Wizards: Starting with Synthetic Gems

Chapter 419 Yunze Cup Tournament Committee
Yunze Wetland, inside the Yunze Cup tournament committee office at Bonifacio University.

A wizard in the crystallization stage is processing registration information. He is wearing a wizard's robe with the special pattern of Bonifacius University and a wizard's badge with a black and white pattern.

He is a standing member of the committee, the wizard Trix.

At this moment, Wizard Trix was processing the competition information sent from various wizarding territories.

"This year, there are actually twenty wizards participating, nine more than the previous Yunze Cup," Wizard Trix said with a smile. "Twenty to ten means that the elimination rate can reach 50%."

"This year's competition will be the most intense ever."

"Immune Crystallization Wizard of Cloudze Wetlands," Trix said to his colleagues in the office. Most of the committee members in the office were also first-ring crystallization wizards.

In Yunze Wetlands, only wizards who have reached the first stage of crystallization can serve as committee members and hold the teaching position of lecturer wizard.

Unlike the Land of Six Towers, Cloud Marsh Wetlands is extremely competitive and has a high population mobility. A large number of wizards from the Eastern Boundary are entering Cloud Marsh Wetlands, making teaching positions there extremely rare.

Only those with ability can obtain higher teaching positions; everything should be judged by performance.

Wizard Trix was taken aback. "What the hell? The Six Towers are participating this time too?"

Upon hearing this news, all the first-ring crystallized wizards in the office immediately looked up.

"The Land of Six Towers? Is that the wizarding land controlled by that family wizard? What's the point of them coming here? Can they even get past the first round of the main tournament?"

"I heard that the wizarding land has been in decline for a long time. The wizards there don't dare to participate in the competitions anymore. They only dare to participate in the competitions in the Six Towers Land. After winning the competition, they forcibly obtain the same treatment as the champions of the competitions in other wizarding lands through the local White Wizard Association. The wizards there... are notorious and have been out of touch with the academic world for a long time."

"Did they also hold two rounds of preliminary matches for our Yunze Cup within the Six Towers Land?"

Wizard Trix glanced at the information. "No, they were nominated by their White Wizarding Association. The competition method is the same as that in the Borderlands of Darkness and Light."

Many of the wizards in the office began to show knowing smiles.

"The border between the Dark and the Bright doesn't need to hold a preliminary round because it already has a related breeder competition, so there's no need to waste money on another one. As for that Six Towers Land... I guess some wizard is trying to use this kind of competition to enhance their credentials."

"Hmm...maybe. What are the qualifications of the wizards participating?"

Wizard Trix glanced at the entry list and shook his head slightly. "Apart from the wizard leading the team, the others are practically useless. No articles, no representative works, no official positions—just a bunch of ordinary first-ring wizards."

"As for the wizard leading the team, although he is very young and is already a liquefaction wizard, he is only 21 years old, but in the end, he is just so-so."

“There are plenty of people with his qualifications in the Cloud Marsh Wetlands.” Wizard Trix stamped the entry from the Six Towers with a red seal of approval. “After all, those who can participate in our competition should be the most talented breeding teams from various wizarding lands. The quantity and quality of their achievements and publications are extremely high.”

"Compared to these people, this wizard named Augustine looks quite ordinary, and doesn't have much to offer."

"Just an ordinary young wizard."

Inside the office, some wizards raised their eyebrows in surprise when they heard that Locke had become a liquefaction wizard at the age of 21.

After all, in a place like the Land of Six Towers, where magic tides prevail, to become a liquefaction wizard at this age is quite an achievement.

A first-ring wizard objectively remarked, "That's not entirely true. At least it's enough to be a lecturer in some small and medium-sized wizarding organizations in the Cloud Marsh Wetlands."

The first-ring wizard scanned Locke's file and said, "His advantage is that he became a liquefaction wizard at a young age. But his disadvantage is that the quantity and quality of his articles and achievements are somewhat lacking."

“Alright, the Six Towers are also wizarding territory in the Eastern Boundary. Although it's closed off year-round, it's a good thing they want to participate. I will report this to the chairman.” The chairman of the Cloud Cup Tournament Committee at Bonifacius University is a second-circle wizard.

