Wizard: My career panel has no upper limit

Crawford remained silent for a moment, finally regaining some of the dignity befitting a nobleman.

He cleared his throat, trying to make his voice sound more composed:
"Uncle, although I know you have always been very kind to the younger generation in the family, such a welcoming ceremony..."

He couldn't continue speaking halfway through his sentence.

Because the hunched old man just stood there, looking at him with an almost contemptuous indifference, as if examining an old piece of furniture that was about to be discarded.

Just as the awkward silence was about to become suffocating, the sky suddenly darkened.

"boom!"

The sound of a gas explosion echoed across the mining area.

Everyone instinctively looked up and saw a tall figure draped in a golden priest's robe slowly descending from the sky.

That was the overseer priest.

Its arrival was accompanied by the mournful wailing of the air.

Within the three grooves beneath the hood, the eerie blue flames burned more intensely than ever before.

Crawford's legs immediately went weak.

He suddenly knelt down, his forehead slamming heavily against the stone slab, his breathing becoming rapid:

"High Priest! I was unaware of your presence and have failed to greet you properly. Please forgive me!"

But the supervising priest didn't even glance at him.

The tall figure landed directly in front of Karen, and then... bowed slightly:
"Governor Karen, Supervising Priest K-006, has come to preside over the handover ceremony on the orders of the High Priest."

Its tone no longer carried the condescending command it had forty years ago; instead, it was a kind of... wary politeness.

Like a predator venturing into unfamiliar territory, showing caution when facing the territory's inhabitant.

Karen raised her withered right hand in return, offering a gesture of equal respect:

"The presence of the High Priest brings great honor to our humble abode in the mining area."

Within the three grooves of the Overwatch Priest, the eerie blue flames pulsed violently, as if conducting some kind of deep scan and assessment.

It could sense the faint energy field surrounding the hunched old man in front of it.

That energy field was not strong; in fact, it was so weak that it was almost negligible.

However, it was precisely this "weakness" that set off alarm bells in the mind of the overseer priest.

What threatened it even more was the eerie atmosphere that permeated the entire mining area.

From the moment it landed, you could feel countless "gazes" watching you.

The workers, managers, and even the building itself seemed to have eyes, observing, evaluating, and recording its every move.

"Now that the High Priest has arrived, when will the handover ceremony begin?"

Karen broke the silence.

"Anytime is fine." The supervising priest withdrew his gaze, his tone regaining some of its mechanical quality.

"However, before that, as requested by the High Priest, I need to conduct a comprehensive inspection of the mining area."

"To ensure that the new governor can take over smoothly."

These words sound grand and noble, but their true purpose is obvious—they want to find out the real details of this mining area.

Karen was silent for a moment, then nodded:

“Of course. Green, you are responsible for accompanying the High Priest on his inspection tour.”

"Yes, sir." Iron Hammer Green stepped out from the crowd and bowed to the overseer priest.
"Priest, please come with me."

Crawford then dared to get up from the ground, his whole body drenched in cold sweat.

He finally understood why there was such a grand welcoming ceremony.

It wasn't at all to welcome him, a mere candidate governor; it was entirely to demonstrate the strength of the mining area to the supervising priest.

I am merely a dispensable backdrop in this exhibition.

The inspection began from the periphery of the mining area.

Green, accompanied by the overseer priest and Crawford's party, proceeded along a wide main road toward the core area.

On both sides of the road, rows of neat and uniform buildings stand like soldiers in formation.

"This is the third residential area in the mining area," Green explained.

"It will accommodate a total of 23,000 workers and their families."

“Each household is equipped with basic living facilities—a water supply system, a heating system, and magic lighting.”

The overseer priest's gaze swept across the windows.

Through the glass, one can see the interior of the home:

Someone is cooking dinner on the stove;
The child sat at the table, doing his homework by the light of the magic lamp;

There was also an elderly person sitting in a rocking chair, holding a book in their hands, looking peaceful...

These scenes were so...ordinary, so ordinary that the overseer priest felt a strange sense of unease.

What are the living conditions of the workers like in other parts of the Stoker Star?
Crowded slums, dimly lit basements, polluted air, and perpetually hungry stomachs... that's what life should be like for the world's poorest people.

But everything here is too tidy.

"The cost of these magical supplies..."

