Wizards: Starting with Synthetic Gems

Chapter 790 The Forbidden Forest's Secret Treasure Tree! A secret is hidden within!
In the library area of ​​Jinmianshan Second Ring Road, Jugglus, Wizard Alex, and Locke sat together at a tea table in the library's free area.

Jugglus took a sip of the free wizard tea [Azure Feather Bamboo Tea] offered to second-circle wizards in the library. He had recovered from his previous excitement and said somewhat embarrassedly, "There are two problems. If we want to go to the Forbidden Forest in the southeast corner of the region, we need a boat ticket and travel expenses. It will cost about 20,000 to 30,000 magic stones."

"The second problem is that the Forbidden Forest is extremely dangerous, and it is half a forbidden zone in the southeastern corner of the region. Because of the Forbidden Forest, the magical power in the southeastern corner of the region has declined and become desolate."

Locke replied, "No problem. I have a way to get you into the Forbidden Forest safely and conduct your experiments undisturbed."

The wizard Jugglus's eyes lit up, and the way he looked at Locke became more and more like the way he looked at a sugar daddy.

Botanists and breeders alike can appreciate the value of Locke's words.

Even a third-ring wizard wouldn't dare enter the Forbidden Forest casually, yet Locke somehow managed to allow others to enter safely.

The wizard Jugglus Juggler laughed and said, "As expected of the champion of the Silent Grail."

Locke asked, "But I have a question. Wizard Jugglus, can't you produce twenty or thirty thousand magic stones?"

Locke looked at him with a puzzled expression.

Logically speaking, such a small amount of magic stones could be easily borrowed from students and first- or second-ring wizard colleagues.

The wizard Jugglus was somewhat embarrassed.

Wizard Alex spread his hands and said, "I can explain that. Jugglus recently went on a new route and now he owes a lot of money."

The wizard Jugglus looked at Locke with a distressed expression.

"Since we're all breeders, it should be relatively easy for us to understand. I previously misjudged a certain region in the endless void as a special area where elemental contamination, which was beneficial to me, led to plant evolution. So I organized an expedition to enter this new route, but who knew..."

"I gained nothing, yet I still have to pay the expedition team's wages, equipment costs, and to enter the new route, I need to rent void exploration equipment, void small flying vehicles, and the corresponding plane exploration qualification certificates."

"In addition, I paid the wizard tax a few days ago, which left me penniless. I also owe money to various banks and acquaintances. As for what kind of money, I'd rather not say more."

Wizard Jugglus whispered to Locke, “Alas, Wizard Locke, you must feel the same way. You go to a certain area with great enthusiasm, spend a lot of money, and think you will gain everything there, but you wander around for months or even years and get nothing at all.”

"On the contrary, if someone in the team gets injured or sick as a result, you have to pay their medical expenses and compensate them for related costs."

Wizard Alex sighed, "Void exploration is indeed a very expensive undertaking. A round trip is very costly."

"Not to mention, there are countless dangers in the void, and any loss will result in compensation."

Locke nodded slightly, understanding now.

No wonder the wizard Jugglus Juggler was hostile towards him.

It turned out that he was having a really tough time.

Taxes, the cost of organizing the expedition, and subsequent debts, plus the fact that he gained nothing of value from the expedition, and the recent rejection of his application for a special grant.

He faced a dire situation where he had run out of ammunition and food.

If this continues, they might become slaves to debt.

It can only be said that the gap between the upper and lower limits of spending money on research is simply too large.

No wonder the wizard Jugglus was so excited when he heard that he could provide him with a valuable research subject.

Wizard Jugglus asked tentatively, "Locke, are you sure we don't need to organize another small expedition team for this trip to the Forbidden Forest?"

Locke shook his head slightly.

"unnecessary."

"It's not us, it's you. My main body is too busy to do this project. You go ahead and do it. I'll leave an avatar in the Forbidden Forest, so you can go there alone. As for the lodging... I can provide it for you. I'll give you 30,000 magic stones right now."

The wizard Jugglus Juggler's eyes widened.

For a moment, he felt as if Locke was radiating golden light from his entire body.

How could Locke be so rich?
Does he still have so many projects on his plate?

