Wizard: My career panel has no upper limit

Chapter 422 Extravagance and Slaughter

On the edge of the Vital Republic's star system, inside the deepest compartment of the flagship "Monarch".

Cassandra stood alone in the enclosed space she had transformed into a blood sacrifice altar, her purple eyes fixed on the chilling scene before her.

The entire cabin was an irregular oval shape, and the originally cold metal walls were now completely covered with living flesh and blood.

Those writhing flesh and blood tissues are like the inner walls of a huge organ, with a dense network of blood vessels as intricate as a spider web on their surface.

Whenever fresh blood flows through, those blood vessels contract and writhe greedily, making a chilling sucking sound.

At the center of the altar, six "prophets" from the Vital civilization were neatly arranged in specific positions.

These creatures have soft, octopus-like bodies, but their heads are made of pure crystal.

Through the translucent crystal skull, one can clearly see the silvery-blue liquid of thought flowing inside, slowly rotating like a galaxy.

They were originally the wise beings of the Vital Republic—rare life forms capable of foreseeing the future through a collective consciousness network.

Now, they are firmly bound to the flesh-and-blood altar by specially made living chains.

Those chains were not inanimate objects, but some kind of parasitic abyssal creature.

They are deeply embedded in the body of the precognitive, like blood vessels, slowly and continuously drawing upon their life essence.

The liquid of thought within the crystal skull was visibly draining away, drop by drop, gathering in the groove at the center of the altar.

Every drop of this liquid of thought creates eerie ripples in spacetime.

"The ability to foresee the future...how ironic..."

Cassandra gently stroked the edge of the altar, her voice carrying a hint of pleasure.

"You can see through the fog of time and glimpse the trajectory of fate, yet you cannot foresee your own death at this very moment. Or perhaps..."

She stopped what she was doing, a dangerous glint in her eyes:
"You knew this would happen all along, yet you were powerless to change it? Is this the tragedy of the so-called prophet?"

One of the precognizers' crystal heads turned with difficulty, its compound eyes, which shimmered like stars, staring directly at Cassandra.

Through the gradually thinning fluid of thought, intermittent fluctuations of intention were transmitted:

"Conqueror...your...greed will...devour...yourself...the dark...future...has...already...arrived..."

A dark future?

Cassandra let out a shrill laugh.

The laughter echoed in the confined space of flesh and blood, carrying a hysterical madness:

“My dear lamb, you’re right, but so what?”

The power of the void began to manifest in her hands, and purple energy tentacles extended out like venomous snakes, coiling around the crystal head of the prophet.

The moment the tentacles made contact, the Precognitive let out a heart-wrenching mental scream, the pain being transmitted to its kin around it through the level of consciousness.

"Since darkness is unavoidable, let me bring it closer with my own hands."

With her cold words, the precognitive's consciousness was forcibly stripped away.

The silvery-blue liquid of thought cascaded down like a waterfall, forming a constantly rotating energy vortex in the center of the altar.

Cassandra stood alone at the edge of the bloody altar, her purple eyes fixed on the masterpiece before her.

Her black hair was slightly disheveled, and there were a few drops of dried blood on her delicate face, but she seemed completely oblivious to these details.

One of the precognizer's crystal heads remains intact.

Although the fluid of thought had been drained, its eyes remained open, as if silently accusing the creature.

Cassandra reached out and gently stroked the cold crystal surface.

Her fingers were very white, and her nails were neatly trimmed.

"Don't look at me like that."

The witch spoke to the dead prophet, her tone surprisingly tinged with grievance:

“I had no choice either, you should understand… In this universe, if you don’t advance, you fall behind; if you don’t kill, you will be killed.”

As she spoke, her hands began to tremble slightly.

Not out of fear, but out of some deep weariness and... emptiness.

"Mom, what are you doing?"

That was a voice from the depths of her memory; Eve had asked her that question when she was very young.

At that time, Cassandra was in the laboratory mixing some kind of magic potion.

Upon hearing her daughter's voice, she immediately stopped what she was doing and gently picked her up.

