Wizard: My career panel has no upper limit

Chapter 409 Greed Triumphs Over Fear
Inside the arena, an apocalyptic scene is unfolding.

The void essence that escaped after Magus' clone was crushed spread rapidly through the air like an invisible plague.

Those black energy threads carried the primordial qualities of the Supreme Apostle, and to weaker creatures, they were nothing short of the most deadly poison.

"Ah ah ah ah ah……"

A bat-type Awakened One who had just escaped to the vicinity of the exit suddenly began to convulse violently all over his body.

The blood vessels on its wings swelled up as if inflated, and countless tiny tentacles began to grow from its originally jet-black fur.

These tentacles stretched outwards frantically, trying to grab any target they could reach.

But what's even more terrifying is that the bat awakeners remain fully conscious throughout this process.

It can clearly feel every change in its body, the strange pleasure brought by each new tentacle, and the terrifying process of its sanity being gradually distorted.

"Kill...kill me, please!"

It pleaded with its last shred of reason.

But the other refugees around them were already terrified and dared not approach.

Soon, the bat completely lost its original form and turned into a writhing mass of black flesh and blood.

Countless tentacles emerged from this mass of flesh, frantically grabbing at all living things around them.

Anything that is touched will be dragged into its body without any resistance, becoming nourishment for this twisted monster to continue to expand.

Strangely, although these tentacles were thrashing about wildly, they never extended towards the direction where Nari was in the center of the arena.

It was as if there was some kind of forbidden line there, which even the completely irrational mutants instinctively avoided.

Similar tragedies were unfolding simultaneously in various corners of the arena.

But all the chaos has one thing in common.

No matter how out of control the distortion may be, it will instinctively avoid Nari, which is at the eye of the storm.

A group of demons who had originally joined forces to escape began to merge together under the influence of the essence of the void.

Their bodies were stuck together like molten wax.

The bones rearranged, and the blood vessels intertwined, eventually forming a deformed behemoth with more than a dozen faces.

Each face retains the expression it had in life—fear, despair, anger, pain—like a living picture of hell.

What's chilling is that these faces are still capable of thinking and speaking independently.

They began to accuse each other of their sins, denouncing each other as responsible for their fate, their voices rising and falling like a chorus of mental patients in an asylum.

"It's all your fault! If you hadn't insisted on taking the front row seats..."

"Shut up! It was you who insisted on coming to watch this damn game!"

"We're all going to die...we're all going to turn into monsters..."

"Who will save us...who will kill us..."

Those awakened individuals with slightly stronger abilities in the audience were not spared either.

A spider-like awakened being with six arms was attempting to escape the scene using spatial teleportation.

However, the erosion by the essence of the void caused a fatal distortion in its spatial perception ability.

The portal did open, but it connected to its own internal organs.

Six arms simultaneously reached into different portals, then emerged from its chest, abdomen, and back.

It began to tear itself to pieces from the inside, each piece of flesh maintaining a bizarre connection to the other parts through portals.

This process of self-decomposition lasted for more than ten minutes, during which the awakened being kept making strange noises that sounded like laughter and crying.

Eventually, it transformed into a three-dimensional maze composed of countless chunks of flesh and portals.

Any creature that enters it will be lost in the endless spatial loop.

In this chaotic and twisted ocean, the creatures of the abyss displayed their most primal malice and desires.

Some powerful individuals who were fortunate enough to escape the corruption of the void essence did not help the victims; instead, they began to take advantage of the chaos.

"Hahaha! These idiots!"

A demonic awakener, covered in bone armor, frantically reaped the lives of his mutated victims while letting out a maniacal laugh of ecstasy.

"Thank you for the gift from the Supreme Apostle! Although these essences are dangerous, they are the best enhancement materials for beings of our level!"

More bone spikes began to grow on its armor surface, and its strength increased significantly with each aberration it absorbed.

In its view, this disaster was not a tragedy, but a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

On the other side, several awakened individuals of different forms formed a temporary hunting team.

They specifically target victims who have fallen into a state of partial aberration.

These victims retain their original abilities and are further enhanced by the Void Essence after being devoured, making them the ideal prey.

Throughout the process, they moved with extreme caution, daring not to make too much noise, and even less daring to approach the central area of ​​the arena.

