Wizard: My skills can be upgraded indefinitely.

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The Wizarding World, Shadowmoon Tower, the underground cavern.

Ian's true form sat cross-legged before the abyss altar, his eyes suddenly snapping open.

"The flow of time...that's not right!"

Just now, he clearly sensed that at least several hours had passed since he arrived in the projected world.

Fighting, getting injured, escaping, killing mutants...

But in the wizarding world, the vortex of the altar had only just stabilized, and the light of the anchor array hadn't dimmed much.

He stood up, walked to the edge of the altar, and placed his hand lightly above the vortex.

A wisp of spiritual connection extended over there.

"The time flow is approximately 1:30..."

A thoughtful look flashed in Ian's eyes.

The difference in the flow of time between the two worlds is too great. A day on the projection side might only be about an hour on this side.

"Is it a characteristic of the abyss passage? Or... is it due to the difference in 'energy levels' between the two worlds?"

He recalled the "endless sea" mentioned in the notes of the tower master Morton.

The closer to the core of the continent, the higher the energy concentration, and the flow of time seems to change subtly as well.

Although Morton didn't explicitly record it, Ian could sense that the old man definitely knew something.

"If it really is a matter of different global energy levels..."

Ian stared at the deep vortex, his eyes growing brighter and brighter.

What does this mean?

This means he has more time to develop in the projected world.

This means he can plan, grow, and acquire knowledge more leisurely...

But at the same time, it also means danger.

The "information delay" caused by the difference in time flow may prevent him from reacting in a timely manner at critical moments.

Moreover, the projected world has clearly been deeply corrupted by the abyss, with a harsh environment and monsters roaming freely...

"The projection must be stabilized as soon as possible."

Ian sat down again and closed his eyes.

He focused most of his consciousness on the projection, leaving only a sliver of his mind to maintain the altar's operation.

Once the projection stabilizes, he can return to his normal life.

Ruins of the observation post on the continent of Aran.

"call……"

Ian opened his eyes, waking from a brief meditation.

The Starfall Core in his chest was still slightly warm, and the cool energy flowed slowly through his body like a stream, repairing his damaged meridians and muscles.

The data on the panel has changed:

Name: Li Xing (Ian)

Age: 21

[Realm Level: Late Awakening (69%)]

[Bloodline: Star Drawer (Slight Awakening)]

[Status: Moderate injury (internal organs repairing, fractured left shoulder bone, minor contamination and erosion)]

【Skill:

Starlight Perception (Bloodline Skill) - Proficient (74%)

Star Step (Bloodline Skill) - Beginner (43%)

Basic Swordsmanship (Rune Art) - Proficiency (68%)

The recovery wasn't fast, but at least it's stabilized.

His cultivation level increased by another 2 percentage points, which should be the feedback from forcibly activating the Starfall Core and killing the aberrant mutant during the battle just now.

My skill proficiency has also increased slightly.

"The acquisition of experience in this world... seems to rely more on combat and bloodline awakening."

Ian touched the pendant on his chest.

The core of the meteorite is now much calmer. The surging energy has subsided and it continues to emit a gentle heat, maintaining the most basic repairs.

He recalled the moment he poured his spiritual energy into the iron sword during the battle.

The silver light emanating from the sword, and the faint gravitational field...

"The Star Drawer...draws upon the power of the stars, influencing gravity..."

Ian looked down at his right hand.

He tried to once again mobilize the thin, pale golden mist in his mind's sea and slowly pour it into his palm.

Without a sword as a medium, the change was even more subtle this time.

But you can feel that the air around your palm... seems to have become a little "heavier".

It was so subtle that he wouldn't have been able to detect it at all if his mental strength hadn't been so high.

"Is it a bloodline trait, or the enhancement from the Starfall Core?"

Ian is unsure.

But one thing is certain: the "starlight energy" of this world and the spiritual power of the wizarding world can be transformed into and reinforced by each other on certain levels.

Especially... the part related to gravity.

"Gravity magic..."

Ian's eyes flickered.

If it were truly possible to complete the puzzle of gravity magic in this world by studying the bloodline of the "Star Drawers" and the phenomenon of star veins...

Then this projection will be a huge success.

He shook his head, suppressing those thoughts for the time being.

It's too early to think about these things now.

The most urgent thing is to survive and recover from the injuries.

Then I'll try to get back to Maple Leaf City and find out where my younger brother, Li Yao, is.

Ian moved out from the corner and began to explore the ruins of the observatory.

The ruins weren't large, probably only about the size of a basketball court.

Most of the buildings had collapsed, leaving only a few half-walls and the archway that was now covered in black vines.

Ian carefully searched through the ruins.

The wooden box was empty; underneath the stone slab was nothing but gravel and damp soil.

But in a corner inside the arch, he found a metal plate half-buried in the soil.

The board is about the size of a palm and is covered in rust, but some engravings can still be barely seen on it.

Ian crouched down and carefully scraped off the rust with the tip of his sword.

The marks gradually became clearer; they were not words, but rather resembled distorted symbols or patterns of star trails.

"This is... a star map?"

Ian frowned and reached out to touch the small hole.

It feels cold to the touch, and the edges of the hole are smooth, so it must have been carved by hand.

He tried to inject a wisp of starlight energy into the small hole.

hum...

The metal plate vibrated slightly.

The star pattern on the board actually lit up with an extremely faint silver light!

Although it was only a fleeting moment, Ian saw it clearly.

Those star trails seem to be pointing in a specific direction.

"Star veins...guidance?"

A thought struck him, and he carefully tucked the metal plate into his pocket.

This thing might come in handy.

