Wizard: My career panel has no upper limit

Chapter 505 "Simple Handicrafts"

Upon returning to his private area, Ron immediately took out a piece of parchment from his storage bag.

That was the "Multi-Element Soup Recipe" provided in "The Complete Guide to Extraordinary Things".

"Since Professor Utter suggested that I do some 'simple craft activities'..."

He looked at the recipe, his eyes filled with eagerness:
"So, doing that should be the best choice, right?"

In his plan, this was indeed a perfect arrangement that achieved multiple goals at once:

This allows me to relax as the professor suggested and put the theoretical knowledge I just learned into practice.

"Ailan, Dal!" he called to the two servants as soon as he returned.

"I'm planning to try cooking it myself, and I need some special ingredients. Could you help me buy them?"

Soon, Ailan's emerald green figure appeared in the room.

When she heard the words "cook herself," the lush green branches visibly trembled.

In the tree spirit's memory, its master always regarded time as the most precious resource, spending every moment cultivating, researching, or contemplating.

It's almost unheard of for someone to be willing to spend time just to "give it a try."

"Master, you seem to be in a very good mood today."

Ailan spoke cautiously, afraid of breaking the rare relaxed atmosphere:
"However, you seem to be in a bit of low spirits. Shouldn't you rest a little longer?"

As a servant with a natural connection to the other party, Ailan was able to sense the abnormality in Ron's mental state.

The feeling of weakness after overexertion worried her greatly.

"I'm fine, I just wanted to try making a special soup."

Ron handed her the recipe:
"Look, can we buy these ingredients at the observation station?"

Ailan took the parchment and carefully read its contents.

As she read on, a clear look of surprise appeared in her eyes:
"Burning mushrooms, deep-sea kelp, mountain mint, and rock radish. This is a very special dish that harmonizes the elements."

"And," she rolled up the note, looking at her owner with some unease, "it's also..."
“Master, although these ingredients are not considered rare, the transportation costs are quite considerable in the special environment of the Abyss Observatory.”

Ailan began to explain the difficulties in detail:

"The observation station is located on the edge of the Great Abyss, where the surrounding environment is corrosive to most normal plants."

"All fresh ingredients need to be transported from the main world using special protective runes."

"Each batch of food transport requires a large amount of magic stones to maintain the stable operation of the runes, and also incurs high costs for anti-corrosion treatment."

She pointed to each item on the menu:
"For example, this 'Alpine Mint' is only worth a few magic stone fragments in the main world, but its price will increase more than tenfold after it is transported to the observation station."

“‘Stone radishes’ are even more troublesome. This type of vegetable, which needs to grow in specific soil, is already relatively rare, and then there’s the added loss during transportation.”

Ailan quickly calculated: "Purchasing this complete set of ingredients will probably cost three to five magic stones."

Upon hearing this number, Ron couldn't help but blink.

Three to five magic stones, which is equivalent to the entire expenses of a mid-level apprentice for a year.

When I was still a mid-level apprentice, I could only earn this much after a month of hard work refining potions.

Using that money to make a pot of soup now is indeed a bit of a luxury.

But considering the potential value of this soup to him, he nodded firmly:

"It's okay, let's just buy the ingredients according to the recipe. I'll try it out first. Money is not a problem."

"Yes, Master. I'll contact the supplier right away."

Although Ailan felt sorry for the magic stones, she had no choice but to comply since her master insisted.

About an hour later, all the ingredients were delivered to the observation station's kitchen.

This is a luxurious facility provided by the observatory for senior researchers, equipped with a variety of advanced cooking equipment and a complete ventilation system.

The problem is that very few people use it; most people prefer the more convenient and nutritious concentrated paste.

For Ron, since arriving here, his three meals a day have been carefully prepared by Ailan.

When I occasionally crave something special, I head to the upscale restaurants in the Central District.

This is the first time I've actually cooked for myself.

"Let me see the recipe. First, I need to prepare the blanched mushrooms."

Ron picked up the mushroom that was emitting a faint red glow and began slicing it according to the recipe instructions.

However, he clearly underestimated the difficulty of handling this special ingredient.

The surface temperature of a hot mushroom is close to boiling water, making it impossible to cut with a regular kitchen knife.

The moment the blades made contact, a sizzling sound was heard, and mushroom juice splattered everywhere like lava.

"what!"

A drop of hot liquid splashed onto the back of my hand.

Although he possesses high-temperature resistance due to his Thunderfire Tyrant bloodline, it doesn't mean he doesn't feel pain.

Ron jerked his hand away, and the whole mushroom flew out, crashing to the ground and shattering into pieces.

"Owner!"

Seeing this, Ailan couldn't help but step forward, wanting to help.

