Wizards: Starting with Synthetic Gems

Chapter 459 Tetraploid Rust Beads
In the top-level laboratory, Montgomery and Tacitus led half of the students to conduct limit tests on the abilities of the Hydra plant, collect information on its use, and compile a user manual for the weapon.

Meanwhile, Barbara the Witch, Locke, the remaining twenty-two students, and Leopold continued to create subspecies of the Rust Bead Flower, collecting relevant finite element plant essences in hopes of further improving the Rust Bead Flower or finding new benign mutation points for it.

There are certain patterns to the special synthesis recipes that appear when synthesizing Rubik's Cubes.

In the process of Locke using the three major cultivation methods, as well as the magic frequency cultivation method and the finite element cultivation method, it is easier to determine the range of synthetic materials required for special synthesis formulas, the specific enhancement direction of the special synthesis formulas that appear.

Meanwhile, the rust-colored beads cultivated using the five cultivation methods will also be a type of synthetic material, which can itself be optimized for synthetic materials.

In the ecological garden, Locke walked up to a hybrid magical plant that was grafted with the blood essence of an Iron-Toothed Demon Boar, a fast-growing shrub, and an Iron-Rusty Pearl Flower.

Locke reached out and touched a rusty beaded flower on a branch of a bush.

This rust-colored beaded plant was indirectly grafted onto the Iron-Toothed Demon Pig.

The two were grafted together using a fast-growing shrub, and the Iron-Toothed Demon Boar's bloodline essence was used to enhance the Rusty Bead Flower, making it larger and its flowers three times the size of ordinary flowers.

The moment Locke's fingers touched the rusty bead flower, the flower's surface suddenly broke, pus oozed out, and the petals withered.

“No, this direction is also problematic. The failure rate of grafting using bloodline essence is too high.” Locke pondered, “However, to do this field well, we need equipment investment of tens of millions of magic stones, as well as the help of outstanding talents that the Six Towers Land absolutely does not have.”

"I can't ask for too much. The field of bloodline essence grafting is an extremely difficult area in itself."

Locke took out paper and pen, recorded the experimental data, and quickly rejected the 178th experiment in which the Iron Rust Bead Flower attempted to graft bloodline essence to enhance its magical plant traits.

Barbara the witch comforted him, saying, "Boss Locke, there's no need to be too anxious. The Hydra Plant is already perfect, so further enhancing the Rusty Bead Flower is just icing on the cake."

Locke nodded slightly and said, "I know."

"I just want to make good use of this last month. Barbara Witch, I also want to test the bloodline of a magical creature. Please go to the storeroom and retrieve the bloodline essence of the Swordmaster Badger."

Barbara the Witch said, "Okay, Boss Locke, please wait a moment."

Soon, a month had passed in a flash.

Locke and the others also received free tickets for the wizard airship from the Cloud Ze Cup. He could take fifty wizards to the Cloud Ze Wetlands to watch the war between the wizards of the subordinate planes and the vengeful machine spirits of the Mekani people in the Cloud Ze Cup.

Inside the top-tier laboratory, Locke placed the fifty tickets in his hand into his astral ring. He could keep these tickets for now and take them out once he boarded the wizard airship.

Before me was an ordinary-looking rust-bead flower, but it had an entry on it—Tetraploid Rust-Bead Flower, Level 8 Crafted Item.

When cultivating common rust-colored pearl flowers, the cell division of the common rust-colored pearl flowers was interrupted by grafting with the bloodline essence of tarantulas. However, the plant essence had already begun to self-replicate, resulting in the common rust-colored pearl flowers possessing four sets of plant essences.

Therefore, the tetraploid *Gymnocladus spp.* possesses twice the magic pressure density absorption capacity, but this also results in a 500% decrease in its growth rate.

In the last period of this month, that is, five days ago.

