Chapter 690: The Tier 1 Funding Project Defense
At Witch's Kitchen, Locke met with Witch Scarlett.
Witch Scarlett asked Locke, "Locke, why did you suddenly ask to meet me here? I have been a bit busy lately."
Witch Scarlett had deep dark circles under her eyes. "It's not just you. I have other collaborating wizards as well. And recently, for reasons I cannot quite understand, my other collaborating wizards have been running into problems one after another, and some have even been proactively terminating their agreements with me."
Locke looked at Witch Scarlett with surprise. "Is it Solas Light Foot and Melechi Magic Step?"
Witch Scarlett rubbed her temples. "I don't know. I asked, and everyone said it had nothing to do with anyone. That is what makes those shop alliances so formidable. But don't worry, I will hold out."
"The trading rank promotion system at the Arthas Plantation is very reasonable. To advance further, I need to build up several brands."
Witch Scarlett looked at Locke and said, "So I will support you with everything I have. You can be sure of that."
"You may not be able to trust my character, but you can trust the Arthas Plantation's trading rank promotion system."
Locke laughed.
Was this what it felt like when large capital crushed small capital?
Locke said, "Understood. The reason I asked you here today is that something I applied for from the academy has been approved."
A magical moon appeared in Locke's hand. "I would like you to apply this magic to the wizard shoes you have been producing for me."
Locke showed Witch Scarlett an application document.
Witch Scarlett took it and looked it over, then said with surprise, "Since Golden Crown Mountain itself has approved it, I naturally have no objection on my end. I will make the arrangements."
"May I ask why?"
Locke shook his head slightly.
Witch Scarlett said, "Alright."
Both of them were wizards, so they naturally understood what that meant. He was worried about having ears in the walls.
Locke looked at the magical moon. That moon was one of his Moon of Evolution's moonbeams, and once it entered those wizard shoes, it could erupt at a specific moment, causing the Big Snow Crown Bromeliad wizard shoes to transform back into bromeliads.
This would ordinarily not have been possible, but because a Second Circle black wizard from the enemy side had been clever enough to steal one of his magical moons from him, if that wizard used it on the battlefield, Locke could use that moon to remotely enhance the Big Snow Crown Bromeliads on the Demon Realm battlefield.
But that was not the main point.
Enhancing the magical plant shoes on the feet of Golden Crown Mountain's First Circle wizards could certainly teach the black wizard who had stolen his magic a lesson, but Locke was not someone who had nothing better to do.
As he had said before.
At its core, a Grand Magic was a source of magic, a device for collecting and cycling energy.
As long as that magic appeared, it could collect a large amount of energy for him on the battlefield.
This created a very interesting time delay.
As things stood, the Five Great Wars and the Silent Chalice Competition were occurring at nearly the same time, which meant that during the Demon Realm War period, he would very likely be in the state of a Second Circle wizard.
His Moon of Evolution would have become a Grand Magic.
And a Grand Magic had the property of seizing energy, meaning he could use this contingency to convert the energy of those black wizards on the Demon Realm battlefield into his own.
The prerequisite, of course, was that the black wizard would release the blueprint magic stolen from him on the battlefield, and would also use his own magical energy to amplify that magic.
And the moment the wizard used his magic was the moment Locke could, across two worlds, draw that wizard's magical power into himself.
At its core, this was a contingency he had set up for himself in preparation for the competition, designed to augment his own resources at a critical moment.
So would the opposing wizard release energy and proactively amplify his magic?
Absolutely.
Why?
Because Full Moon Growth had a restraining effect on magical plants, and Locke had deployed a large quantity of purely plant-based wizard shoes in the Demon Realm War.
The opponent would certainly realize that Full Moon Growth could perfectly counter his magical plants.
The opponent would certainly proactively use Full Moon Growth, but the energy within Full Moon Growth would not be sufficient to cover the entire battlefield, so the opponent would inevitably use Second Circle magic pressure to amplify the Full Moon Growth.
Locke tapped the table with his fingers, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. 'Ever since I learned that the Twin Demon Realm could steal my magic, I have been deliberately engineering this. I never expected that Second Circle black wizard encountered in the Second Sky would be foolish enough to actually steal my magic. Since he stole it, and even said he would see me at the Demon Realm War...'
'Perfect. I can use this.'
'Do you really think my, the Eye Demon Wizard's magic, is something you can just steal?'
