Wizards: Starting with Synthetic Gems

Chapter 118 Hiring Experimental Subjects

Locke spent the entire morning at the Healing Hand Clinic, and after returning in the afternoon, he spent three hours studying the Lesser Emerald Elixir.

In the evening, Locke began to use advanced meditation techniques and started meditating.

To make the most of the first month's benefits, Locke maxed out all his resources, took a bottle of Star Tear potion, used Four Seasons Fruit Fragrance and an energy potion, and meditated all night.

As a result, his daily magic stone expenditure has reached 400 magic stones, while his current savings are only 5,500 magic stones.

This is his original savings, plus the income from the plantation's production last month.

His current plantation earns him 3700 magic stones per month.

According to this algorithm, Locke can sustain himself for about thirteen days with all his resources consumed, after which he will run out of money.

The plantation's output for this month will be settled at the end of the month through Lijin Secret.

The costs of treating wizard apprentices at the clinic will be settled at the end of the month.

Therefore, Locke was actually facing a temporary financial crisis.

If this continues, he will have to stop using the advanced meditation method with all his resources, missing out on the one-month beginner's bonus period for using the advanced meditation method.

Alternatively, he could only sign loan contracts outside the college, but non-college loan contracts usually have shockingly high interest rates, while college loan contracts have very complicated procedures.

At Locke's residence.

Locke instructed three gray dwarves and two catwomen to clean his house while taking a bite of his apple.

"This one-month newbie bonus period is not to be missed. Many first-class wizard apprentices missed it because they lacked money. As a result, they have to spend a year or even several years to make up for missing this one-month newbie bonus period."

"Forget it, let's just focus on meditation every day for now. We'll deal with money later. I'm an assistant to both the potion maker and the breeder now, so I'm sure I can find a way to make money quickly."

In fact, he's not exactly lacking in resources anymore.

At least most first-class wizard apprentices without any background will likely miss out on this month-long newbie bonus period.

Or they signed a huge debt agreement, which led to a series of debt-ridden bankruptcies. As a result, they were trapped and suffered even greater losses, ending up working for others in vain.

Locke recalled that Aisie had told him an interesting story while he was at work that morning: there was a wizard apprentice at Lilith's Cottage who carelessly signed a loan shark contract, and when the repayment period came, he couldn't repay on time, so he had to keep signing more and more loan shark contracts.

As a result, they ended up in a situation of robbing Peter to pay Paul.

After his credit collapsed and the repayment chain completely broke down, he was forced to sign a labor enslavement contract that would make him work for others for free every day for fifty years.

Locke believed that people who signed such contracts, though not officially slaves, were not much different from slaves in reality.

He was basically a debt slave.

In the White Wizard Society, once someone becomes a debt slave, it's essentially a social death. All social relationships will be severed from him, and he will fall from heaven to the bottom.

Locke snapped out of his reverie and continued meditating.

Overnight, his mental strength increased from 227 to 235. With all resources maxed out and during the newbie bonus period, he gained a remarkable 8 points of mental strength in just one night.

The next day, Locke was full of energy, a side effect of taking the energy potion. He looked in the mirror and saw himself wearing a close-fitting white wizard's robe, with a perfect figure and slender body.

He adjusted his clothes, then turned to open the door.

Today is the day he recruits second-class wizard apprentices and test subjects. For the potion lab to go through the process, it needs at least three third-class wizard apprentices, one second-class wizard apprentice, and one potion-making assistant.

Only then can the process begin.

He wants to apply for a personal pharmaceutical lab as soon as possible and needs to gather enough staff quickly.

Locke has already recruited three of Sophia's students, who are his own three junior classmates, but he is still missing a second-class wizard apprentice.

Unfortunately, his friends Laun and Pierre are still third-class wizard apprentices.

Their advancement speed is the same as that of most people in Lilith Hut Academy.

A speed like his is rare, considering he's already second in his cohort.

The person who was faster than him was also a Child of the Elements, the only Child of the Elements among his peers.

Not every freshman class will have an Elemental Child.

Wizards with the potential to become "Child of the Elements" are highly sought after by all wizarding organizations in the southeastern region. Sometimes, even after ten years, not a single "Child of the Elements" may be admitted to the school.

Locke opened the door and saw Pierre already standing outside.

Pierre seemed to have been waiting at the door for a long time.

Pierre's eyes lit up slightly when Locke opened the door, then he looked at Locke somewhat guiltily and said, "Locke, I came as soon as I received your letter. You really will pay me a hundred magic stones every month, more than Senior Angron gives me?"

Locke nodded, then frowned in displeasure. "Don't be shy here. Next time, just knock on my door."

"We are friends."

Pierre asked, moved, "Is it safe for Locke to be your guinea pig?"

"I still have parents at home, and I don't want them to hear that I'm dead..."

Locke gestured for him to sit inside. "Don't worry, I wouldn't let you use it if it weren't safe. I can honestly conduct animal and human experiments first."

"The potions I gave you have all proven to be effective. I just need to issue a report, and your low magic resistance is the most convincing evidence."

"Here, take the pen. I'm not forcing you. If you refuse, I can go find someone else."

Locke placed the contract and pen in front of Pierre, who was sitting on the sofa.

Pierre, thinking of the hundred magic stones and his relatively close relationship with Locke, immediately picked up his quill. "Sign it. I believe you, Locke."

"That's a hundred magic stones a month. I wonder how many magical resources that could buy."

Pierre quickly signed his name on the contract.

After Pierre signed the contract, Locke put it away and said, "Pierre, I'll have my servant treat you to some good food. I have a short interview to conduct, so I won't entertain you any further."

Pierre said, "Oh, okay... okay."

At this moment, a few second-class wizard apprentices were already standing outside Locke's door.

They had all received recruitment information distributed by Locke, and thus came to participate in interviews and join Locke's newly created personal pharmaceutical lab.

(End of this chapter)