Chapter 50: Chapter 50

The [Orcni Great Bear] and [Ursun Giant Wolf] were both powerful creatures among mid-tier magical beasts.

The Orcni Great Bear possessed [Earth Magic Skin] on its body surface, which could enhance its defensive capabilities and accelerate the recovery of its wounds.

The [Ursun Giant Wolf], on the other hand, had exceptional speed, with [Swiftness] runes naturally embedded in its bones.

The bloodlines of these two magical creatures were both very suitable for his current self.

The reason that black wizard apprentice from before could suppress the patrol team was also due to his speed advantage.

If he had Earth Magic Skin, his survival ability would greatly improve, significantly increasing his margin for error.

When encountering something morning's incident again, he would have much more security.

After contemplating for a moment, Locke set his target on the [Orcni Great Bear]. The reason was simple: his formal wizard mentor, Witch Sophia, currently had an [Orcni Great Bear] in her magical creature breeding room.

Purchasing a magical creature from Teacher Sophia would not only save him considerable magic stones but also eliminate concerns about quality issues. He could even personally extract the bloodline from the [Orcni Great Bear] himself.

"Other second-class wizard apprentices also purchase from others. I can buy from Teacher Sophia."

"As long as I have the [Orcni Great Bear's] blood and a specially customized [Orcni Great Bear] bloodline separation potion, I can craft an [Orcni Great Bear] bloodline modification potion myself. This level of potion is nothing more than child's play for second-class wizard apprentices at Lilith's Cottage."

Locke thought that Lilith's Cottage was, after all, the stronghold of potion wizards. From his current perspective, the comprehensive abilities of Lilith's Cottage wizard apprentices in potion-making probably far exceeded those of wizard apprentices from other schools.

Locke said, "The only problem is the source of magic stones."

"However, the [Orcni Great Bear] is just a useless magical creature to formal wizards. Teacher Sophia usually doesn't care about it, so the fee shouldn't be too expensive. She might even give it to me."

A gray dwarf servant rhythmically and carefully knocked on Locke's bedroom door. "Great wizard master, there is a strange wizard lady outside who wishes to visit you."

"Are you willing to meet with her?"

Locke frowned. Who would come to Diagon Alley to see him at this hour?

Lorne and Pierre were only third-class wizard prospects and couldn't possibly enter Diagon Alley. Teacher Sophia absolutely couldn't enter Diagon Alley where second-class wizard apprentices lived, as her presence would cause a sensation.

Having just recently become a second-class wizard apprentice, he shouldn't have any friends at this level either.

Locke said indifferently to the gray dwarf servant, "Mm, I understand. Arrange for her to wait for me in the living room."

The gray dwarf servant hurried away.

About eight minutes later, Locke changed into a white wizard robe, put on the badge representing enforcement wizard apprentices and his academy badge, then went to the living room.

In the living room, Locke saw a female second-class wizard apprentice wearing a violet wizard robe that seemed to have been carefully tailored to appear somewhat alluring.

She wore golden high heels and had amethyst earrings hanging from her earlobes.

However, this person was someone Locke had never seen before.

Locke looked at her with confusion. "Hello, I'm Locke Augustine. You are?"

This female wizard apprentice's eyes brightened slightly when she saw Locke approach. She stood up and smiled at Locke, saying, "Nice to meet you for the first time, Wizard Augustine."

"I'm Chrysal Reeves." She emphasized her tone, saying, "I'm a second-class wizard apprentice from the Reeves family."

"The Reeves family is one of the seventy-two local wizard families of Lilith's Cottage."

Locke frowned slightly.

He naturally knew about the seventy-two local wizard families of Lilith's Cottage.

As a wizard academy, Lilith's Cottage had both wizard factions centered on mentor-student relationships and wizard factions centered on family relationships.