The supervising priest spoke, his voice tinged with a hint of probing: "It must be quite expensive, right?"

"It's definitely not cheap," Green admitted frankly.
"But Governor Karen believed that the quality of life of workers directly affected productivity."

“A worker who is well-fed, well-rested, and has a harmonious family can create far more value than his peers who are struggling on the poverty line.”

"So this investment is worthwhile."

The overseer priest remained silent.

It understood this logic.

But it was precisely because I understood that I felt even more uneasy.

This means that the mining area's governance model has completely broken away from the traditional "squeeze-exploitation" system of the Stoker Star, and turned to a completely new management method that it has never seen before.

A system centered on "efficiency" and "long-term development" rather than "maximizing short-term interests".

Once this system matures, it will possess terrifying competitiveness.

They continued onward, passing through residential areas and arriving at the first industrial zone.

The scene here completely overturned the understanding of the overseer priest.

The giant factory crouched on the earth like a steel behemoth, its chimneys soaring into the clouds, spewing out steam.

The steam condenses into clouds in the twilight sky, then falls as drizzle and is collected and reused by specialized collection devices.

Even pollutants are incorporated into the recycling system.

"This is our main production line."

Green pointed to one of the largest factories:
"All production processes have been automated, requiring only fifty skilled workers to monitor them."

"Can I go in and take a look?" it suddenly asked.

“Of course.” Green gestured for him to enter.

"Principal, please let me know what you wish to see."

The factory gates slowly opened.

A wave of heat hit me, mixed with the distinctive smell of metal and minerals.

Upon entering the factory, the overseer priest witnessed a scene straight out of a myth:
A production line, hundreds of meters long, extends from one end of the factory to the other.

The raw ore is fed in at the inlet, and then goes through crushing, screening, smelting, purification, cooling, cutting, packaging...

Each step is completed by mechanical devices, and workers only need to stand in front of the control panel to monitor various parameters.

The entire process was seamless, with almost no trace of human intervention.

"These devices..."

The supervising priest approached one of the crushers, carefully examining the runic circuits on its surface: "Where were these purchased from?"

“It’s not a purchase,” Green corrected.

"We designed and manufactured it ourselves."

"The mining area has a complete heavy industry system, from the most basic casting to the precise rune carving and the overall system integration... all of which are self-sufficient."

The overseer priest's fingers gently caressed the outer casing of the crusher.

The texture of the metal, its temperature, and the magical pulse emanating from within...

Everything tells it that this is not a cheap imitation.

On the contrary, the precision and reliability of this equipment even surpasses that of the products from the Hearthstone Temple Workshop.

“If I remember correctly…” it slowly began, “Forty years ago, the mining area was just a wasteland.”

"Even the basic production facilities are incomplete, let alone any industrial system."

"How did you manage to do all this in forty years?"

Green smiled, a smile full of pride:
"Because Governor Karen gave us 'hope'."

"Let us believe that as long as we work hard, we can change our destiny."

"Technology and knowledge are more important than bloodline and birth."

"It also makes us realize that we are not slaves of the temple, not tools of the nobles, not outcasts abandoned by this world..."

Green's voice gradually rose in pitch:

"We are the builders of this era!"

"People who create miracles with their own hands!"

His words echoed through the empty factory, mingling with the roar of the machinery to form a strange hymn.

The supervising priest suddenly realized that he was no longer facing the same mining area that he had been at the mercy of forty years ago.

The city before me, the embryonic form of this industrial empire, the collective that embodied the beliefs of tens of thousands of people... has transformed into something far more dangerous.

A new force with independent consciousness, independent values, and even an independent system...

The inspection is ongoing.

Green led his group through the second and third industrial zones, each displaying astonishing production capacity and technological level.

Then, they arrived at a special area surrounded by high walls.

“Where is this…” Crawford couldn’t help but ask.

“An experimental farm,” Green replied, his tone tinged with mystery. “One of Governor Karen’s proudest projects.”

The door opens.

What comes into view is a vibrant yet extremely eerie "jungle".

The vines have metallic leaves that make a crisp metallic clanging sound when they collide in the breeze.
The bushes move on their own, their roots crawling through the soil like tentacles, chasing after clumps of earth containing specific minerals...

"This is..." The priest's voice was filled with barely suppressed astonishment: "The symbiosis of metal mutation and life?"

