Wizard: My career panel has no upper limit

Chapter 493 Community of Shared Destiny

As Ron was gently enveloped by Nari's tentacles, Azalea let out an untimely sigh from the depths of his consciousness.

"This Apostle of the Abyss..."

Dragon Soul's voice carried an innate arrogance:
"Her possessiveness towards you is far too strong; I can feel that the connection she has established with you is too close."

"In the Dragon Clan culture, such unauthorized deep linking is considered an extremely rude offense."

Although Acelia's assessment was spoken softly, in this realm dominated by chaotic forces, no mental fluctuations could truly be concealed.

Nari's tentacles suddenly stiffened, like someone engrossed in a game suddenly having their internet cable disconnected, feeling a lump in their throat.

She did not get angry directly.

That primitive and brutal way of reacting is no longer in line with Nari's current level of intelligence.

Instead, a more subtle response emerged.

"my darling……"

Her voice became full of curiosity: "Where did you find such a beautiful piece of 'old ice'?"

The tentacles swayed gently around Ron:

"It looks very hard, and also..."

Nari deliberately left the assessment hanging in the air: "Vulnerable."

At this moment, in its description, Azalea is merely regarded as an "antique".

Beautiful but useless, ancient but fragile.

This is a more sophisticated form of contempt.

It does not deny the other party's value, but defines it as "an outdated existence".

Azalea remained silent deep within Ron's consciousness.

Nari's words did indeed imply a fact she could not refute:

No matter how glorious an era may be, it will eventually become dust in history.

To ease the subtle tension, Ron gently patted the tentacles surrounding him:

"Mom, do you like the gift I prepared for you?"

Sure enough, Nari's attention was immediately drawn back.

She placed the crystal against her core, feeling the warm emotional fluctuations it contained.

"Of course! This is the most precious gift Mom has ever received..."

Throughout Nari's existence, no one has ever actually made anything for her.

"Then, in return..."

Once the emotional tide had subsided slightly, Nari's tone became lively again:
"Mom wants to show my baby the latest results too!"

Her tentacles began to weave in the air, and the surrounding reality began to rearrange itself according to some entirely new rules.

When the dizzying sensation of spatial distortion subsided, Ron found himself in a wondrous space that was completely beyond common sense.

This is the "Chaos Amusement Park" created by Nari using her "naturally chaotic" traits.

A masterpiece that perfectly blends paradox and beauty.

In the center of this garden, a waterfall is "falling" towards the sky.

The silvery-white water defied the laws of gravity, surging from the ground to the clouds, each drop carrying a fragment of time flowing backward.

When these fragments of time converge in the air, they create a fleeting historical illusion.

Some are heartwarming moments shared by Nari and Ron, while others are much older tales from the Abyss.

"This is the 'Memory Waterfall'."

Nari proudly introduced his masterpiece:
“Ordinary waterfalls are just the monotonous flow of water, but the Memory Waterfall makes time itself visible.”

On the left side of the garden grows a "candy forest" formed from pure emotions.

These "candies" come in different colors and shapes:

A deep blue, melancholic cube; a golden spiral of joy; dark red, angry spikes…

"The taste of sadness is the most complex."

Nari picked up a deep blue cube and gently stroked it between her fingers:

"It has the depth of the ocean, the tranquility of a winter night, and... the sweetness of solitude."

Only those who truly understand the existence of loneliness can savor its sweetness.

But what is most impressive is the "Singing Coral Forest" deep within the garden.

These corals are based on flesh and blood, but after Nari's modifications, they gained the ability to sense the emotions of visitors and respond with music.

As Ron approached, the corals immediately began to play.

Warm chords represent a sense of security, while lighthearted melodies express a sense of belonging.

There are also those sacred notes, almost like a lullaby, that can only be heard when one is truly loved.

“Look, child.”

As Nari displayed these incredible creations, he made a pointed remark:

“'Order' and 'rules' are just toys; true power lies in the ability to 'create' rules at will.”

