Wizard: My career panel has no upper limit

Chapter 623 The Weaver Girl of Destiny

That's the gist of it!

Nari was clearly not happy with her analogy, but her core message was clear:
"The taste of this thing is strange, it's a bit like those 'semi-finished products' that Mom used to see at the bottom of the abyss."

"Semi-finished product?"

Ron frowned.

"Ah."

Nari's tone became somewhat wistful:
"It's like... you wanted to become this, but you got stuck halfway through."

Then it tried to become that again, but got stuck... and ended up with something that was neither one thing nor the other.

"But this is worse than the others, because it's not something it wanted to change; it was something it was forced to do."

Acelia's voice followed closely behind, her tone carrying the straightforwardness characteristic of dragons:
"Simply put, this was a failed experiment."

"It was originally intended to be transformed into some kind of 'ultimate weapon,' but halfway through the transformation, either the caster changed their mind or the materials themselves couldn't withstand it."

"In short, if left unattended, it will completely collapse in three days at most."

Ron stared at the cocoon, his mind racing through various possibilities.

Judging from the battle just now, this "Cocoon" is an extremely rare summoning wizard in this era, and very powerful.

Being able to maintain summons of the same caliber as both Abyss Shadow and Dragon Bone Puppet is at least at the Dark Sun level.

If we can turn it into an asset...

"Can you two help me stabilize it?"

Ron suddenly asked.

Nari paused for a moment: "Baby, you mean..."

"Take it in."

Ron's tone was calm:

“My ethereal body is the concept of a ‘door’, and many things can be contained inside the door.”

If I could take it in and transform it into something that truly obeys my commands…

"Theoretically it's possible."

Acelia interrupted him:

"But the risk is huge. You have to stuff something that is on the verge of collapse, modified by a higher being, and full of unknown dangers directly into your own nascent form."

"If you're not careful, either it will collapse, or your ethereal body will have a problem."

"What if the two of you helped?"

Ron then asked.

This question caused both "elders" to fall into a brief silence.

Nari spoke first, somewhat eager to try:

"If I had a mother, it wouldn't be a problem!"

“The power of chaos is best at ‘modification’ and ‘fusion’. As long as you introduce that cocoon into the void, Mom can connect with it through our bloodline to help.”

"Use the power of chaos to 'dissolve' all that messy, about-to-explode stuff inside, and then 'reshape' it back into an obedient form!"

"I can too."

Acelia's voice rang out, carrying the pride unique to dragons:
"Dragon Soul's greatest strength is 'soul editing.' Although I am currently only in a remnant soul state, I am still more than capable of handling the soul of a half-dead prisoner."

“I can enter your ethereal body through our soul link and help you reconstruct the ‘core structure’ of that existence, ensuring it doesn’t completely collapse during the transformation process.”

Ron's eyes lit up.

If Nari is in charge of "dissolution and recombination," and Acelia is in charge of "structural reconstruction," then he himself only needs to provide the ethereal remains as a "container" and a "rule framework"...

The feasibility of this plan has instantly increased several levels.

"Then try it."

He took a deep breath and began to unleash [Threshold of Darkness].

The nascent form of the ethereal body emerged behind him, and the mysterious door slowly appeared on his chest.

"and many more."

Acelia suddenly said:
“Ron, before we officially begin, I need to confirm one thing.”

"what?"

"Did you notice those two summoned creatures? The Dragonbone Golem and the Shadow of the Abyss."

Dragon Soul's tone turned serious:
“Their ‘carriers’ are of very high quality, especially the dragon skeleton. Although it looks like it has been dead for a long time, the skeletal structure is quite well preserved.”

"And that shadow of the abyss, its 'ethereal nature' is also very valuable."

Ron seemed thoughtful: "You mean..."

"If this transformation is successful, once this 'cocoon' has completely stabilized..."

Azalea's voice carried a hint of anticipation:

“Nari and I might try to ‘live’ in those summoned creatures.”

"It's not about exerting power through you like we are now, but about truly fighting independently."

This idea gave Ron a jolt.

If Nari could "reside" in the Shadow of the Abyss, harnessing the power of the Chaos Apostle to control that pure darkness...

If Acelia could "reside" within the dragon's remains, allowing that dead skeleton to regain the power of the dragon race...

