Wizard: My career panel has no upper limit

Aiden's expression froze on his face.

"Or the King of Illusions?"

Ron continued, his tone dripping with sarcasm: "Is it because... you can't do it?"

The entire imaginary space fell into an eerie stillness.

Aiden's face began to contort.

That approachable appearance is crumbling; cracks are spreading from the corners of her eyes to her entire face.

"Kid, you're asking for it."

His voice became hoarse: "Who do you think you're talking to..."

“I’m just stating the facts.” Ron remained unmoved.
"The King of Absurdity and the King of Illusion... I have had contact with them and have traces of memories of them."

“But you dare not use it.” He took a step forward: “Because their ‘existence’ is too powerful.”

Even if it's just an illusion, it can still harm you.

Another step.

"You are afraid."

"Even when you are facing their 'shadows,' you are afraid."

Aiden's body began to tremble.

His face had completely collapsed, turning into a mask full of cracks.

Beneath the mask, a more terrifying "truth" can be vaguely seen.

"What do you think saying these things will change?"

His voice became broken: "You are still trapped here, with nowhere to escape!"

"I just want you to understand one thing."

Ron's voice turned cold: "You're a loser, you've been from the start."

These words were like a sharp blade, piercing Aiden's most vulnerable spot.

"Back then, you were an enemy of the King of Absurdity in the main world."

He continued:
"I don't need to say more about the outcome of that fight."

"You lost, you lost completely."

"In the end, I can only become a stray dog, hiding in this desolate place called Chaotic Blood World."

Aiden's body began to tremble violently.

From within him, a twisted roar began to emanate:

"Kill him! Kill him!"

"Don't let him continue!"

That was another voice, a more frantic, more violent one.

The "crazy" side is awakening.

But Ron didn't stop; he pointed to the floating fragments of memory in the distance:

"You devoured the illusory remains of your ancestors and claimed their legacy for yourself."

"These fragments of memory are evidence... of evil that you yourself cannot suppress."

“The most ironic thing is…” his words became even sharper:
"You think you're gathering strength while you're asleep?"

"You're wrong. You're just trapped. You won't wake up, and you won't die."

"To be forever trapped in this sea of ​​blood, accompanied by your own madness, this is the ultimate result of your 'choice'."

Ron said, enunciating each word clearly: "A complete and utter loser."

As soon as the words were spoken, the blood-red plain began to tremble violently.

Countless cracks spread across the ground, from which scalding blood gushed forth.

The entire imaginary space began to squeeze toward Ron.

The sky is falling, and the earth is shrinking.

Everything was converging on him, attempting to completely devour, assimilate, and erase him...

[Threshold of Darkness] Unfolds.

The gate, woven from starlight and chaos, materialized before him, radiating a soft yet resolute light.

The blood surged against the door, hissing and corroding.

Ron knew this wouldn't last long.

This is Aiden's "territory" after all, and even if it's just a space formed by his subconscious, the rules still favor the "master".

However, the time gained through the trash talk segment was more than enough.

“Selna…”

Ron murmured the name.

He felt that the "Selna's illusory remains" he was carrying were getting hot and burning.

A burst of light pierced through the crimson surroundings.

Within that light, a figure began to materialize.

Originally, that was Selna when she was young.

She was petite, with long, blood-red hair tied loosely in a ponytail, and gentle yet lively eyes—exactly the same as the image projected in history.

But as the coalescing continued, the figures began to change.

A fissure appeared on its back, from which tentacles poured out, and sharp bone spurs emerged from its shoulder blades.

Its face began to distort, and scales and extra eyes appeared.

Finally, what appeared before him was an elderly Selna, her beast-like vertical pupils fixed on Ron.

"you……"

Selna's voice emanated simultaneously from countless organs, forming an eerie harmony:
"It's that little guy from back then..."

All three eyes focused on Ron.

“You have grown faster than I expected. Before you were even a hundred years old, you had already crossed the threshold of becoming a great wizard.”

“Senior Selna.”

Ron said, "I need your help."

Selna's multiple eyes simultaneously gazed at the surging tide of blood around her.

The crimson liquid is forming "walls" that are trying to trap them in this area.

The surface of the blood tide churned, and countless distorted faces could be seen appearing and disappearing within it.

Those were the lives devoured by Aiden; their consciousness remained in their blood, forever unable to escape.

“Aiden… that idiot!” Her voice turned icy.

The tentacles suddenly pierced the air, tearing apart a blood-red "wall".

“I can draw upon your full power.”

Taking advantage of the brief calm, Ron quickly explained:
"If I were to unveil the veil of the [Threshold of Darkness], using my spiritual power as a medium..."

