The Threshold of Forty

Half a month later.

Inside Locke's room on Dwarf Street.

Locke placed the Moonlight Elixir he had obtained from Witch Sophia on the table. The spiritual liquid inside the glass bottle resembled flowing moonlight, every drop glittering with crystalline particles.

He removed the wooden stopper from the Moonlight Elixir. The elixir had to be consumed within half an hour of being opened, or its properties would change accordingly.

He drank the Moonlight Elixir in one gulp. A faint crystalline glow spread across Locke's body, and a silver crescent-moon pattern appeared on the back of his right hand.

At the same time, the moonlight streaming in through the open window automatically turned into a beam of particles and entered Locke's body, beginning to increase his Mental Power.

Locke hurriedly took a piece of Magenta Jade from the desk drawer. The strange substance within the Magenta Jade entered his Mental Power along with the moonlight, rapidly increasing it.

Half an hour later, Locke had digested the strange substance inside the Magenta Jade. He opened his eyes and stood up. "So that was it."

"The Moonlight Elixir contains the special bloodline power of the Dark Elves. After taking it, I gain part of their talent and can absorb moonlight to speed up Mana recovery and meditation efficiency."

He looked at the crescent-moon pattern on the back of his hand. It signified that the Dark Elf talent was taking effect.

Moreover, it would last for around three years. Only after three years would the racial bloodline talent granted by this potion completely disappear.

Locke thought, Then I roughly know what one of the main ingredients of the Moonlight Elixir is.

The Wizarding World was exceedingly cruel. The origins of many magical materials could even be called bloody.

At the same time, Locke looked at the Magenta Jade, which had turned into a white, useless gemstone.

During this period, through attending the Universal Studies taught by Sasari the Dark Elf, he had come to understand what Magenta Jade truly was.

This kind of gemstone was extremely precious in the Southeastern Corner Region. Since the territories of the wizards in the Southeastern Corner Region did not produce it, its price was often far higher than its intrinsic value.

A piece of Magenta Jade the size of a fingernail often cost several hundred Magic Stones, and even then, it was rarely available.

The region that produced such gems lay in the underground world far from the Southeastern Corner Region—the Obsidian Underground Region, territory of the Black Wizards.

Therefore, Locke was rather fortunate that he had not taken this gem out to exchange for Magic Stones when he knew nothing about it.

If he had done so, a heap of trouble would have come knocking at his door, and that trouble would have far outweighed the Magic Stones he could have gained from it.

So it was enough to use the Magenta Jade himself. There was no need to trade it for Magic Stones.

Locke thought, According to what I learned in Universal Studies, Magenta Jade contains a special kind of Aether Elemental Particles. These Aether Elemental Particles remain full of mystery and wonder even to wizards.

They possess many secrets that have yet to be fully explored.

But one thing is certain: when Wizard Apprentices absorb Aether Elements, their Mental Power can grow, and the Mental Power gained this way is extremely pure.

A trace of concern flashed through Locke's eyes. "But Sasari the Dark Elf said that, because it is so difficult for wizards in the Southeastern Corner Region to obtain Magenta Jade, basically no wizard can use it for extended periods and advance purely by absorbing the special substance within it."

"Therefore, the wizards of the Southeastern Corner Region are not yet sure whether having too many Aether Elemental Particles mixed into a Wizard Apprentice's Mental Power is good or bad, or whether it might cause something unusual to happen."

Because the Southeastern Corner Region lacked this resource, the Wizarding World's research in this area was not especially thorough.

Locke shook his head. "Forget it. No need to think so much."

"Looking at it now, everything that has happened to me has only been good."

"Even if there are some side effects, it doesn't matter."

"As long as I become a First-Class Wizard Apprentice, or even a Formal Wizard, there will be plenty of ways to remove any lingering effects from my body."

Locke recalled what Witch Sophia had told him—wizards generally all had some strange ailments.

This was because many wizards, in the process of advancing, either pursued greater advancement speed or lacked proper guidance, leaving them with more or less some side effects.

This was almost unavoidable.

Many magical fields were used while they were still being explored.

Locke threw the empty glass bottle and the useless gemstone into the trash. Having lost its special substance, the Magenta Jade looked no different from an ordinary piece of waste rock, so it could be discarded without any special treatment.

Locke said, "I've already taken some Universal Studies classes. Tomorrow, perhaps I can learn Breeding class from Teacher Sophia."

"I don't need to become especially skilled at it. As long as I have the qualification and study for half a year, I can sell the magical plants I enhanced at Chimera Market."

"That way, I can earn quite a few Magic Stones and purchase many of the courses and pieces of equipment I wanted before."

"And keep paying off that fifty-year Academy contract."

"Also, I need to buy a meditation method so I can try to become a First-Class Wizard Apprentice within five years."

Five years later, Lilith's Cottage would cut its support for him in half. Ten years later, if he still had not become a First-Class Wizard Apprentice, Lilith's Cottage would more or less give up on him.

Generally speaking, if a Wizard Apprentice could not become a Formal Wizard before the age of forty, their chances of becoming a Formal Wizard later would decline in stages.

Therefore, the time limit required by Lilith's Cottage was, in essence, the greatest possible extension a Wizard Apprentice could receive if they completed every stage right at the deadline.

Locke had heard from other Wizard Seedlings that other wizard academies had even harsher requirements. At Verdantia University, for example, one was given only three years to become a Second-Class Wizard Apprentice and seven years to become a First-Class Wizard Apprentice.

It was said that top wizard organizations in the Southeastern Corner Region, such as Four Seasons Garden, had even stricter requirements for Wizard Seedlings.

That was why the Wizarding World was so cruel. Every step was a race against time, competing with countless Wizard Apprentices for limited resources.

Locke heard someone knocking on his door. When he opened it, he found Lorne and Pierre outside.

Lorne and Pierre looked somewhat restrained.

Locke asked in confusion, "Lorne, Pierre, what brings you here so late?"

After thinking for a moment, Lorne still said, "Locke, Pierre and I heard that you've become a Second-Class Wizard Apprentice."

"You'll be moving out of Dwarf Street and heading to Knockturn Alley soon. Congratulations, Locke. We never expected you to be the first among the three of us to become a Second-Class Wizard Apprentice."

Pierre said, "Congratulations, Augustine."

"I heard people say that your actual aptitude is higher than the original test showed. It was a testing error. I'm really envious..."

"Lorne and I have no idea how many years it will take us to become Second-Class Wizard Apprentices. In just one year... your aptitude is practically comparable to those Wizard Apprentices with level-six aptitude."

"Locke, let's go out for a meal together. You're moving away soon, and we probably won't see each other much over the next few years."

Locke nodded and said to them, "All right."

"I was just thinking of inviting you two out for a meal as well."

"I think you two will be moving to Knockturn Alley soon too."

After seeing that Locke's attitude had not changed much since becoming a Second-Class Wizard Apprentice, Lorne and Pierre immediately relaxed. Smiles appeared on their faces, and they became much more natural.

The distance between the three of them vanished at once.