Wizard: My career panel has no upper limit

Chapter 420 Reversion
As Elliott described it, Ron began to understand the reason for his haggard appearance.

The "Listening to the Wind" talent allows the holder to perceive the flow of information within the magic network, but this ability is also a double-edged sword.

When the environment is filled with negative information, those with talent are often the first to be impacted.

“What exactly did you hear?” Ron asked.

Eliot closed his eyes, as if recalling some painful experience:

"Chaos... endless chaos. I can hear the clanging of metal in the distance, a sound so sharp it's like someone is hammering nails into my head."

There were also screams, countless screams, some of which didn't even sound human.

His voice began to tremble:
"The most terrifying thing was those whispers. I couldn't make out the exact words, but the tone... that tone reminded me of echoes from the abyss. And these sounds were coming from the direction of another world."

Elliott's description filled Ron with a sense of foreboding.

How long has this situation been going on?

“A whole week.” Elliott’s reply confirmed Ron’s concerns:
"These unusual messages started appearing seven days ago. At first, they were just occasional noises, but now... now they are almost continuous."

He added with a wry smile:
“I haven’t slept well for three days. Every time I close my eyes, the sounds become clearer. I’m even starting to wonder if I’m going crazy.”

Looking at his friend's pained expression, Ron felt a surge of sympathy and worry.

However, he also realized that Elliott might be bringing extremely important intelligence.

Can you confirm the source of this information?

"Most of them point to the Zephyr region in the seventh quadrant, the civilization that Cassandra Tower Lord is currently conquering."

Eliot's tone became more serious:

"But there are also some...some more distant echoes. As if they come from other worlds, or...or from deeper places."

He paused, a deep fear appearing in his eyes:
"Speaking of the Vital World..."

Elliott's expression turned unusually serious, and his voice lowered even further:

“I intercepted some snippets of official internal communications through ‘Listening to the Wind.’ Ron, what happened there is far worse than anyone has publicly admitted.”

He paced back and forth in the secret room, each step revealing his anxiety:

"According to what I've heard, Cassandra's expeditionary force encountered an ancient god who called himself the 'Star Lord' in the Republic of Vital."

Note that I'm not referring to the myths and legends of indigenous civilizations, but to ancient gods in the true sense.

Ron's heart began to race.

Ancient god level, that is said to be a terrifying existence that can briefly contend with the Witch King.

“That ‘Star Domain Lord’ seems to be the true ruler, or rather… protector, of the Vital Republic. The collective consciousness network of the Vital people is very likely constructed by Him.”

He took a deep breath, as if organizing his thoughts to describe a kind of incomprehensible terror:
“Among the communications I intercepted, there was an emergency report from the fleet commander. He used terms like ‘reality tearing’, ‘dimensional displacement’, and ‘distortion of existence itself’.”

Elliott's voice began to tremble:
"Specific details of that battle were kept under top-level secrecy, but fragments of information I heard indicate that the expeditionary force lost at least one-fifth of its strength."

He paused, a deep fear appearing in his eyes:
"The deaths of those fallen wizards were not the end of life in the ordinary sense, but... rather, the dissolution of existence itself."

Ron felt a chill run down his spine.

The dissolution of existence means that even the ethereal remains cannot be preserved, and the soul is completely annihilated outside of reality.

For a wizard, this is a more terrible end than death.

"There must be important figures on this casualty list, right?"

"Yes, this brief encounter with the 'Star Domain Lord' alone has already resulted in the deaths of two Dark Sun-level squad commanders: Adrian and Serene, and countless Dark Sun-level wizards have been severely injured."

Elliott's voice was unusually heavy:

"Adrian is a candidate for the deputy tower master of the Elemental Garden; Serene is a rune expert of the Tower of Resonance, and can create stable spatial channels by combining her own illusory nascent form."

He shook his head with a wry smile: "The importance of these two people..."

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

A Dark Sun-level wizard would be considered high-ranking in the Central Lands, second only to the great wizards who are leaders of their respective schools.

With the loss of two such important figures, the expeditionary force is likely to be in uproar.

