Wizard: My career panel has no upper limit

Is Chapter 368 all fake?
The chaotic storm finally reached the skies above the Forest of Flesh and Blood.

The direction of gravity began to change randomly, and Ron felt himself being pulled into the sky at times and pressed into the ground at others.

Even more terrifying was the distortion of vision; he began to see multiple superimposed images, with the same object appearing in different locations simultaneously.

"This is the true power of a born apostle..."

While maintaining his balance amidst the chaos, Ron observed the storm's mechanics: "A direct rewriting of the fundamental rules of reality..."

He activated "The Star Eater's Whispers," allowing his consciousness to establish a more stable connection with the stars.

The cold power of the stars acted as an anchor, stabilizing his mental state and allowing him to maintain clear judgment in this extreme environment.

Euphemia's situation was much worse.

Although her blood demon had evolved, it still could not completely resist the erosion of chaos.

The powerful blood demon began to show strange changes.

Its limbs are slowly melting, but at the same time new limbs are growing from its torso.

"No!" Euphemia desperately tried to stabilize the Blood Demon's state through their bloodline connection.

But under such intense erosion of chaos, her efforts seemed futile.

“Stop the futile struggle!” Ron’s voice pierced through the chaos’s roar and reached her ears:

"In a chaotic storm, any forced control will only hasten the collapse! Let it dissipate naturally!"

Upon hearing this suggestion, Euphemia's eyes flashed with a painful struggle.

This Blood Demon was a combat force she had cultivated at great cost, and it was indeed hard to give it up like this.

But reason told her that Ron's judgment was correct.

“I understand…” She gritted her teeth and deliberately severed her bloodline connection with the Blood Demon.

Without its master's support, the Blood Demon was immediately swallowed up by the chaos. Its screams echoed in the storm before gradually dissipating into nothingness.

But just when Euphemia thought she was about to be swallowed by the storm, a strong hand grabbed her wrist.

“Hold on tight.” Ron’s voice was unusually clear amidst the chaos: “I’ll get you out of here.”

Whenever he encounters a particularly dangerous area, he can always sense it in advance and find a way around it.

"how did you do it?"

Euphemia couldn't help but ask:
“I’ve seen many veterans who walk in the abyss, but none of them can adapt to chaotic environments like you…”

"Observe, learn, adapt."

Ron's answer was concise and efficient:
"Although chaos may seem disordered, it actually follows higher-level laws. The key is to understand it from the right perspective."

The two struggled forward through the chaotic storm, the surrounding scenery constantly changing.

Sometimes they see scenes from other timelines—the same forest, but in a different state.

In some timelines, the forest of flesh and blood has transformed into a forest of crystal;
In some timelines, this place is a barren desert;

In other timelines, the entire area is covered by some kind of massive mechanical structure.

"These are all possible parallel worlds..."

As Ron walked and observed, he gained a deeper understanding of the nature of the chaotic storm:
"The power of a born apostle can not only distort the current reality, but also temporarily reveal other possibilities..."

This realization led him to a completely new assessment of Nari's abilities.

If one could learn this power, or at least understand how it works...

After a difficult trek, the two reached a relatively safe area.

At this point, there wasn't much distance left between the fourth and fifth floors.

"Thank you..." Euphemia gasped for breath, her eyes filled with gratitude as she looked at Ron. "Without you, my outcome certainly wouldn't have been good."

While it's unlikely they'll die in the abyss, once completely lost in the storm, the cost of getting out will be enormous...

The fact that her own strength was diminished meant that her status in "Father's" eyes had decreased, which was what she feared most.

After all, if there is a test subject number eighteen, there could be a nineteen... His existence is not indispensable to the Blood King.

"You're welcome," Ron replied simply, unaware of the other's complex inner thoughts.

"I just didn't want to waste a useful piece."

He pointed in a distant direction:

"The passage to the fifth level is over there. Now go and complete your task. Remember, just create enough chaos, don't overexert yourself."

Euphemia looked into the distance, then back at the still raging chaotic storm, and a complex emotion welled up within her.