"Hey there! The guy with three heads on his eyes!"

The scout in the group pointed excitedly to a struggling victim and whispered:
"Its degree of distortion is just right; after being devoured, it will neither completely spiral out of control nor lose its full power essence!"

"Surround it! Quick! Before it fully mutates!"

"Hurry up, while Lord Nari is too busy to pay attention to us..."

"Remember the distribution rules: I want its heart, and you can take the rest!"

In the abyss, such exploitation and plunder of the weak is taken for granted.

The strong have the right to everything, while the weak are only fit to be nourishment—this is an ironclad law of survival.

As the situation spiraled out of control, some variants even began to exhibit aggregation.

The multifaceted behemoth, formed from the fusion of a dozen or so demons, adds the face of each new victim it kills to itself.

Its size continues to expand, and its intelligence is also increasing at an alarming rate.

"More...we need more faces..."

The behemoth spoke from dozens of mouths simultaneously, the overlapping voices creating an eerie harmony:
"Only by collecting enough memories can we understand the meaning of this pain..."

"Join us, become a part of us... then you won't be alone anymore..."

It began to selectively hunt down those awakened individuals with higher intelligence, attempting to gain more valuable memories and experiences.

With each new individual it integrates, its understanding of the surrounding environment deepens.

The entire arena has become a distorted experimental field, where countless aberrant forms are born, grow, and devour each other.

The corrosive effects of the Void Essence continued to spread, and even the structure of the arena began to change.

Those living stones began to grow on their own, forming organ-like structures such as tentacles, eyeballs, and mouths.

The ground transformed into a gigantic maw, relentlessly devouring the blood and debris that fell upon it.

The walls grew dense, sensory fibers that monitored every movement within the space in real time.

The strangest thing is the ceiling.

It began to mimic the shape of Magus's spider mask, its nine enormous eyes opening to survey the chaotic scene below.

These eyes sometimes wept, sometimes glared with anger, and sometimes wore a morbid smile, as if they were commenting on this tragedy.

In the center of the arena, Nari's countless tentacles transformed into strange straw-like shapes.

She was carefully absorbing the void essence generated when Magus exploded, bit by bit.

What Nari collected were the purest and most essential core parts.

She didn't even want to glance at the other low-quality remnants that had dissipated into the air and begun to blend into the environment.

"Mom, where are you...?"

Ron's voice came through the consciousness connection.

"Of course, it's about collecting the good stuff that old guy left behind."

Nari answered while working, her tone filled with satisfaction:

“These Void Essences are of very high quality, containing primordial power at the level of Supreme Apostles. Collecting them will benefit us all.”

She paused, her eyes simultaneously shifting to the secondary essences diffusing in the air:

"As for those scattered remnants... they have been diluted beyond recognition."

Once absorbed by lower organisms, its purity will further decrease, turning it into pure waste.

Ron carefully observed his surroundings through the puppet's senses.

He could see the mutated abyssal creatures instinctively avoiding Nari's direction, and he could also see some daring awakened ones taking the opportunity to harvest their own kind.

"Mom, I have an idea."

His voice became deeper:

"Those greedy plunderers are now devouring the aberrations corrupted by the essence of the void in large quantities. Although they think they are getting a good deal, in reality..."

"What do you want to say, baby?"

Nari keenly sensed the implication in her "child's" words, and her countless tentacles paused slightly.

"The essence of the void has made the energy structure of those aberrations extremely unstable."

Ron's analysis began to go deeper:
"If, in this unstable state, some... additional catalysts are added, such as your chaotic aura, then when these raiders ingest large quantities..."

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

Nari immediately understood, and his eyes lit up with excitement:

“My child is so smart…this idea…”

She began to separate a few strands of special chaotic essence from her body.

These essences are a deep purplish-black color, and each drop contains a high concentration of primordial chaotic energy.

Under the cover of the various energy disturbances caused by the Void Essence, Nari began his precise operation.

She silently injected this highly concentrated chaotic energy into the bodies of the monsters with the highest degree of distortion and the densest concentration of residual void essence within them.

These chaotic auras appeared inconspicuous, and their presence was completely concealed.

