Wizards: Starting with Synthetic Gems

Chapter 750 Three Million Wizard Tax! Labor Service and Dimensional Expansion!
Locke understood that Catherine the Witch hadn't directly assigned him the sub-items of the key projects.

After all, Catherine the Witch's several plans seemed to be interconnected, an art that seemed to be mastered only by a third-circle wizard.

There is a certain artistic fit between the projects.

Therefore, unless you can demonstrate some ability to gain the other party's trust, it will be difficult to enter into their real plan.

Although he was her cooperating wizard, and perhaps had a closer relationship with her, that was all.

For wizards, only profit is eternal.

To get that project, you have to demonstrate your value and prove that you are not just a student or a newcomer, but also a reliable and capable wizard.

Fortunately, many of the things I had done before were enough to earn their trust.

Both the Spellfighting Tournament and the Silent Grail Tournament undoubtedly earned the witch Ekaterina's basic trust in his abilities. Therefore, after becoming a second-circle wizard, she would directly entrust him with one of these tasks, asking him to complete the planning for her.

Even now, I still don't fully understand the cause and effect of this mission.

Now, the other party has assigned him two more tasks.

Clearly, these two tasks determined her confidence in her abilities and were crucial to whether she could secure the project.

The witch Catherine said, "These two rings are prototypes of magical wedding rings; you can think of them as test rings. Test rings will record some data, and I need to make that clear to you beforehand."

"If you can use them, along with the Heart Spell and the Dragon Bloodline, to successfully create the third, most powerful spell, or even bring it close to completion, the test data will be sent to me. This will greatly benefit my development of the magical wedding ring."

"Alright, Locke."

The witch Catherine placed a magic mirror in front of Locke. "Go through this magic mirror and you can return to the carriage without being noticed by Wizard Chad and the others. Now that you have just become a second-circle wizard, the Academic Committee will arrange a celebration banquet for you."

"Furthermore, any second-circle wizard from Mount Golden Crown will automatically receive a mid-level academy designation."

Locke stepped into the magic mirror, and the next moment, he was back in the carriage.

Inside the carriage, the mirror avatar that mimicked itself mechanically stood up from its seat, a smirk playing on its lips, as if it possessed self-awareness.

He gave himself a strange look, then bowed to himself before disappearing into the magic mirror door inside the carriage.

Locke was astonished when he saw this.

"The teacher's use of the magic mirror seems particularly ingenious, forming a system of its own. It is not the usage of the alchemy school, nor the usage of the enchanting school. It is as if the magic mirror magic in botany has been used to open up a new magical path by drawing on the magic mirror magic in alchemy and enchanting magic."

Locke's Evolution Moon is essentially the Moon Magic Mirror, and the Aura Ecological Spell is actually the Mirror Ecological Spell, which was also the reference book that the witch Catherine recommended to him.

Therefore, Locke saw through the trick.

Locke offered his suggestion: "Perhaps my Moon of Evolution could also create such clones, but... that involves a lot of fundamental knowledge, and would require special modifications to my Moon of Evolution. It would take at least ten years to complete. Forget it..."

Compared to that, he should focus on improving his magical power and strive to complete the second stage of training as soon as possible to become a Star Ring Wizard.

Locke calmed his mind and began to practice advanced meditation, transforming himself into a cosmic force wave, rapidly accumulating magical power within the force wave's level.

Then, he opened his eyes, sat in the carriage, and looked incredulous.

"It's negligible. It's an exquisite and advanced meditation technique that can be used to break through the shackles between the first and second rings, but its effect on improving mana beyond the second ring is negligible."

Originally, a wizard's spirit merging with the Force Waves could rapidly improve his magical power, but now, he feels that while his spiritual power has increased, even with the help of the Force torrents from the Great Void Force Plane, it is difficult to increase his magical power by much.

'That's normal.'

Locke suddenly realized what was happening.

'My current magical pressure is comparable to one-thirtieth to one-fifteenth of the magical pressure of a small-scale plane.'

"This is a level of magical pressure that no ordinary individual could achieve."

"Therefore, for me, the energy-dense areas in the Great Void with higher energy than mine are actually only a few regions. The energy density of most regions is even lower than mine. The resources required for a second-ring wizard to advance by one point are astronomical."

"Even using advanced meditation techniques to enter the state of 'I am not myself' through 'no thought' and receive the assistance of the Force Wave, I still cannot make rapid progress at the second ring stage. From another perspective, for a second ring wizard, only resources produced in advanced worlds such as the Wizarding World will have an effect on me. Resources from medium-sized worlds like the Silent Plane and the Mage Plane are unlikely to be effective for me."

Locke thought, 'No wonder the second-ring wizards are all so old. Breaking through each level within the second ring is probably more difficult than breaking through all levels of the first ring combined.'

