Wizard: My career panel has no upper limit

Chapter 130: Shapeshifter

Maura smiled noncommittally and did not respond to Andre's sarcasm.

"So, young men, tell me..."

A hoarse voice echoed in the small pawnshop, and her hunched figure cast a strange shadow in the dim light:
"What are you looking for here?"

Ron carefully observed the old woman's every move, especially the sharp light in her deep eye sockets that was inconsistent with her age.

"We are searching for a material called 'Sands of Time'."

He said bluntly: "I heard that you might know some relevant information."

For several weeks, in order to figure out how to advance the Time Guardian Pocket Watch, he had read in ancient books about materials that could store time energy.

It mentions the rare substance "Sand of Time".

Mora grinned, revealing a few yellowed teeth, and a strange light flashed in her eyes:

"The Sands of Time... What a precious material! Do you know why it's so rare? Because it originates from the cracks of time and hardly belongs to our world."

Andre stood beside Ron with his arms folded, his golden pupils warily scanning the space around him filled with strange objects.

"Is there anyone who can provide this material? We are willing to pay the corresponding price."

Maura didn't answer directly. Instead, she walked around the counter and gently stroked a row of bottles and cans with her dry fingers:
"Price... Yes, everything has a price. But the question is, what price can you pay?"

She suddenly raised her head and looked directly into Ron's eyes:

"Young apprentice, I can sense a certain... special vibration from you. Your soul is unique."

Ron's heart tightened, but he remained calm on the surface:
"We only want to learn about the Sands of Time. We don't need to delve into other topics."

"Too impatient, young man."

Mora sighed, and a strange smile appeared on his old face:
"Before discussing such a precious item, I want to confirm whether you have sufficient value."

As soon as she finished speaking, she suddenly raised her skinny fingers and snapped them crisply at Andre.

Andre's body suddenly stiffened, his originally alert golden pupils became empty and lifeless, and he stood motionless like a statue.

"Andre!"

Ron exclaimed, and at the same time, his right hand quietly moved to the pocket watch on his waist, while his left hand grasped the ironwood sword. The mental power in his body flowed rapidly, preparing to perform sonic shock.

Ron's mental power has spread out, trying to detect the true identity of this mysterious old woman. However, at this moment, a shocking change occurred -

Mora's hunched body began to twist and deform, wrinkles quickly faded, yellow skin gradually turned white, and the whole body was reshaped into a brand new image.

Ron's eyes widened and his breathing almost stopped.

The person standing in front of him unexpectedly turned into Mrs. Allen, and even her voice was exactly the same as that of her mentor:
"Ron, my boy, don't be nervous."

Mrs. Allen's voice was gentle and steady: "I have always known your secret - you have a dual soul, you do not belong to this world."

Ron felt dizzy, as if he had been hit on the head.

The second biggest secret in his heart was revealed so bluntly at this moment, which shocked him more than facing any powerful enemy.

"Who the hell are you?" Ron tried hard to calm his mind, his mental strength ready to launch an attack.

"I am a clairvoyant, Ron. Every secret and thought of yours is as clear to me as black and white."

Mrs. Allen smiled slightly:
"Your soul that doesn't belong to this world, your brain with dual memories... I know it all."

Ron felt a chill run down his spine and through his entire body.

If this being really knew all his secrets, then all his plans in the Black Mist Jungle would face collapse.

Mrs. Allen's appearance suddenly changed subtly, and a hint of greed, only that of a predator, flashed in her eyes.

"Child, you'd better leave here. This is not the place for you. There are some secrets that an apprentice like you cannot touch. I will keep it secret from everyone, as long as you leave now."

Just as Ron was about to draw his sword, a translucent prompt suddenly popped up on the interface in front of him:
[Detected "Rare Antique" - Shapeshifter's Skin (Activated)]

【Effect:
1. Recharge by devouring living souls
2. Consume energy to simulate the image and some abilities of the designated target
3. Isolate from mental detection and give yourself a seamless camouflage.

