Wizard: My career panel has no upper limit

Chapter 517 Obelisk

"Before we officially begin work, I need to introduce you to two colleagues."

Vinard's tone became more formal:

"They are the highest-ranking administrators in this colony besides me, and they will be your most important partners in your future work."

“Alistair, Ella, come to the academy.”

Vinard spoke softly to the magic circle.

The sound traveled to a distant place through spatial folding.

Less than half a minute later, two figures slowly emerged from the light.

The first one to emerge was a tall, middle-aged male wizard.

His appearance gives the first impression of "precision".

Every strand of hair was neatly combed, the dark blue robe was without a single wrinkle, and even the steps of walking maintained a strict rhythm.

“Alistair Leonard, a Dark Sun-level wizard, and also a senior associate professor at the Tower of Resonance.”

Vinard introduced the topic succinctly, his tone revealing obvious pride:
“My most outstanding student is also the chief technology officer of this colony.”

Alistair stepped forward and bowed to Vinard in the manner of an apprentice.

"tutor."

His voice was deep and steady:
"The efficiency of reactor No. 7 has increased by 0.3 percentage points, and the new catalyst ratio has completed final testing."

Even greetings should be accompanied by a work report.

This meticulous, almost rigid personality immediately reminded Ron of certain old scholars.

In stark contrast to Alistair was the female wizard beside him.

Ella's appearance was like a spring breeze blowing across a winter snowfield.

Her chestnut-brown hair cascaded down her shoulders like a waterfall, interspersed with a few strands of red hair that seemed to leap like flames.

That's the signature feature of the Elemental Garden Wizard.

"Ella, my partner."

Alistair's tone softened subtly when he spoke of his wife:
"She was responsible for the ecological balance and the management of people's livelihood in the colony."

Ella gracefully approached Vinard, bowing slightly:
"Teacher, you look great. How's the new energy regulation system working?"

“Very good.” Vinard nodded in confirmation, then turned to Ron:
"Now, let me introduce our new colleagues to you."

Vinard's tone carried a slightly boastful smugness:
“Alistair, this is lecturer Ron Ralph.”

An advisor with an 'artistic' rather than 'engineering' perspective in the cognitive domain.

This introduction immediately positioned Ron as someone who was out of step with the mainstream of the colony.

Ron could sense subtle changes in the air.

Alistair's eyes sharpened.

From the young man's robes and accessories to the fluctuations in his magical energy, every detail was carefully observed and analyzed.

"Instructor Ralph".

He bypassed all formalities and went straight to the point:

“I have read your report, and the theory of ‘Symphony of Souls’ is indeed…imaginative.”

He frowned: "But I'd like to ask a practical question."

Alistair took a measuring device from his robes:
"How do you quantify the emotion of 'despair' as a 'diminished fifth' interval? How many momes does it have? How are the specific parameters of the amplitude of mental fluctuations calculated?"

He held the measuring device between the two men:

"Without precise data, artistic metaphors are meaningless in alchemy."

Emotions may be wonderful, but they can't power a reactor, optimize rune arrays, or improve the colony's actual effectiveness.

These words almost dismissed Ron's theory as "useless".

The air around us became tense.

Vinard watched the "academic exchange" with great interest, without making any move to interfere.

Ella frowned slightly, clearly worried about her husband's directness.

But Ron showed no sign of panic.

He looked at the measuring device in Alistair's hand, a slight smile even playing on his lips:

“Associate Professor Alistair, that’s an interesting question.”

Ron didn't rush to refute, but instead thought about it carefully for a few seconds:
"But I'd like to ask you a question first: can you use that sophisticated instrument to measure whether the music is harmonious or not?"

Alistair answered without hesitation:

"Of course. By analyzing the frequency ratios of sound waves, we can accurately determine the consonance of any interval."

“Then,” Ron pressed on.
"Will a note of exactly the same frequency produce the same emotional effect in different musical contexts?"

This question made Alistair frown slightly.

He certainly knew the answer was no.

The same note can be a victory horn in a joyous march, or a heavy sigh in a mournful requiem.

"We cannot use a ruler to measure whether musical notes are harmonious or not."

Ron's logic is clearer:

“We perceive its meaning through its relationship with the tonic. Parameters are important, but what determines its nature are ‘relation’ and ‘inclination’.”

He gently closed his silver pocket watch:
“The parameter of ‘despair’ is not a constant value; it depends on the intensity of its desire to be resolved by the ‘main theme’ of ‘hope’.”

"When the intensity of despair is X, if the concentration of hope in the environment is Y, then the resulting 'solution tendency' follows a dynamic functional relationship."

Ron began to draw formulas in the air using magic:
"This is an active relational function, just as the reaction rate depends not only on the concentration of reactants, but also on temperature, pressure, and the presence of a catalyst."

