Wizard: My career panel has no upper limit

Chapter 529 Ideological Pickling
The last door in the conference room closed quietly, leaving only Vinard and Ella.

The intelligent lighting system sensed the decrease in the number of people and automatically lowered the light intensity, making the entire space more private and quiet.

Vinard tapped his mechanical fingers a few times on the control panel, activating the room's complete soundproofing barrier.

"Now we can tell the truth."

He turned to Ella: "How do you think Silas will handle the next two weeks?"

Ella placed the notebook on the table and began organizing her observations:
"Given his personality, he would try his best to find loopholes in Ron's method and attempt to use data and facts to prove the instability and unreplicability of the 'resonance method'."

Her fingers gently traced the cover of the notebook: "But the problem is..."

"The problem is that he will find out he is wrong."

Vinard interrupted her, saying with absolute certainty:
“Actually, the purpose of arranging this ‘evaluation’ was not to restrict Ron from the beginning, but simply to give Silas a dignified opportunity for transformation.”

Ella paused for a moment, then a knowing look appeared on her face.

Vinard waved his mechanical hand in the air, and a file marked "Top Secret" was projected between the two of them:
"Silas Draven, the seventh generation descendant of the Draven family, has been working in the field of traditional enchanting for ninety-three years."

The archive pages slowly turned, displaying Silas's complete resume from apprentice to Moon-level wizard:
"Technical proficiency: 95 points, innovation ability: 23 points, adaptability: 31 points."

These figures, like cold scalpels, precisely outline Silas's capabilities:
An executor who is almost perfect within the established framework, but lacks the courage and wisdom to break through it.

"Ninety-three years of technical accumulation have made him a veteran in the field of enchanting, but also a prisoner of his way of thinking."

There was a hint of regret in Vinard's voice:
"His over-reliance on traditional methods has made him lose the ability to embrace new things."

Ella seemed to realize something:
"So, teacher, you want Silas to be influenced by Ron's methods and become more flexible?"

"What I need is not to eliminate dissidents, but to integrate all available forces."

Vinard stood up and walked towards the panoramic window of the conference room.

Through the transparent energy shield, the crystal tree could be seen emitting a soft glow in the night:
"Ron's abilities have been fully proven; now it's time to see if he has the leadership to turn enemies into friends."

After all, if he were to join our development project, I was planning to have him build a team semi-independently.

His silver eyes gazed into the distance:

"And Silas... needs an opportunity to rediscover himself."

If he can gain new insights in this process, then we've gained a more valuable collaborator. If not…

"Is this the concept of 'integration' that the great man always advocated to you, teacher?"

Ella walked over to him and also gazed at the view outside the window:
"Do not force changes, but proactively create conditions for the other party to change on their own."

"Yes, I have to thank Ron for the inspiration."

Vinard nodded in confirmation, looking at his mechanical hand with a touch of emotion:
"Forced change is often fragile; only genuine, heartfelt change is lasting."

.........

On the first day of the review period, when Silas pushed open the classroom door, his expression was like that of a scholar preparing to dissect a specimen.

Calm, focused, with a subtle hint of criticalness.

He chose a seat in the last row and took out a sophisticated recording device from his storage bag.

This is a composite monitoring device that can simultaneously record sound, magical fluctuations, and emotional changes, and is typically used for high-precision academic research.

Today, it will be used to find technical flaws in Ron's teaching methods.

"Traditional theory holds that elemental affinity is a direct manifestation of bloodline talent."

The black-robed wizard on the platform was using magic to draw four standard elemental runes on the projection screen, each stroke precise and fluid:
"Fire, water, wind, and earth correspond to different bloodline characteristics and magical frequencies. According to classic textbooks, this affinity is determined by nature and cannot be changed later in life."

Silas quickly jotted down the following on the recording device:
"In the initial stage of teaching, we follow the standard theoretical framework and conform to academic norms."

But what he said next made him frown slightly:
"But that's not the kind of understanding I'm going to talk about today; that kind of understanding is too superficial."

Ron turned to face the students, and then even walked off the podium:
"It only observed the phenomena, but did not delve into the underlying mechanisms."

Silas's pen paused briefly on the notebook.

As a staunch traditionalist, he was instinctively uneasy about any statement that challenged classical theories.

"Garren, I want to ask you a question."

Ron turned his gaze to the half-blood boy with the golden arm:

"In what state is your metal affinity at its strongest?"

Garen answered without hesitation:

“When I am angry, Master. When I feel angry, the resentful gold becomes unusually active, almost as if it has a life of its own.”

"Very good. West Germany, and you?"

The young man, of mixed Danasu descent, thought for a moment:

"When I focus on listening to the 'voice' of plants, and when I truly try to understand their needs, the efficiency of energy conversion increases significantly."

"Lila?"