I highly recommend "The Witcher: My Skills Can Be Limitless"! Click to enter the story world.

Continue exploring.

Deep within the ruins, behind a wall that had almost completely collapsed, Ian found a hidden crater.

The pit wasn't deep, only reaching about knee-deep, but it was lined with dry, withered grass and tattered cloth, suggesting that someone had once hidden there.

At the bottom of the pit, there was a small cloth bag.

Ian crouched down and opened the cloth bag.

Inside were several pieces of hardened and blackened dried meat, a small bag of murky water, and... a thin leather notebook.

The notebook's cover was torn and the edges were curled, but the writing was still barely legible, crooked and seemingly written with charcoal.

[Stargazing Diary]

Ian opened his notebook.

The handwriting inside was very messy, and many places were stained and illegible.

However, some fragments can still be barely discerned:

[...astronomical anomalies...seventh observation...orbital deviation...]

[The elder said...the corruption cracks are widening...the star vein nodes are being contaminated...]

We must evacuate...to the...highlands to the north...

May the stars guide you...

The notes stopped here; the following pages were torn out, leaving only jagged edges.

Ian closed his notebook, lost in thought.

"A log of observations of star trails... Stellar anomalies... Corrosion cracks..."

These words, combined with Li Xing's vague understanding of the world in his memory, gradually pieced together some outlines.

This world once had civilizations and observatories for observing the stars.

Then a "catastrophe" occurred, corruption and cracks appeared, and pollution spread.

The survivors evacuated, leaving behind these ruins...

"The star vein node... is contaminated..."

Ian looked at the Starfall Core on his chest.

Could this thing be related to "stellar pulse nodes"?

He stood up and looked around.

This observation deck ruin is built on the mountainside of a barren mountain, offering a wide view.

If this were before the catastrophe, it would have been an excellent spot for stargazing.

But now, all that can be seen is a hazy sky and faint, black cracks on the distant earth, like scars.

"Corrosion cracks..."

Ian murmured the word.

Those cracks must be where the mutants crawled out.

It is also the source of this world's nightmare.

He took a deep breath, suppressing the complex emotions in his heart.

Now is not the time for sentimentality.

He returned to the corner where he had been hiding and took out the dried meat and water bag.

The dried meat was as hard as a rock, making a crunching sound when you bit into it. It tasted salty and fishy, ​​with an indescribable strange flavor.

The water was also murky and made my throat feel dry when I drank it.

But Ian didn't complain.

He ate and drank in small sips, while simultaneously practicing the most basic meditation from the "Star-Guiding Chapter" to guide the energy of the meteorite core to repair his body.

Time passed little by little.

The sky outside gradually darkened, the gray clouds pressed lower, and the dark red light of the sky almost completely disappeared.

Instead, there is a deeper, almost inky darkness.

More rustling sounds began to rise from the ruins.

And in the distance, those beast-like howls rose and fell.

The wilderness at night is even more dangerous.

Ian huddled in the corner, gripping his iron sword tightly, his eyes fixed on the outside.

He dared not sleep, and could only meditate to recover while remaining vigilant.

One night passed.

When the first rays of dark red sunlight peeked through the gaps in the clouds again, Ian opened his eyes.

The status on the panel has changed again:

[Status: Moderate injury → Mild injury (left shoulder fracture healing, contamination and erosion cleaned)]

[Realm: Late Awakening (69%) → Late Awakening (71%)]

The recovery is going well.

My left shoulder still hurts, but I can move it with some difficulty now.

The injuries to his internal organs have basically stabilized, and the cold, polluted feeling that had been lingering in his body has been purified by the energy of the meteorite core.

Ian stood up and stretched his arms and legs.

His strength has mostly recovered, although he is still far from his peak, but at least he has the ability to protect himself.

He looked east, towards Maple Leaf City.

According to Li Xing's memory, Maple Leaf City is about half a day's journey from here.

Yesterday's riots may have breached the city walls, but there should still be survivors inside.

It's also possible... there are clues about his younger brother, Li Yao.

"We must go back and scout outside first."

Ian packed his things.

There are two pieces of dried meat left, and the water bag is half full of water.

The metal plate and observation log were kept close to the body.

The iron sword was held in his hand.

He emerged from the ruins and embarked on his journey back to Maple Leaf City.

The Wizarding World.

Ian's true form opened his eyes and let out a long breath.

"It's been a day..."

A whole night had passed on the projection side, while less than an hour had passed on the Wizarding World side.

A whole night had passed on the projection side, while less than an hour had passed on the Wizarding World side.

He glanced at the altar.

The vortex remained stable, and the light from the anchor stone array did not diminish.

The passageway is well maintained.

Ian was calculating.

About fifteen or sixteen hours have passed since the projection landed.

In the Wizarding World, it will take a maximum of forty minutes.

"A ratio close to 1:24."

This discovery made his heart race.

If this ratio holds true, he would develop for a month in the projection world, while only half a day would have passed in the wizarding world.

A year of development has passed, but only nine days have gone by in the wizarding world.

"This is simply...cheating."

Ian couldn't help but laugh.

But the smile quickly faded.

While the difference in time flow rate brings advantages, it also brings new problems.

He had to make sure the projection was safe enough and that its development went smoothly enough.

Otherwise, once the projection dies, [Phase Soul Weaving] will have a one-year cooldown.

This is a year in the wizarding world; failure would disrupt his plans.

"We need to get the projection to a stable base as soon as possible, and then begin a systematic study of this world's power system."

Ian closed his eyes and focused more of his consciousness into the projection.

"Especially... the Star-Attracting bloodline, and the Star Pulse phenomenon."