Wizard: My career panel has no upper limit

Chapter 424 "Devour" Feature

"How are you feeling, Professor?"

Ron asked with some concern.

"Ha, he's not going to die yet."

Yutel waved his hand with a wry smile, his forced nonchalance only making people more worried:
"But we really need to hurry, my old bones can't take too much stress."

His illusory figure trembled slightly, struggling to gather his scattered power:

"Come with me, Ron. Now that the treatment plan is finalized, your Moon-level breakthrough should proceed simultaneously. I'm taking you to a special place."

"A special place?"

Ron was somewhat confused:

"Professor, didn't I say that before?"

I plan to complete the final activation of the radiation field in a special meditation room in the Central Land.

The conditions there are pretty good, and..."

"No, there isn't enough time."

Yutel interrupted him, and the silver light in the phantom flickered slightly:

"The Eye of Observation and Gould are both very busy people. It's unrealistic to expect them to wait for you to slowly break through here."

The old professor's tone carried a hint of helplessness:
"Even the most advanced public magic concentration chambers aren't very efficient."

Although your previous exploration of the abyss has greatly improved your control over the radiation field.

However, at the current pace, it may take another week or two to complete the activation process…

Reminded by Yutel, Ron suddenly realized it as well.

It's indeed a bit... to let the Eye of Observation and Gould, two great wizards, wait for him to slowly break through.

"Therefore, we need a more efficient solution."

Yutel turned and walked deeper into the office area:

"The Crown Clan has a special activation field that is much more effective than public facilities."

They left the ritual room and walked into a hidden passage that Ron had never seen before.

This passage is cleverly hidden behind the stone wall in the core area of ​​the Crystal Spire.

If Yutel hadn't led the way, it would have been impossible to discover its existence.

“This area has never been open to outsiders for thousands of years.”

As Yutel activated the hidden entrance using the power of the Void, he explained:
“Even most members of the Crown Clan cannot enter; only the core members with the purest bloodline are qualified to set foot here.”

As the silver light was injected, the thick stone wall began to slide open silently, revealing a spiral passage extending downwards.

As they ventured deeper, the concentration of magic in the surrounding area began to rise sharply.

Ron felt as if he had plunged into a huge pool of magic, with pure energy flowing into his body with every breath.

"This concentration of magic power..."

He couldn't help but marvel at how much more abundant the environment was here than at an observation station whose building extended halfway into the abyss.
"It feels like a direct connection to the source of magic."

"That's pretty much it."

Yutel's phantom became even clearer in the high-concentration magic environment:
"When the King of Absurdity built this place, he directly channeled several magic veins here. It can be said that this is one of the most magic-dense areas in the entire Central Land."

As he walked, Ron suddenly remembered a question that had been bothering him:
"Professor, there's a question I've been wanting to ask for a while now..."

He hesitated, unsure if this was the right topic:
"The Crown Clan is an ancient family with a history of thousands of years. Why have I only ever met Lord Cassandra and Princess Eve? Logically speaking, such a large clan shouldn't consist of only a mother and daughter, right?"

Upon hearing this question, Yutel paused slightly.

The silver light in the phantom dimmed for a moment, and the expression on his face was as if he had been touched by a past event he didn't want to recall.

“You have a keen eye, Ron.”

The old professor remained silent for a moment before speaking again:
"Some things... well, knowing too much isn't necessarily a good thing. But since you asked, you'll understand once you see it for yourself."

He smiled bitterly and shook his head:
"In the wizarding world, reality is often more...complex than imagined."

Yutel's ambiguity made Ron realize that he might have touched on a sensitive topic.

An ominous premonition began to rise in his heart. He suppressed his curiosity and focused on following Yutel's steps.

The passage stretched out beneath their feet, as if leading to the depths of the earth.

"Coming."

Yutel's voice came from ahead, carrying an indescribable heaviness.

As they descended the last few steps, they arrived at a massive hall that utterly awe-inspired Ron.

The scale here completely exceeded his expectations.

The dome disappeared into the hazy purple mist, giving the illusion of endless extension.

The ancient runes on the surrounding walls were constantly flowing and changing slowly.

