Locke: Daily intelligence, I'm going crazy finding bargains!

At six o'clock in the morning, Luo Xing was woken up by the notification in his head.

[Ding! Daily intelligence update.]

[Today's Intelligence: Tonight, there's a "Star Key" available at shop number 003 in the Los Angeles Black Market. Only one is available, first come, first served.]

Luo Xing suddenly sat up in bed.

He knew all too well the value of the Star Key. In the game, this key could enhance the ability to transform spirits, and he was very much looking forward to seeing how the Star Key would be used here.

He checked his mobile banking app, and the balance showed: 3742 Locke Dollars.

Luo Xing rubbed his temples, then dialed Bai Qiuxue's number, which rang seven or eight times before being answered.

"What's up so early in the morning?" Bai Qiuxue's voice was hoarse from just waking up.

"Teacher Bai, how is little Pal?"

"It survived, but it's still very weak, and the residual pollution in its body is more severe than I anticipated. Let it stay with me for now and recuperate properly."

"Okay, thank you for your help."

"Don't mention it, hang up now."

Luo Xing put away his phone, changed his clothes, and went out. He only had a few thousand yuan in his pocket, which was far from enough to buy things on the black market.

Moreover, the black market is a gray area, open only to magicians, and without official badges, one cannot even enter.

The most urgent tasks are to get badges, level up, and earn money.

The Los Angeles branch of the Mage's Association is located at the end of Ginkgo Avenue in the east of the city. It is a five-story gray-white building with ancient magical patterns engraved on the two stone pillars at the entrance.

Luo Xing pushed open the door. The receptionist was a young woman wearing glasses. Seeing Luo Xing take out his apprentice mage certificate, she quickly registered his information.

"Follow me, the testing area is at the back."

Passing through the corridor, you enter a standard battle arena, engraved with a magic circle that can automatically regenerate.

Luo Xing walked in and paused for a moment when he saw the person standing opposite him.

An elderly man with gray hair, wearing a gray robe and carrying a thermos, was the same old man who summoned the demon wolf in the park last time.

Luo Xing's gaze fell on the four-star mage badge on the old man's chest.

The old man recognized Luo Xing, happily screwed on the thermos lid, and waved to him.

"Hey, young man, you're here for the assessment so soon? Thanks to you for reminding me about that Pokémon last time."

Luo Xing smiled and said, "Hello, sir."

"Thank you as much as I am, the old man won't hold back." The old man put his thermos on a chair by the side of the field and stretched his wrists.

The receptionist walked to the center of the venue and read out the rules.

"Apprentice Mage Examination Rules: Each side summons a spirit of level 15 or lower to battle. The challenger who remains undefeated within twenty rounds will be awarded the qualification of a one-star mage."

Luo Xing nodded and took out the Gulu Ball.

"Meow meow, come on stage."

A flash of white light, and the golden-haired cat makes its dazzling debut.

The old man also took out a Poké Ball and tossed it forward.

A burst of green light spread out, and a fairy with a bright green body and a small flower on its head appeared on the other side.

【Elf: Miraculous Grass】

[Rank: Lv.15]

[Quality: Rare]

[Attribute: Grass]

Talent: Excellent

It is level 15, but its bloodline is two levels lower than Meow Meow's.

Luo Xing did not underestimate his opponent; he was still somewhat excited to face a four-star mage in his first match.

"Begin!" The receptionist raised a flag.

"Beautiful Grass, Spores!" The old man immediately used a control skill.

The flowers atop the clover suddenly burst open, and green spores spread through the air.

"Meow, back off, go around to the left."

Meowth used its hind legs to propel itself to the left, dodging the spore-infested area.

"The vines twist." The old man didn't give him a chance to catch his breath.

Two emerald green vines emerged from the side of the succulent grass, whistling through the air as they coiled towards Meow Meow.

"defense."

Meow Meow closed its eyes and lowered its body slightly. The moment the vine whip reached it, it crossed its arms to create a shield of light, blocking both vines and reducing the damage.

The old man raised an eyebrow, his eyes showing a hint of seriousness.

"Good, flash."

The beautiful grass shot out rays of light from its stamen at incredible speed, heading straight for Meow Meow.

One punch! I'll take it head-on!

Meow Meow suddenly turned around, clenched its right paw into a fist, and slammed it hard into the head of the succulent, directly under the light.

The passive combat rhythm has been layered.

Meow Meow's speed and dodging ability have noticeably increased.

"Again!" Luo Xing waved his hand.

Meow Meow pushed off with its feet, cracking the ground, and its entire figure transformed into a blur as it rushed towards the Wonderful Grass.

The old man gave two commands in a row, and the Qili Grass first released poisonous spores, and then released fibrous defensive attacks.

However, Meow Meow's passive talent, Eye of Insight, on its forehead was triggered, ignoring the negative effects of the poison spores, and it plunged headfirst into the smoke.

Meow Meow burst out of the poisonous mist and punched Qili Grass. Qili Grass screamed and staggered backward.

"It's over. Thorn Claw."

Meow Meow's right paw was entangled in thorns, and it slapped the top of the succulent grass with its paw.

Qilicao's legs went weak, and she collapsed to the ground, completely losing her ability to fight.

The entire room fell silent for two seconds.

The receptionist raised a flag: "Challenger wins, test passed."

The old man walked over, put the succulent back into its Poké Ball, looked Luo Xing up and down several times, and finally patted him on the shoulder.

"Good lad, your kitty is no ordinary creature."

He took out two small bottles from his robe pocket, one blue and one red, and handed them to Luo Xing.

"You helped the old man figure out his problem last time, and he's remembered it ever since. Here, take these two bottles: one is a magic-boosting potion, and the other is a constitution-boosting potion."

Luo Xing glanced at it with his All-Seeing Eye, and his heart skipped a beat.

[Magic Enhancement Potion: Permanently increases a mage's maximum magic power. (Maximum magic power allows for contracting higher-level spirits, increases the capture rate, and expands the beast-taming space.)]

[Constitution Enhancement Potion - Permanently strengthens a mage's physique.]

Luo Xing estimated that these two bottles were worth at least 300,000 Lockheed Martins on the market.

"Sir, this is far too valuable."

"Take it. This old man doesn't need it anymore; it's a waste to leave it here." The old man waved his hand and picked up the thermos again.

Luo Xing didn't refuse anymore. He put away the two bottles of potion, took the one-star mage badge from the receptionist, and pinned it to his chest.

It was just past noon when I walked out of the association's gate.

Luo Xing wasted no time and headed straight for the One Star region, to the hidden mudflats.

Hidden Mudflats is a rocky area near the sea. The magic brought by the tides has nurtured a large number of Water and Rock-type Pokémon, with levels generally between 5 and 15, which is perfect for his current team to level up.

All afternoon, Luo Xing wandered around like a tourist, looking here and there, but didn't find anything of interest. Meanwhile, Meow Meow and Little Stone were busy cleaning up wild Pokémon.

Meow Meow launched a frenzied attack, while Little Stone took the brunt of the damage; the two sprites worked together with increasing synergy.

Four hours later, Little Stone reached level 7, Meow Meow's experience bar was stuck at level 13, and her backpack was filled with a bunch of materials such as Water Spirit Stones, Sea Salt Crystals, and Shell Fragments.

As darkness fell, Luo Xing decided to return to Luo City, exchange the materials for Locke Coins, and then head to the black market to find some bargains!