Wizard: My career panel has no upper limit

Chapter 344 The Witch King's Gift
Deep within the treasure vault, Nari is experiencing the most intense yet happiest moment of her life.

It selected a recently deceased "corrosive sea snake" from its prey reserve.

These abyssal creatures possess relatively mild energy and retain abundant abyssal essence within their bodies.

"This should be a good fit."

Nari carefully examined the sea serpent's carcass to ensure it contained no excessively violent energy components:
"Gentle, pure, and nutritious... just like the first complementary food prepared for a baby."

It carefully placed the sea snake carcass near the puppet, then nervously and expectantly watched the puppet's reaction.

"Eat up, my darling..."

Nari's voice was full of love and expectation, her tone like a mother coaxing her child to eat.
"This will make you stronger and healthier..."

At first, the puppet did not react at all, lying quietly in the soft nest.

Nari began to worry, and anxiety appeared in his huge eyes:

"Don't you like the taste? Or is it too hard to chew?"

Just as it was about to change its food, a miracle happened.

Tiny rune circuits began to appear on the surface of the puppet.

The previously hidden energy channels were activated, emitting a faint but stable light.

These runic circuits began to function like a digestive system, extending countless hair-thin energy tentacles toward the sea serpent's corpse.

"It's eating! It's eating!"

Nari trembled with excitement, all her tentacles flailing wildly in the air:

"My baby is eating!"

The puppet's "feeding" process is full of order, completely different from the usually chaotic abyss erosion.

Those energy tentacles precisely decomposed the sea serpent's corpse, extracting the useful essence while rejecting the waste.

The entire process is like a precise chemical analysis, with each step involving accurate calculations.

As the decomposition proceeded, the energy recharge within the puppet's body began to increase, while simultaneously emitting a stronger wave of blessing.

This fluctuation, like a warm spring breeze, gently soothed Nari's chaotic consciousness.

"This feeling……"

Nari felt the feedback from the puppet, and another secondary node of consciousness stabilized:

"So warm...so comfortable...it feels like being back in my mother's arms..."

The enormous monster began to churn within the treasure vault, its tentacles flailing wildly, unable to contain its excitement like a child who had received candy.

"It's a success! It's really a success! I finally have a real child!"

This was the first time Nari had experienced the sense of accomplishment and happiness of being a "mother".

Watching the puppet quietly "eat," it felt an unprecedented sense of satisfaction.

It wasn't the thrill of conquest, nor the expansion of power, but a pure feeling of love and being needed.

"I'm going to prepare even more delicious food for you."

Nari began planning a more diverse "recipe":
"Sea snakes are too monotonous. There are also abyssal jellyfish, corrosive vines, nightmare spider silk... each with different nutritional value."

It's like a new mother creating a baby diet, carefully considering the combination and nutritional balance of each food:

"It can't be too monotonous; it needs to be nutritionally balanced and easily digestible..."

From this moment on, Nari's life took on a completely new meaning.

It is no longer an ancient monster guarding the collection in solitude, but a "mother" with responsibility and expectations.

Although this "mother-son relationship" may seem absurd to outsiders.

But for Nari, this was the most precious experience of its long life.

The other collectibles in the vault seemed to sense their owner's joy as well.

The glowing fragments of souls began to dance more actively, and the still-beating heart quickened its rhythm.

The entire space is enveloped in this warm atmosphere, like a cozy little family.

Deep within the Sea of ​​Lightless, an ancient monster is learning how to become a proper "mother."

Meanwhile, in a distant observation post, a young wizard is diligently cultivating for greater power.

Two seemingly unrelated clues are closely connected by a faint thread of consciousness.

………………

In the laboratory late at night, the light from the magic crystal lamps cast an eerie hue on the yellowed pages.

The binding method of these papers is extremely special.

Each page is connected by a living fiber called "memory silk".

As Ron turns the pages, the fibers wiggle slightly, as if savoring the fluctuations of the reader's thoughts.

He frowned; the ink on the paper would subtly change depending on the reader's level of understanding.

When you think deeply about a certain point of view, the relevant text becomes clearer;

When questions arise, some side notes will automatically appear, providing supplementary explanations.

This "living book" was one of Cassandra's early innovations.

It can resonate with the reader's spirit and provide a personalized learning experience.

"The importance of experimental ethics cannot be ignored. We must ensure that every blood transfusion is based on the subject's full informed consent..."

"A true scholar should take it upon himself to alleviate suffering, not to create more suffering..."

"If our research cannot make the world a better place, then even the most profound knowledge is meaningless..."

As Ron continued reading, he discovered a chilling detail.

These gentle and idealistic words, under his extraordinary perception, would occasionally "twitch," revealing the original, covered content:
"Whether the participants consent or not does not affect the scientific value of the experiment..."

