Six Months

Six months later.

In Headmaster Tungus's residence, Locke sat with Patti Isa and Kode Newman, studying together.

Because Aurelian Academy's magical teaching resources were extremely limited, even when the three took different courses, Headmaster Tungus taught them all personally.

However, Locke had little to complain about. After all, even the Magic Stones required for his classes had been discounted.

Courses that originally required an investment of over a hundred Magic Stones now cost only ten. A few minor flaws in teaching quality were nothing worth worrying about.

By now, Locke had become familiar with both Patti and Kode.

Both came from commoner families and possessed wizard talent. Patti had Level 2 wizard talent, while Kode had only Level 1 wizard talent.

Kode was an ordinary boy with red hair and a face full of freckles. He was quiet and seemed difficult to approach, but he was really just poor with words.

It took Locke only one day to break the ice with him and become acquainted.

Kode's family background was simple, and so was he.

His parents were serfs under a viscount in the Kingdom of Aaron. By chance, the viscount noticed his talent for learning. After passing examination after examination and receiving instruction from renowned teachers, he eventually arrived at Aurelian Academy.

This proved that there was a reason his learning ability was so strong. He possessed wizard talent, even if it was only the lowest grade.

According to Kode himself, after drinking the Elemental Emerald Potion, he could see very few elemental light particles.

Patti, meanwhile, was a girl who seemed cold on the outside but was warm at heart.

Otherwise, she would not have helped Locke when he sought her help half a year ago.

After the three became familiar with one another, their relationship grew close. In the eyes of the Academy's other students, they had become a small clique.

While studying Mana Control Class, Kode suddenly asked Locke a question. After receiving Locke's answer, he said admiringly, "Locke, you're really smart."

"I've studied these things for over two years, yet you caught up to me so quickly—and then surpassed me."

Patti, sitting nearby, also showed an admiring expression.

All in all, they were both commoner academic standouts. Naturally, they admired students with good grades and sharp minds.

Locke nodded slightly as he turned the ring on his thumb, its Deep Blue Jade set into the band.

It had taken him only three months to catch up with Patti and Kode's progress, then another three months to move ahead of them.

There were many reasons for this.

First, Locke himself had Level 3 wizard talent. It was considered below average, but it was still better than both Kode's and Patti's talent.

His basic learning speed was, in fact, at least three to four times Kode's.

And the gap would only grow larger in the future.

Like a snowball rolling downhill, low-talent Wizard Seedlings might initially catch up through diligence, but afterward, the gap would only widen.

This made Locke understand why wizards placed such importance on the talents of Wizard Seedlings.

But there was actually a second reason.

Locke looked at his thumb. Six months ago, he had discovered that combining sapphires to Level 4 would produce a Deep Blue Jade.

Later, he had someone forge the Deep Blue Jade into a ring. As he wore it daily, he discovered what it meant by making Mental Power fluctuations more stable.

Wearing this Deep Blue Jade kept his mood steady and sharpened his concentration. The amount of time he could focus each day more than doubled, increasing his learning speed by at least twofold.

It was precisely thanks to the Deep Blue Jade that Locke had been able to catch up with Patti and Kode's progress in such a short time.

Of course, Locke had also discovered that the Deep Blue Jade was a consumable. One piece could only be used for about half a month.

Therefore, he needed to continuously combine Level 4 sapphires.

Besides that, Locke had tried combining other items as well. But at present, combining them to Level 4 only made them more exquisite and more valuable; no special effects had appeared.

This ensured that Locke never lacked ordinary money.

But as for combination formulas useful on the wizard's path, Locke had only discovered one so far: combining three Level 3 sapphires into one Deep Blue Jade.

Locke was not in a hurry about this. He had encountered too little of the Wizarding World, and he had not even left the Corfu Continent. In this low-magic region, the resources he could access were extremely limited. He believed that once he truly entered the Wizarding World in the future, he would definitely discover more useful combination formulas.

The Horadric Cube ensured that he would never lack resources, at the very least.

Just as the Deep Blue Jade currently increased his learning speed.

In Headmaster Tungus's residence, Patti said to Locke, "Oh, right, Locke. You probably don't know this yet, but Angel, the girl who kept pestering you before, is dead."

"She died more than five months ago."

Locke froze for a moment. He had been immersed in the joy of studying during this period, so he genuinely could not remember who Angel was at first. But he quickly recalled the girl who, like him, had been tricked by Professor Alder six months ago.

Locke nodded slightly. "I warned her."

"But she didn't listen."

Patti said, "Professor Alder has been getting more and more excessive lately. The people who died were children of great nobles, after all. Isn't he afraid something will happen?"

"Headmaster Tungus said he's a Second-Class Wizard Apprentice. He's already lived for 150 years, and his lifespan has reached its limit."

"That's why he used magic to borrow lifespan from ordinary students."

Kode said, his face red, "But I don't like that."

"How can he do such a thing? So many people had no idea what was happening, and their lifespans were taken from them."

Locke nodded and said, "Let's focus on our own affairs. Right now, all we need to do is study."

"I think the Academy will have its own arrangements for Alder."

Professor Alder clearly did not have much time left. He was now on the verge of madness, and Locke did not dare meddle in this matter.

Patti suddenly said, "Do you think that one day, we'll become like Professor Alder too? Become what we once hated most?"

Kode opened his mouth, then stopped himself. Thinking of Professor Alder's increasingly crazed expression lately, and then of the possibility that he might become like that someday, left him feeling frightened.

Patti suddenly laughed. "I'm joking."

"Why are you two making those faces?"

Kode had been thoroughly frightened by her, yet she burst into laughter herself. "We're still young. By the time we need to worry about lifespan, who knows how old we'll be?"

Locke glanced at her, recalling that Headmaster Tungus had told him Professor Alder's wizard talent had been Level 2.

One level lower than his own, exactly the same as Patti's, and one level higher than Kode's.

Locke looked down at his textbook and came back to himself. After six months of peaceful study, he had already built a solid foundation in spells. He was no longer the same as before.

"I can begin cultivating Magic Vine."

"Once I cultivate Magic Vine, then modify it with spells and make it resonate and synchronize with my Mana, I'll gradually master my first cantrip spell model—Vine Hand."

"However, there are no Magic Vine Seeds on Corfu Island. I can only buy seeds from Headmaster Tungus. Since this is one of the five cantrip models prepared for the Wizard Seedlings native to Corfu Island, Headmaster Tungus must have matching Magic Vine Seeds."

But judging by the Academy's usual approach, those vine seeds probably would not be provided for free.

He would probably owe another batch of Magic Stones.