Wizards: Starting with Synthetic Gems

Chapter 41 The Threshold of Forty
half a month later.

In Locke's room on Dwarf Street.

Locke placed the Moonlight Elixir he had obtained from the witch Sophia on the table. The liquid in the glass bottle resembled flowing moonlight, with each drop shimmering with crystalline particles.

He opened the cork of the Moonlight Elixir. The elixir must be taken within half an hour of being opened, otherwise its properties will change accordingly.

He drank the Moonlight Elixir in one gulp, and then a faint, crystalline light appeared on Locke's body, and a silver crescent pattern appeared on the back of his right hand.

At the same time, the moonlight streaming in through the open window automatically transformed into a beam of particles that entered Locke's body, beginning to enhance his mental power.

Locke quickly took out a piece of rose-red jade from the drawer of his desk. The strange substance inside the rose-red jade, along with the moonlight, entered his mental power, rapidly enhancing his mental strength.

Half an hour later, Locke finished digesting the strange substance inside the rose-red gem. He opened his eyes and stood up. "So that's how it is."

"The Moonlight Elixir contains the special bloodline power of the Night Elves. After I take it, I will possess some of their talents, such as being able to absorb moonlight to accelerate mana recovery and meditation efficiency."

He looked at the crescent moon pattern on the back of his hand, which indicated that the Night Elf's talent was taking effect.

Moreover, the effects last for about three years, after which the racial bloodline talent ability brought by this potion will completely disappear.

Locke thought, "Then I roughly know what one of the main ingredients in the Moonlight Elixir is."

The wizarding world is extremely cruel; the sources of many magical materials can even be described as bloody.

At the same time, Locke looked at the rose-red gem that had turned into a white, worthless gem.

During this time, through attending the Dark Elf Sasari's All Things class, he came to understand what the Crimson Gem really was.

This gemstone is extremely precious in the southeastern corner of the region because it is not produced in the territory of the wizards there, so its price often far exceeds its intrinsic value.

A piece of rose-red gemstone the size of a fingernail often costs hundreds of magic stones, and it's still priceless and unavailable.

The region that produces these gems is located in the underground world far from the southeastern corner of the region, in the Obsidian Underground Domain, which is the territory of the black wizards.

Therefore, Locke was also fortunate that he hadn't taken out the gem to exchange for magic stones without knowing anything about it.

Once I do that, a whole host of troubles will come my way, far exceeding the benefits of the magic stones I gain.

Therefore, it's best to keep the Rose Red Gem for yourself; there's no need to exchange it for Magic Stones.

Locke pondered, "According to what I learned in the course on everything, there is a special kind of ether element particle inside the Rose Gem. This ether element particle is still full of unknowns and wonders for wizards."

"It contains many mysteries that have not yet been fully explored."

"But one thing is certain: wizard apprentices can increase their spiritual power by absorbing etheric elements, and the purity of the spiritual power obtained in this way is extremely high."

A hint of worry flashed in Locke's eyes. "But the dark elf Sasari said that currently, in the southeastern corner of the region, it is extremely difficult for wizards to obtain the Crimson Gem, so there are basically no wizards who can use the Crimson Gem for a long time and advance their level simply by absorbing the special substances inside the Crimson Gem."

"Therefore, the wizards in the southeastern corner region are not yet sure whether it is good or bad for a wizard apprentice's spiritual power to be mixed with too many ether element particles, or whether something special will happen."

Because the southeastern corner region lacks such resources, the wizarding world here has not conducted in-depth research in this area.

Locke shook his head. "Forget it. Don't think about it too much."

"Anyway, so far, all that's happened to me has been good."

"Even if there are some side effects, it doesn't matter."

"Once you become a first-class wizard apprentice, or even a full wizard, there are plenty of ways to get rid of the aftereffects on your body."

Locke recalled what the witch Sophia had told him—that wizards generally have some strange quirks. This is because many wizards, in the process of advancing their ranks, either in an effort to speed up their progress or due to a lack of a wise mentor, end up with more or less side effects.

This is almost inevitable.

Many magical realms are explored and utilized simultaneously.

Locke threw the empty glass bottle and the discarded gem into the trash can. The rose-red gem, having lost its special properties, looked no different from ordinary waste stone, so it didn't require much special treatment and could be discarded.

Locke said, "I've already taken part of the course on all things. Perhaps I can learn about breeding from Teacher Sophia tomorrow."

"I don't need to really learn it well. As long as I have this reputation, I can learn for half a year and then sell the magical plants that I have enhanced in the Chimera Market."

"In this way, I can obtain a lot of magic stone resources, which can be used to purchase many of the courses and equipment I wanted to buy before."

"And also, return that fifty-year contract with the college."

"Furthermore, I need to purchase a meditation technique so that I can make a push and become a first-class wizard apprentice within five years."

Five years later, Lilith's Cottage's support for him will be halved, and ten years later, if he has not become a first-class wizard apprentice, Lilith's Cottage will essentially abandon him.

Generally speaking, a wizarding apprentice cannot become a full-fledged wizard before the age of forty, and the probability of becoming a full-fledged wizard afterward will decrease in stages.

Therefore, the time limit required by Lilith's Hut is essentially the maximum time limit that a wizard apprentice can be given if they complete the task on time every time.

Locke had heard from other aspiring wizards that other wizarding academies were even more demanding, such as the University of Verdandia, which only gave students three years to become second-class wizard apprentices and seven years to become first-class wizard apprentices.

It is said that the Four Seasons Garden, the top wizarding organization in the southeastern corner of the region, has even stricter requirements for aspiring wizards.

That's why the wizarding world is so cruel; every step is a race against time, competing with numerous wizarding apprentices for limited resources.

Locke heard someone knocking on his door. He opened the door and found it was Lauen and Pierre.

Laun and Pierre looked somewhat reserved.

Locke asked in confusion, "Laun, Pierre, what's the matter so late?"

After thinking for a moment, Lauen said, "Locke, Pierre and I heard that you have become a second-class wizard apprentice."

"You're moving out of Dwarf Street and into Upside-Down Alley soon. Congratulations, Locke. I never imagined that you'd be the first of the three of us to become a second-class wizard apprentice."

Pierre said, "Congratulations, Augustine."

"I heard that your actual qualifications are higher than the original test results suggested, and that the test was a misjudgment. I'm so envious..."

“It will take Raun and me many more years to become second-class wizard apprentices. In just one year, your aptitude is almost comparable to that of sixth-level wizard apprentices.”

“Locke, let’s go out for a meal together. You’re moving away soon, and we probably won’t see each other much for the next few years.”

Locke nodded and said to the two of them, "Okay."

"I was just thinking of asking you guys to go out for a meal together."

“I think you two will move to Upside Down Alley soon.”

When Laune and Pierre saw that Locke's attitude hadn't changed much since he became a second-class wizard apprentice, they breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, becoming much more natural.

The barrier between the three of them immediately disappeared.

(End of this chapter)