Strategic Alliances

After the rules were explained, all the contestants were given a satchel. Inside were many compartments for storing raw materials, a pair of Dragonhide Gloves, a silver knife, an iron shovel, and a compass-like prop pointing to the entrance of the Magic Garden.

Then, everyone followed Hector and the three judges out of the tent and into the western part of the village, into an ordinary-looking wooden hut. The interior looked quite ordinary, with a bed, a desk and chair, unlit candlesticks hanging from the ceiling, and an old wardrobe, just like the home of an ordinary wizard, without anything special about it.

Hector first lit the candlesticks, then opened the desk drawer, and then turned the pillows on the bed over.

Finally, he opened the wardrobe door and stepped inside.

All the participants hurriedly followed, and finally the three judges entered.

This is undoubtedly a magic door. The room's furnishings must be arranged in the correct order beforehand to activate the magic door.

Before Skylar lay a vast, boundless forest, no smaller than the Forbidden Forest at Hogwarts.

Is this the Magic Garden?

The contestants looked around curiously and discovered behind them a cluster of stone-built ruins, seemingly hundreds of years old. They could still vaguely make out the origins of the place from the signs erected in front of the houses.

Quintia McQuaid (1377-1407), the great apothecary who died while researching and inventing Potions to cure malaria.

This is McQuaid's former residence. The Wizarding Schools Potions Championship was created in her honor, and it's quite surprising that they built the entrance to the Magic Garden at her former home.

After the referee blew his sharp whistle, the seven contestants immediately entered the designated area of the forest. This Magic Garden did not look like the gloomy Forbidden Forest at all; it had a magical feel to it. The wizards had obviously used magic to modify this forest, making its environment suitable for the growth of various magical plants.

Skylar walked slowly forward, not in a hurry at all, recalling the list of ingredients he needed to collect—the list was very broad, enough to make more than five different kinds of Potions. Obviously, the judges did this on purpose, so that the contestants would not be able to guess what kind of Potions they would make tomorrow.

Since the participants cannot predict tomorrow's competition, it also means that they cannot rely on luck and must collect all the necessary materials.

Soon, Skylar arrived at a swamp. He carefully avoided the mud pits that might cause him to sink in and the Dugbog dugbogs that might suddenly appear to attack him. Surprisingly, he discovered a very rare Sopophorous Plant.

The Sopophorous Plant had a thin, long stem, and its large leaves had clearly visible blood vessels that stained them a pale red. Beside many of the leaves grew pods, and inside these pods lay the powerfully magical Sopophorous Bean. Skylar carefully pruned all the pods, then used his silver knife to peel them open one by one. Inside each pod was a pearly white, shriveled bean, which looked very much like an overgrown mistletoe berry.

Skylar smiled with satisfaction. He had harvested a full ten Sopophorous Bean, a very rare find. Finding another Sopophorous Plant wouldn't be easy for the other contestants. Sopophorous Bean were also a crucial ingredient in many Potions- making processes, as they contained a silvery sap that could erase memories if ingested directly. Strangely, this magical effect disappeared once the beans were made into Potions.

The presence of swamps meant that a water source was not far away, so he continued on and, as he had expected, came to a lake.

He activated his Amphimagus form, transforming into a dragon-human hybrid, and submerged into the water to search for his target.

It must be said that although this is a Potions competition, magic power and combat strength are not very helpful; it tests the participants' knowledge and gathering skills more. However, Skylar still possesses many advantages that other participants do not have.

He possesses the profound mystery of Divine Insight of Amaterasu, which means he can observe his surroundings extremely quickly and find his target even faster;

He possesses a body modified by the Source of Life, which gives him extraordinary physical strength and endurance when exploring and trekking in the wild;

He possesses the ability to detect heat with his Snake Eyes, making him a valuable asset when tracking prey.

He quickly found a clump of aquatic bulb grass. While collecting it, he didn't forget to be wary of his surroundings, as this dark lakebed environment was a breeding ground for creatures like Grindylow and sea snakes.

However, presumably due to the faintly dangerous aura emanating from his dragon-human form, no dangerous creature dared to approach him. After completing the collection, he immediately began searching for the next item on the list—eel eyeballs and Frog Brain, lionfish spines, and mucus secreted by water snails...

Meanwhile, in the forest.

Mara Kainda leaned against a huge ancient tree, casually tossing a freshly picked poppy pod in his hand. He grinned at Raffaella Correa, who was standing not far away. "So, sis, you think so too?"

Raffaella rolled his eyes, put one hand on his hip, and flicked the leaves from his hair with the other. "Nonsense, to win you have to be ruthless. Trying to fight alone? That's stupid."

As they were talking, a faint sound of footsteps approached them. The two turned around alertly and saw a petite figure standing there timidly— Alison Baker, the representative of Ilvermorny.

Alison seemed a little embarrassed, raising her hands to indicate she meant no harm, then whispered, "Uh... I just overheard your plan. You... are you really going to do this?"

"Of course!" Mara laughed heartily, then raised an eyebrow at her, "Do you want to join?"

Alison hesitated for a moment, glancing down at the herbs in her hand. She knew that gathering them alone couldn't compare to their strategic use of light. And—although it was a bit unethical, the competition rules didn't forbid it...

After a moment, she nodded slightly. "Okay."

"Then it's settled." Raffaella grinned, casually plucked a vine from a tree, and toyed with it in his hand. "The three of us will split up and collect as many herbs and fruits as possible, leaving none for anyone else."

Alison frowned and asked in a low voice, "Then... what about the others?"

"Them?" Mara shrugged. "They'll have to figure something else out."

The three exchanged a knowing glance and a knowing smile, then quickly dispersed and began their operations in their pre-assigned areas.