"Therefore, the subsequent impact is extremely serious."

Elliott continued:

"This crushing defeat completely shattered the morale of the expeditionary force. The communications I heard were filled with doubt, anger, and fear."

He began to describe in detail the divisions within the expeditionary force:
"The Elemental Garden is now publicly demanding a reassessment of its conquest strategy."

Their leader, High Priestess Elizabeth, has issued a formal protest to Cassandra, demanding a halt to the attack on the world of Vital.

"The Great Wizard of the Tower of Tremors is even more radical."

In an internal meeting, he directly and publicly questioned Cassandra's leadership abilities, using terms like 'reckless,' 'irresponsible,' and 'treating allies as expendable.'

Elliott's expression grew even more worried:

"The Starhammer and Mithril clans have begun to secretly discuss the possibility of withdrawing from the Expeditionary Alliance."

Upon hearing this, Ron suddenly realized that Cassandra's conquest plan might be facing the danger of complete collapse.

If the expeditionary force were to completely split apart, the entire trajectory of the wizarding civilization's development could be altered.

"But what is most unsettling are the rumors about the tower's owner himself."

Elliott's voice became extremely weak, as if afraid of being heard by something:
"Witnesses described her condition during the fight, using the following words..."

He paused for a long time, as if gathering his courage to utter a terrifying word:

"There may be a trend of 'reversion'."

This word struck Ron's heart like a hammer blow.

Reversion is one of the most feared forms of alienation among high-ranking wizards.

It means the complete collapse of reason, the total loss of humanity, and becoming a puppet of one's own imagined object's will.

Ron recalled Yutel's warning about the side effects of "The Star Eater's Whispers".

How is the morale of the expeditionary force now?

“We’ve almost hit rock bottom,” Elliott answered without hesitation.
"Many wizards began to question the meaning of this conquest. They began to doubt whether the so-called 'development of civilization' was worth such a huge price."

He added with a wry smile:

"Even worse, some wizards began to discuss in private whether they should secretly evacuate on their own."

Such internal divisions and suspicions are fatal to any army.

For the expeditionary force, which relied solely on Cassandra's authority, it was even more disastrous.

What is the tower owner's response to these questions?

"That's the scariest part."

A deep fear flashed in Elliott's eyes:
"She seems completely unconcerned about these questions."

In the minutes of the most recent commanders' meeting I heard, she told the protesters: 'The weak have no voice; they either obey or become nourishment.'

"Moreover, she has already begun implementing some kind of... purification plan."

Those wizards who openly expressed their discontent are being gradually reassigned to the most dangerous frontline missions.

It was euphemistically called "atonement for one's crimes through meritorious service," but in reality, it was a disguised form of execution.

These pieces of information paint a terrifying picture:

An expeditionary force spiraling out of control, a commander gradually becoming alienated, and a war of conquest that may end in disaster.

And all of these consequences will ultimately backfire on the entire wizarding civilization.

At this point, Elliott sat down again in the secret room.

"The problems of the expeditionary force are just the tip of the iceberg."

His voice became deeper:

“What truly terrifies me is the change in the entire Central Lands. Ron, the world we know is disappearing.”

Elliott reached out and gently touched his temple:
“You know what? There are hardly any six-month-level wizards left in the Central Lands now. Apart from people like my father who have to stay at their posts, almost everyone else has run away.”

His tone carried a certain absurd helplessness:
"Among the seven major schools, at least 60% of the Moon-level wizards in each school have 'applied' for otherworld research projects. Note that I said 'applied,' but in reality..."

Elliott shook his head with a wry smile:

"Some were directly conscripted, some were to escape possible retribution, and some were simply out of fear."

He began to list the specific details of the staff turnover:

"Two-thirds of the associate professors at the Crystal Spire have joined the 'Spell Development' project, ostensibly to provide technical support to the expeditionary force."

But what I heard from the inside was that they were actually forced to develop even more lethal war spells.

"These are all effects brought about by technological leaps..."

Elliott's voice grew heavier:

"The Tower Master's improvement on the interdimensional passage is indeed groundbreaking."

