Wizard: My career panel has no upper limit

Chapter 514 Refining the Soul
Vinard's attitude changed as quickly as a tide.

Just moments ago I was worried about the potential threat of the virus, but now I'm back to my pragmatic and efficient work mode.

"Alright, let's get back to the main topic."

Now that you've grasped the essence of the problem, the next step is to learn how to deal with that essence.

Several robotic arms carried out strangely shaped equipment and placed it in front of Ron.

Ron's first impression of this device was that it reminded him of some kind of hungry monster.

The main body is a black metal cylinder about half the height of a person, with densely packed twisted runes engraved on its surface.

These runes appeared and disappeared in the dim light, slowly wriggling like living things.

"This is the [Resentment Refining Instrument]."

Vinard's voice was smug:

"In the main world, manufacturing such equipment would be considered a serious crime, leading directly to trial in the Court of Truth, but here..."

His mechanical fingers lightly stroked the surface of the device, and the necromantic runes immediately glowed with an eerie green light:
“In my own territory, no one can tell me what I can study and what I cannot study.”

Ron frowned: "But, the prohibition against necromancy..."

"A ban?" Vinard laughed dismissively.

"Child, do you really think those old guys sitting in the wizard towers care about academic ethics?"

He turned around, his silver eyes filled with sneer:

"They only care about one thing—control. Control the spread of knowledge, control the distribution of power, control the direction of the entire civilization's development."

"Necromancy is forbidden in the main world because the number of apprentices there is too high, and if it gets out of control, it will threaten core interests."

Vinard's tone became deeper:

"But in an alien colony? Even if the entire planet becomes a paradise for the dead, no one will care."

This is just a resource extraction site, not a true 'home'.

"For this reason, once a Dark Sun-level wizard is reached, they are generally unwilling to return to the main world to live permanently."

He continued:

"In their own territory, they are absolute rulers, and can conduct any experiment they wish."

In the main world, however, they are merely supervised 'senior employees'.

"Moreover, exploring another world is inherently full of unknowns and dangers, requiring the use of every possible means."

Necrophysics, though dangerous, is, in certain situations, the most effective solution.

Ron nodded, beginning to understand the logic of this realism.

"Now, let me teach you how to use this 'forbidden artwork'."

Vinard activated the device's main console.

An indescribable sense of oppression began to permeate the air, as if one were standing deep within a cemetery.

"Your mission is simple, but also dangerous."

Vinard pointed to the densest area in the center of the tar lake:
"Too many souls died in the uprising, and their resentment, despair, and anger polluted the entire region like poison."

We need to 'distill' these emotions, like refining a spirit.

He operated the console, and the black, heart-shaped container began to beat violently:
"But remember, these energies are the pain of living."

Every trace of resentment carries the weight of a complete tragedy; every thread of despair is the final cry of a broken soul.

"If your will is not strong enough, you may be overwhelmed by these emotional torrents."

When the device's conduit came into contact with the tar surface, a strange green light immediately burst from the point of contact.

Immediately afterwards, the previously still tar began to surge violently, like an anthill that had been disturbed.

Through his spiritual perception, Ron clearly "saw" a chilling scene:
Countless translucent figures rose from the tar.

Some of them were missing arms, some had disfigured faces, and some had their bodies twisted into impossible shapes.

These fragments of the deceased's souls still retain the fear and pain of their final moments.

The ghost of a young miner is weeping silently, his hands futilely trying to cover the fatal wound on his chest;
The spirit of a mother, cradling the silhouette of her vanished child in her arms, her eyes burning with endless hatred for the abuser;

The lingering spirit of an old man, his mouth opening and closing, seemed to be repeating the last words he couldn't utter in life.
"Can you feel it?" Vinard's voice rang in my ears:

"This is the truth about death—not a peaceful sleep, but an eternal torment."

As the refining machine operated, these tormented souls began to be "decomposed".

The device breaks down complex emotional experiences into basic components in a way that Ron cannot understand.

Pure anger was extracted and condensed into blood-red crystals within the crimson crystal;
A profound despair was separated out, forming a liquid as deep as the night sky in a purple container;

The resentment and obsession of those who died turned into black powder, emitting a chilling energy fluctuation.