The wizard Jugglus felt he was about to die of poverty, but someone in the same True Knowledge Institute was about to become incredibly wealthy.

Two words popped into the wizard Jugglus Juggler's mind.

The big spender.

thigh.

Then came regret. He regretted that he had dared to be so arrogant towards such a powerful patron and influential figure. He shouldn't have done that!

Locke looked at the wizard Jugglus Juggler, still wearing a faint smile.

"However, we need to discuss the allocation of articles and project ownership in advance."

The wizard Jugglus Juggler became serious and pondered for a moment.

"You provided the research objectives, the research facilities, and the resources. I only contributed my time and effort, so I thought that if I wrote an article based on this and submitted it to a journal, I could give you first authorship; I only need to share the first authorship..."

The wizard Jugglus was somewhat uneasy.

Actually, he wasn't a truly cold-hearted person; he was just so poor that he was starting to get a little anxious, which is why Locke had that attitude before.

He didn't know if Locke would allow him to participate, after all, Locke had provided the main components for this collaborative project.

Locke was also somewhat surprised, not expecting that second-ring wizards had become even poorer.

Doing research is indeed the most expensive thing in the world.

If it weren't for the huge cash flow from the wizard shoe market, I'd probably be in the same predicament as Jugglus Juggler right now.

No wonder second-ring wizards have difficulty advancing.

How can we make rapid progress when we're so short of money?
At certain critical moments, you could have gotten through them simply by spending some money, but because you lack funds, you can only stay where you are.

Locke waved his hand.

"No need. Whether it's articles, journals, or any projects resulting from them, you don't need to share any of the profits with me."

A look of doubt flashed across the wizard Jugglus Juggler's eyes.

Locke said, "We are both students of Professor Ekaterina and belong to the same academic lineage. I admire Wizard Jugglus Juggler's research on magical plants and elemental evolution more. So, I'm just giving you this resource that I can't digest. That's all."

For a moment, both the wizards Jugglus and Alex felt that they had been too narrow-minded, that their previous thoughts were far too short-sighted and selfish.

At this moment, Locke seemed like a ray of light to them.

Even Alex, the wizard who was originally just watching the show and had no connection to the matter, was somewhat moved.

Locke, however, was deep in thought.

'I was just using Jugglus Juggler as a favor to make a deal with Silent Bee.'

'This guy's dishonest. If I take his first book, given how short of money he is, he'll just ask me for the remaining funding. If it were just about providing money, that would be fine, but I might end up having to go to the Forbidden Forest, contributing manpower and effort, and owing him a favor.'

'The undead contaminating the magical plants, while related to evolution, isn't my primary interest right now. It wouldn't be good if it consumed my energy and affected my application for top-tier funding.'

'On the contrary, the knowledge from the subfield of elemental evolution research on magical plants is exactly what I need.'

Locke looked at Wizard Jugglus Jugglus and said, "Jugglus Jugglus, I'm very interested in elemental evolution botany. I wonder if we could exchange ideas?"

Wizard Jugglus blinked; he truly believed Locke had read his article and admired his talent. "Of course. If this research yields any results, I can share them with you."

Wizard Jugglus felt that Locke was so generous that he should try to befriend Locke in the future, as there might be even greater benefits to come.

Locke and Jugglus continued their conversation for a while, mainly discussing the unfinished ideas Locke had gleaned from reading Jugglus's free articles on the first stage of the story.

With the help of a wizard who had a deep understanding of plant evolution, Locke gained a general understanding of the evolution of elements in just two hours of conversation.

The other party also tossed him a magic book.

The wizard Jugglus gave Locke the magic book, The Evolution of Elemental Soil, saying, "This is the best book I have ever read about the elemental evolution of plants."

Locke read an old book and discovered that the author lived thousands of years ago and was probably already a pile of bones.

"Thank you, Jugglus Juggler."

After communicating with the wizard Jugglus Juggler, he realized that he had misunderstood something: the full name of elemental evolution in botany is elemental soil evolution.

In other words, the focus is on the soil, not the elements.

It utilizes the rhizosphere effect of plant roots, and based on this, it has generated a kind of evolutionary process.

In other words, the evolution of elements is essentially a smaller subfield under the life sciences—botany—nutrient soil science.

