Wizard: My career panel has no upper limit

Chapter 23 Fatal Relics
The sword pierced the squirming tissue accurately, and Darend's body shook violently, and he let out a howl of pain.

But the attacker showed no sign of stopping, he gritted his teeth and pushed the sword deeper with all his might, stirring it repeatedly to create an open wound.

[One fatal strike! Basic swordsmanship experience +5]

A mixture of blood and brain tissue gushed out of the wound, splashing all over him.

Finally, the giant brain monster's body fell to the ground with a loud bang and stopped moving.

The attacker stared at the twisted creature in front of him until he was sure it was no longer moving.

The light on the deformed brain had completely gone out, turning into a dull mass of tissue.

Ron stood there, gasping for breath, his body covered in alienated blood and tissue fluid.

He could hardly believe what he had just done—he had killed a fellow apprentice, a neighbor with whom he had lived for months.

But his survival instinct quickly calmed him down.

In the Black Mist Jungle, this kind of thing is normal.

The law of the jungle is the only rule here, and what he just did was just following this rule.

"I'm sorry, Darend." Ron whispered, a very complicated emotion flashing in his eyes: "But I have to be the one who survives."

After the battle, he began to carefully approach Darend's body, hoping to find something useful.

In the pile of twisted flesh, a small notebook was miraculously preserved intact. Perhaps even after Darend completely lost his mind, he was still instinctively protecting his research results.

Opening the notebook, Ron found that it was densely packed with Darend's research notes on sonic magic.

There were many messy sketches and ideas in it. Although most of them were difficult to understand, there were a few pages that were quite clear - it was a simplified prototype of a sonic spell that Darend had perfected to the point where it could be used in practice.

"This is what he's desperately trying to accomplish..." Ron muttered to himself, carefully putting the notebook away.

This information is undoubtedly valuable, not only because of its academic value, but also because it may help Ron pass the upcoming test.

[Unlock special skills: Sonic vibration (prototype)]

[Note: This is an immature spell concept, but it already has basic practical value.]

[Effect: Generates aggressive sound waves, causing both physical and mental damage to the target]

He was about to examine Darende's belongings further when he suddenly heard hurried footsteps in the distance.

The school's law enforcement officers had apparently noticed the commotion and were rushing over to deal with it.

Ron quickly gathered himself together, making sure he looked like a victim acting in self-defense rather than an active attacker.

Although the law of the jungle is the basic law in the Black Mist Jungle, the school still has a set of rules to maintain basic order.

Soon, a team of law enforcement officers appeared at the end of the corridor.

The leader was a tall man with the badge of a senior apprentice on his chest.

He lifted his hood, revealing a slightly pale and thin face with a cold expression and sharp eyes scanning every detail of the scene.

Ron saw the face of the leading apprentice and felt that he looked familiar.

When he smelled the strong herbal aroma coming from the other person, he suddenly remembered that the other person was Holt, the senior apprentice who bought a lot of stardust grass in the herbal medicine store a few days ago.
"what happened?"

He saw Ron and his eyes also wavered slightly, but there was no trace of personal emotion in his question.

Ron took a deep breath and understood what was going on. He didn't act as if he knew the other party, but simply recounted the incident briefly, emphasizing Darend's changes and proactive attacks.

"He used some kind of illegal drug, which caused brain mutations, and then attacked me. I had no choice but to passively defend myself."

Ron whispered, his expression showing a hint of shock and grief, yet maintaining the right amount of composure.

Holt listened expressionlessly, then walked over to Darren's body and squatted down to examine it carefully.

He pulled a vial from his belt and collected some of the fluid that had drained from Darend's brain.

"A typical case of catalyst distortion." He stood up and said to the other law enforcement officers, "There have been more and more cases like this recently."

He turned to Ron and said, "According to the regulations, I need to conduct a mental test on you to confirm that you are not contaminated."

Ron nodded and obediently accepted the test.

Holt placed a small crystal on his forehead. The crystal initially emitted a faint blue light, then gradually turned green, and finally returned to normal.

"Very good, no signs of distortion." He retracted the crystal. "The mental fluctuations are very stable, and the defense is in place."

Holt's eyes fell on the sword in Ron's hand and he raised his eyebrows slightly: "You can kill the aberration with just a wooden sword. Your swordsmanship seems to be pretty good."

"Just luck," Ron answered modestly, not wanting to draw too much attention.

The other party seemed to see through his thoughts, and the corners of his mouth rose slightly:

"It's good to be cautious, but there's one thing you might not know—our school has always encouraged apprentices to defend themselves when they encounter danger."

He signaled other law enforcement officers to go forward and deal with Darende's body, then walked aside and whispered to Ron:

"The study of sonic magic has always been one of the school's key bounty topics. If you find valuable information among Darend's relics, I suggest you make good use of it."

Ron's heart trembled, not sure whether the senior apprentice was hinting at him or testing him.

But in any case, the other party obviously noticed the notebook in his hand.

"Thank you for the reminder, sir. I will seriously consider it." Ron replied cautiously in the same low voice.

At this moment, Ron suddenly understood what Andre had said before.

Although these people in positions of power hold the power of life and death, they tend to provide appropriate guidance and help to apprentices with potential rather than suppress them at will.

Holt's private advice was undoubtedly a recognition of his potential.

"So understanding the rules of the school and showing enough potential may be the key to survival here?" Ron thought to himself.