Her words pulsed like thunderclouds:

"The era represented by that 'old ice block' melted away like ice because it was too rigid and too bound by established frameworks, didn't it?"

The target of these words is very clear.

He was explaining the nature of his power to Ron, and also declaring it to Acelia:

Your time has passed.

In Nari’s understanding, the decline of the Second Age proved the limitations of “solidification.”

The "chaos" and "creation" she represents represent the correct direction of evolution.

"Come on, my baby."

Nari extended an invitation, as countless tentacles wove a bridge of light through the air, leading to the depths of the palace:
"Mom wants you to see even more special places."

After they passed through the palace's many deep passageways.

Finally, they arrived at the absolute core of the deep-sea palace—the "Church of Origin," a complete upgrade of the Chaos Laboratory that had been given to Ron last time.

The magical density of the "Primordial Chamber" is extremely high, almost to the point of being materialized.

Under the influence of this special environment, Azalea, who was attached to the bloodline mark of the "Thunderfire Tyrant", was able to briefly manifest a semi-physical form.

A silver dragon shadow appeared in the space, lightning patterns shimmering on its scales.

Her head was held high, and her eyes burned with an indomitable flame.

"I'm so glad to see you, little dragon cub!"

Nari shook its main tentacle, expressing its disdain as if a human were shaking their finger:
"Whispering inside someone else's body is not the courage a dragon should have."

Despite this obvious provocation, Azalea did not show any anger.

She did not argue; instead, the dragon soul's voice became solemn and sorrowful:
“Great Nari, you may be right.”

The order I represented has indeed shattered into the dust of history.

The silver dragon shadow began to become more transparent, as if it were being dissolved by exhaustion:

"Perhaps my insistence on 'stability' and 'rules' is not because they are so correct..."

Her voice was like the mournful sound of wind blowing across a tombstone:
"It's because... I've personally experienced the pain of being completely betrayed by 'rules' and 'interests' when the person you trust most treats you as a 'tool' rather than 'family'."

This sudden candor plunged the entire space into a brief silence.

Even Nari's eyeballs stopped moving, as if processing this unexpected information.

"I am afraid……"

For the first time, Acelia revealed her vulnerability:

“I’m not afraid that Ron will get hurt, but I’m worried that he will hurt those who trust him.”

"Power itself is not scary; what is scary is that power can change the mind of the holder."

This worry is perhaps proof that I'm 'getting old'. But I must express it, because…

She didn't continue speaking, but instead showed her actions.

Azalea took the initiative to reveal the deepest imprint of her soul to Nari.

That complete memory of being betrayed by Pandora.

The scenes of memory unfolded like a tide.

Pandora in the picture is still very young.

In the first fragment of her memory, Azalea has just recovered from a near-fatal accident.

As a newly hatched Thunder Dragon, her scales were not yet fully hardened, and her wounds healed very slowly.

Pandora would come to take care of her every day, cleaning her wounds and applying healing ointment with the gentlest touch.

"Don't move, little one."

The young King of Illusions spoke softly, his movements extremely gentle:
"It'll be over soon. If it hurts, just bite my finger."

The baby dragon was indeed in a lot of pain, but she didn't bite Pandora's finger.

Instead, she kept emitting low dragon roars, which was the way dragons expressed gratitude and affection.

"Are you talking to me?"

Pandora's eyes were filled with surprise:

"I've heard that dragons have their own language, but I never imagined I'd hear it with my own ears. Could you teach me?"

From that time on, the man and the dragon forged a deep friendship.

Pandora learned the language of dragons, and Azalea learned the magical theories of the wizards.

Together they studied ancient texts, explored the mysteries of the occult, and spent countless warm evenings together.

The most beautiful memory is of Pandora grooming Azalea's scales. It was an extremely private act, permitted only between the closest family members among dragons.

“I will give you a home forever, Acelia.”

