Wizard: My career panel has no upper limit

The largest printing plant in Twilight City, "Dawn Newspaper Group".

At three in the morning, this place should have been asleep, with only two or three night shift workers dozing off in the workshop.

But at this moment, the lights are as bright as midday.

Multiple steam printing presses roared simultaneously, the "click-clack" of gears meshing, the "hissing" of steam gushing forth, and the "whooshing" of paper fluttering...

All the sounds blended together, forming a chaotic symphony of the industrial age.

"Hurry! Hurry up!"

Editor-in-Chief Klaus stood by the second-floor railing, shouting at the top of his lungs.

"This is a once-in-a-century news event! If we miss this opportunity, we'll have to wait until our next life!"

"Print it! Print it like crazy!"

"Before dawn, I want every corner of the entire Twilight City to see this newspaper!"

The printing press was running at full speed, spitting out sheets of brand-new newspapers from the rollers.

The front page of the newspaper featured a huge photograph that took up two-thirds of the page:
On the city gate tower, Alex's head was fixed to an iron bar with rune nails.

The four-lobed mouthparts were half-open, revealing layers upon layers of fangs inside.

Several of them were broken, with congealed dark red blood clots hanging from the wounds.

His eyes were wide open, a pure scarlet red, with a faint red light still flickering deep within his pupils.

This means that the head is still "alive".

The most terrifying thing was their expressions.

That "face," which was no longer human, was frozen in an extremely distorted state:
Anger, humiliation, resentment, fear...

All the negative emotions coalesced into a near-tangible resentment, and you could feel the chilling aura emanating from the photos.

Next to the head stood a sign.

A line of text was inscribed on it in both vampire script and common human language:

"Those who invade Twilight City, no matter how far away, shall be punished."

There is also a line of smaller text below:
"Ron Ralph, Guardian of Twilight City"

The title should be printed in the boldest font.
The Marquis Falls! The Myth of the Vampire Clan Shattered!

The subtitle uses a slightly smaller but equally eye-catching font size:
The triumph of the Industrial Revolution? A breakthrough in potion-making? Or the end of an era?

The first paragraph of the main text was written by the editor-in-chief, Klaus:
"Last night at midnight, Marquis Alex Valentine of the Heart Clan invaded Twilight City in his three-transformation state, intending to assassinate the city's ruler, Lady Euphemia."

However, the way of Heaven is constant, and evil deeds will inevitably be punished.

Associate Professor Ron Ralph, with his Dark Sun-level strength, fought alone for three quarters of an hour before finally slaying the once 'invincible' Marquis with his sword.

This battle was not merely a display of individual martial prowess.

This is a victory of science over superstition, a victory of reason over arrogance, and even more so... a verdict of a new era on the old order.

A young printing worker held up a freshly printed newspaper, his hands trembling.
"Editor-in-chief...is...is this really true?"

"The Marquis...is he really dead?"

Klaus turned around and burst into laughter:
"Of course, I saw Lord Silas hang that head up with my own eyes."

His voice suddenly lowered, as if he were talking to himself:

“I have lived for fifty-three years, I have seen viscounts killed, I have seen earls die in battle… but a marquis…”

He shook his head:

“This is the first time.”

"And he was killed by a wizard, using such an... incomprehensible method."

The young worker swallowed hard: "What method?"

"Pollutants".

Klaus's eyes were filled with excitement:

"It's the industrial waste we dump into the river every day, that 'filth' that everyone hates..."

"It actually became the weapon used to kill the marquis."

He smiled again:
"Do you know what this means?"

The young worker shook his head blankly.

"This means..."

Klaus looked out the window at the eternal twilight:

"The 'immortality' of vampires is ultimately just a myth."

"Myths can be broken."

The roar of the printing press continued, and bundles of bound newspapers were loaded onto carriages and transported to every corner of Twilight City.

Before dawn, the whole city was already buzzing with excitement.

At six o'clock in the morning, the first ray of dawn pierced the shadow of the blood moon and shone on the city gate tower of the twilight city.

The head, hanging high in the morning light, looked particularly shocking.

The crowd started gathering at four in the morning and has now packed the city gate square in layers.