"Doesn't that mean I have two more independent combat units?"

"That's the theory."

Acelia added:
"But this requires a 'cocoon' as a medium. It is a summoning entity that can maintain the stability of summoned creatures and provide us with the basic framework for 'hosting' them."

"But that's a story for later, now..."

Dragon Soul's tone turned serious:
"Let's deal with this half-dead guy in front of us first."

Ron nodded, no longer hesitating.

The door to the Dark Threshold appeared on his chest, beginning to release a powerful "attraction".

That force acted on the cocoon like a black hole, slowly pulling it into the void.

The cocoon trembled violently, seemingly instinctively resisting this "devouring".

"Don't be afraid, don't be afraid~"

Nari's gentle voice rang out, and the power of chaos caressed the surface of the cocoon like a mother's hand:
"Mommy won't hurt you, Mommy just wants to help you... um... 'start anew'!"

When she said the last four words, her tone suddenly became playful.

As the power of chaos seeped into the cocoon, the instinctive resistance immediately weakened.

"come in."

Ron said in a low voice.

The door to the [Threshold of Darkness] finally opened with a thin, thread-like gap.

It's just a crack, yet it exudes a chilling sense of emptiness, as if there is absolute nothingness behind it.

Guided by the power of chaos, the cocoon began to move toward the crevice.

The moment it touched the door, the entire cocoon suddenly liquefied and was sucked into the void like water!
Ron's body jolted violently.

He could clearly sense that something had entered the interior space of the [Threshold of Darkness].

It was a chaotic, twisted wasteland filled with painful memories...

"My God..."

Nari was somewhat surprised:

"It's so messy here, it's like...like it's been swept by a tornado!"

"Stop joking around and get to work."

Acelia's voice followed immediately, her consciousness projecting into a miniature silver dragon shadow within the void:

"Nari, you clean up the parts that have completely collapsed first, and I will stabilize the core structure."

"Roger that!"

The purplish-black chaotic power spread through the void like a cleaning agent.

Ron could "see" those energy fragments representing pollution, distortion, and pain being "dissolved" little by little by the power of chaos.

The process is very gentle, like a mother giving her child a bath, carefully washing away the dirt.

Azalea, on the other hand, works on another level.

Her dragon soul power was as precise as a scalpel, searching for the still valuable "cores" in that chaotic ruin.

Finally, deep within all the fragments, she found it.

It was an extremely tiny point of light, so faint it was almost extinguished, yet it still pulsated tenaciously.

"that's it."

Acelia's voice echoed in Ron's mind:
"This is the most fundamental 'self' of this existence, and the only thing worth preserving."

The silver dragon soul power carefully lifted the point of light and placed it directly in front of the [Threshold of Darkness] door.

“Sweetie, it’s your turn now.”

Nari said:

“Give it a new ‘definition’ with your will, and tell it what kind of existence it should become in the future.”

Ron stared at the point of light.

He could sense faint, fragmented pieces of consciousness within them:

A longing for the starry sky, a yearning for summoning, and... the despair of being imprisoned.

Your past is over.

Ron's voice echoed within the void, carrying an unquestionable authority:
"From this moment on, you are the [Cocoon]."

"You are the extension of my ethereal body, the executor of my will, and the coordinator who heeds my call."

"Your purpose is to provide me with support on the battlefield."

As soon as he finished speaking, the door to the Threshold of Darkness suddenly swung open completely!

The dim light poured out like a torrent, carrying Ron's rules and definitions, and fiercely washed over the tiny point of light.

The points of light trembled violently, and under the impact of this force, they began to rapidly expand, recombine, and transform...

Nari's chaotic power grants it "plasticity";
Acelia's dragon soul power built a "structural framework" for it;
Ron's undead body, on the other hand, gives it a completely new "identity" and "mission".

The three forces work together perfectly, like the most skilled craftsman forging a work of art.

Finally, when all the power subsided, a completely new existence was born within the void.

[Cocoon] is no longer the prisoner on the verge of collapse, nor is she an experimental subject forcibly modified.

It is part of Ron's undead body and the first "resident" to be taken in behind the gate of the Dark Threshold.

"call……"

Nari breathed a sigh of relief:

"It's all done! Mom is so tired..."