As Pandora combed through the dragon scales, she whispered a promise:
"No matter how the world changes, you will always have a place to come back to."

Azalea responded by gently resting her head on Pandora's shoulder, purring contentedly like a cuddly kitten.

But in the latter half of the memory, the style begins to undergo a terrifying transformation.

It was not a sudden change, but an extremely slow and subtle alienation.

Pandora began to spend more time studying Azalea's physiology.

The witch kept asking strange questions:

The coagulation time of dragon's blood, the hardness grading of scales, the arrangement of internal organs...

Azalea naively believed that this was her friend's academic interest in the physiology of dragons.

She even actively cooperated with various "research" projects because she wanted to help the person she trusted most achieve results.

Until that night.

Pandora continued to gently comb her scales and chat with her softly.

But as Azalea completely relaxed in that familiar sense of security, a paralyzing needle, enhanced by multiple spells, pierced her vulnerable neck without hesitation.

"Why……"

Aseria looked up in confusion, her eyes full of bewilderment:
"Pandora... what did I do wrong..."

Faced with this question, the witch's eyes underwent the most heartbreaking change in her memory.

That warm kindness and sincere affection receded like the tide.
Instead, there was a purely objective assessment that regarded Acelia as an "expensive material."

Like a craftsman examining a precious raw material about to be processed, there is both appreciation and possession, but absolutely no personal emotion.

“You did nothing wrong, Azalea.”

Pandora's voice remains as gentle as water:

On the contrary, you have grown into exactly what I need.

Your sacrifice will benefit me and my students.

She gently stroked the young dragon, which was gradually losing consciousness:
“You should be proud; not many things can become eternal in this way.”

The memory was passed on to Nari, and the pain of physical dissection was only the most superficial.

What truly pierced her heart was the despair of being "abandoned by her family and treated as an object."

As the last vestiges of memory dissipated in the air of the Primordial Chamber, the entire space fell into an almost suffocating silence.

Nari's hundreds of eyeballs slowly closed, her consciousness deeply immersed in the pain she had just "experienced".

It's a kind of emotional resonance.

As someone who also longed for "family," she could fully feel the bone-chilling coldness that Acelia felt when she was betrayed.

To be regarded as "material" and "tool" by the person you trust most...

This experience destroys not only the body, but also the fundamental trust in the world, in others, and in "love" itself.

After a long silence, Nari opened his eyes again.

But at this moment, the way she looked at Acelia was completely different from the hostility and contempt she had shown before.

Instead, a more complex, condescending "pity" has emerged.

"turn out to be……"

Nari's voice softened:
"You're a pathetic, discarded tool too. I'm starting to understand you a little, little ice cube."

Her tentacles swayed in the air, their movements carrying a sense of comfort:
No wonder you are so fixated on 'stability'.

When you've been completely betrayed by the person you trust most, 'predictability' becomes the only source of security, doesn't it?

Aseria's dragon shadow trembled slightly, but she did not utter a word of rebuttal.

"What you want is not revenge, but proof."

Nari continued his analysis:

"You want to prove that you are not worthless 'material,' and that the great one who regarded you as material was wrong."

"So you attach yourself to Ron because you see in him a possibility to a higher level."

At this point, Nari's tone suddenly changed.

Compassion remains, but it has begun to be mixed with something colder:

"But do you think Pandora is your greatest enemy?"

Her voice was solemn, as if she were proclaiming the final judgment:

"You think you can find a chance for revenge by staying with this child? You are... ridiculously naive."

The density of reality in space begins to change.

Nari is drawing upon her deep connection with her "mother" in preparation to reveal a more profound truth to Azalea.

"Let me show you what true despair is."

With Nari's will, space began to distort.

The walls became transparent, the ceiling disappeared, and everything around melted into some kind of flowing, translucent substance.

In this dreamlike environment, the outline of each person's soul begins to emerge.

