Wizards: Starting with Synthetic Gems

Chapter 528 Two Different Evolutionary Paths

The Celtic wizard led Locke to a document area in the laboratory, where the tables were covered with specially marked documents.

The Celtic wizard said, "These data were compiled by our Group Six researchers and research assistants, and have been going on for over a hundred years. We may have the largest collection of research data on the relationship between the key natural magical structural components of magical plants and the reproductive capacity of magical creatures in Yunze Wetland."

"Each packaged document here corresponds to a study and analysis of the reproductive ability of a magical plant on magical creatures."

The Celtic wizard said confidently, "I dare say that you have completely underestimated the extent to which plants affect the reproductive capacity of organisms. But all of this is traceable."

The Celtic wizard said, "In the long process of natural evolution, plants and animals have chosen two completely different evolutionary paths—staying still and migrating everywhere."

"Leaving aside the two evolutionary paths, which is right and wrong, which is superior and which is inferior, that is the research direction of other research groups. The key point is that plants and animals have learned to help each other and make up for each other's shortcomings in the process of evolution."

Although the Celtic wizard had many grievances against Locke, he had no choice but to follow the procedure and introduce Locke to the research areas of their six groups in order to avoid being found out about any mistakes. He also helped the new researchers get up to speed quickly.

Otherwise, given Catherine the Witch's personality, he would definitely be in deep trouble.

Even if the six members of the Catherine witches' large research group tried their best, they might not be able to satisfy Catherine witches, let alone cause trouble.

This is absolutely impossible.

The Celtic wizards were simply dissatisfied that Locke was only a wizard at the first stage of liquefaction.

The Celtic wizard continued, "There's a very simple common sense: the higher the magical level of a magical creature, the weaker its reproductive ability."

"Then, logically speaking, magical creatures at the first stage should have no chance of naturally reproducing in the natural environment."

The Celtic wizard said, "But that's not the case. First-ring magical creatures have taken advantage of those first-ring magical plants and formed symbiotic relationships with some magical plants in the natural environment, thus gaining the possibility of increased reproductive capacity."

"This is a beautiful history of natural co-evolution. The reason why plants are so beneficial to magical creatures is also very simple: because plants cannot move, they need magical creatures to carry their seeds and pollen to various places, and they need magical creatures to bring them special resources that are not available locally from afar. Therefore, many magical plants in nature will produce fruits that are of great benefit to living organisms after being eaten, in order to attract those magical creatures to approach them."

"This is a little trick the plants played."

Locke immediately thought of the twelve special peaches of Mount Golden Crown, and the mouthwatering Water Jade Peach.

Clearly, the Water Jade Peach was cultivated by utilizing the mechanism of plant-animal coexistence in nature, which is a special effect that even rare magic potions cannot achieve, and it has almost no side effects.

This is essentially an active temptation, enticing some creatures in nature to swallow that fruit.

The Celtic wizard said, "Our six groups are responsible for finding out which magical plants have formed special symbiotic relationships with specific biological species."

"First, we select the general species, and then we begin to verify whether the magical plant has an effect on enhancing or weakening the reproductive ability of a certain magical creature, and find one or more key natural magical structural components. Over the past hundred years, countless researchers from the Institute of Truth have completed the Institute of Truth Foundation projects by discovering the effect of a magical plant on the reproductive ability of a specific species."

"And successfully obtained the exit pass."

The Celtic wizard pointed to the pile of tables, and then to the documents on a particular table, saying, "Those documents are the magical plant data that the first-class wizard apprentices of Mount Golden Crown found in the Cloud Marsh Wetlands and its various colony planes, which may have an impact on the reproductive ability of certain magical creature species."

"Of course, with the meager abilities of those apprentices, they only made some preliminary observations, which were full of fallacies and erroneous observations. Therefore, the real research is to be done by us formal wizards."

The Celtic wizard said, "To write a grant proposal, you need to conduct preliminary experiments and use the results to prove that a magical plant does indeed have a correlation with the reproductive capacity of a specific species."

"Furthermore, it's best to be able to roughly determine the composition before your project proposal is likely to be approved."

"Your current task is to gather inspiration from the experimental reports written by these apprentices, find the truly useful parts, pinpoint a specific correspondence between magical plants and magical creatures, and, through the natural magical structure component comparison device and your own analytical abilities, confirm which natural magical structure component played the key role."