“Yes.” Green nodded:
“There is a special energy source deep in the mining area, and its radiation has caused changes in the surrounding ecology.”

"Initially, these mutated plants would grow wildly, devouring everything they came into contact with, causing serious disasters."

"But Governor Karen, through repeated experiments, found a way to control these mutations."

He walked to a metal vine and gently stroked its shimmering silver leaves:
"Now, these plants have become an important resource in the mining area."

"They can absorb heavy metal pollution in the soil and transform it into usable minerals."

It purifies the air of toxic substances and releases gases that are safe to breathe.
It can even serve as a biological component of a magic battery, providing a stable and long-lasting energy supply…

The overseer priest's mind began to race.

Metal alienation—it is certainly aware of this phenomenon.

That's a unique "curse" of the planet Stoker; any life form exposed to high concentrations of mineral radiation for an extended period will undergo terrible mutations.

They either become insane metal monsters or die completely; there is no third possibility.

But these plants in front of us have somehow achieved a kind of "balance"?
Instead of dying or going out of control, they evolved a completely new and more efficient survival mode?

"This technology..." it lowered its voice, "Does the High Priest know about it?"

“Of course.” Green smiled.
“Governor Karen submits detailed research reports to the temple every so often.”

"The high priest was very interested in this and even sent a special research team to study it."

"but……"

Green's smile took on a different meaning:
"Due to the complexity of the technology and its high dependence on the special environmental conditions of the mining area, it cannot be replicated elsewhere for the time being."

The supervising priest understood the subtext of those words perfectly:
We have the technology, and we are willing to share it, but you can't learn it or take it away.

So, let's just acknowledge the unique status of this mining area.

The last stop of the inspection was the most central area of ​​the mining district—the "Deep Well Area" behind the Governor's Mansion.

There, more than ten mine shafts opened like the gaping maws of an abyss, each with a dizzying depth.

“These mines extend five thousand meters underground,” Green explained. “They are the main source of production for the mining area.”

“Every day we extract hundreds of tons of raw ore from these wells and then transport it to various factories for processing.”

The overseer priest walked to the edge of one of the mine shafts and looked down.

Darkness, endless darkness.

Like eyes gazing into an abyss, while the abyss gazes back at you.

Even more terrifying, it could sense that something was "breathing" in the depths of darkness.

A slow, heavy, yet vibrant breath.

Each breath causes a subtle vibration in the surrounding air.

It's like the heart of some enormous creature beating deep underground.

As one of the participants in the previous exploration team, the overseer priest naturally knew what was going on.

It was precisely because he knew what was down there that he felt so afraid.

Green's voice was very low:
“That ‘thing’ down there is maintaining the energy balance of the entire mining area.”

"It doesn't attack us, and we don't bother it."

"The two sides maintain a... delicate coexistence."

The overseer priest felt a chill rise up his spine.

coexist?

Is that terrifying "thing" from last time just lying quietly underground in the mining area?
And Karen was actually able to reach some kind of "agreement" with it?
This discovery elevates its assessment of Karen to a new level.

To be able to negotiate with an entity of that caliber and emerge unscathed... is something no ordinary mining governor could accomplish.

By the time the patrol ended, it was completely dark.

One by one, the magical streetlights in the mining area lit up, illuminating the entire city as if it were daytime.

The supervising priest stood on the platform of the governor's mansion, overlooking the brightly lit land below.

More than 200,000 people live, work, and reproduce here.

Dozens of large factories operate day and night, creating astonishing wealth.

And then there are the secrets hidden in the darkness—the mutated metal plants, the unknown existence underground, and the management system that is completely detached from tradition…

This mining area is no longer just a "production base".

It is more like a nascent... new civilization.

"Priest, were you satisfied with today's inspection?"

Green walked up to it and politely asked.

“Very satisfied,” the supervising priest replied, his voice tinged with weariness.

"Governor Karen has indeed built this place beyond everyone's expectations."

"So, regarding the handover ceremony..."

"Tomorrow," the overseer priest interrupted him, "the formal handover ceremony will be held tomorrow."

"I need to rest tonight."

It definitely needs a rest.

It wasn't just physical exhaustion, but also the mental drain from the shock.

Everything we see today needs time to digest, analyze, and evaluate...

Then it was compiled into a detailed report and presented to the high priest.