There are vampires, humans, wizards, and various other alien merchants and adventurers...

Everyone looked up, staring at the "spectacle".

A middle-aged worker with a stubble-covered face carried his son on his shoulders and pointed at the head:

"Son, remember this!"

"Remember this image!"

"This is history! It's a sign that humanity has truly stood up!"

The little boy's eyes widened, too frightened to speak by the terrifying head.

But the father's face flushed with excitement:
"In the past, the vampire lords could kill us at will and keep us like livestock!"

"But now! Now even marquises can be killed!"

"What does this mean? It means we are no longer lambs to the slaughter!"

The humans around nodded in agreement. Some began to sing the Industrial Alliance's anthem, while others raised their rune rifles and fired celebratory shots into the sky.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Gunshots echoed in the early morning air, startling a flock of crows perched on the city wall.

In the very center of the crowd, some silent bystanders watched all of this quietly.

A mysterious hooded figure whispered to his companion:

“Look at that head… the eyes are still moving.”

His companion looked up.

Sure enough, those scarlet eyes were slowly turning, as if scanning the crowd below.

When a gaze sweeps over certain vampires, those vampires will instinctively take a step back, their faces showing fear.

"He is still alive..."

The hooded man's voice trembled slightly:
"The Marquis's vitality, even with only a head remaining, has not completely died..."

"But what's the use of that?"

His companion sneered:

"Alive, yet forced to hang here, surrounded, mocked, and cursed by countless people..."

"For a marquis who was once high and mighty, this must be the real hell."

Just then, the head's mouth opened and closed slightly.

No sound came out—the lingering echoes of the [Silent Theater] still resonated, and he couldn't utter a sound.

But everyone can read the meaning from that action:

curse.

A pure, extreme, and venomous curse.

The crowd fell silent for a moment.

Then, an even bigger uproar erupted.

Some people are laughing, some are crying, some are cheering, some are praying...

All emotions and reactions intertwined, collided, and fermented on the city gate square in the early morning.

At the same time, in Gear City, 800 kilometers away from Twilight City.

At six o'clock in the afternoon, the steam factory's closing whistle sounded precisely on time.

The workers poured out of the factory gate like a tide, their faces showing the fatigue of a day's work, but unable to suppress the excitement in their eyes.

Because everyone was clutching a newly arrived newspaper—a special edition of the Daily Herald.

The "Scarlet Rose" bar is exceptionally lively today.

It wasn't even dinner time yet, but the hall was already full of people.

Everyone gathered around a long table that had been pushed together, spread out their newspapers, and started discussing it animatedly.

"You said..."

A young worker, his face covered in coal dust with only his eyes showing, lowered his voice:
"Could that Alex be a fake at all?"

The moment those words were spoken, the surroundings fell silent.

Then, an even more heated discussion erupted.

"Yeah! I also feel something's not right!"

A bald, middle-aged worker slammed his fist on the table:
"How could a true marquis die so easily?"

"That's a marquis! A legendary vampire who can fight ten thousand men single-handedly and is immortal!"

"Even if a great wizard were to intervene, it would still take some effort, wouldn't it?"

An elderly worker with two missing fingers chimed in:
"I'm telling you, it was definitely the Heart Clan who did this!"

He glanced around mysteriously, making sure there were no suspicious people before continuing:

“Think about it, if Alex were really a marquis, how could the Heart Clan be willing to send him on such a risk?”

"They must have just found a random body double and deliberately sent him to his death!"

"This way, we can test the wizard's strength and shirk responsibility if we fail—after all, it's just a 'fake marquis' who died!"

"Wonderful!"

The young worker clapped his hands as if suddenly realizing something:
"No wonder the newspapers said he was taken down so easily!"

"Turns out it was an imposter!"

John, the truly knowledgeable store manager, leaned back behind the bar, listening to these utterly absurd discussions, his lips twitching.

He wanted to correct him, but the words stuck in his throat.

Forget it.

What's the point of telling these people the truth?

They will only believe what they want to believe.

In the corner, at another table, the discussion was even more outrageous.

"I said..."

