Wizard: My career panel has no upper limit

Chapter 241 Respect him as a god!
The capital of the Kingdom of Farouk was unusually busy from early morning.

The city guards went from house to house relaying the royal decree:
All residents must line up and kneel to welcome the upcoming distinguished guests at midday on both sides of the main road.

Anyone who disobeys will face severe punishment, the lightest punishment being exile to the frontier.

In a cramped workshop, blacksmith Thomas, the owner, had just received the news and was filled with indignation and bewilderment.

He was a middle-aged man in his early fifties, with a thick beard that was already half white, and the muscles on his arms were strong and powerful from years of forging metal.

"Who is this damned distinguished guest that makes us put down our work and kneel to greet them?"

The middle-aged blacksmith muttered curses under his breath, wiping the sweat from his brow with his apron, his brow furrowed into a deep frown.

"You came here once in the first half of the year, and you're coming again now?"

He angrily slammed the hammer on the anvil, making a loud metallic clang, as if to vent all his dissatisfaction.

"Does the royal family treat us like weeds on the street, to be trampled on at any time?"

These nobles sit high in their castles, unaware of how difficult our lives are.

Iron prices are rising every day, and a decent sword can't fetch a good price; customers are picky. Now that we finally have an order, they're forcing us to kneel before... Heaven knows which arrogant nobleman it is!

His apprentice, a boy of sixteen or seventeen, glanced nervously at the door to make sure no guards were nearby before responding in a low voice:
"Master, keep your voice down. I just heard that a wizard has come this time, and he is a friend of the thirteenth prince."

The boy's voice was filled with fear and awe, an instinctive reaction to an unknown power.

"wizard?"

The blacksmith lowered his voice, but the disdain in his tone was even more pronounced, and his eyes flashed with contempt:
"They're nothing but swindlers who deceive ordinary people with their strange skills and tricks. They sell colored water, chant a few incantations to swindle money and gain respect."

Thomas recalled the so-called astrologer who came to the city a few years ago, claiming to be able to predict the future, but who turned out to be nothing more than a fraud.

"Didn't that so-called astrologer from last time not even predict that he himself would be struck by lightning?"

He gave a cold laugh, his tone filled with distrust of supernatural forces:

"That swindler was still talking about 'star guidance' until the very moment he was struck by lightning."

"But Master..."

The apprentice hesitated, a genuine fear showing in his eyes, his voice so soft it was almost inaudible:

"I heard this wizard is different; he's the real one..."

"What's the real thing?" the blacksmith interrupted the apprentice dismissively.

"A real fraud? A real madman? Or a real monster?"

His voice was filled with contempt for so-called supernatural powers.

In his view, only what is created by one's own hands is real, and those unseen and intangible "powers" are nothing but illusions and lies.

Just then, a fully armed guard walked past the shop entrance and gave the blacksmith a cold look.

That gaze was like a sharp dagger, piercing straight into Thomas's heart.

The blacksmith immediately shut his mouth and lowered his head, pretending to be tidying up his tools.

But those rough, large hands trembled slightly, not from fear, but from suppressed anger.

The guards continued forward, and the blacksmith let out a long sigh of relief, but the resentment on his face did not diminish in the slightest.

He knew he had no choice but to obey orders, but the discontent in his heart burned like a flame.

"What kind of world is this?" he muttered to himself.

"A blacksmith who has worked hard for most of his life has to kneel before a sorcerer who uses crooked methods."

This feeling is not unique to him.

A sense of oppression permeated the entire working-class area of ​​the city.

People were forced to put down their work, put on their best clothes, and rush to the sides of the main road.

In a bakery, the owner, Sienna, was complaining, her face, reddened by the smoke from the oven, filled with resentment.
"We've been under curfew for days, and business has been terrible. We're almost out of flour at home. Now they're forcing us to welcome some kind of wizard. Even if a god descended from heaven, he couldn't make up for these losses!"

Her flour-covered hands pounded on the counter, making a dull thud.

The aroma in the bakery was overwhelmed by anger, leaving only a suffocating atmosphere.

Beside the proprietress, a thin, middle-aged man comforted her:

"Stop talking, be careful, walls have ears. I don't know what's been going on in the palace lately, but there are guards everywhere in the city, and you have to watch your step even to get a drink of water."

His eyes were filled with weariness and helplessness, the expression unique to ordinary people who have lived under oppression for many years.

"It's because everyone is so tolerant that the nobles and royalty are increasingly treating us like less and less human beings!"

The proprietress said angrily, but her voice was already very low, her eyes full of helplessness and resentment:
"I heard that a few more families had their homes raided a few days ago, just because they said a few inappropriate things."

As time went on, the city's civilians were forced to come to both sides of the main road and kneel on the ground in a line.

The guards, armed with weapons, stood in the middle of the crowd, closely monitoring everyone's actions.

Their armor gleamed in the sunlight, and their weapons gleamed with a cold, sharp light, as if they were ready to punish any act of "disrespect" at any moment.

A sense of oppression and unease filled the air. People whispered among themselves, wondering who this legendary wizard was that required such a grand welcoming ceremony.