It can be regarded as a very special kind of nutrient soil.

Therefore, the elemental evolution mentioned by the wizard Jugglus Juggler does not refer to a certain magical plant developing a specific elemental attribute, but rather to a magical plant absorbing certain elements from the soil. Instead of causing the magical plant to wither and die, it develops a certain evolutionary bias under the influence of these elements.

Locke was reading the book on the evolution of elements and soil given to him by the wizard Jugglus Juggler, quickly deepening his basic knowledge of this subject.

Wizard Jugglus said, "So your Fire Tree Silver Flower Spell is indeed very unique. Before you told me, I didn't realize that the Fire Tree Silver Flower Spell could allow magical plants to directly and permanently acquire a certain attribute."

Locke asked doubtfully, "But my Pinellia can give certain plants certain attributes through convergent evolution."

Wizard Jugglus said, “That’s right. In the end, the difference between the two is not that great, but the difference between them is great. As you said, Wizard Locke, Banxia gives the surrounding magical plants the attributes of summer, including Tyrant Element No. 2, all by using the [convergent evolution] mechanism.”

"Convergent evolution allows them to undergo a certain evolution in a short period of time, while the Fire Tree Silver Flower Curse forcibly grants them attributes."

"Furthermore, since convergent evolution is a form of evolution, then so-called evolution certainly won't necessarily cause a certain magical plant to develop a specific, unchanging attribute. You've also noticed that even with the same attribute, there are different spiritualities, and the differences between them are significant. But the Fire Tree Silver Flower Spell endows a magical plant with a specific fire spirituality. This isn't evolution; this is enchantment."

"But your talent has turned this enchantment into a targeted evolution."

"Strictly speaking, the Fire Tree and Silver Flower Spell does not belong to evolutionary magic at all; it is a kind of enchanting magic."

The wizard Jugglus Juggler succinctly revealed the essence of the matter.

The Fire Tree and Silver Flower Spell is the result of Edgar the Wizard's research and is the core of his unfinished work, "Returning All Things to the Tree."

Locke pondered for a moment and concluded that the Fire Tree Silver Flower Spell was essentially a magical model used to construct an energy diversion furnace to which all things belong.

Of course, it couldn't be a spell developed through evolution.

Edgar took the wrong path back then, which is why the model for the All Things Return to the Tree spell never reached perfection.

It was through my collaboration with him within the Silent Grail that I helped him complete the "Fire Tree and Silver Flower" spell, thus perfecting his "Return of All Things to the Tree." He is the second-place winner in the Silent Grail, and should be able to bring the perfect version of the "Return of All Things to the Tree" spell model out.

The wizard Jugglus Juggler pondered, "So your Moon of Evolution can turn some enchantment magic into evolution. In other words, it can make enchantment evolve."

Locke nodded. This was determined by the dimensional information inversion characteristic of his Lunar Cultivation Method.

Communicating with geniuses can indeed help clarify one's own thoughts.

I currently possess a vast magical system, and after exchanging ideas with the wizard Jugglus Juggler, who clarified my magic related to elemental evolution, I became even more aware of my own strengths.

The other party simply didn't know about the Moon Cultivation Method, and therefore didn't know that he could also use the Fire Tree Silver Flower Spell to trim dimensional information and roughly control the backflow of the general dimensional information he wanted.

Therefore, the Fire Tree Silver Flower Spell is also his own enchanted weapon.

……

In the Forbidden Forest, Locke said to the Silent Bee Fairy, "Alright. I've found someone to help. He's also a wizard; here's his portrait and his spiritual aura. He'll be here in a little over a month; I hope you can let him pass."

"Don't worry, he is... mine..."

Locke pondered for a moment, realizing that when you're traveling, you have to choose your own identity.

“He is my student. A second-circle wizard.”

"It can solve our problem."

Silent Bee Fairy stared wide-eyed at Locke, looking him up and down.

“Ferocious beast, you really have a lot of influence outside. The King of the Forbidden Forest is truly blind. I told him long ago that after you returned, the strength of our Forbidden Forest would increase, and our situation would be much better. But he said that you are just a small fry among the wizards.”

"It won't help us at all."

