Wizard: My career panel has no upper limit

Chapter 82 "Brain Extraction"

"Ron?" Cynthia frowned. "Are you talking about Mrs. Allen's new assistant?"

"Not only that." Oliver turned around, his expression becoming serious. "I learned from intelligence sources that he has applied for the Potions Master certification exam."

Cynthia was stunned for a moment, then burst into sharp laughter:

"Potion Master certification? He probably worked under Mrs. Allen for no more than three months. Even if he had a foundation before, it's impossible for him to reach that level."

“Don’t underestimate anyone.”

Oliver shook his head. "I have a special interest in him. Regardless of whether he can pass the test or not, if we take action against him now, the school will pay special attention. After all, Mrs. Allen's support for him is far beyond the norm."

Cynthia narrowed her eyes, thinking: "So, you want me to be patient for a while?"

"Of course, this is the wise choice." Oliver nodded. "Once he fails his Potions Master certification, he will naturally be assigned to field work next month. By then, we will have plenty of opportunities."

"This time you are right."

Cynthia put away the disdain on her face and turned to look at the orc who had been hypnotized to the point of drowsiness. A hint of morbid anticipation flashed in her eyes.

"So, do you mind if I try this new toy out now?"

"Please feel free to use it." Oliver bowed slightly. "My lab is well soundproofed, so no one will disturb your enjoyment."

After saying that, he walked towards the door. Just as he touched the door handle, Cynthia suddenly spoke:
"Oliver, don't think I don't know what you're planning."

Her voice was low and dangerous: "You want to know my secret, but you are always afraid of being influenced by me. Be careful not to play with fire and get burned."

Oliver stopped but didn't look back:
"Everyone plays with fire, Cynthia. The only difference is that some get burned, while others... become the fire itself."

The moment the door closed behind him, the perfect smile on Oliver's face gradually disappeared.

A hint of disgust flashed in his eyes, like the discomfort of being contaminated by dirt.

"Cynthia, you underestimate Ron." He whispered to himself, "Pleasure, emotional manipulation... These are just tricks in front of a true gifted person."

Oliver looked at the twinkling lights in the dark foggy jungle at night, his thoughts unconsciously drifting back to memories from a few years ago.

At that time, he was just a sixth-class star candidate apprentice with poor qualifications, and his qualifications were not much different from Ron's when he first came.

That was his first year in the Black Mist Jungle. Holt, who arrived at the same time as him, had an outstanding fourth-class mental power qualification and attracted much attention from all parties.

And he could only hide in the corner, silently watching the dazzling star-like figure.

"Another success! Apprentice Holt has fully mastered the basic meditation method in just three months and has been promoted to junior apprentice."

After finally squeezing out the paid course on the magic stone fragment, he could only remember the instructor's praise echoing in the classroom:

"This level of understanding and control is rare even among those of fourth-level caliber. Now, I'd like to invite him to share his specific meditation experience with everyone."

Oliver, who was sitting at the back of the classroom, clenched his fists tightly, his nails digging deep into his palms.

His eyes were fixed on Holt who gladly accepted his mentor's praise, and his heart was filled with endless jealousy and yearning.

"Why can't it be me?" He cried in his heart countless times: "Why is fate so unfair?"

Until that night that changed everything, he accidentally discovered a torn ancient book that mentioned an ancient magic concept called "brain extraction":

“The talents and wisdom of every living being are hidden in a specific area of ​​the brain”

The text inside is like the whisper of a demon: "As long as you master the right method, you can extract it and use it for your own benefit."

This discovery kept Oliver awake all night.

He began to study this forbidden skill in secret, from the initial experiments on small animals to the later "collection" of failed slaves. Each step was accompanied by great risks and pain, but also brought amazing rewards. In the process, he also stimulated his talents in curse spells and biological transformation.

The first complete "extraction" success occurred in the second half of his arrival in the Black Mist Jungle. He secretly captured a young child from an alien village who possessed a rare affinity with nature.

The process was extremely bloody, but the result was exciting. His mental strength actually improved a bit, and his ability to perceive natural elements also increased.

This success completely changed his path.

In the following years, he gradually perfected this skill and continued to "collect" the abilities of various special talents.

Each "collection" will make him more powerful, but also make his mind more twisted.

Three years ago, when he was successfully promoted to senior apprentice, his mentor who had never even looked at him finally took him seriously.

"Sometimes, I really doubt whether you are the same kid who had no talent at all."

My former mentor exclaimed, “Your progress is incredible.”

Oliver just smiled slightly: "Everyone has his own path, teacher, I just found the one that suits me best."

Today, he is already a leader among the candidate wizards, and is only one step away from becoming an official wizard.

And all of this is built on the pain and death of countless "collections".

"Ron," Oliver whispered to himself, an unfathomable glint in his eyes. "I will definitely find out your secret."

The black fog outside the window gradually thickened, as if responding to the darkness deep in his heart.

Oliver knew he had gone too far to turn back.

But he didn't care, because at the end of this road was the power and status he had longed for.

As for those brains he "collected", they were just stepping stones to the top.

………………

The day after submitting his application, Ron devoted himself to preparing for the Potions Master certification exam.

His dormitory desk was filled with various notes and materials. All the potion formulas that might appear in the assessment were organized in a special notebook, which was densely filled with his own experiences and improvement plans.

"According to Mrs. Allen's suggestion, the test usually randomly selects three of these ten potions."

Ron muttered to himself as he flipped through his notes: "Refreshing potion, healing potion, sobering potion, mana recovery potion, stardust fluid... Each one must be able to be prepared with my eyes closed."

He picked up the silver pocket watch and put his consciousness into it.

The black gem on the pocket watch immediately emitted a faint light, absorbing the fatigue from his body.

[Successfully reset negative status: Mild fatigue, energy -1]

After his physical fatigue disappeared, Ron immediately continued to work, practicing the most difficult part of the potion formula with small refining tools.

After completing a practice session, he would check the finished product, note any problems, and then use the pocket watch to reset the status again and start a new round of practice.

This almost frantic practice pace lasted for three days, until the morning of the fourth day, when a light knock interrupted his concentration.

"Ron, it's me." A familiar voice came from outside the door.

Ron opened the door and saw Andre standing at the door with a rare look of worry on his face: "Good morning, Andre, is there anything urgent?"

"It's the latest news from my investigation."

(End of this chapter)