Wizard: My career panel has no upper limit

Chapter 522 Answering Questions with Questions
Three days after the amulet incident, Lila took the initiative to find Ron.

The changes in this three-eyed mixed-race girl surprised even herself.

“Mentor, I’ve discovered that my third eye… seems to have undergone some strange change.”

She excitedly reported her latest discovery to Ron:
“Before, I could only perceive the emotional fluctuations of the moment, but now, I can ‘see’ something deeper.”

“For example?” Ron put down his lesson plan and looked at her intently.

"For example, this table."

Lila pointed to the oak desk in front of Ron, and her third eye on her forehead slowly opened:

"I can see the focus of the craftsmen who made it when polishing it, I can see the pain when the wood was felled, and I can even feel every spring, summer and autumn that this tree experienced during its growth."

Her voice trembled with an almost awe:

“These are all ‘traces of history,’ aren’t they? Just like you said before.”

Ron's heart skipped a beat.

The awakening of this ability happened much faster than he had expected.

"Lila, would you like to try a more in-depth exercise?"

He took out an ordinary silver coin from his storage bag and placed it on the table:

"Try to tell me what this coin has been through."

Lila carefully focused her attention on the silver coins.

The silver light of the third eye became even brighter, as if it were adjusting some kind of invisible "focus".

"I saw... a miner's hands, rough but strong. He was digging for silver ore in the dark mine..."

Her voice sounded distant, as if she were in another time and space:
"Then came the workshop, with flames, the sound of hammers, and sweat... When the silver coins were minted, the craftsmen were calm, but also a little tired."

"Next, I saw a merchant who used this silver coin to buy a bouquet of flowers for his beloved woman. That joy still lingers on the silver coin to this day..."

Ron nodded in satisfaction.

“Excellent, Lila.”

Once your mental strength reaches the required level, you will be able to master the basic skills of [Historical Research].

He took back the silver coins:
"But remember, this ability needs to be used with caution. Some histories are filled with pain and trauma, and going too deep into them can harm your mental health."

“I understand, mentor.” Lila nodded earnestly. “I will be careful.”

"Then, we can try some more systematic training next..."

………………

On the other hand, although he has been teaching students recently, Ron has not neglected his own training.

That evening, he sat alone in the small kitchen of his college dormitory, with "The Complete Guide to the Extraordinary" in front of him.

He wanted to restart his cooking training for "multi-element soup," but found that he couldn't find any ingredients that perfectly matched the four elements at Cuihuan No. 2.

Blanched mushrooms, deep-sea kelp, mountain mint leaves, rock radish...

These specialties of the main world simply do not exist in the alien colonies.

"It seems I need to seek some guidance."

Ron gently stroked the cover of "The Complete Guide to the Extraordinary":

Do you have any suggestions regarding food substitutes?

The pages began to turn automatically, eventually stopping on a blank page.

As before, there was no direct answer this time; instead, a fairytale-style illustration slowly appeared.

In the picture, a little mouse wearing a chef's hat is standing in front of a huge storage room, surrounded by all sorts of strangely shaped ingredients.

But the little mouse looked confused.

Because the recipe in its hand says "golden cheese is needed," while the pantry only contains fruits, vegetables, and grains of various colors.

"Once upon a time, there was a little mouse named Jerry who aspired to become a great chef."

The Complete Explanation of the Extraordinary Begins to Tell a New Allegory:

"It got an old recipe book that showed how to make the 'perfect cheesecake'."

But the recipe calls for the use of 'golden cheese,' 'silver flour,' 'copper eggs,' and 'iron butter.'

The illustrations begin to move, showing a little mouse anxiously rummaging through the storeroom:

Jerry searched the entire pantry but couldn't find any of the specified ingredients.

It began to wonder if these miraculous materials even existed in the world at all.

"Just as it was about to give up, a wise old cat appeared."

A blue shorthaired cat wearing glasses walks into the scene and slowly strolls over to the little mouse.

"'Child, what are you looking for?' the old cat asked."

