Wizard: My career panel has no upper limit

Chapter 486
A week later, just as Ron had predicted, Cassandra approved Cedric's application for sample testing.

Upon receiving the notification, he had no choice but to obey the arrangements and first went to the deeper areas of the laboratory.

After identity verification and a full decontamination procedure, he finally entered the experimental area.

Three Vital prisoners are being held here, and they are being kept in specially designed transparent cells.

The three Vitals did indeed look just as the legend described, quite different from the demi-human races in this quadrant.

The prisoners did not appear to be afraid; instead, they showed an expression that resembled curiosity.

“The way the Vitals express their emotions is completely different from ours.”

As Cedric adjusted the monitoring equipment, he explained to the observers present:
"Their collective consciousness makes it difficult for individuals to experience true loneliness, fear, or despair."

This psychological trait, which made them formidable enemies on the battlefield, has now become our advantage—they are more receptive to new and unknown experiences.

The experimental setup was installed in a dedicated isolation room.

The three Vitals were placed in different experience capsules, each of which was connected to a dense array of monitoring devices.

"We'll start with the most basic experience."

Cedric's fingers flew across the control panel, precisely adjusting various parameters under his control:

"First, give them some simple feelings of happiness and satisfaction, and observe their reaction patterns and adaptation speed."

As the device was activated, the expressions of the three Vitals began to subtly change.

The face, which had been calm and curious, first showed confusion—an instinctive reaction to encountering a completely unfamiliar experience.

Then came surprise and curiosity, and finally, their expressions gradually transformed into something akin to ecstasy.

The data on the monitoring equipment is changing at an alarming rate.

Their brainwave activity increased dramatically, and their neurotransmitter secretion levels reached abnormally high values.

"As expected, the effect is very good..."

Cedric's eyes were fixed intently on the constantly fluctuating data:
"Their response was much stronger than that of human subjects."

Long-term suppression of collective consciousness has made them exceptionally sensitive to individualized sensory experiences.

"This sensitivity is exactly what we need."

If they react so strongly to the basic experience, then when we launch the full version of the cognitive virus…

Ten minutes later, when the experience ended, the reaction of the three Vitals surprised everyone present.

Their eyes revealed a clear sense of loss and longing.

One of the Vitals even began tapping the transparent panels of the experience cabin with his mental tentacles, attempting to reactivate the sensory connection they had just established.

"They have developed a clear dependency."

The alchemist observing from the sidelines exclaimed in astonishment:

"After just ten minutes of basic experience, they showed symptoms similar to drug addiction."

"This perfectly proves the correctness of our theory."

Cedric excitedly recorded the various data points, his fingers trembling slightly with excitement:
"The Vitals' thirst for virtual sensory experiences far exceeds our most optimistic estimates."

If we could design more complex and engaging experiential content…

Just then, an accident happened.

One of the Vitals suddenly began to convulse violently, his body twitching as if he had been electrocuted.

His eyes began to well up with a fluid resembling tears.

The body began to twist strangely, and dark patterns like meandering rivers appeared on the surface of the skin.

Even more frightening is that they seem to be actively embracing this distortion, bending their limbs to angles that their physiological structures cannot withstand.

At the same time, the Vital man also made a sound similar to the friction of metal.

The sound was sharp and piercing, sending chills down the spines of everyone present.

"What is he saying?"

Ron asked nervously, instinctively sensing that the situation was getting out of control.

Cedric frantically pulled up the language translation device.

When the Vital language was translated into the wizard's language, everyone present changed their expressions:

"More...give me more! I need to relive that feeling...I can't exist without it!"

Meanwhile, two other Vitals also began to show similar symptoms.

"This is wrong..."

Cedric stared at the monitoring data, cold sweat beading on his forehead:
"Their neural activity patterns have become abnormal, a change that was not within our expectations..."

"Immediately halt the experiment!"

Ron gave the order decisively, but it was too late.

The three Vitals' symptoms worsened, and they began banging their heads against the cell walls, emitting even more piercing cries of agony.

