Wizard: My career panel has no upper limit

Chapter 143 Soul Steel and Demon Sword

At first, it was just a slight throbbing pain, which then turned into a comfortable warm sensation, as if a miniature sun was slowly unfolding inside the body.

The feeling was like a taut bowstring suddenly loosening, or like a dried-up lake being filled with fresh water again – a truly delightful experience.

After the last bit of "favor" dissolved into his body.

Ron slowly opened his eyes and attempted to construct a spell.

To his surprise, the "Ring of Radiance" model floating in his palm was much brighter than usual.

Even more astonishingly, he felt almost no loss of magic power.

[Magic Power: 1.6 → 2.0 (+0.4)]

"This improvement... is amazing."

Ron stared in astonishment at the changing values ​​on the panel.

His magic power increased by a full 0.4 points, something that would have previously required months or even half a year of arduous training, but was achieved simply from the blessing he received after teaching Lilia for a little over two weeks.

He immediately went to the specially made target and tried casting the "Ring of Radiance" spell. The difference he felt greatly excited him.

Previously, casting this spell required nearly 20% of his mana reserves, but now he can complete the spell perfectly with less than 10%.

More importantly, the duration and power of the spells have been significantly improved.

The blinding and burning effects that used to last only one or two seconds have now easily exceeded 1.5 times the original effect.
The temperature and brightness of the flames have also been significantly enhanced, improving both defensive and offensive capabilities.

"The improvement from 1.6 to 2.0 is far more than just a simple increase in numbers."

Ron muttered to himself, "Just like the mental strength value, it's also a qualitative leap."

He continued testing other spells and found that each one became smoother and more powerful, with significantly reduced energy consumption.

Ron was immersed in exploring the changes brought about by the increase in magical power, and his heart was filled with anticipation for gaining more "blessings" through teaching in the future.

"If this teaching pace continues and I have a stable source of 'blessings,' my magic power will increase much faster."

This was undoubtedly a major discovery, opening up a completely new shortcut for his path to success.

Of course, all of this is predicated on Lilia's continued improvement, and given her demonstrated talent and hard work, this doesn't seem to be a problem.

Putting these thoughts aside, Ron took out the crystal ball that recorded the spell model, inside which floated the complete structure of the "Radiant Ring".

He has been practicing this spell these days.

With the added bonuses from both spellcasting and elemental perception skills, the experience points increased much faster than expected.

[Radiant Ring Experience +1]

Current progress: Ring of Radiance (Beginner 49/50)

I'm just a little short of reaching the proficient level.

Ron took a deep breath and began to construct the spell model.

With the powerful support provided by the 2.0 Magic Values, this build was smoother than ever before.

Golden-red energy condensed in his palm, rapidly spreading into a perfect ring structure, possessing both the heat of fire and the brightness of light.

[Radiant Ring Experience +1]

[Breakthrough! Radiant Ring (Beginner 50/50) → Radiant Ring (Expert 1/100)]

[Gains additional trait: Flame Transformation]

(The elements of light and fire enhance each other, making them more versatile.)

"Radiant Transformation..." Ron immediately felt a significant increase in the spell's power.

The ring-shaped flame not only increased in brightness by nearly 30%, but also raised the temperature to a new level, even being able to easily melt ordinary metals.

Even more surprisingly, this enhancement seems to have some synergistic effect with his Crimson Dragon bloodline.

This allows the halo to flexibly change shape according to his will, no longer limited to a simple ring shape.

He tried to transform the halo into a shield, then into energy spikes that scattered outwards, and finally even formed a perfect hexagonal protective structure.

Each form can be perfectly maintained, and the original defensive and offensive characteristics are preserved.

Ron couldn't hide his excitement: "With this flexibility, the tactical value of the 'Radiant Ring' will be greatly enhanced."

He quickly jotted down the details of this breakthrough in his notebook, paying special attention to the interaction between the light flame transformation and his bloodline abilities.

These discoveries not only benefited his personal growth but also provided important references for the future design of the magic sword.

"If I combine the Demon Sword with the Ring of Radiance... perhaps I can create a completely new form of combat?"

Ron's thoughts raced like a wild horse, constantly exploring various possibilities.

"Diverse growth paths that promote each other... this is precisely the greatest advantage of the Golden Finger."

He smiled as he looked at the slowly rising dawn sky.

