Wizard: My career panel has no upper limit

Chapter 489 Nari's Dismemberment Show
Ron could clearly sense that a seed of malice was quietly taking root deep within his mental defenses.

The feeling was like countless tiny roots spreading and growing in his memory and thought processes.

Each pulse brings a strange pleasure, as if telling him:
"Give up the resistance, it feels wonderful, doesn't it?"

Salyn's projection still maintained that devilish smile, as if she were admiring a work of art that was about to be completed.

"Do not resist, observer from the future."

Her voice was as sweet as honey, but the venom within it sent chills down one's spine.

"The pain is only temporary; soon you will understand the true freedom we are pursuing."

The seed's roots began to reach Ron's core memory area, attempting to establish a permanent anchor there.

He could sense that his perception of certain things was undergoing subtle changes.

His thirst for forbidden knowledge was beginning to sprout.

Once this pollution takes root, it will gradually rewrite his entire value system, turning him into another Salyn.

But at this critical moment, Ron activated the emergency communication mechanism that Nari had mentioned.

At this moment, we were near the Great Abyss, and the enemy was also an Apostle from the Abyss system.

Summoning Nari is the best option at this time.

"In the name of the family, with maternal love as my vow..."

Ron silently recited the summoning incantation in his mind while placing his hand on the magic sword:
"The ruler of the fifth layer of the abyss, a fusion of chaos and reason..."

“Nari, the Eye of the Abyss, I need your help!”

The magic sword began to warm up, and special ripple-like patterns appeared on the surface of the blade.

The patterns seemed to move across the sword like living things.

As connections are established, the space of consciousness begins to change dramatically.

The fifth layer of the abyss, the deepest part of the ocean palace.

Nari lay languidly on a throne made of coral, while hundreds of eyes of different sizes gazed into the distance.

Suddenly, the special crystal on her chest began to flash a rapid red light.

All the tentacles stopped moving at the same instant, and the entire sea fell into an unnatural silence.

"The child is in danger..."

Nari's voice echoed in the deep sea:
"And it's a mental attack..."

Her tentacles began to emanate a dangerous, chaotic aura, and the surrounding seawater began to boil due to energy overload.

Just then, Euphemia's voice came from the palace entrance:
"Lord Nari, what was that tremor just now...?"

"Nothing important."

Nari waved his tentacle casually, his tone becoming nonchalant:

"Go to the Deep Sea Rift and collect some tender shoots of Time Vine. You'll need about a hundred of them."

"Remember, it must be the freshest; don't accept anything that's even slightly wilted. This task is quite urgent, so you'd better set off immediately."

Although she felt the task came somewhat suddenly, Euphemia nodded respectfully:
"I understand, I'll do it right away."

After Euphemia left, Nari focused all her attention on the shimmering crystal.

Through their bloodline connection, she could sense that Ron was undergoing some kind of time-reversal spell.

But what angered her most was the malicious pollution that was eroding the child's consciousness.

“Historical projection, spiritual cultivation... these are such familiar methods.”

Nari's eyes were filled with icy killing intent:
"Which stupid insect dares to touch my child?"

She took a deep breath and began to mobilize the deepest chaotic origin within her body.

As a direct descendant of the "mother," Nari possesses special "authorities" that surpass those of ordinary apostles.

Deep-sea observation station, archives room.

Yutel was intently monitoring the operation of the historical infiltration.

Suddenly, the time crystal in the center of the magic circle began to emit a piercing alarm.

Visible cracks appeared in the meticulously drawn rune circuits, and the entire device was shaking violently.

"An unusual fluctuation has occurred in the river of time..."

Yutel frowned, his fingers flying across the control panel:

"There are external forces interfering with the projection of history..."

He immediately activated the emergency protocol, preparing to forcibly interrupt the ceremony to protect Ron's safety.

But just before issuing the interrupt command, a familiar energy fluctuation made him stop.

"This chaotic characteristic...the aura of the fifth layer of the abyss..."

The old professor's expression became complex, a mixture of surprise and a certain expected understanding:
"Cross-dimensional projection... that apostle was actually able to directly intervene in the river of time..."

