Wizards: Starting with Synthetic Gems

Chapter 684 Guidance from Senior Moon Ring

A first-ring crystallization stage wizard from Storm Tower sneered. "What does this have to do with you?"

Wizard Smith gave him a cold look. "This is Wizard Locke Augustine, a researcher at the High Institute of Truth at Mount Golden Crown."

"Please be more polite, Aston."

Aston, the wizard and weatherman, looked at Locke in surprise. Only then did he notice the badge of the High Primordial Institute of the Golden Crown Mountain that Locke was wearing, and a look of embarrassment flashed in his eyes.

Aston the Wizard coughed, nodded to Locke, and then stepped back to the side.

Wizard Smith tried to suppress his weakness and said to Locke, "Yes. I used the Apocalypse Stone on the spot as soon as I got it."

"Later, when I wanted to go back, I encountered a small problem."

The green dragon-man shopkeeper said to him, "Guest of Storm Tower, what brings you to our Feathered Serpent Pavilion?"

A wizard from the Storm Tower standing next to Wizard Smith glanced at him worriedly, while also looking cautiously at Locke.

Locke glanced at the people around Wizard Smith and noticed that the leader of the Thunder Demon Society was not there, and immediately guessed what had happened.

Locke said to Wizard Smith, "You have a rather high concentration of abyssal energy."

Wizard Smith raised an eyebrow. "Not bad."

Locke said, "Then I won't bother you any longer. You seem to be quite busy. I'll be going now, Wizard Smith."

“Wizard Smith, in two months we will be participating in the Silent Grail Tournament. You said that my trade with you for the Apocalypse Stone was an act of aiding the enemy. You will make me regret it.”

Wizard Smith remained calm, whether to conceal his weakness or to show no reaction at all was unclear.

He nodded. "Of course, that statement still stands."

Locke turned and walked out of the Feathered Serpent Pavilion. "Well then, see you later."

Wizard Smith watched his departing figure with a strange look in his eyes.

At this moment, a first-ring wizard from Storm Tower, seeing Locke finally leave, immediately asked the green dragon half-dragon shopkeeper, "We need to recruit potion makers who specialize in healing potions."

"Furthermore, they need to have in-depth knowledge of Abyssal Potionology. The conditions are up to them, but they must be summoned immediately. Your Feathered Serpent Pavilion possesses the most comprehensive information on potion makers."

The green dragon half-dragon shopkeeper nodded and said, "That's true. But there are already few potion masters who study Abyss Potion... and you need a potion master with the specialization of Healing Potion... It's not easy to find one right now."

Wizard Smith was finally unable to maintain his illusion. The illusion that enveloped him disappeared, and half of his right side was revealed to have turned into a demonic body.

Wizard Smith said weakly, "Does that mean even the Feathered Serpent Pavilion can't find a potion master who meets the requirements?"

The green dragon half-dragon said, "According to our records, the guest who just left was skilled in both healing potion and abyssal potion."

The first-ring wizards of Storm Tower were immediately delighted.

After all, they all came with Wizard Smith, and if something happened to Wizard Smith, the Smith family would definitely hold them responsible.

Even as formal wizards, they would not be at the mercy of others, and their future prospects would be greatly limited.

Wizard Smith said directly, "No. He's not good enough."

Wizard Smith looked at the wizards in the Storm Tower and whispered, "Locke Augustine is a contestant in the Silent Grail Tournament. If he heals me, he can take advantage of the treatment to spy on my magic."

"That's absolutely not possible."

Aston the Wizard said anxiously, "But Lord Smith, if you are not treated soon, you will be forced into the Abyss. Those remnants of the Thunder Demon Society, we should have sent them all to the wizarding black factory sooner!"

Another wizard from Storm Tower said, "I've already sold him to the black market. Please rest assured, Lord Smith. I just didn't expect that good-for-nothing would dare to scheme against you."

"And, to be able to scheme against you to this extent..."

Wizard Smith's face darkened. He looked at the half-dragon shopkeeper and said, "I can offer a higher price to hire someone. Could you please help me post my quest invitation with the second-ring potion master?"

The green dragon half-dragon shopkeeper immediately refused. "That's against the rules. You yourself would need to be a second-circle wizard."

Wizard Smith immediately used the Water Hyacinth System to contact the Smith family's second-circle wizard, "Can't we assign quests under other pretexts?"

The green dragon half-dragon shopkeeper replied, "Yes."

