Wizards: Starting with Synthetic Gems

Chapter 550 The Glorious Fern Spear and the Giant Growth of Magical Plants
Locke opened his eyes and found himself lying on a bed covered with soft velvet sheets. The bed frame was made of precious magical gold, carved with snakes and lions, and four golden pillars were covered with laurel vines.

A half-dragon servant, seeing Locke rise, immediately knelt and bowed to him, saying, "You're awake, Lord Augustine."

Locke rubbed his temples and looked at the bright sunlight streaming in through the gilded windows, casting a colorful beam of light on the ground.

Magical gold is the masterpiece of alchemists. Different types of magical gold have special functions and effects, but they all have a common characteristic: the nature of gold is immutable and it is difficult to be changed by external forces. Therefore, it has always been the first magical material that high-ring wizards prefer to use for their expensive furniture.

It is a high-end luxury that even a first-ring wizard cannot afford.

Locke ran his fingertips over the magical gold of the bed frame. "Where am I? How long have I been asleep?"

The half-dragon servant said to Locke, "Your Excellency Augustine, this is Lady Catherine's reception room. You have been sleeping here for a week."

Locke frowned slightly. It seemed that the flow of time in the Emerald Dream was different from that in the Wizarding World. He felt that only half a day had passed in the Emerald Dream, but a week had passed in the Wizarding World.

No wonder the wizard, trapped in the Emerald Sleep, couldn't keep track of how long he had been asleep.

Locke even suspected that the ratio of time flow between the Emerald Dream and the Wizarding World was not fixed, since the Emerald Dream was a world of idealism.

Therefore, falling into the Emerald Sleep each time is indeed a relatively dangerous act.

Ritual magic is always very dangerous.

Locke opened his right hand, and in his palm floated a strange hexagonal seed, like a crystal, or a divine essence possessed by a god in a wizarding world fairy tale, or a dragon crystal containing the soul of a dragon.

These are the seeds of the ancient tree of life.

At the same time, Locke opened his left hand, revealing a large number of spirits within it. These were part of Isisdale's spirit, which had now returned to the Emerald Dream through the Dream Gate within his sea of ​​consciousness.

After all, if not within the Emerald Dream, this part of the spirit would fade with time and be obliterated by the physical rules of the Wizarding World.

In the prime material plane, the soul/spirit is extremely vulnerable without the protection of a physical body or shell.

However, as long as Locke summons this part of the spirit, it will automatically be injected into the magical plant that Locke wants to inject. Although there will be some loss, it can be used for a long time.

Moreover, Locke could sense that summoning the spirit power of Isisdal to enhance his magical plants did not count as using ritual magic.

“This is a gift from Isisdal himself, not a gift from the Emerald Dream to me, therefore it cannot be counted as a transaction.”

"Only when I use ritual magic to summon the power of spirits will I have to pay a price."

Locke pondered, and at that moment he discovered some mysterious knowledge appearing in his mind—the sacred space that creates all ritual magic, the magic circle.

Ritual magic is a completely enclosed domain magic, therefore the foundation for its rune array is a circle, which is the sacred circle.

Originating from the Conjuration School and deeply embedded in the wizarding power system, Locke realized that if the Conjuration School wizard who created the Sacred Circle were still alive, he would hold a high position in the wizarding world. He just didn't know whether he would be a third-ring wizard, a fourth-ring wizard, or even higher.

However, the sacred space he invented—the Magic Circle—has permeated the ritual magic of wizards.

Locke, in his consciousness, also obtained the complete rune array diagram for constructing the ritual magic that summons the power of the Emerald Dream.

At the same time, he also knew that through the trial, he helped the Emerald Dream purify Isisdar ahead of time, preventing Isisdar from becoming a second-ring or even third-ring nightmare, and this was the gratitude and gift from the Emerald Dream.

That's a special privilege granted by the power of the Emerald Dream – the ability to grow giant magical plants!

Locke asked the half-dragon maid, "Where is our mentor?"

The half-dragon maid bowed her head to Locke and said respectfully, "Master, she has left the castle. She said that if you wake up, you may come as you please."

"Just don't go into the corridor in front of the round table conference room. There are many second-ring magical plants, and even third-ring magical plants in that corridor. It would be very dangerous for you to get close."

The half-dragon maid looked at Locke with adoration. "To prevent others from entering, Master usually keeps a [Red Demon God] plant on the outermost side of that corridor."

"It's to warn others."

"Master always likes dangerous and powerful things and regards them as beautiful. However, you possess immortal dragon scales, so it is actually very difficult for you to die."

The half-dragon maid said, "Legend has it that immortal dragon scales possess special powers."

