing sound as his expression changed.
“Your current status and position are no longer on the same level as those of us ordinary researchers, and moreover…”

He paused for a moment, his eyes showing a subtle glint in them:

"I heard that you have been granted independent research privileges and can report directly to the Tower Master and Professor Yutel."

How dare we, insignificant figures, point fingers at you?

Deputy Supervisor Zeli also walked over at this moment, her crystal eyeball flickering:
"Congratulations, Wizard Ralph. To be valued by Tower Master Cassandra is an honor that we can only dream of."

Her voice sounded like she was offering congratulations, but the detachment in her tone was clearly audible:

“We were previously considering whether to recommend you to participate in a few key projects, but now it seems there is no need for that.”

With your position, you can apply for any research resources you want on your own.

Both Zeli and Wayne were extremely polite, but the meaning behind their words was already very clear.

"You've all misunderstood," he tried to explain.

"My research focuses on materials analysis and blood vessel modulation, which is still within the scope of my department's work..."

“Oh, of course, of course.” Wayne nodded repeatedly, but the wariness in his eyes did not lessen in the slightest.
"If there's anything you need our assistance with, just let us know."

The other researchers echoed this sentiment, each reacting in the same way: outwardly respectful, but inwardly distant.

They had clearly come to regard Ron as a superior they needed to handle carefully, rather than a colleague with whom they could communicate on equal terms.

In the midst of this slightly awkward atmosphere, a hearty laugh came from the other end.

"Haha, I knew there was a special smell in the air today!"

A somewhat rough voice rang out: "So it's our important person back!"

(End of this chapter)