"Thanks for your hard work."

Aseria rarely offered a compliment:
"You wield the power of chaos more precisely than I imagined."

"of course!"

Nari immediately became smug:

"Mom is really amazing!"

Ron opened his eyes and sensed the changes inside the void.

The cocoon is asleep, waiting for the moment it will be summoned for the first time.

Around it, Ron could vaguely "see" two illusory "card slots".

It exudes an aura of chaos, as if waiting for some creature from the abyss to reside within it;

The other exudes the majesty of a dragon, seemingly calling for the arrival of a dragon spirit...

"After it's fully ripe..."

Ron thought to himself:
"I'm no longer fighting alone."

He took a deep breath, feeling the fatigue coursing through his body.

Although Nari and Azalea shared most of the burden during this transformation, it still took a considerable toll on his mental energy.

"We need to find a place to rest..."

But just as he was about to find a place to rest, a fragment of memory suddenly floated out from the chaos remaining in the cocoon and entered his consciousness...

That was the last complete memory of the Cocoon before it was modified:

In the dark cage, a blurry figure stood in front of the "cocoon".

The figure's face was obscured; only a pair of deep, seemingly all-consuming eyes were visible.

"You will become the guide of the 'Omen of the End'."

The voice was hollow and cold, devoid of any emotion:

"When this paradise completely collapses, the summoning circuit within your body will automatically activate."

"You will summon that being, who will announce the end of the old era and pave the way for the birth of the new era."

"This is the only meaning of your existence, and the destiny you cannot escape."

That's the end of my memory.

Ron opened his eyes abruptly, cold sweat streaming down his back.

His actions just now disrupted the "signs of the end" plan of a certain high-ranking person;
The "gift" left by the nameless man was fulfilled...

"This is really..."

Ron shook his head with a wry smile: "It's one thing after another..."

He struggled to his feet and began searching for a relatively safe place to rest in the twisted corridor.

Finally, he stopped in a dream room where he was already "dead".

This place was once the dream of a prisoner, but that prisoner has obviously vanished completely, leaving only the empty room structure.

Ron placed a few warning runes in the corner of the room, then sat down to meditate and recover.

………………

Three days later, at the rendezvous point.

This is the place Ron and Chloe agreed to meet at, at the bottom of the huge spiral staircase at the entrance of the park.

When Ron arrived, Chloe was already waiting there.

But when he saw what the other person looked like, he couldn't help but pause.

The changes are too great.

In just three days, the blind astrologer's demeanor underwent a dramatic transformation.

If Chloe three days ago gave the impression of being a "gentle and mysterious fortune teller";
Now, she is like a "prophet who has returned from the river of fate".

She was still wearing that simple astrologer's robe, and still covering her eyes with silk.

But the space around it seems to have become "unstable".

Ron could clearly see that reality itself was slightly distorted within a three-meter radius around her body.

A piece of debris that had fallen from the ceiling, which should have fallen in a straight line, suddenly changed its trajectory as it approached her;

The dust particles floating in the air, which should have moved randomly, formed strange geometric patterns around her;
Even the light seemed to hesitate around her, unsure of where to shine...

"Associate Professor Ralph."

Chloe "looked" at him, seemingly relieved:

"Arrived on time, in line with the fate line I observed."

"You... broke through?"

Ron asked cautiously, while releasing a trace of his ethereal senses to try and probe the other party's condition.

But when his senses touched the "distortion" surrounding Chloe...

"Buzz!"

Countless threads of fate suddenly unfolded before his eyes!

Those lines, densely packed, extend from Chloe's body, connecting countless nodes of the past, present, and future... Each line tells a story of a possibility, and each node represents a choice!
Ron's brain was overwhelmed by the flood of information, and he could only quickly shut down his senses.

"Feel sorry."

Chloe smiled apologetically:
"I don't have complete control over it yet. Any attempt to 'observe' my behavior will trigger the automatic unfolding of the fate line."

She raised her hand, and the surrounding "distortion" subsided slightly: "It should be better now."

Ron composed himself and looked at her again: "So... what happened?"

Chloe paused for a moment, seemingly organizing her thoughts.