Locke finally managed to cultivate a special subspecies of Rusty Bead Flower by using tarantulas for grafting. He then decisively used the Synthesis Cube to synthesize the three subspecies, obtaining a perfect tetraploid Rusty Bead Flower that had undergone optimized processing.

Originally, this optimization process might have taken a wizard five to ten years to complete.

It depends on how many people he has available for deployment, whether his initial approach is correct, and whether he can stick to this direction.

Because the finished product created at the beginning may seem useless, or even have become specialized. You should know that the subspecies that Locke initially bred himself grew extremely slowly, not just by five times, but possibly by ten times.

Moreover, its growth condition was extremely poor. If it weren't for the huge investment of resources, Locke wouldn't even be able to replicate a batch of this subspecies of magical plant using only the cutting propagation method.

However, Locke used the synthetic cube to skip this process of technological improvement, and immediately used the remaining time to install it on a hydra plant they had cultivated, quickly replacing the ordinary rusty bead flowers that originally grew on the hydra plant.

The hydra plant has now been replaced.

Locke instructed everyone to transplant the magical plant into the artificial planter.

The artificial planter is a pot made of a special black magical material, a creation of alchemists. Placing magical plants inside can protect them to the greatest extent possible.

It is a common breeder's equipment used for transplanting magical plants and transporting them over long distances.

Of course, Locke bought the highest-grade [fake planter], which was as big as a car. It was made of multiple layers of nested alchemical materials, with one type of alchemical material plated on top of another. The base of the alchemical materials was arcane clay made from magical energy and clay within the alchemist's dragon breath alchemy array. This clay had the effect of stabilizing the concentration gradient of magical tides and improving the transparency of magical energy.

Such a fake planter requires 100,000 magic stones to purchase, making it a luxury among luxury items in the field of breeding.

Only in this way can he ensure that his Hydra remains in optimal condition during the transport to Yunze Wetland.

After the wizards used breeding techniques to transplant the Hydra into the artificial planter, Locke took out five pieces of mossy pith from his astral ring and placed them on the surface of the planter.

The hydrangea in the artificial pot received even more nourishment and quickly adapted to the new soil and environment.

Locke looked at Montgomery and said, "On the road, there will be breeders to carry out regular maintenance to prevent any problems from arising, so you will be in charge of the maintenance work."

"Barbara, Tacitus, and Leopold, you're in charge of security. Prevent any accidents from happening."

Locke looked at Leopold, who was now a full-fledged wizard.

A month ago, Leopold asked himself for leave to take an advancement potion in order to break through to become a formal wizard.

A month later, he finally emerged from his makeshift laboratory, pushed open the magic alloy door, and immediately shared the good news with himself: he had become a full-fledged wizard.

This is different from what happened within the research groups in the other six tower locations.

After becoming a full-fledged wizard, Leopold remained within his own research group, continuing to work for himself, without signing a contract with the White Dragon Tower. It can only be said that trying to retain people through contracts is the most helpless and inefficient method.

A good research group never needs to worry about losing its best workforce.

Because this excellent research group will never lack talent.

There are many talented people who would like to come here.

Barbara the Witch looked at the artificial planter and sighed. "I didn't expect that the boss would still be able to optimize the Rust Beads again in the last month."

Locke said, "It's just that time is a bit tight. We still need to conduct a round of testing on the new tetraploid Iron Rust Bead Flower and the Hydra Demon Plant."

Montgomery said, "It doesn't matter. This work can be done on a wizard airship. Although it's a bit rushed, we can overcome this difficulty."

"Haven't we overcome enough difficulties along the way? This is just a small problem."

Several people looked at each other and smiled.

This development experience will remain deeply in everyone's hearts, becoming one of their most precious assets and memories.

The wizard Tacitus looked at Leopold and nodded slightly. "Speaking of which, wizard Leopold, you should be the only commoner wizard in the Six Towers in the last fifty years who, without being a family wizard's successor or a son-in-law, can still become a formal wizard, right?"

