Wizard: My career panel has no upper limit

Chapter 426 Close Your Eyes
Cassandra removed her hand from Eve's forehead and turned to face the projected image of the ancient great wizard.

She maintained that theatrical smile on her face, but her eyes were filled with a chilling coldness.

"Senior Selna, what do you mean by 'something's not quite right'?"

Cassandra's voice sounded very flat.

But Ron noticed that her left hand had unconsciously clenched into a fist.

"I mean……"

Selna slowly walked towards Cassandra, and with each step she took, the flow of magic around her became more targeted.

“Deep within your soul, something is slowly changing your essence. It's not a trace left by normal meditation practice, but rather…”

She stopped three steps away from Cassandra, her silver-blue eyes staring directly at her like sharp blades.
"Something foreign, alien, that is devouring your original personality."

This statement was like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, creating huge ripples.

Eve looked at her mother in surprise, her eyes filled with confusion and worry.

Gould stopped stroking the ancient coin and became unusually alert.

But Cassandra's reaction surprised everyone.

She wasn't angry, nor did she argue; instead, she chuckled softly.
“Senior Selna’s perception is still so sharp, but…”

The witch's smile gradually faded, replaced by a dangerous indifference.

"Some things are not for outsiders to meddle in."

As soon as she finished speaking, Cassandra began to exude a strong aura of ethereal emptiness.

The purple compressed magic spread outwards like a tide.

The oppressive feeling was as heavy as a mountain, and even the air became sticky like glue.

The historical runes on the wall began to flash violently, as if warning of impending danger.

But Selna did not back down.

Faced with such overwhelming pressure, the great wizard instead showed excitement.

"I see……"

She chuckled softly, her voice full of sarcasm:
"It is extremely disappointing that Hector's descendants have stooped to the point of having to resort to such methods to avoid the issue."

The next moment, Selna's body began to undergo a terrifying transformation.

Several fissures split open on her back, from which countless tentacles of varying thicknesses emerged.

These tentacles are a sickly pale white, covered with vein-like patterns, and connected to various strangely shaped organs at their ends.

Some resemble eyeballs, some resemble mouths, and some are completely unrecognizable distorted structures.

These tentacles and organs are constantly changing shape as soon as they appear, as if demonstrating the infinite possibilities of life.

Ron frowned, but then nodded.

The other party's current state was quite similar to the digital illustration of one of the successful individuals who had followed the authentic path, which was described in the book that Mrs. Allen had shown him.

In terms of power attributes, Cassandra represents conquest and domination, while Selna represents change and adaptation; the two are clearly distinct.

As Selna fully revealed her undead form, the organs at the ends of her tentacles began to emit various sounds.

Some were the roars of animals, some the buzzing of insects, and some were strange noises that were completely beyond comprehension.

These sounds blended together to create a kind of intoxicating noise.

Several high priests quickly erected a barrier to protect the two young men and the ritual site.

"Now……"

Selna's voice emanated simultaneously from countless organs, creating an eerie chord effect:

"Let me take a good 'examination' to see what changes have occurred in you."

The tentacles, like snakes, stretched towards Cassandra, but were blocked by a purple energy barrier just before they made contact.

The two forces collided violently in the air, creating visible energy ripples.

But as time went on, Selna quickly became apparent as to her disadvantages.

After all, she was merely a projection of history and could not unleash the full power she possessed before her birth.

Cassandra, on the other hand, was a fully-fledged Grand Wizard, giving her an absolute advantage in terms of pure power.

The purple energy surged forward like a tidal wave, gradually suppressing Selna's tentacle domain.

"enough!"

Yutel's voice boomed like thunder in the room.

His illusory image instantly solidified, and a silver light pierced between the two like a sharp sword:
"This is a treatment room, not a dueling arena!"

The single eye of the Eye of Observation also emitted a beam of golden light, forming a stable energy barrier that isolated the powers of the two great wizards:
"Stop! If this continues, the entire ritual chamber will be destroyed!"

Gould also stood up, a strange scepter appearing in his hand.

At the top of the scepter is a constantly rotating hourglass, radiating fluctuations of the power of time:
"Ladies, we are gathered here today to save lives, not to settle personal scores!"

With the intervention of the other three great wizards, the tense standoff was finally eased.

Cassandra withdrew her ethereal aura and returned to human form, but the coldness in her eyes did not dissipate.

Selna's tentacles slowly retracted into her body, but her gaze towards Cassandra remained wary.

Ron stood aside, witnessing this brief but intense confrontation, and gained a completely new understanding of Selna's character.

It turns out that Gould's "bad temper" referred to this situation.