Her improved 'Dimensional Anchoring Technique' allows even Moon-level beings to smoothly pass through interdimensional portals that originally required a Dark Sun-level being to open.

He sighed softly:
"But this 'convenience' has completely changed the academic environment."

Suddenly, everyone had access to resources from another world, and everyone had the opportunity to level up rapidly.

"The result is that everyone is pursuing quick results, and basic research that requires decades or even centuries of accumulation is completely ignored. The information I hear from Magic Network is full of project applications driven by short-sighted gains."

Eliot begins to describe the specific effects of this change:

"Some young scholars have begun to abandon their original research directions and turn to 'more promising' combat magic."

Some researchers who previously specialized in botany are now learning how to transform plants into weapons of war.

This overall distortion of the environment also worried Ron.

A healthy academic environment requires a sufficiently stable research environment, but this stability has now been completely disrupted.

Eliot's tone grew heavier:

“Last night, my father called me to his study and said that the present Central Land reminded him of the madness of the late Third Age as recorded in history.”

“‘Everyone knows disaster is coming, so they are desperately trying to seize the last moments. But the more desperate they are, the faster the disaster will come.’ These are his exact words.”

Elliott looked at Ron, his eyes filled with confusion and fear:
"And you should know the final outcome of the Third Age..."

Ron certainly knew.

The Third Age ended with the "Eternal Plague," unleashed by the "End of Death" in an effort to rebuild order.

The entire wizarding civilization was reconstructed, and countless knowledge transmissions were severed as a result.

The necromancy department, in particular, almost never recovered after that, with only a few necromancy archmages surviving the purge.

Elliott seemed to realize that he was getting too depressed and tried to adjust his mood.

He took a deep breath and forced a smile:
"Okay, let's not keep talking about these depressing things. Let's talk about something relatively... lighthearted."

His tone was filled with admiration:

"Speaking of the Rising Star Program, your performance was simply... how should I put it, it made everyone pale in comparison."

Elliott took out a recording crystal from his pocket, activated it, and displayed detailed ranking data in the air:
"The inclusion in the core journal *Deconstruction*, the public endorsement by the Great Wizard Vinard, and the practical application value of that technology for exploring the Abyss..."

With all these achievements combined, your points after this settlement are more than enough to secure your position as the top player.

The data displayed on the projector was indeed encouraging.

Ron's total score reached 9847 points, while Euphemia, who was behind him, only had 5921 points.

“Look at these gaps.”

Elliott pointed to the detailed analysis projected on the screen:

"Your paper has been rated as 'breakthrough research' and received a perfect score of 5000."

"And Euphemia, who's behind you, only received a 'refined achievement' rating for her research on bloodline modification, scoring just 1200 points."

He began to detail the situation of the other competitors:

"Draco, ranked seventh, is the heir to the Bloodstained Clan."

He does indeed have some talent in bloodline modification, having invented a new 'dragon blood fusion' technique that allows ordinary wizards to temporarily gain some of the abilities of dragons.

"But this technology has serious side effects. Users will exhibit some dragon-like traits in the short term, such as an excessive desire for treasure and an uncontrollable urge to destroy."

There was a hint of irony in Eliot's tone:

"The funniest thing is that he himself is a victim of this side effect."

Last month, he suddenly barged into the academy's vault, claiming he wanted to 'collect all the shiny stuff'.

Although it was later explained as a side effect of the experiment, it still became a source of amusement for many.

"The eighth place goes to Zola of the Dark Hut. She specializes in shadow magic and invented a 'shadow clone' technique that can create shadow clones with independent thought."

"But the problem with this technology is that the shadow clones can sometimes be difficult to control."

Elliott's expression turned somewhat strange:
"Zola herself is an extremely introverted and shy girl, but her shadow clone is unusually bold and unrestrained."

Last week at an academic conference, her alter ego confessed her feelings to three people simultaneously in front of everyone—one same-sex and two opposite-sex—creating a very awkward situation.

"However, there is one person whose situation is rather special."

