Wizards: Starting with Synthetic Gems

Chapter 68 Level 6 Goosegrass
Gabi Montoya used the [Cat Transfiguration] spell to transform into a large-eyed, jet-black cat, resembling a lump of coal.

The Cat Transfiguration is a magic trick that can only be used by wizard apprentices who specialize in transfiguration magic.

Every shapeshifter must undergo a long period of arduous study before officially transforming.

Locke had heard Sasari talk about the course of all things in the dark elf Sasari's course of all things. Some wizard apprentices had failed in their transformation spells and were never able to return to human form, eventually turning into some kind of magical creature.

This may be the true origin of the centaurs in the southeastern corner of the region.

The earliest ancestor of those centaurs was likely a wizard apprentice who transformed into a horse but failed.

Transfiguration magic is considered one of the more dangerous types of magic.

Especially the direction of this kind of magical sub-direction that transforms itself.

Locke glanced at Gabi Montoya in her black cat form. In the realm of Transfiguration, she should currently be in her spirit cat form.

It possesses amazing agility, allowing it to dodge many magical attacks, and also has an exceptionally developed sense of smell.

In fact, the first affinity particle for shapeshifters should be the shape particle [ether element].

If Gabi Montoya could obtain as many Rose Gems as she does, her progress would be incredibly rapid.

However, Locke had no intention of helping her.

The Rose Red Jade is extremely rare in the Southeast Corner Region, so it would be abnormal for someone to take it out on their own. Unlike synthetic plants, it cannot be concealed.

Therefore, it's best to keep this secret to yourself.

Gabi Montoya leaped between the rocks, sniffing the unique scent of rats on the ground.

She must have her own unique strengths to be able to take on these exploratory academic missions.

Previously, she had only been causing trouble because she had gone in the wrong direction and lacked knowledge about magical plants. Now, with Locke pointing the way, she found the rats' stronghold by following their scent in less than half a day.

Gabi Montoya leaped to the front of a cave in the wilderness, gracefully raising her black cat tail before lowering her forelegs and wiping her mouth with her paw. "Senior Locke, all the rats are gathered in this cave."

"This cave must be very deep and may be connected to an underground water system; I could vaguely hear the sound of flowing water."

Gabi said, "This cave is probably several thousand meters deep."

“When I investigated the Ashgra Mountains before, I never investigated this area…”

"I really should have thought of that sooner..."

Locke looked at the cave entrance. Something seemed to have happened nearby, so there were some simple wooden railings blocking the entrance.

It is likely that some civilians in the Ashgra Mountains accidentally fell into this cave and died inside.

Therefore, the Ashgra people sealed the entrance to the cave and left behind warnings to anyone who approached.

Near the cave, Locke even saw several small stone cross tombstones, on which the children engraved were all quite young, around ten years old.

Yes, if children were playing or herding livestock near the cave, they could fall into the underground water system thousands of meters deep if they fell in. They wouldn't survive, and their bodies would be difficult to find.

Gabby said to Locke, "Senior Locke, the inside of this cave is so complicated. Should we go in? The underground water system inside is very complex. We could easily get lost in the complicated underground world or encounter a collapse."

Locke remained expressionless. "Go in."

"You are a shapeshifter, so there's nothing to worry about. You should be able to use both the Cat Shapeshifter and the Owl Shapeshifter. You won't be trapped in this underground water system."

Locke definitely needs Gabi's help.

As is well known, shapeshifter wizard apprentices are exceptionally skilled in reconnaissance, which is why Lilith's Cottage has specially established such a magic category.

This type of magical apprentice shone brightly in the wizarding war against the Blood Curse Court, always able to detect vampire-modified wizard apprentices hidden among the crowd by transforming into magical creatures.

Therefore, Locke did indeed need Gabby to guide him through the underground water system.

Locke whispered a spell, and immediately the three level 6 invisible mandrakes hidden in the sleeve of his right wizard's robe came to life.

Multiple manipulations + vine-like hands!

Three invisible mandala vines each extended five branches, like three giant vine hands, which pierced the ground and then used the reaction force to lift Locke up, suspending him in mid-air.

With his powerful magic, which was close to that of a first-class wizard apprentice, Locke could control three magical vines for a long time. These magical vines were like Locke's limbs, as easy to use as his own.

This allowed Locke to crawl into the cave like a magical spider. As Locke entered the cave, the three vines wrapped around his right hand transformed into three giant hands, which slammed into the rock wall and then rapidly crawled along it.

Gabi hesitated for a moment, then used the Night Owl Transformation to become an owl with night vision and plunged into the cave.

Two hours later, the two had gone deeper into the bottomless cave.

