Wizard: My skills can be upgraded indefinitely.

Ian let out a long sigh and slowly opened his eyes.

The silver light in the quiet room gradually faded, leaving only twelve barely perceptible crystal cones, like loyal guardians, hidden in the subtle ripples of the surrounding space.

He could clearly feel that the newly integrated shield system was more compatible with his own liquefied spiritual power, and he could control it as easily as using his own limbs.

Its overall defensive capabilities are nearly 50% higher than those of a single Crystal Energy Barrier, and its tactical flexibility is on a completely different level.

"With this shield, plus the [Soul Devouring] trait's ability to counter mental attacks, and the powerful attack of [Frost Ray]... even among first-level wizards, I have a foothold."

He got up, walked to the window, and looked out at the busy yet somber scene of the garrison.

Tomorrow, the army will set off, heading straight for the demon's lair underground.

That is the final battlefield, where danger and opportunity coexist.

"Hector's disappearance, the potential threat of the withering council, the alienation of the Silver Ring... Ah."

Ian’s eyes were calm and resolute.

"Surround the monster's lair. There, you'll find even fiercer battles and greater rewards."

Perhaps... there's a treasure that could help me advance to level two faster.

He gently patted his shoulder.

Gaga sensed his emotions, poked its head out of the shadows, and rubbed its smooth feathers against his cheek.

"Ian, another fight?"

"Yeah, a big fight is about to break out."

"Then I'll eat more, gaga!" Gaga's little eyes sparkled, eager to try.

Ian smiled and gave the supplies in the dimensional bag one last check.

Ample potion magic stones, spare witch artifacts, alchemy array plates, and the [Eye of the Gaze] that was not yet fully refined.

Everything is ready.

He looked westward, the direction where the wizards gathered, and also the deepest darkness beneath the earth.

"Tonight, I'll get a good night's sleep first."

The next morning.

With a confident Gaga hidden in his chest, Ian joined the large crowd of wizards.

The wizards spoke almost no one along the way; the atmosphere was somber and heavy.

The deeper you go, the harsher the underground environment becomes.

The glowing moss on the rock face had long since disappeared, replaced by dark red, filthy veins resembling giant blood vessels.

The air was filled with a pungent smell of sulfur, a strong stench of decay, and a strange, cloyingly sweet aroma.

This is the taste of highly concentrated, corrupting energy.

The pervasive whispers of mental pollution mean that even a first-level wizard needs to maintain mental protection at all times to stay conscious.

Two days later, we arrived at our destination.

The sight before them sent a profound shock through the souls of all the wizards who were visiting this place for the first time.

It was not a fortress or city as one might imagine, but a group of defensive fortresses with a diameter that may have exceeded twenty kilometers.

Within the colossal underground cavity, the fortress rests on the rock walls in a ring-shaped distribution.

The fortress was built from some kind of pitch-black boulder with extremely strong anti-magic properties, and its surface was densely engraved with silver purification runes.

These runes form a continuous curtain of light, like an inverted giant bowl, temporarily blocking the terrifying pollution from the center of the void and creating a "pure land" for wizards to stay and rest.

Everyone's gaze was involuntarily drawn to the scene in the center of the void, and they felt a chill run down their spines.

There was a dark red expanse of earth, like the viscera of a giant, skinned creature, constantly writhing.

In the center of the earth, a terrifying chasm, more than three thousand meters wide and bottomless, opened up.

At the edge of the rift, eight giant silver chains, each over ten meters in diameter, extend downwards from different directions of the hollow dome, piercing deep into the earth's crust at the edge of the rift, forming a suppressive octagonal sealing array. This is a treasure trove for finding the best fantasy novels.

But at this moment, the seal has clearly reached its limit.

The chains were covered with a fine, spiderweb-like crack, from which a dark red, viscous, blood-like foul energy was constantly "seeping out".

From the bottom of the abyss, a slow, heavy heartbeat could be heard.

"Thump...thump...thump..."

With each heartbeat, the chains creak and groan under the strain, and the pollution concentration in the air rises a notch.

This heartbeat seemed to be the source of life and the root of power for this desolate land and all the monsters.

"This is one of the sealing nodes of the Abyss Rift, and also the ultimate target of this demon-hunting war."

A senior wizard whispered an explanation to his companion, his tone revealing his astonishment.

Ian stood on a platform in the circular fortress, gazing at the abyssal rift through the purifying light barrier.

I felt a chill rise up my spine.

"What's inside?"

He didn't know how high the level of the being slumbering beneath the crack was.

The mere aura it emitted made his liquefied spiritual energy feel sluggish and heavy.

Looking around, the number and quality of wizards had reached a peak.

Led by four major organizations—the Silver Ring, Shadowmoon Tower, the Wither Council, and Jade Forest—each occupies a region.

Subordinate factions such as the Tideborn, the Flame Clan, and the Eye of the Storm, as well as independent wizards or representatives of small and medium-sized families like Ian, are scattered in other areas of the Ring Fortress.

At a glance, the number of first-level wizards and above probably exceeds one thousand.

Eight figures, their auras as deep and vast as the ocean, hovered in mid-air, their presence so imposing that one dared not look directly at them.

Level 3 Archmage!

In this decisive battle, they are the true backbone.

Ian stood at the edge of the fortress platform, his hood pulled low.

His gaze calmly swept down, where many wizarding groups were slowly gathering.

On the Crimson Royal Court side, the dark red robes stood out starkly against the crowd.

He carefully examined the area for a long time before finally spotting a familiar, gaunt figure.

"Murphy..."

Ian silently recited the name in his mind; it was information he had secretly gathered from various sources.

He looked away, concealed his breathing even more deeply, and turned to find a secluded corner to rest for a while.

Given the chance, he would not hesitate to kill his second greatest enemy.

He and Sterling were the culprits behind his escape to the ends of the earth.

Sterling is dead, all that's left is this old dog.

"No, Shadowmoon still has a few enemies."

He recalled his experience at the library; if it weren't for the panel saving him, he wouldn't be alive today.

Ian concealed his murderous intent and slowly walked down the platform.

He planned to find a temporary place to stay, but after searching around the fortresses, he couldn't find a place that satisfied him.

He turned around, ready to find a place to eat anywhere, when suddenly he stopped in his tracks.

"Ian?"

A hesitant yet incredibly familiar female voice sounded from behind.

Ian paused, then slowly turned around.

What came into view was a woman dressed in a dark blue wizard's robe with silver trim.

Her figure was still captivating, but the languidness and coquettishness she displayed at the Star Leaf Potion Shop had faded, replaced by a calmness and sharpness honed through trials.

On the Shadowmoon badge on her chest, a fine star pattern was clearly visible.

"Marlena?"

The Witcher: My Skills Can Go Infinite is full of classic quotes, come and find resonance.