Wizards: Starting with Synthetic Gems

Chapter 51 Family Investment Contract
The Orkni Giant Bear and the Urson Giant Wolf are both relatively powerful magical creatures among medium-level magical creatures.

The Orkni Giant Bear has [Earth Magic Pattern Skin] on its body, which can enhance its defensive capabilities and accelerate its wound healing.

The Urson Giant Wolf possesses incredible speed, with its bones naturally bearing the [Speed] rune.

The bloodlines of both of these magical creatures are very suitable for me now.

The reason why the dark wizard apprentice was able to overpower the law enforcement team was because he had a speed advantage.

If you have the Earth Magic Skin, your survivability will be greatly improved, increasing your margin for error.

If I encounter something like what happened this morning again, I will feel much safer.

After pondering for a moment, Locke focused his attention on the Orkney Bear. The reason was simple: there was an Orkney Bear in the magical creature breeding room of his formal wizard mentor, the witch Sophia.

Purchasing magical creatures from Teacher Sophia can save you a lot of magic stones, and you don't have to worry about quality issues. You can even personally extract bloodlines from the [Okni Giant Bear].

Locke pondered, "Besides that, I don't have the ability to refine the bloodline separation and extraction potion of the Orkney Bear. Only a first-class wizard apprentice and a full-fledged wizard can refine it."

"The other second-class wizard apprentices also bought their qualifications from others. I can buy them from Teacher Sophia."

"As long as I have the blood of the Orkni Bear and a specially made Orkni Bear bloodline separation potion, I can concoct an Orkni Bear bloodline modification potion myself. This level of potion is nothing more than a piece of cake for a second-class wizard apprentice at Lilith's Hut."

Locke pondered that Lilith's Hut was, after all, the headquarters of potion-making wizards. Based on his current knowledge, the overall potion-making abilities of the wizard apprentices at Lilith's Hut probably far surpassed those of wizard apprentices from other schools.

Locke said, "However, the source of the magic stones is a problem."

"However, the Orkney Bear is just a useless magical creature to a formal wizard, and Professor Sophia doesn't usually care about it. So the fee shouldn't be too expensive, and she might even give it to me for free."

"I'll just ask about it tomorrow."

A gray dwarf servant knocked rhythmically and cautiously on Locke's bedroom door. "Great wizard master, there is an unfamiliar wizard outside who wishes to visit you."

Would you like to meet her?

Locke frowned. At this hour, who would come to see him in Upside Down Alley?
Laun and Pierre were only third-rate wizarding prospectives, so it was impossible for them to enter Upside Down Alley. Teacher Sophia was also absolutely forbidden from entering Upside Down Alley, where second-rate wizarding apprentices lived. If she were to enter, it would cause a sensation.

I have only recently become a second-class wizard apprentice, so I probably don't have any friends in that class.

Locke said indifferently to the gray dwarf servant, "Hmm, I understand. Arrange for her to wait for me in the living room."

The gray dwarf servant hurried away.

About eight minutes later, Locke changed into a white wizard's robe, put on the badge representing an apprentice law enforcement wizard and the academy badge, and went to the living room.

In the living room, Locke saw a female second-class wizard apprentice wearing a violet wizard's robe, which seemed to have been carefully tailored and made somewhat sexy.

She wore a pair of gold high heels and an amethyst necklace on her earlobes.

But Locke had never seen this person before.

Locke looked at her with a puzzled expression. "Hello, I am Locke Augustine, and you are?"

When the witch apprentice saw Locke approaching, her eyes lit up slightly. She stood up, smiled at Locke, and said, "Nice to meet you, Wizard Augustine."

“I am Chrisel Reeves.” She emphasized, “I am a second-class wizarding apprentice of the Reeves family.”

"The Reeves family is one of the seventy-two local wizarding families of Lilith Cottage."

Locke frowned slightly.

He certainly knew about the seventy-two local wizarding families at Lilith's Hut.

As a wizarding academy, Lilith Hut contains both wizarding factions centered on master-disciple relationships and those centered on family relationships.

