Wizard: My career panel has no upper limit

He had been pondering the question of what constitutes a threshold for a long time.

From first hearing it from the Nameless One in the park, to now hearing it again from the King of Absurdity…

The recurring nature of this word clearly implies a very important meaning.

"The threshold..."

"Then, as usual, I'll tell you a story."

The clown's smile vanished completely, and the bell's ringing stopped.

"A very, very old story, so old that I can't even remember who first told it to me."

Hector cleared his throat:

"Once upon a time, on the mountaintop at the edge of the world, there stood an eternal mansion."

"The mansion is tall, magnificent, and splendid; any mortal would be dazzled at a glance."

"But this mansion has a strange rule..."

The clown mischievously shook his head, and the bell rang softly again:
“There is a threshold in front of the gate, which is very, very high.”

"How high is it?"

“When an ordinary person stands at the threshold and looks up, they cannot see the top.”

“And there was a line of golden text engraved on the threshold.”

Hector mimicked a solemn tone:
“Those who wish to enter this gate must offer their most precious treasures to attain eternal glory.”

"The owner of the mansion was an old man who never showed his face, but he sent a doorman to stand at the gate."

"The gatekeeper was a bald, thin old man who always had a smile on his face and said the same thing to every visitor:"

He imitated the old man's voice:
“‘Dear guest, once you cross this threshold, you will find everything within—eternal life, endless wealth, supreme power…’”

"It only requires a tiny, small price to pay."

"Sounds tempting, doesn't it?"

"And so, one after another, four visitors came here."

"The first one to arrive was a learned recorder."

"He traveled all over the world and wrote down everything he saw and heard in the large book he carried with him."

"That book was as thick as a brick, and it recorded—who did what, when, and where, which king ascended the throne, and how many people died in which war..."

"He wrote down everything, no matter how small."

Hector gestured with his hands:

The recorder stood before the door, looked up at the high threshold, and asked, 'What should I offer?'

The security guard said with a smile, "Your feelings."

"As long as you give your emotions, you can become the greatest recorder in the universe."

Everything that happens will be recorded in its entirety by you; you will never forget it, and you will never make a mistake.

"The recorder thought about it and decided it was a good deal."

"It's just an emotion, anyway, it doesn't affect recording the facts."

Thinking this, he took his heart out of his chest and placed it on the doorstep.

The clown made a heart-pulling gesture:

"The threshold snapped shut, swallowing the still-beating heart."

Then—something amazing happened!

"The threshold automatically lowers to a height that the recorder can easily cross."

He stepped inside.

"Just as the gatekeeper said, he acquired unparalleled recording abilities..."

"Past, present, and future—all events unfold clearly in his eyes."

"He was overjoyed and immediately began taking notes."

Hector's tone turned somewhat sad:

"But..."

"One day, his teacher passed away."

"The teacher who taught him, encouraged him, and treated him like his own son."

The recorder wrote in the book: 'On a certain day of a certain month of a certain year, a certain great wizard died due to pollution, at the age of three thousand seven hundred and seventy-three.'"

"After he finished writing, he closed the book."

“And then…” the Joker shrugged, “and then nothing happened.”

"No sadness, no tears, no heartache."

"It's like recording the death of an ant, or the falling of a leaf."

"He wanted to cry, but he couldn't."

"He wanted to be sad, but his heart felt empty."

"Because of his feelings..."

Hector pointed outside the door: "It was swallowed up by that threshold long ago."

"He became the greatest chronicler, but he could no longer understand why anyone would shed tears for the dead."

"He gained eternity, but lost 'caring'."

"The second one to arrive was a craftsman who pursued perfection."

"The swords he forges are incredibly sharp; the statues he sculpts are lifelike; the houses he builds stand for a thousand years."

"But he was never satisfied."

Hector mimicked the craftsman's tone, his voice dripping with sarcasm:
"The curvature of this sword is off by 0.3 degrees!"

"The statue's eyes aren't symmetrical enough!"

"The pillars of this house are of inconsistent thickness!"

He came to the door and asked, 'What shall I offer?'

The security guard said, "You have room for error."

“‘As long as you allow for mistakes, you can become an absolutely perfect craftsman—everything you create will be flawless and without any imperfections.’”

The craftsman was overjoyed: 'I hate making mistakes anyway! What's the price to pay!'

"So he stuffed his 'forgiveness' into a bag and threw it on the doorstep."

“The threshold was lowered, and he stepped in.”

"Sure enough, from then on, every piece he created was perfect..."

"Every angle is accurate to ten decimal places."

Hector's voice suddenly turned mournful:

"But one day, his student excitedly brought him a sword he had forged himself."

"Master! Look at my work!"

The craftsman took the sword and examined it carefully.