"Pain is merely a necessary price to pay in the process of acquiring knowledge..."

"Individual sacrifices, if for greater progress, are undoubtedly worthwhile..."

These hidden texts only flash briefly before being covered up again by a facade of "goodwill".

"Interesting editing techniques."

Ron gently stroked one of the pages, feeling the subtle pulse emanating from the threads of memory:

“These early papers were later altered to conceal the true ideas.”

He activated all his perception-related skills and characteristics and began to carefully observe the deep structure of the paper.

Under special viewing conditions, each page of paper appears to be layered.

On the surface, it presents a polished image of "charity," but beneath lies a darker and more pragmatic true ideology.

"This is not a change in personality, but a process of gradually shedding the disguise."

Ron drew his own conclusion in his mind:

“She had this cold nature from the beginning, but she tried to hide it in the early days.”

He carefully examined the time stamps in the paper and began to construct a detailed timeline.

As Cassandra's mastery of "The Star Eater's Whispers" deepened, her "disguise" gradually weakened.

It wasn't replaced by some external will, but rather its inherently cold nature was gradually amplified under the influence of the power of the stars.

Ron recalled his recent psychological changes, that gradual numbness towards the ancient alchemists' experiments:

“I’m going through the same process.”

He took out a specially made "self-reflection mirror".

This is a psychological state monitoring tool created based on astrological principles and alchemy.

A mirror does not reflect appearances, but rather reveals the observer's true inner state.

After all, sometimes we are unaware of certain changes ourselves, and we need the projection of a third party to reflect the "true face".

In the mirror, he saw a version of himself whose gaze was gradually turning cold.

"At least I can still recognize this change."

Ron sighed softly and reluctantly put away the mirror:
"Recognizing the existence of a problem means that there is still a possibility of recovery. The key is to establish an effective monitoring mechanism."

Just as he was about to continue studying the next document, a strange sound suddenly came from the corner of the lab bench.

"Tick...tick..."

It was the sound coming from that rather old-fashioned "consciousness analysis device".

Such devices are usually silent when running, and there is only one possibility for this regular sound—unprocessed data is stored inside.

Ron approached and observed that the surface of the equipment was covered with a fine layer of frost.

These frost flowers are not ordinary water vapor condensation, but "crystallized substances" produced when the mind is overloaded.

“Someone has conducted intensive analysis here.”

He carefully touched the surface of the device, and his fingertips immediately felt the residual spiritual imprint.

Using his "Historical Research" skill and its additional attribute "Sensitivity," he captured some vague fragments of memory:

A figure operates the equipment alone in the dead of night, surrounded by countless complex data projections;
The man's hands were trembling, as if he was under immense mental pressure;

Several empty glasses of energy drinks lay on the table, indicating that the work had been going on for quite some time...

"It seems someone left something for me on purpose."

According to the standard procedures of the observation station, all laboratories undergo thorough data cleaning when personnel are transferred.

It is virtually impossible for legacy documents to be found.

Ron first used various complex instruments, and then combined them with his own perception to conduct careful testing.

The reading process is only activated after confirming that there are no malicious traps.

The device emitted a low hum, and the internal crystallization of thought began to glow, then projected a data file.

The title displayed on the screen made his heart race:
"A Fundamental Theoretical Exploration of Virtual Environment Construction (Draft Version) - Confidential"

The author's name is listed as "LH Researcher".

"The timing is too perfect..."

Looking at the "accidentally" discovered information, Ron had already deduced what had happened.

He recalled what the King of Illusions had pointed out earlier:
The promised materials would be delivered to him in a discreet manner...

With this in mind, Ron composed himself and began to feel a strong anticipation for this document.

As he read more carefully, the complexity of the literature and the derivation process far exceeded his expectations.

The author not only has a deep understanding of consciousness weaving, but also goes on to reveal some technical details that he has never heard of before:
"Artificial cultivation of nerve fibers: Through special bioalchemy, it is possible to cultivate living neural networks with superconducting properties..."

"Preparation of memory crystals: Transforming the sensory memories of the user into a replayable crystal structure..."

"Anchoring technology: During virtual experiences, it uses conscious anchors to ensure that users do not get lost in the illusion..."

Every technical detail is accompanied by detailed experimental data and failure case analysis.

The author clearly invested a great deal of time and effort, even going so far as to conduct dangerous tests on himself.

Along the margins of the document were warnings written in red ink:
"The 117th test failed. The prolonged separation of consciousness resulted in a severe loss of reality..."

"Note: The realism of virtual pain perception cannot exceed 75%, otherwise it may cause permanent psychological trauma..."

"Warning: Certain ancient memories should not be used as material in the virtual environment; they will 'infect' the entire system..." This last warning made Ron particularly concerned.