Alistair remained silent for a few seconds.

As a rigorous scholar, he had to admit that Ron's logic was self-consistent.

While I still have reservations about this "artistic" research method, at least it is not entirely baseless speculation.

"That's certainly a novel perspective." He put away the measuring device.
"While I still believe that quantification is the foundation of all research, your 'relational theory' does offer a...new perspective."

This is the highest praise Alistair could give.

Just as the atmosphere reached a delicate balance, Ella's soft laughter dispelled the tension in the space like a gentle breeze.

“Alistair, discussing such profound issues on our first meeting will scare our new colleague.”

She stepped forward with a smile, her voice as warm as the spring sun:
"Instructor Ron, you must be tired from your journey. Let me take you to your accommodations and help you get familiar with the surroundings."

She took over the conversation quite naturally.

“Then let’s arrange it this way.” Vinard nodded to Ella:
“Take him to see the core area of ​​the colony and let him understand the specific situation here.”

“Alistair, you continue with your reactor optimization.”

"We'll discuss the specific teaching plan after Ron is settled."

After Vinard and Alistair left, Ella's smile faded slightly.

"Don't mind Alistair, he's like that with everyone."

As she led Ron toward the garden outside the academy, she explained softly:
"He has been following his teacher since he was an apprentice, and has focused on technical research for many years."

In his world, everything can be described using data and formulas.

"But he's by no means malicious. In fact, if your idea is truly valuable, he'll be your staunchest supporter."

Ron nodded in understanding.

In academia, this conflict between conservatism and innovation is a perennial theme.

Alistair's questioning is reasonable, even beneficial—it helps to make new theories more rigorous.

As they spoke, they arrived at a spacious open-air plaza.

This is the core living area of ​​the colony, home to residents of various races.

When Ella appeared in the square, almost everyone greeted her.

"Lady Ella, the weather is so nice today!"

A three-eyed mother walked over, holding her mixed-race child:
"Little Karen has successfully predicted tomorrow's weather for the first time today, and he wants to report to you in person."

Karen is a boy of about seven years old who has a human body structure, but has a small silver vertical eye in the center of his forehead.

He looked at Ella shyly and said in a childish voice:
"Aunt Ella, there will be a light rain tomorrow afternoon from three to five o'clock."

The raindrops were a standard 3.2 magnitude, which is beneficial for plant growth.

Ella knelt down to the child's eye level, her eyes filled with love:

"Wow, little Karen is amazing! Her predictions are even more accurate than the weather station's!"

She took a candy from her bosom:
"This is a reward. Keep practicing!"

Little Karen happily accepted the candy, then glanced curiously at Ron a few times before leaving with her mother.

"To us, every child is a miracle."

Ella stood up again, her voice filled with emotion:
"The Three-Eyed Clan's precognitive abilities, the Danasu Clan's life perception, the Stoker's affinity for metals..."

When these talents combine with human blood, the possibilities are limitless.

She pointed to the school building in the distance of the square:

There are nearly three hundred mixed-race children there, each with a unique combination of talents.

They are the future of this colony, and the bridge connecting different civilizations.

Just as Ron was immersed in this harmonious scene, a discordant voice suddenly rang out:
"Oh? Is this the 'advisor' who wrote a 'music report' and won the professor's favor?"

The owner of the voice was a middle-aged wizard dressed in a magnificent robe.

His robes were inlaid with countless tiny silver threads, each one glittering in the sunlight.

He wore a runic badge on his chest, the mark of a professional enchanter.

The wizard's expression clearly carried arrogance and disdain, as if he had seen something repulsive.

"I heard that his first job here was cleaning mud off Titan's feet."

He deliberately spoke to his companion in a voice that was neither too loud nor too soft:
"It seems that even the 'philosophical thoughts' of janitors are now so valuable. Times have really changed."

The irony in those words was so obvious that the atmosphere became awkward.

Some residents who were out in the square cast curious or worried glances at the scene.

Ella's face immediately darkened: "Silas, watch your words."

Silas Draven, a wizard from a traditional enchanting family in the main world.

He shrugged, a completely insincere smile on his face:

"Ms. Ella, I'm just stating the facts."

Didn't Mr. 'Consultant' begin his work here by cleaning up the sludge?

"Those of us who have worked hard in technical positions for many years inevitably experience some emotional fluctuations when we see some 'newcomers' easily receiving special treatment."

His companion, another enchanter, nodded in agreement:

“Yes, we all know that Associate Professor Silas’s enchanting skills are second to none in the entire colony. But the allocation of contribution points seems to favor those ‘creative’ newcomers.”

This blatant provocation caused the onlookers to begin whispering among themselves.

