Chapter Summaries

Locke witnessed An Qila being reprimanded for demanding better quarters despite her low wizard aptitude, then returned to his room and discovered that his latest Level 5 synthesis could store Mana. He concealed the Dark Cyan Jade in a ring, recognizing its value and deciding to keep its capabilities secret.

• Locke watched An Qila argue that her strength entitled her to better quarters, but Mentor Jarvis explained that her Level 1 aptitude and slow progress left her far behind the other Wizard Seedlings.
• An Qila was shaken by Jarvis's rebuke and went toward the lowest level, while Locke reflected on the Wizard Ship's hierarchy and affirmed that aptitude did not determine everything.
• Locke used the Horadric Cube to synthesize a Level 5 Dark Cyan Jade from a Deep Blue Jade, black agate, and black pearl.
• Locke found that the Dark Cyan Jade could filter Mental Power fluctuations and store ten points of Mana, which he could recall at will.
• Locke hid the Dark Cyan Jade inside a ring and resolved not to let other wizards discover it.

Locke expanded his Mana reserves and grew closer to Lorne Guerrero while traveling aboard the Wizard Ship. Their meal was interrupted when Black Wizards attacked, seeking to seize half the Wizard Seedlings as the White Wizard mentors fought to stop them.

• Locke embedded two Dark Cyan Jades in gold rings, giving him three rings and 30 extra points of Mana, and mastered the Magic Centrifugal Extraction Technique.
• Lorne Guerrero invited Locke to eat with him, and Locke learned more about Lorne's knightly background and the different mortal worlds across the Southeastern Corner Region.
• As Locke and Lorne ate on deck, Locke learned that the Wizard Ship was nearing its return journey and would assign its Wizard Seedlings to wizard organizations in batches.
• The Wizard Ship shook as black mist darkened the artificial sky and zombies fell onto the deck, while Black Wizards announced they would claim half the Wizard Seedlings.
• Jarvis and the other wizard mentors fought the Black Wizards, but a second-tier Wizard Apprentice was knocked overboard and abducted by a Black Wizard from Corpse Eater Cemetery.

Locke and Lorne fought off zombies aboard the Wizard Ship by combining Locke’s Vine Hand with Lorne’s anti-undead Magic Item, but a horde surrounded them. Witch Barbara Vayne appeared and invited them to join the White Bone Order.

• A zombie attacked Locke, but he used Vine Hand to restrain it and break its bones as zombies abducted Wizard Seedlings from the deck.
• Lorne Guerrero fought his way to Locke, and they stood back-to-back against the zombies; Lorne revealed that his silver cross sword was a Magic Item with Lesser Undead Ward.
• Locke restrained five zombies with Vine Hand, allowing Lorne to kill them with his sword.
• At least thirty zombies surrounded Locke and Lorne, overwhelming their advantage in combat.
• Witch Barbara Vayne appeared and invited Locke and Lorne to abandon resistance and join the White Bone Order.

Locke and Lorne refused Barbara Vayne’s offer to join the White Bone Order, but she attacked them until Formal Wizard Zeno Smith intervened and drove off the Black Wizards. After surviving the raid, Locke reunited with Kode and Patti and became more determined to gain the power of a Formal Wizard.

• Barbara Vayne revealed the White Bone Order’s magic and blood-sacrifice demands, then tried to force Locke and Lorne to join.
• Barbara sealed Lorne’s Magic Item and targeted Locke’s Mandrake Vine, but a powerful Magic Pressure forced them all to their knees.
• Zeno Smith appeared, used Sakura Curse to break the attack, and ordered Barbara and the other Black Wizards to retreat.
• Jarvis explained that the attack was a trial and let the Black Wizards escape after they abducted some Wizard Apprentices.
• Locke and Lorne recovered, then Locke found Kode and Patti safe aboard the ship.
• Locke watched the place where Zeno Smith had vanished and resolved to become strong enough to wield similar power.

Locke improved his Vine Hand spell and synthesized Magenta Jade, which restarted his stalled Mental Power growth. When mentors arrived to assign the apprentices to wizard academies, Lorne explained Verdantia University's selection priorities and specializations.

• Locke modified his Vine Hand Spell Model, doubling its response speed while increasing its Mana consumption.
• Locke discovered his Dark Cyan Jade had limited uses and synthesized Magenta Jade, which slowly strengthened his Mental Power.
• Locke replaced his depleted Deep Blue Jade and stored the Magenta Jade in a gold ring.
• Lorne summoned Locke after mentors arrived to assign the Wizard Apprentices to their academies.
• Lorne explained that Verdantia University had priority in selecting them and described its specializations and admission requirements.