'The higher I climb, the greater my abilities become, and the more money I earn, but the harder it is to acquire the resources that are truly useful to me.'

Outside the magic carriage, Wizard Chad ordered the coachman to slow down, then rolled down the carriage window and asked Locke through it, "Locke, I called you once before, why didn't you answer? Is there a problem?"

Locke paused for a moment, then rolled down his window and said, "I was thinking about something just now."

Chad the Wizard smiled, his eyes crinkling. "As expected of the champion, you're working so hard even during your time back at school, not wasting a single moment."

On the other side, in two carriages, Antoine and the Preston Witch, seemingly caught up in Locke's influence, were also reading books.

Wizard Chad smiled at Locke and said, "I called you for no other reason than to ask you what kind of clone spell you need to learn since you've just become a second-circle wizard?"

Locke was taken aback. "A clone spell?"

Chad the Wizard said, "Yes. The signature spell of us second-circle wizards is not ultimate magic, but clone magic. Because of the existence of ultimate magic, we can basically multitask. Therefore, it gives us the possibility to develop clone magic."

"With the clone magic, we can turn a day into 48 hours!"

"Your main body can be here, and your clone can be there."

“Generally speaking, a second-ring wizard will have at least one clone! Some sun-ring wizards may even have three or four clones. These clones are not just empty shells; each clone is equivalent to the original.”

Wizard Chad said, "The clone magic that the academic committee of Golden Crown Mountain usually studies is the [Peach Avatar]."

"Using a peach fruit as the core, create an independent life form that can exert combat power between the first and second rings."

"Our second-ring wizards at Luxu Bridge typically use the [Tea Tree Avatar]. The greatest use of these clone spells isn't for combat, but for getting things done. Think about it, you're controlling two bodies..."

"Therefore, for a second-circle wizard, only a single major spell can correspond to a clone equivalent to the original body. Otherwise, the clone would be meaningless, merely something used for temporary combat..."

Locke suddenly realized, "So that's how it is."

Wizard Chad chuckled, “Besides these commonly used clone spells, I also have a rare special clone spell here, obtained from ancient ruins, called [Wood Dragon Avatar]. How about it, are you interested? With this second-circle spell model, you can create the most suitable second-circle clone for yourself in the future. It's not expensive either, only six million magic stones.”

Locke's lips twitched.

Good heavens, it turns out that the senior student saw that he had just entered the second circle of wizards and desperately needed a clone spell, so he came to him to sell his spellbook.

Chad the wizard handed Locke a business card across two carriages.

"I opened a shop alliance that specializes in selling spellbooks, and it's called Chad's Magic Books Bookstore."

"It's right here in Dragonblood Market. You can go there if you need anything in the future."

"That's my senior's property. This wooden dragon incarnation is also extraordinary, possessing numerous benefits..."

Locke smiled and politely declined.

First, I don't understand the clone magic.

Buying rashly is very unwise.

Secondly, I don't have that much money on me right now.

Locke said, "Senior, I plan to learn about the world of the Second Ring first before thinking about the issue of clone magic."

Wizard Chad chuckled, "Is that so? I just thought you'd really need a book on doppelganger magic, that's why I recommended it. Don't be offended, don't be offended."

Seeing Locke's strange expression, he said, "You've become a second-circle wizard now, so you should go back to your hometown at least once in a while. After all, becoming a second-circle wizard is an achievement that very few wizards can accomplish, and it's an important milestone in your life."

"Many second-circle wizards will go back to visit during this period. It's only natural. Both Golden Crown Mountain and Lu Xu Bridge will grant relevant leave. Of course, leave is leave, but things still need to be done, so they usually leave a clone behind."

"That way, you can take a vacation, go back to visit your family, and work at Jinmian Mountain again. Vacation and work will never conflict, isn't that convenient?"

Locke's eyes widened, and he coughed.

"Senior Chad, this clone magic is only popular in the Three Swamps, right?"

Chad the wizard paused for a moment, then thought about it.

"It's only popular in the Cloud Marsh Wetlands. Wizards in the Thunder Marsh Lowlands are more relaxed, while wizards in the Rain Marsh Wetlands tend to enjoy themselves more."

"While clone magic is useful, it requires twice the energy and mental strain. Moreover, regardless of the number of clones, if neither clone sleeps, the damage inflicted is also doubled..."

Wizard Chad said, "Because the clone spell doesn't increase total energy, not all wizards choose it. Apart from all second-circle wizards in Cloudswamp, second-circle wizards in other places either use it or they don't."

Locke nodded slightly, confirming his suspicions. "What about the Starfield Sea?"

Chad the wizard paused for a moment, then raised his middle finger and waved it against the car window.

