Wizard: My career panel has no upper limit

The Crystal Spire's master's office had changed a lot compared to Ron's memory.

It's not that the layout has changed much—the dome is still that miniature star map, and the walls still have portrait paintings of the tower's past owners.

The only thing that changed was the smell.

During Cassandra's era, this office was always filled with a cold, metallic scent.

It smells like ozone condensing in the atmosphere before a storm, making people instinctively tense up.

The air was filled with the scent of ginkgo wood, a gentle fragrance that made people relax without realizing it.

Antigonus turned and called out towards the inside of the office, "Darling, is the tea ready?"

A faint metallic scraping sound came from the side hall.

Lady Mercury, carrying an exquisite silver tea set, slowly emerged from behind the curtain in the side hall.

At first glance, you might mistake it for a strikingly beautiful silver-haired woman.

But if you linger your gaze on her for too long, an indescribable sense of unease will creep up your spine.

"Professor Ralph, please have some tea."

Ron took the teacup, and as his fingertips touched the cup, he sensed an extremely faint fluctuation of magic.

He didn't point it out, but silently noted the detail in his mind.

"Good tea."

After offering his usual compliment, he placed the teacup back on the saucer and met the other person's gaze with a frank expression.
"But I'm not here just for tea."

“Of course.” Antigonus’s expression changed from easygoing to serious:

"I have already approved the procedures for using the small chessboard."

He took a document from the table and pushed it across to the other side:

"Grid number, usage period, resource quota... it's all in here."

Ron took the document and read through it line by line.

The terms are clear and standardized, without any ambiguous wording.

“Two adjacent cells, numbered γ-17 and γ-18, with a time flow rate ninety times greater.”

“That’s right.” Antigonus nodded.

"Given that your research involves biological experiments and long-term observations, a flow rate of 90 times should be sufficient."

If adjustments are needed later, you can apply in advance.

"Very thoughtful."

Ron put the document into his spatial bag and was about to thank him when Antigonus stood up first.

"Now that all the formalities are complete, why don't I personally take the professor to have a look?" He made an inviting gesture.
"No matter how detailed the description on paper is, it is not as intuitive as seeing it with your own eyes."

………………

The so-called small chessboard is naturally not in the material world.

"This little chessboard was created by the Creator himself."

Antigonus's voice was filled with awe.

Even a top-tier wizard as knowledgeable as him could not remain completely calm when discussing demons that surpassed the Wizard King.

As he spoke, he activated a device.

After the magic was injected, the entire imaginary space underwent a fundamental change.

The light receded inward, seemingly being "folded" by an invisible force.

Ron felt his footing disappear.

It was as if a giant hand had peeled him off the canvas of reality and pasted him onto another canvas.

The dizziness was extremely brief, so brief that he didn't even have time to activate his ethereal defenses.

When his vision refocused, his breathing suddenly stopped.

I was now suspended above an endless expanse of darkness.

There was nothing underfoot, only a chessboard stretching to the horizon.

The chessboard was larger than I had imagined.

The entire field of vision was covered by those regular squares.

Each cell is an independent world.

In some of the cells, towering mountains rise and clouds surge, and sunlight pours down from some non-existent place, casting light and shadow in the valleys.
Some cells are desolate and boundless, with cracked ground extending to the edge of a miniature horizon, where sandstorms occasionally swirl, like hurricanes trapped in a bottle.
In some of the cubicles, the ocean is crystal clear, with waves rising and falling between fist-sized sprays, and you can even see tiny whales swimming slowly among them.

Some squares were completely black, with nothing inside.

Those were unclaimed "blank spaces," waiting for a great wizard to infuse them with the first ray of light.

Viewed from above, tens of thousands of such grids, pieced together, resemble a giant chessboard inlaid with countless fragments of galaxies.

Brightness and darkness are interspersed, and vitality and desolation coexist side by side.

It's as if a chess player who transcends time and space is using the materials of the entire universe to play a game that will never end.

"It's truly spectacular."

Ron exclaimed in genuine admiration.

Antigonus stood beside him, his eyes filled with a sense of pride.

"Isn't it amazing?" He spoke as if he were showing off his own garden: "The first time a great wizard comes, he reacts like this."

"However... there are some rules that need to be confirmed before you activate the grid."

He swiped his right hand, and a semi-transparent information interface appeared between the two of them.

"The use of the small chessboard is divided into two parts."

Anticoeur points to an icon on the left side of the screen.

It was a miniature square, its edges gleaming with a soft blue light:
"The first type is the 'sand table', which is the kind of private grid you applied for."

“Each high wizard who is granted permission to use the small chessboard may apply for one to three separate squares.”