But the process did not go smoothly.

As the first wave of resentment was forcibly extracted, a shrill scream suddenly echoed from the tar lake.

The sound was unlike anything any living being could make.

Crying, roaring, wailing, and cursing intertwine to form a requiem of despair.

"What's wrong?" Ron asked anxiously.

“No problem, this is normal.” Vinard continued adjusting the equipment parameters:

“The dead do not want to be forgotten, nor do they want their suffering to become a tool for others. But such resistance is futile.”

“Look, this is the power of technology—even death itself can be quantified, analyzed, and utilized.”

As the power of the equipment increased, those rebellious fragments of souls began to weaken.

Their images became increasingly blurry, their sounds increasingly faint, and finally they completely dissipated into the energy vortex of the refining instrument.

Meanwhile, the pure [Soul Energy Crystals] gradually accumulated in the collector.

Each one exudes an alluring color.

“You look unwell.” Vinard observed Ron’s expression:
"This is a normal reaction. People who come into contact with Soul Refinement for the first time will experience a mental shock."

"But you must understand that these souls are already dead."

What we've done is simply recycling waste—transforming useless suffering into useful resources.

"Is doing this really appropriate?" Ron hesitated.

"Appropriate?" Vinard stopped what he was doing, turned around, and stared at him.
“Child, do you think it would be better to let these pains be trapped in tar forever, endlessly repeating the same torment?”

Ron was speechless and could only silently begin learning how to operate the instruments.

As he delved deeper into his work, he began to adapt to this strange environment.

He discovered that his ability to perceive the spirit world was unexpectedly honed in this environment.

At first, he could only passively "watch" those painful illusions.

But gradually, he began to be able to actively choose the content and depth of his perception.

“Not bad,” Vinard noticed the change in him:

"Your mental resilience is stronger than I thought."

Most people would suffer from nervous breakdowns after working in this environment for an hour, but you seem completely unaffected.

“This might be related to my meditation method,” Ron replied cautiously.

"The meditation method I practice has a certain resistance to mental shocks."

After a while, Vinard began to examine the monitoring program:

"Damn it, the third cooling system of the core reactor is malfunctioning again."

These damn automated programs always break down at the most crucial moments.

He turned to Ron:
"It seems I have to handle the problem over there myself. Can you manage the rest of the work on your own?"

"It should be fine." Ron nodded.
"I've mastered the basic operations; all that's left is to practice repeatedly."

"very good."

Vinard began packing up his tools:

"Remember, don't try to deal with fragments of the soul that seem particularly intense."

If any abnormal situation occurs, stop working immediately and contact me via communicator.

“Also,” he pointed to a red button next to the device:
"This is the emergency shut-off device. Press it immediately if the equipment experiences a loss of energy control."

Although we'll lose some valuable samples, it's better than turning you into a zombie.

After saying that, Vinard's metal puppet hurriedly left, leaving Ron working alone in the darkness.

Being alone actually made Ron feel more at ease.

Without Vinard's strong supervision, he can explore this forbidden subject at his own pace.

Ron took this opportunity to begin a more in-depth study of the composition of these soul fragments.

He discovered an interesting phenomenon:

The souls of the dead from different social classes exhibit completely different characteristics.

The fragments of the noble soldier's soul exhibit regular geometric shapes, with evenly distributed internal energy, like meticulously cut gemstones.

The souls of miners and slaves, on the other hand, appear broken and chaotic, with extremely uneven energy distribution, like shards of pottery that have been randomly smashed.

"This difference should be related to the degree of 'metallization' they underwent before their deaths."

Ron worked while thinking:
"The transformation of nobles is more refined, so their souls are more stable after death."

The crude and rudimentary methods used to transform ordinary people resulted in a fragile soul structure.

But even more interesting discoveries were yet to come.

When Ron tried to analyze those particularly broken souls, he unexpectedly discovered some "heterogeneous" elements.

"Technical assistance provided by Vinard."

He suddenly realized:
"Perhaps it includes some kind of 'transformation' on a spiritual level." Through more careful analysis, Ron discovered that these "heterogeneous" components were highly contagious.