"Mom is working, doing things that can help others."

Can it help a lot of people?

"Yes, it can help many, many people."

My answer back then was sincere.

At the time, I truly believed that my research could make the world a better place, even if it involved some necessary sacrifices.

And now...

Cassandra shook her head vigorously, trying to banish those memories.

She took out a strangely shaped alchemical device.

It was a scepter made from a perfect fusion of a human skull and obsidian.

This is a container she uses specifically to store negative emotional energy.

Cassandra raised her scepter high above her head and began to collect the immense resentment released by the precognizers before their deaths.

The anger, despair, and pain of those intelligent beings who were forcibly deprived of their lives surged toward the scepter like a black tide.

"Hatred, despair, pain... the essence of negative emotions, hopefully it will be of some use in the upcoming war."

She gently stroked the distorted patterns on the scepter's surface, which had been twisted by the absorption of resentment, and sighed softly once more.

Then, Cassandra slowly placed her hands on the groove in the center of the altar, feeling the still-warm liquid of thought.

"tell me……"

The witch's voice became low and devout, as if she were performing some kind of sacred ritual:
"The best time to open the Otherworldly Treasure Box."

The divination has begun.

The next moment, her consciousness was dragged into a chaotic space composed of countless possibilities.

Countless potential fragments of the future flashed before her eyes like shattered glass:
The jubilation of success, the despair of failure, the fear of death, the joy of victory...

Every image was like a sharp blade cutting into her spirit, but she gritted her teeth and endured the pain that felt like it was tearing her soul apart.

Amidst these chaotic fragments of time, she desperately searched for that crucial point in time.

Suddenly, all the chaotic images coalesced into a single, clear, and intense moment—

Now! Right now!
Cassandra suddenly opened her eyes, and two lines of bloody tears slowly flowed down from the corners of her eyes.

The backlash from the divination dealt a huge blow to her mind, causing a tearing pain in her temples, but a satisfied smile appeared on her lips.

"Found it... finally found it..."

Cassandra closed her eyes, and her consciousness began to sink inward.

In the deepest part of her mental space, a seemingly ordinary box, yet radiating a terrifying pressure, was quietly floating.

That is the "Otherworldly Treasure Box".

A treasure left behind by the previous king of the era, a source of power that can provide limitless possibilities.

The treasure box has no fixed physical form; it is more like a manifestation of a concept that transcends comprehension.

It looks simple and unadorned, even somewhat dilapidated.

But when Cassandra’s consciousness touched it, she could clearly feel the immense power it contained.

That is an absolute power that transcends time, space, life and death, a terrifying force capable of rewriting the fundamental laws of reality.

"Turn on."

With her will, the lid of the treasure box slowly opened.

The next moment, countless cards radiating different lights flew around in the mental space.

Each one represents a specific power, and each one possesses the terrifying power to change the laws governing the world.

The golden light is the most dazzling, representing the highest level of power card under normal circumstances;

Silver is the next best color, radiating an elegant metallic luster like moonlight;
Cards with bronze and lead-iron hues are the most numerous, but their power is relatively weak;
There are also a very small number of "star" level cards that shimmer with rainbow light.

That is the ultimate existence that transcends conventional classification; it takes three Golden Power Cards to randomly draw one.

At the moment Cassandra opened the Extraterrestrial Box in the family vault, her perception underwent a fundamental transformation.

She began to be able to "see" the true value and potential level of everything.

It was a special perspective that transcended the five senses, as if one had gained the scrutinizing viewpoint of the Creator.

In this state, each being has a corresponding color of light:
Gold represents the level of a great wizard, such as the daughter Eve and the teacher Yutel who has already realized his potential;
Silver corresponds to those who may reach the Dark Sun level, such as Elliot of the Storm Clan;
Bronze represents the Moon and Morning Star levels, the level of most formal wizards, such as the half-dragon maid Franka.

Even lower beings don't even have a faint glimmer of light; in her eyes, they are as insignificant as roadside dust.