"I need golden cheese, but we only have white cheese here," the little mouse replied dejectedly.

'Then tell me, what does gold mean?' the old cat asked in return.

'Uh…luxurious? Warm? Or…mature?' the little mouse said uncertainly.

The old cat in the illustration nodded:

“‘Very good, so what else do you think, besides cheese, can embody these qualities?’”

The little mouse began to re-examine the ingredients it had previously overlooked in the pantry:

"A ripe kumquat exudes a warm fragrance and has a golden luster on its surface;
A bottle of aged honey, thick and sweet, with a luxurious amber color;
Even a handful of roasted oats, golden and plump, brimming with the ripe scent of the earth…

"So, 'golden cheese' doesn't refer to a specific type of cheese, but rather to all ingredients that possess 'golden quality'!"

The little mouse suddenly realized something and began to examine everything in the storeroom with a completely new perspective.

At the end of the illustration, the little mouse successfully made the perfect cake.

However, the ingredients it uses are completely different from those described in the recipe, yet it exudes the same enticing aroma.

After the story ended, a line of golden text appeared on the page:

"So, what do you see in this parable?"

Ron pondered the story he had just heard:
"Jerry succeeded in the end because it changed the way people think."

No longer confined to the literal meaning of recipes, it began to truly understand the essence behind each ingredient.

“A good start.” The words continued to appear on the page:
"Then tell me, what is the essence of 'golden cheese'?"

"Luxurious, warm, mature..."

As Ron thought about it, he said, "These are qualities, not specific material forms."

"Therefore, the key to finding alternative ingredients is..."

"The Complete Guide to Extraordinary Things" does not provide answers, but rather continues to guide the reader.

"Find other things that have the same essential characteristics."

Ron suddenly realized:

“I’ve been looking for ‘scorching mushrooms,’ but what I really need is any vessel that can embody the ‘essence of fire.’”

"So, what is the essence of fire?"

This question made Ron think deeply.

He recalled the scenes he had seen in the history of the stoker planet:

Angry workers, blazing furnaces, transforming metal...

“Passion and transformation,” he said slowly.

"Fire is not just about high temperatures, but also a force that can change the state of things."

"Brilliant insight! Continue, what is the essence of water?"

"Inclusivity and fluidity... The essence of wind is freedom and communication... The essence of earth is stability and bearing."

Ron became more and more excited as he spoke, as if the door to wisdom was slowly opening before his eyes:

"Therefore, I don't need to look for specific food forms; I just need to find any carrier that can contain these essences!"

"Alright, you understand completely now."

A smiley face appeared on the page:
"Form is the surface, essence is the core. A true alchemist is never bound by appearances."

But just then, Ron suddenly realized something.

He paused to think and re-examined the conversation that had just taken place.

"The Complete Guide to the Extraordinary" never tells him the answers, but rather guides him to his own conclusions through a series of carefully designed questions.

This teaching method...

“Wait a minute,” Ron said softly, “this kind of heuristic guidance…”

He recalled his performance in class.

When faced with students' confusion, he would ask questions step by step, allowing students to find the answers themselves, rather than directly imparting knowledge.

"Speaking of which, I feel that the teaching techniques I've been practicing recently are quite similar to your guiding methods, aren't they?"

The text on the pages began to refresh, and then a line of playful words appeared:
"Smart students can always apply what they've learned to other situations. So, what do you think about that?"

This obvious avoidance of the question deepened Ron's doubts.

He carefully reflected on his teaching practice over the past few months.

His experience taking classes at the Crystal Spire, aside from the very beginning, was that in his later advanced classes, the students were all elite apprentices with sufficient skill levels.

They have enough comprehension and talent on their own, so they don't need to put too much effort into teaching methods and stimulating talent.

But things are different here. Not to mention the various psychological problems these mixed-race apprentices have developed due to their upbringing.

Judging from their skill level and knowledge, there are fewer than a handful of students in the class who have even reached the level of an intermediate apprentice. He needs to teach them many things from scratch.

