Wizard: Starting With Synthesized Gems - Chapter 1058

Chapter 1043 Boss, what is your magic level now?

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The red-clad witch, Mormodis, explained to Locke how to make banana-type magical plants switch between flying magical plants and weapon magical plants. “After all my long explanations, the main point is this key spell model, [Wind and Fire Banana Fan].”

“As long as you use this spell model, you can directly enchant your magical plants with attacks.”

Witch Mormodis said, “No need to thank me too much.”

“It’s mainly because your magical plant, the Great Crying Dragon Sparrow, has been cultivated exceptionally well by you.”

“It inherently possesses this development potential. Otherwise, even if I gave you this spell model, it wouldn’t be possible to give a flying magical plant offensive capabilities. In fact, your Great Roaring Dragon Sparrow already has great potential to be developed into a weapon-type magical plant.”

The witch Mormodis pondered, “I remember that several research teams in the Three Swamps Lands possess representative species of banana magical plants. Your magical plant actually has the potential to threaten their representative species of banana magical plants. Especially those that are already at the bottom.” “

In short, my idea is to avoid altering the original magical plant if possible, and try to use the botanical spell model to compensate for the lack of offensive power of the flying magical plant. Once the magical plant is modified, and breeding is used to supplement it, due to the plant factor chain law, it will be impossible to keep the plant essence stable.”

Locke took the spell model from her and raised his eyebrows, saying, “Free?”

The red-clad witch said casually, “Consider it my travel expenses.”

Locke saw her frown, not feeling smug about getting a spell model for free.

“Won’t there be any legal issues? Don’t blame me for asking, but if I use an enchanted scroll with legal issues on my botanical creations, it could lead to huge fines and the collapse of my Aladdin Shop Alliance,” the

red-clad witch said. “This is a spell model I developed independently. I’m particularly good at developing botanical spell models.” “

Mr. Locke Augustine, I think we can complement each other in this respect.” “

These are my experimental records. Would you like to see them?”

Locke glanced at the laboratory log in her hand, nodded without hesitation, and took it to examine it carefully.

The main point is that he absolutely cannot have any pride on this issue, otherwise one wrong step could lead to eternal regret, and he could easily encounter a problem like that of the wizard Daniel. Caution

is the best policy. The red-clad witch didn’t seem to mind

Locke’s actions, but instead smiled.

“Well, I developed it all myself from start to finish. Now I’ll give you a licensing agreement,”

Locke said. “Let’s make a deal, Red-clad lady. Developing this spell model wasn’t easy.”

The red-clad witch shook her head. “Someone once wanted me to develop a new botanical spell model for one of her magical plants, but I refused outright. Because after reviewing her resume, her published articles, and the projects she participated in, I felt her abilities were still lacking.” “

That person’s name is Rose.”

“I think you should know her. But if I encounter a magical plant that I think is good, I’ll also take the initiative to develop a corresponding botanical spell model for it. Of course, only the first one is free. Consider this a small gift from me.”

“For no other reason than your magical plants are worth it. Besides, I still want to go into the Valley of Despair Laboratory with you.”

The red-clad witch said to Locke, “So, to show my sincerity, I’ll give you two more spell models from my inventory. Show me your magical plants, and I can assess which spell models are suitable. All I ask for is to enter the Valley of Despair Laboratory and witness the splendor of those rare magical plants.”

Locke sized up the red-clad witch, Mormodis.

“Miss Mormodis, do you really want to come with me into the Valley of Despair Laboratory? Is it really that attractive to you? Here are the files from back then.”

Locke took out a thick stack of documents from his astral ring.

The red-clad witch, Mormodis, immediately looked at the documents in Locke’s hand, appearing very interested.

“Of course, exploring the unknown boundaries, finding secrets that ordinary people cannot discover—isn’t that what we seekers of truth are all about?”

“Exploring boundaries, breaking through boundaries, finding boundaries—that’s what I believe is the path to pursuing truth. The Valley of Despair Laboratory—such a momentous event back then! I’ve heard that the laboratory houses many rare magical plants that have become extinct outside, including even representative species. How could I not yearn for it?”

Locke glanced at her. “I understand. But whether you can come along—that requires some time for me to assess.”