The light emanating from Ron was the most complex.

The first time she saw it, it was already gold mixed with other strange colors, a special quality she had never seen before.

"Start drawing power cards."

Cassandra focused her attention on the flying cards, paying particular attention to the lesser ones that emitted a silvery glow.

Her goal this time was very clear—she needed a "luxury" type of power card.

The "Luxury" card allows you to enhance the effects of treating your daughter Eve by spending various rare and precious items.

According to the strict rules of the Alien Box, only power cards of the corresponding quality can produce the best effect on targets of the same potential level.

The first card slowly appeared before her:
The gold border is exquisitely luxurious, and the card features a graceful and elegant female figure. She is in a palace adorned with jewels and opulent decorations, indulging in endless material pleasures.

"Luxury" Power Card, Gold Quality.

It seemed to perfectly meet the requirements, but Cassandra's face instantly darkened.

She recalled the process of artificially creating Eve.

In order to give her daughter extraordinary talent and potential, she had already used a "luxury" card of gold quality on the unborn embryo.

The rules of the Otherworldly Treasure Box are exceptionally strict and cannot be violated:

To reuse the same type of power card for the same target, you can only downgrade it.

This means that the gold-quality card in front of her is completely useless on Eve.

"Damn rules..."

Her right hand unconsciously clenched into a fist, her nails digging deeply into her palm.

This is her habitual action when she's angry, using pain to suppress her inner rage.

Warm blood seeped from between his fingers, dripping into the void of his mental space, turning into specks of red light and dissipating.

Cassandra gritted her teeth and decided to put the golden card away for the time being, and proceeded to draw a second time.

The second card appears: it also has a gold border, but the card design is completely different.

A blood-stained sword stands amidst mountains of corpses and seas of blood.

The sword was surrounded by the vengeful spirits of the dead, exuding a chilling aura of slaughter.

"Kill" Power Card, Gold Quality.

This card allows you to designate a gold-quality target and engage in a special one-on-one duel with yourself.

However, this card is useless for Eve's current healing needs.

Cassandra's mood began to become unusually irritable, and a wave of anxiety washed over her.

"Don't panic...there should still be a chance...the divination results should be correct..."

At this moment, she was like a desperate gambler, trying to comfort herself.

On the third draw, a flash of silver light appeared.

The third card slowly appeared:
The silver border is relatively simple, and the card design features a giant snake devouring its own tail.

Surrounded by various luxurious decorations and treasures, it symbolizes an endless cycle of desire.

"Luxury" Power Card, Silver Quality.

This silver-quality card perfectly meets Eve's needs after her downgrade.

Cassandra breathed a sigh of relief, but then realized an even more serious problem.

She now has three power cards in her possession:
One gold card for extravagance, one gold card for slaughter, and one silver card for Eve's upcoming use.

According to the fatal rule of the Otherworldly Treasure Box, each power card drawn must be used within a specified time.

Otherwise, the treasure box will forcibly take it back—devouring the user's soul along with it.

Time limits vary depending on the quality level:

Iron and bronze level cards must be used within one year, silver level cards within three years, and gold level cards within five years.

The highest-level star-level cards have a lifespan ranging from fifteen to fifty years, and the Star Conquest card in her hand has a lifespan of fifteen years.

A year ago, during a grand ceremony announcing the conquest policy, she publicly bestowed upon Ron a precious "Eye of Time".

The seemingly generous reward is actually a reluctant arrangement made to consume a silver-level luxury card.

Using the Power Card not only produces the corresponding effect, but more importantly, it grants you a precious opportunity to make a wish.

The degree to which a wish is granted depends entirely on the quality level of the card consumed.

"Golden Slaughter..."

She stared at the blood-stained card in her hand, a surge of impulse rising within her.

This card's power on the battlefield is undeniable.

For example, Cassandra can now directly target that annoying Azalos from the Republic of Vital.

In a one-on-one duel, eliminate this supreme commander who is hiding in the rear.