When Selna encounters someone she deems problematic, she will not hesitate to confront them directly, even if the opponent is stronger than her.

However, he also noticed another detail.

When Selna's gaze turned to him and Eve, that sharp hostility vanished, replaced by deep concern.

Ron recalled the historical records of Selna's selfless help to Kalix.

This ancient great shaman was indeed a person of strong likes and dislikes, just as the legends say.

"Now, can we discuss the issue quietly?"

Yutel's tone was clearly tinged with dissatisfaction.

As the person in charge of the treatment, he was extremely annoyed by the chaos that had just occurred:
“Eve’s condition is already very complicated. If we can’t even cooperate on basic issues, how can we talk about treatment?”

Cassandra took a deep breath, trying to calm her anger:

"Of course, teacher, I apologize for my impulsiveness just now."

But her apology seemed somewhat perfunctory, more like fulfilling necessary social etiquette.

Selna nodded, but the wariness in her eyes hadn't completely disappeared:
"I also apologize for my recklessness. However..."

She glanced at Cassandra, then turned to Eve:
"We do need to find out what the girl's specific symptoms are first."

When Selna's attention turned to Eve, her entire demeanor changed.

The sharp aggression from before had completely disappeared.

She crouched down to be at Eve's eye level:
"Little Eve, don't be afraid. Tell your sister what kind of pain you usually feel?"

Eve was somewhat puzzled by Selna's sudden change in attitude.

After glancing at her advisor for confirmation and receiving an affirmative nod, she replied:

“I…every time I try to draw upon my magic, I feel a tearing pain. It’s like something is roaring deep within my soul…”

Her voice began to tremble:
"Moreover, this pain is getting more and more severe, and sometimes it will suddenly occur even without actively casting spells..."

Selna gently stroked Eve's hand, a look of heartache in her eyes:

"How long has it been? When did it start?"

“From when I was five years old…” Eve recalled:

"Back then, my mother wanted to teach me the most basic magic perception, but as soon as I tried..."

She didn't finish speaking, but everyone understood.

Selna turned to Cassandra, all the gentleness in her eyes vanishing:
"Five years old...that's a crucial period for bloodline awakening. What did you do to her?"

This question made Cassandra's expression complicated.

She looked at her daughter, then at everyone else present, as if she were engaged in a fierce internal struggle.

"I... just underwent some bloodline optimization."

She finally said, but in a very soft voice, "In order for Eve to have even better talent..."

"What kind of bloodline optimization?"

This time it was Yutel who spoke, and his tone became extremely stern:
“Cassandra, I taught you the basic principles of bloodline science. Normal bloodline modulation could not possibly produce this kind of backlash at the rule level!”

Faced with her teacher's questioning, Cassandra could no longer maintain her facade.

Her face showed pain and struggle, as if every word needed to be squeezed out from the depths of her soul:
“I used…some special materials.”

What kind of special material?

Gould pressed on, his recording instincts telling him that there was important historical information here:
"Materials capable of generating a backlash from the rules are extremely rare throughout the entire history of wizarding."

Cassandra remained silent for a long time before finally speaking:
"Star Crystal, Sands of Time, Blood from the Heart of the Phoenix, Scales of Ancient Dragons..."

She rattled off a list of precious materials, each one a priceless treasure:

"And... the essence of the tears of the ancient sea monster, and..."

"These materials are indeed valuable, but not enough to trigger a backlash from the rules."

Alexander's projection spoke, his translucent body shimmering slightly:

"There must be something else even more special."

Lance nodded in agreement:
"What could cause this level of overload is definitely not an ordinary, precious item."

Cassandra hesitated for a moment, clearly considering whether to reveal more information.

“There are also some... relics from the previous era.”

She finally spoke, but her voice grew weaker:
"Including the Crystallization of Time, the Essence of Space, and... some fragments of power."

"Fragments of power?"

The single eye of the Observing Eye suddenly magnified:
"You mean the fragments of power left behind by the Kings of the Ages?"

Gould and Selna's expressions also turned unusually serious; they both realized the gravity of the situation.

Using something like this to enhance one's bloodline is practically playing with fire.

"Where did you get these fragments of power?"

Utter's voice became harsher, and his usual gentleness completely disappeared:
"Given your status and resources at the time, it would have been impossible for you to have access to items of that level."

Faced with the teacher's aggressive questioning, Cassandra could no longer remain silent.

"It is... the Otherworldly Treasure Box."

She almost uttered the name in a whisper, her voice filled with deep despair:
"Items left by our ancestors in the clan's treasury."

The moment the name was uttered, the air pressure in the entire room suddenly dropped.