Finally, after using high-pressure sedative gas and a mental field suppressor, the research team was able to barely subdue the three Vitals who had almost completely become drug addicts.

But without a doubt, this experiment also fully demonstrated to Cassandra the terrifying power of the "cognitive virus" scheme.

Cedric nearly jumped for joy as the agonizing Vitals were dragged out of the laboratory.

In his view, this was not a failure, but an unexpected success.

Because of this demonstration of results, when the differences in technical approaches were presented to Cassandra, she made her choice almost without hesitation.

"Time is our scarcest resource."

Inside the meeting room, Cassandra stood before the star map:

"According to the latest intelligence from the front lines, the Vital are assembling an unprecedentedly large fleet, and the 'Star Lord' whom I defeated at great cost may also make a comeback."

The data in the star chart was updated in real time as she spoke.

"Our window of opportunity is less than a year away."

The atmosphere in the room became heavy.

Cassandra turned to Cedric and nodded in satisfaction:
"Your proposal, though radical, fits our current timeline, and the project's main resources will be allocated to your team."

Cedric's face lit up with barely suppressed excitement:
"I will make sure the final version of the cognitive virus is completed within two months, Tower Master."

This timeline also takes into account all possible technical risks and debugging cycles.

Then Cassandra looked at Ron, her expression softening slightly:
"Of course, Ron's technological approach is more valuable in the long run, and I will not let any promising research direction be buried."

She paused for a moment, seemingly carefully weighing her words:

"I will reserve the necessary resources and personnel for your research."

Once the current crisis is resolved, we can simultaneously advance research in both directions.

After all, a true sage would never put all his magic stones in a single storage bag.

This statement appeared fair and reasonable on the surface, but Ron was keenly aware of its underlying meaning.

In situations where resources are scarce, so-called "retention" often means nominal support but actual marginalization.

The specific details of this arrangement became clear on the second day.

Ron was assigned to a small laboratory on the third basement level, less than one-tenth the size of the main research and development area.

Although the equipment was complete, it was clearly second-hand goods transferred from other projects.

The three assistants assigned to him were all recent graduates:
A young alchemist from the Garden of Elements, specializing in basic elemental transformations;

A runemaster in a dark little hut, responsible for constructing simple magic circles;

There is also an engineer from the Tower of Vibration, who specializes in the maintenance of mechanical structures.

"Although they lack experience, they are all very enthusiastic about learning."

Ron reassured himself and began to readjust his research plan.

In contrast, Cedric gained access to the entire seventh level.

It not only boasts the Crystal Spire's most advanced equipment, but also employs more than twenty professional researchers from various academic schools of thought.

Each of them is an expert with extensive experience in their respective fields.

More importantly, Cassandra also granted Cedric's project "special material procurement privileges".

This means he can apply for access to dangerous substances that are normally strictly controlled, including live samples from the abyss and certain prohibited reagents.

For the next two weeks, the atmosphere throughout the R&D center was filled with the excitement of Cedric's team.

Every day, new breakthroughs are reported from the seventh floor:
"The basic framework for understanding the virus has been completed, and its transmission efficiency is 30% higher than theoretically expected!"

"We have successfully solved the technical challenges of racial identification; the virus can now accurately distinguish the neural characteristics of Vitals from those of other races!"

"The stability tests of the self-replication module have all passed, and the mutation rate is controlled within an acceptable range!"

These messages were disseminated through the internal communication system, filling the entire Crystal Spire leadership with anticipation for the project's future.

But Ron's unease was growing stronger every day.

He noticed that Cedric always intentionally or unintentionally avoided some key details when reporting on these developments.

For example, what exactly is the "acceptable mutation rate", what is the margin of error for "precise differentiation", and what is the current status of the Vital prisoners used for testing?

One night, Ron returned to his private research room alone.

Take out the paradoxical die that you have been carefully keeping.

This room was one of the few completely private spaces in his research base, with anti-spy arrays that he had personally designed on all four walls.

While not as professional as the facilities at the Abyss Observatory, they are sufficient to ensure that the divination process will not be detected by outsiders.

In the center of the room, he spread out a divination mat.