A tailor whispered to his neighbor beside him:
"I heard it's a wizard from the Black Mist Forest, where many monsters and demons are said to live."

"Yes, my cousin's neighbor's son once did business there. It's said that even the air is poisonous, and breathing it will drive you crazy."

The neighbor responded, his voice filled with a contradictory mix of fear and curiosity.

An elderly woman with a wrinkled face approached them shakily:
"Keep your voice down, don't let the guards hear! Didn't Old Tom disappear the next day just because he said a few bad things about the wizard?"

Countless rumors spread quietly among the people, further exacerbating their anxiety and fear.

But under layers of suppression, these emotions can only be buried deep in their hearts and cannot be expressed.

Thomas the blacksmith was assigned a spot not far from the city gate. His knees ached from kneeling for so long, but he dared not complain.

The stark contrast between his inner rage and his outward compliance almost suffocated him.

An elderly neighbor approached him and whispered:

"I heard that the wizard can see through people's hearts and know what you're thinking."

Thomas turned pale, and cold sweat beaded on his forehead.

He couldn't believe it, but he couldn't help feeling fear inside.

He looked around at the kneeling crowd, each person wearing a similar expression.

Beneath the surface of respect lies a deep fear and unease.

Just then, a commotion arose at the city gate.

The captain of the guard announced loudly:

"The city gates are about to open. Everyone, remain silent, bow your heads, and kneel in welcome! Anyone who disobeys will be executed immediately!"

With a rumbling, muffled sound, the massive city gate slowly opened, revealing the scene outside.

A suppressed murmur arose from the crowd, everyone anxiously awaiting the appearance of the legendary wizard.

Meanwhile, in the shadows of a corner of the city gate, the second prince, Eric, with several trusted men, was anxiously awaiting this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Eric was a handsome young man, but the long years of life on the run had left obvious marks on his face.

"Your Highness, the city gates have been opened. This is our only chance."

A simply dressed guard spoke in a low voice, a nervous glint in his eyes:
"If we can break out of the city gates amidst the chaos, we can get rid of those damned guards. And there are already people waiting to meet us outside. Once we get out of the city, we'll have hope."

The second prince, Eric, nodded somewhat stiffly, his fingers constantly stroking the sword at his waist.

Since Andrei came to power, he had been under house arrest in the palace, constantly fearing execution.

Every night, he would be awakened by nightmares in which Andrei's golden vertical pupils looked like the eyes of death, coldly staring at him.

In order to survive, he had to plan this risky escape.

"Once the city gates are fully open, we'll take advantage of the chaos of the welcoming party and move out immediately."

Eric commanded in a low voice, his voice trembling slightly with tension:
"Remember, once you leave the city, immediately scatter and escape, and meet up in the woods to the north before nightfall."

Several trusted confidants nodded knowingly, their hands already on their weapons, ready to act at any moment.

Each person wore a death-defying expression; they knew that failure would mean certain death, an extreme form of torture.

Meanwhile, outside the city gates, a murmur of surprise began to circulate among the guards.

Thomas managed to lift his head for a glance, and the sight that greeted him nearly made his heart stop. A four-wheeled carriage, pulled by some kind of monster, was slowly making its way toward the city gate.

The "creature" pulling the cart appears to be humanoid at first glance, but a closer look reveals a chilling sight.

Its skin is covered with strange scales that shimmer with a metallic sheen in the sunlight.

What's even more unsettling are its eyes; those two eerie green compound eyeballs, like some ancient reptile, radiate an eerie light.

The whole scene was like a painting of emerging from a nightmare—a sinister monster pulling a carriage, the carriage body engraved with complex runes, as if telling some ominous prophecy.

"By the gods above."

Thomas couldn't help but pray softly, cold sweat rolling down his forehead like rain.

He used to scoff at so-called "wizards".

But at this moment, faced with this nightmarish existence, his disbelief vanished, replaced by pure fear.

Just as the carriage slowly made its way toward the city gate, Eric and his henchmen suddenly burst out from the shadows, attempting to escape in the chaos.

"Stop them!" the city gate guard shouted, but it was too late.

Eric and his group had already rushed to the vicinity of the city gate and were about to collide with the carriage.

Thomas could see the complex expression on the second prince's face, a mixture of fear and hope, the last struggle of someone on the verge of despair.

He held his breath, watching as the second prince and his entourage were about to pass by the carriage.

However, just as Eric seemed to be about to escape, a subtle energy fluctuation suddenly came from inside the carriage.

There was no sound, no movement, and no visible trace of magic.

Even Thomas, the closest bystander, didn't see the wizard inside the carriage make any spellcasting movements.

It was as if a single thought, or even no thought at all, was enough to trigger disaster simply because of the presence of that distinguished guest.

The next second, Eric and his five trusted confidants stopped in their tracks...

No, to be precise, their bodies suddenly froze in place, as if bound by invisible ropes.

After a brief silence, a silent terror began to spread.

Blood gushed from Eric's eyes, nostrils, ears, and mouth simultaneously, gushing out like a faucet turned on.