The red-clad witch said magnanimously, “Go ahead and have your men investigate me.

But during this time, you can ask me any questions you have. Even if you later decide that I am not trustworthy and cannot accompany you, you can still come and ask me related questions.”

The red-clad witch handed Locke a power of attorney signed with her name.

“Because it’s truly fascinating to talk to you. You should understand how I feel, right? The people around me struggle to grasp your ideas; they have their own pace of thought, but it’s too slow for us. Yet they’re completely oblivious. To cater to them, I have to slow down my own pace.” “

My intellectual ceiling depends on theirs.”

“Talking to you is a pleasure, or rather, it’s a pleasure to talk to a true genius. Few can listen to my three-hour lecture without falling asleep, let alone answer fluently and keep up.”

Locke honestly said, “Actually, I didn’t understand everything either. I just memorized it. I originally wanted to read your articles, but unfortunately, you only have sections three and four, which don’t truly express your theoretical system.”

The Red Witch changed the subject, “Locke, I will read your articles carefully. However, when you were in the wizard airship, you deliberately told Mr. Richard that he was inferior to an ordinary alchemist.

You’re not a mean-spirited person. Did you say that because you found that it would help him get out of that state?”

Locke smiled, “It was just a casual remark.”

“But thinking about it carefully, I did do it on purpose. The Star Ring Wizard is too easily inflated, and he lost control because of the magic sword—so at the time I thought I could use that logic to strike him down, and it did have the intention of calming him down.”

The red-clad witch nodded thoughtfully.

“Suppression and attacks can indeed accelerate a Star Ring Wizard’s forging of immense magic.”

“Or rather, without suppression and attacks, a Star Ring Wizard would easily fall into a state of extreme arrogance and conceit. After all, any Star Ring Wizard can theoretically explain most of what they see in this world using their own power system. Anyone in this state for a long time would develop some kind of illusion about themselves. Including you and me.” Locke

nodded and said, “I see.”

The red witch said, “Besides, Star Ring Wizards crave to control forms, they need forms.” “

Because Star Ring Wizards are in a state of ‘virtual forging,’ they usually either extremely reject other people’s theories or particularly like to borrow and refer to other people’s doctrines. That’s what’s called ‘all-encompassing,’ learning from other people’s doctrines. So, they often absorb other people’s forms.”

Locke said, “I thought only the undead would plunder other people’s forms.”

The red witch smiled, summoned a spatial portal in the primeval forest inside the planting room, and stepped into it.

“You said it yourself, that’s the plundering form. The plundering form is a different matter altogether. The form in which Star Ring Wizards absorb others refers to their particular fondness for learning unknown and profound knowledge systems from various wizards, and even great sages from other worlds.”

“If they encounter a renowned teacher, that’s fine—”

“If they encounter bad people, that’s another matter entirely. Locke Augustine, my desire to follow you into the Valley of Despair Laboratory is also a form in which I particularly yearn to learn and obtain from you.”

Locke raised an eyebrow.

The Red Witch turned back and smiled at Locke, “Even knowing sometimes that it’s wrong, the Star Ring Wizard’s desire for form is still uncontrollable.”

“That’s why I can’t wait to learn from you.”

“I say this so that you can understand that I’m not a bad person. I’m just a wizard who longs to communicate with people of my level or even higher.”

The Red Witch disappeared into the portal.

Locke then used the Water Gourd System to summon two Star Ring Wizards from his team.

In less than half an hour, the two Star Ring Wizards entered the planting room and appeared before Locke.

The Star Ring Witch, wearing a reindeer mask, asked Locke, “Captain Augustine, what are your orders?”

Locke replied to the two, “I want you to use your connections in the Rainswamp—friends, students, or acquaintances—to help me investigate someone. This person claims to be the Red Witch Mormodius, but I haven’t found much information about her.”

“This person wants to accompany us into the Despair Valley Laboratory, and she’s offered a very attractive deal,”

the lion-masked wizard asked. “What is it?”

Locke glanced at him but didn’t answer. Instead, he said, “Put the deal aside for now. I want to know what her motives are for wanting to travel with us into the Despair Valley Laboratory. According to her, she’s after the representative species within the Despair Valley Laboratory.” “

But I need you to investigate her. Can you do that?”