The third eye of the three-eyed girl flickered slightly:

"When I genuinely want to understand someone, my perception becomes exceptionally sharp. If I'm driven by doubt or fear, my third eye becomes dull."

Silas quickly jotted down these answers, but a fierce internal struggle was raging within him.

According to traditional enchanting theory, emotional states are a disruptive factor to spell stability and should be strictly controlled and eliminated.

But the students' descriptions suggest the exact opposite conclusion.

"Did you notice the commonalities?"

Ron walked around the classroom, asking each student a question, then returned to the podium and looked around at every student in the class:
"Your elemental affinity reaches its optimal state only under specific emotional states. What does this indicate?"

He drew a new chart on the projection board:
“The elements are not simply ‘controlled’ by your bloodline, but rather inspired by your ‘intentions’ and ‘emotions’.”

Bloodline only provides basic compatibility; what truly determines the strength of affinity is the degree of resonance between one's inner state and the essence of the elements.

Silas's pen left a deep ink dot on the paper.

This theory is explicitly categorized in traditional academia as "emotional mysticism," a heretical idea considered to lack a scientific basis.

But Ron's next demonstration severely challenged his preconceived notions:

"Lila, can you activate your third eye using anger?"

"I...I'll try."

The three-eyed girl hesitated for a moment, but still followed her mentor's instructions and recalled a period of time that made her angry.

As anger burned within her, the silver eyes on her forehead suddenly opened, but the light they emitted was chaotic and blinding.

“What did you see?” Ron asked.

“It’s very chaotic…” Lila frowned:

"I can feel a lot of emotions, but they are all tangled together like a mess, and I can't tell them apart at all."

"Now, try it with a sense of curiosity."

Lila took a deep breath, suppressing her anger and instead igniting a pure curiosity about the unknown.

This time, the light emitted by the third eye became soft and steady.

"now what?"

"Much clearer!" Lila exclaimed in delight.

"I can accurately perceive everyone's emotional state, and even detect subtle thought tendencies."

Silas quickly retrieved the data from the recording device.

The device clearly showed that Lila's perception accuracy was 31.7% higher in the "curious" state than in the "angry" state.

This number struck him like a thunderbolt, shaking his entire understanding.

According to traditional theories, emotions should be considered unstable factors.

However, the facts before our eyes prove that specific emotional states can significantly enhance the performance of extraordinary abilities.

"Emotion is the 'key' to the resonance of elements."

Ron's summary echoed in the classroom: "Each element has an emotional frequency that matches its nature. Fire craves passion and change, water seeks inclusion and flow, wind pursues freedom and communication, and earth needs stability and support."

"Finding the right emotional key is the key to unlocking the door to elements. This is the true essence of elemental affinity."

After the class ended, Silas sat alone in the empty classroom, staring at the perplexing data on the recording device.

In the end, he simply wrote on the evaluation report:
"The teaching content is highly innovative, with a high degree of theoretical consistency and significant experimental verification results. The integration of tradition and innovation is worthy of in-depth study. Its practical value... needs further verification."

The last few words were written with some hesitation, and the handwriting revealed the inner turmoil.

.........

The third auditing session was scheduled for the evening.

The orange-red light of the twin stars streamed into the classroom through the crystal windows, bathing the entire space in a warm golden glow.

Hilas arrived ten minutes early and this time chose a seat towards the back of the middle.

It allows for clear observation of the teaching process without being too conspicuous.

Today's course topic surprised him quite a bit: "An Analysis of the Expansion Patterns of Wizard Civilization".

Silas originally thought it would be a dry explanation of historical materials and a lecture on theory.

But Ron's opening remarks surprised him once again:
"Today we will not talk about history, but enter into history."

The black-haired youth casually drew a simple star map on the projection board, marking several different civilization nodes:
"Imagine you are the first group of wizard explorers in human history to set foot in another world. Before you is a completely unfamiliar intelligent race with a culture, values, and technological system that are entirely different from ours."

He turned to face the students:

"Now, you need to decide how to establish a relationship with this civilization. Each person must propose their own plan and bear the consequences of their choices."

The students immediately became excited.

This participatory teaching method transformed them from passive recipients into active decision-makers.

"Direct conquest is the simplest!"

Garrenne was the first to raise his hand and speak, his tone brimming with the youthful energy characteristic of him:

"We possess more advanced magic and stronger individual combat capabilities, and we can establish a ruling order entirely through force."

“That would provoke fierce resistance,” Lila immediately retorted.
“Forced conquest will only breed deep hatred in the other side. Even if they temporarily submit, they will secretly accumulate strength to fight back. Moreover, our numbers are definitely much smaller than the local natives, making long-term rule very difficult.”

"We can use our technological advantages to conduct trade."

