Wizard: My career panel has no upper limit

Chapter 398 The Chess Game of the Great
This is the primordial void before the birth of any concept, where even time itself bends and makes way.

Countless "impossibilities" coexist harmoniously in this space, like an abstract painting created with contradictions themselves.

The transcendent stance of the King of Absurdity is an existence that can never be fully understood.

His "form" is sometimes a tower built of paradox, with the staircase inside extending infinitely both upwards and downwards;

Sometimes it transforms into a mirror, but what it reflects is the most absurd thoughts deep within the observer's heart;
At other times, it becomes a book, with each page writing a truth that completely contradicts the previous page.

Around Him, countless “little absurdities” danced like fireflies.

A drop of water flowing upwards, a shadow glowing in the darkness, a flower that withers forever yet blooms forever.

Elsewhere, the King of Illusions' transcendent posture displays a completely different aesthetic of horror.

It is a labyrinth woven from endless illusions, with each wall pieced together from fragments of broken reality.

Observing Him is like staring at countless funhouse mirrors at the same time, each one distorting a different truth.

Within His network of illusions, one can see countless versions of history:
Some things have already happened, some things are possible, and some things will never happen but are even more bizarre than reality.

"Pandora-senpai..."

The "voice" of the King of Absurdity echoed like the sound of an ancient clock tower, reverberating layer upon layer in the void:

“My most beloved child is becoming more and more like the one she is visualizing lately.”

His words did not mention a specific name, but the meaning was clear: Cassandra was rushing headlong down a wrong path.

The King of Illusions responded with a surge of mental energy flowing like mercury:

"The curse of gluttony has always been so. The problem is..."

Fragmented images flashed through His vision:

"Back then, I tolerated Aiden's depravity to serve as a negative example for those who would follow, but now it seems..."

"It now seems that humanity is always repeating the same mistakes."

The king of absurdity spoke with a weariness that transcended time:

"Sometimes I wonder if I should have just let that little girl quietly be her researcher, instead of..."

He didn't finish speaking, but the meaning was already very clear.

When Cassandra was promoted, the King of Absurdity had left some "seeds" deep within her bloodline.

It was an impact that transcended conventional understanding, aimed at exploring the possibility of breakthroughs at a higher level.

Even the Witch King has higher aspirations.

Above the Witch King, there is a transcendent realm known as the "Demon God".

That is a state of being completely free from the constraints of matter, existing in the form of pure concepts.

To reach that level, one needs not only individual strength, but also the entire civilization as a springboard.

The influence that the King of Absurdity left on Cassandra was the hope that she could become a perfect "civilization shaper".

They possessed both the power to conquer other worlds and the wisdom to transform those conquests into nourishment for civilization.

But now it seems the experiment has failed.

"Greed and wisdom are always an irreconcilable contradiction."

In the illusion of the King of Illusions, an ancient scale appeared.

On one side lies glittering wealth, on the other, dull and lifeless books:
"Cassandra Jr. chose the easier path."

The form of the King of Absurdity began to slowly change, transforming from a paradox into an ancient chessboard.

Each chess piece on the board is a miniature world, engaged in a silent battle:

"What's even more disappointing is that she seems to have forgotten the true purpose of conquest. Plundering the world's resources? Devouring the knowledge of other civilizations? These are merely means, not ends."

"The real goal..."

On His chessboard, one of the pieces began to glow:
"The goal is to reorganize these chaotic elements and create a new order that transcends the existing civilization, but what she's doing now..."

The pieces on the board began to devour each other until only one lone king remained.

But this king piece is also slowly decaying, because it has lost all its support.

"It's like a prisoner who has been starving for many days stuffing all the food into his mouth, but forgetting to chew and digest it."

The King of Illusions' tone was sarcastic:

"In the end, they can only be killed by their own greed."

The two witch kings fell into a brief silence.

However, silence itself is also a form of deep communication.

It represents a collective reflection on complex situations and a shared introspection on wrong decisions.

"So... what about little Eve?"

The King of Illusions finally broke the silence, his tone filled with concern.

This question touches upon the deepest contradiction within the King of Absurdity.

As the progenitor of the Crown Clan, He had complex feelings towards His people.

It possesses both a detached rationality that transcends the individual and an instinctive love as a "bloodline ancestor".

"This is another cycle..."

The King of Absurdity has transformed once more, this time into a sophisticated clock, but all the gears within it are turning in the wrong direction:
“Cassandra is now repeating the mistakes I made. Look at what she did to Eve. The same bloodline modulation, the same potential implantation, the same ambition and expectations.”