"Let me put it this way, we in Yunze Wetland have worked hard enough, haven't we? But in Yunze Wetland, not working hard only means having no future. But in the Starfield Sea, if you don't work hard, you will starve to death. Starve to death in the literal sense."

"In the Starfield Sea, not fighting is a matter of survival, while in the Cloud Marsh Wetlands, not fighting only means being marginalized. That's the difference. So, in the Starfield Sea... anything that can improve your competitiveness even slightly will be used. Including the clone magic, which many wizards consider to have significant side effects."

Locke nodded slightly.

He chatted with Wizard Chad for a few more minutes about the Second Ring World, and then the two ended their conversation.

Locke sat inside the magic carriage and began to think.

Chad's words gave him a boost of spirits.

Having been away from the Southeastern Region for so long, I really should go back and take a look.

Locke also thought of the origin of everything, the world of Corfu, that mortal island world.

Thinking about it carefully, it suddenly dawned on me.

He, a wizard apprentice who came from an ordinary island, has now become a second-circle wizard, a second-circle wizard with a respected status in the southeastern corner of the region.

At this moment, he suddenly looked back and found that he had already reached a high position in the wizarding world.

If he didn't go to the Starfield Sea right now, but instead sought a teaching position in the Cloud Marsh Wetlands, he could easily get a job at any of the seven top academies. Similarly, if he went to any wizarding organization in the Eastern Frontier right now, he would be a guest of honor.

It's time to go back and take a look.

Of course, the prerequisite is to first learn a clone spell, so that you can do research and go home to visit your family at the same time.

Locke sat in the carriage, beginning to consider how to develop the future.

Since it's so difficult for a second-ring wizard to improve themselves, they need to make good use of the two special first-ring projects that are essentially a benefit.

I should help the teacher complete the data monitoring work for the wedding ring testing ring as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, the business dispute with those two shops should have come to a temporary end, and the stock prices of those two shops should have been falling in the past few days.

Secondly, I need to improve my resume.

Locke opened the Water Hyacinth System and found some emails in the system's backend. Upon closer inspection, he discovered that the emails were from various places in the Eastern Frontier.

There were even recruitment letters from some wizarding academies in the Starfield Sea.

Obviously, when you are a talented person, it's not you who begs to get into a wizarding university, but rather the wizarding universities that beg you to work for them.

Locke glanced at the information from the three wizarding universities in the Starfield Sea that had secretly sent him the message, and immediately frowned.

"They all seem to be academies on the fringes of the Starfield Sea. I have a feeling they're all about to close down."

Locke quickly used the information search function in the free library of the Water Hyacinth system to check these three schools. Although it was an exaggeration to say that they were about to close down, these three wizarding schools were indeed not the lowest level in the Starfield Sea, but they were not very good schools either.

It's no wonder that the other party took the initiative to send me a message inviting me to teach there.

Moreover, it also proposed a whole host of seemingly wonderful benefits, such as the possibility of becoming a lecturer immediately without any assessment period.

Locke thought for a moment.

"They're all pretty average. I used to think that as long as a star field or sea region accepted me, that would be fine, and a slightly better academy would be enough. But now, I've become more ambitious."

"Wait a little longer, there will be something better. Besides, I still have many things to finish at the Golden Crown Mountain True Knowledge Institute."

Locke sat in the carriage and began to check how much wizard tax he would have to pay to join the Wizarding Council.

He opened the Wizard Council interface within the Water Hyacinth system and saw that the council's name was "Wizard Tax - 300 million".

Locke was somewhat surprised to see this.

"Three million magic stones a year?"

"No wonder when the Silent Witch first became a second-circle wizard, she was driven to desperation and had no choice but to open a trading market in the Silent Plane in order to offset her taxes."

Locke blinked, then fell silent.

This tax is far too high.

Two years is six million magic stones, and ten years is thirty million magic stones.

That means I have to pay a membership fee of 25 Magic Stones every month!

My highest monthly income during the first stage was only 30 yuan.

That's more money than an ordinary first-level wizard could earn.

That's based on having a large number of new products and your own brand.

Of course, because of my advance planning, my Augustus Wizard Shoes have already been made, so I estimate that my actual income will far exceed 30.

But not every second-ring wizard is as good at marketing as I am, or has as many unique products.

In other words, most second-circle wizards will absolutely not be able to pay taxes in the early stages.

Because you can't possibly invest all the money you earn in taxes; you also need to do research, buy equipment, recruit employees, and so on.

Locke frowned, clicked on the Wizard Council interface and found that if he couldn't pay, the tax would accumulate, but no interest would be charged. He could pay off the tax debt when he had the money.

They still retain voting rights and the exemption of second-ring wizards during the period of tax arrears.

It will simply continue to deduct points from your civility credit score.

Civilization credit score is related to matters such as bank loans, dimensional conquest services, and priority in fund applications.

