Wizard: My career panel has no upper limit

Chapter 195 The Wind Listener

Ron and Dale cautiously made their way through the distorted battlefield, constantly on guard against any potential threats.

"Master, look over there!" Dale suddenly pointed into the distance, her voice tinged with excitement.

Following the direction she pointed, Ron saw a huge building ruin.

It was a building that might have originally been some kind of temple or fortress, but now it has been distorted beyond recognition by the energy of the abyss.

The walls were bent at impossible angles, and muscle-like tissues grew between the stones, making the whole structure look like a skinned human organ.

The most striking feature is a tower in the center of the ruins, its top shimmering with a ghostly blue light, like a beacon guiding the way.

“That should be it,” Ron judged. “That’s very likely the control point we’re looking for.”

They quickened their pace toward the ruins, but the closer they got, the more uneasy he felt.

A strange energy fluctuation permeated the air, not from the corrosive power of the abyss, but from something much older and purer.

“Master, something is watching us,” Dale suddenly whispered, her keen siren senses picking up on the unusual surroundings.

Ron nodded; he too felt the gaze upon him.

It was as if countless eyes were hidden in every shadow of the ruins, coldly watching the two intruders.

"Stay alert, don't stray too far from me," Ron instructed, his hand already on the hilt of his sword.

However, they made their way to the entrance of the ruins without encountering any attacks.

This eerie silence only made people more uneasy.

The interior of the ruins presents a surreal scene.

The walls and floor were covered with a layer of wriggling fleshy tissue that would occasionally twitch irregularly, making a wet sound.

Countless translucent sac-like objects hung from the ceiling, with human-shaped outlines vaguely visible inside, but they were not entirely human, but rather an indescribable, distorted existence.

The air was filled with a damp, sweet-smelling odor, like that of some large creature.

He carefully avoided the writhing fleshy tissue on the ground, searching for a path to the central tower.

“Master, what are those?” Dale pointed to some strange symbols on the wall.

Those symbols look like some kind of ancient script.

However, the lines are twisted and deformed, giving an unnatural sense of flow, as if they are wriggling on the stone wall like living things.

Ron moved closer to observe, only to find that the symbols subtly changed as he looked at them, becoming more difficult to discern, as if they were consciously avoiding understanding.

"It should be ancient script distorted by the power of the abyss, which may record the history or purpose of this place."

Ron speculated, but he knew that now was not the time to study ancient civilizations; they had to find a point of control as soon as possible.

After navigating a series of twisting corridors and rooms, we finally arrived at the open space in the center of the ruins.

This place appears to have once been some kind of hall or sacrificial site, but it has now been reduced to ruins.

However, the central altar remains intact, surrounded by several partially collapsed stone pillars.

Above the altar was the glowing tower, and it seemed that one had to pass through the altar first to enter the tower.

“We’ve arrived, but,” Ron said, glancing warily around:

"It's too quiet here, something's not right."

Just as he finished speaking, the air around the altar suddenly distorted, rippling like the surface of water.

Several blurry figures emerged from the air and gradually solidified into shape.

They were five humanoid creatures wearing tattered armor, their skin grayish-white with black markings, their eyes empty and lifeless, emitting a ghostly blue light.

Their movements were perfectly synchronized, like puppets controlled by the same consciousness. They slowly drew their weapons from their waists, formed a circle, and trapped Ron and Dale in the center.

“Shadow Nightmare Hunter.” Ron immediately recognized the creature:

"The souls of warriors who died on ancient battlefields were twisted by the power of the abyss and turned into semi-physical beings."

Dale nervously approached Ron, her hands already gathering water elemental energy in preparation for battle.

“Master, they seem to be waiting for something.”

Indeed, the five Shadow Nightmare Hunters did not attack immediately, but remained on guard, as if waiting for some kind of signal.

Ron tentatively took a step forward, and the five Shadow Nightmare Hunters reacted immediately, pointing their weapons at him simultaneously, but still did not launch an attack.

"They are guarding the altar," he quickly understood the situation:
"We must deal with them first before we can get close to the control point."

He quickly assessed the situation.

The Shadow Hunter is characterized by its high speed and coordinated attacks, but it has a low degree of physicality and is somewhat resistant to physical attacks.

Conventional weapons have limited effectiveness against them, but magical attacks can effectively counter them.

“Dale, we need to cooperate,” Ron said in a low voice.
"You prepare the water prison spell, and I'll distract them."

The little siren nodded, quietly took a few steps back, and began to make complex hand gestures, with water elements slowly gathering around her.

Ron then channeled his spiritual energy into the longsword, covering its surface with a thin layer of radiant flame—the result of his combination of the "Ring of Radiance" with swordsmanship.