Leopold paused for a moment, then looked gratefully at Locke and the other wizards. "Yes, so I want to thank Professor Locke, and all the other teachers."

"Thank you for giving me this opportunity."

"Dear teachers, you will always be my teachers in my heart, whether I am a wizarding apprentice or a first-circle wizard."

Leopold said gratefully to Locke, "Especially you, Teacher Locke, guided me to use the Life Field as my permanent defensive force field, and also gave me three sets of optimized Life Field spell models to choose from."

"I am so grateful to you."

Locke nodded slightly and instructed him, "You have just inscribed a permanent defensive field on your soul, and your soul is still in a weak period. This period will last for at least a year. During this time, you need to take some soul-nourishing potions regularly to accelerate the repair and recovery of your soul."

“Relying solely on the soul’s own regenerative abilities is too slow,” Locke said. “Alright, since we’ve come this far, I’ll give you this bottle of the Holy Spring Dew potion that I’ve improved.”

"Drink it, and your soul injury should completely disappear within three months."

Locke said, “No need to refuse. Since you say that I will always be your teacher in your heart, it is only natural for me to give you a gift to celebrate your becoming a first-ring wizard.”

Leopold was incredibly grateful. "Thank you, Professor Locke."

Locke glanced at him and said, "Your permanent defensive field still needs some fine-tuning. When you advanced to the first-ring wizard, you were too eager and didn't fine-tune it to the most suitable permanent defensive field before you rushed to inscribe it."

"This leaves you with a significant hidden danger."

"In short, becoming a first-circle wizard does not mean the end of the journey to seek the truth. On the contrary, it is the starting point of the journey to seek the truth."

"When you become a first-ring wizard, you'll find that you know less and have more questions."

Leopold listened intently to everything Locke said, trying to digest the experience Locke was passing on to him. As someone who had just become a first-ring wizard, he still found it difficult to understand and appreciate what Locke meant.

When he finally understands, he will look back and realize that some things were just commonplace at the time.

Some teachers may be the pinnacle of people you will ever meet in your lifetime.

Barbara the witch looked at Leopold with a mocking expression. "There are some questions I've wanted to ask you for a long time. Since we, especially Boss Locke, are your teachers, what about your original, ordinary first-tier wizard mentor from the Plutarch family?"

“I remember it’s been almost a year since you last contacted him. Logically speaking, he should be your real teacher, since you’re just a borrowed wizard apprentice in this research group. Of course, once you become a first-ring wizard, you’re considered an adult, no longer a child.”

"Your potential has been transformed into strength."

"However, logically speaking, you should also go and tell your real teacher that you have successfully advanced."

Leopold shook his head in resistance. "Professor Barbara, it makes no difference whether I say it or not. I was already an exploited marginal person in her group."

"Besides, in her eyes I'll always be trash. It doesn't matter whether I'm a first-ring wizard or not."

"Some people's inner prejudices can be like a leaf that blinds them, preventing them from seeing the sun and the world behind the leaf."

……

Before heading to Yunze Wetlands, Locke first needed to report to the higher-ups of the Plutarch family.

Currently, there are twenty Magic Crystal Cards left in the entire project. These can also be used as travel expenses. Applying for them all at once will cover their travel costs and improve the quality of life for the entire research group of forty-nine wizards during their journey.

After all, this money is better spent than wasted; it will expire if not used soon.

After Alicia learned of this, she allowed Locke to take forty-nine wizards from the White Dragon Magic Gem University to the Cloud Marsh Wetlands.

Meanwhile, in the office, Alicia said to Locke, "Locke, my grandfather, the great wizard Sura, wishes to see you."

"The Mage Plane has produced its thirty-second Sage Saint, so you need to inscribe magical runes for her and use Red Holly to protect her soul so that she can use first-circle magic."

Locke nodded. "Sure, this is my job, and it's the deal we agreed on from the beginning. It won't take long."

(End of this chapter)