"But she doesn't understand that perfection itself is a flaw."

In the illusion of the King of Illusions, a flower that was too perfect appeared.

Each of its petals is exactly the same, but it is precisely because of this perfection that it appears lifeless and devoid of any vitality.

"True strength comes from the harmony of imperfections and the unity of contradictions."

The clocks of the King of Absurdity have stopped ticking:

"Little Eve's suffering is the inevitable consequence of pursuing this distorted perfection."

"History always repeats itself in this way."

The King of Absurdity finally spoke, recalling the countless times Eve had suffered from sleepless nights due to demonic possession:
“Each generation thinks it can do better and avoid the mistakes of its predecessors. But in the end, they all find themselves just repeating the same tragedy.”

The conversation gradually shifted to a more personal level.

"Speaking of family..."

The illusions of the King of Illusions began to blur:
"I'll remain the same as always, continuing to 'seal away' all those bloodline descendants."

"A wise choice." The King of Absurdity agrees:
"The current situation is too dangerous for any young bloodline. Rather than letting them grow into monsters in chaos, it is better to let them wait for a better opportunity in safety."

“But my clan…” His clocks began to tick again, but this time the rhythm was much slower:

"It may take many more cycles. Cassandra and Eve are both indispensable samples in this experiment."

“However…” The King of Absurdity’s tone suddenly became lighter:

"At least that funny little guy added some variables to this boring game."

He was referring to Ron, of course.

In the eyes of the two Witch Kings, this young Primal Wizard did indeed display some extraordinary qualities.

"That child has a special kind of 'balance'."

In the illusions of the King of Illusions, Ron's figure shifts like a kaleidoscope, yet each change maintains a certain inner harmony:
"His ability to maintain rationality while pursuing power, and to exercise restraint while venturing into forbidden territory, is a quality that..."

“Even at our level, this is extremely rare.”

The clocks of the King of Absurdity began to exhibit a strange rhythm, as if simulating the heartbeat of some ancient god:
“In addition, he seems to be able to establish connections with multiple higher-dimensional beings without being completely assimilated by any one of them.”

Both witch kings recalled those "geniuses" in history on whom they had placed their hopes.

Each one showed the potential to change the status quo at some point, but ultimately all of them headed towards some form of destruction or depravity.

The acquisition of power always comes at a price.

The cumulative cost will eventually crush any will, no matter how resolute the other party may seem.

"Perhaps this time will be different."

The King of Illusions' tone was filled with hope:

"At least, he added some new possibilities to this boring game."

The King of Absurdity, however, was somewhat uncertain:

"Perhaps you are right, but I have made too many mistakes, Pandora-senpai."

Sometimes I think that perhaps we, as beings, should completely stop interfering and let everything develop naturally.

"Complete non-intervention is itself a form of intervention," the King of Illusions cautioned.
"Moreover, there are some things we can no longer remain detached from."

"Alright, let's talk about Aiden, that clown, first."

The King of Absurdity deliberately changed the subject, attempting to ease the awkward atmosphere from before:

"How has He been behaving lately? Still so... ridiculous?"

"Still dreaming His beautiful dream."

The mirror of the King of Illusions displays some of the Blood King's recent activities:
"They wanted to use that artificial daughter to carry out some kind of revenge plan. They were completely unaware that the real threat never came from the outside, but from the decay within."

"Is His existence still of any use to us now?"

"The King of Absurdity inquired."

"As an external source of pressure, it still has some value."

The King of Illusions pondered and answered:

"At least it might encourage others to develop more cautiously. But what if His madness begins to threaten the overall balance?"

"Then let Him disappear completely."

The King of Absurdity's tone turned cold: "I have tolerated Him for far too long."

"Actually, back when Aiden stole the power..."

The King of Illusions' words contained a hint of regret:

“I could have stopped it. With my power, a brat who isn’t even a proper wizard would have no chance of touching Selna’s ethereal remains.”

"But you didn't."

The king of absurdity spoke with no accusation, only empathy:
"Because you see certain possibilities for the future."

“Yes,” the King of Illusions acknowledged, and some blurry premonitions began to appear in His mirror:

“I see how Aiden’s rise will affect the entire timeline. His existence will be the catalyst that propels you to become the Witch-King. And your ascension will trigger a series of chain reactions, ultimately leading to…”

"This led to the birth of the 'end of death'," the King of Absurdity continued.
"And the end of the Third Age."

From the middle of the Third Age onwards, the entire quadrant was filled with various forms of chaos and innovation.