The flow of time within a grid varies depending on its quality, typically ranging from eighty to one hundred and fifty times that of the Overworld.

"In the sandbox, users have almost absolute authority."

His finger moved in the air, and the information interface unfolded with more details:

"You can manipulate the physical rules involved—gravity, temperature, light cycle, atmospheric composition, and even simulate relatively complex ecological cycles and magic fields."

"In other words, within your own little world, you are the creator."

As Antigonus finished speaking, the corners of his mouth turned up slightly:

"Of course, the cost is not small either. The operation of the grid requires a continuous investment of magic and resources, and the faster the time flow, the greater the consumption."

If the input is interrupted, the grid will enter a dormant state—internal time freezes, all activity is suspended, and it will remain dormant until it is reactivated.

Ron nodded.

"What about the second type?"

Antigonus pointed to another icon on the right side of the interface, which was a miniature world much larger than the "sandbox".

Inside, there are mountains, rivers, the outlines of continental plates, and you can even see the climate system operating within it.

"The arena, also known as the public server, has a time flow rate that is constant at three hundred times."

"It was created by the Creator and has since been maintained regularly by several Witch Kings, including the Perfect King and the Steadfast King."

"It has a complete ecosystem, natural rules and resource distribution inside—you could say it's a miniature real world."

Ron's gaze fell on the miniature figure.

Even though it was just a projection, he could sense the terrifying complexity it contained.

"All great wizards who are authorized to use the small chessboard can put the experimental results they have cultivated in the sandbox into the arena."

Antigonus continued his explanation:

"Observe their performance in real competitive environments—survival rate, reproduction rate, resource competition ability, environmental adaptability..."

"Every twenty years in the main world, which is about six thousand years inside the arena, a great reckoning takes place."

"We will compile a ranking based on the comprehensive performance indicators of the species released by all parties."

"This ranking will be linked to the academic evaluation and resource allocation of the Grand Wizards within the School Alliance."

"To put it bluntly..." Antigonus shrugged.

"Whoever has the best-living, largest, and fastest-reproducing 'children' in the arena will have a greater say in the school alliance."

"Resources, connections, academic reputation... all of them will follow. It can be considered a preview of the 'chessboard world' and 'civilization ranking' after becoming the Witch King."

Ron immediately understood what the other party meant.

This is not only an "academic experimental platform" but also an invisible arena where great wizards use creations to replace swords in a wrestling match.

On the surface, everyone is just "doing experiments" and "conducting research".

In reality, every species release, every round of resource competition, and every major reckoning is a silent game.

No wonder so many great wizards are so eager to use the small chessboard.

"Speaking of the arena..." Antigonus said, seemingly casually:

"Currently, the most powerful force in the public world is the Tree of Life School of the top archmage 'Emerald Laurel' Ashe."

"After all, they were the first school of thought in the last era. Even though they have declined somewhat, they still retain considerable strength."

He lightly tapped the projection with his fingertip.

The miniature of the arena was magnified several times, with the focus on a lush, jade-like area.

"Their 'green tide,' a semi-intelligent community of genetically modified plants, has been operating in the arena for over a thousand years."

Ron gazed at the green expanse.

Even through the projection, he could feel the vibrant, almost suffocating, life force.

It wasn't the gentle nourishment of an ordinary forest; it formed a kind of aggressive "expansion."

The vines, like greedy tentacles, stretched out in every direction they could reach;

The root system, like a swarm of hibernating snakes, spreads silently beneath the surface.

"The 'Green Tide' currently occupies about 18 percent of the arena's territory, making it the largest single force."

This number may seem small, but the terrifying scale of the arena itself must be taken into account.

That's a "real world" with a complete ecosystem.

Eighteen percent of its territory is roughly equivalent to an entire continent in the main world.

In the arena, the creations of dozens of great wizards compete against each other.

To emerge victorious in such fierce competition and monopolize nearly one-fifth of the territory...

This demonstrates the depth and methods of the Tree of Life school.

“A thousand years of accumulation,” Ron silently calculated.

This is the time scale of the main world; placed on the small chessboard at a hundred times the speed, that's a terrifying time scale.

Antigonus's gaze remained fixed on the green expanse, a shadow passing over his expression.

“They are truly remarkable.” His tone was calm and even.
"However, sometimes having too much power is not necessarily a good thing."

"After all, the space in the arena is limited."

"The more territory the 'green tide' occupies, the less space is left for others."

"This will have an impact on the diversity and level playing field of the entire ecosystem."

He looked at Ron with a half-smile: "What do you think, Professor?"

Ron didn't answer immediately. He picked up his teacup and took another sip; the tea was slightly cool, but still rich and flavorful.

Antigonus's intention in saying this was plain for all to see.