"Or multiple."

The Celtic wizard muttered to himself. "Most of the discoveries are actually just discoveries of natural magical structures that have already been thoroughly studied. After all, this experiment has been going on for a century, and every year a large number of newly enrolled researchers join our project."

"If you have a keen eye, you might be able to discover new uses for the old natural magic structure components, which would be even better."

The Celtic wizard said, "Of course, if you're even luckier, you might discover a new natural magical component..."

“Forget it, there’s no need to talk about it.” The Celtic wizard shook his head slightly and said, “If you could really discover something like this, you could publish a District 1 journal, let alone a small True Knowledge Institute grant.”

"But this really tests your luck and eyesight."

You should be more down-to-earth.

The Celtic wizard tossed Locke a manual for a device for comparing the structure of natural magical components.

Locke looked through it and found that it was a super-large device.

Its main function is that a formal wizard can use this extremely expensive, super-large breeding equipment to cut a magical plant and extract all the components in the mixed liquid by manipulating the magical magnetic field.

Then, these components are placed in a large-scale column chromatography system for elemental separation.

Because the natural magical structure components are composed of composite element particles, their natural density, weight, etc., vary. Therefore, they can be separated one by one according to their different properties using a layer-column elemental separation device. These separated particles are then recorded and compared with the data on natural magical structure components in the database. By comparing the data with the records, it can be determined what natural magical structure components are present in the magical plant.

Overall, this equipment, worth over ten million, is something that ordinary wizards cannot afford.

Its main function is to analyze the quantity and types of natural magical structural components within magical plants.

At the same time, the Celtic wizard also gave Locke an instruction manual for another device, the Ice Magic Mirror.

This is a more advanced large-scale breeding equipment.

The minimum price is 30 million magic stones.

By using the matching revealing potion and placing it on a slice of the magical plant, one can carefully observe and obtain the approximate structure of the natural magical components that a wizard desires.

These two devices alone are things that Locke would absolutely never be able to access in the Land of Six Towers.

As Locke walked along, he took a brief look around the public laboratory and was able to see a large number of advanced breeding experimental devices.

These are things that ordinary wizards from the outside world would never be able to access.

It's not just about money; there are also issues like purchasing channels, maintenance channels, repair costs, and consumable costs.

That's something that other wizarding lands' breeding labs simply can't afford.

The Celtic wizard looked at Locke and said, "There's no need to queue when using the structural comparison machine. We have five such devices in our laboratory."

"Anyone who wants to use it can use it directly."

"Simply limit the number of times you use it per day to no more than twice, and each time you must not use it consecutively, unless no one else wants to share the device with you that day."

"As for the Frost Mirror, it's advanced breeder equipment. Wizards from other groups also need to use it, so there are long queues."

A hint of displeasure flashed in the Celtic wizard's eyes. "Their ordinary researchers at the Institute of True Knowledge need to apply to me to use this advanced breeding equipment, and the manifestation potion is also very expensive."

"Basically, being able to use it once a month is already considered lucky."

"But you are a researcher at the Advanced Institute of Truth, so according to the contract, you have priority access to the Ice Mirror device. You can use it once a week and use the Revealing Potion once a year for free."

The Celtic wizard glanced at Locke. "I hope you live up to the treatment you've received."

Locke ignored the statement. Although he could tell that the Celtic wizard seemed to have a problem with him, the problem was that the laboratory didn't belong to him; it belonged to his mentor, the witch Catherine.

Then it doesn't matter.

Anyway, no matter how unhappy the Celtic wizard was, he still had to assign himself work, because it was Catherine the Witch's arrangement.

Moreover, the wizard's only moat is their ability to produce results.

As long as I produce good results, the Celtic wizards' opinions of me will naturally disappear.

In Locke's view, the Celtic wizard was simply concerned that the great researcher from the Institute of True Knowledge who should have been assigned to his group of six had been replaced by him, an outsider wizard at the first stage of liquefaction.

That's why he cares so much.

The Celtic wizard handed Locke a separate document and said, "Our Group Six has recently been studying the symbiotic relationship between ant-like magical creatures and madder-like magical plants. Eleven ordinary researchers from the Academy of Truth are also studying the relationship between an ant-like magical creature and a madder-like magical plant. They are all involved in this project."