Then, she slowly began to recount her experiences over the past three days in a storytelling tone:
"After we separated, the corridor I was drawn into... led to a special area at the deepest part of the park."

"I stumbled upon a 'feast'."

"To be precise, it was a nightmare called the 'Feast of Sharing'."

Her voice was soft, yet it allowed Ron to clearly "see" those images:
"It was a long table, filled with losers."

Each of them was once at least a Dark Sun-level wizard, and each of them failed when trying to reach a higher level.

Then, trapped halfway through the 'transformation,' they became monsters, led by a powerful time-manipulating wizard.

"They no longer have a complete 'self'."

To maintain the illusion that 'I am still alive,' they will forcefully 'observe' anything that enters their domain, attempting to derive a sense of 'presence' from the 'possibilities' of others.

Chloe's fingers unconsciously traced the lines of her cane.
“I was invited to ‘take my seat,’ and then a dozen prisoners simultaneously ‘opened up’ all my futures.”

The leading time-manipulating archmage was silently observing; now it seems that might have been a test for me.

"That feeling."

She frowned, reluctant to recall that extremely painful experience:
"It's like someone forcibly prying open your skull and dumping all possible versions of 'you' into the same container."

You will simultaneously experience a thousand ways to die, ten thousand ways to fail, and countless desperate versions of yourself.

"At that moment, reason was as fragile as thin ice."

Ron frowned as he listened to the description.

He could imagine how terrifying that kind of mental torment must be.

For most people, simply "seeing" one possible way to die is enough to trigger psychological trauma.

Chloe, on the other hand, was subjected to "simultaneously experiencing" thousands of possibilities.
"But you survived."

He said with respect, "It's not just about surviving, it's about achieving a breakthrough."

"Because I realized something."

Chloe looked up and gazed at the distorted and shifting light and shadows deep in the corridor:
"The secret of astrology is never about 'seeing all possibilities'."

Her voice suddenly became incredibly firm:
"When all the threads of destiny unfolded before my eyes, I was not overwhelmed, because I made a 'choice'."

I deliberately severed those lines leading to failure, those lines leading to mediocrity, those lines leading to safety but meaninglessness.”

"Leave only one."

"That line that helped me grow the most, that was the most challenging, and that was also the most dangerous."

At this point, Chloe gave a self-deprecating smile:
"At that time, I didn't even know if this path would allow me to walk out alive."

But I knew that only by choosing this path could I break through.

"Thus, 'uniqueness' was born."

Ron listened in silence, a complex mix of emotions welling up inside him.

Chloe's breakthrough was essentially an epiphany.

She transitioned from "passively observing fate" to "actively choosing fate," a seemingly simple leap that actually required astonishing courage and decisiveness.

"That great wizard of the time system"

He asked:
"Valdis? He shouldn't have attacked you..."

"He gave me a catalyst."

Chloe answered succinctly:
"They gave me a gift of 'the power of time'."

That power gave my nascent ethereal form the necessary 'fulcrum,' allowing it to stably coalesce and take shape.

In exchange.

Her voice softened.
“I gave him a ‘possibility,’ a hint about how to escape his own cage.”

"Although this possibility is extremely slim, almost equivalent to nothing."

But for an entity trapped for thousands of years, even a one in ten thousand chance is worth the gamble.

Ron nodded.

"Well then, let me see."

He stepped back a few paces, giving Chloe enough space:
"Your nascent ethereal form."

As soon as she finished speaking, a nascent ethereal form appeared behind Chloe.

It was an extremely beautiful human figure, but only the upper body was complete:
Her face was so beautiful that it seemed to be the perfect embodiment of a goddess from mythology.
Slender, long arms, every movement is rhythmic;

Her graceful figure exuded an aura of purity and inviolability...

However, from the waist down, the entire lower body dissipates into a mist of light, like an unfinished painting, leaving blank spaces waiting to be filled in.

Even more striking is what the nascent form of the undead holds in its hand—an exquisite spinning machine.

The spinning machine floated in the palm of the phantom, with countless threads of fate as fine as hair crisscrossing on it.

With a gentle flick of his fingers, the lines began to recombine, weave, and outline new patterns...

"【Destiny Weaver】".

Chloe whispered the name of her ethereal form:
"The inspiration comes from the three Fates in ancient mythology: Croso weaves the thread of life, Lachesis measures the length of life, and Atropos cuts off the end of life."