They actively seek out and assimilate local energy in their surroundings, gradually changing the host's mindset and values.

"This is the real 'peaceful evolution'"

Ron recalled the concept Cassandra had once mentioned:
"No direct military conquest is needed; as long as seeds are sown at the level of thought, these seeds will take root and sprout on their own, eventually changing the entire civilization from within."

[Bonus: Magic (Proficient) Experience Points +1]

[Runeology (Proficient) Experience Points +1]

[Spirit Realm Perception (Beginner) Experience Points +1]

……

In fact, this cleaning job allows him to improve all three of his skills simultaneously, which is quite a efficient form of training.

I wonder if Vinard will assign him any other tasks after cleaning up those two stinky big feet of Titan...

By the time night fell again, he had dealt with most of the contaminated area.

But instead of reporting to Vinard immediately, he returned to his temporary lodgings and began to organize his day's gains.

Ron was self-aware; those grand questions concerning the nature of gods and the evolution of civilization were far beyond his current level.

He chose to record his observations from a more practical perspective.

"On the classification and characteristics of soul fragments."

Ron drew a comparison diagram in his notebook:

"Noble Soul: Stable structure, pure energy, suitable for extracting high-quality soul energy crystals; "

"Commoner souls: chaotic in structure but vast in quantity, suitable for mass processing."

Next, he began to analyze those "heterogeneous" energy components.

Although he couldn't fully understand the underlying mechanisms, he could record the observed phenomena:

"The heterogeneous components have obvious assimilation properties, and their penetration depth into the local energy can reach 30% of the soul's core."

"Souls influenced by heterogeneous elements exhibit a clear tendency towards 'rationalization' in their emotional expression, with their original religious fervor being replaced by pragmatic thinking."

These observations, though not in-depth, are true and reliable.

After completing the basic record, he did not stop writing.

As a multi-talented individual with diverse professional backgrounds, Ron begins to try to understand the phenomena he encounters today from different perspectives.

Although I am well aware of my limitations, some vague ideas are gradually taking shape in my mind.

"Perhaps I can try to think about these issues from a broader perspective."

He picked up his quill pen again and began writing the second part of the report:

A Preliminary Alchemical Exploration of the Social Structure of the Sterilizer Star and the Phenomenon of "Resentful Gold"

"During today's practical operation, I observed a phenomenon that is worth pondering:"

The formation of 'resentful gold' seems to be deeply connected to the social structure of the Stoker Star.

Ron carefully organized his words:

"Based on the memory information extracted from the fragments of the soul, the society of the Stoker Star exhibits a strict pyramid-shaped hierarchical system."

At the top of the hierarchy, the blast furnace aristocracy controls the purest metal resources and the most advanced 'metal-burning techniques';

Meanwhile, the lowest-level coal miners could only use substandard industrial waste for physical alterations.

He put down his pen and recalled those painful historical moments:
"But surprisingly, it is this unfair distribution of resources that has given rise to a new substance called 'resentment money'."

"My speculation is that 'complaint money' is essentially a product of the 'materialization of social contradictions'."

This was a bold theory, but Ron felt he had enough observations to support it:

"When the lower classes of society suffer from long-term oppression, their negative emotions such as anger, despair, and resentment will resonate with metal through a certain mechanism, thereby changing the basic properties of the metal."

This explains why the nobles' "pure gold magic" is powerless when faced with "resentful gold".

Because their technological system is built on the foundation of 'purity' and 'order,' while 'Yuanjin' represents 'pollution' and 'chaos.'

Having written this far, he carefully considered his options and decided to include his more in-depth thoughts and plans:

"From the perspective of conquest, this 'contaminant' has extremely high strategic value."

"If we can artificially create similar social conflicts, we can mass-produce this special metal."

This 'pollution' is contagious—once 'resentful metal' takes root locally, it gradually erodes the traditional metal-based belief system.

At this point, Ron paused to think for a long time.

"Of course, this is just a preliminary speculation based on limited observations."

The real mechanisms are probably far more complex than I imagined.