"It seems that Ron's connection with the Abyss is deeper than I thought."

Instead of continuing the interrupt procedure, Yutel readjusted the protection parameters of the magic circle.

Since there was a sufficiently powerful entity providing protection, he could observe this extraordinary intervention process from the sidelines.

"This might be a rare learning opportunity for Ron..."

At the edge of historical projection space, reality begins to undergo a fundamental distortion.

The first change is in temperature.

The originally mild historical environment suddenly became damp and cold, like the deepest part of the ocean.

The air began to fill with the fishy smell of seaweed and the salty, briny scent of the ancient ocean.

Salyn initially thought it was just an unstable manifestation of historical projection and didn't pay much attention to it.

But she soon realized the seriousness of the situation.

Darkness, like ink, seeped inward from the edge of the projected space.

"What's this……?"

Salyn's smile began to falter; she felt a sense of threat she had never experienced before.

"The historical projection space has been invaded by an external force? That's impossible..."

As darkness continued to spread, the rules of the projection space began to change fundamentally.

A huge shadow slowly emerged from the void.

Their shapes are difficult to describe using conventional language:

It resembles tentacles, tree roots, and the neural network of some kind of organism.

Salyn's face began to turn pale.

Of course she knew what that meant.

There is an entity several levels above her that is forcibly intervening in this historical moment.

Moreover, it was clear that the other party was targeting her.

"I am a direct subordinate of Lord Magus the Void Spider!"

She attempted to take the initiative, hoping to defuse the crisis by leveraging the power of her backer:

"Any attack on me is tantamount to a challenge to the First Throne!"

But all she received in response was an even denser array of tentacle shadows.

As Nari's power was fully revealed, the entire historical projection space was enveloped in the darkness of the deep sea.

"Stupid bug."

Nari's voice echoed in the projection space like a tsunami:
Do you think history is a static record?
For beings at our level, time is simply another dimension of space.

Salyn felt a fear she had never felt before.

Faced with such an absolute power disparity, her prized pollution technology seemed utterly ridiculous.

"and……"

Nari's tone grew even colder, and a massive tentacle slowly swam towards Salin:

"Your attack on my child is tantamount to provoking me in my territory, and I certainly have the right to deal with you!"

Salyn attempted to use her strongest defensive measures to create a mental barrier around herself.

But those defenses woven from pure willpower were as fragile as paper in the face of Nari's tentacles.

"Wait! I'm willing to withdraw my attack on that observer!"

She began to panic, her voice trembling:

"I can voluntarily remove the mental seed and promise never to violate him in any way again!"

"withdraw?"

Nari let out a contemptuous laugh:

"Poor little bug, you still don't understand your current situation."

"You have no right to negotiate with me."

What I need to do is completely break down this projection of yours, and then let my child gain valuable knowledge from it.

Salyn realized that negotiations were no longer possible and began to try a final counterattack.

She mobilized all the apostle essence within her, attempting to unleash her strongest offensive spell.

—A mental storm!
Countless twisted spiritual energies erupted from her body, sweeping towards Nari's tentacles like a tornado.

This attack can target the core of an opponent's consciousness, and even apostles of the same level would not dare to withstand it easily.

But Nari just gave a dismissive snort.

She flicked one of her smaller tentacles gently.

Salyn's mental storm was completely neutralized, leaving not even a trace on the surface of the tentacles.

"That's all?"

Nari's voice was filled with disappointment:
"I thought Magus's direct subordinates would be of a higher standard, but it seems that spider's taste is indeed problematic."

The ensuing battle was a complete one-sided massacre.

Nari was not in a hurry to end things with Salin.

Her tentacles began to perform precise "surgery".

The first step is to strip Salin of her defensive capabilities.

A tentacle precisely severed her connection to the source of the abyss, rendering her unable to invoke Apostle-level power.

The second step is to restrict her mobility.

Several thinner tentacles wove a binding network around her like a spider web, a new ability Nari had acquired after analyzing Magus's power.