A thin, somewhat educated-looking worker pushed up his glasses:
"Could it be that Alex isn't a combat-oriented marquis at all?"

Everyone was stunned: "Huh?"

"Think about it, the vampire clan is so large, there must be a division of labor, right?"

The optician analyzed on his fingers:

"Some are responsible for fighting, some for research, and some for managing domestic affairs..."

"I heard that Alex is in the Heart Clan's research department!"

"Research department! Understand?"

His voice rose:

"He's always in the lab doing experiments! He would never fight!"

"Just like those bureaucrats in our industrial alliance who only know how to do accounting. Give them an abacus and they'll be incredibly skilled; give them a sword... ha!"

The crowd roared with laughter.

"Yes, yes, yes! That must be it!"

Some people echoed:

"So that wizard was actually bullying a powerless office worker!"

"What's so great about that? I could do it too!"

The laughter grew louder.

At the table in the far corner, the discussion had devolved into a completely unrealistic "temporary worker theory."

"I'm telling you..."

A drunken old worker raised his glass, spilling wine all over the table:
"That's not a marquis at all!"

"He's just a temporary worker!"

The group looked at each other in bewilderment: "What?"

"A temporary worker!"

The old worker slammed his fist on the table:

"You've worked in factories for so many years, and you still don't understand the tricks of these old men?"

"When an accident happens, it's always 'the temporary worker's fault'!"

"The equipment broke down; it was due to 'temporary worker's operational error'!"

"Someone died, and the temporary worker violated regulations!"

He let out a burp:

"It's the same now! The Heart Clan's people failed, and to shirk responsibility, they'll definitely say that the one who died was a 'temporary marquis'!"

"Since the dead can't prove anything, they can say whatever they want!"

"Wonderful!"

"High! It's really high!"

Everyone applauded and cheered, feeling that this theory perfectly explained everything.

The tavern was filled with all sorts of absurd sounds.

The truth was torn to pieces in these discussions, and then pieced back together into countless distorted versions.

Nobody cares what the truth is.

They only care whether the story fits their original understanding and whether it can support their worldview.

The Marquis's Fall?

That must be a fake marquis, a civil servant marquis, or a temporary worker marquis!

In any case, he could never be a real marquis.

Because if even a true marquis can be killed...

That means the rules of this world have truly changed.

This change is particularly significant for people at the bottom of society who are used to "stability".

It's far more terrifying than accepting that "it's all a conspiracy."

Meanwhile, at a celestial intersection where even coordinates cannot be located.

Several enormous phantoms floated in the distorted dimensional folds.

Those were the Grand Dukes of the vampire clan.

Each one is an ancient being that has lived for thousands of years, and each one possesses terrifying power at the level of a great wizard.

At this moment, they are holding a secret meeting here via projection.

"Tsk tsk tsk..."

A voice rang out first, laced with obvious sarcasm:
"That old man Alcadi has really lost face this time."

"They sent out the strongest marquis of their clan, only to have him killed by a mere brat."

"Hahaha! I laughed so hard!"

This is the Grand Duke of the "Ya" clan, whose voice is as rough as thunder.

Another, even colder, audio interface:

"It's not just about losing face, the key is the method."

"Killed by pollutants...how ironic."

"When we vampires ruled this world, we treated humans like livestock."

The waste generated by humanity after the Industrial Revolution... has ironically become a weapon that kills us.

This is the Grand Duke of the "Claw" clan, his tone playful.

"enough."

A third voice rang out; it was the hoarse voice of an old woman.

"Stop making sarcastic remarks." "It's a disgrace to Alkadi, and it's not good for any of us vampires."

"This will embolden those humans and reformers."

The Grand Duchess then changed the subject:
"More importantly, there's that wizard named Ron Ralph."

"You've all seen the intelligence, haven't you?"

In the void, several projections flickered simultaneously, clearly all of them flipping through the documents in their hands.

"A Dark Sun-level cultivator, not even fifty years old, defeated a Marquis at the limit of three transformations."

The voice of the Grand Duke of the "Claw" clan became solemn:

"Such a record is extremely rare even in wizarding civilizations."

"What's most terrifying is his method."