But it was actually a carefully designed time-delay trap.

When two opposing high-level energies reach a critical point within the same carrier, they can trigger a catastrophic chain reaction.

The trigger condition is to greedily devour large quantities.

"I already guessed which guys would eat the most scraps, thinking they could get away with it by eating scraps while I was away?"

Nari sneered inwardly while continuing his collecting work:
"Since they like to eat so much, let them eat their fill."

Ron sensed Nari's satisfaction through their mental connection and a smile crept onto his lips. At that very moment, some of the more astute raiders had already begun their operation.

The demon awakener in bone armor cautiously approached a half-mutated monster, his eyes filled with greed:
"This kind of fusion of qualities can increase my power by at least 30%."

It extends its sharp claws, ready to disembowel its prey.

But just as it was about to strike, a strange chill made it pause.

"What's wrong? Why do I suddenly feel uneasy..."

The Demon Awakener looked around to make sure Nari was still focused on her work and there were no other threats nearby.

The feeling of unease came out of nowhere, making it hesitate for a few seconds.

But greed ultimately triumphed over caution.

"Never mind, this is a rare opportunity, I can't miss it."

It acted decisively, tearing its prey to pieces, and then began to devour its flesh and energy in a frenzy.

The sweet taste instantly filled his mouth, and the pleasure of increased power almost made the demon awakener intoxicated.

Sensing the surging energy within its body, it began to grow more and sharper bone spurs on the surface of its armor.

"Indeed, this quality of essence is simply..."

But what it didn't know was that during its frenzied feeding, Nari's carefully laid trap was also ingested.

The essence of the void and the aura of chaos began to react slowly in its stomach, producing increasingly unstable energy fluctuations.

This reaction is still very weak, completely overshadowed by the pleasure of increased power.

But as time goes on, when the two opposing energies reach a critical point...

Similar scenes were playing out simultaneously throughout the arena.

The awakened ones who formed hunting squads were frantically dividing up a fused monster with more than a dozen faces.

Each member received their desired portion and was greedily devouring these "delicious" foods.

They were completely unaware that they were swallowing death mouthful by mouthful.

But even in the midst of this frenzied looting, all participants instinctively lower their voices and walk quietly.

The absolute power that Nari had just displayed had established an unshakeable authority over them.

The strong have the right to everything, while the weak are only fit to be nourishment.

But the prerequisite is that you must ensure that you do not become a "weakling" in the eyes of the stronger.

At this moment, the strongest being in the entire arena is undoubtedly Nari.

All the chaos, plunder, and distortion were taking place within a bizarre order.

No one dared to make a loud noise, no one dared to approach the central area, and even the completely irrational mutants would instinctively avoid that direction.

This is the authority that comes with absolute power.

………………

Meanwhile, Nari's collection efforts were nearing completion.

Under her precise manipulation, the core essence generated when Magus's clone exploded was completely gathered, forming a deep crystal the size of a fist.

The surface of this crystal shimmers with a deep, luminous light.

Inside, countless thread-like energies can be seen slowly moving, like a miniature thread universe.

"The quality is even better than I expected."

Nari happily put the crystal into the pod:
"If these essences are fully refined, they will be enough to raise my power to the next level."

"Now we really need to make more preparations, if those Supreme Apostles are truly united by Magus..."

She didn't finish her sentence, but the look in her eyes became even more wary.

In this dangerous world, strength is the key to survival.

However, being too conspicuous may also bring unexpected trouble.

"Balance is always the most important thing."

Ron silently recorded the takeaways from this experience in his mind:
The power level of Magus's clone, his own test of his strength, and the nourishment his substitute puppet absorbed in the battle...

"Honey, it's time for us to go home."

Nari spoke gently to Ron.

Dozens of the softest tentacles carefully enveloped him, forming an absolutely safe protective cocoon:
"Mom is tired and wants to go back and rest."

As she spoke, she began to apply multiple layers of shielding to the outer layer of the protective cocoon to ensure that the upcoming spatial teleportation would not cause Ron any discomfort.

Moreover, she could clearly sense that the "little gifts" she had left behind were slowly fermenting in various mediums.

Before long, those greedy plunderers will taste the true flavor of their "gifts".

