Wizards: Starting with Synthetic Gems

Chapter 752 Rose Tacitus and the Misty Magdre Castle

The Rose Witch looked at her granddaughter, Rose Tacitus.

Rose Tacitus is a young witch dressed in a black rose-themed wizard's robe and a large black rose wizard's hat. She also has three different rose-shaped rings on her right hand, all of which are exquisite and expensive alchemical items. On her left hand, she has a black beauty rose bracelet.

At the same time, on the left shoulder of her black wizard's robe, there was a second-circle magic plant, the Black Demon God Rose. The imaginary stems of the Black Demon God Rose pierced out from the edge of her clothes, constantly emitting terrifying magical pressure. The entire rose emitted black magical pressure upwards, like overlapping shadows.

The Black Demon God itself resembles an iron flower, its petals like tempered iron blocks, soaked in the blackness of the night, with edges gleaming with a cold, metallic light, and the veins deep within its heart like solidified molten gold.

Rose Tacitus's magical pressure is around the limit of a normal second-circle, at around 19,000. However, she is not old, only 25 years old this year. As a member of the same family as the Rose Witches—the ancient wizarding family Tacitus—she has been admitted to the Advanced Academy of Truth of the Rose Council.

At this moment, Rose the Witch stood up from her seat, bowed to Rose the Witch, and said, "Grandmother, I will do whatever you command."

“Grandma, I can help you. I’ve always wanted to join your business, to be your right-hand woman, and to be a key member of your team.”

Rose the Witch seemed somewhat excited, because this was an important task given to her by the Rose Witch.

Only second-circle wizards can be entrusted with important responsibilities. Unlike first-circle wizards, they don't have to stay in the academy and follow the rules.

The Tacitus family is an ancient wizarding surname that has produced wizard kings and wizard monarchs in the distant past, experiencing several rises and falls.

As a descendant of the Tacitus family, a member of the initial Rose Council, she wanted to inherit both the family's glory and the legacy of the Rose Witch.

Her parents and grandparents had all warned her that responsibility and power are equal, and only by becoming a key technical member of the Rose Throne team could she possibly inherit the glory of Tacitus and the Rose Witch.

Now that she has become a second-circle wizard, she is receiving more and more important tasks, and it seems that she is getting closer to that goal.

The Rose Witch nodded in satisfaction and smiled, "Of all the younger generation of the Tacitus family, I have the highest hopes for you. However, there is one issue: my expectations for you are not that you become a key technical member of my research groups. You are a junior member of my family, and I have other expectations for you."

A hint of resentment flashed across Rose's face, but even with her proud nature, she dared not show it in front of the Rose Witch.

As expected, being just an ordinary second-circle wizard isn't enough to become a key technical member of the Rose Witch team...

The Rose Witch seemed oblivious to her emotions.

“I have other expectations for you. So… why don’t you start by practicing on my biggest rival in the field of botany, Catherine the Witch’s student?”

"The wizard shoe market in Yunze Wetland has always been my backyard, my own little plot of land. But now the witch Catherine has intervened, and my two students, Rhodes and Macedon, are quite unhappy about it, because it's an industry in which they hold shares, although not too many directly."

Rose the Witch said, "Grandma, this is purely a declaration of war against us from the lineage of the Red Dragon Throne of Mount Golden Crown. They have crossed the line."

“We haven’t touched their backyard market.”

The Rose Witch smiled and said, "It's inconvenient for Rhodes and Macedonia to take direct action, as that would definitely provoke the intervention of the Third Ring Wizards under Catherine's command. This could easily escalate into a 'War of the Third Rings'."

"This is something we're trying our best to avoid. The battle between the three rings could easily trigger a chain reaction. Especially in the [Ladder of Truth], my system and Katya's are too similar, so if any three-ring wizards are continuously hostile, it could easily cause our systems to clash, which would be a very serious lose-lose situation..."

None of the second-ring wizards present understood.

The Rose Witch said to herself, "Therefore, I need you to go to Solas Barefoot and Melochy Magic Step as my representative to unite the two families, stop them from continuing to kill each other, and truly join forces to resist Augustus Wizard Shoes."

Rose the Witch asked, "Great-Grandma, what level do I need to go to?"

The Rose Witch said, "He has already become a second-circle wizard, so he should be able to establish a shop alliance soon. Once a shop alliance is established, it will be very difficult to eliminate. To put it extremely, even if he dies, the shop alliance will still be registered with the White Wizard Association. It can still be easily inherited, transferred, and sold."

A store alliance is an asset.

Moreover, it's an asset registered with the White Wizarding Association.

Each second-circle wizard has only one chance to get a shop alliance registered with the White Wizarding Association, which shows how valuable such a shop alliance is.

