Wizard: My career panel has no upper limit

Chapter 161 The Golden Oak Queen

Dale stood in the courtyard, gazing at the tall, ancient tree, her long silver hair fluttering gently in the wind.

The tree has thick branches and deep roots, making it look as if it has been growing on this land for hundreds of years.

But Dale knew that this was her "Mother Ailan".

"Sister Lily, when will Mother Ailan wake up?"

The little siren tilted her head back, her large, purplish-blue eyes filled with longing and anticipation.

She reached out her small hand and gently stroked the rough bark of the ancient tree, just as Ailan used to stroke the top of her head with vines.

Lilia crouched down and put her arm around the little siren's shoulder, her heart filled with a moment of panic.

Although she had been living in the workshop for some time, she actually knew very little about the tree spirit's transformation process.

Ron simply told her to take good care of Dale, and that he would handle the rest. As her student, she wouldn't ask questions that involved his core secrets.

"this one"

Lilia carefully considered the words, her mind racing to find a suitable interpretation.

She didn't want to disappoint the little siren, but she also didn't want to make an inaccurate promise:

"Sister Ailan needs enough time to complete her transformation, just like a butterfly needs to rest in its cocoon. But I believe she will be back to be with you soon."

Just then, the laboratory door was pushed open, and Ron walked out.

His eyes were bloodshot, and his lab coat was covered in stains from various materials.

"Owner!"

Dale immediately turned to Ron, her eyes filled with even stronger anticipation:

"When will Ailan's mother wake up? She's been like this for so many days, I miss her so much."

Upon hearing the question, Ron came to the ancient tree, his brows furrowing slightly.

He extended his right hand, placed his palm on the rough surface of the tree trunk, and activated his "superhuman recognition" ability.

Mental energy, like invisible tentacles, probes into the trunk, sensing the life state and energy flow within.

The energy flow inside the ancient tree exhibits an orderly spiral shape, indicating that the transformation process is stable and healthy.

Although the tree spirit's core consciousness was dormant, its vitality was stronger than ever before.

He could clearly sense the ancient power within Ailan that was gradually being awakened, reshaping her entire being bit by bit.

"Don't worry, Dale."

Ron withdrew his hand, a rare gentle smile appearing on his face:
“Ailan is undergoing a significant transformation. From my observation, her condition is very stable, and she will be able to return to us in a completely new state in two weeks at most.”

"really?"

Dale's eyes lit up, and she hugged Ron's leg tightly:
"I really miss the juice and flower petal candy that Ailan's mom makes! Although Lily's is also delicious, it doesn't taste the same."

This remark caused a fleeting moment of embarrassment to cross Lilia's face, but she quickly smiled, knowing that children often speak without thinking.

Moreover, she knew that her talent in gardening and plants was far inferior to Ai Lan's, especially in those self-produced and self-sold flower and herbal desserts.

Ron gently stroked the little siren's silver hair, but his gaze lingered on the ancient tree, his thoughts drifting back to half a month ago...

………………

It was another tiring night, and he was conducting an experiment on an energy isolation layer.

He took a short nap on the lab table, intending to rest for a while before continuing the next round of testing.

There was a gentle knock on the laboratory door. When the door opened, Ron saw Alan standing outside.

The tree spirit's vines swayed slightly with a hesitant rhythm, a hint of unease emanating from their branches and leaves.

"Ailan? Is there something you need so late?"

He was somewhat surprised, as the tree spirit had always respected his work rhythm and rarely disturbed him during his experiments.

The leaves of the orchid danced gently in the air, writing a line of words:

"Master, I have something important to ask of you."

Noticing the tree spirit's unusual emotional fluctuations, Ron stepped aside to let her into the laboratory.

Under the cold light of the magic crystal lamp, Ailan, who was usually as gentle and calm as a stagnant pool, exuded an almost anxious aura tonight.

The vines trembled slightly, and the edges of the leaves even turned yellow—this was a physiological manifestation of the tree spirit's extreme emotional fluctuations.

"What happened?"

Ron closed the door, a hint of concern flashing in his eyes, and he already had some guesses in his mind.

One of the thick vines of the orchid trembled slightly, as if hesitating, but soon, a line of resolute words appeared on its leaf:

“I would like to request that my master perform bloodline modulation on me, just as he did on Dale.”

Ron wasn't particularly surprised; he had already noticed Ailan's recent subtle changes.

Since Lilia came to the workshop, many tasks that were originally handled by Ailan have gradually been transferred to this human girl.

Although Ailan never showed any dissatisfaction, anyone who was observant enough could have noticed her increasingly frequent time alone and the complex look in her eyes when she occasionally glanced at Lilia.

Even Lilia herself noticed this behavior.