“The Otherworldly Box…” Lance’s voice was filled with barely concealed fear:
"The legendary ultimate creation capable of granting any wish... and you actually..."

Apart from Eve and Ron, everyone present knew the weight of this name.

The single eye of the Observing Eye contracted violently, its pupil focusing into a tiny point:
"That legendary dangerous item? Are you crazy?!"

Gould's face turned ashen.

"The power of the Power Card involves rewriting the laws of reality... using this to modulate the bloodline of newborns..."

Selna was so shocked she couldn't speak; her mouth was agape and her eyes were glazed over.

Only Yutel, though equally surprised, quickly grasped the truth of the matter:
"So... that's why you've been so frantically conquering other worlds all these years, you're gathering resources for other Power Cards..."

Cassandra saw the disappointment in her teacher's eyes, and a great pain welled up inside her:
"I...I had no other choice at the time..."

Her voice trembled:

"The expiration date of the power card was approaching, and I had to use it within the specified time, otherwise..."

"Otherwise, your soul will be devoured by the treasure box."

Gould picked up the conversation, his voice tinged with a deep sigh:
"So, you chose to use this card on Eve."

"not like this!"

Cassandra hastily denied it, her eyes filled with despair:
"My initial plan was simple: I just wanted to give Eve the best bloodline foundation."

According to the original plan, she should have become a genius similar to me, which would have been quite remarkable…”

At this point, her voice became even more pained:
"But...but when I saw the potential she showed during the nurturing process, I wasn't satisfied...I wanted to make her even more perfect..."

"So, once the embryo was stable, you added a large amount of precious resources that could meet the requirements."

Yutel's voice was as sharp as a blade:

“You knew the risks of doing this, but you did it anyway.”

Cassandra had no rebuttal and could only nod painfully:

“I thought… I thought I could control it… I thought that with the bloodline of the Crown Clan, she could withstand it…”

"But the result exceeded her limit, leading to today's tragic situation."

Selna's voice was filled with extreme anger:
"A mother, to satisfy her own greed, pushed her unborn child into the abyss."

When Eve heard this, she felt as if she had been struck by lightning.

She knew, of course, that she was artificially bred by her mother; this was hardly a secret in the entire Central Land.

But she never knew that her suffering was caused by her mother's greed.

What should have been a normal breeding process turned into a disaster because of Cassandra's dissatisfaction.

Fourteen years of pain and fourteen years of despair all stemmed from the mother's yearning for "perfection".

Eve suppressed the immense shock within her and tried her best to maintain a calm expression in front of her mother.

But when she turned to face Ron, her feigned strength crumbled instantly.

She shook her head slightly at Ron, her eyes filled with disappointment, even despair.

That look in his eyes was utterly empty, as if he had seen the end of the world.

Ron reached out and gently took her hand, conveying warmth.

The atmosphere in the room became unusually heavy.

While the power of the Power Cards is immense, the temptations and costs hidden behind them often push users into an abyss of no return.

Cassandra is a living example.

Tragically, her daughter became the biggest victim of this depravity.

"Now……"

The Eye of Observation spoke slowly, its voice filled with deep weariness:
"We finally know the real root of the problem."

The backlash caused by the Power Card... is indeed far more complex than ordinary bloodline diseases.

The deathly silence in the room lasted for a long time.

Only the faint hum of the ritual device reminded everyone that time was ticking away.

Yutel was the first to break the oppressive atmosphere.

As the one leading this treatment, he had to get everyone's attention back on track.

"Now that things have come to this, there is no point in pursuing past responsibilities."

The old professor's voice remained gentle, but carried an undeniable air of authority:

"We need to focus on solving the problem now, rather than getting bogged down in the causes of the problem."

His silver eyes swept over everyone present, finally settling on Cassandra:
“Cassandra, what specific type of power card did you just mention? This is important for us to develop a treatment plan.”

Cassandra tried to calm her turbulent emotions.

"Golden 'Luxury' Brand".

Her voice was a little hoarse: "I used this card during Eve's development stage, investing all my savings at the time in bloodline optimization."

The single eye of the Eye of Observation turned slightly:
"The power level of the Golden Power Card is indeed sufficient to touch the underlying structure of the laws of reality."

"This explains why rule backlash occurs."

Gould stroked his long beard, a look of sudden realization dawning on his eyes:

"The power of the Power Card is essentially a forced rewriting of the laws of reality, but this rewriting is not stable. When the target cannot fully bear this change, it will trigger a backlash at the level of the laws."

Although Selna's expression still showed considerable dissatisfaction with Cassandra, her professional instincts led her back to her analytical work.
"The duration of a rule backlash is usually proportional to the strength of the triggering source."