"You should be able to exert the power you had before you were born in a short period of time."

Selna blinked all of her eyes at the same time.

“This method…” she thought for a moment, “is theoretically feasible.”

“The illusory remains are essentially fragments of my ‘existence’.”

"If a suitable 'container' can be found, it is indeed possible to temporarily restore some of the power."

“And your [Threshold of Darkness]…” She examined Ron’s ethereal remains closely:
"The inclusiveness of this door far exceeded my expectations."

The tentacle swept through the air: "Okay, I'll help you."

"But remember—this is just borrowing, not giving. My power will dissipate after it is used."

Her third eye stared directly at Ron: "You must walk your own path in the end."

Ron nodded solemnly: "I understand."

He began to remove the "concealment" of the [Threshold of Darkness].

This process was more difficult than imagined.

The "concealment" of the "Dark Threshold" is not just a simple power blockade; it has been deeply integrated into every structure of his ethereal body.

It's like a piece of clothing that's been worn for many years, now fitting snugly against the skin.

To get rid of it, you must first "strip" a part of yourself.

Pain surged from the depths of his soul, and the door woven from starlight and chaos began to change.

The previously closed door slowly opened, revealing the "mystery" behind it.

The human figures formed by starlight also began to unveil themselves.

The veil woven by chaos is like smoke and dust blown away by the wind, peeling away little by little.

Past, present, and future—every moment flickers within it, weaving together to create a dazzling tapestry.

"I see……"

Selna's voice held a hint of amazement: "Your ethereal form is even more special than I imagined."

The illusory remains emitted a dazzling light, and power surged from them, pouring into the [Mysterious Gate] like a flood bursting its banks.

A mutated hand reached out from behind the door, followed by a completely solidified mutated body. Selna stepped out of the [Mysterious Door] again.

This is her most powerful form during her lifetime—the Void Remains [Return Transformation] fully unfolded.

Unlike the previous "projection," she now exudes the aura of a true "great wizard."

“It’s been so long since I last appeared in this form…” She looked at her mutated hands.

Selna looked up: "Thank you, little one."

"It allows me to experience the feeling of 'existence' one more time before I dissipate."

She stepped forward, each step causing the blood to rush to the sides.

In the vampire world, the closer one is to the "source," the stronger their control over their offspring.

And Selna is the "first creator" of this race.

Therefore, no matter how powerful Aiden is, no matter how many lives he has devoured.

In the face of the "roots" of blood, he will always be just a "junior".

The blood tide recoiled as if it had been scalded before it even touched her body.

The once surging waves dissipated, turning into tiny droplets that spilled onto the ground.

The mass of flesh began to contract, and its countless eyes and mouths screamed:

"Don't come near me! Don't come near me!"

A giant hand made of blood attempted to attack Selna, but it automatically disintegrated before even touching her "domain".

It's like a snowflake encountering a flame; it melts before it even touches the flame.

"Pain?" Selna sneered, "This is the 'correction' mechanism of the bloodline."

“When descendants deviate significantly from the rules set by the ‘source,’ they will be punished.”

"You have devoured too many innocent people, and your blood has been tainted beyond recognition."

"Now, the source is 'correcting' this mistake."

Aiden tried to remain calm, but his voice had already begun to tremble: "This is only temporary..."

“My power is greater than yours; I have already devoured your ethereal remains… I should…”

“You’ve only devoured power,” Selna interrupted him. “But the ‘root’ of your bloodline will always remain with me.”

She raised a mutated hand, the bone spurs at her fingertips gleaming with an eerie light:

"You can copy my skills, but you can't copy my 'essence'."

"Like a replica, no matter how exquisite it is, it can never replace the original."

"Because 'truth' cannot be copied."

"That's your tragedy, Aiden."

Her voice was filled with pity:

"You seek power, but you don't understand where power comes from."

"You devour others, yet you are unaware of what you are losing."

"You think you're getting stronger..."

The tentacle pointed to the mass of flesh and blood: "Actually, you're just constantly 'diluting' yourself."

Selna's historical projection begins to fight alongside Ron's undead.

The Threshold of Darkness unfolds, and the power behind that door begins to surge forth.

Starlight formed chains that extended from the doorway and moved through the air like living things.

They searched for their target, then suddenly tightened, wrapping around the struggling mass of flesh and blood.

"Aaaaaah!" The mass of flesh let out a shrill scream.

Selna's tentacles surged forth like a tide, each carrying "the authority of her bloodline".

They pierced through the tide of blood, penetrated the core of the flesh and blood mass, and began to dismantle the monster's structure from the inside.

