[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-wizard-unlimited-profession-slots":3,"chapter-wizard-unlimited-profession-slots-wizard-unlimited-profession-slots-chapter-21":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Wizard: Unlimited Profession Slots",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},226634,494,"Chapter 21: The Terrifying Neighbor and the Hidden Crisis","wizard-unlimited-profession-slots-chapter-21",21,"\u003Cp>Ron was dining in the communal hall when the chatter of several candidate apprentices at the neighboring table caught his ear:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Did you hear Darrend bought that kind of potion?\" asked a tall, slender figure with mid-length hair, his tone filled with mystery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What potion? The one for brain development?\" His companion’s eyes widened in surprise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes, he said he’s trying to complete that sound wave magic concept...\" The long-haired man nodded, his expression a mix of surprise and disdain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is he crazy? So many people have tried and failed...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The third person sneered, shaking his head:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"With his level of spiritual power, using that potion would only turn him into a monster.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ron had been chewing on an unappetizing piece of black bread, contemplating the magic potion making content he needed to review.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But when he heard them mention his neighbor Darrend, he frowned and put down his tray.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the past few days, the noise from Darrend’s experiments had become less frequent. Ron thought perhaps the mad researcher had finally hit a bottleneck and opted to rest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now it seems, that might not be the case.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The dormitory area has indeed been too quiet lately. I hope it’s not what I think...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He muttered to himself, looked at the half-eaten black bread in his hand, and lost his appetite.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Speaking of which, when he first arrived at the Black Mist Jungle, he was actually somewhat familiar with this neighbor named Darrend.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first meal he had here was at the same table as Darrend.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My home is in Cedar City, north of the Black Mist Jungle.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that time, Darrend’s temper wasn’t as eccentric and irritable as it is now. The slightly chubby youth stirred a bowl of beet soup while softly introducing himself:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Our family has been musicians for generations, performing music and composing pieces for the nobility in the city.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eyes lit up unusually bright when he mentioned music:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Can you imagine, Ron? Music isn’t just sound; it’s a wave of energy, a resonance of the soul. From a young age, I’ve been able to sense the connections between different notes, their rhythms, their power...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ron remembered nodding politely at the time, not quite understanding Darrend’s passion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My spiritual talent isn’t high, not even reaching the fifth-class star. I was nearly in despair on my way here.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Darrend stirred his soup, his voice low, seemingly unaware that the food in the bowl had gradually cooled:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But on the first day of school, I saw an opportunity on the announcement board.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He lowered his voice mysteriously:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Besides the regular spiritual power tests, the school offers another promotion path—completing a spell concept for bounty. If you can develop a semi-finished spell to a practical stage, you can also gain the qualification to remain.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And I found a subject that perfectly matched my specialty...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Darrend’s eyes sparkled: \"Sound wave conduction spiritual force field. The moment I saw that name, I knew it was meant for me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the following months, Darrend indeed invested himself entirely into this research.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Occasionally, Ron would catch a glimpse of his room packed with equipment and notes, its walls pasted with strange symbols and musical scores.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the first two months, Darrend regularly struck various metal utensils, sometimes releasing odd tones, then cursing before starting over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During that period, Ron often complained to Andre, feeling the neighbor’s noise interfered with his meditation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But about a month ago, Darrend began to become discouraged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The research appeared to hit a bottleneck; no matter how he tried, he couldn’t make sound waves truly affect the spiritual force field.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The problem is my spiritual power is too weak,\" he complained to Ron once, frustrated: \"If I were just a bit stronger, I could break through this barrier.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the last few days, those sounds became even less frequent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Initially, Ron thought Darrend had finally given up, but when he bumped into him by chance in the communal bathroom yesterday, he noticed a nearly mad glint flicker in Darrend’s eyes, his face waxy yellow, and his once slightly plump figure had thinned almost to emaciation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Are you alright?\" he casually asked at the time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Darrend smiled at him, that smile oddly eerie: \"Alright? Of course...I’m about to succeed, Ron.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After saying that, he ignored Ron, turning away without looking back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In hindsight, Darrend had already shown signs of abnormality by then...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With this thought, Ron used the bread to wipe off the last bit of sauce from his tray, forcibly stuffing it into his mouth, then headed to the wash area.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps... he should be a bit more wary of this neighbor. He thought as he washed his tray.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back in his room, Ron opened the book \"Basic Meditation Technique,\" resuming his meditation; today he should be able to meditate a little longer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he had expended a considerable amount of energy, the stimulant potion’s effect over the past days had kept his mental state at a fairly high level.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Basic Meditation Start]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, he attempted to incorporate the knowledge learned from Lady Allen into meditation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead of merely sketching runes, he sought to feel the natural flow of spiritual power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whenever the flow encountered resistance, he gently guided it, letting it follow the most natural path, much like an experienced helmsman using the current’s power instead of opposing it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the consciousness space, the rune formed by three arcs began to emit a faint light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Different from its usual rigid form, the rune now seemed alive, subtly trembling with the spiritual power’s undulation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Special Effect Triggered: Rhythm Resonance—Meditation Effect Slightly Increased]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Basic Meditation Experience Points +1]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Basic Meditation Experience Points +1]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Basic Meditation Experience Points +1]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Today’s Cultivation Time Has Reached Its Limit, Rest is Advised]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ron opened his eyes, although it was a bit less than when solely using the stimulant potion for meditation, it was still much higher than at the start.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It seems ’rhythm’ is indeed the key.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He muttered softly while jotting down today’s insights in his notebook.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His notes had become quite comprehensive, evolving from scattered observations to a relatively systematic theory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After organizing his notes, Ron picked up the training wooden sword, beginning to practice the basic moves of \"Corona Swordsmanship.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though lacking the guidance of a professional coach, he could rely on Andre’s notes to gradually explore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each sword swing was synchronized with the rhythm of the \"Crown Breathing Technique,\" achieving a subtle balance between movement and breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the practice deepened, he found this coordination becoming smoother, the motions more fluid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Basic Swordsmanship Experience Points +1]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Basic Swordsmanship Experience Points +1]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Basic Swordsmanship Experience Points +1]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the sky gradually darkened, Ron tidied the room, set down the wooden sword, undressed, and lay down on the bed for a bit of rest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as he was about to drift into sleep, a strange sensation suddenly arose in his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was an indescribable vague perception, as if someone or something was watching him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A bizarre sound suddenly emanated from the adjacent room, at times high-pitched, at times low, like someone—or something—struggling in agony.\u003C\u002Fp>",1187,"2026-05-29T14:43:43.608Z","2026-06-01T04:29:33.427Z",1,"novelbin.me","d123ca6e89fe92501b16166d6d6256121d17453ba747773662991f5a3bc33676","wizard-unlimited-profession-slots-chapter-22","wizard-unlimited-profession-slots-chapter-20",911,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fwizard-unlimited-profession-slots-cover.jpg"]