The opponent's entire power resides in the connected starry sky behemoth, although its energy level has indeed reached the level of a great wizard.

But once the giant star beast was separated from the network, it was just a piece of cake in her eyes.

However, it can also further amplify the user's bloodlust and violent tendencies.

Given her current level of alienation, it's quite severe.

Using this card could very well completely...

"And Jin was extravagant..."

She turned to another glittering gold card, on which the elegant and noble female figure seemed to beckon to her.

With Cassandra's current financial reserves, she simply cannot launch an extravagant plan that meets the requirements of a Gold Power Card.

The last time she developed the "Dimensional Anchoring Technique," she only used one Gold Luxury Card, but it had already used up all of her savings.

What worries her even more is another pressing issue.

At this moment, you also have an even more precious Star Card in your hand – "Conquest".

This treasure, shimmering with rainbow light, is the very driving force behind her relentless conquest of other worlds over the years.

But the progress on completing the Star Conquest cards is hopeless.

Her progress bar is not even half full yet, but it has already consumed more than twelve years of time.

With just over two years remaining, accomplishing such a massive conquest goal would be virtually impossible.

Once the Conquest card expires, her soul will be completely annihilated.

"Twelve years... a full twelve years..."

Cassandra's voice began to tremble, and the fear that had been buried deep within her finally began to surface.

The shackles of time are tightening, while the paths available to us are dwindling.

Every compromise, every "no other choice," pushed her into a deeper abyss.

With each power card she uses, she deviates further from her original self, transforming into something she once despised.

The cabin fell into a deathly silence, with only the faint creaking of flesh and blood emanating from the walls.

Cassandra stood silently before the blood sacrifice altar, her purple eyes fixed on the dead prophets.

"tell me……"

As if guided by some unseen force, she whispered to the hollow crystal heads:
"If you can truly foresee the future, then what do you see as my fate...?"

The only response she received, of course, was silence.

………………

Meanwhile, inside the special ceremony room of the abyss observatory.

Ron and Yutel are preparing for a special communication.

The layout of the ceremonial room has been completely changed; the originally simple space is now covered with complex historical runes.

The walls, floors, and even the ceiling are covered with mysterious patterns representing the past, present, and future.

These runes are not static, but rather flow slowly, like a miniature version of the river of time.

"Gould's case is rather special."

As Yutel adjusted the ritual array, he explained to Ron:

"Although his physical body has long since perished, his remains have been completely preserved in the specimen collection of the Court of Truth."

This means that his consciousness still exists, but is in a deep dormant state.

"It's less about summoning historical projections and more about establishing a cross-space consciousness link."

The old professor pointed to an ancient mirror in the center of the ceremony:
“Using this ‘Time Mirror’ will allow us to penetrate the spacetime barrier of the specimen library and access Gould’s ethereal consciousness. I have already communicated with the ‘Truth Court’.”

Ron examined the mirror carefully.

The mirror has a deep silver color and fine cracks on its surface, but these cracks are not damage, but rather the traces of time.

When he gazes into the mirror, he can vaguely see countless overlapping images, which are the intermingling of light and shadow from different eras in the mirror.

Yesterday, the consciousness of the "Eye of Observation" connected with Unicom seemed to be that Yutel was also using this mirror.

"Get ready to start."

Yutel walked to the mirror and placed his hands on the frame:
"This kind of communication is very energy-consuming, and we have limited time."

As the power of the ethereal remains was injected, the Time Mirror began to emit a faint hum.

The cracks on the mirror gradually lit up, like silver lightning dancing in the darkness.

A few minutes later, blurry outlines began to appear in the mirror.

It was a figure sitting in a huge library, surrounded by ancient books and parchment scrolls.

Despite the distance of time and space, one can still sense a profound scholarly temperament.

"Yutel?"

Gould's voice came from the mirror, carrying a languid quality of just waking up:

"What a rare guest! What could possibly make you willing to expend your energy to contact me?"

“Gould, I need your wisdom and insights.”

Yutel got straight to the point.

(End of this chapter)