But Ron quickly waved his hand to stop him: "No need, I can do it myself. This is a learning experience."

He insisted that making the soup himself was an important process of connecting theory with practice.

If Ailan were to do it, it would lose its original meaning.

“But Master…” Ailan’s voice was full of worry:
"If you continue like this, you will not only waste ingredients, but you may also get injured."

She watched as Ron picked up the second scorching mushroom again, this time trying to slice it more carefully.

But the results were still not ideal.

They were either cut too thick or too thin, and the shapes were completely irregular.

But soon, Ron gradually figured it out.

The key is not in strength, but in understanding the properties of the material and precisely controlling the angle of the blade.

"That's really strange. The fibrous structure of the 'scorching mushroom' is similar to some kind of crystal, and it needs to be cut in the direction of the heat flow."

Ron adjusted his technique while thinking:
"Just like dealing with the energy conflict in the Thunderfire bloodline, it's not about fighting, but about adapting."

Under his precise control, the mushroom slices were cut to a much thinner and more uniform thickness.

Ailan, who had been observing from the side, breathed a sigh of relief: "It seems that I don't need to do any further processing."

The next step is to process deep-sea kelp.

This special type of seaweed needs to maintain the activity of its internal water elements, so it must be handled very gently.

"Master, be gentle!" Ailan watched in alarm.
"The fibrous structure of deep-sea kelp is very fragile; applying too much force will damage its essential elements!"

But by the time Ron realized it, it was too late.

The once vibrant green kelp became dull and lifeless after his "enthusiastic" washing, clearly losing most of its vitality.

The worst part is handling the mint leaves.

According to the recipe, mint leaves need to be washed using a magic lift and should never be touched directly with your hands.

But Ron was still learning how to finely control compressed magic and had just experienced mental exhaustion.

When he tried to wrap the mint leaves with magic, he completely lost control of the force.

"Oh!"

The overwhelming magical impact shattered the delicate leaves into tiny fragments.

Green juice splattered everywhere, filling the entire kitchen with a strong minty aroma.

"OMG."

Seeing this, Ailan couldn't help but cover her "eyes" with a branch:
"Master, that's wild mountain mint; seven leaves are worth a magic stone!"

She kept muttering to herself:

"Those mint leaves were picked from mountain peaks at an altitude of over 3,000 meters, and each leaf contains the pure essence of the wind element."

To maintain freshness, stasis runes were also used for preservation.

"Now it's all wasted. If I were in charge, this problem would never have happened."

Based on my recent practice of communicating with plants, I can absolutely establish an emotional connection with mint leaves and get them to cooperate actively during the washing process.”

But seeing Ron's serious and focused expression, Ailan suppressed her heartache and did not interrupt him.

She understood that this hands-on experience was important for her master's growth.

Even if the process is a bit clumsy, this learning attitude is worthy of respect.

When it came to dealing with the stone carrots, the situation became even more comical.

This special radish is indeed as hard as a rock, requiring special handling techniques.

But Ron was unaware of this and carelessly slashed at it with an ordinary kitchen knife.

"Crack!"

The blade of the cleaver chipped off, leaving a shallow mark on the radish.

"No. Is this a radish or a rock that looks like a radish?"

He looked at the chipped knife in his hand, puzzled, then at the unharmed radish.

"Master," Ailan finally couldn't help but speak up to remind him:

"The stone radish needs to be softened with magic before it can be cut."

Furthermore, the cutting direction must follow its texture; otherwise, it will damage the internal earth element structure.

"Oh, that's it!"

Ron suddenly realized what was going on and began trying to use magic to process the carrots.

However, his control over his magic was still not precise enough, and the excessive energy impact caused fine cracks to appear on the surface of the radish.

Although it could be cut open with difficulty, the internal structure had already been damaged.

Half an hour later, the kitchen was a complete mess.

Various food scraps were scattered on the ground, and a strange, mixed smell filled the air.

Ron was covered in various juices and his hair was a bit messy, but his eyes still burned with an indomitable fighting spirit.

"Very good, let's begin the cooking phase!"

Despite looking at the oddly shaped and questionable "ingredients" in front of him, he maintained an optimistic attitude.

Ailan sighed deeply.

She has already started calculating the total cost of this "learning experience":

Damaged, scorched mushrooms; inactive deep-sea kelp; mint leaves fried into crumbs; and structurally damaged stone radishes.
Add to that the broken knife and the kitchen that needs cleaning, and the cost of this soup could double.

But seeing Ron's focused expression as he studied so diligently, she chose to silently endure it.

"Go, Master!"

She prayed silently, "I hope at least... at least the final product will be edible."

"According to the recipe, we now need to add them to the pot in the order of their incompatible and compatible properties."