But ultimately, family inheritance couldn't compare to mentor-student inheritance. Fınd the newest release on NoveI-Fire.ɴet

Because you couldn't guarantee that every one of your offspring would have wizard aptitude, but you could ensure that every student you accepted had high wizard aptitude.

For a wizard organization to grow stronger, it had to break away from factions centered on blood relationships.

Therefore, at Lilith's Cottage, foreign wizards still occupied the mainstream. Instead, those earliest family wizards had long been marginalized.

His teacher, Witch Sophia, was a typical foreign wizard.

Although she was also a local, her home wasn't in Lilith's Cottage's original territory.

Locke said to Chrysal Reeves, "So, Miss Reeves, why have you come to see me?"

"I'm about to begin meditation."

Chrysal Reeves raised her eyebrows in displeasure because Locke not only didn't show the respect for the Reeves family that she had imagined, but actually seemed to be dismissing her.

However, thinking of her purpose for coming today, Chrysal's expression softened. "In that case, I'll keep it brief."

"The Reeves family values your aptitude. Although the academy only rates your aptitude as Level 3, our Reeves family doesn't mind this."

Chrysal smiled slightly, as if Locke should be grateful for this. "Therefore, the Reeves family wants to sign a contract agreement with you to invest in you."

She handed the contract to Locke.

Locke took the contract and began reading it.

Right, the children of wizard families didn't necessarily all have wizard aptitude, so they had some supplementary methods for recruiting wizard apprentices: investing in wizard prospects without power or influence.

The best targets were naturally wizard prospects from overseas who had no connections locally.

Locke thought that his abnormal advancement speed had probably caught the attention of this Reeves family, so they came early wanting to invest in him.

Locke looked at the benefits section of the contract. "Hmm? Give me fifty magic stones each month, plus two additional Focus Ointments, and access to your family laboratory."

Chrysal curved her lips while a flash of contempt appeared in her eyes. "Yes, the Reeves family has its own invested laboratory. As our family's investment target, you also have usage rights."

"Of course, you would also have corresponding obligations to our family."

Locke looked at the obligations section of the contract and immediately frowned deeply.

This contract actually required him to guarantee having at least five children with female relatives of the Reeves family within ten years.

It also required that after becoming a first-class wizard apprentice, he would need to contribute people and effort when the family needed him.

As a 'favor,' the contract also made pie-in-the-sky promises that if he became a first-class wizard apprentice and performed excellently, he could even marry the most outstanding offspring of the Reeves family before him, Chrysal, who had Level 4 aptitude, and become husband and wife.

Of course, in the form of a son-in-law who marries into the family.

Seeing this, Locke's expression had become very wrong. This contract carried obvious arrogance.

The other party clearly wanted to treat him as a breeding stallion, using him to improve the possibility of the Reeves family's descendants having outstanding wizard aptitude.

Perhaps this contract had some appeal to ordinary overseas wizards, but for himself with the Synthesis Cube, it was just chicken feed.

As long as he passed the breeder assistant certificate exam, he wouldn't lack magic stones for some time to come.

Signing such a contract was obviously unnecessary and asking for trouble.

Locke said to Chrysal, "I refuse."

A look of disbelief flashed across Chrysal's confident face, then her faint smile froze, and a flash of anger appeared in her eyes. However, she still tried to suppress it and maintain her rationality. "How could this be?"

"Are you still dissatisfied with something?"

"Mr. Augustine, allow me to remind you that this contract is already very favorable, especially considering you're only a Level 3 aptitude wizard apprentice."

"Our family even gives you more magic stones monthly than the academy provides in benefits. In this academy, without magic stones, you'll be unable to move a single step. As an overseas, non-local wizard apprentice, you'll be isolated and helpless."

Chrysal suppressed her anger, saying, "If it weren't for you becoming a second-class wizard apprentice within a year, with your original aptitude, you wouldn't even pass our Reeves family's evaluation."

"And now only our family is interested in you. Other local families won't extend olive branches to you."