After all, if your civilization credit score is low, it means that your economic situation is not good and your ability is insufficient, and naturally the project reviewers will take these things into account.

No, this tax is too high!

Second-circle wizards are clearly helping the first-circle wizards by absorbing a portion of the taxes. It's very likely that as long as the first-circle wizards pay their taxes, the taxes borne by the second-circle wizards can be reduced by one-third, or even more!

Locke thought about it carefully and realized that this fixed tax system was a very high tax for low-level second-ring wizards, but only a relatively ordinary tax for high-level second-ring wizards.

In other words, it is unfavorable for the lower ring road within the second ring road, but favorable for the higher ring road within the second ring road.

Secondly, Locke discovered that if this tax could not be paid, there was a way to convert it into labor service.

If you can't afford money, then contribute your labor.

Locke saw a special note below, indicating that if he couldn't pay the taxes for the year, he could apply to the White Wizard Association's Tax Division for tax exemption through service. As long as he completed a specific task assigned by the White Wizard Association, he could directly have his taxes reduced for the following year.

That is, three million magic stones in tax revenue!

Locke sat inside the magical carriage, pondering, "Clearly, very few ordinary second-circle wizards can pay their taxes in full."

'Therefore, the White Wizarding Association uses this method to get second-circle wizards from all over the world to work for them.'

That's brilliant!

They make second-ring wizards owe taxes, and then they are forced to work for them.

Thus, the White Wizards Association transformed from a nonexistent conceptual organization into a powerful organization capable of commanding a large number of second-circle wizards.

Locke looked at the related benefits and realized that since he had to pay a membership fee of three million magic stones every year, there would naturally be strong benefits.

First of all, first-ring wizards undoubtedly enjoy the benefits.

Putting aside other factors, the overall social environment under the White Wizard Association is essentially a form of welfare.

Similarly, second-circle wizards pay taxes and therefore gain the right to vote, which is both a benefit and a right.

There are many other miscellaneous benefits, and second-circle wizards possess a considerable number of special extra-legal rights.

Leaving aside these scattered benefits, there are three main benefits.

The first major benefit is that the White Wizarding Association will distribute one bottle of second-circle potion per year to each second-circle wizard, which is beneficial for increasing magical power.

The types vary and the effects differ, but they will definitely be released through the White Wizard Association every year.

The second major benefit is that the White Wizard Association will open a second-circle wizarding secret realm, the Forbidden Library, to all second-circle wizards who have paid membership fees.

It can be entered once every ten years.

That was a second-circle wizarding secret realm of the White Wizarding Association, which could be said to be the largest second-circle wizarding secret realm in the wizarding world.

According to the introduction, the library contains a wide range of special knowledge, and each wizard who enters will receive different things based on their talents, abilities, and personal qualities.

It can be said that for many wizards who do not have the resources to enter the second-level wizarding realm, this wizarding realm is their only chance to come into contact with the second-level wizarding realm.

In the years when they could not enter the wizarding realm, it is said that they could receive the light of wisdom from the library.

This is a special spiritual enhancement resource, which can even be shared with one's own students.

Access to resources in the Forbidden Library depends heavily on qualifications, especially in certain areas.

Therefore, for wizards who are not highly qualified in a particular area, the greatest use of going to the library is to scavenge the light of wisdom!

The third major benefit is patent protection.

At the second-circle wizarding stage, the wizarding world is no longer like the first-circle wizarding world. At the first-circle stage, the entire wizarding world has a very low regard for patent protection.

However, in the second stage, patents received very serious attention.

This is probably because, for first-ring wizards, much of their research is actually repetitive, and it's hard to say that there's no borrowing or plagiarism involved.

Wizards like Locke and Sophia are actually in the minority.

After all, when you're just starting out, your skill level isn't very high, and the best way to improve is to learn from others...

Moreover, the research of first-ring wizards is basically focused on atmosphere groups, at least for the wizarding civilization of the Eastern Frontier as a whole.

Therefore, society as a whole tends to disregard the patent rights of first-ring wizards.

But second-circle wizards are different.

The first major difference is that all the second-ring wizards are members who have paid membership fees.

They paid!
So naturally, the White Wizard Association, having received the money, must do things for the wizards who provided it.

The White Wizarding Association established a special committee to review the patent rights of second-circle wizards, called the Patent Committee. This resulted in a very high level of importance being placed on patents at the second-circle stage.

Locke also noticed that there was a plane exploration option in the Wizarding Council interface.

"It seems that as long as you join the dimensional expansion plan and are in the dimensional expansion period, you can always enjoy the tax reduction policy."

"But apart from those freelance wizards, no one should be able to freely explore different planes. Because they still have to work within the academy."

"Wait, second-circle wizards have clone magic, and there are forty-eight hours in a day, so it might not be impossible."

(End of this chapter)