Teaching the mixed-race apprentices on "Cuihuan No. 2" was a difficult task, and he should have been even more at a loss.

But in reality, he is able to instinctively employ the most appropriate teaching strategies—listening, guiding, and inspiring—rather than commanding and indoctrinating.

These skills, aside from some practical experience at the Crystal Spire, were mostly learned subtly through dialogue with "The Complete Guide to the Extraordinary".

"You've always been teaching me how to be a good teacher, haven't you?"

Ron directly stated his guess: "It's not just about occult knowledge, but also about teaching methods."

"Oh? Why do you think that?"

"The Extraordinary Explained" continues to respond with rhetorical questions.

But this response itself confirmed Ron's suspicions.

"Because you always answer questions with questions, always guide my own thinking, and never give a standard answer."

Ron's tone became more certain:
"This is exactly the method I use in the classroom. Let students discover the truth for themselves, rather than passively receiving knowledge."

The words on the page remained silent for a longer time, then a thought-provoking line appeared:

"Perhaps, true teaching is never about the transmission of knowledge, but about the ignition of wisdom."

This statement made Ron think even more deeply.

Meanwhile, another, even bolder guess formed in his mind.

Since he obtained this book, "The Complete Guide to Extraordinary Things," its level of intelligence has far exceeded his expectations.

Not only can they answer all kinds of questions, but they can also adjust their teaching strategies according to specific situations.

They even exhibit distinct personality traits—humorous, wise, and slightly playful.

This performance is so similar to the style of that "King of Absurdity".

"Are you... really just a copy?"

Ron asked tentatively:

"Or is it that some great being has imbued this book with their own consciousness?"

The words on the pages began to waver, as if they were somewhat guilty.

After a long while, a somewhat vague reply appeared:

"The lines between copy and original, consciousness and record, are always more blurred than we imagine... It really depends on how you think about it."

This ambiguous response only strengthened Ron's suspicions.

But he wisely didn't press the matter further.

Some secrets are best kept to yourself; there's no need to bring them out into the open, otherwise it'll make everyone look bad.

"Thank you for your guidance anyway."

Ron could only express his sincere gratitude:

"Whether you are a copy or... whatever, you have indeed helped me grow a lot."

"Ha, smart and polite children are always likable."

A smiley face reappeared on the page:
"The various tips we're giving you right now can all be considered after-sales service."

If you want to acquire new knowledge about occultism in the future, you'll still need to continue exchanging knowledge with me.

"And..." the book added:

"You are more talented than you think when it comes to teaching."

Perhaps that's why, among so many choices in the treasure trove, you found this book that's 'just right' for you.

That last sentence stirred a strange feeling within Ron.

Was it fate's arrangement, or some kind of meticulously planned scheme?

Perhaps there will never be a standard answer to this question.

Over the next few days, Ron embarked on a unique "ingredient exploration" during breaks between classes.

He no longer limited himself to traditional cooking ingredients, but began to use elemental perception to find natural products that contained specific essences.

On the middle branches of the crystal tree, he discovered a peculiar plant called "Sunburn Berry".

When the berries are fully ripe, they release a large amount of heat energy in a short period of time, like a miniature star explosion.

"This is the manifestation of the essence of fire."

Ron carefully picked the berries:

"It's not just about high temperatures, but also about the release of passion and the transformation of energy."

However, processing these berries proved to be much more difficult than expected.

Traditional physical compression can cause energy to be released prematurely, destroying the most essential "fire element".

He tried several methods and finally discovered that only by using mental power to guide the extraction of the purest fire element essence could he obtain it.

This process requires extremely precise control:

It is necessary to stimulate the energy conversion inside the berry, but the eruption should not be too violent.

Just like conducting a meticulously crafted symphony performance, every note must be just right.

In the root region of the crystal tree, he found a magical plant called "Resonance Moss".

This moss is translucent blue-green and produces ripples like water when touched.

Most impressively, it can automatically harmonize different types of magical fluctuations in the surrounding environment, bringing conflicting energies into harmony.

