Wizard: My career panel has no upper limit

Chapter 235 The Traveler

"Master Drake, what are your thoughts on this promoted individual?"

Karent asked cautiously, his tone filled with obvious awe, even deliberately suppressing his thoughts to show respect for this ancient great wizard.

Within Drake's transparent skull, the brain tissue flickered slightly.

The shimmering rhythm formed a complex energy pattern, as if it were contemplating:
"The Devourer's Ramblings. A meditation method left behind by that mad traveler. The traveler is an interesting example. He was one of the few who truly understood the nature of the Devourer."

His thoughts seemed to drift far away:
"If I remember correctly, Ron Ralph was the seventeenth Primal Wizard to ascend through this method."

The first one is Aimoric from the end of the Second Era, a very talented young man who unfortunately went insane due to excessive research on void celestial bodies when he was promoted to the Dark Sun class.
The most famous of these is probably Cassandra of the Crown Clan, who successfully ascended to the rank of Archmage and became the current Master of the Crystal Spire.

The names Drake casually listed are all important figures in wizarding history, enough to occupy a whole chapter in a large tome.

Seventeen? That many?

Varian asked in surprise, a rare hint of uncertainty on his face:
"How come I've never heard of it before? The information I remember clearly shows that there are fewer than five successful practitioners of 'The Star Eater's Whispers'."

Drake let out a contemptuous chuckle, the energy fluctuations in his voice causing the crystal pouches of the other three Hanged Men to tremble slightly.

"Because you are too young, Varian. In the long history of wizards, you are just a newcomer who joined yesterday."

Four eras have spanned tens of thousands of years, and with the accompanying parallel timelines, there are hundreds of primordial wizards. On average, one appears every one or two hundred years. What's so surprising about this number?

Drake made no attempt to hide his disdain for Varian, and this wasn't just because of the age difference.

Furthermore, in his view, Varian's so-called "space research" was nothing more than repeating the footsteps of his predecessors, lacking any real innovation.

Upon hearing this, Varian's body trembled slightly within the crystal pouch, clearly angered by the mockery, but he dared not retaliate in front of Drake.

Despite being a fellow great wizard, he knew all too well that the gap between him and Drake was as vast as an insurmountable chasm.

In a normal confrontation, he might not even be able to touch a corner of the opponent's ethereal form.

“That Ron’s situation seems a bit special.”

Mora suddenly interjected, her tentacles twitching slightly, indicating that her interest had been piqued:
“I just checked through special channels. Two years ago, he was just a useless candidate apprentice at the sixth-level star. His mental strength aptitude was almost universally recognized as a waste level in the wizarding world.”

Her voice was filled with curiosity:
"However, in just a few months, he went from being a good-for-nothing to a genius. After that, he not only rose to the top of the candidate wizard sequence, but also directly advanced to the Primal Wizard through the Authentic Path. Such speed is extremely rare even in our time."

"Ha, a typical lucky guy."

Varian immediately seized the opportunity to comment, attempting to rebuild his sense of authority:

"They might have gotten lucky by chance, or someone might have helped them behind the scenes. Such examples are all too common."

Remember Melvin, the so-called "Miracle Child" from the middle of the Third Era? Didn't he also gain unimaginable speed of advancement by accidentally discovering an ancient runestone?

And what happened? Didn't he still mutate when he tried to advance to Grand Wizard because his foundation was unstable?

Varian's tone was so sour it almost overflowed from his crystal pouch:
"These so-called geniuses who rise to prominence through external forces are often short-lived. Without a solid foundation and long-term accumulation, their path will ultimately lead to self-destruction."

Karent couldn't help but retort:

"But it is still very unusual to be able to break through in such a short time. Even with opportunities and help, the true path ultimately depends on one's own qualities."

That kind of direct dialogue with a higher being cannot be replaced by any external force, nor by the individual's willpower and spiritual strength. I believe there may be something special about Ron Ralph that we haven't yet discovered.

The silver-eyed youth had a more open attitude; his research was inherently related to intuitive perception, and he was more able to appreciate unconventional phenomena than Varian.
"Perhaps we should continue to observe his development; there might be unexpected gains."

"Stop arguing."

Drake's voice rang out again, this time tinged with weariness, as if the topic being discussed was far too naive for him:

"A newly ascended Primal Wizard is nothing more than an ant compared to us Hanged Men who have existed for thousands of years."

Even if he is exceptionally talented and grows rapidly, he will only be barely qualified to enter our field of vision after at least a century when he ascends to the rank of Dark Sun Wizard.

Drake's words are not without merit.

In the wizarding world, the difference in strength is like an insurmountable chasm.

The difference between a formal wizard and a grand wizard is not merely a simple addition of power, but a fundamental difference.