The two nodded simultaneously.

“Of course,”

the Star Ring Witch wearing the reindeer mask pondered. “For the representative species? That’s possible. As something difficult to acquire, the representative species would be enough to drive a wizard mad.”

The Star Ring Witch wearing the lion mask added, “Let me investigate her projects, articles, and related teams thoroughly. I’m sure I’ll find something to expose her.” “

Captain Augustine, don’t worry, leave this to the two of us. This is easy enough.”

The two left the cultivation room.

Locke glanced at them, then turned back to cultivate his Great Windmill Dragon Sparrow.

A week later, Locke had completed the enchanting of his Great Windmill Dragon Sparrow with the [Wind and Fire Banana Fan] using resources from the airship. At this moment, a Great Windmill Dragon Sparrow with two pairs of banana leaves appeared behind him. He flew in mid-air in the cultivation room. The Great Windmill Dragon Sparrow’s banana leaves resembled four fans wrapped in wind and fire. With each fan, a roaring fire bull and wind horse appeared in front of Locke, intertwined with each other, creating a pillar of fire.

It seemed to have severed the powerful spiritual connections of Mutual Repulsion and Free Migration.

However, Locke realized that this was merely a slight activation of the Star Ring Wind Magic and Star Ring Fire Magic by combining the [Wind and Fire Banana Fan] with the Great Windmill Dragon Sparrow.

The truly powerful aspect was that the flames and wind of the Wind and Fire Banana Fan originated from a special operating method of Golden Spiritual Breath and Verdant Spiritual Breath; in other words, the core of this magic was actually life magic.

“Because of in-depth research into different directions of Spiritual Breath and Spiritual Touch, has life magic and Evocation magic begun to develop completely different principles? Even if their forms of expression are similar?” “

Now I can test my Wind and Fire Banana Fan in actual combat.”

Locke took out a parchment scroll from his astral ring. Holding the scroll, he chanted a spell, summoning the three most powerful elemental demons he had obtained from Quinnjol: the fire demon, the water demon, and the wind demon.

A pool of black water appeared at his feet, followed by a pair of eyes emerging from it.

The black water churned within, as if a vast river flowed within its body, observing the situation.

“Which contractor summoned us here?”

“What do you seek? Money? Women? Status? No one dares to look down on you?”

A black wind and an abyssal fire appeared beside it—a ball of wind demon and a ball of fire demon.

The three seemed like a runaway black river, a runaway gale, or some kind of uncontrolled hellfire.

The three elementals bared their fangs at Locke.

Locke laughed, “Stop pretending, you three. I only seek one thing, and that is the truth.

The real thing.

Something that lasts forever, not some illusory bubble.”

Enraged by Locke, the three elemental demons immediately attacked him. Facing the instinctive attacks of the three second-ring elemental demons, Locke directly manipulated the Great Windmill Dragon Sparrow on his back. The banana leaves of the Great Windmill Dragon Sparrow flapped, and the next moment, a cloud of wind horses and fire oxen rushed towards the three demons. The next moment, a huge fire tornado rose into the air, and the three elemental demons, capable of destroying the world, roared as they were pulled by the legs by the fire tornado, which was about to suck them into it.

The black water all over the Water Demon Elemental Lord’s body was boiling, as if it was about to turn into a cloud of elemental energy on the spot.

“What’s going on?”

“My body—”

The Fire Magic Elemental and the Wind Magic Elemental were even more frustrated. The fire tornado formed by the wind horses and fire oxen summoned by the Wind and Fire Banana Fan was essentially life magic, not elemental magic.

But these elements knew nothing of this.

They were simply horrified to see the wind and fire wielded by Locke actually suppressing them, who should have been the overlords of elemental power.

This was utterly astonishing.

The three elemental demons didn’t even have time to ponder why.

“No, I am the overlord of the water, how could there be flames suppressing me—ah—” “

I was born from the fires of the abyss, what kind of fire can burn the fires of the abyss? This isn’t a flame caused by a broken spiritual connection, what kind of flame is this?”

“This wind—no—”

Locke remembered his contract with Quinnjol, so he promptly raised the parchment scroll, recited the summoning incantation on it, and summoned the three demons back into the scroll before they were completely annihilated.