West Germany proposed a third option:

“We will showcase our skills in potion-making and plant cultivation, using technology to gain resources and trust. This way, we can get what we need without creating hostility.”

"Cultural exchange is even more important!"

Another student added, "Language, art, religion... understanding each other's spiritual world is more valuable than a simple exchange of material goods."

Silas observed the debate quietly from the back row.

He noted that the students' thinking was surprisingly mature and diverse.

No one proposed a simple and crude "one-size-fits-all" solution; everyone was considering the long-term consequences and complex impacts of the action.

"Very good, now let's delve a little deeper."

Ron added more details to the blackboard:
"Suppose that this alien race believes in a philosophy of 'collective consciousness,' which holds that an individual's value can only be realized when serving the collective. Our wizarding civilization, on the other hand, emphasizes individual independence and self-realization."

"How do you handle this fundamental conflict of values?"

This is actually a paraphrase of the "Vita's dilemma" faced by Cassandra.

A brief silence fell over the classroom.

The complexity of this problem far exceeds the previous discussions on simple strategies.

Lila was the first to speak, her voice carrying a thoughtful caution:

"Perhaps...the two sets of values ​​are not necessarily completely opposed?"

As she pondered deeply, her third eye flickered slightly:
"Individual self-realization is indeed selfish if it comes at the expense of the collective. But if individual growth can in turn promote the prosperity of the collective, then the two can coexist harmoniously."

“The key is to find a balance,” Garrenne added.
“We can show them that individual creativity and independent thinking are actually important driving forces for collective progress. Their spirit of collective cooperation can also help us build a more stable social structure.”

Silas felt a sense of unease and uncertainty.

These underage mixed-race apprentices are discussing profound issues at the level of civilization.

The depth of their thinking they displayed far surpassed that of many adult wizards.

What's even more impressive is their way of discussing things:
No one tried to force anyone to believe them; everyone listened attentively to others' viewpoints and then added to and improved upon them.

This collaborative thinking process itself demonstrates a high level of wisdom and maturity.

Ron, standing on the podium, was secretly nodding in agreement.

Very well, these mixed-race apprentices have been completely steeped in their own ideas...

No wonder wizarding academies in the main world tend to train wizards from a young age.

These children, whose average age is only sixteen, are indeed more malleable.

“Side, what are your thoughts?” he continued to guide the discussion.

The boy, of mixed Danasu descent, thought about it seriously for a while:

"I think...maybe we should first ask a more fundamental question:Why do we want to change them?"

This rhetorical question silenced the entire classroom.

"If their civilization model is functioning well, their people are happy, and their society is developing stably, then what right do we have to 'correct' their values?"

West Germany's voice became more resolute:
"True cultural exchange should involve mutual learning. Perhaps what we learn from them will be more valuable than what we teach them."

Silas put down his pen.

He found himself completely absorbed in the discussion, forgetting his initial purpose of "pointing out mistakes."

The questions these young people are exploring are far more profound than simply "how to conquer".

They are contemplating the nature of civilization, the relativity of values, and the importance of respect and tolerance.

Most importantly, Ron did not instill any standard answers in his students.

He simply poses questions and then guides the students to think, explore, and draw their own conclusions.

This teaching method allows students to gain not only knowledge, but also thinking skills and insightful wisdom.

"Now, let's see what history has to say."

Ron activated a 3D projection displaying several important civilizational contact events in the history of the wizarding civilization:
"In our first period of close contact, we opted for isolation and defense, which resulted in prolonged confrontation and fear..."

"Our trade agreement with the Elven Kingdom was based on mutual benefit, and ultimately achieved a win-win situation..."

"In integrating technology into the Dwarf Kingdom, we respected their traditions and gained invaluable allies..."

Each historical case validates some of the points raised in the students' discussion.

However, it also revealed new problems.

By the end of the course, Silas found himself with a completely new understanding of the development of wizarding civilization.

Previously, he only focused on technological advancements and never delved into the philosophical implications and intellectual clashes behind the expansion of civilizations.

As he left the classroom, he wrote on the evaluation report:
“Teaching methods do have unique advantages and can effectively stimulate students’ thinking vitality and philosophical depth.”

Discussion-based teaching is significantly superior to traditional knowledge-transfer models in cultivating innovative abilities.

After writing these words, Silas stopped writing and stared at his own assessment.

Perhaps true education is not simply about imparting knowledge; teaching students how to think independently is the real solution.

As night fell, the middle-aged wizard, whose temples were already turning gray, walked alone on the path leading to his dormitory.

He recalled his original aspirations when he first became a wizard:
It's not about becoming a mere conveyor of knowledge, but a disseminator of wisdom.

But when did he become content with teaching fixed answers and forget his responsibility to inspire critical thinking?

That night, Silas Draven began a revolution deep within his heart.

(End of this chapter)