Wizard: My career panel has no upper limit

Chapter 190 Slaying the Serpent Demon

As the creature approached, the eerie blue phosphorescence in the cave illuminated its form—

It was a humanoid creature about two and a half meters tall.

Its upper body barely retained the outline of a human, but its skin was an unnatural pale white, covered with fine scales.

Most impressively, it has six arms, each located in a different part of its upper body.

Each one was muscular and covered in scales, holding a different weapon in its hand.

Its face has been completely mutated, resembling that of a snake rather than a human.

A pair of vertical pupils gleamed with a cold light in the darkness, and a forked tongue occasionally darted out of its mouth, sniffing the air.

“The half-blooded serpent demon…” Ron murmured the name, pointing his longsword forward.

The serpent demon slowly approached, its six arms moving simultaneously, displaying a dazzling array of weapons:
The top pair of arms each hold a scimitar and a shield;
The middle pair of arms held a spear and a chain grappling hook;
The bottom pair of arms hold a giant axe and a long sword.

"Humans...flesh and blood...delicious..." the serpent demon hissed, its voice filled with bloodlust.

The sheer malice emanating from it reminded Ron of the descriptions in the "Abyssal Creatures Compendium":
Abyssal creatures, even those that are non-native alien mutants, often possess an instinctive tendency toward evil, and they have an almost pathological craving for the suffering of other life forms.

"Come on, crawler."

Ron's eyes gleamed with fighting spirit.

The serpent demon let out a piercing screech, and its six arms moved simultaneously, launching an attack on Ron with astonishing coordination.

A scimitar cleaved down from above, a chain grappling hook swung from the side, a spear thrust straight at the chest, a giant axe swept across the legs, a longsword aimed at the weak point in the abdomen, while the shield maintained a defensive stance.

This coordinated attack method involving six arms creates an almost impenetrable offensive and defensive system, leaving no escape for the attacker.

But Ron's reaction speed is far beyond that of ordinary people.

In his boiling blood state, he keenly spotted the only opening in this attack—the tiny angle between the scimitar and the spear.

He suddenly dodged to the side, and at the same time, the tip of his sword precisely pierced the gap, narrowly avoiding multiple attacks, while simultaneously counterattacking and hitting the snake demon's upper arm.

"Hiss—!" The snake demon hissed in pain, but its wounds healed extremely quickly, returning to normal almost instantly.

"The self-healing ability of abyssal creatures..." Ron narrowed his eyes, his vigilance growing even stronger.

Not only is the terrifying attack method of six arms working together, but the near-instantaneous recovery ability is also what makes the creatures of the abyss so terrifying.

The Serpent Demon was clearly surprised by Ron's reaction speed, but quickly adjusted its attack rhythm.

It no longer uses all its weapons simultaneously, but instead adopts a more rhythmic attack pattern.

Two or three weapons work together in a coordinated manner, alternating attacks to create a more unpredictable attack pattern.

Ron was forced into a state of high concentration, making every movement precise to the limit, without expending any extra energy.

Even so, he was still slightly grazed by some of the snake demon's attacks, leaving a few shallow marks on his arms and legs.

“We must change tactics…” Ron thought quickly as he dodged the snake demon’s attacks.

Even with his mastery of swordsmanship, relying solely on hand-to-hand combat, he would still be at a disadvantage against this unique fighting style involving six arms working together.

It's time to test out more powerful methods.

After dodging, Ron quickly created distance.

"Sonic oscillation erosion state!"

An invisible energy ripple spread from his palm, carrying eerie whispers from the depths of the starry sky, striking the serpent demon directly.

The serpent demon seemed to sense the danger, and its six arms swung simultaneously, attempting to block the energy with its weapons.

However, the invisible sound waves easily penetrated the physical barrier and directly impacted the snake demon's body.

"hiss--!"

The serpent demon let out an unprecedentedly sharp hiss, and a rare fear appeared in its six eyes.

Its body began to show subtle changes. Black spots appeared on the surface of its originally smooth scales, as if it were being eroded by some kind of invisible corrosion.

Those wounds that would normally heal quickly remained open, with black liquid slowly oozing out.

"This..." The snake demon stared at its wound in horror, seemingly unable to comprehend what had happened:
"Impossible! Humans shouldn't possess such power!"

Ron calmly observed the scene, gaining a deeper understanding of the effects of "Erosion Symphony".

This eerie power originating from the stars is equally effective against creatures of the abyss, and may even produce additional effects due to some mysterious "natural enemy" relationship.

The serpent demon did not back down because of this attack; instead, it became even more ferocious.

It let out a roar, its six arms flailing simultaneously as it lunged forward, attempting to make up for its earlier losses with overwhelming close-combat superiority.