Green nodded: "A guest room has been prepared for you. Please follow me."

Late at night.

Crawford, unnoticed by anyone, lay on the soft bed in the hotel, but couldn't fall asleep.

Today, as he stood at the corner of the visiting group, the things he had seen and heard during the day kept replaying in his mind like a nightmare.

The uniform housing, the massive industrial facilities, the bizarre mutated plants… everything told him the same thing:
This mining area has completely exceeded his control.

They can't even "understand" what they've done, let alone "take over" it.

"Young Master," the financial advisor's voice rang out in the darkness.

"Are you still awake?"

"Hmm." Crawford gave a wry smile. "I can't sleep."

"Me too," the old man sighed.
What I saw today... is beyond the realm of common sense.

"Why did you say Uncle Karen retired?" Crawford suddenly asked.
"With his current status and power, he could easily continue to rule this place."

"Who knows..." the financial advisor hesitated. "Perhaps, it really is because I'm getting old and want to enjoy my retirement?"

"But……"

Crawford was about to say something when suddenly, a strange sound came from outside the window.

"Click...click...click..."

It was the sound of some kind of metal rubbing together, rhythmic and regular, yet with an indescribable eeriness.

He got up, walked to the window, and carefully pulled back a corner of the curtain.

Then, he saw a sight he would never forget.

On the street, a group of "things" were slowly moving forward.

Those "things" had roughly human-shaped outlines, but they didn't look like living people at all.

Their skin has a sickly grayish-white color, and the surface is covered with mottled metallic patches;
His eye sockets were deep-set, and a faint red light burned within them;
His limbs were stiff, and when he walked, he was like a rusty machine, making a harsh grinding sound...

What's most terrifying is that they are all wearing identical armor.

The armor appeared to be made of some kind of active metal, flowing, deforming, and adapting with the wearer's movements...

Like a second skin.

"What's that..." The financial advisor also leaned closer to the window.

His words stopped abruptly.

The figure at the very back of the group seemed to have noticed the spying from the window.

It turned its head, and the two red lights stared straight in Crawford's direction.

Eyes facing each other.

"what!"

Crawford screamed and fell to the floor, the curtains slipping from his hands and covering the window again.

But that image was already deeply imprinted in his mind.

The financial advisor's face was equally pale: "What...what is that?"

“I don’t know,” Crawford muttered to himself. “I don’t want to know…”

"I just want to go home!"

The next morning, when Green came to pick them up again, he found that Crawford had not slept all night.

His eyes were bloodshot, and he was in a state of extreme tension.

“Young Master Walker, you don’t look well,” Green asked with concern. “Are you dissatisfied with your accommodations?”

"No...no..." Crawford forced a smile:
"I just have trouble sleeping in a new bed."

"I'm so sorry." Green nodded.

"However, today's schedule may be quite tight, so I hope you can stay alert."

What itinerary?

"Governor Karen said that since you may be taking over the mining area in the future, you should understand every aspect of it thoroughly."

Green smiled and said, "So today, we're going to visit the core areas of the production line—including the smelting workshop, the rune engraving workshop, and... the experimental weapons testing range."

"Weapons?" Crawford's voice changed.

“Yes, weapons.” Green’s smile widened.

"The mining area not only produces civilian equipment, but we also have the capability to manufacture military equipment."

"From the most basic ballista to complex heavy armored vehicles, and then..."

When he said this, it was as if he practically had "We're going to rebel" written all over his face:
"Something more special."

Is it that they don't even want to act anymore?
Crawford felt his legs starting to go weak again.

Could those "iron corpses" we saw last night be the so-called "special weapons"?
If that's the case... then how many secrets is hidden in this mining area?

The even more terrifying question is: Why did Uncle Karen have to let him see all this?

Is it a test? A warning?
Or... is it hinting at something?
………………

The weapons testing range is located at the very edge of the mining area.

It was an open area enclosed by walls, covered with traces of various explosions and high-temperature burns.

When Crawford and his team entered the test range, a demonstration was underway.

"boom!"

A deafening explosion resounded through the sky.

A shell roared out of the launcher in the distance, leaving a long trail of flame, and hit the target precisely outside the field of vision.

The target was blown to pieces, and the shockwave spread out, creating a visible blast wave.

