Wizard: My career panel has no upper limit

Chapter 147 "Awakening"

"We found some strange experimental records and alchemical equipment at her residence, and our initial assessment is that she may have tried some kind of dangerous experiment, or... has defected."

This news surprised everyone present.

Defection is extremely rare in the Black Mist School, as all apprentices sign a contract upon joining.

Defection means facing the pain of contractual backlash, or even death.

Oliver's reaction to this news is particularly noteworthy:

His expression remained unchanged, but Ron keenly noticed that his fingers suddenly stopped typing, clearly indicating that the message had some effect on him.

"Continue the investigation and report any new findings immediately."

The vice dean gave instructions and then turned to the second topic: "Next, we will discuss the preparations for the opening of the Bloodline Altar in six months."

Upon hearing the words "bloodline altar," Ron immediately became fully focused.

He noticed that not only himself, but almost all the sequence members showed great interest, and even the usually calm Trish had a hint of anticipation in his eyes.

"According to the allocation by the Crystal Spire, our school will have five spots to enter the Bloodline Altar. These five spots will be selected from the top ten candidates in the wizarding queue, and the specific candidates will be finalized at the next quarterly assessment meeting."

The vice dean's gaze swept over everyone present:

"So the next three months are crucial for you to compete for these spots. I hope to see more young people like Holt, Trish, and Ron who have shown great potential stand out."

Hearing his name listed alongside Holt and Trish, Ron felt a slight sense of satisfaction.

This means that his progress has been recognized by the highest levels of the school of thought.

This leads to a clear goal: he must be in the top ten or even the top five before the next quarterly evaluation in order to secure his qualification for the Bloodline Altar.

The meeting then discussed some specific administrative matters and concluded with applause.

As everyone began to leave, Ron followed them to the stone steps outside the hall.

A hand gently reached out, and he felt a familiar presence, but did not pull away.

A tap landed on my shoulder. I turned around and there she was, Tracy, her eyes sparkling with joy and a desire to share.

“Congratulations, Ron,” Trish said calmly, but the joy in her eyes was undisguised.
"It has jumped to fourteenth place in less than half a year, which is a rare achievement in the history of the sequence."

"You're very impressive too. I remember you've only been in the Sequence for less than a year, right?" Ron smiled, engaging in mutual flattery.

"From the twentieth to the tenth, that leap is not much slower than mine."

Trish nodded, a flicker of excitement in her eyes, but she quickly regained her calm and composed expression.

“Instructor Corinna has recently intensified my training, especially in terms of bloodline activation.”

She cautiously looked around to make sure no one was watching before she lifted her hair and quietly showed Ron her ear.

The ears there already showed obvious characteristics of forest elves, with a pointed, cone-shaped form, which was even more pronounced than when we last met.

"It seems the spot at the Bloodline Altar is already in her grasp." Ron was genuinely happy for her.

"Your chances of getting a spot are very high."

Trish pursed her lips, lowered her voice, and added a rare touch of intimacy:

"With your current upward momentum, entering the top ten next quarter shouldn't be a problem. Then we can enter the Bloodline Altar together."

Just as the two were talking, Holt walked over with a polite smile on his face:
"Congratulations to both of you, especially Ron, your progress is impressive."

Ron knew that it was only natural for Holt, as the head of the sequence, to maintain good relationships with all the members:
"Thank you, Holt. You have always been a role model for everyone."

Holt nodded slightly, a hint of genuine appreciation in his eyes:

"I've heard that you've recently made considerable progress in alchemy and elemental manipulation. I look forward to having the opportunity to exchange ideas next time."

“It would be my pleasure,” Ron replied politely, not making any promises lightly.

He casually used his "extraordinary recognition" ability to scan the surroundings and found that there were basically no special talents among them.

Each member of the sequence may have their own area of ​​expertise, but none of them have reached the level of "special talent".

Holt's ability to consistently hold the top spot is not only due to his high aptitude as a fourth-rank star, but also because he is a well-rounded player with expertise in many areas and virtually no obvious weaknesses.

Furthermore, his long tenure within the school of thought made his position virtually unshakeable.

As for risking his life to spy on a legitimate wizard, he dared not gamble.

Currently, I am only at the proficient level of "Transcendent Identification," and I don't know if my extremely sensitive mental field will detect it when I use it against them.

His intuition told him not to try it lightly...

Next, several members at the top of the sequence came over to greet Ron.

Clearly, his outstanding performance has attracted the attention of the entire sequence, and everyone wants to make contact with this promising new star.

As Ron was about to leave, he noticed Oliver standing in a corner of the hall, looking at him with a complicated expression.

Oliver noticed Ron's gaze, forced a smile, nodded in acknowledgment, and quickly left the hall. Ron returned a polite smile, but inwardly he became wary.