"You're a smart man. It seems I don't need to say anything more." Holt nodded, his tone carrying a hint of scrutiny and reassessment.

"The incident report will be recorded, but since it was a case of self-defense, it will not have any negative impact on you. The assessment is coming soon, and I hope you can be prepared."

After saying that, he left the scene with the law enforcement team without any hesitation, leaving Ron standing alone in the bloodstained corridor.

Ron took a deep breath and went back to his room.

He needed time to collect his thoughts and digest what had just happened.

Today's experience once again made him deeply aware of the cruel reality of the Black Fog Jungle.

Here, everyone is struggling for survival and going crazy for power.

Locke, Emily, Darende... and many more bones that he cannot see are the best portrayal of this distorted reality.

But no matter how dangerous the environment is, it is your own choices and strength that ultimately determine your fate.

………………

In a secret room somewhere in the black fog forest, a faint blue light illuminated several figures in white robes.

The walls were covered with crystal balls of various sizes, each showing a different area within the school.

In one of the crystal balls, the entire process of Ron's battle with Darend was clearly shown.

"Seventy-eight points."

A serious-looking wizard announced, holding a complex scoring device in his hand:

"This candidate apprentice performed quite well, especially when facing a sonic attack of this intensity."

"I give it 70 points." Another white-haired female wizard said, her bright purple eyes fixed on the picture:

"While his swordsmanship and adaptability are commendable, his reaction was somewhat slow when he was attacked by the first wave of sound."

"I agree with Yuni."

The third wizard, a tall, middle-aged man, nodded and said, "But his final fatal blow was very accurate, which deserves extra points. For a candidate apprentice, it is quite rare to remain calm in such a situation."

"Then let's make it 75 points." The old man who presided over the discussion finalized the score:

"Put his name on paper, Ron Ralph, and consider putting him on next year's watch list."

An apprentice on duty standing in the corner quickly recorded the decision.

At this time, Holt had arrived at the scene with the law enforcement team and was examining Ron.

"Interesting, he should be the new assistant recruited by Allen. I seem to have some impression of him."

Witch Yuni raised an eyebrow: "It seems that old Allen's vision is still as accurate as ever."

In the crystal ball, Holt had already left the scene with the law enforcement team and Darend's body, leaving Ron alone standing in the bloodstained corridor.

"He looks terrible," the serious-looking middle-aged wizard commented. "The internal injuries caused by those sonic attacks shouldn't be underestimated. I'm curious if he can make it through tonight."

"It'll be fine." The old man in charge said calmly, "He has the aura of the sun, so his self-healing ability should be quite strong."

"Sunday?" This word caught the attention of the other wizards: "Are you sure?"

The old man nodded. "Although it is very weak, it does exist. That's why I am interested in him."

"That's even more worth observing," Yuni said thoughtfully:
"In recent years, apprentices with elemental affinities have become increasingly rare. If he truly possesses the Sun's aptitude, training him might yield considerable 'favors.'"

Hearing the word "favor", the expressions of all the wizards became subtle.

"Speaking of 'favor'." The middle-aged wizard suddenly changed the subject and complimented the old man who was hosting the meeting.
"Dean, you seem to be getting younger and younger lately. I guess it's because you trained the wizard Corinna decades ago, and that brought you quite a generous 'favor'."

"That's why everyone needs to discover more seeds of the surrounding mortal kingdoms..."

The elder, known as the Vice-Dean, said softly, "A student who successfully becomes a full-fledged wizard can extend their mentor's lifespan by at least fifty years. I think Tracy, whom Corinna recently discovered, has great potential."

"Of course, this is our necessary responsibility as mentors within the school." Everyone responded, and someone whispered:

“Without the ‘favor’ of educating students, we old guys would have been swallowed up by the pollution long ago.”

"That's why we need this kind of environment," the Vice President said in a serious tone.

"A moderate amount of danger and competition can allow apprentices with real potential to stand out. Just like Oliver a few years ago, it was in this life-or-death environment that his originally poor mental abilities were stimulated to develop astonishing special talents."

"That's right," Yuni agreed. "A true strong man can't be grown in a greenhouse. Only by experiencing the true test of life and death can the apprentice's greatest potential be stimulated."

"Those kids who take doping are part of the system."

The middle-aged wizard added calmly, "Their failure and death are precisely the nutrients for the growth of other apprentices. Survival of the fittest, this is an eternal law."

The Vice President stood up and concluded the assessment:
"Keep an eye on the candidates on the list. Also, have those 'Black Vipers' slow down their activities over the next few days. The number of aberrations has exceeded our plans recently."

"Yes, sir." The recorder beside him answered respectfully.

Yuni shook her head and chuckled, "The apprentices probably never dreamed that the black market organization they regarded as dangerous was actually a tool we controlled."

"It's just a necessary evil." The vice-president said calmly:

"Some apprentices will indeed die because of this, but many more will become stronger. Just like what we experienced back then, only the fittest will survive."

"Alright, let's adjourn." He waved his hand. "Has the next batch of spiritual catalysts arrived?"

"It's ready, Vice-President," the recorder replied. "However, according to your instructions, the formula has been adjusted. The probability of distortion in this batch should be reduced to less than half."

"Very good." The old man nodded. "It's the same old saying. We need competition, but it can't be too intense. Too much is as bad as too little. After all, true geniuses are still very rare."

As the wizards left, the image in the surveillance crystal ball gradually dimmed.

(End of this chapter)