"This is the true essence of water—encompassing and flowing."

Treatment of resonant moss is relatively simple, but it is necessary to maintain its activity.

Ron learned to nourish the moss with gentle life energy, allowing it to continue to play a harmonizing role even after leaving its native environment.

The process of finding the wind element was the most interesting.

Countless microorganisms, almost invisible to the naked eye, float in the high atmosphere above Cuihuan-2.

These life forms, known as "echo spores," are specifically responsible for transmitting information and energy between different ecological regions.

They acted as living messengers, carrying the "dialogue" of the entire colony.

"Freedom and communication—this is indeed the core spirit of the wind."

Catching echo spores requires immense patience and skill.

Ron created a special energy grid and began to "invite" them to participate in the cooking process.

Only when spores "voluntarily" gather can they maintain their energy-transferring activity.

He found the answer to the final earth element in the area inhabited by the stokers.

They possess a type of "silent mineral salt" formed under immense pressure, with an extremely stable structure that contains the deepest, most tranquil power of the earth.

"Stability and bearing capacity—this mineral salt has withstood countless years of geological changes, which is a perfect interpretation of the essence of earth elements."

However, the processing of dormant mineral salts has become the biggest technical challenge.

This mineral has an exceptionally strong molecular structure, making it almost impossible to break down using ordinary methods.

Alchemical solvents disrupt its inherent energy balance, while heat treatment turns the tranquil earth into a raging force.

After numerous failures, Ron came up with an innovative method:

Use miniature Psychic Blast.

This involves using high-frequency oscillations to precisely loosen the molecular chains of mineral salts without damaging their overall structure.

This technique requires compressing the power of [Mental Blast] to an extremely low level while maintaining extremely high precision.

Just like using a scalpel instead of a sledgehammer, every tremor must be just right.

After countless practices, Ron gradually figured out this "micro-sculpting" level of mental manipulation.

[Mental Blast (Mastery) Experience +1]

[Mental Blast (Mastery) Experience +1]

[Mental Blast (Mastery) Experience +1]

……

Once all the alternative ingredients are ready, the real test has just begun.

Making "multi-element soup" with these entirely new ingredients requires a complete redesign of the cooking process.

The passion of the sun-kissed berries must harmonize with the agility of the echo spores, rather than clash with them;
Resonant moss needs to play a harmonizing role at the right time;

The dormant mineral salt provides a stable foundation, bearing the symphony of all elements.

My first attempt ended in the fryer frying.

The energy release from the Sunberry was so intense that it instantly evaporated all its liquid components.

The second time, he excessively suppressed the fire element, causing the entire soup to become bland and tasteless, like lukewarm water.

The third time, excessive use of dormant mineral salts caused all the active elements to fall into a dormant state.

Each failure deepened Ron's understanding of the interactions between elements.

He began to realize that these new ingredients were not merely "substitutes" for the old ones; they possessed unique characteristics and were tailored to specific needs.

The key to success is not to force them to operate according to the old model, but to create a completely new and harmonious way.

[Elemental Awareness (Mastery) Experience +1]

[Elemental Awareness (Mastery) Experience +1]

[Elemental Awareness (Mastery) Experience +1]

……

After a period of in-depth practice, Ron was surprised to discover an exciting phenomenon:

The efficiency of this "life-oriented training" was surprisingly no less than the high-intensity training in the main world.

His proficiency in all related skills is steadily increasing.

In addition, they also got enough mental rest.

The fatigue and anxiety caused by excessive exploitation have completely disappeared, replaced by a sense of ease and composure.

"I see……"

That evening, Ron sat in his dormitory, reflecting on the day's training results:
"The arduous training during my apprenticeship and the Morning Star level did bring me significant progress, but it also left me mentally exhausted and unable to continue."

I became increasingly tired, irritable, and impatient, and over time, my heart grew increasingly numb…

"The way of cultivation is indeed to maintain a balance between tension and relaxation in order to last long. This is the philosophy of our ancestors."

(End of this chapter)