The cave was indeed very complex and winding, with some passages narrow and others very wide, but both of them could easily pass through this place that was difficult for ordinary people to pass through using their magic.

Locke chanted a spell softly, and the invisible mandrake vines drilled into the wall of the rock passage ahead, which was too narrow and could only accommodate a creature the size of a cat.

With a series of cracking sounds, three vine-like hands, as if kneading sand, completely crushed the hard underground rock wall, creating a passageway that people could pass through.

Locke scattered a patch of goosegrass seeds in front of him while chanting a spell to cast a level 0.5 Wild Grass Entanglement Trick.

These goosegrasses are all level 6 synthesized plants. They are level 6 goosegrasses that I synthesized during this period of time, and the seeds that were left after they matured.

There was a special recipe for level 6 Goosegrass: three level 5 Goosegrass could be combined to make one level 6 Iron Wire Goosegrass.

This type of goosegrass has not increased much in its reproductive capacity, but its flexibility has increased significantly, making it as flexible as iron wire.

In addition, the rapid reproduction ability of the level 5 goosegrass has increased, so with the help of this iron wire goosegrass, Locke has taken the use of wild grass binding to a new level.

Layer upon layer of iron-wire tendrils intertwined and grew continuously between the cracks in the broken rocks, tightly locking in all the rubble and loose rock fragments, and then transforming into an iron wall that supported the rock passage that was about to collapse.

Locke and Gabby were able to walk among them.

To achieve this, it's not only because of the excellence of the Iron Wire Goosegrass itself, but also because Locke, under the influence of the Deep Blue Gem and the Dark Blue Gem, possessed a relatively strong enough magical stability, even though weakened by the side effects of the Scarlet Echo Potion. This allowed him to precisely manipulate the growth direction of these goosegrasses, forming the magnificent magical model currently located thousands of meters underground.

Gabby's eyes flickered as he witnessed this. 'These spells from Senior are incredibly powerful; they don't seem like the spells of a second-tier wizard apprentice at all.'

'When I'm around him, I often feel an invisible pressure, and as time goes on, this pressure doesn't decrease but rather increases.'

'Could it be that my senior... no, how old is he?'

Gabby felt a little downcast. If Locke was about to become a first-class wizard apprentice, then in comparison, she was over thirty years old and still stuck at the second-class wizard apprentice stage.

However, the wizarding world is cruel, and the difference in talent can be enormous.

Gabby thought helplessly.

Gabi transformed into a black cat and said to Locke, "Senior, we're getting closer, we're getting closer. There are a lot of rats ahead, and there's a special smell."

Gabby seemed to realize something. "Senior, be careful..."

As Locke and Gabby walked through a section of 'steel tunnel' supported by iron wire and goosegrass, they saw a swarm of rats gathering on the bank of an underground river ahead.

Beside the riverbank, there was a large, solitary patch of green leaves belonging to the konjac plant.

But at that moment, a green shadow flashed past the two of them, and at the same time, a green leaf sword slashed towards Locke and Gabi.

The next moment, the green leaves on one of Locke's invisible mandrake vines swelled up and automatically turned into a vine shield, blocking Locke's path.

Magic Model: Green Polyester Grab!
The vine shield perfectly blocked the opponent's attack, while Gabi transformed into an owl, flying in mid-air to pinpoint the attacker's location in the darkness for Locke. "This is... the attacker, senior. The attacker isn't human, it's just... a plant? A plant-animal hybrid? A plant that looks like a human!"

Locke's lips curled into a slight smile. He hadn't expected his haul to be so substantial; it was yet another rare plant that was difficult to obtain even with magic stones.

He calmly used his vine shield to block all of the opponent's leaf sword attacks. "I know, this is a Clivia miniata."

"The Clivia is a rare magical plant that excels at mimicking human form. Its leaves are as hard and sharp as steel, capable of cutting through an enemy's body. The veins in its leaves are extremely sensitive, allowing it to sense the direction of airflow and launch a counterattack accordingly."

"Therefore, whether the enemy is attacking or defending, the clivia will act like a master swordsman, countering their moves as they come."

"If used properly by a wizard apprentice, this magical plant can be a deadly weapon in close combat, but its reproductive ability is extremely weak. It is rarely seen in the wild."

What attacked Locke and Gabby was an orchid as tall as a person.

This orchid looks remarkably like a human warrior.

The leaves are like the sword in 'his' hand, the roots are like the feet of a warrior, the orchids are like the head of a warrior, and there is even a string of small orchid leaves on the neck, like a jade ornament that a human warrior hangs around his neck.

Locke tested it and found that the Clivia flower was indeed as described in the book.

However, how could there be two kinds of rare magical plants on this underground riverbank?
This is a magical plant that even first-class wizard apprentices are interested in.

(End of this chapter)