“If you join, the difficulty will be much lower. Moreover, the data from these projects can be shared, learned from, and accumulated among them, which will be of great significance to our Group Six.” “So, you should focus on these materials first,” the Celtic wizard said. “I have selected two research directions that are very suitable for you.”

"One is a project completed by a researcher from the Zhenzhi Institute who just graduated from the station. He has found that the Robustas grass can secrete a mating pheromone similar to that of the steel-carved ant, which deceives the steel-carved ants and makes them complete their reproductive cycle quickly."

"However, near areas where Robutas grass grows, the steel-carved ant not only mates more frequently, but also exhibits a significant increase in fertility. Therefore, Robutas grass still has potential for further exploration."

"Therefore, you can certainly study the relationship between Robustas grass and Steel-carved-backed ants."

The Celtic wizard said, "The second project is our Group Six's trump card project, Brolla Grass, which can help the eleven species of ant-like magical creatures that have been discovered to reproduce."

"If you do this project, it's also easy to get funding. You just need to discover a new ant species whose reproductive ability is enhanced by Brolla pylori and analyze the mechanism of action. You can complete the project within six months."

The Celtic wizard spoke at length, saying he had arranged everything for Locke.

Even the project options were limited to two types, both of which were related to ants and madder-type magical plants.

Clearly, the Celtic wizards hoped that Locke, as a member of Group Six, would sacrifice some of his own interests to protect the greater interests of Group Six.

After all, researchers leave every five years, but he, as the group leader, has to stay in this sixth group for the long term.

Therefore, the Celtic wizard's interests were not aligned with his own; he valued more what could bring benefits to Group Six.

Therefore, it is hoped that Locke, the newly joined wizard, can cooperate with their research group.

Locke frowned slightly. As a researcher at the Advanced Institute of Truth, he received high welfare benefits. If it were an ordinary Institute of Truth's exit project, he would meet the requirements and be able to complete the project.

It seems that the special grant program is out of reach for me.

This is not in my best interest.

Locke took the documents without directly refuting them. After all, he was here to work, not as a student, and the Celtic wizard in front of him couldn't interfere with what he wanted to do.

Learning to say no, and to refuse others reasonably and smoothly, is a skill that a formal wizard should practice.

Locke replied vaguely, "Well, I will see, Mr. Celtic."

Being able to look at information doesn't mean you'll only choose from these two projects, or even that you'll only determine your research topic from the information on the symbiotic relationship between madder-type magical plants and ant-type magical creatures.

You should at least skim through the materials here to see if you can pick out a good direction before deciding on your research topic.

Moreover, within the contract, I have independent personnel and funding rights, so I am not subject to the control of the current group leader, the second-ring wizard, in terms of funding and recruitment.

All you need to do is get Catherine the Witch's signature.

The Celtic wizard frowned; as clever as he was, he naturally sensed the hidden meaning behind Locke's ambiguous answer.

The Celtic wizard's dwindling patience vanished completely. "That's about it."

"I hope you can make the right choice. If you do, there is at least a lot of past information in Group Six that you can refer to. The wizard who was eliminated at the bottom last year was also a breeder and an outsider. I never expected his overall ability to be so poor, and his research ability dropped greatly once he was separated from his mentor."

The Celtic wizard said, "Many wizards are able to achieve a lot in the first stage not necessarily because of their own abilities, but also because their original research group had an excellent formal wizard who designed the research framework for that research group and secured relatively good research conditions."

The Celtic wizard, lacking patience, glanced at the chubby wizard behind the desk. "Panno, since you're free, why don't you explain to this new wizard how to use the Structural Comparison Machine and the Ice Mirror?"

Having said that, the Celtic wizard turned and left the document area, heading to the other end of the public laboratory, to an area with large magical fields.

Once the Celtic wizard had walked away, the wizard Panno stood up from behind his desk, looked at Locke curiously, and scratched his head. "You don't need to think that guy is fierce. Apart from being particularly concerned about the progress of Group Six's experiments, he doesn't have any bad intentions."

Locke smiled and said, "Of course, if they really had any ill intentions towards me, they wouldn't have shown their dissatisfaction to my face. I know that Celtic wizards are only concerned with the matter at hand, not the person."

