The biggest advantage of this part-time job is the flexibility of time.
As long as you complete your assigned tasks, you can freely use your time; you don't need to waste it in the botanical garden or greenhouse, pretending to work and wasting time.
After inspecting the greenhouse several times to ensure that all the soil where the seeds were sown had been thoroughly watered by the rain, Link finally left.
Leaving the Third Botanical Garden, Link went straight to the library.
He found some information on the cultivation of seeds for both ordinary and extraordinary plants and began reading it carefully, prioritizing the information on the Silver Star Flower.
Not long after Link left, Sophie Lucia, the local girl and acting head of the garden, lifted the greenhouse curtain and entered.
She first sensed the humidity in the air, as well as the changes in elements and magic, then picked up several clumps of soil from different areas and rubbed them in her hands.
"Two Lesser Mist Rain spells?"
Sophie Lucia scoffed, "A bumpkin is a bumpkin!"
The Lesser Mist Rain spell and the Growth Spell were a perfect pair, a fact well-known within the Rivosos Biological and Medical Academy.
Link had overheard the instructor mention it during a class on "The Nature, Origin, and Development of Wizardry," and then spent considerable time researching in the library to confirm it.
However, for the wizarding apprentices in the North District of Sophie Lucia's junior academy, it was common knowledge.
Moreover, they knew many techniques for combining Lesser Mist Rain and Growth Spells.
For example, for Silver Star Flower seeds in greenhouses experiencing germination problems, using Lesser Mist Rain and Growth Spell once a day for seven consecutive days could induce germination.
The academy did indeed set tests for wizarding apprentices in certain part-time jobs.
As the acting headmistress, Sophie Lucia had the authority to decide whether to initiate tests and their difficulty.
She had set a relatively difficult test for Link.
First, the information left in the greenhouse was very basic, only the name of the Silver Star Flower and a basic introduction, without mentioning any problems with the seeds.
Second, the seeds were sown in the soil beforehand, and someone careless might simply cast a small mist spell once and leave, easily leading to oversights or errors.
Finally, the work instructions Link received contained wordplay; it only mentioned casting a small mist spell, without mentioning the need to use a growth-inducing spell in conjunction, only implying the need to "awaken life."
Sophie Lucia's goal was simple: to get rid of Link and not work with him.
The entire botanical garden was under the surveillance of the tower spirit of the intelligent management center tower, so she couldn't be too overtly targeting Link. Therefore, she resorted to underhanded tactics within the rules.
So far, her tactics seemed to be working.
"Hmph!"
Sophie Lucia chuckled coldly a few more times, clapped her hands, and walked out of the greenhouse.
...
Night fell.
Link returned to his dormitory with a notebook full of notes. He went about
his usual washing, changing, and meditation.
But just before going to sleep, Link received a call request from Jasmine.
Jasmine had never contacted Link this late before; even if she somehow got some information, she always chose to communicate the next morning.
This sudden contact must mean something was wrong.
Link sat down in his study and agreed to the "video call" request.
Jasmine's delicate face appeared on the screen, her expression slightly flustered. Upon seeing Link, she immediately said, "Link, I got word that Rivers Francis has recruited several of our batch of fifth-tier new recruits and wants them to cause you trouble tomorrow! What should we do, Link?"
Hearing this, Link couldn't help but recall the image of the black man asking for a greeting.jpg.
"What grudge?
Is that Rivers ghost haunting you? "
"Don't panic,
it's nothing serious." Link comforted Jasmine first, then asked, "Where did you get your information? Is it reliable? Do you have any other information?"
Jasmine took a deep breath to calm herself and replied, "My friend who told me about Rivers and Enrique just told me."
"Who is your friend? How can she be so well-informed?"
Link asked suspiciously. She was practically a know-it-all, a master of intelligence gathering.
"She..."
Jasmine hesitated before saying tentatively, "She...she's the girl who was pursued by Enrique last year, then harmed and abandoned by Rivers, Mina. But she survived and didn't leave the 'New Blood Mutual Aid Society,' secretly hindering Rivers." "
Is it her?"
Link had some doubts, but didn't tell Jasmine.
After thinking for a moment, Link reassured them, "There's no need to be afraid, it's nothing serious. The academy forbids private duels, and a few fifth-tier talents can't do anything to me."
Link spoke with great confidence.
Everyone was a newcomer to the training, and no matter how talented they were, they were at most first-tier wizard apprentices. How many spells could they learn?
Even if they learned offensive zero-ring spells, could they cast them instantly?
Instant casting was too demanding. How about changing it to casting within 5 seconds?
With Link's current physical abilities, he could run 100 meters in 5 seconds, directly attacking with punches the size of sandbags—the damage would be more than enough.
Unless the opponent ambushed and tried to kill him,
Link wasn't afraid at all. Of course
, Link wouldn't let his guard down.
After chatting briefly with Jasmine, and once her emotions had completely calmed down, Link hung up the "video call."
...
On the other side, Rivers' mood worsened.
After being rebuffed by Molly Kidman and Link Grand, Enrique selected several blonde, blue-eyed girls who matched his preferences.
However, something went wrong; these girls suddenly became more wary, causing Rivers to repeatedly fail.
The "Rage of the Meditation Method" that Rivers had switched to wasn't from the academy, but a fragment of an advanced meditation technique purchased on the black market. Although his meditation progress far exceeded the method the academy had given him, it had two major drawbacks:
first, it caused intense sexual desire that required regular release; second, it made him prone to anger and loss of self-control.
Even stranger, this sexual desire burned not only his body but also his spirit, consciousness, and will.
Therefore, Rivers had to have intercourse with a woman who matched his preferences once a month to resolve the side effects of the "Rage of the Meditation Method."
Before his promotion to third-class wizard apprentice, Rivers was able to maintain his rationality and avoid acting impulsively out of anger.
However, after his recent promotion, he began to struggle to remain rational again.
Coupled with not having released his pent-up desires for the past month, Rivers was on the verge of losing control.
Enrique casually mentioned that the girls' vigilance had suddenly increased since Link Grand ignored Rivers.
Rivers' anger flared, and he resolved to disregard the rules and teach them a lesson to vent his anger first.