On Ron's body, a tiny but indelible mark was beginning to appear.

It was as black as a drop of ink, but the "hunger" it contained was so intense it sent shivers down your spine.

It is an endless thirst for everything, a greedy nature that wants to transform everything in the outside world into its own power.

This mark is now slowly but steadily "growing".

"You, this 'old block of ice' from the Second Era, should know what this aura means, right?"

Nari's voice turned cold and cruel.

Aseria's dragon shadow began to tremble violently, and genuine fear was revealed in her eyes.

As a ghost from the Second Age, she knew better than anyone how taboo and terrifying the "Devourer" was.

His code of conduct is completely unrestrained by any rules.

It was pure hunger, pure possession, pure destruction...

“A witch king of Pandora’s caliber is not even an appetizer in front of the ‘devourer’.”

Nari continued her brutal revelations:

"You've placed all your hopes on a target predetermined by the 'devourer,' and you're here discussing 'order' and 'stability' with us?"

"Don't you think it's ridiculous?"

This kind of mockery is more deadly than any angry outburst.

If Ron is destined to become food for the ruler, then attaching himself to him is tantamount to suicide.

Even more cruelly, this "destiny" does not come from an external curse or an enemy's conspiracy.

Rather, it stemmed from the other party's own choice—choosing to cultivate "The Star Eater's Ramblings" and choosing to pursue greater power.

At this point, a few tentacles swam over and gently touched their child.

Ron stood quietly to the side and nodded to Nari.

This shows that he understands how dangerous the path he has chosen is, and he has not been hurt by those cold words.

He also deduced that Nari's words contained deliberate exaggeration.

“Nari said that the Witch King is ‘not even an appetizer’ in the face of the rulers…”

He silently assessed the accuracy of this statement in his mind:
"But according to the records in The Complete Guide to the Extraordinary, in the 'Dominator Expulsion Plan', even if a being at the level of a Witch King could not directly confront the 'Dominator' race, he could at least guarantee a safe retreat."

Ron's gaze shifted between Nari and Azalea as he continued to analyze the situation in his mind:

"Nari deliberately exaggerated the threat of the Dominator, most likely in order to completely break down Azalea's psychological defenses and make her give up any possibility of 'independent thinking'."

"This is a very sophisticated psychological manipulation technique—establishing absolute dependence by creating absolute fear."

But he also understood that Nari did not do so out of malice:
"However, her core point is also correct: the traditional promotion system is indeed difficult to counter the existence of a Dominator."

Of course, the most important thing is the career panel that he believes has been with him ever since he merged with his soul.

Ron watched as Azalea was gradually persuaded without interfering.
“Nari is using a cruel but effective method to forcibly bind Azalea and us into a community of shared destiny.”

"Although her methods were almost coercive, in hindsight, this alliance may indeed be the best option for us in the face of unknown threats."

"Why."

Aseria's voice became extremely weak, like the last breath of a dying person:
Why are you telling me all this?

Faced with this question, Nari dropped her previous facade of coldness:

"Because, little ice cube, I need you to understand reality."

"Now, do you understand?"

"Only by using the most 'rule-breaking' methods can we create a glimmer of 'impossible' hope."

Her countless eyes were fixed on Acelia simultaneously, and the oppressive force of that collective gaze surged forth like a tidal wave:

"Traditional power structures, predetermined growth paths, and so-called 'order' and 'stability'—these are all jokes in the face of the rulers."

"Only chaos, only that power that can 'redefine the rules,' can tear a path to survival in an absolute dead end."

She looked at Acelia one last time:
"But this takes time, it requires him to become stronger, and it also requires cooperation."

"From now on, what you need to learn is how to make our 'hope' stronger before the end of the world comes."

Faced with this cruel reality, Azalea fell into a long silence.

Her dragon shadow slowly contracted in the air, like a wounded animal curling up.

Finally, she let out a barely audible sigh:
"I understand."

(End of this chapter)