Clearly, this is not the first time Silas has publicly expressed his dissatisfaction.

Just as Ella was about to respond further, Ron gently patted her shoulder, indicating that he would handle it.

“Associate Professor Silas, is that right?” Ron’s voice held no anger.
“You’re right, I did start by cleaning up the sludge. And I must admit, that sludge taught me a lot.” His frank admission surprised Silas slightly.

This was not the reaction he expected.

"For example, I learned how to identify the characteristics of different emotional residues, how to deal with complex mental pollution, and how to transform seemingly useless 'garbage' into valuable research materials."

Ron smiled and looked at Silas:
"I would like to ask you, although your enchanting skills are traditional, they must also involve the processing of emotional energy, right?"

Would you be willing to share your relevant experiences with me?

This approach of using softness to overcome hardness completely caused Silas's attack to lose its target.

The more sarcastic remarks he had prepared seemed extremely childish in front of Ron.

"I... of course, enchanting does require dealing with various forms of energy..."

Silas stammered, clearly not expecting such a response.

"That's great!"

Ron's eyes gleamed with keen interest:
"Perhaps we can find time to discuss in detail my 'theory of harmony' and your traditional enchanting techniques; they might produce an interesting collision."

This enthusiastic attitude made Silas clear his throat somewhat awkwardly:
"Uh... okay, if there's time..."

Then he hurriedly left the scene with his companions.

The onlookers began to whisper among themselves, but the atmosphere had shifted from tension to admiration.

Ella looked at Ron, somewhat surprised:

"Well handled, more effective than a direct counterattack."

She had already gathered her mental energy, preparing to use "Shockwave Direction" to drive Silas away.

“Thank you,” Ron said sincerely.

"But I'd like to know the specifics of Silas's situation. His dissatisfaction doesn't seem to be directed solely at me personally?"

Ella sighed helplessly:
"Silas's family is quite prestigious in the main world, with enchanting skills passed down for hundreds of years. His skills are indeed very solid, but too... traditional."

As she continued showing Ron around, she explained:
“In this colony, we need more than just technical proficiency; we need innovation and adaptability.”

“Silas has always worked according to the family tradition and lacks groundbreaking thinking.”

His contributions stagnated, while some younger enchanters gained more recognition through innovation.

"In addition, he always believed that he should be the teacher's core assistant, so he was full of hostility towards any 'newcomer'."

This explanation helped Ron understand Silas's motivations.

"Is his skill really as good as he claims?" Ron asked curiously.

“That is certainly true in traditional fields,” Ella commented fairly.
"If you need an enchanted piece of equipment made strictly according to classic standards, Silas is the best choice."

But if a breakthrough solution is needed…

She shook her head: "He has a hard time breaking out of his established thought patterns."

As night fell, Ella led Ron to the administrative heart of the colony.

"Contribution Obelisk"

Ella gazed up at the hundred-meter-high floating crystal before her:
"This is the core of the entire colony's operation, and the goal and testament to everyone's efforts."

This obelisk is made entirely of pure blue crystal and presents a perfect four-sided pyramidal structure.

It floats silently at a height of about fifty meters above the ground, without any supporting structure around it, relying solely on its complex internal gravity regulation system to maintain balance.

"This obelisk records the name and contribution of every official member of the colony."

Ella points to different areas of the obelisk:

"The top area displays management information, the middle section shows department heads, and the bottom section shows ordinary staff."

Ron carefully observed the flowing text.

At the very top of the obelisk, two names are displayed in font twice the size of the other runes:

[Alistair Leonard: Contribution Value 47382]

[Ella Leonard: Contribution Value 39547]

These two numbers shocked Ron.

What level of effort and dedication does a contribution of nearly 50,000 mean?
"Your and Mr. Alistair's contribution value. What does this number represent?"

Ella's expression became complex, a mixture of pride and a hint of weariness:

"Three hundred years of accumulation. Every technological breakthrough, every crisis management, and every successful project is accurately recorded and evaluated by the system."

She gently touched a small badge on her chest, a miniature version of an obelisk:

"This badge is synchronized with the obelisk, recording our work and contributions in real time."

For each task completed and each problem solved, the corresponding contribution points will automatically increase.

Ron noticed that below the couple's names were more than a dozen other names with contribution values ​​exceeding 10,000.

These should be the core members of the colony.

In the lower middle section of the obelisk, hundreds of names are densely displayed, with contribution values ​​ranging from several thousand to several hundred.

"A recruited Moon-level wizard needs to accumulate 5,000 contribution points to obtain a pioneering certificate."

Ella's voice became more serious:
"According to our statistics, most people need to work here for at least thirty years to accumulate this number. The competition is extremely fierce."

She pointed to an area in the middle of the obelisk, where bright red countdown numbers were marked next to the names:
"The red numbers you see represent their remaining years of service."