Then, he skillfully lit the "True Sight Incense." Once everything was ready, Ron began silently reciting the divination incantation:
"Veritas per nebulam penetret" (Let the truth penetrate the fog)
"sapientia tenebras illuminet" (Let wisdom illuminate the darkness)
Then, he tossed the paradoxical die lightly into the center of the blanket.

The dice traced a strange arc in the air, as if controlled by some unseen force.

The number of dots on the surface began to change wildly, as if being rapidly manipulated by an invisible hand.

Sometimes it shows "1", sometimes "6", and sometimes it even displays multiple numbers at the same time, as if multiple probabilities exist in the same reality.

The air began to thicken, and the flow of time seemed to slow down.

The flames of the twelve candles in the room began to sway in unison, as if directed by some mysterious rhythm.

When the die finally comes to a stop, a special symbol is displayed again.

It was an eyeball bound by iron chains, with blood flowing from its eye.

The next moment, reality in the divination room began to distort.

Ron was already very familiar with the illusions produced by this kind of divination, so he immediately entered the observer's state:

In the slowly unfolding illusion, he saw two intertwined spirals.

A steady, slow, ascending white spiral trajectory;
The other, a red spiral, rises at a much faster speed than the former.

When the two spirals meet, the stable spiral is ignited, and the flames begin to spread infinitely in both directions.

In the end, the entire illusion space was engulfed by flames, and even the observer's field of vision was stained blood red.

The second scene is a balance scale suspended in the void.

On the left is a book, and on the right is a drop of mercury that keeps changing shape.

At first, the scales maintained a delicate balance, but when an unseen hand placed a feather on one side of the book, the scales instantly became unbalanced.

The mercury bead fell and exploded into countless fragments in the void, each fragment turning into a wriggling silver worm that crawled in all directions.

The scene then shifts, revealing a key forged from starlight facing a door made of darkness.

The key was slowly inserted into the lock, and the door began to open slowly.

Behind the door was endless light, but within that light lurked a disturbing shadow.

When the door was fully opened, the key suddenly broke, and the door opened uncontrollably.

The shadows surged forth like a tide, swallowing up all the light.

In the end, only broken fragments of the key remained, emitting a faint glow in the darkness.

When the divination ended, the symbols on the surface of the paradoxical die slowly disappeared, returning it to the appearance of an ordinary six-sided die.

But Ron could sense that the blood-red patterns on the dice were deeper than before, as if they had absorbed some kind of energy from those illusions.

He sat quietly for a moment and began to carefully interpret the specific meaning of these illusions.

The double helix suggests two development paths:

Cedric's radical approach (red spiral) and his own safer route (white spiral).

If the two are combined, it will trigger an uncontrollable chain reaction.

The imbalance serves as a warning of the potentially enormous consequences of minor interventions.

The feather represents his involvement, which, though seemingly minor, is enough to completely disrupt the existing balance.

The symbolism of the key and lock is the clearest:
His abilities can indeed open the door to success, but this opening may unleash uncontrollable power.

Based on these hallucinations, Ron came to the following conclusion:

Although Cedric's plan was dangerous, the level of danger was still manageable even without his support.

The strange behavior of those Vital prisoners was just the tip of the iceberg, but not enough to trigger a real disaster.

However, if he chooses to get deeply involved, providing technical support and suggestions for improvement, then the power and transmissibility of the virus will increase exponentially.

By then, even he himself might not be able to predict or control the final consequences.

In addition, divination suggests that direct confrontation could trigger even worse chain reactions.

The only safe option is to retire while the opportunity is still fresh.

It neither fuels the danger nor attempts to forcibly prevent it.

Let things unfold naturally and keep the risks to a minimum.

As the analysis concluded, Ron slowly put away his divination tools, his decision already formed in his mind.

These scenarios may be just one of many possibilities, but the paradoxical dice never gave him a false warning.

No matter how technically successful the Cognitive Virus project may be, its potential risks have far exceeded acceptable levels.

The next morning, the top floor of the Crystal Spire was bathed in the morning sunlight.