Even the most powerful Dark Sun-level wizard is no match for a true Grand Wizard, who can easily destroy him.

Not to mention the Grand Wizard's ethereal form, which completely transcends the concept of normal dimensions and is a partial transcendence of the rules of reality.

Even as he said this, the brain tissue in Drake's transparent head flickered more frequently, clearly indicating that the rise of this young wizard had piqued his interest.

“However,” he paused, his voice deepening, “hereafter said, ‘but…’”

"The creator of 'The Star Eater's Ramblings'—that traveler—is indeed a noteworthy case."

If he hadn't met with an accident at the last moment, he might very well have become the third naturally ascended Witch King after the 'Ancestor' and the 'Creator'.

When the title "traveler" was mentioned, the other three hanging figures fell silent, their bodies trembling slightly, revealing a subtle unease and awe.

Even for these great wizards, the Witch King remained an unattainable figure.

Like mortals gazing at the starry sky, those are dazzling stars that can never be reached.

"'The Traveler,' one of the greatest explorers of the Second Era, has traversed countless worlds and planes. It is said that he even clashed with the Devourer's true form once. After that astonishing experience, he created the Crown Meditation Method, 'The Devourer's Whispers.'"

Drake narrated slowly, as if telling an ancient legend, but his tone carried the certainty of someone who had experienced it firsthand:

"However, at the very moment he reached the pinnacle of the Great Wizard realm and was about to break through to the Wizard King realm, he went mad."

A burst of unusually intense light flashed through Drake's transparent head, revealing his intense emotional turmoil over this period of history.

This reaction was extremely rare for an ancient being like him, which made the other three Hanged Men feel extremely uneasy.

"No one knows what he saw or experienced at that moment. All that is known is that he left behind the last sentence—'Above the stars are devourers, and above the devourers are even more terrifying beings,' and then disappeared, and his whereabouts remain unknown to this day."

The liquid in the crystal capsule began to flow slowly, as if it too was uneasy about this history.

Drake's ethereal form was faintly visible at the edge of the crystal capsule—a massive head made of pure energy.

Inside, countless star-like points of light twinkle, each containing an unimaginable amount of knowledge.

This ethereal form can even interfere with the surrounding real-world structure for a short period of time, causing the rules of space to temporarily submit to his thoughts.

"Rumor has it that the traveler obtained some core fragments from the Great Abyss, and those fragments attracted the attention of the Devourer."

Karent added in a low voice, a flicker of fear in his silver eyes:
"In a battle at the level of consciousness, even top-tier archmages would find it difficult to withstand the impact of such an existence. Some things... are perhaps not meant for beings of our level to touch."

As Karent spoke, his own ethereal form vaguely appeared—a giant eyeball made of silver light.

Countless tiny runes flow within, capable of directly revealing the essence of existence and penetrating layers of disguise.

But when it mentions those things beyond our comprehension, this eyeball trembles slightly, as if facing some kind of unbearable horror.

"Enough!" Drake suddenly interrupted the conversation, his voice unusually tense.

"These are all unverified rumors. In any case, a newly promoted Primal Wizard is of little significance to us." Silence once again enveloped the specimen archive, but within this silence lay a subtle sense of anticipation.

Despite their outward disdain, all the Hanged Men harbored a secret curiosity about this unexpectedly rising young wizard.

After a long while, Mora suddenly chuckled softly, her tentacles swaying gently, indicating that she was in a good mood:
"I'm quite looking forward to seeing how those guys at the Crystal Spire react. A primordial wizard who rises from a remote school will probably soon become a hot commodity in their eyes."

Her ethereal form was faintly revealed—a complex structure woven from countless blue tentacles.

Each tentacle can independently think and manipulate an energy form, and the whole thing looks like a constantly changing energy vortex.

This ethereal form is particularly well-suited for multi-threaded thinking and complex energy manipulation.

“Without a doubt,” Karent echoed.
"Especially now, the internal factional struggles within the Crystal Spire are becoming increasingly fierce. Primal wizards who advance through the authentic path will definitely become the targets of their competition."

Do you think the Crown Clan will target him?

Varian suddenly asked, his voice tinged with schadenfreude:
"If that's the case, this young man is probably going to have a rather 'interesting' experience."

"Most likely," Drake commented casually.

“The Crown Clan never misses any promising newcomer, especially those primordial wizards who may bring ‘pure blessings’.”

“They would treat it like a precious collectible, first attracting it with various attractive conditions, then gradually tightening control, and finally completely incorporating it into the clan system.”

Inside Drake's transparent skull, the flickering of his brain tissue slowed down, as if it had lost interest in the topic:
"In any case, Ron Ralph's fate is destined to be different from that of ordinary people. But he still has a very long way to go before he can truly attract our attention."