"This is our latest 'city-breaking cannon'."

"If it's mass-produced."

He looked at Crawford:
"One hundred such cannons would be enough to raze the outer defenses of Hearth City to the ground within three hours."

Crawford's face paled even more.

This is no longer a "display," it's clearly a "threat," a blatant threat.

"Of course, this is just theoretical data."

Green then changed the subject:
"Governor Karen has always emphasized that the purpose of these weapons is 'defense' rather than 'aggression'."

“The mining area never initiates wars, but it will never back down in the face of threats.”

Within the three grooves of the overseer priest, the eerie blue flames flickered violently.

“Mr. Green,” the overseer priest suddenly spoke, his voice carrying a distinct sense of pressure.

"Does the High Priest know of the existence of these weapons?"

“Of course I know,” Green replied matter-of-factly.

“For every new weapon we develop, we submit a detailed technical report to the temple.”

This was said with perfect accuracy.

This demonstrates both the "transparency" and "loyalty" of the mining area, and also implies the high priest's "tacit approval" or even "support" for these weapons.

But the overseer priest knew in his heart that things were not that simple.

Technical report?
Those ideas are nothing but empty talk when faced with real objects.

Only when you see these war machines in operation before your eyes can you truly understand their terror.

The overseer priest asked Green to end his inspection tour.

It has gathered enough intelligence and now needs to return to the temple as soon as possible to report everything to the high priest.

“So, the handover ceremony?” Green asked tentatively.

"Tomorrow." The supervising priest's answer was brief and firm: "It will be held first thing tomorrow morning, and the ceremony will be simple."

"I need to return to the temple as soon as possible."

Green didn't say anything more, but bowed respectfully: "Yes, Your Excellency."

That night, Crawford suffered from insomnia again.

No, it's less about insomnia and more about being completely afraid to fall asleep.

Because whenever he closes his eyes, those terrifying images flash through his mind:

Half-Iron Corpse in the Underground Factory;
War machines on the test field;
And then there are those "things" patrolling in the night.
“I’m leaving,” he suddenly said to his financial advisor. “I’m leaving this place.”

"What?" The old man was stunned.

"I don't want the governorship anymore!"

Crawford's voice was already trembling with tears: "This place is terrible, I can't stand it for another day!"

"But young master, what about the family?"

“Family?” Crawford gave a bitter laugh.
"If the family knew the truth about this place, would they still send me here to die?"

"This isn't a cushy job at all; it's a powder keg!"

"A super bomb that, even if it can't destroy the entire Hearth City, will blast our entire family to smithereens!"

He grabbed the financial advisor by the collar, completely out of control:

"Do you understand? If Uncle Karen wanted to, he could use the military forces here to flatten the outer defenses of Hearth City at any time!"

"Can those cannons, those tanks, those monstrous city defense troops stop them?"

The financial advisor fell silent.

He certainly understood that what Crawford said was true.

The problem is, if we want to leave now, can we still leave?
At this moment, there was a sudden knock on the door.

"Boom, boom, boom."

The heavy knocking sounded particularly jarring in the quiet night.

Crawford froze.

"Who?" he asked, trembling.

“It’s me, Green.”

That familiar voice came from outside the door:
"There are some details about tomorrow's ceremony that I need to confirm with Master Walker."

“Now?” Crawford glanced at the clock on the wall. “It’s already midnight.”

“Yes, I’m sorry to disturb your rest.” Green’s voice remained polite: “But these matters are indeed very important and cannot be delayed.”

Crawford and the financial advisor exchanged a glance.

They both saw the same fear in each other's eyes.

However, they dared not refuse.

Crawford walked to the door and opened it with trembling hands.

Outside the door, Green was still wearing his vice governor's uniform, with a standard professional smile on his face.

But under the dim corridor lights, that smile looked particularly eerie.

"Young Master Walker, I apologize for disturbing you so late at night."

Green nodded politely: "There are a few procedures I need to confirm with you regarding tomorrow's handover ceremony."

As he spoke, he took a document out of his pocket.

But just as Crawford reached out to take it...

"Boom!"

The entire building suddenly began to shake violently!

The lights flickered, the walls cracked, and gravel fell from the ceiling!
"What's going on?!" Crawford shouted in terror.

"Please don't panic." Green's expression remained unchanged.