What kind of memories can "infect" a virtual system?
This indeed involves risks he had never considered before.

"It seems that building virtual environments is much more complex and dangerous than I imagined."

Ron continued reading and discovered that the technical approach of the literature had a striking similarity to his "three-in-one" system:

Potions is responsible for concocting various consciousness stabilizers and perception enhancers;

Alchemy is used to create physical carriers and neural interfaces for virtual environments;
Enchantment, on the other hand, constructs a complex network of runes that connects the spiritual and the material...

"This integration approach... is almost tailor-made for ancient alchemy."

What truly brought a smile to his face was a subtle detail at the end of the document.

On the last page of the technical specifications, written in barely legible tiny font:

"The observer's perspective determines the level of reality, while the true creator is never bound by the limitations of a single dimension."

—To those who dare to explore and follow.

This style of expression is completely consistent with the style of the King of Illusions.

"The arrangements are indeed meticulous," Ron muttered to himself, sincerely admiring the Witch King's methods.

As he immersed himself in this precious knowledge, deep within the fifth layer of the abyss, a heartwarming yet eerie "childcare" activity was underway...

The Sea of ​​No Light, the treasure vault of Nari, the "Eye of the Abyss," is like a giant womb, warm and full of life.

The membrane of the "King of Brain Jellyfish" flows with ever-changing luster.

These films can adjust color and brightness according to Nari's mood changes.

It is radiating a gentle pink light at this moment, the color of maternal love.

Nari was lying in the center of the vault, his eyes, bigger than a fortress, fixed intently on the puppet inside the sac.

Each of its tentacles was placed carefully, as if afraid of disturbing its "treasure".

What delicious treats should I prepare for my little angel today?

Its voice, as soft and sweet as a little girl's, contrasts sharply with its enormous and terrifying appearance.

"It really enjoyed the corrosive sea snake yesterday. How about we try something different today?"

It began rummaging through the storage room, where various well-preserved corpses of abyssal creatures were laid out.

Each body is encased in a special vesicle, maintaining its freshness at the time of death.

"This 'Nightmare Butterfly's' antennae are very tender; they must be very nutritious..."

"The petals of the 'Blood and Tears Flower' contain the pure essence of despair, which is very helpful for growth..."

"And the heart of this 'Time Domain Worm' can enhance time perception..."

Like a young mother preparing baby food, Nari makes every choice after careful consideration.

It even began to learn to adjust the recipes based on the puppets' reactions, observing which ingredients were more "popular".

Ultimately, it chose a "silent spider" that had recently died.

This creature feeds on sound and accumulates a large amount of "silent essence" within its body.

"Come on, baby, open your mouth to eat..."

Nari gently placed the spider carcass near the cyst, then held his breath and waited for a reaction.

A few seconds later, the miracle happened again.

The runes on the puppet's surface began to flicker, the patterns pulsating like blood vessels, emitting an increasingly bright silver light.

As the runes were activated, the Silent Spider began its orderly and exquisite decomposition process.

This is not ordinary corrosion or devouring, but an artistic energy recombination.

Every muscle fiber was precisely separated, every drop of bodily fluid was perfectly purified, and even the bones were transformed into a pure energy stream and absorbed.

The whole process was like watching a wonderful work of art, so beautiful it was mesmerizing.

"That's wonderful! My baby has grown a little bit more!"

Nari trembled with excitement, his countless tentacles dancing wildly in the air.

It could clearly sense that the puppet's energy fluctuations were steadily increasing, while emitting an increasingly strong blessing effect.

This is also why it gets excited; as the puppet grows, the stabilizing effect it receives also increases.

The chaotic thoughts that had long troubled it began to clear up, and some emotional fluctuations that were previously uncontrollable gradually subsided.

It was finally able to experience that clarity of thought and inner peace for a long time.

"So this is what the other apostles feel like..."

Nari sighed contentedly, tears of emotion welling in his eyes.

If the condensed substance of its tears were placed in the outside world, it would undoubtedly be pure abyssal essence, each drop of which would be extremely valuable.

"My little baby, you are Mommy's most precious gift..."

It gently stroked the surface of the vesicles, its voice filled with motherly love:
"Mommy will protect you, help you grow up quickly, and make you stronger than any other monster..."

Speaking of growing up, Nari suddenly remembered something important.

According to the tradition of the Abyss, a "warm-up gladiatorial match" is held before the ranked battles.

Each apostle will send its subordinates to fight, both to demonstrate its strength and to create hype for the official positional battle.

The last gladiatorial combat was over three hundred years ago, when Nari could only hide in a corner and watch enviously as the other apostles displayed their "works".