"Without magic stones, your talent is useless. You'll gradually become mediocre and eventually go unnoticed."

"This is the best opportunity in your life."

Chrysal said, "You'd better reconsider."

Hearing this, Locke was already sneering inwardly. The Reeves wizard family seemed quite impressive.

But essentially, they were just a group that didn't even have a single formal wizard. He couldn't even be certain how many first-class wizard apprentices they still had.

Teacher Sophia had told him that most wizard families within Lilith's Cottage were gold on the outside but rotten within.

Truly promising wizard apprentices in the academy would absolutely never mix in their circles.

The other party coming to find him was probably because they saw that as a wizard apprentice from the overseas mortal world, he had limited knowledge.

Moreover, his aptitude evaluation wasn't high, so he wouldn't be valued by various formal wizard mentors, which was why they dared to approach him with such a contract.

Locke refused again, "Miss Chrysal, I still won't sign the contract."

"I'm used to going my own way. I need to meditate now."

Chrysal's expression finally became uncontrollably ugly. With anger, she said coldly, "I won't make a second offer of such a generous contract."

"Missing this opportunity will become the most regrettable thing in your life."

Chrysal said, "Without magic stones, even if you have some aptitude, you're nothing."

Chrysal turned and walked toward the door.

Locke only glanced at her once before saying to the gray dwarf servant, "See the guest out."

Although the gray dwarf servants didn't quite understand what had happened, they keenly sensed Locke's unwelcoming attitude toward Chrysal. Therefore, they immediately changed from their flattering attitude to opening the door arrogantly and asking Chrysal to leave.

This nearly made Chrysal's nose twist with anger.

However, considering this was Diagon Alley and Locke was an enforcement wizard on the patrol team, if she attacked Locke, she would face some trouble, so she forcibly restrained herself.

Before leaving, Chrysal muttered, "Damn gray dwarves, these lowly creatures should have all been burned to death back then, instead of our ancestors sparing their lives after their defeat."

After this interlude, Locke took a bath, then urgently entered meditation.

Only by constantly intensifying his meditation could his mental strength further improve and accelerate the time to become a first-class wizard apprentice.

The next day, in Witch Sophia's office, Locke placed his palm on the amethyst matrix, which displayed 61.

This was the result of the combined effects of moonlight potion, Rose Red Jade, and the Root Pulse Synchronization Meditation Technique.

Witch Sophia entered the office, glanced at the amethyst matrix, then looked at Locke with amusement. "You came to see me quite early today."

"I thought you would be late."

Locke said with confusion, "Teacher, I don't quite understand what you mean."

Witch Sophia smiled, "With a beautiful woman from a wizard family to accompany you, I originally thought you would be reluctant to part."

"I'm guessing that recently some wizard family should have approached you for investment. After all, your progress speed is worth their investment."

"For excellent overseas wizard prospects like you, they find you irresistible."

Locke said to Witch Sophia, "Teacher, I refused yesterday."

Witch Sophia looked at Locke with surprise.

Locke immediately recounted what had happened yesterday.

After hearing this, Witch Sophia also sneered. "These wizard families, no wonder they're declining day by day. They even dare to look down on my student, Sophia's."

"The contract they gave you wasn't even standard configuration. Every resource was reduced by about thirty percent."

Witch Sophia sneered, "They were probably taking advantage of you being rated as only Level 3 wizard aptitude when you entered Lilith's Cottage."

"A bunch of snobs who judge people by appearances. How can a wizard's talent be evaluated by such crude detection methods?"

"It's good that you refused."

"The Reeves family now only has two first-class wizard apprentices, neither with hope of becoming formal wizards, and both are already quite old. They've long been in decline."

"Nothing more than a sinking ship."

Witch Sophia seemed quite displeased with the contract the Reeves family had given him.

She felt this was somewhat insulting to her as well.

After all, Locke was currently her only student.

Witch Sophia sneered, "When you become my breeder assistant, let's see who will regret it."