Witch Scarlett looked at the smile at the corner of Locke's mouth and felt, for no particular reason, a chill run down her spine. "Although I don't know what you are planning, Locke, you seem to be working out some kind of scheme. I imagine you must have a way of dealing with the pressure from those wizard shoe shop alliances."
Locke said, "An ordinary wizard, by this point, would certainly have been frightened off. But not me. The more moves they make, the more I can see that they are afraid. The more they bare their teeth and claws, the more clearly I see that they are paper tigers."
"At this point, I will not stop halfway. Capital always chases profit. As long as we truly build the Augustus Wizard Shoes brand into something significant, our allies will appear on their own."
"That is what I believe. So, within two months I will give you the design blueprints and seeds for my fifth wizard shoe model. Witch Scarlett, the Arthas production line should not be a problem, and I hope you can make the necessary preparations."
Witch Scarlett gave a small start. "You want to release a fifth wizard shoe product right before the competition?"
"In such a short time? During a competition this important to you?"
Locke nodded. "Strike while the iron is hot. If I wait until the competition is over before thinking about new products, I will give those magical weavers room to breathe. And if I give them room to breathe, they will naturally become even more arrogant. I intend to give them no room to breathe whatsoever."
"I will ride the wave of momentum and launch a more advanced product, completely collapsing their stock market. I will hit them hard enough that they will not dare to make an enemy of me."
Witch Scarlett looked at Locke, who was calmly laying all of this out, and felt, for reasons she could not explain, an invisible force emanating from him.
A force that seemed capable of tearing open this market, which had been completely monopolized by magical weavers and had long since grown rigid.
Witch Scarlett swallowed. "But the competition is very important to you."
Locke smiled. "Precisely because of that, they seem to think I am temporarily tied up and unable to make the next move. They are relaxing, feeling that things are not so urgent."
"They want to kill with a slow blade. Or perhaps something even harsher is waiting for me. So I need to take the initiative."
"If I were not going to do this, I would simply take ten million magic stones and sell off this brand and this line of technology and be done with it." Locke smiled. "In truth, I have given them chances before. I have proposed a trade several times, but was turned down every time. Actually, up until this very moment, I could still be bought off with a World Stone."
"But after the Silent Chalice Competition, I will no longer need a World Stone."
"At that point, a World Stone will no longer be enough to buy me."
Locke stated this plainly.
It was, in fact, the truth.
Right now, the two shop alliances only needed to offer a World Stone, which for them would not even be that painful a sacrifice, and they could send him on his way.
He would simply go look for gaps in other markets and find new commercial opportunities elsewhere.
The problem was that Solas Light Foot and Melechi Magic Step did not believe he was worthy of that.
Witch Scarlett spread her hands. "I can show you my message history. Every time, I put forward your terms to them and sincerely worked to negotiate on your behalf. That is my duty as your agent. Unfortunately, every time it was rejected, and you were asked to lower your terms."
"But speaking from my own perspective, to be honest, I do not want you to complete a transaction with those two shop alliances. Because out of my hundreds of collaborating clients, only you... have the nerve to go to war with two top-tier wizard shoe shop alliances."
"Only by working with you do I have a chance of becoming a platinum-ranked trader."
Witch Scarlett said honestly, "Going to war with the Cloud Marsh Wetlands shop alliances as an individual is extraordinarily difficult. But are you truly certain this will not affect your performance in the competition?"
"If it does affect your competition, I will have offended Golden Crown Mountain, and will have seriously offended Golden Crown Mountain's Academic Committee."
Witch Scarlett said, "I am a little frightened."
Locke gave a slight smile.
He did not answer.
Witch Scarlett was bold to the core. Even after learning that he was planning to go to war with two major shop alliances and contest the market, she had not only been unafraid but had actually egged him on.
What was she afraid of from Golden Crown Mountain?
She was the most typical of white wizards. As long as there was even a sliver of profit, she would march to the chopping block without a second thought.
It simply would not affect his competition anyway.
His Grand Magic had already reached a point where there was almost nothing left to change, at the very ceiling of what he could achieve at this stage, and his magic pressure was rising every day while his soul declined every day.
Continuing to enhance it further would only add too many elements, reducing the overall quality, and might even prematurely crush his soul.
That was precisely why he was going to do something else.
As for his Tier 1 funding project, the Agavone Body root he had obtained through that research had actually given him insights by analogy, deepening his understanding of a type of energy-locking structure, which had in fact strengthened him in turn.
