Wizards: Starting with Synthetic Gems

Chapter 329 Shopkeeper Yuri's Illness

Chimera Market, within the secrets of Lijin.

At the invitation of Yuri, the shopkeeper with a complex and awe-inspiring expression, Locke went to the most luxurious VIP meeting room on the third floor of Lijin Secrets.

Locke paused briefly in front of the reception room door.

Although Lady Irina was waiting inside, now that she was a formal wizard, she no longer needed to be as restrained as she was during her apprenticeship, so lingering outside the door for a moment was perfectly acceptable.

Moreover, Locke sensed something interesting from Yuri Burns—it was the aura of abyssal energy.

If he hadn't become a formal wizard, and hadn't been in the vaporization stage, which enhanced his mental sensitivity, and hadn't delved into the relatively obscure branch of potion-making—Abyss Potion-Making—Lock might not have been able to detect that fleeting abyssal energy aura.

Locke looked at Yuri Burns and asked, "Shopkeeper Yuri, have you ever come into contact with abyssal creatures?"

Shopkeeper Yuri felt a little reserved when Locke still addressed her as "shopkeeper." As Locke became a formal wizard, their relationship could no longer be as casual as before.

Locke may not care, but she must care about what others think of her.

Thinking back to four years ago, when she first met Locke, it was under the deck of a wizard ship.

At that time, Locke was only a third-class wizard apprentice, while she was a first-class wizard apprentice and a mentor for new students.

At the time, she barely paid attention to Locke. Instead, she was still angry about the deal with the University of Verdandia, so much so that she wasn't in the mood to give the freshmen the science education she was supposed to do after they disembarked.

She was even complained about for this.

With a sigh and awe, Yuri said to Locke, "Lord Locke, you can just call me by my name."

Yuri spoke in a slightly aged voice, puzzled, "Lord Locke, I have never come into contact with abyssal creatures. Abyssal creatures are very dangerous to us wizard apprentices."

"Although I often go out to do academy missions, I don't usually go to such dangerous places."

Locke nodded. “I remember you said before that the aging curse you have is because you want to increase your magic power quickly. So for a period of time, you were caught in a cycle of constantly casting the aging curse on yourself and then breaking it. But even when you finally broke the aging curse, the aging on your body did not go away, and your magic power growth completely stagnated.”

A look of sadness flashed across Yuri's face. "It's like this, Lord Locke."

"That's the thing I regret most in my life. If I hadn't been so eager for quick success back then, maybe my magic power would be... 600 now, or even higher."

Locke said, "Organize and package the data from the experiments you did on yourself, and then send it to me."

Since it concerned the energy of the abyss, and he himself was currently closely connected with the energy of the abyss, Locke decided to explore the mystery of what had happened to Yuri Burns.

Perhaps you'll discover things that are useful to you, at least increasing your understanding of the abyss ecosystem.

Understanding the ecology of different places is an area that botanical wizards must explore. One of the ultimate goals of botanical wizards is to create a perfect ecology in their mind, thereby creating the most powerful natural magic.

Locke said to Yuri, "Have you ever considered that perhaps the aging curse on you has indeed been lifted? Otherwise, so many potion master assistants and full potion masters wouldn't be helpless in treating your symptoms."

"Because they've completely gotten it wrong."

“What’s causing you to age isn’t a curse at all, but something else entirely.” Yuri froze, stunned.

For more than a decade, she has been trying to solve her problem, from her twenties to now, nearing forty, and she still hasn't been able to.

She was full of hope from the beginning, thinking that with so many potions and so many powerful potion masters in the world, surely someone could solve her problem.
But the reality was that she was disappointed time and time again.

She spent all her savings and every penny she earned from working on curing the curse within her, but no matter what high-level potions she drank, none of them worked.

Even if a wizard with a single ring is interested in her, he often wastes several months, only to find that he has gained nothing and has no particular value in this research direction, so he usually lets her leave.

As time went on, Yuri herself became completely desperate and only wanted to end her remaining days.

But at this moment, Locke told her that perhaps she had misunderstood her illness from the beginning, thus misleading everyone.

Locke hesitated for a moment, then said, "Perhaps I can cure you. But it's only a possibility."

Locke has a fairly deep understanding of Abyss Potions. In the past month, in addition to writing articles, meditating, and learning first-circle plant magic, he has also been continuously learning first-circle potion-making and first-circle breeding knowledge, which were given to him for free by the witch Sophia and Harun Vera.

My magic level is currently at the first stage, so I need to raise my breeding science and potion science to the first stage as soon as possible, and find a way to obtain the first stage inheritance of archaeologists.

Therefore, he was now more than 80% certain and had roughly figured out what the problem with Yuri was.

Yuri, standing before him, was somewhat agitated, but she tried her best to suppress her excitement, whispering to Locke, "Lord Locke, if you can heal me... I will use all my savings..."

"No, I have no savings, I only have a pile of loans... I will work for you for free for the rest of my life..."

Locke shook his head slightly. "Let's forget about it. You're doing a good job at Lijin Secrets. I still have a collaboration with Senior Irina, and I don't want her to say I poached her."

"If you help me in the future and keep an eye on my business in the southeast corner region, that would already be enough to repay me. Besides, I'm not confident I can completely cure you, after all, it's a problem that's been dragging on for almost twenty years."

“If he had received the correct treatment from the beginning, it shouldn’t have gotten this serious,” Locke said in a low voice. “So, I can treat you for free. This is an experimental treatment, so you’d better not have too high expectations.”

"So, you agree to give me the data and come to my lab to let me know what's happening to your body?"

Yuri nodded quickly; for her now, the most precious thing was simply hope.

Locke gave her this hope, so of course she would agree. "Lord Locke, of course I agree."

"No matter what happens, I will be grateful to you."

Locke nodded. "Then come find me in the early morning two weeks from now. I should be free then."

Shopkeeper Yuri quickly replied, "Yes, Lord Locke."

Locke nodded in satisfaction.

Exploring Yuri's issues will not only help me understand the Abyss and contribute to solving my own Abyss energy problems, but it will also rapidly improve my Potions skills, allowing me to reach the first level as quickly as possible.

(End of this chapter)