Locke reached out and caught the True Sight Crystal Ball that landed in his hand.

Then, Locke sent this video recording, along with the previous recording of the Sword Tiger Lan Dragon Sparrow, to the wizard Tristan Walden.

In less than five minutes, Locke received a video call request from the wizard Tristan Walden.

Locke granted the call request, and the face of the incredibly shrewd Tristan Walden, wearing wizard glasses, appeared on the illusion screen. “Surprised, truly surprised. Locke Augustine, I didn’t expect you to keep your promise. You’ve successfully re-cultivated the Great Green Leaf Dragonfly so quickly—I think that’s what it’s called?”

“This seems to be its second-ring version?”

Locke said calmly. “This is the Great Roaring Dragonfly. I’ve used Reversion to downgrade the Great Windmill Dragonfly to a first-ring Great Green Leaf Dragonfly, but this first-ring Great Green Leaf Dragonfly still retains the ability to control wind and fire magic, and possesses all the basic abilities of the Great Green Leaf Dragonfly.”

Locke took out a Great Green Leaf Dragonfly from his Astral Ring. This magical plant looked no different from an ordinary Great Green Leaf Dragonfly.

Because of the Reversion, it was even identical to an ordinary Great Green Leaf Dragonfly in appearance.

But as Locke uttered a syllable, wind and fire appeared on the banana leaves of the Great Green Leaf Dragonfly in his hand.

Tristan Walden narrowed his eyes.

“Hmm? Atavism—this is the first time I’ve heard of it. I just checked your previous articles, and I see. Is this part of your great magic?”

“Interesting.”

“You actually cultivated a second-ring magical plant first, and then used this plant to progress from apprentice to first ring, then to second ring, and then to star ring. You cultivated it all yourself, so you can use atavism to make the second-ring Great Roaring Dragon Sparrow regress to the first-ring Great Azure Leaf Dragon Sparrow, while still retaining the related abilities of the Great Azure Leaf Dragon Sparrow and the Great Roaring Dragon Sparrow.”

Tristan Walden clapped exaggeratedly, “Wizard Augustine, you are truly amazing. You are simply the most amazing junior I have ever met. I have seen two of your combat records, and your magical plant is exactly what I need.

I have already sent one to Lady Six-Eyed Raven, and Lady Six-Eyed Raven will also send it to our department head, right?”

Tristan Walden gave Locke a heart gesture, “Love you.”

Locke raised an eyebrow. “Tristan, your attitude has changed drastically this time.”

Last time, this man went to great lengths to lower the price, but this time his attitude is so exaggerated.

Tristan Walden’s smile vanished, replaced by seriousness. He adjusted his glasses and said in a solemn voice, “I just felt that doing so might give you more encouragement. Last time we were discussing the price, but this time, the performance of your magical plants on the battlefield has determined whether my decision was correct. Your magical plants have indeed given me many surprises.” “

Even unexpected joy.” “

So my reaction isn’t exaggerated.”

Tristan Walden smiled. “I approve of your adjustments to the Great Azure Leaf Dragon Sparrow. Please commission Arthas to produce it as soon as possible; our battlefield needs it immediately.”

Locke nodded. “Of course. I’ve already asked Arthas to start production.”

“You should also pay as soon as possible.”

Wizard Tristan Walden said with a smile, “That’s for sure. And with Arthas as our middleman, Quinnjoll certainly won’t renege on the payment.”

Locke noticed that although the other party might genuinely believe that the magical plant samples he delivered this time were indeed of good quality, after watching the practical videos of the other magical plant he wanted to recommend, the Sword Tiger Orchid, and the Windmill Dragon Finch he wanted to promote, the other party didn’t say anything.

After Wizard Tristan Walden hung up the video call, Locke fell into thought.

“Wizard Tristan Walden—this Moon Ring Wizard seems a bit too greedy and calculating, but he’s not a fool. Oh well, since he didn’t bring up the two magical plants I showed him this time, I’ll just pretend nothing happened.”

“Anyway, this transaction can be considered a complete success.”