Ron lit the stove while muttering to himself.

However, he clearly did not have a proper understanding of the concept of "simmering over a low flame" and turned the flame up to the highest setting.

The fire roared like a small fire dragon, and the bottom of the pot quickly turned red-hot. "Master! The fire is too big!"

Ailan couldn't help but remind him, but Ron had already started adding water to the pot.

"hiss--!"

When the scalding hot pot meets the cold water, it immediately emits a piercing sound, and a large amount of steam rises into the sky like a white dragon.

The entire kitchen was enveloped in thick fog, and nothing could be seen.

Just then, Dale's voice came from within the mist:

"Wow! Is Master summoning a mist dragon? What powerful magic!"

The siren girl was clearly stunned by the spectacular scene and had no idea that it was a cooking accident.

She excitedly flapped her tail fin, splashing water everywhere:
"Dale wants to learn this technique of creating fog too!"

“This is not magic, Dale.”

Ailan explained, both amused and exasperated, "This is the master learning to cook."

"Can cooking be this impressive?" Dale's eyes were full of admiration.

"Master really knows everything! Even cooking is like casting a powerful spell!"

After the steam gradually dissipated, Ron was able to see the situation inside the pot.

The water has boiled, but the temperature is obviously too high, which does not meet the requirements of "slow boiling".

"Now that things have come to this, let's add the ingredients first."

He picked up the unevenly cut stone radish slices and started adding them according to the recipe.

"Earth first, then wind; earth provides a stable foundation."

But when the radish slices came into contact with the boiling water, an unexpected reaction occurred.

Due to internal structural damage caused during processing, the radish slices decompose rapidly at high temperatures.

"Huh? Why does it smell like Mother Earth?"

Dale sniffed the air curiously: "It smells like the soil after rain, but stronger and richer."

Ailan, standing to the side, began to express her deep sorrow and indignation:
"That's the essence of earth element being lost!"
Master, the force you used when cutting the radish damaged its internal structure, and now all the essence has dissipated into the air!

But Ron was not discouraged by this setback; his wizarding instincts were triggered, and he began to observe the phenomenon closely.

"Interesting. Earth element does indeed need a stable environment to function. I used too much force just now and disrupted its stability."

He suddenly recalled the theory of "mutual restraint and mutual generation" mentioned in "The Complete Explanation of Extraordinary Things" and the metaphor about music theory.

"Perhaps it's like blood coordination. Excessive force will only cause conflict and loss."

Next up are the mint leaves.

Due to his previous mistake, he only had some fragments left, but he still had to bite the bullet and add them in.

"Water followed by fire, and the wind element brings change and vitality."

As soon as the chopped mint leaves hit the water, the whole pot of soup immediately released a strong, refreshing aroma.

The problem is that, because the blades broke so badly, the release of wind elements got completely out of control.

A sudden gale-force wind swept through the kitchen, scattering the fire in the stove and even blowing the pot lid off.

“Waaaaa——!”

Dale's hair flew wildly in the wind: "Master's soup controls the weather! It's amazing!"

The branches of the orchid swayed precariously in the wind.
"Master, this is because the mint leaves were broken too much, preventing the wind element from forming a stable cycle, and causing it to spread disorderly."

As Ron relit the fire, he continued to ponder the phenomenon:

"Therefore, the wind element needs a complete carrier to function. Just like the Thunder and Fire Tyrant in the bloodline needs a complete dragon head structure."

"If the structure is damaged, the force will spread out of control and fail to achieve the desired effect."

He began to understand why the magic often went out of control during his previous training.

The problem wasn't with the power itself, but rather with the lack of a suitable "vessel" for that power.

Next up is the deep-sea kelp segment.

Although the activity of the kelp has been greatly reduced, it is still barely usable.

"Water element harmonizes conflict" - the soup's color begins to change after kelp is added to the pot.

The originally chaotic yellow-green liquid began to show distinct shades of blue-green under the influence of kelp.

"Oh! The color has become more beautiful!" Dale exclaimed excitedly, pointing at the pot.

"Just like the color of the sea under the sunlight!"

Indeed, although there are many problems in the process, the water element is clearly playing a harmonizing role.

The chaotic energy began to stabilize, and the soup stopped boiling violently.

"I see." Ron seemed to understand.
"The role of water is not to enhance or weaken, but to harmonize."

Just like the compressed magic within me, its function is to provide a bridge for communication between different bloodlines.

"I was always thinking about how to control the lightning and the chaotic bloodline, but I forgot that they need a mediator to coordinate their relationship."

Finally, it was time for the scorching mushrooms.

These oddly shaped mushroom slices he cut still exuded a strong fire elemental aura.