As he said this, the light in Drake's crystal pouch gradually dimmed, indicating that he had returned to a state of slumber.

Seeing this, the other three hanging figures said nothing more, and the light in their respective chambers began to dim.

Before falling completely silent, Karent's voice rang out one last time:
"No matter which side comes out on top, it will be very interesting. You know, watching plays is always the greatest pleasure for us Hanged Men."

Then, the specimen collection returned to silence, with only the line of golden text on the Wizard's Records projection table still flashing.

Like a newly lit spark, it burns weakly yet tenaciously in the vast darkness.

The owner of this spark is standing at the edge of the Black Mist Forest, gazing at the distant horizon...

………………

The sky was overcast, and the treetops of the Black Mist Forest swayed occasionally in a strange wind, making a rustling sound.

Since the seal on the bloodline altar broke, the magic field in the entire area has become extremely unstable.

Occasionally, erratic energy fluctuations create tiny vortices in the air, like countless invisible hands slapping the skin, causing a stinging sensation.

Several law enforcement officers, dressed in uniform gray uniforms, stood guard vigilantly around Ron's workshop.

Their eyes scanned their surroundings constantly, their rune staves ready to be activated at any moment.

Since the eruption of abyssal energy, the school has strengthened defenses in all key areas.

However, for Ron, this protection seemed somewhat superfluous; it was merely the school expressing its concern for him.

As a newly promoted primordial wizard, he is a force to be reckoned with.

"The arrangements are complete, Wizard Ron. Your supplies will be transported by two vulture dragons."

An older law enforcement officer reported to Ron, his face showing undisguised awe.

The moment his title changed from "Ron's Apprentice" to "Ron the Wizard," the entire school's attitude towards him underwent another dramatic transformation.

Ron nodded slightly in thanks, a faint smile playing on his lips.

He examined the list of supplies in his hand again, his fingertips lightly gliding over the surface of the parchment to make sure no important items were missing.

The list details the name, quantity, and storage location of every piece of equipment and every bottle of potion ingredients.

All the content was organized according to strict categories, and this almost obsessive-compulsive level of organization was a reflection of Ron's personality.

"How magnificent!" Lilia's voice came from not far away, filled with rare amazement.

Ron followed her gaze and saw two enormous vultures slowly approaching.

This creature is a unique pack animal of the Black Mist Jungle, about eight meters long, with a dragon-like scaly body and a vulture-like head and wings.

Their bodies are covered with thick, dark gray scales, while their heads have bare black skin, and their two crimson eyes gleam with a primal and ferocious light.

Although they cannot fly, their strong limbs and broad backs make them ideal for land transportation.

"The school of thought still has the resources."

Ron smiled slightly, a shrewd glint in his eyes:
"Hiring such a beast in a private capacity would cost at least several hundred magic stone fragments. In urgent situations, it could even cost over a thousand."

A specially designed rack has been installed on the back of the vulture dragon. It is made of a lightweight but extremely strong metal-like material and its surface is covered with shock-absorbing runes and protective magic circles.

The trainers skillfully secured boxes of various sizes in the appropriate positions.

Ron's alchemy equipment, potion ingredients, experimental records, and some precious personal collections were all neatly loaded onto the container.

His gaze lingered on each box for a moment, a slight sigh escaping his lips.

These items embody his years of hard work in the Black Mist Forest, witnessing his growth from a newcomer to a full-fledged wizard.

Leaving this place where he had lived for so many years, even someone as sensible as him couldn't help but feel a little reluctant.

Dyer's crystal tank was placed in a specially designed shock-absorbing groove to ensure that the bumpy journey would not harm her.

The little siren seemed unusually excited, its golden eyes sparkling, its tail slapping the water's surface incessantly, creating ripples.

"Master, are we leaving the Black Mist Forest soon? What is the outside world like? Is there a sea at the Crystal Spire? Will I see other sea monsters? Are there larger bodies of water where I can swim?"

She asked a series of questions, her voice filled with childlike curiosity and anticipation.

As Ron gazed into the little siren's innocent golden eyes, a subtle tenderness welled up in his heart.

Ever since he rescued Dale from that black market stall, this little life has stayed by his side, witnessing many important moments in his life.

"There is indeed a lake near the Crystal Spire."

He patiently replied, "Although it can't compare to the real ocean, it's much more spacious than your current crystal tank."

While answering Dale's questions, he observed Ailan and Lilia's loading work.

The two worked together seamlessly, one confirming the list of items and the other checking their secure placement, carefully arranging Ron's years of hard work.

Ailan's long, slender vine arms moved with agility and precision, easily manipulating boxes of various sizes.

Lilia, on the other hand, maintained her usual meticulousness and focus, performing each inspection with utmost care and never overlooking any potential problems.

(End of this chapter)