……

After leaving the Feathered Serpent Pavilion, Locke shook his head slightly. "That Smith guy, he actually made himself into that state right before the competition was about to start. That Apocalypse Stone was problematic to begin with; it must have been the wizard from the Thunder Demon Society who detonated the lightning, preventing Smith from crossing it."

"He probably never expected that he would suffer such a huge loss because of a nobody. The erosion from the abyss energy is so severe; I wonder if he can recover to normal within two months."

Locke jumped onto the Rainbow Bird, returned to Little Peach Mountain, entered the Dune Plane, and returned to the research base of Group 2.

He found Mason Witch and others, and together they began working on the First Fund project.

Locke wanted to finish the problem as soon as possible before the competition began.

Locke glanced at Mason Witch. "You two don't seem to be in a good mood. What happened?"

Mason Witch paused, stopping what she was doing. "No, Locke, His Majesty the Throne said that you and I can both join that club."

Locke paused for a moment.

So, does that mean I've passed the test of Mount Jinmian?
……

The next day, on the seventh floor of Catherine the Witch's castle.

In Catherine the Witch's office, Locke met a second-circle wizard wearing the robes of the Luxu Bridge.

The other person was a chubby, fair-skinned man who seemed easy to talk to.

The witch Catherine introduced him to Locke: "This is Chad Schultz, the Moon Ring Wizard. He has chosen to stay in Luxu Bridge to teach and is now a formal wizarding mentor."

Locke was taken aback, because the position of official wizard mentor in the Land of Three Swamps was not easy to obtain.

The person in front of me looks to be around forty years old, but he is already a Moon Ring Wizard and also the Wizard Mentor of Lu Xuqiao.

Locke bowed to him and said, "Lord Chad, I didn't expect you to be such a young man, yet already a formal wizarding mentor at Luxu Bridge. You're truly amazing."

Wizard Chad Schultz narrowed his eyes, as if looking at his former self. "Not surprising, not surprising. You're only 23 this year. That's quite young. I was 30 when I participated in the Silent Grail Tournament."

“When I was your age, I was also called a genius. Of course, now that I’m older, it’s no longer appropriate to call me a genius,” Wizard Chad Schultz chuckled. “A genius is someone with great potential for the future, but right now they’re just a young wizard.”

"I'm content now that I'm called a great wizard. Alas, I still have a long way to go."

Wizard Chad Schultz said, "When you reach my age, even if you're not a Moon Ring Wizard, you'll probably be a Star Ring Wizard."

Locke then realized something more clearly—every high-ring wizard was considered a genius in their youth!
The witch Catherine said impatiently, "You two can go and chat somewhere else. Chad Schultz, I'm entrusting Locke to you. You'd better teach him properly."

The wizard Chad Schultz immediately became serious and bowed to the witch Catherine, saying, "Your Majesty, ten years ago, you gave me guidance, which enabled me to win the championship in the magical combat tournament. For the past ten years, I have always wanted to repay this favor, but unfortunately, you have always refused."

"This time I can finally repay your favor."

The two immediately left Catherine the Witch's office.

As the wizard Chad Schultz walked with Locke atop Mount Golden Crown, he gazed at the golden sun atop the mountain and felt the surging magical tides of the mountain. "It was truly a memorable time."

"Locke, right? You'd better do your best in this Silent Grail War."

A smile appeared on the fat face of wizard Chad Schultz. "Last time, I stopped at third place. That means I was the second one to be knocked out of that silent plane."

"The first to be knocked out were the participants from Storm Tower."

"In short, our Golden Mound Mountain team came in last place last year. This time, you have to help us do our best to improve. Ideally, we can get second place."

Locke raised an eyebrow. "Senior Chad, since we're participating in a competition, we should naturally aim to be number one."

Wizard Chad Schultz paused for a moment, then laughed and said, "Of course. You have a point. As far as I know, the main participants in the last Silent Grail Tournament have all chosen to return to their alma mater to mentor this year's participants."

“My old rivals, hmph, it’s been so many years since I’ve seen them. The days when I competed with them are still so vivid in my mind.”

Chad Schultz, the wizard, was lost in memories.

He came to his senses and smiled at Locke, "Let's go down Mount Golden Crown first. Every inch of land on Mount Golden Crown is precious. Let's find a forest at the foot of the mountain first. I want to see the blueprint of your Great Magic."

"As a participant, I can assess your chances of winning."

Chad Schultz gave him a slightly aggressive look. "How about it? It must be quite stressful to demonstrate your great magic in front of a senior like him."

"However, relax, relax. Since Golden Crown Mountain chose a wizard like you with no background as a contestant, you must have something special about you."