Another person who had not spoken before publicly spoke out:

"Contaminants weaken immortality. This idea does not depend on realm or talent."

"Theoretically, it can work on any vampire, provided there is enough contaminant."

"even."

His voice was lowered even further:

"Including us grand dukes."

This statement plunged the void into a brief silence.

After a long silence, the Grand Duchess, who seemed to be the highest-ranking woman, finally spoke again:
“Besides his combat abilities, his background is even more noteworthy.”

"Intelligence indicates that he has connections with all three Witch Kings."

"Saint Hector, King of Absurdity; Saint Salcardo, King of Records; Saint Pandora, King of Illusions."

With each name she uttered, the void trembled.
"Any one of these three could easily wipe out our entire vampire clan."

"If we rashly attack him, we will incur the wrath of the Witch King."

The Grand Duke of the "Tooth" clan interrupted impatiently:
"So what do you mean? Just let him be?"

“I didn’t say to let it go.”

The Grand Duchess's tone turned serious:

"I mean, we need to try a different approach."

"In what way?"

"Monitor, record, analyze."

Grand Duchess, enunciating each word clearly:
“Observe his next actions, study his pollutant formulation, and understand his true purpose.”

"We can try to make contact and see if we can reach some kind of cooperation."

"cooperate?!"

The voice of the Grand Duke of the "Ya" clan suddenly rose:

"You want us to cooperate with a wizard who... cruelly dismembers our own kind?"

"Alex is finished."

Grand Duchess responded coldly:
"Such waste has no value anymore."

"But we dukes must consider the future of the vampire clan."

Her projection began to glow:
"The countdown to the king's awakening has begun, and the spread of madness is becoming increasingly severe."

"If Ron Ralph's contaminant technology can really suppress mania..."

"His value is far greater than that of a marquis."

The void fell silent once more, as all the grand dukes pondered the feasibility of the proposal.

The Grand Duke of the "Claw" clan suddenly spoke:
"But what about the Heart Clan?"

“They will not let this go unpunished now that they have lost a marquis.”

"Let them make a scene."

The Grand Duchess's tone carried a hint of disdain:
"We don't need to conform to them."

"Each clan has its own path to follow."

Her projection began to slowly dissipate:
"Remember my words—observe, record, and do not act rashly."

"This wizard is named Ron Ralph"

"They might be enemies of our vampire clan."

"Maybe"

The last sentence echoed in the void:

"He is the only savior of the vampires."

The projection disappeared completely.

Other dukes also gradually withdrew from this space.

Only the distorted dimensional folds remain, still trembling silently.

It seems to be saying that the end of one era is often accompanied by the dawn of another.

The person standing between dawn and dusk will determine the future direction of this world.

...............

It was nearly midnight on the third underground level of Twilight City.

The magic lamps were deliberately dimmed, shrouding the entire laboratory in a deep twilight.

Ron sat cross-legged in the center of a six-pointed star magic circle.

Floating in front of him was the "trophy" he had brought back from the amusement park.

The shape of this thing is extremely difficult to describe using conventional language.

It's called a crystal ball, yet its surface is constantly flowing, like liquid metal frozen in time before it solidifies;
It is called a living organism, yet it has no organs or tissues whatsoever; it is purely a collection of information.

At this moment, the tool spirit is slowly rotating.

Inside, countless points of light flicker, move, and recombine, like a miniature galaxy evolving within.

Each point of light is connected to an "existence" in a distant dimension.

Those strange creatures, creations, or some more difficult-to-define "concepts" recorded in its database.

"Start search".

Ron gave the order:
"condition:
Able to fully control the body of a high-ranking vampire, retaining its extraordinary characteristics, and preferably possessing the potential for growth.

The tool's rotation speed suddenly increased.

The points of light began to recombine wildly, and countless streams of information poured down from the surface like waterfalls, forming semi-transparent text matrices in the air.

The first search result appears.

【Dead Flame Spider】

Source: Necromancer Dimension
Rank: High-ranking Undead Lord (Dark Sun)

Core Ability: Can completely possess a corpse, using all abilities acquired in life, including memories and combat experience.
Physical characteristics: A translucent skeletal spider, its entire body wreathed in eerie blue necromantic flames.
Ron's gaze lingered on the text for a few seconds before he continued reading.

