Wizard: My career panel has no upper limit

Chapter 100: Increasing Pollution Tipping Point

The first rays of sunlight at dawn penetrated the window, and Ron was already sitting cross-legged in the center of the small experimental area on the second floor of the workshop.

The air was filled with a faint scent of incense, a special formula designed to stabilize the mind, made from a mixture of tranquilizing grass, calming leaves and cinnabar powder.

This is an auxiliary meditation potion he recently mixed himself, which can resist the mental pollution brought by "The Whisper of the Star Eater" to a certain extent.

During the period after the establishment of the workshop, Ron practiced meditation every day without fail.

I wake up at 4am and start my first meditation session at 5am which lasts for at least an hour before I start the rest of my day.

With this level of self-discipline, if he didn't have the Time Guardian pocket watch, he would have collapsed from exhaustion long ago.

"Take a deep breath, empty your mind..." He whispered to himself, closed his eyes, and let his mental power flow slowly.

In the space of consciousness, the complex structure composed of dozens of runes has become increasingly clear and stable.

Compared to its initial shaky construction, like a toddler, the Star Track Rune is now able to maintain a stable state for a long time, like a precisely running clock.

Thousands of stars twinkle in the darkness. They are no longer just points of light, but existences that contain some kind of vitality.

Guided by the runes, Ron's spiritual power was like a fish swimming through the sea of ​​stars. Each flow brought deeper understanding and purer power.

[Current progress: "The Whisper of the Star Eater" (Proficiency 147/300)]

"We're almost halfway there..." Ron calculated silently in his mind, frowning slightly.

Time passed faster than he had imagined. His hard training these days had made him progress rapidly, but he still had a long way to go before he could fully master the first stage.

"If we maintain this pace, we will reach the critical point of the first stage in about half a year and seek to break through to the advanced apprenticeship."

He estimated in his mind: "Mrs. Allen said before that it takes at least several years for an average apprentice to master the first stage. It seems that I am indeed much faster than the average apprentice."

However, he was quite curious about the definition of "ordinary". Perhaps it didn't refer to those with fifth or sixth-class qualifications...

Just as he was immersed in his thoughts, a low pulsation came from a dark area deep in his consciousness, as if something was wriggling and growing there.

That is accumulated spiritual pollution, settling like silt in the spiritual ocean.

As the depth of meditation increases, mental pollution becomes increasingly difficult to ignore and even begins to affect daily thinking.

Ron felt the accumulated pollution in his spiritual sea, just like a layer of black silt gradually settled in the originally clear lake water.

At first it was barely visible, but over time the layer of silt grew thicker and even began to affect the water quality itself.

[Warning: Mild mental pollution detected]

He tried to focus on meditation itself, but the pressure was getting stronger.

Even with the help of incense and stabilizing potions, and even with the use of pocket watch to reset it every week, the rate of pollution accumulation is still accelerating.

What worried him most was that the Time Guardian's cleansing effect seemed to be fading. Initially, a small amount of energy from the watch could completely remove the pollution, as easy as a sharp knife cutting through butter;
Now, the energy level for eliminating light pollution has risen to three points, and there will always be a trace of residue, just like stubborn ink stains on cloth that cannot be completely removed no matter how much scrubbing is done.

"We must find a way to upgrade our pocket watch..."

Ron frowned, still meditating, but he was already starting to get anxious. "Otherwise, I'll be crushed by the pollution sooner or later. By then, all my efforts will be wasted."

In order to control the accumulation of pollution, he has adjusted the time of his daily meditation routine, stopping in time before the mental pollution reaches the warning line.

At the same time, the use of more auxiliary medicines has been increased, which undoubtedly greatly increases the cost of cultivation.

Ron once calculated that the monthly expenditure on meditation-aiding potions alone amounted to more than twenty magic stone fragments, not including the energy consumption of the Time Guardian pocket watch.

For him, who has become a professional potion master, although it is not unbearable, it is still a considerable expense.

[Experience points for "The Whisper of the Star Eater" (Proficient) + 1]

Another successful cycle was completed, and Ron could feel that his mental power had become purer, just like a filter purifying turbid water into crystal clear spring water.

But at the same time, the feeling of being watched by countless pairs of eyes deep in the consciousness became stronger and creepier.

"That special inspiration can indeed bring a tenfold increase in experience, but the mental pollution is also tenfold... It can't be used indiscriminately anymore."

As the last bit of mental strength was withdrawn, Ron slowly opened his eyes and the meditation ended.

He took a deep breath and felt a heaviness building in his chest, a physiological reaction to mental pollution.