“Although I originally wanted to showcase two second-ring magical plants to induce him to request the purchase of a third batch of weapon-type magical plants, indeed—everyone’s reaction is unpredictable, and sometimes this kind of thing just happens. As the person in charge of war material collection for Quinnjoll in this Abyss War, I wonder what he was thinking.”

Locke said, “Perhaps, as the Queen said, this person is just greedy for small gains and will lose a lot of money.”

In the office of wizard Tristan Walden at Quinnjoll Academy, he took a sip of water to calm his nerves.

“Wizard Locke Augustine’s magical plants are indeed very good; I’m quite tempted to buy them myself. If we could purchase these two magical plants on the battlefield, it might be very helpful to us.”

His student, an ordinary second-ring wizard, also swallowed hard.

“Teacher, I want one too. Did you see that just now? The elemental demons in the ‘Raging Elemental City’ plane, who were so difficult to deal with, were wiped out by a single spell.”

“And the Great Windmill Dragon Sparrow’s magic pressure conversion flight speed is astonishing—14. Teacher, what does that mean?”

“While it might not be published in a high-level journal within the second ring, if it were submitted for a competition, wouldn’t it be a knockout?”

“Compared to that, there’s no need to purchase the Sword Tiger Orchid Dragon Sparrow.”

The second-ring wizard student pondered, “Because the Abyss Demons aren’t easily affected by the pollution of heavy elemental particles.

That place is basically a junkyard of the endless void.”

Wizard Tristan Walden tapped the table.

“What you’re saying, do you think I don’t know it?”

“But it’s about cost-effectiveness, cost-effectiveness. No matter how good something is, you still have to consider its cost-effectiveness. Cost-effectiveness is something eternal, something real.”

“Last time I did business with that sly little rascal Locke Osgurdin, I made what was probably the most ambitious business deal of my life. If this time, after seeing two of his video recordings, he wants to find a third source to purchase weapon-type magical plants, wouldn’t I be in a very passive position?”

Wizard Tristan Walden fell into thought.

“There are plenty of good breeders. Go to the newspapers and ask for submissions of excellent magical plant works.”

“Keep looking. It’s best not to do business with just one person. Besides, I was prepared last time not to do business with this little rascal again.”

His student hesitated for a moment, then reluctantly said, “Okay.”

“Teacher, sometimes I don’t understand your decisions. But since it’s your decision, I respect you. I just think, wouldn’t it be better to just buy the good magical plant weapons directly?”

Wizard Tristan Walden tapped the table with his fingers and said, “For a wizard like you who is not a forge, of course anything is fine, as long as it’s useful. But I need to consider more.”

“Cost-effectiveness is the biggest factor I need to consider.”

“Let’s see, and I also need to wait for the performance of this batch of magical plant weapons in actual combat before making a comprehensive judgment on whether we should buy a third batch of magical plants from him—”

“This is not like going to a market, no need to rush, anyway, we are the client—”

“Hmm?

“

Wizard Tristan Walden looked at his Ganoderma lucidum magical plant and saw that Locke had sent him a message.

“Lord Tristan Walden, my Sword Tiger Orchid Dragonfly and Windmill Dragonfly are newly cultivated, so they’re at their cheapest stage right now. The price might go up later. If you’ve made up your mind, you can come and buy them from me now.”

Wizard Tristan Walden glared at the second-circle wizard student who was secretly glancing over, then gritted his teeth and said, “That slippery fellow.”

“This is the first time I’ve seen a client act like this!”

Locke, seeing that Wizard Tristan Walden hadn’t responded for a while, naturally had to give up for the time being.

“Besides, I also need to find a buyer for the Sword Tiger Orchid Dragonfly. The Tide Wizard Tower isn’t suitable because the White Ice Tower excels at long-range attacks; selling to them wouldn’t solve the practical problem.” “

On the contrary, this month, I’ve gradually come up with a plan using hadron plants. If it succeeds, it could help the Tide Wizard Tower.”

Locke was thinking about who should buy the Sword Tiger Orchid Dragonfly, and who would be most interested.

Meanwhile, he was also anticipating the possibility that Tristan Walden would come back to him to buy the Windmill Dragon Sparrow again.

“My wizard shoes need an update soon.”

Locke saw the GG (Ghost Pack) for Melochy Magic Step and Solas Barefoot through the GG of the Lingzhi Magic Plant.