She looked at Eve:
"But it's not completely incurable; the key is to find a rule of equal or higher level to counteract it."

Lance's projection nodded slowly, a thoughtful expression appearing on his gentle face:

“According to what the great wizard Yutel told us before, using the higher-level power of grace is enough to affect this backlash.”

Yutel walked to the center of the room, and the silver phantom began to emit an even stronger light:
"In the oldest written records, the rules of grace were personally established by the 'Founder'—the first of the Four Cornerstones."

His voice became solemn and dignified, as if he were conveying some sacred doctrine:

"When the progenitors created the order of civilization, they established multiple balancing mechanisms. Grace was one of the most important of these, designed to ensure that wizards could support each other on their path to knowledge."

"Compared to this, although the Otherworldly Box is powerful, it is, after all, just a relic left behind by the previous king of the era."

Gould added, with a deep sense of awe:
"In terms of hierarchy, the basic rules established by the progenitor are indeed higher than the power fragments left behind by the previous generation's foundation."

The single eye of the Eye of Observation turned to Ron, its golden pupil revealing scrutiny:
"But the question is whether the power of the Primal Wizard's blessing is strong enough to counteract the residual effects of the Golden Power Card."

"That's why we need to choose to treat Ron at the crucial moment when he breaks through to the Moon Rank."

Yutel's gaze also focused on Ron:

"The benefits and feedback from a Moon-level breakthrough far exceed those of daily teaching and exchanges, and moreover..."

He paused for a moment, as if organizing his thoughts:
“Ron’s grace is purer than that of other primal wizards, and this quality may play a key role.”

Upon hearing this, a spark of hope rekindled in Eve's eyes.

She gripped Ron's hand tightly, her voice trembling:

"Mentor... is it really possible to cure him?"

"It's possible, and very likely."

Yutel gave an affirmative answer:
"But the process will be very difficult. The benefits and feedback from a Moon-level breakthrough are extremely strong. You will need to withstand a terrifying energy shock, but your current physical strength is..."

"This is the significance of our existence as historical projections."

Alexander's projection began to emit soft colors:

"The three of us can work together to create a life-enhancing shield for Eve, ensuring she can withstand this level of treatment."

Lance nodded in agreement:
"Temporary enhancement of vitality is one of my specialties. Combined with Selna's adaptive adjustments, it should be able to minimize the risks."

Selna walked over to Eve and gently stroked her hair:

"Don't be afraid, child. Although the process may be painful, it is the pain of healing, not the torment of despair you experienced before."

Cassandra listened quietly, her heart filled with mixed emotions.

Yutel looked at Ron one last time:
"Based on my estimation, with your current level of expertise, the success rate of your breakthrough should be over 80%."

"Eighty percent..."

Ron carefully considered this probability:

"That's acceptable. So when do we begin?"

"Now."

Yutel's answer surprised everyone:

“Eve’s condition cannot be delayed any longer, and the time we projections can remain is also limited.”

He looked around the room:

"Is everyone ready? This will be an unprecedented attempt. If successful, it will create a miracle in wizarding history; if it fails..."

"Even if I fail, at least I tried."

Eve said firmly, her amethyst eyes showing no fear.

She looked at Ron, her eyes filled with trust and gratitude:

“Mentor, I believe in you. No matter the outcome, you have given me the greatest hope in my life.”

Ron smiled faintly and gently stroked the girl's forehead:
"Close your eyes, Eve. When you open them again, everything will be different."

He walked to the center of the room: "I'm ready."

The light from the historical runes grew brighter, and the concentration of magic in the air increased dramatically.

The three historical projections began to set up a life-enhancing magic circle around Eve.

Selna's tentacles wove intricate patterns of life in the air like silk threads;
Lance drew up a model of the spell, softly chanting ancient healing incantations.

Alexander's translucent body began to emit a soft light, infusing the surrounding environment with stable life energy;

Gould and the Eye of Observation were responsible for adjusting the flow of magic throughout the area to ensure that the healing process would not be disturbed.

Yutel stood at the edge of the magic circle, and the power of the void surged out like a silver tide, perfectly merging with the power of several projections.

Although Cassandra was overwhelmed with emotion, she still released her ethereal power to provide extra support for her daughter.

The combined power of everyone created a massive healing matrix.

At the center of this matrix, Ron slowly closed his eyes, his consciousness beginning to sink inward.

Deep within his mental space, the Hermit Star and the Scholar Star were fully illuminated, radiating a steady glow.

The third star—Observer Star—remains in a state of semi-brightness.

At that moment, driven by its will, the star began to shine brightly.

The breakthrough to the Moon-level has officially begun.

(End of this chapter)