Wizard: Starting With Synthesized Gems

Locke received a special magical plant specification document that Witch Georgina forwarded from Bonifacius University's key laboratory.

He opened it and read through it. First, this key laboratory was currently developing a new variety of textile engineering silk thread.

And so the first part of the specification document listed fifteen performance indicators related to this silk thread, such as fiber length, fineness, and breaking strength. However, this fiber performance requirements list was not relevant to him.

Because this was essentially a task of directed magical plant variety improvement.

If he were to cooperate with them, his role at most would be to handle the new magical plant variety improvement.

But Locke noticed that attached to this specification document was another file, which turned out to be a contracted specialist breeder agreement.

Locke skimmed through it briefly and found that it was in fact a job invitation stating that they would pay him three million magic stones within one year, and would simultaneously provide him with the equipment needed for his experiments and the related rights, along with a specially approved fund of three million magic stones for him to use in developing the new magical plant variety.

The contract duration was one year.

During this year, he would be a visiting researcher at Bonifacius University.

This was a fairly common form of cooperation between wizard universities and individual wizards. Of course, for a wizard academy of Bonifacius University's scale, it generally would not reach this kind of agreement with ordinary First Circle wizards.

Usually they would simply pay directly and require the wizard to complete the task, more like the relationship between a company and a worker.

But now that he was a Second Circle wizard, although for wizard academies of Bonifacius University's and Golden Crown Mountain's caliber, Second Circle wizards numbered in the thousands, he had already reached the level where cooperation could be invited through a visiting researcher arrangement.

And if he were to become a sun ring wizard, his status would presumably be even higher, likely entitled to considerably more generous terms.

The number of sun ring wizards was relatively small.

Among all wizards at the Second Circle stage, the status of sun ring wizards was the most distinctive.

Of course, star ring wizards and moon ring wizards already held a status considerably above that of ordinary Second Circle wizards, and each step upward meant fewer companions along the way.

Locke skimmed the contract and saw that if he accepted, he would become a senior visiting researcher at Bonifacius University.

This kind of title held no real significance. It was just something to look at.

Within the Cloud Marsh Wetlands' wizard universities, there were enormous quantities of honorary titles being overissued. If a university could not afford to pay in actual money, it could offer empty prestige.

Any title whatsoever that was not tied to an officially recognized teaching position of the kind acknowledged by the White Wizard Association could be treated as nothing more than a form of verbal flattery.

Locke thought for a moment. "This contract also comes with ten mu of Bonifacius University's internal magical farmland for one year of use?"

Witch Georgina sent back a message.

"Yes, Mr. Augustine. Our key laboratory's director admires your talent in the field of breeding studies, and so wishes to invite you into cooperation."

"As you can see from the specification document and the contract, the development of this new material is in service of our white wizard cause of justice."

"The Epirus World is a commercial cooperation-type colonial plane belonging to our Bonifacius University. Only that world has come under invasion from a tributary of the Styx. The children of the Styx regularly attack the Epirus Plane and plunder the Epirus World's population."

"And the people of the Epirus World, once swept into the Styx, die because they cannot adapt to the underworld environment. At the same time, their armies, also unable to adapt to the underworld environment, are forced to watch helplessly as the children of the underworld plunder the lives of their world."

"At present, magical plants have been shown to possess the power to counter the underworld. And so our new textile school's development of new magical plant silk threads is for the purpose of creating a beautiful future for the people of the Epirus World."

Locke read the long block of text Witch Georgina had sent over and immediately understood. Bonifacius University had found a new commercial market.

Following this line of reasoning, the wizards of the Epirus World must be desperately in need of magical garments capable of adapting to the underworld environment and resisting the Styx's aura.

Even the ordinary people of that world would need them, and not only that. Going forward, Bonifacius University could potentially sell their magical garments in every world under Styx invasion.

This would be an enormous market.

Locke pursed his lips. Everything out of Witch Georgina's mouth was white wizard justice. One could say she was even more hypocritical than a holy mage.

After all, in a holy mage's eyes, making money was a virtue, and not making money was moral depravity.

But these things were none of his concern.

After all, the development of the new variety of quality silk thread was what Bonifacius University's key laboratory would handle. His role at most would be to possibly develop an improved variety of magical plant for them.