Ultimately, family inheritance cannot compare to the inheritance through a master-apprentice relationship.

Because you can't guarantee that every one of your offspring will have wizarding aptitude, but you can guarantee that every student you take in will have high wizarding aptitude.

For a wizarding organization to grow stronger, it must break free from forces centered on blood ties.

Therefore, in Lilith's Hut, outside wizards still make up the majority. On the contrary, the family wizards who arrived earliest have long been marginalized.

Like his teacher, the witch Sophia, who was a typical foreign witch.

Although she is a local, her home is not on the original site of Lilith's Cottage.

Locke said to Chrisel Reeves, "So, Miss Reeves, what brings you here?"

"I'm about to begin my meditation."

Chriselle Reeves raised an eyebrow in displeasure, because Locke not only failed to show the Reeves family the respect she had expected, but also seemed to be trying to get rid of them.

But when she thought about the purpose of her visit today, Chrisel's expression softened. "In that case, I'll get straight to the point."

"The Reeves family values ​​your talent. Although the academy only rates your talent as level 3, the Reeves family doesn't mind."

Chris smiled slightly, as if Locke should be grateful. "So, the Reeves family wants to sign a contract with you and invest in you."

She handed the contract to Locke.

Locke took the contract and began to read it.

Yes, not all offspring of wizarding families have the aptitude to become wizards, so they have other ways to supplement their wizarding apprentices, namely by investing in potential wizards who have no power or influence.

The best candidates, of course, are aspiring wizards from overseas who have no connection to the local community.

Locke realized that his unusually fast advancement had probably caught the attention of the Reeves family, which was why they had come early to invest in him.

Locke looked at the benefits section of the contract. "Hmm? Fifty magic stones a month, plus two more tubes of Concentration Ointment, and the right to use your family laboratory."

Chrisel curled her lips into a smile, a hint of disdain flashing in her eyes. "Yes, the Reeves family has its own investment in establishing laboratories, and as an investment in our family, you also have the right to use them."

"Of course, in return, you will have corresponding obligations to our family."

Locke looked at the obligations section of the contract and immediately frowned deeply.

The contract even required him to guarantee that he would have at least five children with female relatives of the Reeves family within ten years.

At the same time, he also required himself to contribute his time and effort whenever his family needed him after becoming a first-class wizard apprentice.

As a 'favor,' the contract also made a grand promise: if he became a first-class wizard apprentice and performed exceptionally well, he could even marry Chrisel, the most outstanding member of the Reeves family with a fourth-level aptitude.

Of course, it would be in the form of a son-in-law living with his wife's family.

Upon seeing this, Locke's expression turned very strange; the contract carried obvious arrogance. It was clear the other party wanted to use him as a stud, to enhance the possibility of the Reeves family's descendants possessing outstanding wizarding potential.

Perhaps this contract would be attractive to ordinary wizards from overseas, but for someone like me who possesses the Synthetic Cube, it's just a useless piece of work.

As long as I obtain the Breeder Assistant Certificate, I will not lack Magic Stones for the foreseeable future.

Signing this kind of contract is clearly unnecessary and just asking for trouble.

Locke said to Chrisel, "I refuse."

Chrisel's confident face showed disbelief, then her faint smile froze, and a flash of anger crossed her eyes, but she tried her best to suppress it and maintain her composure. "How could this be?"

"Is there anything else you're unhappy about?"

“Mr. Augustine, if I may remind you, this contract is already very favorable, especially considering that you are only a third-level wizard apprentice.”

“Our family even gives you more magic stones every month than the academy provides you with any benefits. In this academy, without magic stones, you will find it difficult to move an inch, and as a non-local wizard apprentice from overseas, you will be isolated and helpless.”

Suppressing her anger, Chrisel said, "If it weren't for the fact that you became a second-class wizard apprentice within a year, you wouldn't have been able to pass the review of our Reeves family with your original qualifications."

"Moreover, only our family is interested in you right now; other local families will not extend an olive branch to you."