"bring it on!"

He suddenly burst forth, charging at an astonishing speed toward the nearest Shadow Hunter.

The five Shadow Nightmare Hunters sprang into action immediately, their movements as swift as lightning, launching attacks on Ron almost simultaneously.

Ron's swordsmanship has reached the level of mastery, and he is still able to handle the attack of five enemies with ease.

Every strike of his sword was incredibly precise.

Wherever the blazing sword blade slices through, a faint crack appears on the Shadow Nightmare Hunter's body, accompanied by a painful hiss.

"Now, Dale!"

Ron suddenly took a step back, creating space for the little sea monster's spell.

—Water Prison Technique!

Dale clasped her hands together abruptly, and the water elements gathered around her instantly solidified into a giant water sphere, bringing all five Shadow Nightmare Hunters together.

The semi-solid warriors struggled in the water, but their movements became unusually slow, as if they were stuck in a swamp.

"Sonic oscillation erosion state!"

Ron seized the opportunity and unleashed his strongest spell attack once again.

Invisible ripples passed through the water sphere and directly affected the Shadow Nightmare Hunter's body.

The effect was immediate—all five Shadow Nightmare Hunters simultaneously let out a piercing scream.

Their bodies began to twist violently, as if being torn apart by some invisible force.

The black lines spread rapidly, covering their entire bodies.

Then, these patterns began to collapse, turning into countless black particles that drifted in the water.

"We succeeded!" Dale exclaimed with delight as she watched the enemies inside the water sphere gradually disintegrate.

However, at that moment, the black particles suddenly began to gather, forming a swirling black cloud.

The vortex spun faster and faster, eventually coalescing into a completely new shape.

A gigantic, semi-transparent humanoid figure, entirely black except for its eyes and chest, which emitted a faint blue light.

"Merge?!" Ron looked at this scene in surprise: "The Shadow Nightmare Hunters can actually merge into an even more powerful being."

With a wave of its hand, the newborn monster easily shattered Dale's Water Prison spell, turning it into water droplets that splashed everywhere.

"Master, be careful!"

As soon as Dale called out, the black giant had already teleported in front of Ron.

The punch was thrown so fast that the movement was almost invisible.

Ron didn't panic and raise his sword to parry. Instead, a flowing protective barrier around his body activated, providing him with a special defensive form against blunt force attacks.

The massive fist, accompanied by a heavy whistling sound, slammed down, only causing the fluid protection to cave in.

Ron staggered backward through the protective barrier, his face looking rather pale.

He reached for his waist, and a dark shadow rapidly expanded and grew larger, rushing straight towards the giant's face...

………………

Meanwhile, in another area of ​​the Bloodline Altar, a group of young people dressed in special robes were gathering together.

Their robes were quite different from those of the Black Mist School apprentices—while still gray in color, the collars and cuffs were adorned with shimmering silver patterns.

Embroidered on their backs is a crystal tower, clearly indicating their identity as elite apprentices of the Crystal Spire.

"Is everyone here?"

A young man standing in the center of the crowd asked, his voice carrying an unquestionable authority.

His most distinctive feature was his unusually large ears, almost twice the size of a normal person's, and with a sharper shape, which looked like two small fans from a distance.

This is Elliot Oswald, the leader of the Crystal Spire Apprentices, a genius apprentice known by his companions as "The Wind Listener."

“It’s all here, Elliott.”

A female apprentice with light gray hair answered; her eyes were an unnatural purple, and her hands were entwined with fine silver runes.
"Jacqueline just arrived in this area via the link as well."

Elliot nodded. This female apprentice also possessed special talent and was the team's deputy leader.

Just then, his large ears suddenly twitched slightly, as if trying to catch some faint sound.

Everyone held their breath, knowing that Elliott was using his special talent—"Listening to the Wind".

This is an extremely rare and special talent, and it can be considered powerful even in the second tier.

Those with this gift can perceive energy fluctuations in their surroundings through their ears and convert them into information.

Simply put, his ears can "hear" information that ordinary people cannot perceive.

This includes energy flow, spatial fluctuations, and even certain conceptual existences.

A moment later, Elliott opened his eyes, a serious expression on his face.

“The situation is more complicated than we anticipated.” He looked around, his voice low.
“I have already ‘heard’ some information about this altar trial.”

The apprentices of the Crystal Spire immediately gathered around, and everyone's expression turned serious.

"First of all, this space is indeed deeply tainted by the abyss, but it seems that the strength of the curse is limited by some kind of force, which is why we are able to withstand it."

Elliott explained that the large ears were still twitching slightly, as if they were continuing to receive information.

"Secondly, I 'heard' a very important piece of information—the altar used us trial participants as a blueprint to generate clones with greatly enhanced bloodline characteristics."