The three great wizards of the Tree of Life school were all severely punished by Cassandra in the Shifting Sands.

Their ethereal remains are still undergoing a long period of repair after being severely damaged by the "Gluttony Vortex".

However, the damage to the ethereal remains did not prevent the school from continuing to expand in the arena.

Green Tide is already a mature, self-sustaining system. Even without the personal intervention of Ashe, Seraphine, and others, it can continue to grow stronger by leveraging its existing advantages.

This expansion has clearly encroached on Antigonus's interests.

Therefore, he needed a "borrowed knife".

Ron—who had just gained the right to participate in the small game from him, possessed the vast resources of the Crown Clan, and was a newcomer with a grudge against the Tree of Life School—was exactly the perfect scapegoat.

Ron put down his teacup.

Antigonus was using himself as a pawn.

But aren't I also using his chessboard?
Without the small chessboard-like sand table, he could not quickly complete those biological experiments that required a long period of time.

Without the real competitive environment of an arena, his experimental results would forever remain at the stage of "theoretically feasible".

It's simply a matter of each getting what they need.

As for the threat posed by the Tree of Life school, Ron quickly assessed it in his mind.

With the biological materials he currently possesses, he should have the opportunity to cultivate competing species capable of rivaling the Green Tide.

This will just take time.

Developing prototypes in a sandbox, validating their effects in an arena... every step requires utmost care.

"Thank you for the reminder, Lord Antigonus."

Ron stood up: "I'll be careful about things at the arena."

Antigonus also stood up and gestured for him to proceed.

"Then, Professor, please familiarize yourself with your grid first. You can participate in the arena whenever you want."

"The next Great Reckoning will take seventeen years in the main world, which is nearly seventeen hundred years inside the arena. There is plenty of time."

The two shook hands and said goodbye at the entrance to the office.

Lady Mercury stood half a step behind Antigonus, her pupil-less eyes fixed on Ron.

Only after his figure disappeared into the teleportation did she slightly turn her head to look at her husband.

“He was very alert; my probe wave was detected as soon as we made contact.”

Antigonus sighed softly.

“Of course.” He turned and went back to his office. “His potential is far greater than mine.”

"But it doesn't matter, the chess pieces are already set up."

Next, all we need to do is wait for him to make his move.

………………

Number γ-17.

When Ron stood alone at the edge of his sandbox, all he could see was pure darkness.

Even in the deepest night, there is starlight, moonlight, and phosphorescence emitted by living things.

There's nothing here.

There is no distinction between up, down, left, or right, nor between near and far, deep or shallow; even the word "darkness" itself is a forced description.

This is an undefined territory, like a blank canvas waiting for a painter to put brush to paper.

Ron's magic surged from the core of the void, flowing down the three pillars of the [Threshold of Darkness] and into the faintly visible grid boundary line beneath his feet.

The boundary line lit up.

As more magic was poured in, those boundaries began to push outward.

Slow and steady, like an expanding bubble.

Hundreds of meters become one thousand meters, one thousand meters become five thousand meters, five thousand meters become ten thousand meters...

With each step outward, Ron could feel the imaginary space's instinctive resistance to this "invasion."

It was an omnipresent sense of oppression, as if the entire dimension was trying to compress this newly created space back to its origin.

He took out a batch of precious space-stabilizing materials from his spatial bag.

Astral silver powder is evenly sprinkled on the expanding boundary to provide it with structural strength;
Void anchors are embedded in key nodes to prevent the spatial barriers from developing wrinkles or cracks.

The space solidifier is applied to the inside of the boundary, forming a tough protective film.

These were all treasures of the Crown Clan, and now that Cassandra is gone, they've all gone to him.

A few minutes later, the space had fully expanded.

Ron's "biological experiment grid" eventually stabilized at a size equivalent to that of a large island.

In the first phase of the experiment, this space was more than enough.

The next step is the most crucial one.

Ron closed his eyes, and his mental energy, like countless fine threads, radiated outward from the center of his consciousness, weaving into every corner of this blank world.

First is gravity.

He made fine adjustments based on the gravitational constant of the main world to simulate the special "low gravity" environment of the Chaotic Blood World.

The feeling of being infused with the laws of gravity is quite peculiar.

It's like injecting water into a sponge; all the suspended particles start falling in the same direction.

"Xia" was born.

Then there's temperature.

Ron simulated a distribution pattern of "warm core, cold periphery".

This is a framework reserved for the subsequent construction of different extreme environment areas.

Lighting is a step that requires extra care.

A typical sand table only requires a constant light source, but Ron's experiment required far more than just a "constant light source."

He needs to simulate the lighting conditions of the "eternal twilight" in the chaotic world.