The Rose Witch said, "So, all I need is for you to suppress Locke Augustus's shop alliance and keep it in a subpar state. That's the ideal goal. The worst goal is to keep Augustus Wizard Shoes in the state of a third-rate shop alliance in the Cloud Marsh Wetlands."

A look of surprise flashed in Rose's eyes.

"Third-rate?"

'Isn't Great-Grandma giving too much credit to those magical plants grown by breeders?'

Rose the Witch is not a breeder, but a botanical wizard and an old textile magician.

'Third-rate? That's giving him far too much credit.'

Rose the Witch was full of confidence.

“I understand, Great-Grandma. I will help you thwart the Golden Crown Mountain’s scheme and dash the Red Dragon Throne’s hopes.”

The Rose Witch, intending to test this junior on whom she placed special hopes, said, "Tell me your thought process. Even a lion uses its full strength to hunt a rabbit. I'm testing you in advance to see how you answer."

"If you answer well, this job is yours. Otherwise..."

The Rose Witch shook her head slightly, her two ponytails swinging in the air, while the mature witch in front of her was wavering and momentarily flustered.

Rose the Witch said, “There are two points. I’ve seen that guy’s magical plant wizard shoes before. I think he took a lot of shortcuts. First of all, the pure magical plant technology concept was not his idea. The wizard who originally proposed it died while exploring the colony world, which allowed him to use the already published technology patent at will.”

"Secondly, he has successfully navigated the first-ring magical plant path, but even with the first-ring magical plant wizard shoes, he has only launched one relatively excellent star product so far, let alone entered the second-ring stage. As for selling wizard shoes that do not involve the second-ring, it will always remain a small-scale operation and will not be able to expand its scale."

Simply put, he lacks depth and substance.

Rose the Witch said, "As long as I persist in developing the advantages of the alliance between the two stores, leveraging our profound heritage, building brand appeal, and creating value for the old brand, we can easily win without a fight."

The Rose Witch nodded slightly.

"It's decent, nothing special. But it's usable now."

Ultimately, it's still a low-cycle idea.

But he's already considered a decent conservative wizard, at least he knows that with the deep reserves accumulated by the two shop alliances, there's a lot of room for error.

It seems that defeating Locke Augustine would be more than enough.

Rose Tacitus's abilities are average, so she needs to find someone to train her.

Talented people are cultivated through education.

The Rose Witch believed herself to have the ability to recognize and utilize talent.

Rose Witch's confidence soared upon hearing Rose Witch's praise.

However, she noticed that the Rose Witch's opinion of her remained ambiguous, so she secretly resolved to do this well and win the Rose Witch's trust.

To become a key technical member of the Rose Witch team in a particular area, one needs at least the level of a Sun Ring Wizard and also possess unique abilities within the team.

For example, the unique research accumulation on the ecological corridor theory, like that of Lady Lana the Witch.

Only in this way can one become a useful member of the team.

Of course, this needs to be done step by step.

She needs to get at least one key sub-project from the Rose Witch; that one is particularly important.

Money is a minor matter; the most important thing is honor, and the things that can be accessed through it.

The key projects are projects fully funded by the White Wizard Association of Yunze Wetlands, which hopes to yield results. If an ordinary second-circle wizard can get such a project, it means that he can access many things ahead of time and obtain resources that will greatly benefit his future.

Generally speaking, a key project for a wizarding land like Yunze Wetland requires at least a Sun-level wizard to even consider.

The difference between a Sun Ring Wizard and an ordinary Second Ring Wizard is like heaven and earth.

The Rose Witch glanced at Rose Witch, who was deep in thought, then turned to Esther Witch and said, "Esther, this is a Silver Ring Peach."

"Help me induce labor."

Esther the Witch nodded. "Yes, Your Majesty. At your service."

Esther the witch took the peach tree, and then the Silver Ring Peach Tree in her hands changed rapidly, growing thicker and thicker. In less than ten minutes, it had grown ten years out of thin air.

The Rose Witch observed from the side, nodding in satisfaction. "I see. This ripening technique is based on your ultimate magic, not a regular second-circle spell, so other wizards will find it difficult to learn."

The construction of a Great Magic is extremely dangerous, as it concerns advancement to the second ring, and it is simply impossible to replicate easily.

Esther's smile remained unchanged, as if she didn't care at all that the Rose Witch had just tried to spy on her magic and, relying on her knowledge and understanding of magic from the Third Ring Throne, forcibly took control of her ring magic.

It doesn't matter.

Because ultimate magic is rare among second-ring wizards, and even third-ring wizards cannot so easily see through and learn it.

The Rose Witch received the Silver Ring Peach, which had been given ten years of extra life, from Esther.

The Rose Witch sighed, "It takes ten years to grow a tree, but a hundred years to cultivate a person."