"Then……"

The clown made a "snap" sound as if breaking something:

"He broke the sword in two right in front of the apprentice."

"'Rework it. The angle is off by 0.8 degrees, the handle thickness is uneven, and there are three minor flaws on the blade. You dare to show me this garbage?'"

The apprentice ran away crying.

The craftsman paused, wanting to chase after her and offer words of comfort, such as, "You've actually done a very good job..."

“But…” Hector spread his hands:

He couldn't bring himself to say it.

"Because that sword is 'indeed' imperfect."

"His brain, his eyes, his soul were all frantically telling him: 'There's a flaw! It must be corrected! It cannot be tolerated!'"

"His mouth was as if it were sewn shut; he couldn't say 'It's okay' or 'It's already good enough' no matter what."

"A third one is coming..."

Hector smiled nostalgically: "That was me~"

"I was young once too, and I also wanted to seriously pursue a great career."

I stood before the door and asked, 'What should I offer?'

The gatekeeper said, "You're so serious."

The clown mimicked his own shocked tone:
"What?! Serious? Why is it like this?!"

The gatekeeper said with a smile, "Because the authority you've chosen is absurd."

"The essence of absurdity is to deconstruct all seriousness."

"'If you still retain the ability to take things seriously... then you cannot truly master the power of absurdity.'"

Hector's voice turned self-deprecating:

"I thought to myself—what kind of price is this?"

"I've always liked joking and playing pranks, so what's wrong with being a little less serious?"

"So I took off 'seriousness' like taking off a coat and threw it on the threshold."

"The threshold was lowered, so I stepped in."

"Then……"

The clown's face paint turned gray:

"And then I just couldn't... take it seriously anymore."

"Before my adoptive father passed away, he held my hand and said, 'Son, stop making sarcastic remarks about others. Not everyone can tolerate you like I have.'"

"I opened my mouth to say, 'I will, Dad...'"

But what came out was: 'Ha~ You old geezer, you're finally going to meet your death!'

My lover left me crying, saying, "You never took me seriously!"

"I wanted to hold on, I wanted to say 'No, I love you'..."

But what she actually said was: "Don't cry~ Your swollen eyes will make you ugly~ And then it'll be harder to find a man~"

Hector made a facepalm gesture:
"I'm attending an important meeting and want to offer serious suggestions..."

"But once he opens his mouth, he can't help but start telling jokes and playing pranks."

"I saw the tragedy happen, and I wanted to grieve..."

"But the first thought that pops into my head is always, 'This is too absurd, hahaha.'"

"I became the king of absurdity, wielding the power to deconstruct everything... yet I could no longer genuinely and seriously take anything seriously."

“Even though…” Hector’s voice was almost a whisper, “it was my family whom I once cherished most.”

After a moment of silence, the clown rallied again:
"Okay, okay~ the first three are all negative examples~"

"Now let's talk about the fourth visitor—a smart man."

"He stood at the door and listened to the experiences of the three visitors before him."

"Then I asked the gatekeeper, 'May I look inside first, before deciding whether to pay the price?'"

The security guard smiled and nodded: "Of course!"

"So the gatekeeper used magic to allow the clever man to 'see' what was inside the gate..."

Hector's voice became mysterious:

What did the wise man see?

"He saw..."

“The recorder sits in an endless archive, recording every event in the universe day after day.”

"He records the life and death of countless people every day, but he has never stopped writing for any one person."

"I witness countless joys and sorrows every day, yet I have never been moved by any of the stories."

"He gained omniscience, but lost empathy."

"He saw..."

“The perfectionist stands in his workshop, surrounded by exquisite works of art.”

"But he only saw the flaws—that line was off by 0.001 degrees, that angle was off by 0.0001 arcs..."

"He possessed perfection, but lost satisfaction."

"He saw..." the clown smiled bitterly, "The absurd performers were performing on stage, and the audience was roaring with laughter."

"But after the curtain call, when he returned backstage alone."

"He wanted to take off his mask and seriously recall what had truly made him happy that day."

"But he discovered... he couldn't take the mask off anymore."

“Or rather…” Hector said softly, “the mask has long since grown into my flesh.”

"After seeing all this, the wise man said to the gatekeeper, 'I'm not going in.'"

The gatekeeper was astonished: 'Why? Inside lies eternity, glory, and supreme power!'

The wise man shook his head: 'Did those three people really get what they wanted?'

"'them……'"

Hector's voice grew heavy:

"They have all become prisoners of their own authority."

“Powerful, eternal, glorious… but are they still themselves?”

"Or perhaps..."

"'Are they just something else disguised under their original name?'"

"The gatekeeper remained silent for a long time after hearing this."