“My two best-selling super items right now are the Hummingbird Air Plant and the Golden Dragon Claw Air Plant. It’s time to release another item. Why does it feel like these two shop alliances are starting to target me again?”

Locke saw that these two shop alliances had released a GG that was putting down his and other small wizard shoe shop alliances.

The gist of it was that each side had hired a wizard soccer star captain to boast in front of the camera about how high the standards of the big-name wizard shoe shop alliances were, how good their after-sales service was, and how much they held their value when resold or bought again, while putting down and belittling those small and medium-sized wizard shoe shop alliances.

Among them, he mentioned that the wizard shoes sold by his Augustus Wizard Shoe Shop Alliance had no second-hand market, and once you bought them, you were completely stuck with them and could never sell them again.

Clearly, the other side was no longer attacking him on quality and functionality, but on another level.

Locke pondered, “The secondhand market—that’s something I overlooked before. But it requires a large number of employees.” “

I need to formally establish an Augustusian Shop Alliance headquarters, which requires a lot of manpower, and I also need to pay their salaries—”

“Never mind. First, I’ll figure out how to develop another super product, the Star Ring Wizard Shoes, to dampen the arrogance of those two. As long as the functionality is good and the price-performance ratio is high, then I can at least firmly grasp those users who will definitely use it themselves after buying it, those who have a real need for the functionality.”

“If those two large shop alliances want to speculate in the financial market, then let them speculate on it themselves.”

Locke spent some time tidying up the magic fields here.

Half a day later, the wizard airship flew over Cloud Lake and gradually descended over the Rain Swamp.

Through the Time Crystal observation window of the airship, Locke saw a dense swamp ecosystem below. The swamp jungle was lush and vibrant, a purple-green jungle world, while the ground was covered in black swamp. Their final destination on this wizard airship’s route was the [Crawler’s Garden], one of the ten great gardens of the Rain Swamp.

And this Crawlers’ Garden was actually built on a swamp.

The entire castle of the Crawlers’ Garden academy wasn’t large, mostly a mixed structure of wood and brick, with wooden pillars driven into the swamp as its foundation, elevating the castle.

This was an academy built on swamp land.

Some dinosaur-like creatures, replicated in modern times using advanced technology by bloodline refiners, roam this swamp, which is primarily covered in ferns.

The wizard airship landed on the docking site, but instead of touching the ground, it hovered a hundred meters above the ground, supported by a special magical array.

Simultaneously, the airship opened five hatches, releasing floating staircases for the wizards to descend.

“Buzz~”

A long-necked dinosaur raised its neck from the swamp, showering down mud like raindrops. Meanwhile, a triceratops trotted across the swamp, gnawing on a novice-level fern. Flocks of wind-borne pterosaurs flew overhead, emitting cries.

In the swamp, a fish-like magical creature suddenly leaped from the swamp and landed on the head of a small, long-forgotten statue. This strange fish had two leg-like appendages, and its dead-fish eyes stared wide-eyed at the sun in the Rain Swamp sky.

Clearly, it was sunbathing.

But the next moment, an invisible chameleon appeared above its head. Before the strange fish could react, its tongue had already landed on its body, then with a flick of its tongue, it swallowed the strange fish whole.

The captain’s voice announced from inside the wizard airship.

“Welcome, esteemed wizards, to our Rainswamp.”

“This is the region with the highest biodiversity in the world, the ancestral home of swamp summoning, the sacred ground for the study of dinosaur bloodlines, and the former headquarters of the Pureblood Order during the Pureblood Era. It was also the region that once suffered a combined invasion by most of the Persepolis pantheons, where a fourth-ring Persepolis false god perished. His power still lingers here, so much so that his statues are everywhere, bewitching the mortals.” “

Therefore, the Rainswamp is known for its many spirits and deities.”

“Welcome, esteemed wizards, to this place. There are many unsolved mysteries in the Rainswamp. If you are interested, you can purchase related books in the book section of the Wizard’s Dock. Perhaps you will be the next wizard to unravel these mysteries and solve the millennia-old puzzles that have plagued the Rainswamp.”

Locke smiled, ascending the floating staircase to enter the wizard’s airship.

(This was just the other party selling books.)