"Annalensis is indeed the subject that our Rose Council most needs to strengthen. Now that you have returned, the level of this subject in our Rose Council will advance by leaps and bounds within twenty years."

"Gentlemen, let's return to the Rose Council first. We also need to go to Golden Crown Mountain soon, since Catherine the Witch's last disciple has advanced to the second ring."

The Rose Witch said, "I estimate that Katya will hold a banquet for him. At that time, about half of the high-ring wizards in Yunze Wetland will attend, either by themselves or by sending their students."

“Katya has elevated her status in the Golden Crown Mountain and Cloud Ze Councils through a series of maneuvers this year. Things are different now. In the past, as the Rose Witch of the Rose Council, I had more power than her, but now she is no less powerful than me.” “This year has truly been a pivotal year.”

A hint of displeasure flashed in the Rose Witch's eyes.

……

At Mount Golden Crown, Locke first returned to his dormitory and met with Wizard Daniel.

Even the wizard Daniel was somewhat incredulous at this moment. He looked at Locke in front of him and felt the magical pressure emanating from Locke, which was as vast as the ocean and as deep as the abyss.

"Locke, you're a second-circle wizard now?"

The wizard Daniel was utterly astonished.

"My God, you became a second-circle wizard in your first year at Golden Crown Mountain? You know, I've read the history of the Golden Crown Mountain True Knowledge Institute, and no one has ever done that before. You're simply a super genius."

"No one has ever done this!"

Locke nodded slightly.

In fact, there are too many coincidences in this matter.

The Spellfighting Tournament and the Silent Holy Grail accelerated his rapid growth. In these two competitions, he obtained the magical inheritance of the Holy Dragon and constructed a vast amount of magic.

Similarly, there were two unexpected surprises: one was exploring the abyssal ruins of the Nameless King from the Age of Stars, and the other was that the witch Catherine arranged for her to enter the Dune plane, where she inadvertently discovered the special symbiotic relationship between the Dune people and the Stone Spirits.

Of course, the most important thing is your own Rubik's Cube.

However, he had already used up all his savings, and the amount and level of resources required for each step forward in the second ring were incomparable to those in the first ring.

Therefore, I need to start accumulating experience again and build up more qualifications to compete for top teaching positions in the Starfield Sea.

Locke's ambition also increased step by step as he progressed.

At first, he couldn't even distinguish the difference in level between the Starfield Sea and the Cloud Marsh Wetland, or the difference in level between the wizard academies within them.

And now, he doesn't have to join every university in the star system or sea.

Since we're going to enter the Starfield Sea anyway, let's just go straight for the best one.

Only by entering the best universities can one explore the most cutting-edge things and achieve the best growth.

Before that, he needed to consult some further information about entering the Starfield Sea to determine whether his current level was sufficient to enter the top universities within the Starfield Sea and obtain a top teaching position.

Fortunately, after becoming a second-circle wizard, I had plenty of time.

A normal second-circle wizard's lifespan is a thousand years, but because he possesses immortal dragon scales, he can live even longer.

At the second level, because they can continuously unlock new levels, unlike wizard apprentices and first-level wizards who encounter level constraints, the second level can theoretically increase their power ceiling as they unlock new levels.

This also leads to a wide variety of power systems in the second stage, with a huge difference between the upper and lower limits.

Wizard Daniel seemed very happy. He took out a bottle of wizard's wine and was about to go into Locke's dormitory with Locke to celebrate.

He was holding a bottle of wizard's wine when he suddenly stood outside Locke's door, his eyes suddenly showing a sense of estrangement and probing towards Locke.

Wizard Daniel looked at Locke and said, "Lord Locke, may I enter your room and have a drink with you?"

Locke raised an eyebrow and gestured for him to proceed.

"Lord Daniel, please."

Wizard Daniel couldn't help but chuckle. Only after confirming that Locke was still willing to treat him as an equal did he completely relax. He walked into the dormitory and said to Locke, "You, a second-ring wizard, actually call me, a crystallization wizard, 'sir.' You're really going against the natural order."

Wizard Daniel and Locke sat at the dining table and had a few drinks.

In fact, neither of them drank wizard's wine, since it was one of the few wizard's drinks that could even numb the minds of a formal wizard.

Under the influence of alcohol, Wizard Daniel began to talk with Locke about his various actions and experiences in the Golden Crown Mountain, and then he talked about the honest wizards in his hometown of Fission Plains.

Wizard Daniel burped.

"The wizards of Yunze Wetland are such hypocrites. They are the ones who love to measure others with metrics, yet on our very first day at Golden Crown Mountain, they asked us to engage in abstract discussions!"

"Luckily I didn't listen."

"Moreover, there are so many scammers here, especially female scammers."