Generally speaking, tree spirits are a race known for their calmness and detachment, rarely experiencing intense emotional fluctuations.

This is why many treant elders and sages have emerged among them; this mindset makes them natural-born recorders.

But looking at this tree spirit who was once taciturn, uncompetitive, and even somewhat Buddhist,...

Now, however, he is tormented by his own negative emotions, which gives rise to a strong desire for self-change.

He was somewhat surprised by the intensity of the emotions hidden within Ailan; at this moment, she was truly behaving no differently from a human being.

The leaves of the orchid continue to write:

“I know my limitations. As an ordinary tree spirit, the help I can offer is far too limited. Miss Lilia can take care of Dale, keep accounts, manage chores, and she has even learned to make flower petal candy.”

The tree spirit seemed to have put in a lot of effort to write these words.

Her leaf paused for a moment, as if searching for a more precise way to express it:
"I see that Little Dale is becoming stronger and stronger because of the bloodline modulation, and I hope that I can too."

The leaf paused again, ultimately writing only a few simple and direct words:
"...become more useful."

Ron was able to glean more meaning from those words:
The longing for belonging, the pursuit of a sense of value, and even unspeakable jealousy and fear.

The tree spirit was afraid of being replaced and of losing the "home" it had finally found.

"I understand……"

Ron sighed. Ailan had indeed always been the most silent and hardworking member of the workshop, silently undertaking countless trivial tasks without ever asking for anything in return.

His tone then turned serious:

“You know that bloodline modulation is a dangerous process, especially for a creature like you. The life structure of a tree spirit is complex and delicate, and unlike Dale who is still a juvenile, you are already mature, so modulation will only be more dangerous.”

He paused, then looked directly at Ailan:

"Moreover, complete modulation means that you will be branded with my exclusive mark, just like Dale. This means that your life will be completely under my control whenever I want."

This is not just a warning, but a test.

Ron needs to confirm whether Ailan fully understands the depth and irreversibility of this connection.

This is also a characteristic inherent in the wizarding art of bloodline modulation.

Having learned this, he never again considered buying pre-mixed "works" from other artisans. The vines of the orchid danced resolutely, the words on its leaves more profound and powerful than usual, as if created with all their might:

“I fully understand and accept that, Master. In fact, I crave this connection.”

Ron remained silent for a moment, then began to calmly weigh the pros and cons in his mind.

From an objective standpoint, the tree spirit's bloodline does indeed possess astonishing growth potential.

Ailan had previously exhibited unusual bloodline activation and various human-like evolutions of herself.

Now, after confirming it through his "Supernatural Identification" and "Tracing" abilities, he confirmed that the tree spirit possessed the ancient bloodline of the "Forest Nymph," a star-ring level.

Once fully activated, it possesses the powerful ability to manipulate plants and communicate with the forest.

If this bloodline can be successfully activated, Ailan will experience a qualitative leap, which will not only greatly enhance the workshop's defensive capabilities but also contribute to his long-term plans.

More importantly, among all the creatures that depended on him, Ailan had the highest initial loyalty.

Unlike Dale's naivety and Lilia's initial utilitarian considerations, Ailan's actions stemmed entirely from pure gratitude and recognition.

This pure emotion, ironically, became the strongest bond at that moment.

"Okay, I'll help you."

Ron finally made a decision:

“I will design a gradual modulation scheme to ensure the safety of the entire process. However, you must strictly follow my instructions, as any slight deviation could have serious consequences.”

The vines of the orchid danced merrily, like a child who had received a beloved toy, and a line of words filled with gratitude appeared on the leaves:
"Thank you, Master. I will strictly follow every instruction."

Ron activated his dual abilities of "Supernatural Recognition" and "Tracing" to further investigate Ailan's bloodline status:
The tree spirit "Ai Lan"

Bloodline Origin:
Forest Nymph (Star Ring)
→Golden Oak Queen (Crosshai Ring)
→ Ancient Tree Fairy (Golden Ring)
→Common Tree Spirit (Silver Ring)】

The Golden Oak Queen is a special plant personally enlightened by the Earth Mother Goddess, and then evolved step by step into a pure natural being. They often possess the ability to rule the forest and communicate with all trees.

The ancient tree spirit is a product of diluted bloodline, yet it still retains the powerful ability to control plants.

There may be other paths to choose from, but until "Tracing" becomes an advanced trait, we can only see the evolutionary path most similar to that of living organisms.

Over the next few days, Ron devoted himself entirely to modifying Ailan's bloodline.

Tree spirits have a life essence that is completely different from other creatures, and conventional methods of bloodline modulation are not applicable.

Ron ultimately settled on a three-phase plan:

The first stage is bloodline awakening, which uses a special catalyst to activate the dormant bloodline in Ailan's body;
The second stage is energy reconstruction, which guides the activated bloodline energy to flow along a specific path and reshapes the tree spirit's internal structure.

