Wizard: Starting With Synthesized Gems Chapter 29: The First Student

Locke bowed respectfully to his ntor. "I will follow all your instructions. You are my teacher."

A trace of relief seed to flicker across Witch Sophia's face. "Good. You are, in fact, my first true student."

"Though I had assud the academy wouldn't assign any students for at least another decade, so there are no spare dormitories prepared for you here."

Locke replied, "ntor Sophia, I can find lodging in the port city."

Sophia nodded. "There's no need to be so formal."

"The academy has a rule, you must advance to second-class wizard apprentice within five years, or you will be expelled. For apprentices with Level 5 aptitude or higher, this isn’t even a concern, they almost always reach second-class within two or three years of enrollnt."

"But don’t worry too much. If you study diligently, becoming a second-class apprentice in five years won’t be difficult."

Sophia glanced at a parchnt. "I’ve reviewed your schedule. Starting tomorrow, you’ll attend public courses: Basic Spell Principles, Basic Mana Studies, and Basic Rune Studies."

"Today, I’ll prepare your specialized course schedule."

Her tone turned businesslike. "If you had 500 magic stones, I’d recomnd purchasing a ditation technique from . That would greatly accelerate your progress."

Locke didn’t fully understand what a ditation technique was, but he knew his current magic stone balance was negative twenty. He answered honestly, "ntor, I co from a mortal world across the sea. I don’t have any magic stones."

Sophia didn’t react with pity or disdain, she simply adjusted. "Ah. That complicates things slightly."

"The ditation techniques I have are all contract-bound. I can’t simply give them to you unless you purchase them outright."

"But it’s fine. At this stage, most wizard prospects lack the stones to buy techniques. They force their way to second-class by learning spells and accumulating ntal strength the hard way."

She explained, "The difference between a second-class and third-class apprentice is that the forr has at least 50 ntal strength points."

"Beyond that, the gap isn’t vast."

"Your first spell is Vine Hand, hmm? And your secondary elental affinity is gold?"

Locke hesitated. "Is that unusual, ntor?"

Sophia shook her head. "Not exactly."

"But gold-elent affinity is relatively rare."

She studied him with newfound interest. As her first official student, he was an intriguing specin. "I suspect you might carry so special bloodline. Gold affinity is exceptionally uncommon."

"You could learn rare gold magic, though Lilith’s Cottage doesn’t teach that discipline."

"Still, I have so related materials in my collection. They do require paynt, however."

She tilted her head. "Would you be willing to spend 120 magic stones for a bloodline trace examination? You might discover sothing unexpected, and I could tailor your training more precisely."

Locke’s interest was piqued, but his empty pockets vetoed the idea. He needed to earn stones, fast.

With a resigned sigh, he shook his head. "ntor, I truly have no funds."

Sophia exhaled. "Students from across the sea always struggle at first."

Her ntion of a special bloodline made Locke think of Earl Augustine’s claims about his original body’s mother, the mysterious witch.

Encouraged by Sophia’s approachability, he ventured a question. "ntor, do you know how I might earn magic stones?"

"I’d like to gather resources as quickly as possible."

Sophia skimd his file. "Let see what options you have."

"Be warned, Lilith’s Cottage is full of traps. Outsiders, even so academy wizards, may offer loans in exchange for you becoming their test subject. Refuse all such offers, no matter how sweet they sound."

Her frown deepened. "They prey on prospects like you."

She continued, "You could take academy missions for contributions and stones, but most are too dangerous for you right now, patrolling the city, hunting magical creatures, gathering rare materials. Those are for second-class apprentices."

"The safer missions require specialized skills or higher ranks."

Sophia drumd her fingers. "Alternatively, you could do grunt work, processing simple but repetitive magical materials for second-class or first-class apprentices..."

She paused, eyebrows rising. "Wait. Your file ntions you assisted a second-class apprentice in brewing Stone Crab Potion aboard the wizard ship?"

Locke nodded. "Yes, ntor."

"But I only handled the Mana Centrifugal Extraction for the base components."

Sophia laughed. "How complex could a second-class apprentice’s potion be? The hardest part is the extraction."

"Whoever wrote this record has a peculiar sense of humor. It wasn’t you helping him, it was him helping you complete that potion."

Her amusent faded. "Though Stone Crab Bloodline Modification Potion... I’ve heard of that notorious brew. Its side effects are legion. I’m surprised anyone would drink it. The consur likely won’t live long."

Locke nodded silently. Professor Alder had indeed been on borrowed ti.

Sophia gestured to a stool. "Sit. Later, I’ll test your extraction skills."

"Right now, I’m designing a First Circle potion process. Don’t interrupt."

"As a First Circle Potion Maker, if your technique is solid, I can delegate so tasks to you."

"In return, I’ll pay you in magic stones."

Locke hadn’t expected that a skill learned in Corfu Island, the Mana Centrifugal Extraction Technique, would beco his first inco source in the wizarding world.

More importantly, he realized sothing crucial, potion-making consud vast amounts of rare resources.

And that was precisely where the Horadric Synthesis Cube could give him an unfair advantage.