Wizard: My career panel has no upper limit

Chapter 68: Intermediate Apprentice Goes Further

The familiar yet unfamiliar scene reappeared—the dark void between the stars, and that terrifying devourer-like existence.

Unlike last time, this time he did not feel panicked, but observed everything with an almost detached attitude.

That existence, so huge that it cannot be described in words, is devouring one star after another. Every time a star is swallowed into the bottomless abyss, a painful wail seems to be heard in the universe.

For a beginner, this sight would be enough to cause a nervous breakdown, but after a month of training, Ron was able to remain calm.

【Mental power enters an unstable state! 】

Potential mental pollution detected

After dozens of meditation sessions and the experience gained after his last burst of inspiration, he has developed a set of methods to deal with mental pollution.

Just like exercising muscles, the right amount of stimulation can actually promote better growth of mental strength.

In the void, he caught a glimpse of the "Devourer" again, and an indescribable sense of fear instantly enveloped him, as if his entire soul was corroded by cold darkness.

This fear does not simply come from the threat of death or pain, but is a deeper fear of the "true" nature of the universe.

Ron felt that his consciousness was being torn apart by the gaze of that huge being, like a piece of paper tottering in the wind.

This was the most intense mental shock he had ever experienced, far exceeding all his previous meditation experiences.

"Spiritual rhythm... must find spiritual rhythm..." He kept repeating this sentence in his mind, as if grabbing a life-saving straw in a storm.

But this time, with the solid mental foundation accumulated in the previous month, and having reached the critical point of 2.9, his performance was undoubtedly much better than last time.

As his mind reached a delicate balance, Ron suddenly felt an unprecedented understanding surge into his heart.

The obscure parts of "Murmurs of the Star Eater" that had troubled him in the past now became extremely clear.

The laws governing the movement of stars, the flow of cosmic energy, and even some more profound dimensional concepts were all presented to him in an almost intuitive way.

When his consciousness vibrated according to this rhythm, external pressure seemed less unbearable.

The feeling of being torn apart gradually eased, replaced by a strange resonance.

"I see... The essence of this meditation method isn't controlling mental energy, but guiding it to flow according to the most fundamental rhythm of the starry sky..."

This burst of inspiration lasted for about ten minutes. When Ron's consciousness returned to the real world, he found that his whole body was soaked in cold sweat and his clothes were sticking to his skin, but his mental state was surprisingly clear.

What surprised him even more was that an unprecedented spiritual power was surging in his body, sweeping over his entire body like a flood breaking through a dam.

This is both the result of the quantitative changes accumulated over the past month finally leading to qualitative changes, and the final push brought about by this burst of inspiration.

【Breakthrough improvement in mental strength! 】

【Spirit: 2.9→3.0】

[Magic: 0.7→1.0]

"Success!" Ron exclaimed softly, quickly calming himself down and quietly feeling the changes in his body.

Reaching 3.0 in spiritual power meant he had officially entered the threshold of a mid-level apprentice. He could feel his perception of the surrounding magic becoming more acute, even able to detect the faint, almost non-existent energy fluctuations in the air.

More importantly, his mental power is no longer just passive perception, but can actively extend to form a special "mental tentacle" to detect the environment farther away.

But for Ron, what was more important was that this time he did not rely on external things, but overcame the mental distortion brought about by inspiration through his own efforts and completed this transformation.

This means that even without the time-guardian pocket watch, he already has the ability to independently cope with higher-level spiritual challenges.

"Mrs. Allen is right. Inspiration is a curse, but it is also an opportunity. The key is how you deal with this double-edged sword."

[Warning: Mild mental pollution detected]

He reached out and picked up the silver pocket watch on the bedside table, poured his consciousness into it, and completely eliminated his abnormal state.

The black gem on the pocket watch immediately lit up and began to absorb the negative state from him.

[Successfully reset negative status: Mild mental pollution, energy - 2]

As the pocket watch absorbed the mental pollution, Ron felt his mind gradually relax. Although the degree of pollution was lighter than the first time, it was better to eliminate it since it could be completely removed.

[Experience points for "The Whisper of the Star Eater" + 10]

[Current progress: "The Whisper of the Star Eater" (Proficiency 128/300)]

Despite making considerable progress, Ron also knew that the journey of this gem-level meditation method was only less than halfway through.

There is still a long way to go to reach what Mrs Allen calls “phase one completion”.

When he completes the first stage, he will enter the advanced apprentice stage and be ready to break through to the level of a formal wizard at any time.

A breeze blew in from the window, taking away some of the sweat on his body and waking him up from his thoughts.

Time to head to the herbal medicine store.

After packing up his belongings, Ron took another look at the simple dormitory where he had lived for nearly a year.

Looking at the narrow wooden bed and the rickety desk, an inexplicable emotion suddenly surged in his heart.

This place carries the confusion and fear he felt when he first arrived, and also witnesses his journey of becoming stronger step by step.

But as his strength increased, this place was no longer suitable for him.

Not only were the conditions poor, but the daily commuting between the market and the various public facilities at the school took up a lot of his time, and everything was far from meeting his existing needs.

More importantly, as his strength increased, he became increasingly aware that this dormitory area had gradually become a safety hazard.

Some time ago, many people began to try to approach him, including some with bad intentions.

Although he is capable of dealing with most troubles now, being in this environment for a long time will always make people nervous.

"After all, this isn't a place to stay forever..."

(End of this chapter)