Wizards: Starting with Synthetic Gems

Chapter 78 The Benefits of a First-Class Wizard Apprentice
the next day.

In front of the wooden house where the registration office is located.

Today's duty officer is a halfling second-class wizard apprentice whom Locke has never seen before.

He held the badge representing a first-class wizard apprentice with both hands and respectfully handed it to Locke. "Hello, senior, this is your badge."

"According to the contract of a first-class wizard apprentice, you will receive a monthly stipend of one hundred magic stones from the academy, as well as two bottles of Stardust Tears potion and one bottle of Blood-Soaked Dragon Sunflower potion. There is no time limit for this stipend."

"In addition, you can retain your residence in Upside Down Alley, and you can choose your standard first-class wizard apprentice three-piece residence, which includes two rooms and a small laboratory, at any location in Lilith Cottage."

"You can choose any location, and the academy will soon place the alchemical items from Lilith's cabin at your designated location."

The halfling second-class wizard apprentice respectfully said, "Lord Locke, in addition to the academy's monthly resource allowance and accommodation, you will also have one opportunity to enter the wizard's secret realm and choose a magical plant and a magical item."

"Because you have become a first-class wizard apprentice within two years, the list of magical plants and enchanted items you can choose from is of the highest level."

The halfling second-class wizard apprentice handed Locke a list, which Locke discovered had three levels.

These are prepared for first-class wizard apprentices within two years, three years, and others.

The list of enchanted items and magical plants from the past two years is of the highest level, and even includes a few rare apprentice-level magical plants.

Things will be slightly better within the next three years.

The item levels on the last level list are rather ordinary.

Just last night, the witch Sophia signed a contract with Locke for the academy, but it was really just a formality.

Because very few first-class wizard apprentices would not renew their contracts at this point.

If the contract is suddenly terminated, the academy will not only cancel all subsequent training for him, but will also require the wizard apprentice to repay the previous resources.

Of course, Locke also paid off his previous student loan debt of one thousand magic stones.

Anyway, I have no intention of leaving Lilith's Hut at the moment.

The benefits at Lilith's Hut are very generous, and as a matter of obligation, I only need to sign a contract with Lilith's Hut first after becoming a first-ring wizard, or make certain contributions to Lilith's Hut, before leaving.

During the first-class wizard apprenticeship, one's primary duty is to protect the interests of Lilith's Hut and to rush back from all over the world to protect the academy when it faces a crisis.

In addition, students may have to undertake certain academic duties and work for the college.

Because of his status as a breeder and his success in developing two new varieties of magical plants, the position the academy assigned him this time was very suitable for him—public plantation maintenance worker.

It involves going to the public plantation established by the college and working together with other first-class wizard apprentices from other colleges to maintain it.

As a master of potion-making, Lilith's Hut has a huge public botanical garden that provides a large number of magical plants for the potion makers in Lilith's Hut to concoct potions.

Therefore, a large number of professional wizard apprentices are needed to perform regular maintenance on the public super-large plantations.

However, the job is not busy; I only need to go for half a month a year. Moreover, I can broaden my horizons in the super-giant botanical garden, so it is still beneficial.

Locke quickly found the most cost-effective and suitable magical plant on the list. "Magical plant... I choose the Soil-Rotting Arum."

Locke looked at the halfling second-class wizard apprentice. "I don't need any high-level enchanted items for now. Can I use the opportunity to choose one high-level enchanted item to exchange for another piece of Rotten Earth Arum?"

Locke looked at the list and discovered that there was no Clivia on it, but there was Amorphophallus humifusa.

The Horadric Cube levels the Amorphophallus is set to level 6, but if you have three Amorphophallus plants, you can combine them into a level 7 plant. Amorphophallus plants are rare on the market; they're not readily available even at the Chimera Market. Locke has already asked the clerk at Lijin's Secret Shop and pre-ordered both Amorphophallus and Clivia.

Whenever there is a new order, these shop assistants will proactively contact you.

But several days have passed and there's still no news; it seems we'll have to wait a while.

The halfling second-class wizard apprentice smiled obsequiously and said, "Of course, Lord Locke."

"There have been precedents for this before. So, which wizarding realm would you like to choose?"

Locke looked at the wizarding realms on the list. On the reward list for ordinary first-class wizarding apprentices, there were only three wizarding realms to choose from.

On his highest-level reward list, two new wizarding realms appeared, clearly indicating that these two realms were of the highest level.

This is a perk for aspiring wizards like themselves who can advance quickly.

"I remember Teacher Sophia saying that there are many origins of wizarding realms. Some are resource points left behind by ancient wizards, some are masterpieces of nature, and some are man-made sites by modern wizards, or relics from other worlds that are unsolved mysteries." Locke scanned three common realms: Everlasting Gardens, Tesla Wasteland, and Arctic Ice Island.

There is some information about each of the three common dungeons in the list.

The so-called secret realms are places that wizards can explore to obtain resources; some are natural, and some are man-made.

Eternal Twilight Garden is a man-made resource point created by modern wizards within the White Wizarding Association. It is specifically designed to provide outstanding junior wizards with ways to acquire resources, and contains a large amount of potion-related resources.

Tesla Wasteland is a natural energy hub on the coast, home to many rare magical creatures, making it a suitable place for wizards of the Summoning School to gather resources.

Arctic Iceland is a small overseas island suitable for wizard apprentices of the Evocation School to go there and obtain magical resources.

These three secret realms are places where you have to be willing to take risks and put in a lot of effort in order to gain anything.

It is the place where first-class wizard apprentices, who have no future but are unwilling to give up, are most likely to try their luck.

Locke looked at the two special wizarding realms on the list: the Forbidden Forest and the Great Canyon of the Boundary.

The Forbidden Forest is a forest that gathers powerful magical energy. Its formation is unknown, and it is unclaimed land. However, hundreds of large and small wizarding organizations around it regularly send their wizarding apprentices into it to seize resources.

The Forbidden Forest is one of the most important wizard resource points in the central region of the Southeast Corner Territory. If it weren't for a special reward, Locke wouldn't even see it on the reward list.

There is a strange magical power within the Forbidden Forest, which seems to distort the laws of physics and ignore what has already happened. To this day, our exploration of the Forbidden Forest has only reached its outermost edge.

That is, the safe zone.

The Forbidden Forest Secret Realm only includes this part of the area, not the deeper Forbidden Forest.

Legend has it that in the deepest part of the Forbidden Forest lies a dark power unimaginable to the wizards of the southeastern region.

No one comes out of there alive.

The Boundary Membrane Grand Canyon is a slightly smaller secret realm than the Forbidden Forest. The canyon has a huge, unhealable spatial rift. According to research, it may be a wound caused by the battle between high-ring wizards. The world power of the prime material plane is not even able to heal such a wound. Over time, it formed a boundary membrane that caused spatial collisions with other planes, making it suitable for wizards who study the school of spellcasting.

After careful consideration, Locke chose the Forbidden Forest. Even without asking Sophia the Witch, he knew she would definitely make him choose the Forbidden Forest.

Because the Forbidden Forest... is a paradise for potion makers and breeders!

(End of this chapter)