Wizard: My career panel has no upper limit

Chapter 34 "List" and Sonic Curse
He couldn't help but want to reach out and take it, but the next moment, Mrs. Allen slowly closed the little notebook, and the gem seemed to flicker, as if saying goodbye reluctantly.

She placed the notebook gently on the counter, but her hand remained on it, making no attempt to push it towards Ron.

"You little brat, it seems you don't quite understand the rules of the wizarding world."

Her eyes were as sharp as a hawk, staring straight into Ron's eyes, with some dissatisfaction in her voice:
"Knowledge is valuable and can never be given away casually. Valuable things must be exchanged for equal value. This is an eternal law."

The slender finger with blood-red nail polish was gently drawing circles on the top of the notebook:
"Greedy demand without a willingness to give is the beginning of the downfall of countless apprentices. Therefore, before I teach you the meditation method, I need to first determine whether you are truly worthy of my... investment."

Seeing this, Ron immediately said, "I'm sorry, Mrs. Allen, I was abrupt. I'm certainly willing to pay the corresponding price."

Mrs. Allen stared at the young apprentice before her, as if assessing the sincerity of his words.

Those dark green eyes seemed to be able to see through all disguises and reach the depths of the soul.

After a moment, the pink-haired witch's mouth curled up slightly. She saw the desire in the eyes of the boy in front of her.

"Very good." Mrs. Allen's tone was full of approval. "Then I have a small task for you."

She pulled out a piece of parchment that glowed faintly from another drawer under the counter.

The words on the paper were not written with ink, but seemed to be branded. They had a dark red luster under the dim light, and some places even had a metallic texture.

"I need these materials to complete an important potion research..."

She pushed the parchment toward Ron and tapped a few of the items with her bright red nails:
"To truly master the 'Whispers of the Star Devourer', one must not only possess a strong mental strength, but also possess the means and courage to acquire knowledge."

Ron carefully took the parchment, which felt cool and slightly tingling to the touch, as if the paper itself contained concentrated magic.

He lowered his head and carefully examined the list above. The name of each material was written in ancient wizard language, and there were some symbolic annotations next to it that he didn't quite understand.

As his eyes gradually moved downward, Ron's brows furrowed tighter and tighter.

Most of these materials he had never seen before, not even in the Basics of Potions - "Dream-Eating Spider Eye Fluid", "Moon Shadow Bat Heart Ash", "Crystallized Moss"...

The few that he barely recognized, such as "Night Talk on Pollen" and "Tongue Coating of a Person Died of Thirst", were all listed among the "prohibited items for trade" defined by the school.

"These." Ron raised his head, pretending to be ignorant and testing the other party's tone. "Most of the materials can't be bought at the Apprentice Market."

"Really?" Mrs. Allen tilted her head, her dark green eyes flickering with anticipation.

"As smart as you are, you should know where to find them, right?"

Her tone was light, but her eyes were sharp as a knife.

Ron instantly understood Mrs. Allen's hint—in the wizarding world, knowledge alone was far from enough.

How to obtain the necessary resources in a complex and dangerous environment, how to maneuver in the gray area without losing one's life, these are the survival skills that must be mastered to become a qualified wizard.

Ron was silent for a moment, then looked at the list again, his mind already beginning to think of possible ways to obtain it.

He raised his head and looked at Mrs. Allen firmly: "I understand. I will find a way to collect these materials." Mrs. Allen nodded with satisfaction, a trace of relief in her eyes:
"Very good. Remember, this isn't just for The Whisper of the Star Eater, it's also for yourself. To survive in the Black Mist Jungle, sometimes you just need some...special channels and techniques."

Her fingers tapped the counter lightly, and the rhythm became a little heavy: "As for Oliver..."

Mrs. Allen's expression suddenly became extremely serious, and a gloomy look that was out of place on her young and beautiful face appeared:

"Be extremely careful with that guy, especially now that he might be interested in your sonic magic research."

She leaned forward and lowered her voice so low that she almost whispered into Ron's ear:

"Oliver's research direction is very dangerous. The 'living curse' he's delved into has crossed the boundaries of taboos that many serious wizards are unwilling to touch. If he's interested in your sonic magic, it must be because he's discovered some connection between the two."

"Could you please tell me what the specific connection is?" Ron asked, but he kept a little distance away without leaving a trace. The radiation field on the other person's body, which was unique to formal wizards, stung his skin.

The other party seemed to have noticed something was wrong with him, and his breath condensed slightly. Ron could clearly feel that the tingling sensation in his body had subsided a lot.

Mrs. Allen's eyes also became deep and worried at this time: "The problem of sound waves and the carrier of curses. Traditional curses require physical objects as carriers, which is also their biggest limitation. And sound waves..."

She paused, as if choosing her words:
"Sound waves can penetrate physical barriers and transfer energy without even touching the target. If Oliver successfully uses sound waves as a carrier for his curse, then his curse will be able to spread as pervasively as sound, and its effect and range will be countless times greater than that of traditional curses."

Ron felt a chill creeping up his spine.

If this is true, then Oliver's research will create a new type of weapon that no one can defend against, at least during the apprenticeship stage.

"So what's your suggestion?" He had already made up his mind, but decided to ask the other party's opinion first.

Mrs. Allen's answer was not surprising to him: "Continue to perfect your sonic spell, but make sure that only you know the key to it. Some knowledge, in the hands of different people, will have completely different results."

She didn't move closer, but simply reminded him lightly: "Besides, sometimes, the best defense is a preemptive strike, do you understand what I mean?"

Ron nodded slowly. He certainly understood Mrs. Allen's hint.

In this world, waiting for danger to come often means death. Only by taking the initiative can you control your destiny.

He carefully put the list away, folded it, and put it in his inner pocket. "I will collect these materials as soon as possible."

"Don't be too anxious." Mrs. Allen waved her hand gracefully, her pink and purple curls swaying gently with the movement.

"Safety always comes first. After all, a dead person cannot learn the Whispers of the Star Eater."

An elusive glint flashed in her eyes. "Alright, go back and rest. You can come to work at your normal time tomorrow. I still have a lot to teach you."

When Ron left the herbal medicine store, his mood was extremely complicated.

The night was deep, and the shadows of the dark foggy jungle spread under his feet, as if countless invisible hands were touching his ankles.

As the cold wind brushed across his cheeks, his gaze became resolute once again. After all, in the world of mysticism, crises and opportunities always coexist.

(End of this chapter)