"It's just routine equipment maintenance, which sometimes causes some vibration."

"This level of vibration... is it for equipment maintenance?!" the financial advisor exclaimed incredulously.

“Yes.” Green nodded: “Some of the large pieces of equipment in the mine will make a lot of noise when they are being repaired.”

"But don't worry, there will be no danger."

No sooner had he finished speaking than heavy footsteps echoed from the end of the corridor.

"Boom, boom, boom"

The footsteps were heavy and slow, with an echo of some kind of metallic clanging.

Crawford turned his head stiffly, looking into the darkness of the corridor.

Then he saw a tall figure slowly walking out of the darkness.

That was a "thing" that was over two and a half meters tall.

His entire body was encased in heavy metal armor, and his chest gleamed with an eerie red light.

With each step, the floor groaned under the strain.

"That's it"

"Oh, he's the captain of the maintenance team."

"It is responsible for overseeing tonight's equipment maintenance work."

"They probably heard the commotion here and came to check the situation."

The "captain" walked closer and looked down at Crawford.

Beneath the mask, two beams of red light, like lava, locked onto him.

When their eyes met, Crawford felt his heart stop beating.

That was definitely not a human gaze.

A certain pure killing instinct is barely restrained within the cage of reason.

But that cage could break at any moment.
"There's no problem, we're just confirming the ceremony schedule with the guests for tomorrow."

Green said to the "captain," "You can continue with the repairs."

The enormous figure stood silently for a few seconds, then slowly nodded and walked back into the depths of the corridor.

The heavy footsteps gradually faded into the distance, eventually disappearing into the darkness.

"I'm so sorry, I startled you."

Green turned to Crawford and said apologetically, "These 'workers' are indeed somewhat... horrifying in appearance."

"But please believe me, they will never harm the guests."

"As long as you abide by the rules and regulations of the mining area."

This last sentence is clearly pointed.

Good night, Master Walker.

He turned and left, the heavy door closing again.

When Green knocked on the door again in the early morning, he was met with a hastily written resignation.

"Young Master Walker said he is unwell and probably cannot fulfill the duties of governor."

The financial advisor handed over the documents: "He hopes to return to Hearthheart as soon as possible for treatment."

Green accepted the resignation letter without any surprise on his face.

“I understand.” He nodded and said, “The environment in the mining area is indeed special, and not everyone can adapt to it.”

"Please convey to Master Walker that Governor Karen wishes him a speedy recovery."

As for the position of governor-general

Green looked out the window at the brightly lit mining area, his tone becoming distant:

“There will be a more suitable person to take over.”

The overseer priest stood on the edge of the mining area, taking one last look back at the city that had so deeply troubled him.

In the dim light of dawn, countless chimneys were spewing out white steam.

The faint roar of the factory machinery could be heard; it was an industrial behemoth that never stopped, slowly awakening under the twilight sky.

The handover ceremony has been completed.

To be precise, it was completed hastily.

The ceremony was brief and hasty because the candidate governor, Crawford, withdrew at the last minute citing "illness."

Karen symbolically handed over several documents, which the overseeing priest then stamped with the high priest's seal for confirmation.

Then it was announced that "the position of governor is temporarily vacant, pending appointment by the temple."

The whole process takes less than ten minutes.

But those ten minutes made the supervising priest extremely uneasy.

Because it can sense that countless eyes are watching it during the ceremony.

"Priest, have a safe journey." Green stood on the inside of the border and bowed politely.

The overseer priest did not respond, but simply turned around and activated the flight unit within his body.

Its energy wings unfolded, lifting its massive body slowly into the air.

"That old bastard."

During the flight, the image of Karen's hunched back flashed through the mind of the overseer priest.

In just forty years, a remote wasteland has developed to that extent.

We must return to the temple as soon as possible and report everything to the high priest.

This mining area is no longer just an ordinary production base.

This place is more like a time bomb, which could trigger a dramatic change in the power structure of the entire Stoker Star at any moment.

With that thought in mind, it increased its flight speed.

This metallic planet is filled with highly concentrated iron particles, giving the entire sky a rusty red hue.

The overseer priests were completely unconcerned.

Its body was designed for this kind of environment, and the iron in the air is just negligible background noise to it.

However, what it didn't know was that these "insignificant" iron elements were about to become its nightmare. (End of Chapter)