"A clone?" a burly male apprentice asked in surprise.

“Yes, Caesar,” Elliott affirmed.
"Each person who participates in the trial has a corresponding copy in the central area of ​​the altar."

Killing one's own clone significantly enhances one's bloodline; while killing another's clone grants some elemental affinity and certain ability enhancements.

The news sparked a flurry of whispers, and a mixture of excitement and wariness flashed in everyone's eyes.

“Then what about these abyssal mutants on the outer perimeter?” Jacqueline asked. “What value do they have?”

Elliott shook his head:
“Almost none. Their tissues can be extracted for experimental purposes, but they are difficult to process and consume a lot of our energy and resources. The real value lies in the replica at the center of the altar.”

He straightened up, his tone becoming more resolute:
"Therefore, our strategy is clear—to pass through these outer areas as quickly as possible, reach the center of the altar, kill their respective clones to obtain bloodline enhancements, and then..."

He paused, a cold glint flashing in his eyes:
"If the opportunity arises, we can also kill the clones of the Black Mist School apprentices. Those clones can also provide us with enhancements, and then..."

"It's up to each individual." Caesar grinned, revealing a malicious expression.

Elliott did not respond directly, but his tacit approval was clear enough.

"Now, we need to move forward. Judging from the energy fluctuations, the nearest portal is in that direction."

He pointed to a hill in the distance covered with purplish-black vines.

Just as the Crystal Spire team was about to set off, the surrounding environment suddenly changed.

The ground began to undulate, rising up like a living thing, forming undulating waves;
The clouds in the sky grew thicker, taking on an unsettling spiral shape;
A pungent sulfurous smell filled the air, as if something was burning.

“They’re here,” Elliott said calmly, his ears already picking up the enemy’s movements.

As soon as he finished speaking, the ground around him burst open, and dozens of abyssal creatures poured out of the cracks.

These creatures vary in form, but all bear obvious characteristics of the abyss.

Some resemble distorted human figures with an excessive number of limbs;
Some resemble a hybrid of an insect and a reptile;

There are also some that have no fixed shape at all, and are just a constantly changing mass of flesh.

"Prepare for battle!" Elliott commanded, drawing a crystal staff from inside his robe.

—Atmospheric cutting of the first ring
As he moved, the staff glowed with a pale green light.

The surrounding air suddenly distorted, forming an invisible wind blade that instantly cleaved the three nearest abyssal creatures in two.

The other Crystal Spire apprentices also sprang into action immediately, displaying combat abilities far exceeding those of ordinary advanced apprentices.

Jacqueline's hands moved, and lightning crackled between her fingers.

A massive electric grid quickly formed, engulfing a swarm of abyssal crawlers that tried to approach, turning them into charred remains.

Caesar, on the other hand, displayed astonishing physical strength.

His arm swelled to twice its size in an instant, covered with a layer of red scales, and could send a huge abyss mutant flying several meters with a single punch.

Another slender male apprentice, Noren, demonstrated precise control over the elements.

Thin, icy blue threads extended from his fingertips, coiling around his enemy like nimble snakes before tightening rapidly, freezing and slicing him to pieces.

The most surprising was a seemingly frail female apprentice—Lina.

Her eyes were closed, but dozens of tiny orbs of light appeared around her.

Each shot was aimed precisely at a different enemy, piercing their bodies and leaving behind holes emitting white smoke.

"Coordinated formation!"

Elliott shouted, and everyone immediately moved to their designated positions, forming a perfect circular defensive formation.

This formation allows each player to maximize their strengths while compensating for each other's weaknesses, resulting in extremely high combat efficiency.

Although the number of abyssal creatures was large, they were quickly wiped out by the well-organized attack of the Crystal Spire elite squad, without causing any casualties.

"Teamwork ability - perfect."

Elliott commented, looking at the battlefield with satisfaction: "It seems the training wasn't in vain."

“Those guys from the Black Mist School definitely don’t have this kind of tacit understanding, nor do they have the mental link that Lina’s talent brings us.”

Kaiser chuckled. "I bet they're fighting their own battles right now and looking pretty pathetic."

"Never underestimate any opponent."

Elliott warned:

"Especially that potion master named Ron, who is said to have a special talent of 'medicine resonance' and is progressing at an astonishing rate."

Jacqueline said thoughtfully, "I heard he was a half-Muggle with an initial mental power of only six stars."

“He’s already a senior apprentice, and one of the top candidates in the wizarding hierarchy,” Elliott reminded everyone.

"This speed of progress is extraordinary."

"I'd really like to see a clone of him."

Kaiser grinned: "What decent fighting ability could a potion master possibly have..."

(End of this chapter)