"Of course, my ethereal body is just a poor imitation of this concept."

She laughed self-deprecatingly.
“The true goddess of fate can control everything, while I can only ‘fine-tune’ some minor things and influence some probabilities. I am still far from truly ‘weaving fate’.”

"That's already quite remarkable."

Ron said sincerely:
"For a nascent form of the Dark Sun level to achieve this level of skill, it has already surpassed the vast majority of wizards of the same level."

As he spoke, he gazed intently at the [Weaver Girl] before him.

This nascent, ethereal form gave him a very contradictory feeling:
So beautiful, yet so dangerous;
So sacred, yet so cold;
It seems to promise a "certain future," yet it also hints at an "inescapable fate"...

The two fell into an awkward silence for a moment.

After a moment, Ron broke the silence:
"I've also made some gains on my end."

He briefly described the process of transforming the "Cocoon," but cleverly omitted the parts about the "layout at the end of death" and the "intervention of the Nameless."

This information is too sensitive; the fewer people who know it, the safer it is.

Chloe listened attentively, then said meaningfully:
"A summoning assistant... can indeed make up for your shortcomings in combat power."

She took out the divination cards and began shuffling them: "Okay, now let me see what we should do next."

As the deck unfolded, Chloe's "eyes" scanned each card.

After a long while, she raised her head, her expression becoming extremely serious:
"Associate Professor Ralph, I have to tell you some bad news."

"The park is collapsing... much faster than expected."

"According to the fate line, it won't last more than fifty years."

"To be precise..."

Her voice was low: "In forty-seven years and three months, this place will completely collapse."

At that time, all remaining prisoners will be released into the outside world.

"If not handled properly, the scale of that disaster could be..."

The accumulated mental pollution over countless years, the residual consciousness of crazed prisoners, fragments of dreams distorted to the extreme...

If all of these things were released into the outside world, the consequences would be unimaginable.

"So our time is very tight," Ron concluded.
"A sufficiently strong foundation must be established before that can guarantee self-preservation in the chaos, or even..."

“Even profiting from it.” Chloe continued:
"In the midst of great change, we must be strong enough to build a new order from the ruins of collapse."

Ron gave her a deep look, then nodded. "Then, let's go."

"Leave the paradise and return to the outside world."

"The next few decades will be a critical period for us to accumulate strength."

The two walked side by side toward the exit, with a twisted corridor slowly collapsing behind them and an unknown future ahead.

But just as they were about to cross the boundary of the park...

"Rumble————!"

The entire corridor suddenly shook violently!

The cracks on the wall burst open in unison, and countless black, viscous liquids gushed out like fountains!
The silent faces on the floor opened their eyes and screamed in unison!
The ceiling began to collapse, and large chunks of "flesh and blood" fell down, hitting the ground with a nauseating thud!

"what happened?!"

Ron immediately released the Void Remains, and the phantom of the [Threshold of Darkness] appeared, enveloping him and Chloe in a protective range.

"It's a Nightmare Tide!"

Chloe's voice betrayed her shock:
"The fragments of dreams left behind by those prisoners are forming a kind of collective consciousness!"

"They're trying to infiltrate!"

As soon as he finished speaking, twisted "things" began to emerge from the cracks in the "wounds" on both sides of the corridor.

Those things came in various shapes and sizes, yet they all exuded a strong "dreamlike" aura:
It has huge eyeballs, and countless different versions of "you" are reflected in its pupils;
A mouth full of sharp teeth kept repeating a cursed phrase;

It has a distorted humanoid form, with its body parts connected in a way that defies common sense;

There are even more abstract scenes:
The black mist formed from pure "fear", the cold tentacles materialized from "despair", and the colorful vortex embodied from "madness".
They surged in like a tide, with a clear goal—to escape the "paradise"!
Ron and Chloe blocked their "exit"!

"Back off!"

Ron gave a low shout, and the gap in the chest of [Dark Threshold] suddenly widened!
The power of lightning and starlight poured out, forming a barrier in the corridor!
"Sizzle sizzle sizzle—!"