After each meditation, he would always feel an inexplicable fatigue and palpitations, and this feeling became stronger and stronger as the pollution accumulated.

His fingers gently stroked the silver pocket watch at his waist, feeling the remaining scale inside - there was no need to reset it today, so he could put the energy scale into recovering other cultivation, and wait a few days until the pollution accumulated to a certain limit before purifying it.

"The little bit of 'favor' I shared in class yesterday..."

Ron recalled that wonderful feeling, and a warmth welled up in his heart, as if a stream of fresh air had flowed into his heart. He murmured to himself, "Although it's insignificant, it did eliminate some of the accumulated pollution, probably equivalent to the amount produced by ten days of daily meditation."

This made him more determined to actively share his experiences in the future. Not only can it help others, but it can also bring substantial benefits to himself, so why not do it?
………………

After a short rest, Ron turned to spell practice.

During this period, he focused on the two skills of spell construction and mental interference.

These two skills have improved significantly under the systematic guidance of paid courses.

"Focus..." Ron gently held up a crystal ball with both hands and began to guide his mental power to construct a sonic vibration spell model.

The crystal ball is the best tool for ordinary spell practice. It can intuitively show the stability of the spell model and the state of energy flow.

A good spell model will show a regular and stable flow of energy in the crystal ball, while an immature model will show chaotic and unstable energy fluctuations.

After Eric's guidance, he gained a new understanding of the optimization of magic circuits.

It is no longer a simple matter of infusing mental power into spell models, but rather guiding it through specific paths to maximize energy efficiency.

This is like channeling a chaotic river into orderly channels, which not only reduces energy loss but also improves spell stability.

A rotating energy vortex gradually formed inside the crystal ball. With the injection of Ron's mental power, the vortex became more and more stable, from the violent fluctuations at the beginning to almost complete stillness now, with only a faint pulsating light flickering at the core.

Every successful spell construction brings a sense of accomplishment, as if creating order from chaos.

[Spell Construction Experience + 1]

Next, he tried to construct a spell model for mental interference.

This skill has been systematically trained in Leah's courses, and now it can accurately affect the perception of small creatures around, causing them to temporarily fall into confusion or fear.

Mental interference is more subtle than sonic vibrations, requiring mental power to be shaped into a special "ripple" that can interfere with the target's thought process.

It's like playing a complex piece of music, where every note needs to be played precisely to produce the desired effect.

Ron found a moth perched on the windowsill and gently sent waves of mental interference at it.

The moth immediately stopped flapping its wings, as if frozen in place, and then suddenly began to fly wildly, as if it had seen something terrible.

[Mental Disturbance Experience + 1]

"At this rate, one skill should be able to break through to the proficient level within a month."

Ron analyzed his progress and began to think about the options for the third spell.

As an intermediate apprentice, one must master at least three zero-ring spells, which is the basic requirement for the magic circuit to form a complete thinking network.

Currently he already has sonic vibrations and mental interference, and he needs to add one more.

"Light and heat spells seem like a good choice..."

Ron recalled his mastery of the Coronal Breathing Technique and the unique "Sun Protection" within his body, and pondered:

"You can consider a defensive thermal field or a repelling fire ring. These can synergize with Coronal Breathing, achieving both offense and defense."

After deciding on the next direction of study, Ron stood up, picked up the ironwood sword placed in the corner, and began the second training session of the day.

The ironwood sword drew a graceful arc in the air, and every movement was perfectly coordinated with his breathing.

"Inhale seven breaths, hold your breath for three, exhale five..."

Following the rhythm of the "Coronal Breathing Technique", the sword moves continuously like flowing clouds and water.

Movements that once required careful thinking are now integrated into muscle memory, allowing the body to naturally respond in the most appropriate way.

Every time I swing the sword, I can feel the muscles and bones working together perfectly, just like a precision machine with every part working just right.

[Basic Swordsmanship Experience + 1]

Ron frowned, slowed down his movements, and carefully felt the changes in the sword's momentum.

Although the professional linkage between the Alchemist and the Knight's Squire provides a considerable bonus, the last bit of experience points in basic swordsmanship is still extremely difficult to accumulate.

"I'm almost there for a breakthrough..." He looked at the data on the panel and muttered to himself, a sense of frustration welling up in his heart.

[Current Progress: Basic Swordsmanship (Proficiency 99/100)]

The feeling of being just a hair away from mastery is particularly agonizing.

It's like a hungry person seeing food but unable to reach it, or like a thirsty traveler seeing an oasis but never being able to get close.

(End of this chapter)