The wizarding civilization highly values military achievements and has established a medal system to reward wizards who perform exceptionally well in expeditions.
The lowest rank is the Third-Class Wizard Medal, followed by Second Class, First Class, and the highest rank, Special Class.
Don't assume Third-Class Wizard Medal is worthless just because it's the lowest rank. Leo has encountered many wizards, even Level Two Wizard and Level Three Great Wizard, but none of them have ever received a wizard medal.
The only person they encountered was Nox, Level-Two Elemental Wizard from the Black Skull Wizard Academy, who possessed a Second-Class Wizard Medal. Knox's actions in capturing Alice directly led to a local war between the two academies, foreshadowing the later Six Academies Tournament.
Obtaining a Wizard's Medal is extremely difficult, much like Leo smuggling himself into the Jeft World. A First-Level Wizard forcibly opening a spatial rift connecting to the Wizard World against the power of an entire world is more dangerous than putting your head on the line.
Try a different First-Level Wizard; that's only because Leo fits the Jeft World. Otherwise, he would have died eight hundred times over.
The medal is not only recognition of Leo, but also an award for his Leo in this campaign.
Ever since seeing the wizard's badge on Nox and hearing about it from Gru, Leo had even specifically looked up the conditions for obtaining the badge.
The wizarding book states that the Third-Class Wizard Medal changed the course of a local battle; the Second-Class Wizard Medal changed the course of a local war; First-Class Wizard Medal changed the course of the entire war.
The conditions are increasingly difficult, each one a mission with a near-certain death!
As for the Special-Class Wizard Medal, Leo couldn't find any information about it at all.
Of course, the conditions for obtaining medals are not limited to the battlefield; you can still obtain them as long as you make equivalent contributions.
"According to the rules of the Wizard Will, Third-Class Wizard Medal grants an annual subsidy of 20 energy crystals. The medal itself also activates a protective shield with a defense of 2000 points to safeguard your safety, along with other corresponding privileges. You can check them out yourself."
The Purple Flame Stigmata Wizard calmly looked at Leo, who was trembling as he held the medal, and said that he was responsible for the 20 energy crystals awarded each year, since he was the one who assigned Leo this arduous smuggling mission.
"Cherish it. Behind every wizard's medal lies the attention of Wizard Will. By obtaining this Third-Class Wizard Medal, your starting point is several levels higher than that of other First-Level Wizard."
Leo thanked him repeatedly, so excited that he almost said all the good things he could ever say in his life. As for how much of what the Purple Flame Stigmata Wizard said, it didn't really matter to him anymore.
The Third-Class Wizard Medal is only half the size of a palm. The front features a wizard's staff, and the back features a wizard's robe. This is the most basic equipment for a wizard. There are thousands of wizard's equipment, but these two are the most fundamental.
I had read about medals in wizarding books before, and many Level Three Great Wizard had never obtained a Third-Class Wizard Medal. Leo never expected that I would get one on my first expedition mission.
He immediately hung the medal on his chest, and the instant his mental energy probed into it, he could immediately sense a protective shield that could be activated at any time. With a thought, it would appear in front of him instantly.
A protective shield with 2000 defense points can block a single attack from a First-Level Wizard!
Even better, the protective shield will automatically recover based on the energy concentration after it breaks, and it can be restored in as little as three days.
With another layer of defense added, Leo suddenly felt like his life was a little easier!
What are your plans for the future?
Just as Leo was thinking that he should leave, the Purple Flame Stigmata Wizard suddenly called him back.
"If you don't have any specific plans, you can stay at the academy. Purple Flame Academy really needs an excellent wizard like you as a teacher."
Before Leo could even open his mouth, the Purple Flame Stigmata Wizard had already extended an olive branch.
"I'm sorry, Master Purple Flame Stigmata Wizard, I've already made an appointment with Alice to be neighbors at the Tower of Elements. As you know, I've been spending a lot of time around the academy these past few years, and I wanted to take advantage of my promotion to travel around and see more of the place."
Leo hesitated for a moment, secretly sensing the aura of the Purple Flame Stigmata Wizard. Finding nothing amiss, he then declined the invitation from the Stigmata Wizard.
Having been secretly controlled for so long, Leo always became more cautious when facing the Purple Flame Stigmata Wizard.
" The Tower of Elements?"
As expected, the Purple Flame Stigmata Wizard reacted in the same way Alice had heard; he was quite surprised that a Body Refinement Wizard would go to the Tower of Elements.
Leo instantly felt a spiritual force see right through him. Leo knew that this was the Purple Flame Stigmata Wizard, who also suspected his actions.
Why would a perfectly good Body Refinement Wizard go to a place teeming with Elemental Wizard?
"You've just been promoted, so you definitely need to travel more and see more of the world. Whenever you want to come back, there will always be a place for you at the Purple Flame Wizard Academy."