The overall plan was presumably being overseen by the sun ring wizard behind that laboratory.

Only...

Locke looked at the name of the magical plant in question and felt a little speechless.

Why this of all things?

It turned out to be a bromeliad magical plant. Called the Black Swan Bromeliad.

It was an ordinary First Circle magical plant, and the breeding requirements were simply to find a way to make the Black Swan Bromeliad's plant fibers finer, while also making them a little longer.

Because the original Black Swan Bromeliad, while meeting most of the other requirements that the new textile school's magical weavers needed, had plant fibers that were coarse and short, making it difficult to spin them independently into thread.

The thread breakage rate reached seventy percent.

There was also a third requirement, which was to enhance the Black Swan Bromeliad's resistance to the aura of the underworld by approximately double.

Locke saw this requirement and his pupils contracted slightly. This requirement had very likely been added newly.

The original requirements had most likely been just two, making the Black Swan Bromeliad's plant fibers finer and longer.

This contract was probably not originally prepared for him either.

Bonifacius University had presumably originally had their eyes on a different breeder.

But after the Silent Chalice, they had changed their minds and discovered that his Lunar Cultivation Method could indeed generate specific environmental adaptations through reverse infusion of planar information.

So they had added the third requirement for him.

Locke thought it over briefly, forwarded the opening portion of the contract to Witch Yekaterina, and asked whether he was permitted to sign this contract and whether doing so would count as bypassing the academy.

Witch Yekaterina responded quickly.

"You may. No one will bother with something this minor. A Second Circle wizard serving as a visiting researcher at various wizard universities is entirely normal."

"Even where the Rose Council and Golden Crown Mountain have many points of conflict, wizards from both academies still visit each other as guests."

"Only, could I have a look at the task requirements?"

Locke immediately took a screenshot and sent it over.

Witch Yekaterina replied, "No issues. After the Silent Chalice, they have taken notice of the personal cultivation method in your hands and want to establish a good relationship with you. The new textile school has only just become independent and is very easily brought to an early end. They do not want to rely on the alchemy school, so they will not only offend the old textile school but will also offend a large number of alchemists."

"One could say they are in a precarious position."

"And so they must choose their natural allies, which would be us breeders."

"Only, after seeing their task requirements, I think I understand. The new textile school's so-called truth must be manifested in the garments of ordinary people. The old textile school does indeed neglect the lower-end market of ordinary people, wizard apprentices, and other low-level magical garment consumers. For the new textile school to rise, in addition to large numbers of talented people, they need one other more direct thing, which is a market."

"It seems the new textile school wants to take the lower-end market route."

Locke suddenly understood.

Exactly right. Without money, one could not claim to have risen. Without money, nothing amounted to anything.

Worthy of a Throne wizard, Witch Yekaterina had seen through the new textile school's future development path from just one transaction.

Locke sent Witch Georgina a message.

"I can sign this contract. Only I imagine it cannot simply be signed through the water hyacinth system just like this."

"Come to the Witch's Kitchen at the Dragon Blood Market in a few days to sign a formal contract. What do you think?"

Locke looked at the water hyacinth system and waited for a while, but the other party surprisingly did not reply immediately.

After some time, Witch Georgina sent back a message.

"Very well, Mr. Augustine."

...

Inside Bonifacius University's key laboratory of Heraclitus, Heraclitus was the proponent of the new textile school's doctrine of Flowing Matter into Weaving.

He was also a rising representative figure within the new textile school.

Several Throne-level wizards of Bonifacius University's new textile school were waiting for him to become a Third Circle wizard, so that the Flowing Matter into Weaving doctrine could transform from hypothesis into established truth.

Witch Georgina was working part-time for him, and once she completed her time at the Origin Academy, she would presumably go directly into this key laboratory.

The interior environment of this key laboratory was a vast artificial river, with banks on either side, currently planted with vegetation. Down the middle of the river were artificial stone features and various landscape elements.

Heraclitus addressed a First Circle wizard. "Amo, place a two-meter by two-meter square stone in the middle of the river. I want to observe how the current changes..."

Amo immediately directed three minotaur slaves to carry the stone over.

Heraclitus, a sun ring wizard, gave a satisfied nod.