[Current charging status: 99%]

[Note: This artifact obtains energy by devouring the souls of living beings. It is currently about to reach its recharge threshold and advance to a Glorious Heritage. At that time, it will completely break free from control and become an independent entity.]

The transparent prompt was like a bright light, illuminating his mind which was shrouded in horror.

The tangled web of clues quickly connected in his mind:
The missing people in Lizard Alley, Otto's warning, those inexplicable "tests", and the shapeshifter in front of him who can peek into memories.

Everything points to the same fact:
This being who calls himself Mora is nothing more than a rare antique that is about to complete its advancement.

It uses the special environment of Lizard Alley to collect souls, and now, it only needs the last bit of energy to complete the recharge.

Moreover, the other party still cannot escape the system of the professional panel. After obtaining it, he can solve the problem that he is most worried about at the moment:

Being read by formal wizards or even higher-level beings who are stronger than oneself using mental spells, or having one's own abnormal growth curve seen through.

Putting on this "shapeshifter's skin" is equivalent to adding a layer of perfect insurance for oneself, and no one can interrupt his development.

"What a wonderful show, Shapeshifter's Hide."

He looked directly at "Mrs. Allen" in front of him, with a mocking smile on his face.

"You may have glimpsed some fragments from my mind, but your understanding of these fragments is far less profound than you let on. You don't know as much about my past and that other world as you say, right?"

Mrs. Allen's expression froze slightly. She could indeed only read the most superficial information.

She was smart enough not to retort directly, but just said, "What nonsense are you talking about, child?"

"If you could really read my mind, you would know that I am not someone who is easily intimidated."

Ron's voice became more and more confident:

"Now, let me guess your true identity—you are a special supernatural object that can transform and peek into the memories of certain targets, accumulating energy by devouring souls."

Ron looked around at the various strange items displayed:
"And this 'Maze Pawn Shop' is nothing more than a trap you set to collect the soul energy you need."

Mrs. Allen's face began to twist, and her voice became less friendly:
"Smart little fellow, much more perceptive than I expected, that's the case." Following a strange buzzing sound, the image of "Mrs. Allen" completely collapsed, replaced by a mass of translucent, constantly wriggling leather-like substance.

It twisted and deformed in the air, and finally condensed into Ron's appearance: from the hair to the clothes, even the determination in the eyes was exactly the same.

"I wanted to give you a chance to leave with dignity."

The creature that transformed into Ron's appearance said, and his voice was exactly the same as Ron's: "But since you insist on seeking death, then..."

It suddenly raised its hand, and a sound wave shot straight towards Ron!

Ron dodged sideways and used his sonic shockwave to counterattack.

Two invisible energy waves collided in the air, causing a circle of ripples visible to the naked eye, and the shock wave shattered several bottles and jars on the wall.

"It's useless." The shapeshifter sneered, exactly like Ron's.

"I can perfectly replicate every ability and every technique of yours."

A weapon identical to Ron's Ironwood Sword suddenly appeared in its hand, even flashing with the same anti-magic patterns:
"Come on, let's see who is the more powerful Ron Ralph!"

Ron quickly adjusted his breathing and his body entered the optimal state of Coronal Breathing.

At the same time, he noticed that Andre was still standing there, motionless like a statue, obviously bound by some powerful mental control.

"Don't worry, he has been completely hypnotized by me."

The shapeshifter said, his voice identical to Ron's: "This is a contest between us, and we don't need outsiders interfering."

After saying that, the sword in its hand stabbed forward with the same force as Ron's.

Ron raised his sword to block, and the two ironwood swords collided, causing dazzling sparks and sharp metal collision sounds.

The moment the swords touched, Ron could clearly feel the powerful force contained in the opponent's sword style, which was almost equivalent to the greatly increased power after he was transferred to the [Bloodline Knight].

Every attack of the shapeshifter was extremely accurate, and the tip of the sword was always pointing directly at Ron's vital points, forcing him to constantly change his defensive posture.

"I know every rhythm of your breathing and every swordplay move."

The shapeshifter's voice came from between the clashing blades, its tone tinged with sarcasm: "You cannot defeat your own shadow."

