Wizard: My career panel has no upper limit

Chapter 165 Soul Absorption
"99.1%" Ron sensed a slight increase in the energy level of the Shapeshifter's Skin, but it was still a little short of being fully charged.

Holt's command clearly worked.

The remaining contestants, though unwilling to fully trust each other, at least formed a temporary tacit understanding—to keep their distance, harass from afar, and wear down the lion scorpion's stamina.

Ron seized the opportunity and unleashed his sonic oscillation once more. This time, he targeted the manticore's forelimb joint, successfully rendering one of its forelimbs temporarily immobile.

"Attention everyone!" He began looking for an opportunity to organize the others:

"Its explosive growth period is over, and now it's searching for an energy source. If we can continue to deplete its energy, it will eventually become weak!"

Upon hearing this, the surviving contestants rallied as if they had grasped a lifeline.

Although they still don't fully trust Ron, the current situation leaves them with no choice but to try this plan.

Trish did her best to support the poisoned Leopard Moon, occasionally using Plant Entanglement to restrict the Lion Scorpion's movements.

Her attacks were precise and efficient, hitting the lion scorpion's weak points every time.

"I didn't expect him to have such a deep understanding of combat, what a pity..."

The brown-haired girl felt a little regretful that she hadn't listened to Ron's advice and retreated further.

Ron was unaware of Trish's thoughts and continued to focus on his tactics.

He knew that the most important thing at this moment was to guide the manticore to its weakest state, in preparation for the final recharge of the shapeshifter's skin.

The ensuing battle resembled a meticulously choreographed dance.

Each participant found their place and role, forming a loose but effective attack network.

The lion scorpion became increasingly irritable, but also increasingly weak.

Its attacks, though still fierce, could no longer maintain the high speed and accuracy of before.

More importantly, it began to frequently seek out blood, clearly in dire need of replenishing its energy.

"Hold on a little longer!" Holt shouted. His earth elemental colossus was almost falling apart, but it still stood stubbornly at the front line.

Ron seized the opportunity and unleashed his strongest mental interference wave.

This invisible attack directly targeted the lion scorpion's mental core, causing it to howl in pain.

“Now!” he signaled to Dill.

The little siren instantly understood her master's intention. She swooped down from the sky, crossing her arms.

Water elements coalesced around her, forming dozens of water swords that gleamed with a cold light.

—Water Blade Thousand Strikes!
This is Dale's strongest skill, and also the killing move that Ron specifically designed for her.

Dozens of water swords shot at the lion scorpion simultaneously, each one piercing its vital parts with precision.

The lion scorpion let out a mournful howl, its body swaying as if it might collapse at any moment.

At this point, the lion scorpion was at its last gasp; its movements became extremely slow, and the light in its eyes had almost gone out.

"The final blow!" Holt shouted, controlling the earth elemental colossus, which was now only half its original size, to launch a final charge.

The colossus slammed into the lion scorpion's chest, knocking it to the ground.

Seeing this, the other contestants also launched their strongest attacks.

Various colored energy beams shot towards the lion scorpion from all directions, pinning it firmly to the ground.

The lion scorpion let out a final, weak roar before completely losing its life.

The arena fell into a brief silence the moment the battle ended, followed by a deafening roar of cheers.

"It's time," Ron thought to himself, quietly activating the final absorption of the Shapeshifter's Skin.

The remaining soul energy on the lion scorpion's corpse was rapidly absorbed, and the shapeshifter's skin began to heat up slightly, emitting a soft humming sound.

"99.5% 99.7% 99.9% 100%!"

An unprecedented energy surge emanated from the shapeshifter's skin, and Ron could sense that it was undergoing some kind of fundamental change.

[Powered up!]

[Rare Artifact - Shapeshifter's Skin can be upgraded at any time to: Glorious Legacy - Myriad Transformations]

"Success!" Ron thought to himself with joy, but remained outwardly calm.

This was a crucial step in his plan, but not the final victory.

On the high platform, the mentors are conducting the final scoring and discussion.

"An impressive performance," one mentor remarked casually, a hint of admiration in their eyes.
"Especially that potion master, his calmness and tactical analytical ability are amazing."

"Not only that," Soren, standing beside him, added. After all, he was a promising apprentice, and naturally, he wanted to say something good about him whenever he had the chance.
"Based on my observation, his siren exhibits unique dual-attribute abilities of water and wind, which is clearly the result of careful modification. It seems that his talent in bloodline modification is also quite outstanding."

“That’s not surprising,” Yuni chimed in at just the right moment, as if she and Soren had planned it beforehand.
"He is an outstanding potion master himself, and these extraordinary skills have many things in common. A person who is talented in potion-making can often also apply the same principles to bloodline modulation."

After a moment of silence, Vice Dean Hayek finally spoke:
"This test has achieved its intended purpose. Based on everyone's scores and my observations, the final rankings and reward distribution will be announced next."

His gaze lingered on Ron for a moment, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes.

"It's such a pity that such a rare all-around genius was beaten to it by Soren and Yuni."

Hayek thought to himself:

"However, the equal distribution system of the school has its own reasons. If too many people share the same genius, the benefits will not be enough. After cultivating Corinna last time, I should have given the opportunity to them."