As he stepped out of the hall, he took a deep breath and began to plan his next move.

His goal was to break through to the advanced apprentice level and complete the "Bloodline Modifier" branch advancement at the next quarterly meeting, and obtain the "Modifier" qualification recognized by the school.

As a branch of potion-making, "Bloodline Modification" doesn't attract much attention even if one is certified as a "Modifier," which can be explained by the fact that one already has a foundation and can learn quickly.

But to also certify someone as an "alchemist" would be a bit too outrageous.

He had already checked, and there was no special talent like "dual mastery of medicine and artifacts" on the list of special talents.

"Three months is enough," Ron thought to himself.

"My first goal is still the 'Bloody Gladiator Tournament' a month from now, to win the championship and increase my reputation;

Then, before the next quarterly evaluation meeting, one must be promoted to Senior Apprentice, obtain the Modifier certification, and improve their ranking to at least the top five to secure a spot at the Bloodline Altar.

This is a challenging task, but not an impossible one.

Especially after he learns about the power of "Blessing", his growth rate is expected to increase further.

Ron walked briskly along the path back to the workshop; in the extraordinary world, stagnation meant death.

………………

As night fell, Oliver stood alone by the window, his gaze piercing through the thick fog, looking towards the distant, faintly visible School Tower.

His face appeared particularly somber in the candlelight, and he clutched a slip of paper tightly in his hand, detailing the results of today's quarterly review meeting.

"Sixth place... I was once ranked second!"

He crumpled the note into a ball and threw it into the fireplace, where the flames instantly engulfed it.

"I used to be someone people envied..."

He chuckled self-deprecatingly. "It seems like things started to go wrong ever since we got involved with those dark wizards."

Oliver turned to a corpse in the corner of the room—the shell of a young alien, whose brain had been removed, leaving only an empty skull.

This is his latest research material, derived from secret transactions on the black market.

"The accumulation of spiritual pollution is becoming increasingly serious."

He stared at the black lines spreading across his right hand, a consequence of prolonged contact with the Black Crystal of the Sin Domain:
"If we cannot find a more effective purification method or a more powerful energy source soon..."

He didn't finish speaking, but the ending was obvious: he would be unable to stop himself from being completely consumed by mental pollution, ultimately becoming a mindless walking corpse.

Oliver walked up to a mirror and carefully examined his face.

On the surface, he still maintains that flawless appearance.

But only he knew that he needed to use his mental strength to make subtle adjustments every time he looked in the mirror in order to cover up the signs of distortion that were quietly appearing.

He turned and walked to a desk on the other side of the room, where a manuscript was spread out, detailing the steps of "brain extraction".

"Is this secret technique truly a sign of the mentor's good intentions?"

Oliver sneered as he flipped through the manuscript: "Now that I think about it, it was clearly a trap he deliberately set to mislead me."

Recalling how his mentor "accidentally" led him to discover the manuscript and how he inadvertently revealed the existence of this secret technique, Oliver's eyes grew increasingly cold.

“It was all meticulously planned. He knew I had the special talent of ‘living assimilation’ and deliberately lured me down this path.”

Oliver gently stroked the intricate runes and diagrams on the manuscript, and bitterly discovered the many ingeniously designed limitations within:
This secret technique appears powerful, capable of extracting knowledge and abilities from another's brain, but in reality, it imposes extremely stringent conditions on the target:
It can only be effective on targets whose mental strength is far lower than that of the caster, and it can only extract superficial, non-core fragments of ability.

Even with his exceptional talent, he couldn't acquire those true core abilities in this way.

"These restrictions, these ingenious loopholes, are simply designed to prevent me from ever surpassing true geniuses, while people like Trish and Ron are well protected."

Oliver clenched his fist, his nails digging deep into his palm:
"I've absorbed so much material, but I may never reach Holt's level."

He looked at the alien corpse in the corner, its brain ripped out, his eyes filled with despair:
"I'm just constantly consuming myself in exchange for some insignificant fragments of ability."

And that mental pollution is precisely the side effect of this forbidden secret technique, gradually eroding his sanity and future.

"Perhaps, Cynthia's decision to escape was the wisest one."

He, on the other hand, may have been living under the covert surveillance and deliberate guidance of his mentor, who was just waiting for the right moment to harvest him...

The person who developed this "brain extraction technique" may possess the unique ability to completely absorb the beneficial components of a target without suffering any backlash.

Cynthia chose to escape.

He said softly, thinking of his former ally, "But I cannot leave; the contract is too binding, unless..."

"I, too, am undergoing a complete awakening, just like Cynthia. Ah, awakening, what a beautiful word..."

(End of this chapter)