Wizard Daniel looked at Locke and asked, "I wonder if there are any female con artists among the second-ring wizards?"

Locke pondered for a moment, took a sip of wizard's wine, and then said, "Second-circle wizards are all the best... they should... perhaps..."

He wasn't sure either.

Wizard Daniel said, "We both entered Golden Crown Mountain at the same time, and today you became a second-circle wizard before me. I'm happy and pleased."

"In the Fission Plains, I never felt so badly left behind. I never imagined that coming to Mount Golden Crown would lead me to almost become a debt slave, then to you, and then to Antoine, the Preston Witch, the Julian Witch..."

"And then there's that recent Three Kings Tournament champion, the first-ring wizard Alex."

“He is the assistant wizarding instructor for the first stage of Golden Crown Mountain. Golden Crown Mountain is full of hidden talents. We are at most the better and more outstanding in this batch, but looking ahead, there are many wizards who are stronger than me. Of course, in this batch, you have already surpassed me.”

Drunkard Daniel said, "You can't see a world like this without going to Mount Golden Crown. If I were still in the Fission Plains, I might still be complacent about what I've accomplished."

"But after seeing you, I can no longer bear to go back to that place, the Fission Plains, and be a coward."

"Better to be the tail of a phoenix than the head of a chicken. Locke, you must think the same way. I still remember the first day we met, you told me that your goal was the Starfield Sea. Back then, I thought you had a big ambition, but now, watching your progress, it feels like a lifetime ago."

Wizard Daniel said, "Perhaps I should set my sights higher. Being with people like you and holding myself to such low standards, I can't forgive myself."

Locke smiled and said, "Sure, Daniel, with your talent, you can definitely continue to improve."

Wizard Daniel said, “My priority isn’t the Starfield Sea. The Starfield Sea is fine, but thinking about it, I’m a weatherman. I want to go to the holy land of weathermen in the Eastern Frontier—the top academy in the Razer Lowlands, Magdre Castle.”

"I'm naturally playful. There are many wizarding entertainment businesses in the Razer Lowlands, plus Magdre Castle has top-notch weather science that rivals the Starfield Sea."

"It is the top wizarding university in the Razer Lowlands."

Locke pondered for a moment. He had heard of Magdre Castle, which, along with Cloudswamp Wetlands, had ten districts, seven top-tier wizarding universities, and countless small and medium-sized wizarding colleges. Its development was relatively balanced, and it emphasized fair competition, unlike other places.

Razer Lowlands adopts a concentrated development strategy, with only three super wizard academies and a bunch of smaller wizard academies within its borders.

In other words, there are actually only three major wizarding universities in the Razer Lowlands.

The others, on the other hand, were some small, insignificant wizarding academies.

For the past twenty years, the overall strength of the Raize Lowlands has ranked first among the Three Swamps.

Magdreburg is the top-ranked school in the Rezer Lowlands.

It is easy to imagine how powerful Magdre Castle and Rootcrown Court, these super wizarding universities in the Razer Lowlands, are.

Magdre Castle possesses magical resources and research capabilities comparable to many wizarding universities in the Starfield.

From another perspective, the reason why Raize Lowlands uses this strategy of weakening the middle layer and concentrating resources on the upper layer is also in order to compete with Starfield Sea in certain specific areas.

Locke nodded slightly. "Magndreburg... is quite good. Keep it up."

"Daniel, you've talked to me so much today, is there something you need?"

Daniel paused for a moment, then opened a bottle of peach blossom wizard wine, poured the expensive wine into Locke's glass, and said with a smile, "It's like this, Locke, I've found that your two latest wizard shoes complement one of my inventions very well. So I wanted to recommend them to you."

"Your two latest Snowtop Wizard Shoes both require the gathering of moisture in the air to condense into ice tracks. But what if there's no moisture?"

"What if it's in a dry environment?"

Locke blinked. "Your considerations are very reasonable, Daniel. Go on."

Daniel said, "I think incorporating the Mistology subfield from the field of meteorology into your wizard shoes could optimize their performance."

“I have a spirit mist that would be perfect as a patch for your wizard shoes.”

"In addition, if you need it, I can even do some part-time work for you."

Locke smiled. So today Daniel wasn't just coming to catch up with him, but also wanted to find him a part-time job and recommend a component that might be useful to him.

Locke glanced at the so-called special mist in Daniel's hand, examined it briefly, and indeed thought it was quite good.

This is a special kind of spiritual mist that is normally a latex-like paste, but can be transformed into a fog with the slightest stimulation of magical power.

Its specific properties do indeed fit well with his wizard shoes, and it can even enhance some of the magical plant traits of the Great Snowtop Wizard Shoes, but how much it can enhance them requires further testing.

(End of this chapter)