Hayek walked to the edge of the platform and announced in a loud voice:
"The final of the Bloody Gladiator Tournament has come to an end. All participants, please return to your designated positions and await the final judgment and prize distribution." Ron calmly retreated to the edge of the arena, with Dale landing beside him. The hydrofoils had already dissipated.

The little siren looked tired but excited, clearly satisfied with her performance in the battle.

“Well done, Dale,” Ron said softly, his plan having taken a big step forward.

The Shapeshifter's Skin can be upgraded to "Glorious Legacy: Myriad Shapeshifters" at any time.

The next step is to acquire a substitute puppet, along with an activated magic sword forged from soul steel.

The day when his "furnace concept" becomes a reality may not be too far away.

All of this will be the foundation upon which he embarks on his path to supreme power.

………………

Hayek's voice echoed in the arena, and all the surviving contestants waited quietly for the final judgment.

After the life-or-death battle just now, only six contestants remain on the battlefield.

Holt’s earth elemental colossus had almost completely collapsed and could barely maintain its form.
Trish's Tanuki Moon is on the verge of death from the poison and needs immediate treatment;
The other contestants' combat slaves were also badly injured, but Ron's Dale remained in relatively good condition, although maintaining the hydrofoil had also taken a toll on her stamina.

"Based on the assessments of the mentors and my observations," Hayek announced:
"The final rankings of this Bloody Gladiator Tournament are as follows: First place, Ron Ralph!"

This result surprised many people present, yet it was also expected.

Ron's calm judgment and precise tactics throughout the battle, as well as Dale's unique abilities, were truly impressive.

"Second place, Holt! Third place, Trish! Fourth place..."

Hayek continued announcing the rankings, then turned to the distribution of rewards:
"According to tradition, the first place winner will receive a special reward for this gladiatorial tournament—a substitute puppet, eight complete magic stones, and the option to choose one book from the school's valuable collection of books."

The second and third place winners will be able to choose three advanced potions or one advanced alchemical item, and will receive five and three magic stones respectively. All other participants will receive magic stones corresponding to their ranking…”

Ron's heart rate quickened slightly, but he remained outwardly calm.

A stand-in puppet—that was his main purpose in participating in the gladiatorial contest.

"All prizes will be awarded tomorrow. Now, all participants are requested to leave the venue to receive necessary treatment and rest."

With Hayek's announcement, the bloody gladiatorial games officially came to an end.

As the contestants left the arena, healing apprentices from various schools of thought waited at the exit, ready to provide necessary treatment to the injured contestants and combat slaves.

Ron led Dale toward the exit, and he could feel many eyes focused on him, some surprised, some admiring, and of course, some jealous.

“Congratulations, Ron.” Holt walked over and extended his hand to him. “You truly deserved first place.”

"Thank you for your help at this crucial moment, Senior Holt."

Ron and the other's hand touched briefly before separating: "Without your earth elemental colossus holding back the manticore, the situation could have been much more dangerous."

Holt shook his head:

"That was just a stopgap measure. In that situation, everyone knew that only cooperation could increase the chances of survival. Moreover, your observations and judgments were the real key to turning the tide."

He glanced at the nearly collapsed earth elemental colossus beside him and smiled wryly:

"It seems I need to train a new combat partner."

After exchanging a few more words, Holt left with the tattered earth elemental colossus.

Ron was about to leave when he heard Trish's voice from behind: "Ron, wait a minute."

He turned around and saw Tracy supporting the weak Leigh Moon as she walked towards him.

The leopard woman's arm still had an unhealthy purple tinge, but it had stopped spreading, indicating that she had received initial treatment.

"You noticed the characteristics of the lion scorpion a long time ago, didn't you?" Trish asked directly, her eyes full of inquiry.

Ron nodded in agreement: "Abyssal creatures are usually like this on land—their power spikes are short-lived, and they need to replenish their strength by devouring prey or absorbing energy to attack."

"No wonder you've been keeping your distance and only harassing me from afar," Trish said thoughtfully.
"This kind of tactical analysis ability is not a quality that a potion master should have."

Ron smiled faintly: "Everyone has their own secrets, doesn't they?"

Trish glanced at him, as if she wanted to say something, but in the end she just nodded:
"Congratulations on winning first place. That stand-in puppet is indeed a valuable prize. I hope it will be helpful to you."

"Thank you," Ron replied politely. "How are Li Yue's injuries? Does she need a special antidote?"

“It’s under control.” Trish shook her head, declining his offer.

"The school has instructors skilled in healing magic who are in charge of these things, so there's no need to trouble you."

After a brief farewell, Ron led Dale away from the arena.

"Master, we won!" After leaving the arena, Dale finally couldn't contain her excitement and cheered softly.

“Yes, we won the championship.” Ron smiled and patted her head.

"Your performance was outstanding, especially the final water blade, which almost dealt a fatal blow to the manticore."

A blush rose to Dale's face; she was clearly delighted by her master's praise.
"I was just following my master's instructions; the master's tactics are the real key."

"This is our shared victory." He shook his head and chuckled, patted the little siren's silver head, and took its hand as they walked toward the workshop.

The battle is over, but the process of claiming rewards and converting ranking points will have to wait until tomorrow.

After all, everyone needs to rest after a tough battle...

(End of this chapter)