The first-ring wizard said to Trix, "By the way, will any disciples of third-ring wizards be participating in this competition?"

Trix glanced at the information in his hand and quickly put the Six Towers and that ridiculous participating team out of his mind. "Indeed, there are, and not just one. First, there's Edgar David, a wizard from the Fireweaver Academy in Essander on the Sunshade Peninsula, who is a direct disciple of the academy's headmaster. He's participating in this competition. He's directly apprenticed to a third-ring wizard and I've heard he's a super genius in the field of breeding, being heavily trained in breeding by that third-ring big shot."

"The wizard Edgar David has a lot of experience in creating excellent tactical-level magical plants. He often works on big projects with his mentor and has a lot of competition experience. He has a lot of competition titles... and I heard that he recently recreated the ancient magical plant [War Tree], which had long been extinct."

"And it received the highest-level breeding medal in the Sun Shadow Peninsula—the Sun Seed Badge."

The wizard in the committee's office let out a gasp of surprise.

"Ancient War Tree? That's an ancient war plant that's long been extinct. I've only ever read about it in books. How can it possibly revive a plant of that level?"

"After all, he is a third-ring wizard, a wizard who is specially trained in the field of breeding. It must be that the third-ring wizard wanted him to grow up and join his research group to solve a problem related to tree-human magical plants."

"In that case, he will definitely use Treants in the competition. Treants are the most mature tactical-level magical plants, with many classifications and complete technical data."

Wizard Trix looked down at the documents in his hand. "In addition, there will be a direct student of a third-ring wizard participating, Diana Ward, a witch from our Cloud Marsh Wetlands."

When Diana Ward was mentioned, the first-ring wizards in the office exchanged a knowing smile.

Diana Ward is a recent legend in the Cloudsweave Wetlands. Her original wizard mentor was an ordinary junior mentor who was jealous of others' talents and interfered with Diana Ward's career, leading to her psychological distortion.

Ultimately, Diana Ward's abilities caught the attention of the group's head mentor, a third-ring wizard, who placed her under the tutelage of a second-ring wizard. She rose through the ranks to become the most renowned first-ring wizard in Cloudswamp Wetlands in the last decade.

After all, second-ring wizards have already achieved a certain social standing and wouldn't be seeking the limelight or competing with these fledgling first-ring wizards.

The two sides are no longer competing on the same track.

Wizard Trix said, "In addition, many of the participating teams have wizards who came from second-ring wizarding research groups. Of course, most wizarding lands have limited magical tide levels, and some wizarding lands may only have a handful of second-ring wizards. Therefore, most of the participating teams are not wizards from second-ring or third-ring wizarding research groups."

"However, that was after winning all the way up from the various wizarding territories. I think this competition will be very intense."

Trix looked at the entry materials sent by the Six Towers. "Some wizards who want to use this to gain prestige are truly insulting this competition and underestimating its difficulty."

Wizard Trix lamented, "Unfortunately, they exploited a loophole in the competition format, and we can't refuse their participation."

"Fine, let these wizards from the Six Towers see what the world is like. Participation is what matters."

A group of Crystallized Wizards from the tournament committee began discussing which team they favored as the champion.

Opinions vary. First, there are the two contestants and their teams from the research group of the three-ringed archmages, who are undoubtedly the strongest contenders for the championship. However, the breeders from other wizarding lands are also formidable, with a glorious past record.

Therefore, it is not impossible for a champion to emerge from among these people.

Wizard Trix tapped the table with his fingers and chuckled, "I actually have a better chance with the wizard from Spiral Basin who came through two rounds of competition... Well... Spiral Basin is also participating in the Cloud Cup for the first time this year, but this Yennefer wizard's past experience shows that she has repeatedly survived desperate situations and turned the tide in various competitions."

Wizard Trix said, "Our Yunze Wetlands are far from the Spiral Basin, and our wizards here lack this kind of daring spirit. I have high hopes for her."

Many wizards nodded in agreement. The wizards in the Spiral Basin had a unique quality: they were willing to fight to the death. This trait was the exact opposite of the cowardly nature of the wizards in the Six Towers.

(End of this chapter)