Then he said one sentence:

Hector jingled his bell:

“‘You’re right, you’re a smart man.’”

"But do you know what's most ironic?"

“'Those three visitors…'”

"'They all know too.'"

"what?!"

"The intelligent people were shocked: 'They knew the consequences, yet they still chose to go in?!'"

The security guard nodded.

"The recorder hesitated for a long time before donating his heart."

"Perfectionists struggle for a long time before they discard their tolerance for error."

"'Before shedding their seriousness, the absurd are actually...'" The Joker sighed.

"'She cried for a long time.'"

"But in the end, they still chose to cross the threshold."

"'Why?'"

The security guard smiled.

"Because the outside world is crueler."

“If they don’t cross this threshold, they will grow old, die, and be forgotten.”

“'At least inside the gate, they still possess 'power' and 'eternity.'”

"Even if I lose myself, even if I become a prisoner..."

"It's better than turning to dust."

"'At least...that's what they think.'"

“A smart person, after hearing this, turned around and left.”

Hector's voice became cheerful again:

"Well then, that's the end of the story."

What happens to smart people in the end?

Ron snapped out of his daze and couldn't help but ask.

"Well..."

The clown shrugs:

Some say he later found a 'third way'.

Neither crossing the threshold nor giving up the pursuit, he built a larger mansion outside.

Some say that he eventually gave in.

He quietly returned late one night, paid the price, and crossed the threshold.

"Some people say..."

A deeper meaning flashed in Hector's eyes:

“He didn’t leave at all; he just stood there on the threshold.”

"We spent an entire era studying the structure of that threshold, trying to find... a way to get in without paying a price."

"So~"

The clown becomes lighthearted again:

"Ron, do you understand what the 'threshold' is now?"

"Do you understand why some people would rather be imprisoned for an entire era than cross over?"

"Do you understand why..."

His bell jingled softly:

"Would I say that you have the potential to be a pioneer of the 'third way'?"

Ron listened to the whole story and remained silent for a long time.

He can discern the meaning the other person is trying to convey from the story.

Aren't those three visitors a perfect embodiment of the King of Absurdity, the King of Recording, and the King of Perfection?
The fourth "clever person" is probably the nameless one, or perhaps there is more than one.

"Your Majesty, is the story you told... true?"

"Really? Are you kidding me?" Hector tilted his head. "Who knows?"

Anyway, you'll know the answer when you stand in front of the 'threshold'~

“When that time comes…” He turned back, his eyes, hidden behind the camouflage paint, fixed on Ron: “Remember to tell me.”

"What choice will you make?"

“I understand, Your Majesty.” Ron bowed deeply. “Thank you for your guidance.”

"You're welcome, you're welcome~"

Hector waved his hand: "You'd find out sooner or later anyway."

"Now..." the clown pulled an exquisite box from his sleeve, "Here's your reward~"

The box is small, only about the size of a palm.

"This is……"

“Partial access to ‘Paradise’…” Hector handed the box to Ron:

"As per our previous agreement, you took in those fugitives for me."

"As compensation, I will give you partial control of the 'paradise'."

“Although it’s only a part…” The clown blinked:
"But that's enough for you to do lots of 'fun' things~"

Ron took the box and could feel the immense power contained within it.

This authority means more than just that he can use "Paradise" to detain dangerous individuals.

He can also access information about the prisoners in "Paradise".

This includes their research findings, their experiences of failure, and the taboo knowledge they have encountered...

This information would be invaluable to a wizard who wanted to delve deeper into the study of alchemy.

in particular……

"Your Majesty, may this access permit me to review the files of Third Era prisoners?"

"Oh?"

Hector squinted:
"Are you interested in the Third Age?"

"Yes."

Ron nodded frankly:
"The Third Age is a very special period."

"On the one hand, it is a period of recovery after the collapse of the Second Age's 'Golden Age,' and civilization is in the process of reconstruction."

"On the other hand... several Witch Kings, including yourself, were promoted during that period."

“Even more demons like the ‘End of Death’ have been born.”

"this means……"

Ron's tone became serious:
"Although the Third Age may seem inferior to the Second Age, it also contains various 'opportunities' or 'variables'."

"I've always wanted to know..."

"What is the difference between the alchemy of the Third Age and that of today?"

"How did the wizards of that era rebuild their knowledge system from the ruins of civilization?"

"If we can compare and study the differences between the two periods, we might be able to find some... forgotten technologies or overlooked ideas."

The Third Age was a rather contradictory period.

Despite its weakness, the number of powerful beings it produced was not much less than that of the Second Era.

While it is powerful, its overall level of civilization is far inferior to that of the Golden Age of the Second Era.

This contradiction itself deserves in-depth study.

"You're something else, kid!"