The third step was to sever her sensory abilities. Nari created an isolation field around Salin's consciousness, preventing her from perceiving any information outside the projection space.

The entire process was fluid and seamless, demonstrating Nari's increasingly masterful control over power.

Salyn is now like a completely subdued insect, struggling helplessly under its control.

Nari's tentacles began the final stage of the operation.

The first thing to be separated was "memory".

Countless hair-thin tentacles probed into the depths of Salin's consciousness, carefully extracting each memory like an archaeologist.

Each thread represents a segment of Salyn's life.

From his educational experiences during human times, to his mental journey during his fall, and then to his various experiences after becoming an apostle.

During the extraction process, Nari also conducts meticulous screening.

Memories clearly tainted by the abyss were marked separately, and experiences of academic value were specially protected.

"Remember, child."

While working, Nari provided guidance to Ron, who was standing next to her.
"Memory is the element most easily contaminated."

Even after my purification process, you should still be vigilant when absorbing it.

Next, "emotions" will be separated.

This process is more complex because emotions are often closely intertwined with memories.

Nari must be as precise as a surgeon, peeling away the various emotional elements one by one without compromising the integrity of the memory.

Salyn's pain, anger, despair, and deep, twisted pleasure were all transformed into energy flames of different colors.

"These emotional fragments contain extremely high concentrations of pollutants."

Nari sealed them individually in specially made energy vesicles:

"It has absolutely no value to you, and may even have a negative impact."

Finally, "knowledge" was separated.

This is the most valuable part of the entire decomposition process.

Salyn's acquisition of forbidden knowledge after becoming an Apostle, and her deep understanding of the Abyss's mechanics.

This knowledge is presented as a pure white crystal structure, with each facet reflecting a different light.

Under Nari's meticulous treatment, all the contaminants were removed, leaving only the pure information content.

"Knowledge is the safest and most valuable conceptual element."

Nari observed the crystals with satisfaction:

"They can significantly improve your understanding of the Abyss mechanics, and there are almost no side effects as long as you learn them selectively."

With the completion of the decomposition process, Salin's historical projection has completely dissipated.

Only the carefully sorted fragments remained, quietly floating between Nari's tentacles.

"Alright, child. Take what you need."

Nari's voice softened.

Ron could sense that the silver pocket watch was radiating an unprecedented sense of longing.

The "prey" pointer spins wildly, as if facing the most delicious food in the world.

He carefully extended his consciousness toward the fragments, first choosing "memory".

As the silver pocket watch began absorbing these memories, a wealth of precious information immediately flooded Ron's mind:

The hierarchy of Abyss Apostles, the power relationships between the various thrones, the specific principles of mental contamination technology…

Each memory played in his consciousness like a movie clip, allowing him to reach an unprecedented depth of understanding of the abyss.

The most valuable of these is Salyn’s memory of her interactions with the other apostles.

Through these memories, Ron learned many secrets of the abyss:

Magus, the "Void Spider," has indeed seen his status decline recently due to a loss of power.
There are also complex factional struggles among the Supreme Apostles;
There are also some vague rumors about the signs of the "mother's" awakening...

Next, he absorbed the fragments of "knowledge".

This knowledge is more systematic and complete, including Salyn's understanding of mental pollution techniques.

Ron is now not only able to identify various types of mental attacks, but has also mastered corresponding defensive and counter-attack methods.

To his surprise, he learned how to better disguise himself as being contaminated.

This can be surprisingly effective when facing other malicious entities in high positions.

As the memory fragments are analyzed, more hidden details begin to emerge.

Ron witnessed what Valen had truly experienced after that bloody sunset.

It turns out that he didn't flee the scene out of fear, but rather, after realizing the seriousness of the situation, he immediately sought help from his mentor.

The young Valen in the picture is pale, and his hands are trembling slightly with fear.

He burst into his advisor's office, panting, and reported the horrific changes that had taken place in the lab:
"Mentor! Salyn...she's turned into some kind of monster! And other students have been infected too!"

"You must stop her immediately! Otherwise, the entire grade will be in trouble!"

But the person who appeared before him was only one of his mentor's assistants.