Each Moonlight-level wizard has a basic service period set when signing a contract.

Ron carefully observed the countdowns, a chill running down his spine.

Justin Reeves: Contribution Value 1247
Remaining service years: 19 years and 7 months

[Gail Ross: Contribution Value 3891]
Remaining service years: 12 years and 3 months

[Berendilbek: Contribution value 2156]
Remaining service years: 27 years and 8 months

Behind every name is a wizard bound by a long-term contract.

They were precisely quantified into contribution value and years of service.

What are the specific terms of the contract?

Ron thought about the quarterly settlement targets he had agreed upon with Vinard.

Seeing these clear contribution values ​​again, he asked with some doubt.

Ella seemed to have anticipated his question and explained directly:
"They work for ten years at a time before they get a vacation to return to the main world."

The maximum leave period is three months, after which the employee must return to continue serving.

"Everyone must sign a strict confidentiality agreement and must not disclose the specific situation, technical details, or strategic plans of the colony to any outsider."

At this point, her tone turned unusually cold and sharp:
"The punishment for violating a confidentiality agreement is worse than death."

The teacher possesses a specialized 'cleansing technique' capable of erasing parts of the memories and supernatural abilities of those who violate the rules.

"In the worst-case scenario, the defaulter will be removed from the list of ordinary people and exiled to a desolate planet to fend for themselves."

The cruelty of this punishment secretly alarmed Ron.

For a wizard, losing professional knowledge and their own magic is indeed more terrifying than simply dying.

That means falling from a transcendent being to a mortal, losing all the power and status one once possessed.

"but."

Ella glanced at Ron, her eyes holding a deeper meaning:
"Your situation seems to be somewhat special."

The teacher did not ask you to sign any confidentiality agreement, nor did they restrict your personal freedom.

The witch's tone softened:
"According to the teacher, after you complete the four quarters of the course in a year, you can choose to return to the main world once."

This treatment was unprecedented in the history of the colonies.

"However, you will still need to bear the basic cost of the portal yourself. It will cost one hundred complete magic stones to return to the main world once."

One hundred magic stones is not a small amount for a Moon-level wizard, but it is not an excessively heavy burden either.

With Ron's current savings, he can easily afford this expense.

"Is this price reasonable?" he asked tentatively.

"That's already quite a good deal," Ella nodded firmly.

"Intergalactic teleportation consumes an enormous amount of energy, so one hundred magic stones is just a symbolic fee. You can inquire around to find out that we don't profit from it."

"In fact, other Moon-level wizards would need to pay a 'teleportation fee' of one thousand magic stones if they wanted to return."

A tenfold price difference.

This comparison made Ron truly realize the special nature of his treatment.

Vinard not only did not restrict his freedom, but also gave him the most favorable transfer fee.

Ella gently shook her head: "All I can say is that the teacher has very high expectations for you."

"But at the same time, this special treatment also means greater responsibility and pressure."

If your performance does not prove that this trust is worthwhile.”

Her meaning was very clear.

Ron stared silently at the flashing names and numbers on the obelisk.

Each rune represents a person's efforts and sacrifices, and each number carries a heavy responsibility.

He, a newly arrived "outsider," gained a special status that others envied.

This preferential treatment presents both an opportunity and a challenge.

"Your and Mr. Alistair's contributions should have been enough to establish an independent colony long ago, right?"

Ron suddenly realized something: "Why stay here?"

This question made Ella's expression soften but become firm:
"Because this is our home."

She looked up at the top of the obelisk, where her name and her husband's name were displayed.
“Alistair has been working with his master since his apprenticeship, and every inch of this land bears the mark of his sweat and blood.”

"And here I have the ecosystem I nurtured with my own hands, the children I watched grow up, and the civilized community we built together."

"Of course we can leave and establish our own colony."

But then we would just be two lonely rulers, no longer members of this family.

That's wonderful! These three have already formed a little family of three...

Ron was touched by the tenderness in Ella's eyes.

Speaking of which, who will be around me when I establish my own colonies in the future...?

Just as he was immersed in these thoughts, a new name suddenly appeared on the obelisk:
Ron Ralph: Contribution Value 0 | Special Advisor

Unlike the others, his name was not followed by red numbers indicating the remaining years of service, but instead marked in silver with the title "Special Advisor".

This change immediately attracted the attention of other wizards in the vicinity.

Several Moon-level wizards working in the core area cast curious and envious glances at them.

"It seems the teacher has officially entered you into the system."

Ella smiled and said:

"The designation of 'special advisor' is a first in colonial history."

Ron could sense the mixed emotions in the eyes of the others.

There was envy, doubt, and a hint of hostility.

(End of this chapter)