Locke and Lorne learned that Verdantia University planned to exchange them and five other level-three Wizard Seedlings for Ruixing, who had level-six aptitude and was wanted by both Verdantia University and Lilith's Cottage. Locke recognized that Lilith's Cottage might suit them, but resented being used as a bargaining chip and remained powerless to object.

• Gregor Jackson led Locke and Lorne to Yuli Burns, where they discovered that the blue-haired Ruixing had already agreed to join Lilith's Cottage.
• Gregor asked Yuli to let Ruixing attend Verdantia University for Potioncraft, offering her a scholarship and future Wizard Secret Realm opportunities.
• Yuli argued that Lilith's Cottage had priority rights to Ruixing and threatened Gregor with a black potion.
• Gregor revealed that Verdantia University would seek White Wizard Association support for Lilith's Cottage in exchange for Ruixing, and offered seven level-three Wizard Seedlings, including Locke and Lorne.
• Lorne protested that Verdantia University was superior, while Locke considered that Lilith's Cottage might suit them better but resented being traded and stayed silent.

After a dispute between Verdantia University and Lilith's Cottage, Locke and the other exchanged Wizard Seedlings arrived in Lilith's Cottage's territory. Yuli Burns explained the Academy's rules and dangers, then sent them to find their mentors.

• Yuli Burns told Locke, Lorne, and the other exchanged Wizard Seedlings to follow her to Lilith's Cottage in ten days.
• Locke reassured Lorne that they were now Lilith's Cottage Wizard Seedlings, and Lorne said their debt had likely transferred with them.
• Locke studied with the Magenta Jade during the ten-day voyage to Lilith's Cottage.
• Yuli Burns introduced the medium-magic region, its diverse population, and the open territory of Lilith's Cottage to the arriving Wizard Seedlings.
• Yuli Burns warned that Wizard Seedlings who failed to become Second-Class Wizard Apprentices within five years would be expelled, and explained their mentors and classes.
• Yuli Burns took the Grade Five and Grade Six Wizard Seedlings with her and told the others to find their own mentors.

Locke arrived at Lilith's Cottage and met his newly assigned mentor, Sophia Seraphina, who had only recently become a Formal Wizard. He learned she would personally teach his specialized classes, giving him unusually direct instruction.

• Locke and Lorne discovered they had been assigned to different mentors and agreed to find a place to live together after Locke visited Sophia.
• Locke traveled to the wooden houses on Lilith's Cottage's outskirts and entered after the seal on his recommendation letter activated the barrier.
• Locke found Sophia Seraphina recording Spell Models and introduced himself as her new student.
• Sophia confirmed Locke's assignment, explained she had become a Formal Wizard only a month earlier, and said she would personally teach all his specialized classes.

Locke began his studies as Mentor Sophia’s first student, but he lacked the Magic Stones to buy a meditation method or pay for a bloodline examination. After learning that his Mana Centrifugal Extraction Method might earn him paid work, he saw a way to use his skills—and the Horadric Cube—to support himself.

• Locke accepted Mentor Sophia as his teacher and learned that he had to become a Second-Class Wizard Apprentice within five years.
• Mentor Sophia explained that Locke lacked the money to buy a meditation method or a bloodline tracing examination, and noted his rare Metal Element compatibility.
• Locke asked how he could earn Magic Stones, and Mentor Sophia warned him against loans that would make him a test subject and described the dangers of Academy missions.
• Mentor Sophia learned that Locke had helped make a Stone Crab Potion using the Mana Centrifugal Extraction Method and offered to test his skill for possible paid work.
• Locke realized that potion brewing could provide work and that the Horadric Cube could help him handle the high-grade resources it required.

Locke learned about his tuition obligations and signed a low-interest loan arranged by Sophia, who also hired him to extract potion ingredients. Sophia laid out his training schedule and explained the Emerald Potion orders that kept her busy.

• Sophia praised Locke's bloodline extraction work and offered him three Magic Stones a day to help in her laboratory.
• Sophia explained that Locke owed Lilith's Cottage and his mentor one hundred Magic Stones each year for five years, and arranged a one-thousand-Magic-Stone tuition loan at half a percent interest.
• Locke signed the loan contract, and Sophia signed it as guarantor so he could receive the lower interest rate.
• Sophia planned to teach Locke follow-up cantrips for Vine Hand each day, required him to attend three public courses, and assigned him to extract at least fifteen bottles of [Dryad Bloodline] daily.
• Sophia explained that Emerald Potion cleansed curses and other negative energy, and said she could spare Locke only one hour of teaching each day because of her potion orders.