Ron went to Cassandra's office and got straight to the point.

“Master, I wish to withdraw from this project temporarily.”

He made up a reason at random:
"Professor Utter has some urgent research tasks that I need to handle."

Furthermore, I feel that the current technological direction may involve some risks that I cannot yet clearly define.

Cassandra was reviewing a battle report from the front lines and didn't even look up when she heard this.

She simply placed the document lightly on the table and then gave a "I knew it" look.

"Your intuition is always very accurate."

Cassandra put down the documents in her hand, her purple eyes staring directly at the other person:

“In fact, I am also closely watching Cedric’s research progress, and his methods are indeed radical to a worrying degree.”

She stood up from her chair and walked to the huge floor-to-ceiling window that overlooked the entire central area:

"Yesterday's internal report showed that the magic consumption of the seventh-floor laboratory exceeded the budget by 200%."

Moreover, the Vital prisoners used for testing exhibited some...unexpected physiological changes.

Cassandra's voice became even lower:
“Cedric interpreted these changes as ‘expected adaptive responses,’ but my medical advisors gave very different assessments.”

"but……"

She turned around, her eyes revealing the complex emotions a ruler faces when confronted with a difficult choice:

"We really don't have many options. The situation for the expeditionary force is more critical than you can imagine."

The coded telegram Elizabeth sent yesterday indicates that the Vitals have begun a systematic attack on our supply lines.

"If we cannot find a breakthrough soon, the conquerors—no, the entire wizarding civilization—may face a crisis."

Failure in the fourth quadrant can trigger a chain reaction.

Civilizations in other quadrants will also realize that we are not invincible.

Ron listened quietly, understanding the immense pressure Cassandra was under.

As the leader of the conquest faction, she had to choose the least bad option from a multitude of terrible choices.

Under the current circumstances, Cedric's radical plan is indeed the most promising option to turn the tide of the battle in the short term.

“I understand your difficulties, Tower Master.”

Ron said sincerely:
"But precisely because of this, we need to retain some... alternative plans."

If the main technological approach encounters problems, at least there are other possibilities to try.

"Moreover, my research at the abyss observation station may also provide us with some unexpected technological breakthroughs."

Cassandra nodded, clearly understanding the deeper meaning behind his words.

"I will always keep your place for you."

She walked back to her desk and picked up the battle report again:
"You're welcome to come back to this project anytime. We might need your sound solutions even more then."

"Well then, I wish you success with your project, Tower Master."

Ron bowed and took his leave.

"I will continue my research at the abyss observatory. Please feel free to contact me if you need anything."

"I believe you will achieve significant results there."

Cassandra's tone softened again:
"Professor Utter has a very high opinion of you, and the research environment at the observatory is indeed more suitable for certain... experiments that require special conditions."

As Ron left the office, he felt both worried about the unknown dangers and relieved about his choice.

The paradoxical dice warned him that some seemingly hopeful paths may actually lead to the abyss.

True wisdom often lies in knowing when to advance and when to retreat.

………………

Meanwhile, in the seventh-floor laboratory, Cedric was excitedly demonstrating the latest research findings to his team members.

The virus sample was observed flowing slowly in a specially designed container, as beautiful yet dangerous as liquid metal.

"In three weeks, we will be able to conduct the final field tests."

Cedric's voice was filled with the excitement of realizing his great ideal:
"By then, the entire face of the war will be completely rewritten, and we will witness a turning point in history."

But he didn't notice that deep inside the laboratory, in those culture tanks, the bodies of the Vital prisoners being tested were contorting and tears were welling up in their eyes.

But as tears streamed down his face, the corners of his mouth turned up, revealing an extremely satisfied smile.

This is a contradictory state that transcends human understanding:
The body endures extreme pain, while the mind is immersed in unparalleled pleasure.

As time went on, the Vital people's bodies began to emit faint cracking sounds from their bones.

But he seemed completely oblivious to the pain, instead twisting his limbs into even more impossible angles with even greater effort.

That focused expression was like that of an artist creating the most important work of their life...

(End of this chapter)