Silent Bee Fairy circled around Locke's head once, "Hahaha, that's great! With someone as influential as you, Ferocious Beast, our lives are going to be much easier from now on."

"Ferocious beast, rest assured, we will absolutely not make things difficult for your students. You and your students are guests of our Forbidden Forest, as for the other wizards..."

The Silent Bee Fairy stopped flying.

"Those people have ulterior motives, so that's a different story. For them, it's better to keep the Forbidden Forest as a secluded area. We'll kill them one by one if they come."

Locke asked, "Does the Forbidden Forest hate wizards?"

The Silent Bee Fairy said, "Come, I'll take you to enjoy the unique delicacies of the Forbidden Forest and the ferocious beasts."

Silent Bee Fairy said, “It’s not hatred. It’s trouble. A long time ago, the Forbidden Forest also tried to trust the wizards, but those wizards couldn’t control themselves at all. They would sneak into the Forbidden Forest to poach the magical creatures of the Forbidden Forest. They even captured the Forbidden Forest King’s own kind. Later, in order to protect his kind, the Forbidden Forest King hid the species and names of his kind, as well as his own appearance.”

"Because he is a secret, and when wizards see a secret, they can't help but explore it."

"The wizards want to explore everything about the King of the Forbidden Forest."

"In short, wizards always love to explore the Forbidden Forest, wanting to uncover all its secrets. The Forbidden Forest doesn't want to be seen or understood, which is our right. But the wizards don't want to give us that right. So, gradually the Forbidden Forest stopped opening up, and we completely banned wizards from entering."

The Silent Bee Fairy said, "Oh, right. A portion of the Forbidden Forest is still used as a secret realm by wizards. I heard from the previous generation of fairies that it was the result of negotiations between the Witch Myster and the King of the Forbidden Forest. The Witch Myster has done a great favor for the Forbidden Forest, so we cannot break our agreement with her."

Locke looked at the Silent Bee Fairy in surprise, never expecting to hear the name of the Mister Witch from him.

I had previously suspected that the Witch of Mystery must have made some kind of agreement with the Forbidden Forest, and now it has been confirmed.

My guess during my apprenticeship was correct.

It's just unknown what the Witch Myster's current status is in the wizarding world. Has she aged and died naturally, or is she still existing in this wizarding world due to continuous breakthroughs?

As for why Lilith's Cottage ended up as the third largest in the Southeast Corner Region, while the largest became the University of Verdandia and the Four Seasons Garden, it's not hard to guess.

As time goes by, even the most powerful organizations will decline. The fact that Lilith House can maintain its current level is already quite remarkable.

Of course, after this war between the black and white wizards, Lilith's Cottage suffered the least damage, while Chimera Market was the best preserved.

Therefore, after the war, Lilith's Hut would probably be number one.

Locke reminded Silent Bee, "After you solve the problem, Fairy, don't forget your promise to me."

Silent Bee said, "Of course, of course. We would never dare to deceive a ferocious beast."

"As long as the pollution in the forbidden forest is resolved, I will bless your tree people."

"So that you too may possess a talking tree."

Locke was extremely satisfied.

He followed the silent bee forward, wondering what the unique delicacies of the natives inside this mysterious forbidden forest were like.

I'm really something else. I don't know how I ended up in the Forbidden Forest.

After passing through a winding path, Locke followed the Silent Bee to a tree laden with treasures. The tree looked extremely noble, as it was adorned with various jewels.

The treetops were covered with all sorts of treasure chests.

Locke looked up at the unusual tree, whose intricate design rivaled that of a Christmas tree, and was puzzled. He then looked at the Silent Bee.

After learning that Locke had a lot of influence outside, Silent Bee seemed to pay even more attention to him.

“You’re a respected figure outside, so naturally we’ll treat you to the best of everything.”

"This is the special product of the forbidden forest—the Secret Treasure Tree."

Locke immediately activated the tiger eye on his forehead, enhancing his perception to observe the treasure tree.

He discovered that this treasure tree was indeed a demonic plant, but its imaginary roots seemed particularly special, just like the Netherworld Iron Tree, which also had special imaginary roots.

The imaginary root of this magical plant was like a ring; after passing through the imaginary sea, it actually pierced through the phase of the imaginary sea and connected to the fruit of this magical plant.