Sophia assigned Locke to care for the magical creatures in her cultivation room and warned him not to listen to the Dryad imprisoned there. When the Dryad tried to trick him, Locke followed the instructions and fed it without speaking, then left the cabin safely.

• Sophia gave Locke the keys to her Magical Creature Cultivation Room, assigned him its feeding duties, and warned him never to release or listen to the Dryad.
• Sophia gave Locke a hundred Mandrake Vine seeds and said she saw no need for him to change his chosen magical plant.
• Locke entered the cultivation room, studied its manual, and fed the magical creatures according to their instructions.
• Locke found the Dryad posing as a frightened human girl and read that it could bewitch people and must not be spoken to.
• Locke placed dew in the Dryad's basin without answering it, and the Dryad revealed its monstrous form and threatened him.
• Locke finished the task and left the cultivation room unharmed.

Locke settled into Dwarf Street and examined the Level-5 Invisible Mandrake Vine he had synthesized from Mentor Sophia’s plants, considering its advantages and the risks of revealing his work. He planned to test his Mental Power and pursue Breeder training as he headed to Lilith's Cottage’s Basic Rune Studies Course.

• A Dwarf attendant delivered breakfast to Locke, and Locke arranged for his room to be cleaned while warning the attendant to stay out of his study.
• Locke examined his Super Mandrake Vine and Invisible Mandrake Vine, noting that the latter’s invisibility would strengthen his Vine Hand spells and help him through the Second-Class Wizard Apprentice stage.
• Locke considered the cost and scarcity of Mandrake Vines and decided not to sell his enhanced plants until he could become a Breeder and conceal how he made them.
• Locke planned to use Mentor Sophia’s Amethyst Matrix to test his Mental Power after class and resolved to keep working toward becoming a Second-Class Wizard Apprentice.
• Locke left for the Basic Rune Studies Course, hoping to arrive early enough to get a seat near the front.

Locke attended Urien Ritchie's Basic Rune Studies class and saw how badly the public lesson left many Wizard Seedlings struggling. After class, Pierre asked Locke for his notes, while Locke considered the advantages of having Sophia as his instructor.

• Urien Ritchie taught the foundations of runes with little explanation, leaving most of the Wizard Seedlings unable to keep up.
• Locke recognized that basic runic knowledge would matter when he later studied Spell Models and built a magical framework.
• Urien Ritchie ended class without taking questions, and apprentices gathered around talented students such as Everett Lewis for paid explanations.
• Lorne envied Everett Lewis's ability to earn Magic Stones and told Locke he had never met his assigned teacher, Hanmoke Wusi.
• Pierre asked Locke for a copy of his notes in exchange for one Magic Stone, and Locke agreed.

A year after beginning his studies, Locke completed Poison Berry Shot using magically enhanced materials, creating a spell more powerful than expected. With four spells and greatly improved Mental Power, he considered testing whether he had reached the threshold for becoming a Second-Class Wizard Apprentice.

• Locke used five Deep Blue Jades and five Dark Cyan Jades to safely create Poison Berry Shot and apply it to his Invisible Mandrake Vine.
• The spell produced pale purple fruits and a new 0.4-ring Spell Model in Locke's Sea of Consciousness, while exhausting and cracking his jades.
• Locke tested five Poison Berry Shot projectiles on an Ox calf and found they caused rapid, extensive organ failure.
• Locke concluded that his Level 5 synthesized ingredients had strengthened the spell beyond its expected power and improved his Mental Power.
• After absorbing a Rose-Red Gem, Locke noted that he had completed three Spell Models and considered borrowing Sophia's Amethyst Matrix to test whether his Mental Power had reached 50.
• Locke demonstrated Green Purifying Grasp, using the Invisible Mandrake Vine to form a shield.

Locke avoided a paid trial for Anglong Potion after recognizing that it skipped human testing and could be dangerous. He hurried to Instructor Sophia to confirm that his Mental Power qualified him as a Second-Class Wizard Apprentice and claim the Academy’s reward.

• Locke saw a Second-Class Wizard Apprentice recruiting volunteers to take Anglong Potion for fourteen Magic Stones over seven days.
• The recruiter claimed the potion had passed animal testing and would enhance Mental Power, but Locke declined the offer.
• Locke realized First-Class Wizard Apprentice Anglong was likely skipping human trials, leaving the potion’s effects and side effects uncertain.
• Locke decided to warn Lorne and Pierre against signing similar contracts.
• Locke hurried to Instructor Sophia, believing his Mental Power had reached the Second-Class standard.