Necromancers challenge the boundaries of life and death, ancient alchemists attempt to rewrite the rules of reality, and even mad researchers try to create entirely new laws of physics.

Great people know that the arrival of "the end of death" is inevitable.

When the order of life and death is severely disrupted, a higher level of existence will inevitably emerge to re-establish balance.

When this name was mentioned, a subtle ripple came from the void, as if time itself was sighing.

Both witch kings felt that pressure that transcended dimensions.

Even they dared not mention the existence of the Four Cornerstones too much.

As a result, the conversation began to become more cryptic.

"The eternal plague unleashed by that being has made everyone overly cautious."

In the visions of the King of Illusions, scenes from the end of the Third Age appeared.

It was a continent shrouded in black mist, where countless dead souls wandered, unable to find peace:

"But excessive order is sometimes more deadly than chaos."

"That's why we need some... moderate turbulence."

The history book of the King of Absurdity began to burn, but new words immediately sprang forth wherever the flames touched:

"Cassandra's madness, though it deviated from our expectations, at least broke this lifeless calm."

"The question is, how far can we tolerate her madness?" The King of Illusions' tone turned serious:

"If she truly threatens the stability of the entire civilization..."

“Then we have no choice but to activate 'calibration'.” The King of Absurdity used a word full of profound meaning:

"But before that, let's observe for a while longer. Perhaps..."

He didn't finish speaking, but the meaning was clear.

Perhaps Ron really could be the key variable that changes everything.

So, about this young man.

Ron's image reappeared in the mirror of the King of Illusions:

How much support do you think we should give him?

"Support?" The labyrinth of the King of Absurdity began to slowly rotate:
"I thought we had reached a consensus—to minimize direct intervention."

"Reduce, but not completely avoid."

The King of Illusions corrected:
"Proper guidance and hints can help him avoid some unnecessary detours. After all, if he truly possesses that potential..."

"If he truly possesses that potential, then too much help would only harm him."

The king of absurdity sounded weary:

“If we clear all the obstacles for him, he will never gain the strength he needs to face real challenges.”

“But complete neglect could also lead to his premature death,” the King of Illusions argued.

"In this level of game, a wrong decision can lead to utter ruin."

The labyrinth of the King of Absurdity stopped spinning and fell into deep thought.

The energy fluctuations in the void became more subtle, like two chess players contemplating their next move.

"Give him a hundred years."

The King of Absurdity finally made a decision:
"During this century, we have maintained a minimum level of attention and provided some protection against malice at the level of archmages and above."

If he can demonstrate sufficient wisdom and strength without our direct assistance.”

"Then we will provide more support."

The King of Illusions continued, "If he disappoints us..."

"Like countless other losers, they have become dust in history."

The King of Absurdity's tone was tinged with extreme weariness.

The observation and intervention across countless timelines have caused these two ancient beings to feel a kind of weariness that transcends time.

They have witnessed too many rises and falls, successes and failures, and experienced too much hope and despair.

Now, they are like two old men who have played countless games of chess, still searching for that one brilliant move that can truly change the game.

As the dialogue ended, the wills of the two witch kings began to withdraw from this conceptual space.

The history book of the King of Absurdity slowly closed, then transformed into countless smaller, contradictory fragments, scattered throughout the void.

Each fragment contains a small absurdity, continuing to ferment on the edge of reality.

The illusion labyrinth of the King of Illusions has also begun to fade.

The mirrors that reflected different realities gradually lost their light and eventually dissolved into nothingness.

But before they completely disappeared, all the mirrors briefly displayed the same image.

A young wizard stood beneath the stars, gazing up at the endless void.

Before they departed, their final conversation echoed in the void:

"Pandora-senpai..."

The voice of the King of Absurdity has become eerily distant, like an echo from the depths of time:
"We are merely observers, not participants. Whatever the outcome, do not get overly emotionally involved."

"of course."

The King of Illusions' response was as gentle as a breeze, but it contained a subtle difference of opinion:
"However, sometimes, observation itself is a form of participation. And..."

His voice became even more ethereal:

"Perhaps it is precisely because of our observations that those 'possibilities' have truly become possible."

Finally, the boundless void returned to silence.

Only those conceptual fluctuations continue to spread slowly, like ripples created by a pebble thrown into a calm lake.

In the laboratory, Ron suddenly felt the quill pen in his hand tremble slightly.

He looked up and gazed out the window, vaguely sensing that something was watching him.

But when he tried to perceive it more closely, the feeling of being inspired vanished, like a fleeting illusion.

(End of this chapter)