But what truly made Ron frown was the scene in the center of the hall.

Hundreds of transparent crystal coffins were neatly arranged, each the size of an adult, emitting a soft blue light.

The coffin was filled with some kind of preservation fluid, and in that pale blue liquid, a human-shaped figure floated silently.

Each figure retains the posture it had in life, as if it were simply sleeping peacefully.

"This is……"

He examined it carefully.

The figures in those crystal coffins all had black hair similar to Cassandra and Eve.

The Crown Clan has members of all ages, including men, women, the elderly, and children.

But they were all in a deep sleep, their vital signs so weak that they were almost imperceptible.

"This is the true core of the Crown Clan."

Yutel's voice echoed softly in the empty hall:
"The bloodline of the King of Absurdity... is all here."

A chill ran down Ron's spine.

Hundreds of vibrant lives were "protectively" preserved in this underground tomb.

The line between protection and imprisonment is blurred at this moment.

"Perpetual slumber? Like those great wizards of the Court of Truth?"

His voice was unusually dry, reminding him of the specimen collections of the Court of Truth.

"No, this is quite different from a specimen bank."

The specimen collection is full of old zombies who should have died long ago but haven't. This place, however, preserves living, breathing people.

Yutel walked toward the nearest crystal coffin, inside which lay a boy who looked to be only a teenager.

The boy's face was exquisitely beautiful, like a work of art, but his completely still state instilled an indescribable sense of dread.
"This kind of 'bloodline preservation' is quite popular among the Witch Kings."

The old professor's silhouette became even more ethereal under the reflection of the crystal.
"The genetic factors of the Witch King's bloodline are too powerful, and each member is born with extremely strong inspiration."

This is precisely why they are more susceptible to various curses and the corruption of those in positions of power.

Ron recalled that during his apprenticeship, Mrs. Allen had told him: inspiration is a curse...

"Around the beginning of the Fourth Age, due to the clash between the King of the Absurd and a certain ancient god from another realm, the bloodline link caused the entire Crown Clan to suffer a catastrophic collective alienation."

Yutel's tone became even heavier:

"All members have begun to exhibit varying degrees of alienation, with symptoms including but not limited to: uncontrollable violent impulses, distorted perception of reality, and uncontrolled rampage of bloodline power..."

"How does she compare to Eve now?"

Ron recalled the sickly appearance of the black-haired princess.

“Eve was artificially created, and her current situation is Cassandra’s own fault... However, the situation of these clan members is not much better than hers.”

Yutel shook his head with a wry smile:

“Back then, some clan members were in even worse condition. They would unleash destructive power unconsciously, and would even attack their own relatives.”

"In order to protect the continuation of the bloodline, the Absurd King had no choice but to seal most of his clansmen away, leaving only a very few outstanding individuals outside to maintain the clan's operation."

The old professor pointed to those sleeping figures:

"These people are still alive, but in a state of extremely deep slumber. Their time is almost frozen, waiting for the day when a way to eradicate the curse can be found."

Ron felt a strange sense of oppression.

This is not a simple death, but a more cruel state of being—living, but never being able to wake up.

"Does the Tower Master know of this place's existence?"

He took a breath and regained his composure.

"of course I know."

Yutel's expression became complicated:

"In fact, she would come here before making any major decisions to give a kind of ritualistic 'report' to these sleeping tribespeople."

Although these people were unable to respond, Cassandra insisted that she was making decisions on behalf of the entire clan.

As Yutel spoke, a chilling image appeared in Ron's mind of a black-haired witch touching the crystal coffins and talking to herself.

Well, it seems Cassandra has been mentally unstable for a while now.

"And Eve? Does she know any of this?"

"Of course I won't let her know."

Yutel shook his head, his tone carrying a certain protectiveness:
Cassandra believed that these images would have a negative impact on Eve's mental state.

After all, seeing all your loved ones in this state would be a huge psychological trauma for anyone.

Ron nodded, but his mind was elsewhere.

He began to silently count the number of coffins in front of him.

Hundreds of top-tier members of the Crown Clan... what terrifying power would they possess if they all awakened?

"do not think too much."

