Wizard: Starting With Synthesized Gems-Chapter 179: Witch Sophia's Final Task

Inside the shop, Locke looked at Old McCarthy's introduction and fell into contemplation.
According to the abilities Old McCarthy had demonstrated, archaeology wasn't just useful for exploring forgotten ancient magical knowledge.
It had enormous auxiliary effects in various fields.
For example, during combat, investigating opponents' backgrounds, during tracking and counter-tracking, eliminating one's own traces or finding others' traces, or when researching potion studies and breeding fields, having many methods that connected different disciplines.
Becoming an archaeologist would bring him nothing but benefits.
As for whether it would scatter his energy, this was a matter requiring choice and balance.
But if archaeology related to the ancient bloodline within his body and whether he could strengthen his physique to use more forbidden drugs, then learning archaeology wouldn't just avoid scattering his energy, it might even accelerate his speed of becoming a formal wizard.
Although this conclusion was somewhat counterintuitive.
Moreover, becoming an archaeologist would definitely require investing another large sum of magic stones.
Locke tried to put the archaeology introductory book, the Tome of the Tombstone, into his astral ring, but he discovered this was an impossible operation.
Locke looked at the Tome of the Tombstone with slight surprise. This tome was covered with many black magic spells, probably because several of the spells couldn't allow it to be placed in the astral realm.
'Knowledge transmission in black wizard society relies heavily on magic books, so they use various magic spells to enhance an ordinary magic book, creating so-called tomes.'
'Tomes are extremely precious. They probably intentionally added restrictions to prevent wizards from easily stealing such tomes using astral rings.'
Locke nodded to McCarthy, "Thank you, old friend. I'll return the tome to you in one month."
McCarthy said, "Good."
After bidding farewell to McCarthy, Locke quickly returned to his residence.
After Locke left, McCarthy walked to the shop entrance, his gaze looking in the direction where Locke had disappeared. "Rare to encounter a young person in white wizard society who researches ancient creature bloodlines and can actually produce results."
"How rare."
…
After Locke returned to his residence, he was surprised to discover a forest elf maid waiting at his residence entrance.
Seeing him approach, this forest elf maid bowed to Locke. "Lord Augustine, my master asked me to come find you."
Locke said to her indifferently, "What does my teacher want with me?"
Locke was just curious why Witch Sophia would suddenly come looking for him when she'd been so busy recently, having to complete academy tasks and pass the teaching assessment at Star Domain Sea.
He hadn't met with Teacher Sophia for some time now.
The forest elf maid said fearfully, "I don't know. My master said she would wait for Lord Augustine in her office."
Locke nodded slightly. He first returned to his residence, placed the Tome of the Tombstone in his study, then left his residence and headed to Witch Sophia's office.
…
In Witch Sophia's office, Witch Sophia clearly had a hint of joy in her eyes, and her smile grew even broader after seeing Locke.
"Locke, you've come."
"This time I really must thank you."
Locke said, "Teacher?"
Witch Sophia raised her palm, indicating for him to wait until she finished speaking. "In the three years since I became a formal wizard, I applied to many wizard organizations in Star Domain Sea, but they basically all rejected me."
"It's indeed not easy for formal wizards from the southeastern quadrant to establish a foothold in such a big place. Originally, I wasn't necessarily going to pass this employment assessment either, because there were several formal wizards from outside Star Domain Sea with conditions similar to mine, but I surpassed them in talent cultivation."
Witch Sophia's gaze was full of appreciation. "Because you, Locke, advanced to become a first-class wizard apprentice within two years and obtained your potion master's assistant and formal breeder certificates within half a year, you were recognized as outstanding talent by them."
"Even if wizard organizations in Star Domain Sea don't recognize many things from the southeastern quadrant, your magical level advancement speed is real, and the examination content for potion master's assistant and formal breeder was actually confirmed by the White Wizard Association's superiors in Star Domain Sea."
"So these two examinations have great value and are also recognized by wizard organizations in Star Domain Sea."
Witch Sophia smiled, "You really helped me tremendously this time. Research achievements, talent cultivation, magical level, and titles are the key points in teaching assessments."
"Because of you, I was considered to have special talent in talent cultivation by them."
Locke smiled along, "Congratulations, Teacher."
"Teacher, what's the name of the wizard organization that accepted you?"
Witch Sophia took out a letter with a golden seal showing numerous tall towers. "It's the City of a Thousand Towers [Partinos]."
"This wizard organization is considered powerful even in Star Domain Sea. The reason I applied to this organization is because the City of a Thousand Towers is essentially a super-large university alliance composed of more than ten comprehensive magical universities."
"This wizard organization places more emphasis on talent cultivation." Witch Sophia smiled, "Because I have you as a student, I had a great advantage in this area."
"Under normal circumstances, young wizards like me who won't stay at their home academy rarely have students as outstanding as you. My competitors were all formal wizards from outside Star Domain Sea, so my advantage in this area would be very prominent."
"Ultimately, I just wanted to try, but I didn't expect to actually succeed." Witch Sophia looked up and smiled at Locke, "Star Domain Sea is a big place. The southeastern quadrant is just a small corner of this magical world."
"To the mortal world, this place is a behemoth, but to Star Domain Sea, isn't this place also a small corner, similar to the mortal world where you once lived?"
"I don't mean to insult your hometown, Locke. You know what I mean..."
Witch Sophia became serious. "For talented people like you and me, we can't stay in a small place forever."
"We'll continue walking forward along the path ahead."
"Let me, your teacher, first go explore the path in Star Domain Sea. I'll try to establish a career there. After you graduate from the academy, if you're interested, you can come help me."
Witch Sophia explained, "Star Domain Sea has an extremely high level. It's a medium-high magic environment, and even among medium-high magic environments, it's considered top-tier."
"Very close to a high magic environment."
"There, even in the wilderness, an ordinary creature could potentially threaten the life safety of apprentice-level wizards. So without a formal wizard's magical level, I don't recommend you go there early."
"Moreover, the round-trip travel costs are extremely expensive. Even ordinary formal wizards might have their funding chains collapse there, falling into poverty, having neither money to return nor the ability to survive normally there."
Witch Sophia said, "Wizard apprentices there can only become completely dependent on formal wizards' protection. If your aptitude were mediocre, I'd think it fine for you to be under my protection. But Locke, you're not."
"Locke, I really hope you can come help me when the time comes."
"During this period, you've also learned that behind every formal wizard is a network of relationships, just varying in size."
Locke nodded. He asked, "Teacher, alright."
"But the prerequisite is that I must be able to become a formal wizard to go to Star Domain Sea. By the way, Teacher, are you leaving now?"
Witch Sophia shook her head. "This is why I asked you to come."
"I obtained the position of formal wizard lecturer at the City of a Thousand Towers [Partinos]."
"But I still need to complete one final task given to me by Lilith's Cottage before I can leave Lilith's Cottage."
"It's reasonable, I suppose. This can be considered my graduation task."
Locke asked in confusion, "So Teacher, what is this final task?"
Witch Sophia looked up at Locke, "As equivalent compensation for a formal wizard leaving Lilith's Cottage, I must kill another black wizard formal wizard."
"My target is a formal wizard-level curse master from the Blood Curse Court, Rashid Tariel."