The third stage is a complete metamorphosis, which allows Ailan to enter a state similar to pupation, completing the final morphological transformation.

To carry out this plan, Ron collected various rare natural attribute materials from the market:
The essence of morning dew flowers can enhance vitality;

The roots of the Sun Tree contain a large amount of yang energy;
Fragments of light crystal help stabilize the flow of blood energy...

Each ingredient has been carefully purified by Ron and mixed in a specific golden ratio of 1:3:7 to form a special bloodline enhancer for tree spirits.

As Ron infused the tree spirit's roots with the precious mixture of materials, her vines twisted in agony, and even the edges of her leaves showed signs of burning...

On the tenth day of the bloodline activation, Ron noticed a subtle change in Ailan's condition.

Her energy fluctuations became unstable; the vines sometimes withered and sometimes swelled, and the runes on the leaves flashed faster and faster, seemingly foreshadowing some major change that was about to happen.

“Master, I feel a call.”

The writing on the leaves of the orchid appeared and disappeared due to energy fluctuations:
"My bloodline is telling me that I need to enter a special dormant state to complete the final transformation."

Ron immediately realized that this was a sign of the third stage—the complete metamorphosis.

In his research, tree spirits need to go through a complete "death and resurrection" process to truly awaken their full potential.

Are you sure you want to move on to the final stage now?

Ron asked cautiously, "Once it starts, it can't be stopped."

The vines of Elan danced resolutely:

"Yes, Master. I can feel that the energy in my body has reached a critical point. If I don't enter the transformation state soon, I will be injured due to energy overload."

After testing the experiment, Ron agreed to the other party's request.

Ailan chose the center of the backyard, where the soil was deep, the sun was plentiful, and the underground water veins were abundant, making it an ideal place for the transformation.

When the last leaf had grown, the tree spirit's consciousness sank into slumber, beginning its final transformation.

She looked like an ordinary old tree, but Ron knew that beneath that thick bark, a brand new life was being conceived.

………………

Recalling this moment, Ron sighed softly, looking at the ancient tree before him with a hint of anticipation in his eyes.

Through "extraordinary perception," he was able to sense the astonishing energy potential contained within the tree.

Ailan's bloodline is evolving towards that of an ancient tree fairy, or even a higher-level Golden Oak Queen.

"Will Ailan's mother be different after she wakes up?"

Dale looked up and asked, her violet-blue eyes flashing with worry:

"What if she doesn't recognize us anymore?"

Ron noticed the little siren's worry and gently shook his head:
“Her appearance may change, but she will still be the loving mother Ellen in her heart. The essence of the soul will not disappear because of the change of form, just like you became stronger after eating so many ‘special foods’, but you are still our little Dale.”

The little siren seemed reassured by the answer, nodded happily, and skipped and hopped into the house.
"I want to draw a picture for Mother Ailan, and give it to her when she wakes up!"

Ron and Lilia exchanged a glance, then turned together toward the workshop.

"Teacher, I've finished compiling today's accounts, but I'm a little unsure about the order for that batch of Star Core Grass."

As Lilia spoke, she took out a thick ledger, her expression somewhat uncertain.

Since Ailan entered the transformation phase, the daily operation of the workshop has fallen on her shoulders.

Despite her amazing learning ability, she still seemed somewhat overwhelmed when faced with tasks that required experience to handle.

Ron glanced at the ledger and pointed out several places that needed to be corrected:

“The pricing of Star Core Grass needs to take into account the lunar phase at harvest. Grass harvested during a new moon is worth 30% more than grass harvested during a full moon. This batch was harvested during a waning gibbous phase, so the price should be 15% lower than the baseline, not 20%.”

Lilia carefully noted down these key points, but her face betrayed her exhaustion.

Despite her best efforts, handling the workshop's procurement, sales, inventory, and daily maintenance simultaneously was far too burdensome for someone just starting out.

"Sister Ailan always manages to arrange everything in an orderly manner."

Lilia sighed and said softly:

"I just realized how much work she's done quietly, never boasting, keeping the entire workshop running like a precise clock. I've tried my best, but I still feel a little..."

Ron nodded, a similar feeling welling up inside him.

It is those seemingly insignificant daily tasks that form the basis of the workshop's operation.

Ailan kept everything in order, and the value of this quiet dedication is often only truly recognized when it is lost.

Just then, a sharp cry came from afar.

A large-billed parrot flew into the yard, its feathers shimmering brightly in the sunlight. After circling a few times in the air, it landed on Ron's outstretched arm.

"Lord Ron! Urgent news! Urgent news!"

The parrot squawked in an exaggerated tone; it was now very familiar with the young man.

(End of this chapter)