"And what about you?" she couldn't help but ask. "Where are you going?"

“I have my own things to do.” Ron didn’t explain further. “Wait for my message at the observation station after you’ve completed your mission.”

After saying that, he turned and walked toward the center of the chaotic storm, that terrifying vortex of death.

Under Euphemia's shocked gaze, Ron's figure vanished into the distorted space, as if he had never existed.

“Monster…” she murmured to herself, then turned and flew toward the territory of the Blood Tears Grand Duke.

………………

"The rendezvous point is just ahead."

On the other side, Ron stopped and looked at a relatively stable area ahead.

The massive bone platform stood silently amidst the chaotic storm, like a last refuge in the tempest.

"Less than 10,000 meters away..."

Ron sensed the state of the stand-in puppet through the mental link, and that sense of resonance became clearer than ever before.

He could sense that the puppet was inside the body of some enormous being, surrounded by warm liquid, like an unborn fetus.

A strange scent began to fill the air.

It was the salty, fishy smell of the deep sea, mixed with some ancient and primal life force.

As this aura intensified, the entire platform began to tremble slightly.

It was not the disordered vibration caused by a chaotic storm, but rather a more ordered and larger heartbeat.

dong... dong... dong...

Each heartbeat struck Ron's chest like a heavy hammer, causing his blood to flow involuntarily in rhythm.

The water level rose slowly, and when it reached Ron's knees, a terrifying figure that struck fear into the hearts of countless explorers finally emerged from the depths of darkness.

Nari, the Eye of the Abyss.

Even though I've already learned about this existence through various sources.

But when he witnessed it with his own eyes, Ron still felt a profound shock from his biological instincts.

That's not "big" in the ordinary sense, but a way of being that transcends comprehension.

Nari's body swam slowly in the sea like a moving continent, and its skin was a strange material that was somewhere between organic and inorganic.

Its surface is covered with countless eyes of varying sizes, the smallest as small as a walnut and the largest as large as a palace, each radiating a different color of light.

Ron could feel a conscious tentacle reaching into the depths of his mind whenever an eye looked at him.

They tried to read his memories, emotions, and even his subconscious thoughts.

What's truly impressive is the enormous face surrounded by countless tentacles.

Unlike the other Abyssal Apostles who were ferocious and terrifying, Nari's face carried a kind of counterintuitive sense of benevolence.

But within this kindness lies an indescribable eeriness.

Because that face was so big, big enough to swallow up a city.

When such a colossal being displays maternal tenderness, it ironically evokes a surreal sense of horror.

"I felt it..."

Nari's voice didn't travel through the air, but resounded directly deep within Ron's consciousness. "I felt that tiny thread... connecting my darling... and you..."

As he said this, a translucent vesicle slowly separated from Nari's body.

The vesicles, like giant amniotic fluid bags, drifted toward the platform, with substitute puppets suspended within them.

The puppet has undergone significant changes during this period of "growth".

The original rune circuits became more complex and precise, forming beautiful silver patterns on the body surface like a neural network.

Even more surprisingly, it began to emit a kind of life-like aura, and subtle breathing patterns even appeared on its body surface.

But just as Ron was about to approach, all of Nari's eyes suddenly turned to him at the same time.

That kind of gaze felt like a thousand searchlights shining simultaneously, making one feel like there was nowhere to hide.

Under such comprehensive scrutiny, any pretense or concealment becomes meaningless.

Each eye is performing a different analysis.

Some are reading memories, some are analyzing emotions, some are probing bloodlines, and some are observing the color of the soul.

The silence lasted for a full minute.

In that minute, Ron felt as if he had been completely dissected.

His past, personality, motives, and even future possibilities were all laid bare by this ancient being.

“A quality I’ve never seen before… No wonder you were able to…”

Nari finally spoke, his voice filled with extremely complex emotions.

Confusion, shock, and an inexplicable sense of loss.

"To be honest, you're much more interesting than I imagined."