Those nightmare fragments crashed into the barrier and were instantly annihilated by the power of "Judgment"!
But there are just too many of them!
One is eliminated, and ten immediately take its place! A hundred! A thousand!
Like a never-ending nightmare.
"It can't last much longer!"

Ron gritted his teeth and said:
"These things are essentially 'dreams,' so their offensive effectiveness is limited!"

"let me!"

Chloe stepped forward, and the phantom of the [Weaver Girl] fully unfolded!

The textile machines started running at full speed!
Her hands danced in the air like a pianist's, each pluck causing countless threads of fate to tremble, intertwine, and weave into a vast "net"!
"go back!"

Chloe's voice echoed down the corridor:
"Your 'time' has not yet come!"

The net woven from the threads of fate suddenly spread out forward!

The "Weaver Girl" seems to have a certain restraining effect on the "Nightmare Tide" in front of her. All the nightmare fragments caught in her net are bound and forcibly pulled back into those "wounds"!

But just then, an even more terrifying aura emerged from the depths of the corridor.

It was an "aggregate" formed by the fusion of many nightmares.

It has no fixed form; sometimes it is a gigantic beast, sometimes a distorted humanoid, and sometimes it becomes a pure conceptual vortex.
The aura emanating from it is already incredibly close to that of a Grand Wizard!

"Oops."

Chloe's face suddenly turned pale:
"We can't stop this thing!"

At this critical moment...

"Ring ring ring!"

A crisp bell sound suddenly echoed in the space.

The bell rang cheerfully and playfully, with a mischievous, teasing tone.

But wherever the bell rang, all the chaos ceased.

The nightmare tide froze in mid-air;

The collapsed wall hangs suspended in mid-fall;

The screaming face shut its mouth;

Even time itself seemed to have been paused.
A figure slowly appeared from the air.

It was a "clown" dressed in a comical costume.

He wore an exaggerated tricorn hat with jingling bells hanging from the brim;
Her face was covered in exaggerated makeup, half smiling and half crying;

The clothes she wore were pieced together from countless color blocks, each block slowly changing color.
"Ahhhh~"

The clown spoke in an exaggerated tone, drawing out each syllable:
"The little ones have gotten into trouble!"

"They've pried the crack in 'Paradise' a little wider."

"Even though it's just a little bit, it adds up and one day it'll become a huge hole!"

As He spoke, He snapped His fingers lightly.

"Snapped!"

Like a movie being reversed, the distorted images recede back into the "wound" at an alarming speed.

The cracks in the wall began to heal, and the faces on the floor fell silent again.
In less than three seconds, everything was back to normal.

The terrifying nightmare tide we just witnessed seems to have been just an illusion.

“Alright, alright~”

Clown claps his hands:
"The crisis is over! Everyone can go home safely now!"

He turned to Ron and Chloe, tilting his head as if in thought:
"But even though I cleaned up the mess for you, you still have to pay me a 'cleanup fee,' right?"

Ron's heart tightened.

He knew the real "bill" was coming.

The King of Absurdity turned to Ron, and the smile painted on his mask suddenly became eerie:
“Little guy, what you took from me is much more ‘expensive’ than you think.”

He stretched out his hand, his five fingers loosely clenched, as if grasping something invisible:
"Your actions accelerated the collapse of the amusement park—though not by much, only three years earlier, but those three years..."

"Enough to make many otherwise perfect plans riddled with holes."

"So as compensation..."

The King of Absurdity's voice turned serious:
“When I need you to ‘pay back my debt’ in the future, you cannot refuse.”

"When?" Ron asked warily.

"do not know."

He shrugged:
"It could be tomorrow, it could be a hundred years from now, or it could be at the moment you are about to break through to the level of a Witch King."

"Anyway..."

The bell rang again, and the park's collapse became "controllable" once more.
"Remember this debt; the interest will increase over time, so..."

"Don't keep me waiting too long."

As soon as he finished speaking, the clown's figure began to fade.

Before disappearing completely, He left behind His last words:
"Oh, right~"

"Remember to tell the 'little prophet'!"

"The threads of fate she 'wove' are beautiful~"

"Be careful not to get your own 'thread' tangled around your neck!"

"Ring ring ring..."

The clear bell rang again.

Then, everything fell silent.

Ron and Chloe were left standing there, unable to recover for a long time.