The third part is titled "Symphony of the Soul: Philosophical Reflections on the Purification and Application of Soul Energy".

This part of the writing was more difficult because it involved necronomics, which Ron had only recently begun to understand.

"During the process of soul refinement, I noticed:"

There exists a relationship between different emotions that is somewhat like an interval.

He began to try to use the language of music to describe the complexity of the soul:
“Anger and despair are like a diminished fifth in music—both sound harsh on their own, but if handled properly, they can create a powerful tension.”

"The combination of hope and discontent is similar to the 'Greater Seven' – close to harmony, but with a subtle sense of unease that makes people yearn for a solution."

Ron recalled the demonstration by the little sheep mentor in "The Complete Guide to the Extraordinary," trying to translate those abstract concepts into practical applications:

"Professor Vinard's existing technology focuses on 'separating' and purifying different emotions, much like breaking down a symphony into individual notes."

Although each note is pure, the overall harmony and beauty are lost.

"I was wondering, what if we viewed the process of refining the soul as conducting a symphony orchestra?"

This analogy excited Ron:
"For example, we can use 'anger' as the main theme, 'hope' as the harmony, 'despair' as the bass support, and then use 'unwillingness' as the driving force."

"If we can find the right chord configuration, we might be able to create a 'Soul Alloy' that is even more powerful and stable than 'Resentful Gold'."

He stopped writing, realizing the idea might be too far-fetched, and wrote down some concluding remarks as a remedy:
"Of course, these are just some immature ideas."

The similarity between emotion and music may only be a superficial phenomenon; a true realization requires extensive experimental verification.

"But I think it's worth a try."

After all, if the soul truly possesses a certain 'frequency' characteristic, then music theory might offer us entirely new ways to manipulate it.

Two days later, when Vinard was finally free from the emergency repairs, Ron's full report was already on his desk.

Vinard initially just glanced at it as a matter of routine.

After all, in his view, this was just an ordinary work summary.

But soon, his eyes were glued to it and he couldn't look away.

Ten minutes later, Vinard put down the report and fell into a long silence.

Five minutes later, he reactivated the language system:

"This... Ralph."

The electronic sound carried a sense of extreme confusion:

"I just wanted you to clean the toilets, and you presented me with a blueprint for a sewer system overhaul, along with a social report on urban epidemiology."

The analogy, once uttered, surprised even himself.

When did I, who am always known for my precision, start using this imaginative way of expressing myself?

"No, that analogy isn't accurate enough."

He rearranged his language:

"It's more like I asked you to fix a faulty gear, and you not only fixed the gear, but also designed a completely new transmission system along the way."

Vinard reopened the report, carefully reading every detail:
"Your sociological analysis of 'resentment money' is not deep enough, but it has a very unique perspective."

"And then there's the concept of 'Symphony of Souls'."

His voice was filled with keen interest:
"To be honest, I don't know if my thinking is too rigid, but I have never thought of this connection before. I use music theory to guide the manipulation of the soul."

Vinard began pacing back and forth in his office:

"I've always approached these problems with an engineer's mindset...analyze, break down, and rebuild."

But you reminded me that perhaps an artist's mindset can offer a completely new perspective.

He stopped in his tracks, his silver eyes fixed on the report:

"Chord configuration, emotional harmony"

These words sounded particularly strange in his electronic voice, like a computer trying to recite poetry.

But Vinard didn't feel out of place; on the contrary, he felt a long-lost mental arousal.

“You know what, Ron? It’s been a long time since I’ve experienced this kind of ‘epiphany’.”

"After becoming a great wizard, I thought I had mastered the optimal mode of thinking."

But your report made me realize that perhaps my thinking has become too mechanical.

His ethereal projection became more solid:

"Now let me see what kind of miracles can be created when the precision of an engineer is combined with the inspiration of an artist."

When Vinard uttered those last words, even he himself was somewhat surprised.

When did words like "inspiration" and "miracle" enter your vocabulary?

But he does not reject this change.

Instead, he began to look forward to tomorrow.

This feeling of anticipation was something he hadn't experienced for a long time since becoming a great wizard.

(End of this chapter)