"Flowing wall protection!"

Ron clasped his hands together, and a flowing barrier composed of fine metallic powder instantly formed around him.

The serpent demon's six weapons slammed into the protective barrier almost simultaneously, producing a piercing metallic clang. Ripples spread across the barrier's surface, but thanks to the "Memory" property, these attacks failed to penetrate its defenses.

The flowing barrier not only blocked the attack, but also automatically strengthened the corresponding area using the attack pattern it had just memorized, rendering the snake demon's subsequent combos equally ineffective.

The serpent demon retreated repeatedly, its six eyes filled with disbelief:
"What kind of monster are you?"

Ron smirked coldly: "A nightmare that's about to hit you."

As he finished speaking, he deliberately separated the flowing protective barrier, leaned forward, and shot forward like an arrow.

In his boiling blood state, his speed has completely exceeded the limits that can be captured by the naked eye.

With the added insight and speed boost from the "Sharp Edge" trait, every step he took landed in the most difficult positions for the Serpent Demon to defend against.

The serpent demon tried to form a defensive circle with its six arms, but Ron's attacks always came from the most unexpected angles.

One sword pierced the thin scales under the armpit, another slashed across the neck, and yet another aimed straight for the eye—each strike was incredibly precise, leaving no stone unturned.

—The Ring of Radiance

Ron conjured a golden-red spell pattern in his hand, which instantly erupted with blinding light and scorching flames centered on him, bringing both intense burning and blinding effects.

The serpent demon let out a scream, its six arms flailing wildly in an attempt to withstand the sudden pain.

Taking advantage of this brief opening, Ron launched another attack.

The longsword drew an arc in the air, aiming straight for the weak spot in the center of the serpent demon's chest.

The serpent demon barely regained its senses, crossing its six arms simultaneously in an attempt to form a defensive line.

But at the last moment, Ron's sword tip suddenly changed direction, bypassing the crisscrossing weapons, and pierced the serpent demon's chest from an almost impossible angle.

"Hiss—" The snake demon let out a short hiss, and the light in its six eyes gradually dimmed.

Its six arms hung limply, and various weapons fell to the ground, making a crisp metallic clanging sound.

Ron slowly drew his longsword, looking at the snake demon's fallen body.

In the eyes of the serpent demon, he saw not only bloodlust and cruelty, but also an evil that came from the depths of the abyss and was rooted in the soul.

It's not a simple distinction between good and evil, but a fundamental difference in their modes of existence.

The very existence of abyssal creatures is a distortion and erosion of the normal order.

"Simulation battle over, 'Abyss' difficulty successfully cleared!"

A mechanical voice announced from the air: "Evaluation: Excellent."

As the sound faded, the surrounding environment gradually faded, returning to the simple circular room.

Ron stood still, adjusting his breathing and mental state.

His battle with the snake demon gave him a clearer understanding of his own strength.

By combining various spells and amplification skills, he already possesses the ability to fight opponents approaching the level of a formal wizard without activating his trump cards.

But at the same time, he also deeply felt the terror of the creatures of the abyss:
That almost instinctive evil and powerful self-healing ability are enough to make anyone who underestimates them pay a heavy price.

When the iron gate opened again, Gleeson stood in the doorway, looking surprised. "Apprentice Ron, are you alright?"

“I’m fine, Professor Gleason,” Ron replied calmly, showing no sign of fatigue.

"This is incredible!" Gleeson exclaimed excitedly as he led Ron out of the room.

“Normally, an apprentice who chooses a half-serpent demon as an opponent needs to try countless times to win, but you succeeded on your first try!”

Ron smiled slightly and said nothing more.

"And I've noticed that your fighting style is very unique."

Gleeson continued, his eyes filled with admiration: "Such a perfect combination of magic and combat skills is rare among schools of thought."

"Oh, right!" He suddenly remembered something:
"As per our previous agreement, you will only need to pay 5 magic stone fragments each time from now on. In addition, if you would like, you can help us with some basic maintenance work, which will further reduce the usage fee."

Ron readily accepted:

“It is my honor, Mentor Gleason. Being able to learn and understand the operating principles of the simulated combat device will also greatly benefit my alchemical research.”

Moreover, he came here specifically not just to test his strength using the simulation combat device.

"In addition, this is a special prize promised by the school, which can only be obtained by passing the 'Abyss' difficulty for the first time and obtaining an 'Excellent' rating - the tissue cells of the multi-armed serpent demon."

As he spoke, Gleason rummaged through the box and handed it to him.

“Thank you, that’s exactly why I came here.” Ron smiled and thanked him, then carefully put away the sealed box.

Before the Bloodline Altar begins, his "substitute puppet" may be able to gain some more combat power.

(End of this chapter)