Wizard: Unlimited Profession Slots Chapter 683 - 323: If Only Earlier

With perfect poise, Cassandra advanced step by step toward the podium.

Built from exotic substances, the podium emitted a soft luminescence beneath her, seemingly reacting to the fearsome power she harbored inside.

Along the podium's rim, the "Time Crystals" started pulsing in a steady rhythm, matching her heartbeat exactly.

Once she halted, a profound hush fell over the whole "Hall of Falling Stars".

Countless wizards caught their breath, the atmosphere heavy with an oppressive wave of suspense.

Employing "Hermit’s Knowledge," Ron keenly watched the faint responses from the audience underneath.

The youthful wizards' gazes sparkled with eager anticipation, akin to ravenous predators catching the scent of prey;

the veteran academics showed signs of concern, their tightened fists revealing hidden turmoil.

Most intriguing to him was the shift in the arrangement at the observation post.

Those individuals plagued by abyssal corrosion for years now revealed a twisted kind of thrill.

Wayne's stone-like half of his face started shining dimly, Mary's mechanical eye blinked at a quicker pace, and the typically serene Martin instinctively drummed his rough fingers on the device strapped to his side.

"Looks like my earlier theory holds true." Ron pondered this strange occurrence mentally:

"Does the lingering damage from abyssal corrosion cause them to vibrate in harmony with a particular energy wave from Cassandra?"

"Honored associates."

Cassandra's words resounded through the chamber, her soft delivery clashing sharply with the dominant force she had shown just before:

Murmurs started stirring from the floor, as an old fellow in classic academic attire coughed to speak:

"Great Wizard Cassandra, pardon my directness, but our 'defense strategy' has preserved the Wizard Civilization up to now.

Didn't all those old societies that chose bold expansion disappear into history's flow?"

This senior bore the name Edgar Blake, a veteran among the theoretical experts at the Crystal Tower.

Even as his tone quivered, a solid resolve shone through his words.

Cassandra regarded him, a grave spark lighting her purple gaze:

"Professor Edgar poses an excellent point. Certainly, our cautious approach is why we've endured so long, and that's a fact we can't deny."

With a gentle flick of her right hand, a vast holographic chart instantly materialized in midair.

"Yet, Professor Edgar, are you certain that mere 'survival' equals 'prosperity'?"

The chart revealed the Wizard Civilization's progress over the last thousand years—a gradual but firm rising path.

Next, it presented the expansion speeds of various other recognized societies for contrast.

"See this red line, marking our Wizard Civilization's path. Reliable, foreseeable, comforting."

Cassandra's finger followed the blue line hovering in the air, which stood for the Wizard Civilization:

"And these represent the advancement figures from societies I've faced in conquests beyond our world."

Dozens of lines in different hues emerged on the display, the majority climbing sharply.

Certain societies advanced tenfold quicker than the Wizard Civilization, some at a hundredfold rate.

Professor Edgar's complexion drained of color: "But... but quick growth usually brings instability, and higher dangers..."

"That's correct."

Cassandra agreed with a nod, then pivoted to another angle:

"But Professor Edgar, think about it—when rivals grow a hundred times faster than us, even shouldering ten times the peril, their ultimate gains remain ten times greater than ours?"

She halted briefly, letting the idea sink into everyone's thoughts:

"Even more crucial, once other societies' power vastly outstrips ours, does our 'stability' hold any value?

A society vastly superior to ours, should it choose to invade, could dismiss our thousand years of progress as mere farce."

Yet another objection arose from the assembly, voiced by a youthful witch this time:

"But Great Wizard Cassandra, conquest brings war, brings fatalities.

The treasures you've shown are truly remarkable, but what price was paid?

How many souls were sacrificed in your campaigns?"

Ron scrutinized the subtle facial tics and magical currents of this challenger.

Shockingly, this witch maintained an oddly serene demeanor.

Though her speech held an interrogative edge, her pulse, her magic's movement, and her eye responses all indicated an almost otherworldly tranquility.

"This isn't how someone genuinely furious or anxious would react physically..."

Ron marked this oddity inwardly and started monitoring the conditions of additional doubters.

Cassandra confronted this sharp inquiry with a grave look:

"Master Lianna, your query strikes at the heart of the ethical quandary in conquest approach.

I won't dodge this matter, since truth forms the basis of our exchange."

A deep sorrow briefly crossed her purple eyes:

"Yes, casualties did occur amid the conquests. Among foes, and among our own.

Each wizard slain on foreign battlefields lingers as a lasting ache in my soul."

Cassandra's tone quivered faintly:

"Still, Master Lianna, please ponder this— in our era of 'peaceful' advancement, how many wizards perished in the Abyss?

How many academics vanished because our healing arts weren't advanced enough?"