Yutel seemed to have sensed his thoughts:
“These seals have been in place for thousands of years, and unlocking them is far more difficult than you can imagine.”

“Let’s go, our destination is deeper in.” They walked through the forest of crystal coffins, Ron trying not to look at the details of the sleeping faces.

At the deepest part of the hall, there is a relatively small but more exquisite circular space.

A huge six-pointed star magic circle was carved into the ground, with each line embedded in some kind of special metal.

At each of the six vertices of the magic circle was a special crystal the size of a fist, the light emanating from which instilled a deep sense of unease.

"A product of absurdity."

Yutel explained, his voice filled with awe:
"This is a direct manifestation of the power of the King of Absurdity, and each piece contains the pure law of contradiction."

Ron carefully examined the crystals.

The crystal displays images that completely defy common sense:
Water flowing upwards and downwards coexist in the same space;

The light, both bright and dark, creates a visual paradox that cannot be described in words;
Flames that are both frozen and burning simultaneously, a perfect unity of stillness and motion...

Every scene is a direct challenge to the logic of reality, strongly impacting the observer's rationality.

"This is the 'Activated Magic Pool',"

Yutel walked to the center of the magic circle, and the phantom began to emit an even stronger silver light:

"It can fundamentally change your radiation field, giving you life-like characteristics, and is a key step in achieving a Moon-level breakthrough."

“I remember you mentioned before that three conditions need to be met for a Moon-level rating.”

Ron recalled their previous conversations:
"I've almost mastered the composite spell circuit and the mental shock grid. Now all that's left is the radiation field control matrix."

"That's right, the activation of the radiation field is the prerequisite for mastering the control matrix."

Yutel nodded in confirmation:
"Under the direct influence of the absurd force field, we can compress time to a few hours."

He began to mobilize his ethereal power, and silver light surged out from his transparent body like a tide.

When these rays of light came into contact with the absurd crystal, the entire magic circle began to operate.

The air was filled with an indescribable energy fluctuation, as if the fundamental laws of reality had become unstable at this moment.

Gravity fluctuates, time flows at varying speeds, and even cause and effect begin to become blurred.

“Sit down, Ron.”

Yutel's voice began to drift away:
"Completely relax your mind and allow the absurd forces to permeate your radiation field. Remember, do not resist any change; this process, though bizarre, is not dangerous."

Ron sat cross-legged in the center of the magic circle and immediately experienced a strange sensation unlike anything he had ever felt before.

The contradictory energy released by the six absurd crystals reached out towards his radiation field like invisible tentacles.

It started as a light touch, like a gentle breeze on the water.

But as his contact deepened, Ron began to sense changes in the boundaries of the field.

The once clear and stable boundary began to blur, like the edge of a melting candle.

Immediately afterwards, a completely new rhythm began to emerge in the field.

It was a rhythm similar to breathing—expansion, contraction, expansion, contraction…

The space seemed to acquire a rhythm of life, subtly synchronizing with his heartbeat and breath.

"Phase one completed."

Yutel's voice came from afar:
"Now the forces of absurdity are beginning to penetrate deeply; prepare for even greater changes."

As he spoke, the six crystals suddenly shone brightly.

A stronger surge of contradictory energy entered Ron's radiation field, and this impact was far more intense than before.

Energy patterns resembling neural networks began to appear within the field.

These veins, like blood vessels, spread throughout the field, forming a complex and precise transmission network.

Each vein shimmered with a faint light, like a real nerve transmitting signals.

Ron began to sense that the radiation field was gradually developing its own "consciousness".

It's not independent thinking, but rather a kind of instinctive reflex.

When magical fluctuations approach from the outside, the field will instinctively make corresponding adjustments.

When encountering hostility, the field's edges will automatically enhance protection;

When people perceive friendliness, the space becomes more open and inclusive.

"This feeling……"

Ron tried to describe this unprecedented experience in words:
"It's like suddenly having an extra organ, capable of perceiving information that was previously completely imperceptible."

"This is the essence of activation."

Utter explained:

"Your radiation field is transforming from inanimate to living, and this transformation is irreversible. Once completed, the nature of your power will be fundamentally changed."