The Purple Flame Stigmata Wizard did not notice anything unusual about Leo, nor was he annoyed by Leo's refusal. On the contrary, he still held back his recruitment efforts.
When Leo left the starship, he even doubted whether his experience was real. First, he received Third-Class Wizard Medal for his work, and then he was personally recruited by Stigmata Wizard, but he refused.
When did I start speaking so confidently?
To be personally recruited by Stigmata Wizard, one must at least be Level Three Great Wizard... while I'm just a lowly First-Level Wizard...
Although he hadn't agreed to it, Leo was still secretly pleased to receive this special treatment.
He glanced again at the medals on his chest and unconsciously puffed out his chest a little more...
It's all true!!!
More importantly, the Purple Flame Stigmata Wizard didn't forcibly interfere with his future, which meant he was truly free!!!
Is there anything more important than this?
With cheerful steps, Leo found Benji.
When Benji led more than 20,000 Gulu Beast to bow to Leo, Leo realized that the Gulu Clan was better than he had imagined.
Not only did the wizards heal the more than a thousand adult Gulu Beast that had come down from the battlefield, but they also arranged for all the underage Gulu Beast that had been hidden away by Benji to come over.
In the battle through the spatial passage, the Gulu Beast Clan suffered heavy losses, with nearly 100,000 dead, accounting for 85% of their total numbers. All of their high-end combat power was wiped out, and there was even a gap in the first and second levels. Leo had thought the clan had been wiped out, but he didn't expect there were still more than 10,000 left.
Although it was just a group of minors, the elderly, the weak, and the disabled led by Benji, a mere third-level combatant, the Gulu Clan would become his best combat force in the short term.
" The Purple Flame Stigmata Wizard has decreed that you are free to choose a territory to reproduce, and your lives will be protected by the Wizard Will."
"Thank you, great Purple Flame Stigmata Wizard, thank you, Lord Leo."
Benji was almost in tears. After all the sacrifices they had made, the moment of harvest had finally arrived. Their Gulu Clan would surely achieve great things because of their choices.
" Benji, settle your people first, and wait for my news," Leo said.
I need to keep Benji, a level three combatant, by my side. Even if his level isn't high among level three, he's still level three.
A First-Level Wizard with a level three combat companion has a greater chance of survival than others, no matter what they do.
"Yes, Lord Leo."
Benji bowed his head in agreement, accepting his future with Benji.
Leo no longer wanted to get involved in the aftermath of the Jeft World. In five years, the wizarding army had wiped out all resistance forces in the Jeft World, leaving only more detailed and time-consuming work to be done.
Leo doesn't need these military achievements. What he needs to do now is complete the experimental project he failed to finish five years ago and complete the final upgrade of his Body Refinement Wizard level one advancement.
But there's another thing to do before that.
It was the Crystal Heart from the Dark Night Temple. It was originally a world-class treasure created by the Dark Night Temple for the artificial creation of gods. Although it was only a semi-finished product, it was an invaluable treasure to Leo.
Leo used his Third-Class Wizard Medal to directly requisition a laboratory on the starship.
Normally, only Level Three Great Wizard has this right; not even First-Level Wizard, let alone Level Two Wizard.
However, Leo possesses Third-Class Wizard Medal, which allows him to requisition the laboratory without any objection. This is the hidden privilege and benefit of the medal.
In the laboratory, Leo retrieved the box containing the Crystal Heart from the Shadow Space.
The Crystal Heart is only the size of a palm. Although it is called a heart, it is closer to a sphere and is very different from that of humans on Earth. This heart was created entirely according to the template of the Dark Night Clan.
It is completely transparent, with a faint sense of pressure, and it beats once every ten breaths, able to absorb and store the surrounding energy within itself.
"Since it was designed to supply energy to the body of the World Lord, its energy ceiling should be very high. Since it can store energy, it can release it."
"So I only face three questions: how does he store energy, how does he channel this energy to replenish his own magic, and whether this energy can perfectly complement himself."
"If none of these problems exist, then it can be modified into a mana reservoir to improve the issue of my mana not lasting."
Leo believed his combat system was among the best in its class, its only problem being its inability to sustain long-term damage.
A war god in an instant!
This is a true reflection of Leo. When he unleashes his full power, ten shadows can instantly drain all of Leo's magical power!
It couldn't even last a second!
Leo immediately began the experiment. The first step was to verify the rate at which the Crystal Heart absorbed each type of energy, then test the energy limit, followed by the absorption rate, and finally, energy guidance and replenishment.
Leo really enjoys being in the laboratory because it gives him a wonderful sense of beauty in exploring knowledge.
Every record of data, every improvement in an experiment, brings Leo a sense of peace and enjoyment, allowing him to experience the thrill of having everything under control.
At this moment, time always flows at its fastest.
When Leo encountered difficulties in his experiments, he realized that two years had already passed.