Locke knew, of course, that the immortal dragon scales of a true dragon possessed the power to prevent death, but he had no intention of testing the limits of the immortal dragon scales.

If a wizard possesses an immortal dragon scale, he can attempt to use it to prevent death from coming. That is, even after reaching the 500-year lifespan limit of a formal wizard, he can still use the immortal dragon scale to maintain his lifespan. According to Locke's calculations, possessing an immortal dragon scale would at least double his lifespan.

Moreover, even a thousand years later, he could use the immortal dragon scales to more easily find a way to prolong his life.

But he didn't want the old man to hang himself, so he took the initiative to test the limits of the immortal dragon scales.

His own mysterious dragon bloodline was, after all, only at the first stage of Qi transformation.

Locke said to the maid, "May I borrow a laurel leaf and an oak leaf?"

"Is there another glass of water?"

The half-dragon maid paused for a moment, then said, "Of course."

"Moreover, Catherine the Throne said that I will follow you and serve you from now on. You can assign me to any position you wish."

Locke glanced at the half-dragon maid with a puzzled look. This was equivalent to the witch Catherine assigning him a formal wizard-level bodyguard, just as his senior brother Anthony had once ordered the witch Claudia to obey his orders.

Later, the witch Claudia left the Land of the Six Towers and returned to the Philaid family.

It's just that my relationship with Anthony is special, but I'm just an ordinary researcher in Catherine the Witch's research group. I've never heard of Catherine the Witch assigning other researchers in the Institute of Truth to serve as witches.

Locke nodded slightly. "I understand. What's your name?"

The half-dragon maid said respectfully, "I am Ginny, a red dragon half-dragon from the Yange clan."

“I am a member of my master’s race.”

Locke looked at her with a puzzled expression. "Isn't your mentor a bloodline wizard? How could he have a familiar race?"

The Familiar race is something that arises because of the special nature of the ultimate magic of a bloodline wizard. A botanical wizard, in theory, should not create a Familiar race with her ultimate magic, but rather it should possess other functions and powers.

Ginny bowed to Locke and said, "Lord Augustine, my master possesses the bloodline power of a true dragon. With this bloodline power alone, she is equivalent to a third-ring bloodline wizard."

Locke suddenly realized.

That means that Catherine the Witch is simultaneously a third-circle botanist and a third-circle bloodline witch.

Locke was still very curious about botanical wizards who possessed subordinate races, wondering if these subordinate races were part of the great magic of the witch Catherine.

Things like the Permanent Defensive Field and the Great Magic will upgrade as the wizard advances in rank; they are the trump cards that every wizard has hidden away.

Logically speaking, Catherine the Witch's ultimate magic reached a level that even second-circle wizards could not achieve.

Ginny brought a laurel leaf, an oak leaf, a half-filled wooden cup of water, and a magic chalk.

Unfortunately, I've only just learned ritual magic, so naturally I'm not as skilled as those wizards who have been at the first crystallization stage for years. They can't use ritual magic as proficiently as they do, and they don't need to use magic chalk or anything like that to create a ritual magic circle in mid-air.

Following his memory, Locke drew two concentric circles on the ground with white magic chalk. He then quickly wrote a line of runes inside the concentric circles. As soon as he finished writing, this [Sacred Space], which was the magic circle, began to glow with magical light.

This magic circle can isolate the inside from the outside, creating a magical realm that cannot be disturbed.

Meanwhile, Locke drew a more complex array of magical runes within the magic circle, placing a laurel leaf on the left, an oak leaf on the right, and a glass of water in the middle.

Then, Locke recited the incantation, and finally said, "Memory is the spirit of plants; every root that grows downwards is searching for its former dreamland."

The next moment, a world power that did not belong to the wizarding world descended.

Locke took out the Glittering Sea Gold Sand from his Astral Ring. Instantly, the magical plant was infused with countless plant essences from the Emerald Dream, and the Glittering Sea Gold Sand rapidly grew to twice its original size.

This is a special privilege granted to me by the Emerald Dream.

Ordinary botanical wizards, using ritual magic, can only summon plant spirits to strengthen their magical plants. However, the Emerald Dream grants them the possibility of using the world power of the Emerald Dream more deeply within the material plane.

That is, using ritual magic to summon the power of the world, empowering magical plants, and forming them in the Emerald Dream, where those plants, empowered by the power of the world, become enormous—a special phenomenon.

That is, to amplify the power of a magical plant by two times out of thin air.

However, since this is not the Emerald Dream but the Wizarding World, it can only grow to twice its size at most, and there is a time limit of one minute.

Locke looked at the shimmering sea gold sand in his hand, which had grown to be as tall as two people and was extremely thick, and was extremely satisfied. The sea gold sand was now like a pagoda.

The original sea saliva has been strengthened by itself, reaching heights it could not have previously achieved.