Eliot's tone became mysterious:

"Although Chloe was not ranked high in the last ranking, at 23rd, her recent 'special project' score is unusually high."

He retrieved the detailed records:
"Her research project received an additional 1800 points after it was flagged."

"Actually, according to my father's wishes, I was planning to publish some papers and participate in this Rising Star Program recently."

Having said that, Elliott stared directly at the communication crystal:

"But two weeks ago, the Storm Clan received a 'cooperation invitation.' The one that extended the invitation was the Crown Clan."

His words were full of bitterness:
"Of course, the word 'invitation' is used to maintain a facade of politeness. In reality, it's more like an invitation that can't be refused."

Elliott took out a silver letter from his pocket, which bore the emblem of the Crown Clan.

Even through the communication crystal, Ron could feel the aura of authority it contained.

"The content of this 'invitation' is very simple: the next heir of the Storm Clan—that is, me—will be included in Lord Cassandra's think tank and serve as an intelligence officer."

Elliott added with a wry smile:

"He claimed it was to better utilize my talent for 'listening to the wind' and contribute to the development of the entire civilization."

He sat down again, looking extremely tired.
"After receiving the invitation, my father immediately convened an emergency family meeting, in which all the elders of the clan participated in the discussion."

A look of pain crossed Elliott's eyes:
"Do you know the result of the discussion? It was a unanimous vote to accept this 'invitation'."

His voice began to tremble:
"Not because we want to, but because... we simply have no other choice."

"Although the Storm Clan has a long history, the strongest wizard currently in existence is only at the Dark Sun level."

"If we choose to refuse the tower master's invitation..."

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

"However, it's not all bad news."

Elliott tried to compose himself:

"My 'Listening to the Wind' talent is highly valued by the Tower Master, which makes the treatment of this special intelligence officer quite good."

He explained the specific benefits of the position:
"I can automatically receive the resource allocation and knowledge access for the tenth place without participating in the competition for the Rising Star Program."

His tone became mysterious:

"If you need to know certain important information, especially information about the tower owner or high-level personnel, I am now able to provide assistance."

"Of course, this assistance must be provided with great care, but at least... our communication channels will not be severed."

The light from the communication crystal slowly faded, and the observatory returned to tranquility.

Ron remained seated, needing time to process the information Elliott had just revealed.

The entire wizarding civilization is sliding into the unknown at an unprecedented speed.

"Owner."

Ailan's gentle voice interrupted his thoughts.

The tree spirit's emerald green figure drifted in from the entrance of the observatory, her branches swaying gently in the night breeze, exuding a natural fragrance.

But tonight, even this fragrance, which usually soothes the soul, cannot dispel the gloom in Ron's heart.

"Miss Franka, we've been waiting for you outside for quite some time."

Ailan spoke cautiously, her tone carrying a gentle understanding:
"Judging from her expression, she seems to have something urgent to report to you."

Ron sighed inwardly.

Without even asking, he knew it was Eve who couldn't wait any longer.

The final confirmation of the treatment plan will change the entire trajectory of the black-haired princess's life.

Success means she will gain true freedom and be freed from the torment of the demonic possession;
Failure would have unimaginable consequences.

For a girl who has been tormented by illness for fourteen years, this waiting is undoubtedly agonizing.

"I see."

Ron stood up and straightened his wizard robes:

"Get ready, we're coming over now."

He didn't keep Franka waiting.

Although he was still processing the information he had just received, Eve's matter was equally important.

In fact, the success or failure of this treatment is not only related to the girl's future, but also to his relationship with the Crown Clan.

As Ron descended the spiral staircase of the observatory, he saw Franka through the crystal window.

This half-dragon maid maintained her signature serious demeanor.

But upon closer observation, it can be seen that her tail is rhythmically tapping on the ground, which is an unconscious movement when she is nervous.

Even Franka was nervous, so you can imagine how Eve felt at that moment.

"Instructor Ralph".

When Franka saw Ron appear, she immediately bowed respectfully:
"Miss, she...she's been waiting for your news all day, please..."

"Understood, I'll be right there."

(End of this chapter)