[Summoning Conditions]

Materials needed:
Complete skeletons of at least ten powerful creatures

Pure Necromantic Energy Crystals x50
Dimensional anchor points (used to stabilize summoning channels)
Consumption:
Magic: Continuous supply, approximately 1000 units consumed per hour.
Mental strength: Medium
Special requirement: Corpse energy (a special energy that exists only in the Necropolis).
【defect】

The corpse energy will continue to corrode the host's body, and even the vampire's powerful regenerative ability can only slow down this process.

It is expected that the body will completely lose its vitality in three months.

Ron shook his head.

"exclude."

"What I need are tools that can be used for a long time; a three-month usage period is meaningless."

Moreover, obtaining corpse energy is a huge hassle in itself; having to open a portal to the Necromancer's Dimension every time is a risk-reward ratio that's far too low.

Upon receiving the instruction, the tool spirit immediately disintegrated the text matrix into light points, which then reintegrated into the core.

A second result emerged.

【Flesh slime mold】

Source: The Seventh Layer of the Abyss

Grade: High-abnormal variant (Monday grade)

Core ability: It can perfectly merge with the host and acquire all of the host's physiological abilities and some of its instincts.

Once integrated, it cannot be detected by the outside world, making it extremely difficult to disguise.

Appearance characteristics: Pink, translucent gel-like substance with a surface covered with fine, velvety tentacles.

Ron frowned slightly and continued reading.

[Summoning Conditions]

Materials needed:
10 kg of fresh high-level biological flesh
20 drops of Abyss Essence

Corrosion-resistant containers

Consumption:
Magic Power: Medium (Self-sufficient after initial fusion)
Mental strength: Low

Special requirements: Must be fed at least once a month.

【defect】

It possesses basic self-awareness and assesses the "benefits of betrayal" based on the strength of its host.

Historical records show that slime molds have a higher probability of shifting their parasitic targets when the host is weak or encounters a stronger presence.

"Another uncontrollable factor."

Ron sighed:
"What I need is an absolutely loyal tool, one that cannot be subject to any changes."

exclude.

The third result.

[Mechanical Core]

Source: Alchemy Dimension
Rank: High-level Alchemical Creation (Dark Sun Grade)

Core ability: Can transform any biological body into a semi-mechanical life form, achieving precise control, never tiring, and with stable combat power.

Appearance: A rune core the size of a fist, with over 100,000 tiny gears engraved on its surface.

Ron's expression softened slightly; this sounded good.

[Summoning Conditions]

Materials needed:
Mithril x 500g

Orichalcum x 200g

Perpetual Motion Core ×1
The alchemist forged continuously for three days and three nights.

Consumption:
Magic Power: Low (Comes with its own energy circulation system)
Mental strength: Extremely low
Special requirement: Quarterly maintenance

【defect】

The transformation process will destroy all the body's supernatural properties.

The regenerative abilities, magical affinity, and bloodline talents of vampires will all disappear, replaced by "pseudo-regeneration" (parts replacement) of mechanical structures.

Ron rejected it without hesitation:
"Putting the cart before the horse."

What I value in Alex's body is precisely his special abilities as a marquis-level vampire.

What's the point of turning it into a mechanical creation?

And to be honest, the conditions are quite demanding.

Although his status has improved, he doesn't have the audacity to seek out Vinard, the only alchemist he knows, to forge something for him for three days and three nights without sleep...

exclude.

The next dozen or so results were also unsatisfactory:
[Parasite] - Requires fusion with the host's deep cells, leading to unpredictable physical mutations.
【String Puppet Technique】—Requires implanting hundreds of magical threads into the body, which is too cumbersome.

The [Consciousness Overwriting Spell] gradually alters the body's physiological structure, eventually leading to collapse.

[Soul Refining Lamp] - Requires continuous burning of souls as energy, resulting in excessive consumption.

Ron felt a little annoyed.

He stood up and paced around the laboratory.