Under these lighting conditions, the visible spectrum will be biased towards the red-orange band, with extremely low ultraviolet content and a high proportion of infrared radiation.

For vampires, this is the most comfortable lighting environment.

For Ron's experiment, this was also the ideal "baseline condition".

The moment the light source array was activated, the entire sand table transformed from pure darkness into a warm, dim yellow.

Orange-red light continuously emerged, draping the newly born world in its first rays of color.

Ron stood in the light, and for a moment he felt as if he had returned to the walls of Twilight City.

"Do you understand now?" Acelia, who had been observing from the sidelines, also appeared at this moment:
"Why did the ancient alchemists regard 'creation' as the highest art? When you personally set the first ray of light, the first drop of water, the first grain of dust..."

The dragon spirit perched on his shoulder, seemingly lost in some kind of memory:

"This feeling is no less than touching the essence of how the universe works."

Although it is as small as a drop in the ocean, so fragile that a spatial storm could wipe it out.

But at this moment, at this moment when you light the first ray of light for it, it is real and authentic.

That's absolutely true. The sheer realism of the scene left even Ron, who considered himself well-informed, stunned for quite a while.

But he quickly calmed down and continued working.

The injection of atmospheric components, the construction of the water cycle, the laying of soil matrix... each of these requires precise calculations and patient adjustments.

Fortunately, he had enough experience, whether it was managing the Stoker Star and the Chaotic Blood World, or messing around with the "simulation sandbox" that Saint Hephis gave him, all of which could be considered similar practices.

Three hours later (overnight time), the basic framework of the biological experiment grid was completed.

The central region is a wasteland, dry and barren, with faint blood energy particles permeating the air, almost identical to the natural environment of the Chaotic Blood World.

Around this core wasteland, Ron constructed four distinct extreme environment zones.

The north side is a "high-light zone".

The light sources there were turned up to maximum power to simulate direct midday sunlight.

The ultraviolet radiation is extremely high, the surface temperature exceeds 50 degrees Celsius, and the air is so dry that water droplets can evaporate almost instantly.

The purpose of this area is clear: to test the sunlight tolerance of experimental subjects.

To the east is a "polluted zone".

Ron had exchanged samples of industrial waste from different technological worlds with Vinard beforehand, mixed them in a certain proportion, and released them into this area.

This area will be used to test the contamination immunity and absorption/transformation capabilities of experimental subjects.

The south side is the "chaotic infiltration zone".

He used the power of the chaotic pillar within his ethereal body to "carve" several tiny cracks in the spatial barrier of this area.

The chaotic energy slowly seeped in through these cracks, forming a chaotic field that was sometimes strong and sometimes weak, and that was unpredictable.

Finally, the west side is a "zone rich in necromantic energy".

Here, Ron encountered a small accident.

When he tried to construct the necromantic field, he discovered that there was already a faint necromantic aura permeating the spatial barrier of that area.

That was from the grid next door, γ-16—his "neighbor".

Ron frowned slightly.

He walked to the western boundary and brought his mental energy close to the spatial barrier.

Cold, silent, and decaying... it perfectly matched the "spiritual aura" he learned in "An Introduction to the Boundary Between Life and Death".

Ron's first reaction to the news that someone was conducting necromancy experiments next door was curiosity.

Necrophysics is a universally recognized taboo field.

Even in the relatively private space of a small chessboard, few great wizards dare to conduct related research openly.

Those who dare to do this are either so powerful that they have nothing to fear, or they have such a deep background that they have nothing to worry about.

Ron filed this information away for now; it wasn't the time to delve into it.

At this point, the infrastructure of the biological laboratory is fully ready.

Four extreme environmental zones surround the central wasteland, like four distinct trial grounds, awaiting the arrival of experimental subjects.

The construction of another γ-18 grid, the "Civilization Deduction Grid," is more complex.

If the goal of the biological experiment grid is to "cultivate species", then the goal of the civilization deduction grid is to "incubate civilizations".

Ron spent two full days (overnight time) building the framework for this grid.

Unlike biological experimental grids, civilization deduction grids require a complete "world".

It has continents, oceans, climate cycles, seasonal changes, and even requires a simple magic field that can operate autonomously.

Because intelligent beings only develop the need for "civilization" in sufficiently complex or even harsh environments.

The Civilization Deduction Grid will not be put into use until at least after he achieves some success in the Biological Experiment Grid.

In the future, he plans to gradually introduce intelligent races into this grid.

"The rise and fall of a civilization can be condensed into a small space."

As Ron gazed at the gradually forming miniature continent, a sense of awe welled up within him:

"This is probably the perspective of the great ones." (End of Chapter)