Locke and his team met at the Wizard’s Dock, a total of sixteen people including himself, of course, the Red Witch also followed.

The witch wearing the reindeer mask approached Locke and, speaking in a voice only the two of them could hear, after encrypting it with magic, said, “Mr. Augustine, I’ve investigated. This person who claims to be the Red Witch seems to have recently fallen out with one of her third-circle wizarding mentors at Triceratops Gardens, and the mentor has actively marginalized her.”

“She’s far from being as detached from worldly affairs as she claims.”

“I suspect she’s lacking research resources, so she wants to exchange the spell models she currently possesses for yours. After all, she’s offended a third-circle wizarding mentor at the academy, so her position at Triceratops Gardens is probably in a very awkward position.” “

My investigation with the Lion’s side concludes—no problems.”

“She’s probably just desperate. Taking her into Despair Valley is pointless for us; one more person means one more helper.”

Locke nodded. “I understand.”

He turned and saw a wizard he once knew but now found somewhat unfamiliar approaching him.

Wizard Montgomery raised his hands and waved, saying, “Boss, long time no see. It’s been so many years.”

“I made arrangements immediately after receiving your message.”

“Long time no see, I really missed you.”

Montgomery looked very different. His wizard robes were no longer as simple as they had been in the Six Towers; they were now adorned with many understated yet luxurious decorations. He was now a Crystallized Wizard, whereas in the Six Towers he was merely an ordinary first-ring wizard.

The Rain Swamp also had a system of either advancement or departure.

And clearly, Montgomery had passed the test.

The Cloud Swamp Cup had only given him an entry ticket to the Creeper Garden; what truly allowed him to stay and reach his current position was the result of his hard work and dedication.

Montgomery walked to Locke’s side, looking with awe at the large number of second-ring wizards and even two star-ring wizards among the crowd.

Of course, he didn’t know their exact ranks, but he sensed an unfathomable magical pressure emanating from them; just standing beside them made him feel immense pressure.

Locke walked straight over and hugged Montgomery.

The two, who had initially been somewhat estranged, instantly rekindled their old camaraderie from their shared battles in the Cloud Marsh Cup.

Locke said, “Montgomery, I just wanted to give it a try, but I didn’t expect you to be doing so well now. You even managed to get the Reptile Gardens to arrange accommodation for us. For some reason, we can’t stay at the Golden Crown Mountain branch in the Rain Marsh.”

Montgomery scratched the back of his head.

“I guess we ghostwriters in the Six Towers are pretty successful. Hahaha—I never imagined that after entering the Reptile Garden, publishing some articles, participating in some competitions, I would quickly enter a positive cycle and gradually get to where I am today.”

“But if it weren’t for you, I might still be a marginalized junior wizard in the Six Towers.”

Locke asked, “It’s mainly because you have talent and are willing to work hard.” “

What about Barbara? Isn’t she in the Reptile Garden too?”

Montgomery said, “Of course, she is too. But she’s doing much better than me now.”

“The ruling family of the Reptile Garden is—the Yuri family.”

“Because she entered the Soul Decay stage more quickly, she’s now the little princess of the Yuri family.”

Locke was stunned for a moment. “Is that so?”

Montgomery chuckled. “Yes. But this place is different from the Six Towers. I don’t really consider the families here to be families. Families here don’t follow hereditary rules, so descendants can’t directly join. They only have a slight advantage over others in joining. Any excellent wizard can be absorbed into a family. Barbara the Witch is an example.”

“Oh. Boss, what level of wizard are you now?”

Locke asked. “Star Ring.”

Montgomery froze, because he had heard of Star Ring wizards. Star Ring Archmages were considered top-tier even in the Rain Swamp.

And in many wizarding lands, Star Ring wizards were the most powerful.

For example, in the Six Towers, there weren’t even any Second Ring wizards!

A robust-looking middle-aged wizard beside Montgomery extended his hand to Locke. “I’ve long admired your reputation, Mr. Augustine. Meeting you today, it’s certainly well-deserved. You seem so knowledgeable.”

Montgomery immediately introduced, “This is my leader. The third son of the Yuri family. A Star Ring Wizard. He’s the one who agreed to my request to host you. Boss, I never expected you to be here—”