Panno laughed heartily, "Then you're much more insightful than me. Actually, the Celtic wizard wasn't like this a few years ago; he just suffered a series of failures..."

"He failed to advance to the second ring, the initial stage, then failed to be selected as a young cadre, and then failed to be selected for the Three Swamps Land Thousand People Project. After a series of failures, he began to act strangely."

"For example, sometimes he would stand at the door, holding his old clock, watching to see which unfortunate wizard would be a few minutes late..."

Wizard Panno said, "By the way, hello, I am Panno. I heard you are from the Advanced Institute of Truth, is that right? Your name is Locke? Let me teach you how to use those two large pieces of equipment first."

"In addition, I can also explain to you how to use the various other devices here."

"I really envy you. I heard you're the champion of the Yunze Cup and a researcher at the Advanced True Knowledge Institute. Unlike me, who's so useless."

Although Panno was a first-ring crystallized wizard and not very old, looking only in his thirties or close to forty, he had lost all his vigor at this moment.

He was dejected. "Although I am a local of Yunze Wetland and a student of this school, I chose to stay at the Zhenzhi Institute after graduation. But this is the second year now, and my application for the Zhenzhi Institute Foundation project still hasn't been approved."

"Oh dear, I'm so worried!"

Locke asked doubtfully, "Why? Isn't this grant application very basic? Can everyone apply for it?"

Wizard Panno shook his head and said, "I thought so at first too. But I was just too unlucky. I passed it once last year, but after a year of working on it, I realized I was going in the wrong direction."

"So, I have to reapply for the research direction this year. But that means I have to return the funding and reapply, which is the rule of Jinmianshan Zhenzhi Institute."

"Then, I spent another three months cultivating some snake heart grass and buying some sky bow ants. The framework was all done, and I was about to continue my research when a damn triangular black sheep ate all my snake heart grass."

Panno covered his face. "Snakeheart grass is extremely rare, found only in a few places. It not only ate all my grass, but also all the seedlings and seeds I left behind."

"I'm so miserable."

"Now, I'm finding a new direction."

Pan Nuoyang waved the documents in his hand.

Locke followed him to a huge instrument, which consisted of a large number of hollow tubes and crystal matrices.

Clearly, it's that structural comparison machine.

Locke asked curiously, "Then why don't you look for some projects offered by the Celtic wizard? He just suggested those two projects to me."

Pan Nuo said guiltily, "He doesn't trust me. I heard about those two projects just now, but the ants and magical plants needed for the experiment are valuable assets passed down from generation to generation in our group six."

“You are the champion of the Yunze Cup and a researcher at the Advanced True Knowledge Institute. No matter how much he has opinions about you, he still acknowledges that you are capable.”

"That's why I'm giving you the valuable resources related to those two projects directly. If you're really willing to use them, then I'm different. I asked him about it before, but he was worried... worried that the same fate that befell my snakeheart grass would happen to Robustas grass and Brolla grass."

Anger flashed in Panno's eyes. "In the end, it's all because of that damned triangular black sheep. What's worse, it's the pet of a second-ring wizard from Group Three."

"I can only swallow my anger."

Locke stared at him silently; this was truly tragic.

Panno explained to Locke how to use the two large pieces of equipment. The structural comparison machine was fine, and the two of them immediately started practicing.

But there were just too many wizards queuing up for the Ice Mirror, and Panno himself hadn't used it many times; it's said he'd only used it once.

Therefore, Panno could only painstakingly use language to carefully describe how to use the Ice Magic Mirror.

“Yes, that’s how it is, and then that, and finally…” Panno and Locke stopped in front of the Frost Magic Mirror area in the corner of the public laboratory.

There were quite a few students who were formally trained wizards queuing up in that area.

As soon as the magic mirror becomes available, students immediately use magic to summon their instructors, who then use magic to rush over instantly.

The wizard Panno looked at the Ice Magic Mirror and said, "In short, that's roughly it. There's a spirit inside the mirror; you just need to know the general way to use it. The spirit will help you. Using the Ice Magic Mirror to observe the structure and composition of natural magic will test your eyesight and your proficiency in using it."

"However, because we only have a limited number of opportunities to use the Ice Magic Mirror, none of us are very proficient in how to use it."

(End of this chapter)