The assistant stared blankly at the flustered Valen:
"I'm sorry, Wizard Valen."

Professor Utter received an urgent assignment yesterday, requiring him to travel to other regions for a week-long academic exchange.

"In case of emergency, you can ask the associate professor on duty at the college for help."

At the time, Warren was unaware of the deeper meaning behind this "coincidence".

He immediately turned and rushed to the associate professor's office on duty, but the response he received was even more disheartening:

“Witch Valen, the situation you described is indeed very serious.”

However, according to the academy's regulations, incidents involving abyssal contamination must be handled by a specialized task force.

"I have sent an urgent notification, and the relevant personnel will arrive at the scene tomorrow morning."

"Tomorrow morning?!"

Valen could hardly believe his ears:

"Associate Professor, Salyn is spreading pollution right now!"
Every minute we wait, more students will get hurt!

“I understand your concerns, but the procedures must be strictly followed.”

The professor on duty gave an extremely cold response:
"Unauthorized intervention in the abyss pollution incident could cause an even greater disaster."

The involvement of non-professionals often makes the situation worse.

This bureaucratic buck-passing drove Valen to utter despair.

He realized that so-called "procedures" and "professionalism" were just excuses for cold-bloodedness in this emergency.

Those mentors who usually show great care for their students chose to protect themselves when faced with a real crisis.

Moreover, this "coincidental" arrangement seems too precise.

On the very day that Salyn began spreading the contamination on a large scale.

All the Dark Sun-level wizards and archmages capable of intervention were "coincidentally" not at the academy.

Just when the students needed protection the most, the entire system of authority "just happened" to fail.

This is no coincidence.

Young Valen began to realize the truth: "This was deliberately arranged."

"Since nothing can be changed, let's protect ourselves first, and then consider other things."

From then on, this almost became Valen's life motto.

"The cruel reality of power."

As Ron observed these memories, he gradually understood the root cause of Valen's later personality change:
"When you are unable to protect others, the most rational choice is to prioritize your own safety."

Perhaps it is this traumatic experience that completely reshapes the other person's worldview.

Warren no longer believed in the goodwill of authority, nor in the fairness of the system.

In his view, the rules governing this world are very simple:
The strong set the rules, and the weak bear the consequences.

Any beautiful words about morality and justice may be a tool used by the strong to deceive the weak.

This also explains why Valen later chose to marry into that ancient wizarding clan.

He needs external forces to protect himself and sufficient resources to deal with potential threats.

Although this philosophy of life is ruthless, it has indeed made him live a better and better life.

At least, his later life was infinitely better than that of his "old classmate" Mrs. Allen, who made a completely different choice.

The final part of the memory fragment reveals the true ending of the Salyn incident.

This was a meticulously planned "experiment".

When the value of Salin was exhausted, when the experimental data was collected, and when the contamination began to exceed expectations.

The decision-makers did not hesitate to launch the final plan.

It was no accident that Allen was able to appear "just in time" at the crucial moment and that he was able to "just in time" master the means to restrain Salin.

She was also part of the plan.

That seemingly heroic duel was actually a staged performance.

Salyn's death was not the end of the tragedy, but the beginning of a larger conspiracy.

Thanks to her sacrifice, researchers obtained invaluable firsthand information.

These materials were later used to train more "professionals".

It is also used to develop more sophisticated pollution detection equipment and to formulate more comprehensive contingency plans.

In a sense, Salyn did indeed make a "contribution" to the development of her school of thought.

However, this hidden contribution is completely different from the version officially promoted.

She is not a negative example of someone who fell into depravity due to personal choice, but rather an experimental subject sacrificed by the system.

"It really is the wizarding world I know."

Ron mentally summarized these findings:

"Beneath the glamorous exterior lies a cold-blooded logic of survival."

Behind lofty ideals lies a brutal competition for survival of the fittest.

“Every individual, including myself, is just a cog in this massive machine.”

Since it is a component, its value depends entirely on its function.

When it loses its effectiveness, it will be replaced without hesitation.

(End of this chapter)