A new day, a new beginning.

Meanwhile, Lilia, who had just gotten up, looked at the workshop's second floor, still lit up, rubbed her eyes, and felt admiration, even a little awe, for her teacher's diligence...

………………

Ron breathed a sigh of relief; the carefully prepared "fusion adhesive" had finally reached the ideal state.

This is a special alchemical medium that can act as a buffer between two mutually exclusive elements, greatly increasing the success rate of bloodline fusion.

He carefully dripped the adhesive onto the autophagic slime on the lab table.

This is his eighth test subject; the previous seven have already been used up in experiments of varying degrees.

The slime immediately absorbed the adhesive, its color changed from translucent to light blue, and its surface rippled slightly, indicating that it had entered a highly sensitive state.

Ron then took out two completely different bloodline samples: one was the tip of a wind demon's feather, and the other was fragments of a water serpent's scales.

Wind and water have a natural repulsion in terms of elemental properties.

Direct fusion without buffering is doomed to failure, as has been demonstrated in his previous experiments.

The third slime monster exploded and shattered into pieces after twisting wildly.

But now, with the help of "fusion binder," the situation should be very different.

"Initiate the bloodline modulation process."

Ron calmed himself and began the modulation process following the steps described in "Introduction to Bloodline Modulation".

First, he used precise mental control to completely decompose the wind demon feather fragments into a pure energy state, and then slowly introduced them into the slime monster's body.

The slime's color immediately changed from light blue to pale cyan, and a fine wavy structure began to form on its surface, as if a breeze was passing over it.

This is a sign of successful absorption.

Next, Ron focused his mental energy again, guiding the energy essence of the water snake man's scales.

This step is extremely critical. If the introduction speed is too fast or the energy is not pure enough, it may cause blood rejection.

With the addition of water-based energy, the slime began to tremble violently, its colors becoming chaotic and unpredictable, sometimes dominated by cyan, and sometimes spreading across its entire body with blue.

“Stability, balance, integration…” Ron murmured, guiding the two energies to slowly merge under the action of the adhesive.

This process lasted for nearly ten minutes before the tense tremors gradually subsided.

The slime's color eventually stabilized in a blue-green hue, with a surface that exhibited both ripples like waves and a sense of fluidity like water.

[Blood Modulation Experience + 1]

[Current Progress: Blood Modulation (Entry 48/50)]

"Success!" Ron breathed a sigh of relief, looking at the stable fusion in front of him with satisfaction.

Although it was just an experimental subject, this success meant that his understanding of bloodline modulation had risen to a new level.

Moreover, compared to simply improving his skills, this experiment brought him a more tangible result—a perfect blend that possesses the affinity of both wind and water elements.

Ron gently flipped the switch on the experimental platform, and a weak current passed through the platform, stimulating the slime to display its properties.

As the slime was stimulated, tiny water currents and whirlpools appeared on its surface simultaneously. Although the intensity was not high, it was proof of perfect fusion.

“Using fusion binder as a buffer, along with gradual energy introduction, can indeed significantly improve the success rate of fusion between mutually exclusive bloodlines.”

Ron recorded the details and conclusions of this experiment.

The same method should also be applicable to more advanced bloodline modulation.

For example, the growth path designed for Dal, or other branches that will fill the core of her chimera in the future.

More importantly, he noticed an interesting phenomenon—

As his bloodline modulation skill improved, his bloodline activation ability also increased accordingly.

[Bloodline Activation Experience Points +1]

[Current Progress: Bloodline Activation (Beginner 30/100)]

Although the increase was not large, it undoubtedly confirmed his conjecture: there is indeed a synergistic effect between related skills.

Understanding blood vessel modulation can, in turn, promote the enhancement of blood vessel activation.

Ron immediately thought that he might take this opportunity to examine his Crimson Dragon bloodline again and see if he could gain any new insights.

He gently closed his eyes and mobilized the crimson-gold power within his body.

As his breathing deepened, the bloodline of the Crimson Flying Dragon was gradually awakened.

A burning sensation spread from his spine throughout his body, and he could feel the tiny scales beneath his skin.

Andrei's Crimson Dragon bloodline originated from the lineage of the ancient Sunfire Dragon. After several eras of dilution and mutation, it has strayed far from its original pure form.

However, through the replication of the Chimera bloodline, this energy was partially purified, taking a small step back to its original form.