Those powerful blood relatives, loyal mutated werewolves, cunning dream spiders... each one of them filled it with envy.

And now...

"There's less than a year until the next gladiatorial combat..."

Nari calculated excitedly, a flame of hope burning in his huge eyes:

"Given how fast my baby is growing, maybe...maybe I can participate too!"

Imagine your puppet shining brightly in the arena, and imagine the envious and shocked expressions on the faces of the other apostles.

Just thinking about it makes her almost faint.

"I must make my baby the strongest!"

Having made up his mind, Nari began to develop a more systematic training plan:

First, we need to collect more high-quality abyssal creatures to provide the puppet with sufficient nutrition;

Then we need to find some rare ability seeds to give the puppet more diverse combat skills;
Most importantly, we need to conduct practical training to familiarize the puppets with various combat environments...

"Mom will give you the best of everything..."

Nari stared intently at the puppet inside the sac: "You must make me proud and be my pride..."

Meanwhile, in the laboratory of the Abyss Observatory, Ron suddenly felt a strong fluctuation coming from the depths of his consciousness.

That was a feedback signal from the substitute puppet, clearer than ever before.

"This level of feedback..."

Ron stopped his research in surprise and began to carefully analyze the information:
"The puppet's growth rate far exceeded expectations."

Through that faint thread of consciousness, he could sense the enormous changes in the puppet's surroundings.

The powerful aura of the Abyss Apostle still lingers.

But now there was another emotion he had never felt before: pure and ardent maternal love.

"This Abyss Apostle... actually treats the puppet as his own child?"

Ron was both amused and exasperated, but quickly realized the immense value of this situation:
"It was indeed an unexpected success. In this way, the puppets not only have a safe environment to grow, but also receive a lot of valuable resources."

In addition, as the puppet's abilities increase, the feedback it provides to itself through the "two-way connection" ability also becomes increasingly powerful.

He could feel his resistance to pollution, his mental resilience, and even his understanding of the energy of the abyss all improving subtly.

"The effect of the two-way link is much better than theoretically expected..."

Ron began to meticulously record the changes in various parameters during this state:
"This 'remote operation' model may be applicable to more projects."

He thought of the artificial life created by the ancient alchemists.

If a similar two-way link could be established, allowing these creations to grow independently and remotely while also feeding back power to their creators...

"This is another completely new research direction... I can write it down first, and I'll have plenty of time to try it out after I become an ancient alchemist."

Just as Ron was immersed in these ideas, there was a gentle knock on the laboratory door.

“Wizard Ralph, excuse me.”

A respectful voice came from outside the door:

“I am Assistant Researcher Alvin. Professor Yutel asked me to inform you of the arrangements for tomorrow afternoon at three o’clock.”

Ron walked to the door, activated observation mode, and made the door transparent to the inside.

A thin young man stood outside the door.

He has the typical appearance of a scholar.

Pale skin, sunken eye sockets, and a slightly tired expression from reading for a long time.

The most eye-catching thing was the testing bracelet he wore on his right wrist.

It was made of "sensible metal," and the different colored patterns flowing on its surface represented different degrees of erosion from the abyss.

Judging from the greenish-yellow hue on its wrist, the corrosion has become quite severe...

"Please come in." Ron opened the door, noticing the slight limp the other person had when walking:
What specific arrangements does the professor have?

"The professor would like you to visit the collection room to see the ancient master swords at 3 pm tomorrow."

Alvin's voice was filled with awe:

“Those swords…they all have their own stories and wills. The professor emphasized that you need to prepare your mental defenses in advance.”

He paused, a hint of worry in his eyes:

"Last year, a researcher was affected by the lingering will of one of the swords due to inadequate protection and is still receiving treatment in a sanatorium."

"What kind of impact?" Ron asked with interest.

"The sword's previous owner was a demon swordsman who specialized in hunting abyssal creatures."

Alvin lowered his voice, as if he were telling some terrible secret:

"After the contact, the researcher began to have a compulsive hunting impulse."

He would venture alone into dangerous areas late at night, searching for any targets that could be 'purified'.

This detail made Ron even more excited for tomorrow's visit.

A weapon capable of influencing the mind of someone who comes into contact with it must contain elements of interest to that person in its manufacturing process.

"Thank you for the reminder." He nodded. "I will be fully prepared."

After Alvin took his leave, Ron returned to the lab table.

The ancient master sword, the rapid growth of the substitute puppet, and the simulation device that is about to achieve a major breakthrough...

He gazed out the window toward the abyss, his heart filled with anticipation.

The night grew deeper, but I felt no fatigue; on the contrary, my enthusiasm for research only grew stronger.
"Ailan, brew me a pot of invigorating tea, with more invigorating ingredients than last time."

(End of this chapter)