"Georgina, your becoming a Second Circle wizard is very good. Your willingness to study alongside me is even better. Listen well. I do not care about your past or your background. Because in my doctrine, I believe that this world is like a great river."

"One cannot step into the same river twice. All things are in constant change. Change is the eternal theme of this world, and change is a river."

Heraclitus, the sun ring wizard, seemed immersed in the beauty of the Flowing Matter into Weaving doctrine. He was writing and calculating on the paper in his hands, measuring the changes in the current.

"All people, all things are changing. And finding the pattern within this change, then placing it within an unchanging framework, that is what I believe we new textile school wizards should be doing. And the framework I have chosen is the great river."

"Look at the river before you. See whether you gain any new insights. Once you complete your time at the Institute, come and work with me. I will teach you how to brew honor..."

"Georgina, did Augustine agree?"

Witch Georgina bowed respectfully. "Lord Heraclitus, he agreed. Only I am not certain whether he will truly be able to develop the magical plant variety we need within this one year."

The corners of Wizard Heraclitus's eyes crinkled with a smile.

"I have great confidence in him. Among our new textile school's higher-circle wizards, others also look favorably upon him."

"But the key point is not whether the development succeeds. That is a matter of probability, and all development work must accept the possibility of failure. The key point is that the new textile school needs to maintain close cooperative relationships with outstanding breeders. And so establishing cooperative relationships in advance with wizards who may become outstanding breeders in the future is of great importance."

"Of course," Wizard Heraclitus smiled, "this is all a prospect for decades from now. But we as magical weavers should possess the foresight to see the landscape fifty years from now."

"I will arrange for a star ring wizard to go and sign the contract with Locke. The subsequent cooperative liaison should be handled by you as the representative of our laboratory when dealing with him. You are both young people and talented. I expect your ideas will mesh well together."

"The old textile school has recently been cooperating with some wizards from the alchemy school. At the moment they should be trying to use commercial competition to knock out several of our markets, and then pressure us into abandoning our development path."

"For at least the next ten years, it should remain a commercial war. But what comes after that is hard to say."

"After all, the Cloud Marsh Wetlands has no shortage of black wizards."

The expression behind Witch Georgina's mask immediately changed.

"Black wizards, I kill every one I see."

...

After accepting Bonifacius University's cooperation request, Locke used the water hyacinth system to check again on the share price trajectories of Solas Light Foot and Melechi Magic Step, and found that both shop alliances had dropped by at least one-fifth of their share price.

Originally the decline should have been greater.

Because there had originally been two downward curves composing one large plunging curve, which had dropped at least one-third of their share price.

But afterward, the wizards behind the two shop alliances had apparently applied force, pouring in large amounts of capital and forcibly propping the stock back up, even causing the share price to rise slightly.

This behavior was essentially a method of further depleting their foundation and reducing their own cash flow.

It was nothing more than spending money to buy back health.

Locke looked at the two downward curves. The first drop had come after he won the Silent Chalice championship, when a small decline had appeared.

Clearly some wizard shareholders had immediately realized what was about to happen.

The second drop was when he had been wearing his Great Blood Wave wizard shoes while hunting down the Crimson Deep Court's black wizards.

That occasion had the most severe impact. Both wizard shoe shop alliances saw their share prices tumbling rapidly.

Locke also checked a few other wizard shoe shop alliances and found that their share prices had all declined somewhat, though a few more niche ones showed an upward trend.

It was apparent that his continued success with pure magical plant wizard shoes had led many wizards to believe the wizard shoe market was on the verge of a massive upheaval.

Now that he had become a Second Circle wizard, this upheaval had become an unstoppable trend.

Only, the wizards of the Cloud Marsh Wetlands were for now still unable to see clearly where this conflict would ultimately lead. And so there were still quite a few people placing their bets on higher-quality magical weaver wizard shoes.

Locke thought about it and decided to head to Golden Crown Mountain's library to look up whether there was a projection spell suitable for him.

This was something that provided considerable benefits to Second Circle wizards, and not learning one meant falling behind.

In an environment as intensely competitive as the Cloud Marsh Wetlands, he needed to learn a projection spell as soon as possible.

...

At Solas Light Foot's technical review meeting, the moon ring wizard director's expression was extremely unpleasant. He glared furiously at everyone at the meeting, especially at the head of the crisis management department.