"Without magic stones, your talent is useless. You will gradually become mediocre and eventually be ignored by everyone."

"This is the best opportunity of your life."

Chris said, "You'd better think about it again."

Locke sneered inwardly upon hearing this. The Reeves wizarding family seemed rather formidable.

But in essence, they were just a group of families without a single formal wizard, and they themselves couldn't even be sure how many first-class wizard apprentices the other side had.

Teacher Sophia had told her that most of the wizard families in Lilith's Cottage were all show and no substance.

The truly promising wizarding apprentices in the academy would never associate with them.

The other party must have seen that I, as a wizard apprentice from the mortal world overseas, have limited knowledge and experience, since they came to find me.

Moreover, since his own qualification rating is not high, he will not be valued by the major formal wizard mentors, which is why they dare to come to him to sign this kind of contract.

Locke refused again, saying, "Miss Chrisel, I'd rather not sign the contract."

"I'm used to being alone. I'm going to meditate now."

Chrisel's face finally turned ugly. With anger and a cold expression, she said, "I will not offer such a generous contract a second time."

"Missing this opportunity will be the biggest regret of your life."

Chrisel said, "Without magic stones, even if you have some talent, you are nothing."

Chrisel turned and walked toward the door.

Locke glanced at her only, then said to the gray dwarf servant, "Show her out."

Although the gray dwarf servants didn't quite understand what was happening, they keenly sensed Locke's unwelcoming attitude towards Chrisel. Therefore, they immediately changed their obsequious attitude and instead arrogantly opened the door to invite Chrisel out.

This infuriated Chrisel so much that her nose almost twisted out of shape.

However, since this was Upside Down Alley and Locke was the patrol team's law enforcement wizard, she would get into trouble if she attacked Locke, so she held back.

Before leaving, Chris muttered to herself, "Damn gray dwarves, those lowly creatures, they should have all been burned alive back then, instead of being spared by our ancestors after the defeat."

After the interlude, Locke took a shower and then quickly entered into meditation.

Only by constantly intensifying meditation can one further improve their mental strength and accelerate the time it takes to become a first-class wizard apprentice.

……

The next day, in Sophia's office, Locke placed his palm on the amethyst matrix, which displayed the number 61.

This is the result of the combined effects of Moonlight Elixir, Rose Jade, and Root-Meridian Meditation.

Sophia the Witch entered the office, glanced at the amethyst matrix, and then looked at Locke with amusement. "You've come here quite early today."

"I thought you'd be late."

Locke asked, puzzled, "Teacher, I don't quite understand what you mean."

Sophia the witch laughed and said, "With a beautiful woman from a wizarding family by your side, I originally thought you would be reluctant to leave."

"I suspect that a wizarding family has recently approached you for investment, after all, your rate of progress is worthy of their investment."

“They find it irresistible to outstanding young wizards like you from overseas.”

Locke said to the witch Sophia, "Teacher, I refused yesterday."

Sophia the witch glanced at Locke in surprise.

Locke immediately recounted what had happened the day before.

Sophia the Witch sneered upon hearing this. "No wonder these wizarding families are declining day by day. They even dare to look down on my students."

"The contract they gave you wasn't even the standard configuration; all the resources were reduced by about 30 percent."

Sophia the witch sneered and said, "It should be because you were bullied. When you entered Lilith's Hut, your wizarding aptitude was only rated as level three."

"A bunch of snobbish people. How can a wizard's talent be evaluated using such crude testing methods?"

"It's good that you refused."

"The Reeves family now has only two first-class wizard apprentices, neither of whom has any hope of becoming a formal wizard, and both are already quite old, so there is a serious lack of successors."

"It's just a sinking, broken ship."

Sofia the Witch seems to be very unhappy with the contract the Reeves family gave her.

She felt that this was somewhat insulting to her.

After all, Locke is her only student at the moment.

The witch Sophia sneered, "Once you become my breeding assistant, let's see who regrets it."

(End of this chapter)