The boots made a monotonous "tap, tap" sound as they stepped on the stone pavement, echoing in the empty space.

"Isn't there a more suitable option?"

His brain was working at high speed:
"What I need is very simple—a being that can control a powerful body without destroying its original characteristics."

It doesn't have to be highly intelligent or skilled, as long as it's obedient, stable, and controllable.

The tool spirit seemed to sense his anxiety.

The rotation speed increased again, and the internal light spots reorganized like a torrential rain, with more information being retrieved from the deep database.

The seventeenth result has emerged.

Ron's eyes lit up when he saw the name.

Shadow-Bound Puppet Insect

Source: Astral Edge, the liminal space between reality and shadow

Rank: Half-Elemental Lord, Half-Aberrant (approximately peak Moon-level)
Core ability: Attaches to the target's shadow and manipulates the body's muscles and magical flow through the shadow.

It will not damage the body's original characteristics, and can even maintain the regenerative ability of the vampire to a certain extent.

Physical characteristics: It has no fixed shape, exists at the level of shadow, and appears as a "distorted shadow" in the visible spectrum.

Ron quickly browsed the detailed description.

[Summoning Conditions]

Materials needed:
200 grams of Astral Silver Powder (for drawing summoning circles)
Pure Shadow Essence x 50 ml (as an attractive "bait")
Moonstone x3 (Stable summoning channel, prevents energy leakage at the shadow level)
Consumption:
Magic Power: Medium (Higher when summoned, lower when maintained)
Mental strength: Low

Special requirement: Shadow energy needs to be "fed" weekly, which can be accumulated naturally in a dark environment.
[Detailed Explanation of Capabilities]

Once attached, the Shadow-Binding Insect will completely merge with the host's shadow.

By interpreting the shadow's "memory" (physical trajectory of movement), it can learn how to manipulate the body.

They will be very clumsy at first, but have an extremely strong learning ability.

Through repeated training, one can achieve a level of smooth control.

Although it cannot replicate the host's combat experience and skills from their previous life, it can fully utilize the body's physical properties and instinctive reactions.

【defect】

The learning cycle is relatively long; it takes a considerable amount of time to go from knowing nothing to having a basic grasp of the material.

It is extremely sensitive to strong light; direct sunlight can reduce its control ability by about 40%.
With limited intelligence, it's like a well-trained hunting dog, unable to execute complex tactics.
Each possession requires an "adaptation period," during which combat power decreases significantly.

A smile crept onto Ron's lips.

"That's it."

He sat down again in the center of the magic circle, his fingers tracing patterns in the air as he began calculating various data points:
"Long learning cycle? Alex's body is currently maintained by the [Red Hook], so it won't decay in the short term."

"Sensitive to strong light? The world of Chaotic Blood is a perpetual twilight, where there is no true 'daytime'. This flaw is practically nonexistent there."

"Limited intelligence? Perfect. What I need is an obedient tool. Too much intelligence will only lead to more ideas."

"As for the inability to use combat techniques..."

He glanced at the training golems in the corner:
"Skills can be compensated for through extensive training."

With sufficient physical fitness and basic combat techniques, one can handle most situations.

Ron made a decision.

"Tool Spirit, lock onto [Shadowbound Puppet Insect], retrieve the complete summoning plan."

"As ordered."

For the first time, the tool spirit emitted a vibration that resembled a "sound".

A massive information matrix unfolded in the air, detailing every step of the summoning ritual, every precaution, and the potential risks.

Ron began to study it seriously.

Time passes silently.

When he looked up, the blood moon outside the window had already reached its highest point.

"Three days."

He said to himself:
"I need three days to prepare the materials and set up the ceremony. Then..."

Ron stood up and walked to the lab bench, where a specially made refrigerator was placed.

The cabinet door opened, and a blast of cold air rushed out.

Inside, Alex's headless body lay quietly.

Although the head was severed, the red hook inserted into the heart still flickered faintly, maintaining the body's "activity".

"Just wait, Your Excellency Marquis."

Ron said softly, his tone filled with a strange expectation:
"Soon, you will serve me in a completely new way."

He closed the cabinet door, turned, and left the laboratory. (End of Chapter)