"I cannot kill you, even though what you did could not be enough to warrant a thousand deaths."

She said with some regret, "But you are already deeply connected to this world."

"Killing you is tantamount to destroying the entire Chaotic Blood World."

The tentacles continue to penetrate deeper:

“Those innocent vampires, those lives forced to bear the curse… they should not pay the price for your sins.”

Tentacles weaved through the mass of flesh, each piercing carrying the authority of the "source," forcibly "correcting" the distorted bloodline structure. But this was only a temporary suppression.

Selna's power was ultimately "borrowed" from herself, and the remaining will within the illusory remains was being consumed at a visible rate.

He must find a way to leave before that happens.

[Observation] With full capability, every inch of the structure in this imaginary space is examined.

The blood-red plains, the crimson sky, and the surging blood tide... everything looked so "complete" and so "solid".

In theory, it is impossible for outsiders to break through from the inside.

But Ron didn't give up.

His gaze swept over every intersection of the "rules," searching for any possible "gaps."

The "essence" of space gradually became clear to him.

Anger, fear, despair, madness... these negative emotions intertwine to form the "foundation" of this space.

However, somewhere... Ron's eyes lit up.

Located on the edge of the battlefield, almost forgotten in a corner, the space there exhibits a subtle "fault".

This is a piece of fabric that has been carefully mended, and no trace of the damage can be seen on the surface.

However, the internal textures do not match perfectly, and the "emotional tone" is completely different from the surroundings.

It was a deep-seated, almost rotting, sense of guilt.

It's like two rusty nails, stuck here, causing a constant, dull ache.

Ron stared at the "fault line," trying to read the remaining "memories" within it.

The first nail of guilt was Selna.

Aiden stood alone in the pool of blood, trembling all over.

At that time, his eyes still held a lingering clarity and pain.

The second nail of guilt is even more hidden.

Hilda.

At that time, she was still human, a member of the Selna family, and had helped the young man Aiden when he was down on his luck.

Aiden's "repayment" to her was to convert her into a vampire as well.

It wasn't to grant her power, but simply to keep her "alive."

Living and imprisoned in a world of chaos and blood, as a permanent "witness".

Witness his rise, his madness, and his gradual descent into monster.

This is Aiden's remaining "humanity"; he needs someone to "remember" what kind of person he once was.

“I see…” Ron nodded.

These two nails of guilt are the biggest cracks in Aiden's "kingdom".

To devour Selna is to kill one's ancestors; to imprison Hilda is to destroy one's friends.

He could use madness to cover everything up, and tyranny to forget everything, but he could not erase the traces left by these two.

“Found it.” Ron moved in that direction. “This is my way out.”

“Senior Selna.”

Selna's gaze fell on the spot he was pointing to, her mutated face showing only surprise.

"Guilt? This idiot actually still has these things."

"And Hilda, that girl, is she still alive?"

“Alive.” Ron nodded.
“She is now the Grand Duchess of the ‘Eye’ Clan, and is the most senior among the thirteen clans.”

“Ha…” Selna let out a soft, ambiguous laugh:

"I've lived for over eight thousand years and have been watching that idiot go crazy."

"This girl's character is even more resilient than I imagined."

The tentacles began to coalesce again, with crimson light converging at their tips.

"I'll tear this rift open, and you can use it to escape."

Ron stopped in his tracks.

"But what about yourself?"

The question slipped out, carrying an anxiety he himself was unaware of.

Selna smiled.

"You little rascal, you actually have some conscience after all." Her voice carried a hint of teasing: "Unlike some of those bastards who only know how to take."

"I am merely a projection of history."

Her tone became indifferent: "The 'will' remaining in the shattered remains was only temporarily condensed using your power."

"From the moment you woke me up, the ending was already destined."

"My strength is exhausted, my will is waning; this was my destiny all along."

The words were spoken so casually that Ron was momentarily at a loss for words.

"Don't look at me like that."

Selna pouted, somewhat impatiently:

“I’ve been dead for thousands of years, I’ve figured it out long ago.”

"But you..."

All three of her eyes focused on Ron: "You're the one who needs to worry."

The tentacles suddenly exerted force.

Under the impact of Selna's power, that "gap" began to tremble and expand.

The "fabric" was torn apart, revealing the pale void behind it, a passage to the real world.

"Remember what I said before."

"Kid," she said, giving Ron one last look, "you have a long road ahead of you, don't go astray."

A burst of light erupted, and Ron was wrapped around the waist by its tentacles and forcibly thrown out of the imaginary space.