In a sense, I have already gone very deep into the development of the magical plant, Sea Gold Sand, which is beyond the reach of ordinary botanical wizards.

Locke snapped his fingers, and instantly the enormous Tree Fern Sea of ​​Gold Sands transformed into a golden-green spiral spear, every detail displaying its terrifying nature.

Locke summoned the Frozen Sea Gold Sands again. Within that minute, any magical plant he used would be magnified to twice its original size. Locke also transformed the Frozen Sea Gold Sands into a spiral spear.

Two enormous spiral spears, formed from tree ferns, floated in mid-air, radiating a dangerous and oppressive magical pressure in all directions.

Ginny looked at Locke with admiration. "Amazing! Lord Augustine, is this the ritual magic of the first stage of crystallization?"

"There is such terrifying magical pressure."

Locke took out the Griffin Cube, pressed his thumb on the center of the cube, and the Griffin Cube started to rotate automatically. Countless smaller cubes tumbled around, and then these smaller cubes transformed into permanent defensive fields simulated by alchemists, covering the spiral spear formed from the shimmering sea gold sand.

This is the Griffin Cube that Director Morrison gave to himself in an attempt to silence him.

Using the Griffin Cube, one can slightly break the law that only wizards possess a permanent defensive force field, thus giving one of one's magical plants a similar permanent defensive force field.

At this moment, Locke waved his hand, adding the power of Mister to the two spiral spears. The various spells combined to enhance the two spiral spears to an incredible degree.

Streaks of magical lightning swirled around the two spiraling spears.

The magical pressure emanating from Locke transformed into dragon's might, which then amplified the two spears. Simultaneously, the abyssal energy equivalent to 1500 contained within Locke's eyes also amplified the two spears.

Immediately afterward, at the very moment when the magical pressure of the two Tree Fern Sea Gold Sands reached an unbelievable level, Locke suddenly uttered a spell, and a spell model simultaneously struck the two spiral spears—"Bound by the Same Breath!"
That was Locke using the magic of the Diamond Succulent.

But now, he had a sudden inspiration and used it directly on the two spiral spears. The two spiral spears were connected by the same energy, and their energy was linked together.

Immediately afterwards, the two spiral spears suddenly merged together, intertwined, and transformed into a spiral spear about the height of four people.

Its magical pressure reached an unbelievable level.

It seems to have reached a level that individual magic compression cannot achieve.

Under this magical pressure, Ginny couldn't even stand up straight and could only lean against the wall, sweat pouring down her forehead.

"Is this really magic that a first-ring wizard could unleash?"

Locke watched this scene with satisfaction. By skillfully using ritual magic and various combinations of magic he already possessed, he had finally made up for his biggest weakness: insufficient output of conventional magic.

Although this spell was created by myself through a combination of various spells, I did not modify the spell model of the [Golden Fern Spear].

However, there are many kinds of innovation. Innovative principles and structural innovations are innovations, as are innovative combinations, and more importantly, innovations at the application level.

You can also give it a new name.

Locke thought for a moment. "Let's call it Glorious Fern Spear."

"A new combination of magic created by ritual magic, the special authority to enlarge magical plants in the Emerald Dream, the power of Myster, the power of the same branch, the might of the dragon, the energy of the abyss, and the two special tree species I cultivated, the Sea Gold Sand."

"This is the most powerful offensive spell I have ever used."

Locke's power system can currently be divided into four types: botanical magic, abyssal energy, bloodline power centered on the Scorpion Woman Ring and true blood, and dragon blood, and archaeological magic based on recognizing the Mordor language.

In terms of offensive magic, the Glorious Fern Spear represents the current limit of combined offensive magic, while its defensive magic relies on Golden Eye Grass, photosynthesis, the power of Myster, and Immortal Dragon Scales.

Consumables are Diamond Succulents, movement is provided by Great Green Leaf Dragonfly and Plant Mimicry: Green Dragon, and scouting is done by Shadow Eye Grass.

At the same time, he can also strengthen his body with the body of a beast, two berserk states, and boiling blood.

Furthermore, there are auxiliary methods such as Blood Flame, Bloodline Harmony, Blood Flame Enchantment, and various archaeological magic.

In short, his spellbook is now quite extensive, possessing a wide variety of abilities, enough to handle any emergency.

At the same time, his own stats are already quite impressive, with a base magic pressure of 9045. Add to that the Abyss Energy and the Beast stats, and it's safe to say that if he were to face the Great Wizard Sura now, and if the opponent didn't use the White Dragon Tower, he wouldn't be afraid of him.

Despite the fact that the High Wizard Sura possesses the bloodline of the Dark Cave Scorpion Woman and hundreds of first-ring magical creatures.