Hector laughed: "Few people will notice the special nature of the Third Age."

"Most wizards only know how glorious the Golden Age of the Second Age was..."

"But they overlooked the fact that the Third Age was the true 'period of change'."

"During that period... the old order had collapsed, and a new order had not yet been established."

The Joker looked at Ron:

“Research that was considered ‘taboo’ in the Second Age can be conducted openly in the Third Age.”

"Experiments that were strictly limited in the Fourth Age were also unrestricted in the Third Age."

"Because..." The clown laughed sarcastically.

"Since it's already in ruins, what else is there to lose?"

"Therefore, the wizards of the Third Age dared to think and act."

"They tried countless crazy ideas and conducted countless extreme experiments."

"Although most of them failed..."

"But those who succeed... are enough to change the course of an entire civilization."

Hector's eyes were filled with reminiscence:

"My 'absurd' authority was formed during that period."

"The birth of 'The End of Death' was also to end the chaos of the Third Era."

“Even…” the clown lowered his voice:
“A significant portion of the great wizards currently imprisoned in ‘Paradise’ are ‘legacy issues’ from the Third Age.”

"In that crazy era, they came into contact with things they shouldn't have, and tried experiments they shouldn't have tried..."

"It eventually turned out like this."

Hector's smile returned to his face:

"Alright, I've said everything I needed to say, so I won't take up any more of your time."

"Keep it up, future 'King of Storytelling'!"

“I’m really looking forward to... what kind of 'story' you can create.”

………………

In a dark corner of the Great Abyss, two figures finally managed to recover some of their strength and began a secret rendezvous.

Magus, the former First Apostle, no longer possesses the power he once had.

In his battle with Nari, he lost nearly a third of his eyeballs, causing his overall strength to drop by at least two levels.

The remaining eyeballs darted around uneasily, each one filled with apprehension and fear.

“Nari… has already reached that level…”

His voice was hoarse and deep:
"Even if the thirteen of us Supreme Apostles joined forces, we couldn't withstand her power clone."

"Now that her 'child' has broken through to the Great Wizard level, she's even more powerful..."

"We must find a new source of support..."

Beside him, Nas's form was also badly damaged.

This once supreme apostle, who possessed a nebulous body, is now nothing more than a thin wisp of gas, from which a few faint starlight occasionally flickers.

"rely on?"

Nass's voice was laced with sarcasm:

"In this abyss, who else can stand against Nari?"

"She has inherited a portion of her 'mother's' power, and even the rulers have chosen to yield..."

"Who else can we rely on?"

"Of course, it's still the ruler."

"Are you crazy?" Nass's nebula-like body trembled violently.

"The rulers are not beings on the same level as us!"

“No.” Magus’s eyes simultaneously turned to Nas:
"Didn't you see?"

“When Nari completed her transformation, the rulers did not attack her.”

"They chose 'observation'."

"What does this mean?"

"This means that the rulers... are also 'waiting'."

"wait for what?"

Nass was puzzled.

"Waiting for the day when 'Mother' truly returns."

Magus's voice turned somber:

"Think about it... if 'Mother' could really be resurrected through Nari..."

"What does that mean for the rulers?"

"This means that an entity that was once on par with them, or even stronger, will reappear in this universe."

Would they allow this to happen?

Nass fell silent.

He began to understand what Magus meant.

The reason the rulers chose to "observe" rather than "intervene" was not because they approved of Nari.

They were simply assessing—assessing whether Nari was truly likely to inherit the position of "mother".

If the answer is "no," then Nari is not worth the cost of their efforts.

But if the answer is "yes"...

“They will kill Nari before she can really grow up.”

Magus's voice carried a twisted expectation:
"And we... can become their 'eyes and ears'."

"As long as we provide the Dominators with information about Nari..."

"As long as we help them find a way to deal with Nari..."

"They will protect us."

“Even…” his eyes simultaneously emitted an eerie light: “give us more power.”

"You're playing with fire!"

Nass's voice became shrill:
"The rulers are the enemies of reason!"

"To cooperate with them is to play with fire and get burned!"

"Playing with fire will get you burned?"

Magus let out a cold laugh:
"Nas, do you think we have any other options?"

“‘Mother’ created us indirectly, just so that we might serve Her.”

"Now 'Mother' has fallen into slumber once more, and Nari has become the new ruler of the Great Abyss..."

"Look at her attitude last time, she just wanted to chew us all up like candy balls. There's no chance of survival if we fall into her hands."

"I just want to live, and then fulfill my wish."

"As for what price to pay for this..."

Magus's eyes narrowed simultaneously: "I don't care."

Nas remained silent for a long time.

Finally, a sigh escaped from his broken, nebulous body.

"...What do you plan to do?" (End of Chapter)