"Fire element activates fusion." The moment the mushroom slices were added to the pot, the entire soup began to react violently.

Different elements begin to truly fuse under the catalysis of fire, and strange changes in light appear on the surface of the soup.

Four colors—golden yellow, emerald green, deep blue, and fiery red—flowed across the liquid surface like a dazzling aurora borealis.

"What a beauty"

Dale stared intently: "Just like those bioluminescent creatures in the deepest part of the ocean."

Even Ailan had to admit:

"Although the process was somewhat tortuous, this phenomenon of element fusion is indeed very special."

However, as the integration progressed, new problems arose.

Due to the varying quality of different ingredients, the speed at which different elements blend varies greatly.

The earth element was depleted first, followed by the wind element, the water element barely held on, and only the fire element remained highly active.

The soup began to show an unstable state—it would boil for a while, then calm down, and its color kept changing.

"It's like the state when blood vessels are in sync."

Ron stared at the strange phenomenon in the pot and gained a new insight:

"Different blood vessels have different levels of activity, and if they are not actively regulated, this imbalance will occur."

"I need to learn to observe the state of each force and then supplement or suppress it as appropriate."

He began experimenting with using magic to make fine adjustments.

When the fire element becomes too active, he infuses it with a trace of water element magic to balance it.
When the overall energy tends to subside, he releases a small amount of wind element to activate the cycle.

Although the technique is still very rough, the principle is correct.

With his intervention, Tang's condition gradually stabilized.

"Master learns so quickly!" Dale clapped her hands in praise.
"It was a mess at first, but now it looks like it was made by a professional chef!"

"There has indeed been progress," Ailan had to admit.
"Although there were some issues with the preparation of the ingredients, the owner quickly grasped the concept of elemental balance."

Twenty minutes later, the "elemental soup" was finally ready.

Although the color looks a bit strange, it's not the "nebula-like brilliance" described in the recipe, but a strange purplish-green.

But at least, it smells pretty good.

Let me have a taste.

Ron carefully scooped up a spoonful and brought it to his mouth.

The taste was...well, it was really strange.

The refreshing aroma of mint, the umami flavor of kelp, the sweetness of radish, and the fragrance of mushrooms all blend together to create a unique and indescribable taste.

It's not that it tastes good, nor is it that it tastes bad; it's just... very unique.

"How is it?" Ailan and Dyer looked at him curiously.

"The taste is a bit...unique," Ron commented honestly.

"but."

He carefully observed his own growth, and felt a sense of surprise and delight.

"The results are better than I expected! I can feel that my self-control has indeed improved a bit!"

Indeed, while the soup wasn't exactly a success in terms of taste, it was surprisingly effective in terms of its function.

Perhaps it was because during the production process, he unintentionally simulated the entire process of bloodline coordination—from imbalance to regulation, from conflict to integration.

This kind of firsthand experience is more valuable than any theoretical knowledge.

"Then I want to try some too!" Dale ran over excitedly, opening her little mouth to wait for food.

Ron fed her a spoonful, and the siren girl's eyes immediately lit up:
"What an amazing feeling! It's like swimming in four different seas at the same time!"

Although Ailan lacks taste organs, the roots under her skirt can simulate taste to some extent.

After tasting it, she also showed a surprised expression:

"Although the preparation process was quite complicated, this is indeed an effective dish that harmonizes the elements. Master, your talent is even greater than I imagined."

“No, it’s not a matter of talent.” Ron shook his head. “It was failure that taught me what was truly important.”

"If I succeeded from the start, I would only learn the superficial skills."

But through these failures, I learned the characteristics of each element, the importance of balance, and the necessity of patient observation.

"These experiences may be more helpful for blood circulation than a perfect soup."

Looking at the mess in the kitchen and the strangely colored soup in the pot, he felt a sense of accomplishment.

Although the process was clumsy and the result was not perfect, this was his first truly independent practice.

"Alright, now it's time to clean the kitchen."

He rolled up his sleeves, ready to clean up the mess.

"Let me help this time," Ailan said gently.

"You have learned the most important things; leave the rest to us."

"And," she said with a hint of mischief in her tone, "it's also..."
"If you keep doing this, the whole kitchen will probably need to be renovated."

In this warm atmosphere, a familiar voice came from the depths of Ron's consciousness.

"Honey, you sound like you're in a really good mood today."

Nari's thoughts were transmitted through the blood connection: "Mom can feel your inner contentment."

"It seems our little wizard has finally learned to enjoy life."

Acelia's voice also carried a sense of relief:

“Before, you always seemed to be being chased by something, but now you’ve finally slowed down a bit.”

Ron smiled inwardly in response:

"Perhaps it's because I've found out what I truly need."

(End of this chapter)