In the final moments before he left, he vaguely heard a sigh.

There was no regret in that sigh, only relief.

………………

Toby doesn't know how he survived.

While rolling and dodging, his back slammed heavily against the city wall.

The pain was excruciating, but I was still alive.

Toby retreated while searching for his teammates.

His gaze moved forward and soon he saw "Daniel" outside the light screen.

To be precise, it's the rest of Daniel's body.

The other person's upper body was gone, but their lower body was still in a running posture.

His legs were bent, ready to take the next step at any moment, but he could never take that step.

Toby's mind began to scramble.

My thoughts are like scrambled ink, impossible to untangle.

He bent over and began to gag.

There was a roar, a roar everywhere.

My ears can't hear clearly anymore, only a buzzing sound, like a swarm of angry bees rushing around inside.

Blood, blood everywhere.

Blood was on the ground, blood was on the hands, and blood was on the face.

Some belong to Daniel, some to other people, and perhaps some to him.

He was unsure because he could no longer pinpoint the source of the pain.

Artillery fire, artillery fire, artillery fire!

The ground was shaking, the city walls were swaying, and Toby could barely stand.

He leaned against the wall, his fingernails digging into the cracks in the stones, barely managing to stay upright.

Someone is shouting something.

"Hold the line!"

Is it this one?

Who is shouting?

Toby couldn't hear clearly.

He could only see the mouths moving, but he couldn't hear any sound.

Looking up, the two remaining fortresses in the sky were glowing.

Toby lay down and covered his head.

He closed his eyes and waited... but death did not come.

Toby opened his eyes.

He survived again, but there were not many people left on the position.

My teammates were all turned into mangled pieces, and there were pools of blood on the city wall.

"It's a guided beam weapon!"

Someone shouted next to Toby.

Toby turned his head and saw a young soldier whose face was covered in blood.

"A masterpiece by Director Silas! Hidden underground for thirty years, waiting for this moment!"

Thirty years.

Toby recalled those mysterious underground projects, which the public had initially thought were just ordinary drainage system modifications.

Turning our gaze to the coastline, the mournful cries of the giant beast had gradually faded away.

All that remained was scorched earth and a huge... corpse.

The legendary sea monster Leviathan was now lying on the destroyed dock, its body long since ceasing to move.

Its purplish-black blood has corroded and melted the surrounding land.

The ground was riddled with deep pits, from which eerie blue smoke rose.

In some of the pits, you can still see partially dissolved human remains—those of the defenders who couldn't evacuate in time.

Leviathan's body was pierced with countless enormous harpoons, the ends of which were wrapped with densely packed runic chains.

The situation on the south side was even more dire.

The entire area was bathed in a golden light.

This is a "sunlight prism," which can amplify sunlight countless times, creating a field of intense sunlight.

Any vampire who has not been modified by the "Daywalkers" will be burned to ashes.

Countless burning figures struggled, screamed, and collapsed in the golden light... When the light faded, only a thick layer of ash remained on the ground.

Toby leaned against the city wall, watching all of this.

This is real war.

Not the stirring words in the Dawn newspaper, nor the enthusiastic mobilization orders from government officials…

There is only blood, flesh, screams, and fear here.

Countless lives were lost in an instant, and their remains were buried again by the explosion in the next second.

Deep-sea monster hordes, berserk vampires, the barrage of cannon fire from floating fortresses...

Although Leviathan has been slain, the enemy threat remains enormous, and the defensive line is in grave danger.

"Where is Lord Ralph!" someone shouted. "Where is Lord Ralph?!"

"He'll come to save us, won't he!"

But no one answered.

Toby looked up toward the command tower, where only ruins remained.

“He…he wouldn’t really…” The teammate’s voice trembled.

Toby didn't say anything.

He simply gripped his rifle tighter and aimed again at the monster below the city wall.

Even if the pillar of strength is gone, even if reinforcements haven't arrived, even if you know you might die...

He still had to fire, because his home was right behind him.

The trigger was pulled, and the bullet flew out.

The eye of a mutated octopus burst open, splattering yellow-green liquid everywhere.

It let out a shriek and its tentacles waved wildly.

Toby ejects the bullet, reloads, and aims again.

His hands stopped shaking.

It's not because I'm not afraid anymore, it's simply because... there's no way out.

"Old buddy, if I die, tell my son for me that his father isn't a coward."

"Go to hell!" shouted the older conscript next to him, who wasn't much younger, and he too raised his rifle.
"If we're going to die, we'll die together. You can tell your son about it yourself later."

Two old men stood side by side on the city wall, their guns pointed at the monster below. (End of Chapter)