Just then, a flood of prompts from the transparent panel rushed into my consciousness:
[Radiation Field (Beginner) Experience Points +1]

[Radiation Field (Beginner) Experience Points +1]

[Radiation Field (Beginner) Experience Points +1]

……

[Breakthrough! Radiation Field (Beginner 50/50) → Radiation Field (Proficient 1/100)]

[Gain the additional trait "Activation"]

[Activation: The radiation field will possess a certain degree of cognitive ability, capable of remembering and replicating energy patterns it has encountered]

The moment the breakthrough was completed, Ron felt a tremendous change in his radiation field.

It was no longer a simple phenomenon of energy diffusion, but had truly become an extension of his body.

This feeling is both exciting and terrifying.

It's like suddenly growing new limbs and needing to relearn how to control them.

Unlike ordinary organs, this "organ" has its own memory and learning ability.

It can remember the energy patterns it has encountered and reproduce or simulate these patterns when needed.

"Congratulations, Ron."

Although Yutel's phantom was extremely transparent, the satisfaction in its eyes was genuine:

"The activation of the radiation field signifies that you have fully met all the basic conditions for a Moon-level breakthrough."

"Now you just need to wait for the right time, and through the final deep meditation of 'The Star Eater's Whispers,' your mental strength will break through the critical point, and you will be able to officially advance to the Moon Rank."

Ron didn't answer.

The activation of the radiation field seems to have triggered some long-hidden mechanism in "The Star Eater's Ramblings".

He could sense that the field was beginning to exhibit an extremely faint tendency to "devour".

When other forms of energy come into contact with the edge of the field, they will be slowly but continuously absorbed and assimilated.

The energy that is absorbed will be transformed into part of his own magic, causing his magic power to grow slowly but steadily.

At the same time, a primal and dangerous impulse began to awaken deep within his consciousness.

It was a desire to "devour," a strong urge to incorporate everything around it into itself.

This desire, like a sleeping serpent, stirs within the heart, ready to break free from the constraints of reason at any moment.

"I sensed... a change."

Ron honestly reported his situation to Yutel:
"The radiation field began to exhibit slight consuming characteristics, and I also felt an uncontrollable urge to consume it."

"This is normal, there's nothing to worry about."

Yutel nodded in confirmation and gave a subtle hint:
"As a Crown-level meditation technique, 'The Star Eater's Whispers' will automatically activate deeper characteristics as you approach the Lunar level. What you are feeling now is merely a precursor to this activation."

"The advantage of the authentic approach lies in this linear evolution of power."

The properties of meditation will give rise to magical properties, which will eventually be sublimated into the properties of etherealness.

This is a natural and gradual path to growth, unlike traditional methods that require greater investment at each stage to achieve similar results.

"The core characteristic of 'The Star Eater's Whispers' is 'devouring'."

He explained in detail:

"Upon reaching the Grand Wizard stage, the 'Devour' trait will further evolve into the Void Bone ability, making your power far surpass that of others at the same level."

This prospective vision filled Ron with both excitement and apprehension.

While immense power is certainly tempting, he is also well aware of the risks involved.

"Professor, this situation..."

He asked with some concern:

"Did the Tower Master's...mutation begin to become more and more obvious from this time onwards?"

"Hehe, this effect is only just beginning at the Moon-level; the real danger will come at the Dark Sun-level."

Yutel's expression turned serious:

"The Devouring Impulse of 'The Star Eater' will continuously amplify the cultivator's greed and aggression as their strength increases."

Many people eventually succumb to this impulse, turning into monsters who only know how to plunder.

"But you don't need to worry too much."

The old professor's tone softened again:
“You have a special balance in you, which is the quality I admire most about you.”

This balance makes you more resistant to the effects of alienation than others.

He pointed to the sleeping members of the Crown Clan deep within the hall:

"Therefore, you need to constantly remind yourself. These scenes before you are the best warning."

Ron followed his gaze to the crystal coffins.

Hundreds of serene faces, like silent spectators, witnessed it all.

"You should familiarize yourself with the new ability you just acquired. 'Eye of Observation' has contacted me. I'm going outside to take this call."

Yutel nodded to him again, and the ethereal projection hurriedly drifted away.

(End of this chapter)