Nari's smaller eyes began to slowly rotate around Ron, as if observing some rare specimen:

“I thought I would encounter a cunning deceiver, a cold-blooded manipulator trying to exploit my emotions… but you…”

It paused for a moment, then its voice deepened:

"Your soul is as deep as the starry sky, filled with contradictions I cannot comprehend."

It possesses both the detached rationality of a researcher and a yearning for pure emotion… a truly wondrous combination.

Ron sighed softly.

He realized that under the current circumstances, any attempt to cover up or make excuses would be futile.

Faced with such a situation, the only choice is to be honest.

Before he could think too much, the other party's thought process returned.

Nari's tentacles began to sway slowly, each movement bringing with it a surge of energy:
“My baby…it never had any real consciousness…right?”

This is not an inquiry, but a painful confirmation.

As an ancient being that has lived for thousands of years, Nari may have a mind as pure as a child's, but its understanding of the essence of life far surpasses what ordinary people can imagine.

During its time with the substitute puppet, it had already noticed some subtle abnormalities.

That overly perfect response, that "growth" lacking genuine autonomy, and those occasional traces of mechanization.

It just hasn't been willing to admit this cruel truth.

As Ron watched the light in Nari's eyes gradually dim, a complex emotion welled up within him.

This feeling was unfamiliar to him; it was the guilt he felt when he had deceived someone's innocence.

"Yes."

He chose not to continue hiding it and frankly stated:

"From the very beginning, it was my alchemical creation. Every word, every reaction, comes from my conscious control."

This blunt admission cut into Nari's heart like a sharp blade.

Countless tentacles began to tremble violently, and a suffocating sense of sorrow filled the air.

"But……"

Nari's voice began to become fragmented, like that of a crying child:

"But I can feel its growth... I can feel its attachment to me... those warm responses..."

"Those are all real."

Ron interrupted its self-doubt, his voice becoming more composed:

"Although the puppet has no independent consciousness, the care you give it has indeed changed its nature."

Through this two-way connection, I can feel every bit of your tenderness.

He gently touched his chest, the core of the spiritual connection.

Under the vision of "supernatural recognition," he could see a faint silver thread connecting him to the puppet stand-in not far away:
“Your love has given it a certain…life-like quality, a change that even surprised me.”

Nari's emotions began to subtly change.

Those enormous eyes refocused on Ron, and the sadness in them was being replaced by another emotion.

"you……"

Its voice trembled tentatively:

"Can you sense my emotions?"

“Every minute, every second.” Ron’s answer made all of Nari’s eyes light up.

This feeling of being understood and perceived is a gift more precious than any treasure for this being that has been lonely for thousands of years.

"So...so you've come here now because you want to..."

Nari's voice became cautious, as if he were afraid of hearing some terrible answer.

“I want to make our connection even stronger.”

Ron took the magic amplification crystal out of his storage bag.

The octahedral crystal exuded an eerie life force under the light of the chaotic storm, with energy bands flowing within it like a galaxy.
"This is the core component I prepared for the puppet. After fusion, it will undergo a transformation, and you..."

He paused, a look of anticipation in his eyes: "You will receive double the favor in return."

Upon seeing the crystal, Nari's breathing became rapid.

It could sense the immense power contained within, and even it was amazed by the complex energy structure.

"This technique..."

Nari's voice was filled with curiosity:

“Even in my long life, I have rarely seen such exquisite creations. How much effort did you put into it?”

“I’ve been preparing for this moment since before I became a full-fledged wizard.”

Ron's voice carried the unwavering dedication characteristic of a researcher:

"Materials collection, technology research and development, theoretical refinement... every step has undergone countless simulations and verifications."

Nari quietly observed the young human before him.

Throughout its long life, it has seen far too many wizards driven by greed and ambition.

But Ron was different; he possessed a pure thirst for knowledge, a determination to do anything to explore the truth.

“You could have used these precious materials on yourself.”

Nari's voice deepened:
"With your talent, you could have taken a much simpler path. Why choose this... complicated way?"

This question touched upon Ron's deepest motivations.

He remained silent for a long time, seemingly organizing his thoughts.

(End of this chapter)