The blood was so vivid that it almost seemed unreal in the sunlight.

That bright red color was etched into Thomas's retina, and it could not be erased even when he closed his eyes.

Then, the second prince's head, like a ripe watermelon, exploded in full view of everyone, turning into a bloody mess that splattered everywhere.

His five followers met the same fate... their heads exploded at the same time.

The splattered blood stained the ground several meters around it, and the stench of blood filled the air, like a nightmare.

The six headless corpses swayed a few times before crashing to the ground, creating a chilling echo in the street.

The entire city gate square fell into a deathly silence.

Thomas felt a violent dizziness, his stomach churned, and a bitter taste rose deep in his throat.

He couldn't believe what he had just witnessed—a wizard he hadn't even seen, hiding in the carriage, making no move, casting no spell.

Just... it seems... after thinking for a moment, an invisible wave caused the heads of six people to explode simultaneously.

That terrifying power was beyond his comprehension, as unattainable as an ant trying to comprehend the sun's heat.

"This"

"Gods!"

"My God!"

Several timid people fainted on the spot.

Many more people began to tremble, pressing their foreheads firmly to the ground, afraid of attracting the attention of this terrifying wizard.

Thomas was no exception; his forehead was pressed deep into the soil, feeling the cold earth.

At this moment, he only wished he could disappear, become a speck of dust, and not be noticed by the beings inside the carriage.

Those once proud guards now had weak knees; if they hadn't been kneeling on the ground, they probably wouldn't have been able to stand up.

They had never seen such a horrific scene—one person, with just a single thought from a carriage, caused six people to have their heads blown off simultaneously.

Faced with such absolute power, human dignity appears so insignificant and laughable.

The carriage continued its journey and slowly came to a stop in front of the main road.

A man in magnificent armor—the chief of the palace guards—stepped forward. His face was pale, but he managed to maintain his composure.

He bowed deeply, his voice steady, but a careful listener could hear the tremor within it:

"Your Excellency Ron, His Highness Andre has sent me to greet you. He sincerely apologizes for the unintentional disturbance earlier and has arranged for the road to be cleared so that your carriage may pass directly."

The head guard's voice was extremely respectful; the awe he expressed was not the politeness one would show to an ordinary distinguished guest, but rather a submission to absolute power.

There was no response from inside the carriage, only a slight sway, as if tacitly agreeing to the arrangement.

The captain of the guard immediately rose and turned to the kneeling crowd and the guards:
"Clear the road! Make way for our distinguished guest! Anyone who offends will be sentenced to death!"

His voice echoed across the empty square, and everyone eagerly lowered their heads, afraid of being noticed by the person in the carriage.

Led by the chief guard, the mysterious carriage slowly entered the city gate and headed towards the palace along the main road.

The monster pulling the cart had an eerie green light flashing in its eyes as it swept over the kneeling crowd on both sides of the street, causing shivers to run through it.

Tens of thousands of civilians prostrated themselves on the main road of the entire royal city, their foreheads pressed deeply into the stone slabs.

The person who was originally filled with resentment is now left with only pure awe and fear.

"By the gods above."

"This is the power of a wizard."

"What could be inside the carriage that is so terrifying?"

Quiet gasps of surprise spread through the crowd, but no one dared to look directly at the mysterious carriage, fearing that their heads might explode like the second prince's.

Thomas's worldview has completely collapsed.

He used to mock those who believed in supernatural powers, and he ridiculed so-called "wizards" and "magic."

But at this moment, he knew he was wrong, terribly wrong.

There are indeed forces in this world that he cannot comprehend.

Those who possess that power are like gods walking among humans, able to take the lives of others at will, as easily as crushing an ant.

"He's not human."

Thomas whispered to himself, his heart filled with fear: "He is the devil, he is a god, he is a being we cannot comprehend."

Later, related information was deliberately released:
The second prince's escape plan was already under Prince Andrei's control.

That astonishing scene was nothing more than a carefully orchestrated act to establish authority.

To demonstrate to the entire capital and even the whole kingdom the terrifying power of that wizard, and the fact that the thirteenth prince had allied with him.

For the ordinary people of the Kingdom of Farouk, the news that His Highness Andre now had a true wizard ally was more intimidating than any army.

Who would dare to confront an existence that can explode a person's head with just a thought?
Who would dare challenge a wizard who can kill without even showing his face?

And so, the mysterious carriage moved slowly forward, passing through the main thoroughfare of the royal city, heading towards the royal palace.

Behind it lies not only a bloody scene, but also a deep-seated fear and awe in the hearts of all people.

This day will be unforgettable for everyone who witnessed it.

Even as they grow old, they will still wake up in terror from their dreams.

Recalling the mysterious wizard inside the carriage, a terrifying being who could take a life with a single thought.

From that day on, Thomas never questioned the existence and power of wizards again.

Whenever someone mentions wizards, he falls silent, a hint of undisguised fear flashing in his eyes.

For him, the memory of that day was like a brand, one that could never be erased.

(End of this chapter)