Ron remained unmoved, gripping the hilt of the sword tightly with both hands, his mental strength and blood power surging at the same time.

He used the special rhythm of Coronary Breathing to try to break the opponent's offensive rhythm while avoiding falling into the rhythm of the shapeshifter.

The shapeshifter seemed to sense Ron's intention and changed its attack method three times in a row.

The sword's power was like a violent storm, and each strike carried red burning magic power, cutting through the air and making a sharp whistling sound.

Ron was forced to retreat continuously until his back was against the wall of the pawnshop and he could no longer retreat.

"Backed into a corner?" The shapeshifter sneered, the tip of his sword pointing directly at Ron's throat.
"With just this little ability, you still want to become my master?"

Ron looked at the shapeshifter calmly as he tried to cast Ring of Radiance, hoping to break the other's defense.

Golden-red energy gathered in his palm and quickly expanded into a shining halo, sweeping towards the shapeshifter.

The halo streaked through the air, bringing up a wave of scorching air and illuminating the entire dim interior of the pawnshop.

However, shockingly, the shapeshifter also condensed an identical aura.

The two energy rings collided in the air, producing a deafening explosion, which canceled each other out and turned into golden and red light all over the sky.

"I've already said that I can perfectly replicate every one of your abilities."

The shapeshifter proudly emphasized this repeatedly to put psychological pressure on him, and a sinister smile appeared on his face that Ron had never seen before:

"No matter what technique you use, no matter what spell you cast, I can strike back with equal or even greater force!"

Ron's heart sank.

He was indeed at a disadvantage in combat: the shapeshifter had copied not only his appearance and abilities, but even his way of thinking.

What's worse, the shapeshifter seemed to have more energy reserves than him, and each attack was full of violent power and showed no sign of fatigue.

The fight between the two spread from inside the pawnshop to the alley outside.

The clang of swords clashing echoed in the narrow space, and the energy fluctuations of the spell caused the surrounding walls to shake into dust and cause stone fragments to fall everywhere.

Ron unleashed a series of precise sword strikes, each one aimed at the shapeshifter's vital points, his sword movements flowing like clouds and water, continuous and uninterrupted.

The exquisiteness of "Corona Swordsmanship" was fully demonstrated at this moment. The sword tip drew a complex and graceful arc in the air with a red-gold trajectory, and light and shadow intertwined like a deadly dance.

But the shapeshifter always manages to defend perfectly with the same moves, and even finds a gap to launch a counterattack.

His movements were so smooth, as if he had already predicted Ron's every intention.

"So, starting to feel hopeless?"

The Shapeshifter taunted, the blade in his hand igniting a deeper crimson hue—a manifestation of the fully activated Red Blood Dragon bloodline:
"Not only do I possess all your abilities, I also possess powers you don't even know about!"

Ron was forced to retreat, his clothes soaked with sweat and his breathing became rapid.

He tried every skill and spell he knew, but the shapeshifter always managed to counter them one by one, even countering with greater speed and strength.

Even more worryingly, he could feel his strength rapidly draining away.

Both muscles and mind began to show signs of fatigue, but the shapeshifter seemed to have boundless energy and his attacks became more and more fierce.

"You are Ron Ralph, but you are not the best Ron Ralph." The shapeshifter's voice echoed in the alley:

"I have all your strength, and I also have the energy I collected earlier as support. How could you possibly defeat me?"

A powerful sonic shockwave suddenly struck, and Ron didn't have time to dodge completely. He was partially hit and slammed into the wall. The huge impact force almost suffocated him, and a trace of blood flowed from the corner of his mouth.

The shapeshifter approached slowly, his steps steady and imposing, a triumphant smile on his face. The ground shook slightly with each step he took.
"Accept the reality. You are no match for me."

Ron exhaled slowly. The scale protection and self-healing effect brought by activating the "Red Blood Flying Dragon" bloodline meant that his injuries were far from being fatal.

He quietly reached into his arms, but he was carrying something that the other person definitely didn't have...

(End of this chapter)