The head of the crisis management department, for his part, maintained silence and kept his head down, trying to avoid having the blame pushed onto him by everyone.

The moon ring wizard director said, "After this Silent Chalice, our shop alliance ended up spending one hundred and twenty million magic stones to salvage the collapse of our share price. That was what it took to prevent the risk of a stock market panic."

"Quite a few wizard shareholders seem to have developed doubts about our future, thinking that our Solas Light Foot is no longer the monopoly enterprise it once was. They believe we will be phased out in the future."

"The direct losses alone amount to over a hundred million magic stones. And that does not even count the indirect losses caused."

"From nothing more than a laughable wizard shoe brand established by a single First Circle wizard, who used the Silent Chalice to make large numbers of wizards lose confidence in our shop alliance and in turn forced us to lose enormous sums of money to cover the losses."

"Are all of you useless? So many people, and you allowed one person to push us around like this."

At the technical review meeting, many wizards showed varying expressions. Some were unmoved, some wore ugly expressions, and some had fury written on their faces.

One designer muttered quietly, "It is that Jessie. Could not even kill a single First Circle wizard."

At the meeting, the face of the Second Circle wizard who served as chief designer for Solas Light Foot's Second Circle division was also becoming difficult to maintain.

He coughed once, then said in a measured tone, "It is impossible for just one person to have caused us losses of over a hundred million. That is a gross exaggeration. I have said it many times: do not become so fixated on the stock market. Fluctuations in share prices are a constant. It is a confidence issue."

"When others temporarily lack confidence in us, our share price falls. But very soon they will be full of confidence in us again, and the share price will rise. We were the ones acting like a startled rabbit, taking something as superficial as share prices far too seriously. We poured massive amounts of liquid capital into stopping the share price from falling..."

"Over a hundred million is only what we ended up spending as our final cost. If you factor in the capital we mobilized at the time, the figure is simply staggering. And a very large portion of that money is still stuck at various junctures. So the actual money we truly lost in the short term is nowhere near just this small amount."

The moon ring director's expression was grim. He was under pressure to resign.

The plan to coerce Witch Jessie into going along with the black wizards to ambush Locke had been formulated by him. And following the failure, he was being pestered to death by wizards from the board of directors, the board of trustees, and the supervisory board.

Moreover, he personally was also facing a legal crisis.

At minimum, Solas Light Foot would need to pay compensation to Locke and Golden Crown Mountain, and if Solas Light Foot were to abandon him personally, he could face the risk of imprisonment.

What the moon ring director feared was that under normal circumstances, Solas Light Foot should not abandon him.

But what if Solas Light Foot wanted to coerce him the way they had coerced Witch Jessie, pressuring him to handle the matter of Locke Augustine?

Pushing a First Circle wizard to the absolute limit, turning them into a debt slave, then forcing them to associate with black wizards and engage in an asset-versus-asset gambit against Golden Crown Mountain, using inferior assets to knock out the enemy's superior assets, winning through attrition...

Was that not always the thing Solas Light Foot was most skilled at?

Thinking of this, his body trembled slightly and a cold chill ran down his spine.

No.

He should not be letting his imagination run wild like this.

A moon ring wizard was already considered extremely valuable and held a position of high authority within Solas Light Foot.

He would not simply be abandoned.

At this moment, the moon ring director's eyes swept to a wizard at the meeting who had been keeping silent, a common Second Circle witch. She was the wizard who had recruited the head of the crisis management department, and was simultaneously the head of production supervision at Solas Light Foot, and more critically, the direct person who had ordered Witch Jessie to go and ambush Locke.

A cold gleam surfaced in the moon ring director's eyes, while that witch suddenly felt afraid, because she had abruptly realized that when the director had ordered her to relay his command to Witch Jessie to ambush Locke...

It had been done between the two of them in a private space.

No true-sight crystal surveillance, and not a single piece of written documentation.

And furthermore, her interpersonal relationships within Solas Light Foot were poor, precisely because her role as head of production supervision put her frequently at odds with other wizards.

After all, she was responsible for overseeing material logistics, product design, and product manufacture, ensuring that all of Solas Light Foot's production chain links were connected seamlessly.

In a process like that, how was it possible not to offend people?