Locke said, "Then it is settled."
Witch Scarlett said, "Right. I can guarantee on my end. I will absolutely hold out. And the Arthas Plantation won't be bothered by two wizard shoe brands."
"Your production line will absolutely not be a problem. The Arthas Plantation wants a completely new wizard shoe brand to emerge. That is unfavorable for the capital behind those wizard shoe brands, but favorable for a large platform like the Arthas Plantation."
...
A month and a half later.
With the efforts of Witch Mason and the others, Locke completed the analysis of the Agavone Root Pouch, having invested a total of five million magic stones and used the Feathered Serpent Pavilion's Queen's Chessboard eight times.
Witch Mason and the others had not slept for a month and a half, working every day without rest. Locke, in order to prepare for the competition, had maintained a normal daily schedule and normal sleep throughout.
At the same time, because Wizard Barrett had used the Queen's Chessboard too many consecutive times, his soul had been affected to a certain degree, though the problem was not severe.
Locke gave him two hundred thousand magic stones and arranged for a potion master who could treat him to essentially full recovery, though it would require about a month of recuperation.
Locke could only express his gratitude and think to himself that he absolutely owed it to Barrett to help him close out his Tier 2 funding project and apply for a Tier 1 funding project.
Otherwise, he would feel genuinely indebted to him.
A month and a half later, Locke applied for the Tier 1 funding project defense.
At the closing defense held by the Origin Academy, Locke glanced at the seat where Witch Yekaterina should have been sitting. Witch Yekaterina had again not appeared.
It was true that her presence was optional.
But now it appeared that even a Tier 1 funding project closing was not enough to move her to come in person.
Wizard Cis smiled and said, "Locke, the Throne asked me to let you know. A senior researcher at the Origin Academy in Group 1 has made a major breakthrough, so she has gone to Group 1 today."
"Group 1 is working on a project related to the Sky Garden. Because Golden Crown Mountain intends to build its own Sky Garden, the Throne has been busy with Group 1's affairs recently."
Locke suddenly understood why he had been seeing so little of Witch Yekaterina lately.
For her, she had far too many projects in hand. His competition was itself one that had been delegated to her, but it seemed her primary focus was on the Sky Garden Plan.
After all, this was the first major project she had presided over since becoming vice-chairman of the Academic Committee, and it appeared to have been in the works for a long time.
Group 1's years of research had itself been coordinated with the Sky Garden Plan.
The thinking of a high-circle wizard was something he still could not fully understand.
Wizard Cis pointed toward the defense committee, which was the panel of reviewers. "The presiding chair is someone you are familiar with, Mr. Hao Brooks."
Wizard Hao Brooks was a Third Circle wizard from Quinn Jol University, a master of collective prophecy, and also a breeder.
Locke recognized this elderly wizard. The man had also served as the presiding chair of the review panel at his Tier 3 funding project defense.
He had even said personally that Locke would certainly become a Second Circle wizard.
The other two wizards on the panel were a sun ring wizard from Golden Crown Mountain's Council of Elders, and a sun ring wizard from the Rose Council.
Wizard Hao Brooks smiled warmly. "So you have already entered the soul decline period? Ha ha ha... you have not disappointed me. I prophesied back then that you would certainly become a Second Circle wizard."
Wizard Hao spoke gently. "I had high hopes for you from the very beginning. In just one year, you are already closing out a Tier 1 funding project, and you have also obtained the right to compete in the Silent Chalice Competition."
"You have not damaged the reputation of this old prophet."
Wizard Hao Brooks smiled. "Are you ready? Let us begin..."
...
Inside Zalan Bailey's office, Zalan Bailey's expression shifted. He glared at Wizard Tucker. "Why didn't you tell me sooner that he had applied for a Tier 1 funding project defense?"
Zalan Bailey's expression was grim. "What is going on. Even with all of Group 2's resources now tilted in my direction, he has still applied for a Tier 1 funding project defense faster than I have."
"What kind of efficiency is this?"
"In one year, he is closing out three Origin Academy funding projects?"
Zalan Bailey felt a pressure he could not explain.
He was the Second Circle wizard, and yet he had suddenly developed a sense of pressure toward Locke born from sheer incomprehension, as though he were just an ordinary wizard and Locke were a genius he could not hope to catch up to.
And yet he was the Second Circle wizard.
Why?