“That’s why my flames are purer and more regular in shape than Andre’s.” Ron suddenly realized: “Chimeras don’t just copy; they instinctively optimize themselves for something better.”

This discovery gave him confidence in the future of bloodline replication.

As his understanding of the essence of bloodlines deepens, the Chimera's ability to replicate will become more precise and powerful.

"The next task is to continue improving alchemy in preparation for the future forging of the magic sword."

Ron took a deep breath, feeling the wonderful sensation of magic flowing through his body.

His magic power of 2.0 provided him with a more abundant energy reserve for his alchemical research.

"Let's try a more advanced form of energy condensation."

Ron took out a piece of ordinary stone and focused his mind on conducting an energy sealing test.

Normally, such an attempt would consume about 20% of his magic reserves, but now, he hardly felt any consumption.

With his mental and magical powers at his command, energy flowed smoothly into the stone under his guidance, forming a stable energy core.

Compared to the previous ones, this one has a higher energy density and a more sophisticated structure.

[Alchemy Experience + 1]

[Current Progress: Alchemy (Proficiency 17/100)]

Ron recorded the data and compared it with his own career advancement requirements:
[Job Advancement Information Unlocked: Alchemist (Two-Star)]

Job transfer conditions:
1. Basic alchemy proficient

2. Mastery of alchemy

3. Exceptional recognition skill achieved (proficient) √

4. Independently craft three or more basic alchemy items
5. Successfully improve at least one existing alchemy item blueprint.

“There’s still a long way to go…” Ron thought to himself, but he wasn’t discouraged.

At his current rate of progress, he is confident that he will break through to the Alchemist profession in six months before heading to the Bloodline Altar.

At that time, he will have enough ability to forge his own "Master Sword" using the rare material Soul Steel, and officially become a [Spellsword].

This is why he devoted so much time to alchemical research:

Only by mastering a sufficiently high level of alchemy can one ensure that the quality of the magic sword reaches its optimal state.

According to "Magic and Steel: The Secrets of Forging Magic Swords," the quality of a magic sword is closely related to the user's future growth potential.

A poorly made magic sword may limit the user's potential to a relatively low level;

A perfectly forged magic sword can evolve as its master grows, and even provide additional protective power in dangerous moments.

"According to the book, a perfect magic sword requires an alchemist to forge the sword blank, then a powerful spiritual connection to establish it, and finally, a part of the user's soul to be integrated into it..."

Ron recalled the description in the book: "In some ways, it is similar to a wizard's staff."

But what if he doesn't need to rely on others to forge the sword blank, and is a sufficiently good alchemist himself?

To forge a "master sword" that best suits one's own needs, and to forge a path that has never been explored before, but is clearly superior...

After all, in this world's supernatural system, the paths of wizards and knights are mutually exclusive.

There may be geniuses who can walk two paths at the same time, but they will not devote their limited time to the mediocre path of dual cultivation of magic and martial arts.

Those capable of pursuing the path of a wizard would never waste a lot of time on the predictable path of a knight, even if they are magic swordsmen who are much stronger than ordinary apprentices.

A qualified alchemist, however, needs to possess at least the mental strength of a high-level apprentice.

Looking at the various semi-finished alchemical materials on the experimental table, he already had a preliminary idea in mind.

His "Master Sword" will be a fusion of the essence of the sun and the blood essence he has refined, items that are closely related to his current bloodline and magical attributes.

It possesses the dual power of light and fire, capable of releasing scorching flames and radiating purifying light.

This design perfectly matches his current bloodline characteristics and elemental affinity.

In the future, it can be further upgraded as other chimera branches are added and other professions are expanded.

All of this stems from his commitment to diverse growth paths.

From the initial potion master, to the apprentice, and then to the blood knight, bloodline alchemist, and alchemist.

Each identity and skill continuously reinforces the others, forming a perfect growth loop.

There are still more than four months before the Bloodline Altar opens, which is enough time for him to further improve his combat power system.

The sound of silvery laughter coming from the corridor broke his thoughts, mixed with Lilia's gentle voice and the rustling of the vines swaying in the breeze.

"In that case, let's go check on Xiao Dai'er. It's not good to always be studying behind closed doors. It's good to relax."

Ron got up and left the lab, gently closing the door behind him.

As he stepped into the courtyard, the sight before him made him smile.