Locke nodded and said, "Okay, senior Chad."

Chad Schultz glanced at Locke with surprise. "Neither humble nor arrogant, what a fine demeanor."

"To be honest, I originally thought that this year's contestant would be that proud little white dragon princess from Preston."

"This year, neither Lu Xuqiao nor Jinmianshan had anyone. Who knew that you would come in this final year?"

Wizard Chad Schultz said, “Alas, even for the academy, true geniuses remain a scarce resource. For ordinary geniuses, resources outweigh them. For true geniuses, they outweigh resources.”

The two had already traversed the mountain path, left the treant guards, and entered an ordinary magical plant forest at the foot of the mountain.

Wizard Chad Schultz said, "Locke, that's why the Silent Grail Tournament is so important. It determines the allocation of student places in the No Man's Land."

He gave a brief explanation of what no man's land is.

Locke then realized that there were regions with disputed ownership.

With his hands behind his back, wizard Chad Schultz said, "Before you unleash your great magic, I need to ask you a question. What is Golden Crown Mountain—Land Ruins Bridge?"

Locke blinked. "Jinmian Mountain—Luxu Bridge is one of the seven top universities in Yunze Wetland, a major initiator of the Demon Realm War, and a renowned high-efficiency agricultural area..."

Chad Schultz looked enlightened, and seemed somewhat excited and eager, as if he had been preparing for this statement for many years.

"You seem to know nothing about the history of my Golden Crown Mountain."

"Mount Golden Crown was originally built as a fortress to provide a space for heretical wizards to live, and to protect those heretics who were captured by pure-blooded human wizards with cruel magic during the pure-blood era."

"In other words, Mount Golden Crown was originally a wizard military fortress. The reason why there are three deans of the Wizard Academy is because the system of three chief officers of military fortresses at that time was continued."

"The top supervisor is in charge of logistics, the second supervisor is in charge of internal security, and the third supervisor is in charge of military affairs."

A look of surprise flashed in Locke's eyes.

I hadn't looked into it carefully before, so I really didn't know much about it.

With his hands behind his back, wizard Chad Schultz said, "If people don't know the past, how can they represent Golden Crown Mountain and fight for fame and fortune for the future of Golden Crown Mountain and their own future?"

“Jinmian Mountain was once a military fortress that existed to protect the weak, and thus it still retains its original character. But since the Enlightenment, Jinmian Mountain has been a famous high-value agricultural area and a representative of high-value breeding in the Eastern Boundary, holding a pivotal leading position in the field of breeding science.”

"The Twelve Peaches of Jinmian Mountain represent one of the highest achievements in the field of breeding in the eastern region."

"Luxuqiao Six Teas is also one of the highest achievements in the field of breeding in the eastern border region."

"Jinmian Mountain has twelve peaches and six teas, which are very famous."

Wizard Chad Schultz chuckled, “Besides that, Mount Golden Crown produces a large amount of magical food every year, making it an important partner of the Witch Kitchen Shop Alliance and a vital grain-producing area for the Cloud Marsh Wetlands.”

"The owner behind Witch's Kitchen is none other than me, a wizard who graduated from Golden Crown Mountain."

"Golden Mound Mountain represents grain."

"There's also advanced breeding science. Of course, Mount Jinmian is also a famous dragon witch community and the birthplace of wave science."

"Golden Crown Mountain believes that food abundance is of utmost importance. Therefore, for many years, I have been researching the field of agriculture to ensure that there will never be a food shortage in the wizarding world. There are many food-related projects that I, Golden Crown Mountain, have initiated entirely, and I have been continuously strengthening the status of breeding agriculture."

Wizard Chad Schultz: "Golden Crown Mountain is also the originator of the principle of no waste and one of the important bases of the Wizarding World Agricultural Management Committee."

Locke nodded, now having a more comprehensive understanding of Mount Golden Crown.

Wizard Chad Schultz produced a stack of wizard tea. "After all this talk, let me just give you a sip of White Phoenix Tea, one of the six teas of Golden Crown Mountain."

"Have you, as the wizard of my Golden Crown Mountain, ever drunk the White Phoenix?"

Locke hesitated for a moment. "Never heard of it."

Wizard Chad Schultz was very excited. "Hasn't Golden Crown Mountain been telling its wizards what the White Phoenix Tea, one of the twelve peaches, six teas, and three rice, is lately? This is outrageous! How can the wizards of Golden Crown Mountain not know one of Golden Crown Mountain's most famous achievements?"

(End of this chapter)