Of course, this is just my initial observation based on what I see with my naked eye.

I cannot determine the specifics of the situation.

But the imaginary root of this magical plant is indeed very special.

'The Iron Tree of the Underworld, the Secret Treasure Tree of the Forbidden Forest.'

Locke remarked, 'The imaginary root theory of the second stage is truly complex; no wonder it's one of the core areas of knowledge in second-stage botany.'

'This is far too profound. If I want to perfect the Moon of Evolution and bring it to the level of Virtual Forging, I need to intensify my research into evolution.'

"And if I want to design second-ring enchanted plant wizard shoes that can be mass-produced, I need to delve deeper into the study of imaginary roots. I still have much to learn and research."

Locke felt the difficulty in allocating resources, energy, and wealth.

Because you need resources and platforms, you have to start with projects. But when you do projects, you can't completely decide what kind of research you want to do.

The best way to improve oneself is through research related to evolution.

Of course, you can try to do some projects related to evolutionary biology to obtain the two major projects from the True Knowledge Institute.

This can accelerate your growth.

Locke asked, "So this Treasure Tree is a special delicacy from the Forbidden Forest?"

The Silent Bee Fairy stood tall and proud.

“That’s right, because the ferocious beast is a person of prestige outside, that’s why I invited you to the secret treasure tree of the King of the Forbidden Forest.”

"I will tell the King of the Forbidden Forest later that I hosted a banquet for you. I think he will praise me."

"What is one of the essential aspects of the Forbidden Forest? Ferocious beasts?"

Locke looked at the Forbidden Forest Treasure Tree, pondered for a moment, and then, combining his knowledge of the Forbidden Forest with what the Silent Bee had told him, said, "Secret."

"Although I cannot see the specific responsibilities of the Forbidden Forest, do not know if such specific responsibilities exist, and cannot fully see the nature of the Forbidden Forest, I do know that one of the essential aspects of the Forbidden Forest is secrecy."

"The Forbidden Forest is a treasure trove of secrets, and the King of the Forbidden Forest is one of the most alluring secrets within that treasure trove."

The Silent Bee Fairy looked at Locke in surprise, then said, "As expected of a ferocious beast, you are truly clever. The fruits of this Treasure Tree are all secrets. You can put your secrets into the flowers of this tree, and after a certain number of years, the flowers will turn into fruits. Those fruits are treasures, they are secrets."

"In other words, the Treasure Tree can hatch secrets."

Locke was somewhat bewildered.

"The tree that hatches secrets?"

What is that?
It's described in such an abstract way...

The Silent Bee Fairy made a 'please' gesture.

"Now, please place an item containing your secret into a flower bud on the Treasure Tree. Then, you only need to wait five years to reap the secret."

For a moment, Locke even suspected that this thing was trying to swindle him out of his treasure.

But Silent Bee immediately added, "It can't be a magical artifact; it can only be a decaying mortal object, a natural creation, not any man-made one. Moreover, it must be deeply related to your secret, so that the secret fruit can hatch in five years."

Locke realized he was overthinking things. There was nothing he could do; the outside world was so complicated, and there were so many scammers. It was normal for him to be careful.

But if that's the case, not to mention what could actually hatch, the key issue is that there aren't many things on me that fit this description.

After all, it cannot be a man-made object; it must be a natural creation.

Locke said, "Silent Bee, the delicacies and snacks in your Forbidden Forest are truly unique."

"But I don't understand what you mean by 'incubating secrets,' and I need to think carefully about what you want to put on me."

"Would a leaf from the World Tree be acceptable?"

The Silent Bee Fairy wore a terrified expression, her antennae crossing over.

“Ferocious beast, don’t joke with me. That secret is too big for this tree to bear.”

"Demon plants and bloodlines are both acceptable."

"As for what will hatch, I don't know. It's just that it's said that this tree has the power to unlock that secret potential and make the secret even bigger."

Locke pondered for a moment.

"Bloodline can also be used?"

"Would a drop of my blood be acceptable? But my blood should possess magical power. I wonder if that would still qualify it as a creation of nature."

The Silent Bee Fairy smiled.

“Ferocious beasts, as long as they are living beings, are all creations of nature.”

(End of this chapter)