Dale—the little sea monster that was once only the size of a palm—has now grown to the size of a six or seven-year-old human child.

She was no longer confined to the crystal tank, but was able to briefly evolve legs with the help of her innate magic, running and playing back and forth in the courtyard.

At this moment, she was wearing a little blue dress that Lilia had cut out, hopping and skipping as she chased after a butterfly that had been transformed from an orchid vine.

"Dair, be careful not to run too fast!"

Lilia stood to the side, a hint of worry on her face.

"it does not matter!"

Dai'er answered crisply, her voice as melodious as a mountain spring:
"I'm really good now, I can stay on land for two hours without getting tired!"

As she spoke, she suddenly saw Ron standing at the door, and her eyes lit up: "Master!"

She cheered and ran toward Ron, her legs, which had temporarily evolved from a fish tail, were a little unsteady, but her movements were very agile.

Ron crouched down and picked up the little sea monster:

"It seems my little Dai'er has made new progress again, hasn't she?"

"Mmm!" Dale nodded excitedly, her long silver hair swaying gently with the movement.

"Sister Lily taught me to control the shape of my legs with magic, and now I can run faster! And Mom Ailan played lots of fun games with me!"

Ron looked at Lilia and Ailan.

He noticed that during the few days Lilia had been in the workshop, she had not only made great progress in potion-making, but had also subtly changed the atmosphere of the workshop with her unique thoughtfulness.

Unbeknownst to her, she became the link connecting everyone in the workshop:
She helped Ailan organize medicinal herbs and care for plants, accompanied Dale in her studies and games, and even quietly prepared everything needed while Ron was busy with his research.

The girl who initially came to seek refuge with Keynes has now become an indispensable member of the workshop.

"Lilia, thank you for your hard work."

Ron, holding the little siren who kept snuggling up to him, smiled faintly:

"It seems that Dale is having a good time under your care."

Lilia gently shook her head:
“It’s nothing. In fact, taking care of Dale makes me very happy. She learns things very quickly and is naturally lively, always bringing a lot of laughter to the workshop.”

The vines of the orchid swayed gently, and a line of words appeared on the leaves:

“Master, don’t worry. Lily and I are taking care of Dale together, and she is growing up very healthily.”

As she spent more time with Lilia, Ailan was no longer as wary and uneasy as she had been at the beginning.

Deer squirmed in Ron's arms, excitedly saying, "Master, look at my new skill!"

She stretched out her little hand, palm up.

A tiny water ball gradually formed in her hand, then began to spin, eventually transforming into a delicate water splash shape.

Ron felt a surge of relief.

Dale's growth rate was indeed astonishing. Not only did her size increase rapidly, but her abilities also developed far beyond those of ordinary sirens.

Looking at this little life that could only swim in a crystal tank a little over a month ago.

They are now able to move freely on land and have even gained a basic understanding of elemental control.

Ron felt a great sense of accomplishment.

"Master, may I learn more spells from you?"

Dale opened her eyes wide and asked expectantly, "Sister Lily said you are the most powerful wizard!"

Ron patted her head: "Of course, when you're a little older, I'll teach you more about elemental manipulation."

He gently placed Dale back on the ground and watched her run happily towards Ailan to continue their previous game.

Lilia walked to Ron's side and whispered:

“Dale is really smart. She has even started asking questions about the nature of the world. I think she not only has great potential for physical growth, but her mental development is also far beyond that of other sirens her age.”

Ron nodded: "That's precisely her quality as a high-purity siren. With sufficient nutrition and proper guidance, a siren's mental development can keep up with her physical development, and even surpass that of human children in some areas."

He looked at Lilia: "Thank you for taking care of and teaching her. I didn't expect you to be so talented not only in potions but also in raising children."

A slight blush rose to Lilia's cheeks:

“It’s nothing… I took care of several younger siblings when I was little, so I have some experience. Besides, Dale is really cute and sensible, and it’s a very pleasant thing to teach her.”

They fell into a brief silence, watching together as Dale and Ellen played happily in the courtyard.

"Oh, right, teacher." Lilia suddenly remembered something:
"A letter arrived this morning, which seems to be a notice about the quarterly assessment meeting for candidate wizards. I have already placed it on your desk."

Ron nodded: "Thanks for reminding me, I'll go check it out in a bit."

(End of this chapter)