A hint of cunning flashed in her eyes: "Hmph, some advantages shouldn't be taken lightly."

A portal slowly opened in the air, leading to a safe territory deep within the Sea of ​​No Light.

At the last moment before stepping into the portal, Ron glanced back at the chaotic and twisted arena.

Those abyssal creatures that continue to mutate, those awakened ones who greedily plunder their own kind, those remains already swallowed by the architectural structure...

Although he now has Nari's protection, this protection is ultimately external.

Only by possessing sufficient strength can one truly establish oneself in this dangerous world.

"There's still a long way to go..."

Two figures disappeared into the portal, leaving behind only a wrecked arena and the still-fermenting "gift".

………………

In a spatial rift about a hundred kilometers away from the arena, three fleeing apostles anxiously awaited the outcome of the battle.

Within the church of De Layle, the bells maintained a rapid rhythm, revealing his inner unease.

The souls imprisoned within him were also constantly whispering, conveying all sorts of terrifying premonitions and speculations.

"Lord Magus, you should be able to win, right?"

A former cardinal, his soul trembling, said:

"After all, he is the first throne of the Supreme Apostles, and even if he is just an avatar, his strength far surpasses that of ordinary apostles..."

"you are too naive."

Another, even older, papal soul sneered:
"Those born in chaos, once they gain stable rationality, become the most terrifying beings, even our master has to deal with them carefully."

As Delaire listened to the debate among the souls within him, his mood grew increasingly heavy.

As the beings that have been imprisoned for the longest time, these souls often possess extraordinary intuition and precognitive abilities.

Their fears may very well foreshadow an impending disaster.

Camps' situation is even worse.

His body trembled violently in different spatial dimensions, and the spatial rifts became extremely unstable due to his emotional fluctuations.

"This waiting... is simply torture..."

His voice came from more than a dozen dimensions simultaneously, creating an eerie echo effect:

"The energy fluctuations from the battle are so intense that we can't sense anything from here..."

Crowe appeared relatively calmer, but his ability to observe time became a burden at this moment.

In the future timeline, he saw too many vague and contradictory possibilities, and this uncertainty filled him with deep fear.

"All possible futures are changing rapidly..."

He muttered to himself, his fingers constantly stroking the scars of time on his body:
"This indicates that a key variable is rewriting the entire trajectory of the event..."

Just as the three apostles were feeling uneasy, the energy fluctuations coming from afar suddenly subsided.

This sudden silence is more unsettling than the previous violent conflict.

"it's over?"

Derek exclaimed in shock, and the bells inside the church stopped ringing:

"So fast? Who won?"

"From a time perspective..."

Kro carefully sensed the changes in the flow of time, and his expression turned extremely grim:
"The battle lasted much shorter than I expected, which means that one side had an overwhelming advantage in strength..."

"Could it be..."

Kemps's voice was filled with obvious fear:
"Did Nari really defeat Magus's clone?"

The three apostles fell into a terrifying silence.

If Nari truly possesses the power to defeat the Supreme Apostle's avatar, then she has completely transcended the realm of ordinary apostles.

Such a level of existence is an absolute threat to them.

"We need to confirm the specifics."

Dreyer finally made up his mind, despite his inner fear:

"Whatever the outcome, we must know the truth. If Lord Magus wins, we can return to pledge our loyalty; if Nari..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but all three apostles understood what he meant.

A moment later, a familiar chaotic aura emanated from the direction of the arena, then quickly disappeared.

This obvious spatial teleportation fluctuation finally allowed the three apostles to confirm the outcome of the battle.

“It was Nari who left…”

Kro's voice was filled with disbelief:

"She did win, and won so decisively that even the cleanup of the battlefield was so quick."

"How can this be……"

Multiple voices in Camps simultaneously trembled with a sigh:
"Even if it's just an avatar, she's still a Supreme Apostle. Just how much has her strength increased...?"

Drais remained silent for a long time, and the souls within him also ceased their whispering.

This unprecedented event has exceeded all their comprehension.

Throughout the long history of the Abyss, there has never been a record of an ordinary apostle defeating a supreme apostle, even if the opponent was just an avatar.

"Let's go back and take a look."

In the end, greed triumphed over fear.

(End of this chapter)