Locke reached the rank of Second-Class Wizard Apprentice in just one year, and Mentor Sophia recognized that his aptitude might be much higher than the Academy had assessed. After asking to examine his bloodline, Sophia offered him new training and work helping brew a curse-breaking potion for the injured First-Ring Wizard Wesley Durant.

• Locke confirmed that his Mental Power had reached 53, completed two spells, and planned how to spend his remaining Magic Stones.
• Sophia brought Wesley Durant, a First-Ring Wizard cursed by a Black Wizard, into her office for treatment.
• Locke told Sophia about his progress, and she concluded that his true wizard aptitude was likely higher than the Academy's evaluation.
• Sophia asked to perform a bloodline tracing examination on Locke and assigned him to collect Dryad blood and help brew a curse-breaking potion.
• Sophia offered Locke Universal Studies courses, Magical Plant Breeding class, and advanced potion-assistant training, while Wesley praised her new student.

Locke extracted Dryad Bloodline Essence and began learning Magic Flame techniques from Sophia so he could assist with potion brewing. Sophia reassured the worried Wesley Durant that his defenses would keep him alive while Locke practiced.

• Locke restrained a Dryad in its enchanted cage, drew 500 ml of its blood, and covered the cage to prevent its Human Charm from affecting other creatures.
• Locke used Sophia’s extraction potion and the Mana Centrifugal Extraction Method to separate two portions of Dryad Bloodline Essence and gave them to her.
• Sophia showed Locke different Magic Flames and explained how their temperatures and properties affected potion brewing.
• Sophia gave Locke a Spell Model and told him to summon a Wood Element Particle Flame in her crucible.
• Wesley Durant objected that he might succumb to the Thousand Sores Curse before Locke learned the technique, but Sophia assured him his [All-Metal Devourer] defense would keep him alive for at least a week and sat down to read.

Locke refined Rapid-Growth Gel for the first time and received guidance from Wesley Durant, while Witch Sophia prepared to use her improved Emerald Potion to lift Wesley’s curse. Locke left the potion room resolved to grow stronger and wondered what would happen if he synthesized his gel.

• Locke refined Rapid-Growth Gel, and Wesley Durant judged it usable but impure because Locke’s Magic Flame Technique was unstable.
• Wesley praised Locke’s progress, joked about taking him as a student, and learned that Locke’s contracts tied him to Lilith’s Cottage.
• Witch Sophia said she was confident her optimized Emerald Potion could lift Wesley’s Thousand Sores Curse and sent Locke to register his rank and study Universal Studies.
• After Locke left, Wesley questioned Sophia about her future at Lilith’s Cottage, and she answered with a display of Magic Pressure.
• Locke felt the Formal Wizard’s Magic Pressure outside the potion room, resolved to become a First-Ring Wizard, and considered selling or synthesizing his Rapid-Growth Gel.

Locke enrolled in Sasari’s Universal Studies course and paid the fee, then visited Lilith's Cottage’s registration office to test his Mental Power. After it measured 54, he received an Academy Badge as a Second-Class Wizard Apprentice and hoped the course might explain the substance in his Magenta Jade.

• Locke told Sasari that Teacher Sophia believed his unusually stable Mana came from a special talent, and Sasari approved his application for Universal Studies.
• Locke paid 150 Magic Stones and registered for the course.
• Locke traveled to Anvil Square and tested his Mental Power at Lilith's Cottage’s registration office, where the Amethyst Matrix showed 54.
• Locke attributed the increase to learning the Magic Flame Spell Model and digesting the remaining substance from the Magenta Jade, and hoped Universal Studies would help him identify it.
• A Halfling Second-Class Wizard Apprentice praised Locke’s rapid progress and gave him an Academy Badge.

After becoming a Second-Class Wizard Apprentice, Locke learned about his new privileges, Academy duties, and special rewards. He chose a Moonlight Elixir to accelerate his Mental Power growth, and the reward would be delivered through his mentor.

• The Halfling Second-Class Wizard Apprentice gave Locke a key to his room in Knockturn Alley and explained his access to Lilith's Cottage's public areas, including the Blood Roar Colosseum.
• The Halfling described Locke's monthly Magic Stone and Mind-Calming Ointment benefits, his required Academy duties, and the contract requiring him to stay at Lilith's Cottage for fifteen years after becoming a First-Class Wizard Apprentice.
• The Halfling showed Locke the Academy's reward lists for Wizard Seedlings who reached Second-Class status within half a year or a year.
• Locke considered the reward options and chose a bottle of Moonlight Elixir to increase his Mental Power growth.
• The Halfling registered Locke's choice and said Moonlight Elixir could greatly boost Mental Power growth; Locke then took his leave.