Now, Locke has increased his power to a level that he couldn't contend with half a year ago, after spending four and a half months in Yunze Wetlands.

A minute later, Locke felt the world power that had entered his body rapidly depart, and his Brilliant Fern Spear collapsed quickly, like a house whose foundation had been removed.

Locke raised his hand, and the two tree ferns were stored in his astral ring, while he sighed inwardly.

Having just obtained the power of the world, he actually had the illusion that the heavens and earth were united with him, and that his unparalleled power could rival the entire world.

That was a very strange state.

With the power of the world on your side, you will fall into the illusion that there is not just yourself standing behind you, but the entire world.

Locke fell into deep thought. "Ritual magic is indeed a youthful version of ultimate magic. Based on what I saw of Grand Wizard Sura advancing to the second ring, creating ultimate magic at the second ring stage and obtaining one's own magical source allows one to be in a state of harmony with heaven and earth at all times, making heights that were originally impossible for an individual possible, thus achieving a second transcendence of the limits of the race's soul."

"But ritual magic achieves this state temporarily by borrowing power. In other words, a wizard can use ritual magic to temporarily experience a second-circle experience card."

Because Locke had witnessed the entire process of two first-ring crystallizing wizards failing to advance to the second ring, he now had a fundamental understanding of ultimate magic and ritual magic.

Locke looked at Ginny and asked, "Ginny, which came first, the ultimate magic or the ritual magic?"

Ginny paused for a moment, then said respectfully to Locke, "Lord Augustine, the ultimate magic comes out first, followed by the ritual magic."

"Contrary to the understanding of most wizards, the earliest magic was great magic, followed by high-ring wizards. In order to enhance the power of us young first-ring wizards, ritual magic was specially developed for us."

"That's a high-ring wizard from the Summoning School, a big shot in the Starfield Sea."

"Later, another high-ring wizard in the Starfield Sea added the Book of Ritual to ritual magic. Then another high-ring wizard added the Sacred Space—the Magic Circle—to ensure the safety of ritual magic."

“I don’t know much about it either, but those wizards who can deeply participate in the magical levels of wizards have already surpassed the level of third-circle wizards, or even fourth-circle wizards,” Ginny said. “That’s what my master told me.”

"For specific details, you can ask my master, the witch Catherine, when you have the chance."

Starfield Sea, still Starfield Sea!
Locke realized that the Starfield Sea was the pinnacle of magical civilization and the core of the wizarding world.

The Starfield Sea hangs high above the fifty-three wizarding lands in the Eastern Boundary, constantly exploring the limits of magic and expanding the magic system.

Locke said, "Then my guess was correct."

Locke said, "Ritual magic couldn't possibly be something that only high-ring wizards in the Starfield Sea developed to increase the combat power of first-ring crystallization wizards. They shouldn't be so bored. This kind of trivial matter is not something they should be doing."

"Ritual magic is a trial card for ultimate magic."

"Ritual magic was probably created by high-ring wizards to make it easier for first-ring wizards to advance to second-ring wizards. Because when I used ritual magic, my understanding and use of ultimate magic were further deepened."

Locke whispered, “Using ritual magic is the best opportunity, without a doubt, for a first-circle wizard to observe the window of the world’s power.”

"Most first-circle wizards mistakenly regard ritual magic as their trump card or trump card."

"The greatest use of ritual magic is not against enemies, but... for learning."

In this sense, those special planes in the endless void where the world's will is particularly active were collectively tricked by the high-ring wizards of the wizarding world.

Of the three options offered by the witch Catherine, he wisely chose the Emerald Dream, which had the lowest cost.

Since ritual magic is primarily for learning rather than combat, choosing the Emerald Dream, which has the lowest cost, is the wisest choice.

Locke dispelled the ritual magic.

Instantly, the magic array on the ground disappeared.

The laurel and oak leaves, offered as sacrifices to the Emerald Dream, also vanished, along with a cup of water.

Locke said, "But my current understanding may not be correct. I feel that something is missing."

"To go from the first ring to the second ring, I need to break through the limit a second time. This is the second time. It's very special. The previous limit breakthrough was the first time. Once I break through the limit a second time, it means that I will become a multiple-time surpasser."

"Having experienced the transcendence of the plural."

"But the wizarding civilization itself is a transcendent civilization. We regard surpassing our own limits as the norm and breaking through the limitations of fate as our work."

Let's continue exploring.

Locke suddenly realized he'd been sleeping here for a week. "Oh no, does that mean I haven't been to the lab for a whole week?"

Locke's expression changed slightly. "Master, have you asked for leave for me?"

Ginny looked at Locke with a puzzled expression.

Locke's heart skipped a beat.

(End of this chapter)