671: The Rose Ecological Corridor Spell and the Insomniac
Only then did Locke realize that this was Witch Lana of the Rose Council. He had once consulted her on Ecological Corridor research because he wanted to create the Forest Alliance Spell.
The two had corresponded via letters for at least two months.
However, he had indeed never met this powerful Sun Ring Wizard in person, which was why he didn't recognize her immediately.
Locke said, "So it's you, Lady Lana. But what brings you to Golden Crown Mountain?"
Witch Lana said, "Let's go to a private room. It's unseemly to talk out here. Locke, your soul is steadily declining."
Witch Lana looked back at Locke and said, "Congratulations."
Locke gave a bitter smile.
The female Floramancer beside Witch Lana seemed to think of something. She looked at Locke with a complex expression, her eyes filled with no small amount of jealousy and envy.
From the First Ring to the Second Ring stage, there is a very special hurdle—the soul decline period.
Many wizards who lack knowledge in this area might think they've gone astray or contracted some serious illness, wasting a significant amount of time during this soul decline period, or even causing problems for themselves through over-treatment.
But for the wizards of Yunze Wetland, this profound knowledge was no secret to most.
After any, they had contact with High-Ring Wizards every day.
Therefore, Witch Suella Sharp immediately understood what Teacher Lana meant.
The young wizard before her had already entered the soul decline period and was just one step away from becoming a Second Ring Wizard. If he couldn't cross it, he would die; if he did, it would be like a carp leaping through the dragon gate.
Feeling the excessively young aura of Locke's soul, Witch Suella Sharp even felt a pang of resentment. She felt that the heavens were truly unfair; she had worked hard for so long and was already fifty years old this year, yet she still hadn't entered the soul decline period.
Inside Private Room No. 3, Witch Lana spoke plainly, "Locke, I'll be direct. I ask you, my students entered the Abyss River and that tomb city, so why is it that only one of the seven could leave?"
Witch Lana looked at Locke and said, "Don't think about lying to me. Even if you do, I can still investigate. At that time, you would have to endure the wrath of a Sun Ring Wizard."
Locke said candidly, "Exploring Abyssal Ruins is inherently dangerous. That ruin isn't my home. What could I have done?"
"At the time, we used an Archaeology spell. That spell and a spell already present in the Abyssal Ruins underwent spell coupling, resulting in a complex chain reaction."
Witch Lana didn't seem surprised by this answer—or rather, she had expected it. She said, "Mm. The responsibility indeed doesn't lie with you. I just wanted to confirm, as these were the lives of six students. I need to give an account to the academy."
"Furthermore, enrollment quotas are extremely precious to me. Losing six people at once..." Witch Lana said, "Among them were two researchers from the True Knowledge Institute and four Chair Mages. The responsibility is heavy. Therefore, I must represent the Rose Council to get to the bottom of this."
"To me, this is a massive loss, even an unacceptable one."
Locke nodded to show his understanding.
This was different from the First Ring Wizards who died from that small wizard organization, the Thunder Demon Society. The wizards the Rose Council lost in those Abyssal Ruins all held teaching positions or were from the True Knowledge Institute, so the Rose Council would certainly investigate thoroughly.
The relevant investigations had likely been completed before they came to question him; this was just a final confirmation after the fact.
Besides, he had indeed done nothing in the Abyssal Ruins other than explore them, so his conscience was clear.
Otherwise, people from the Ethics and Morality Review Committee would have been the ones coming to question him.
Witch Lana changed the subject. "After investigating, I also feel that this matter cannot be blamed on you. Those Abyssal Ruins are dangerous themselves. You won a Star Domain Sea Archaeology award by exploring them?"
"Those ruins involve a great deal." Witch Lana poured herself a cup of Peach Blossom Brew black tea. "In fact, the six deaths from the Rose Council have been designated as war casualties."
Locke looked at Witch Lana in confusion.
Witch Lana said, "According to the Rose Council's investigation, an Abyss War is about to begin. The Rose Council's opponent in this extra-territorial war is the Endless Abyss. This time, the Endless Abyss is taking on three opponents at once, and the one presiding over this war is the Abyssal Demon God, Great King Alaric."
"The strategist for the Abyss side this time is the Abyssal Werewolf King."
"This time, it was he who dropped ten apocalypse wizard stones over the Wizard World. Wizards pursued those special stones, causing various disturbances. Essentially, the Rose Council, Storm Tower, and Golden Crown Mountain have already seen serious conflicts among your generation because of this one apocalypse wizard stone."
"If anyone from any of the three parties is unreasonable and seeks revenge at will, this matter will develop exactly as the Abyssal Werewolf King planned, turning into a war between at least two of the top wizard academies in Yunze Wetland."
"In that way, the Abyss army would win without a fight before the Abyss War even begins."
Locke looked at Witch Lana in surprise.
He hadn't expected that the competitors he and Warwick encountered while exploring the Abyssal Ruins were all there because of the five major foreign wars about to occur in Yunze Wetland.
"Abyssal Werewolf King... Alaric..." Locke murmured to himself. "Is Alaric one of the Seventy-Two Pillars of Demon Gods?"
Witch Lana nodded and said, "Yes, the Abyssal Commanders-in-Chief who preside over the Abyss Wars in each term are always one of the Seventy-Two Pillars."
"Before defecting to the Abyss, Alaric was a Third Ring Throne Earth Wizard with important research achievements in Prairie Science. Seeing no hope of promoting to the Fourth Ring, he happened to encounter the Mother of Desire, a deep-layer lord of the Abyss, during a journey. The Mother of Desire tempted him with the pursuit of truth. Although he was unwilling to fall into the Abyss and have his soul stained with an Abyssal Mark—making it impossible to escape the power of the Abyss—under that temptation, he ultimately couldn't resist the path she showed him."
"Thus, he fled into the Abyss and became a Fourth Ring Wizard there."
"Alaric heavily employs the Abyssal Werewolf tribe and likes to win without a fight before launching a war."
"This man is insidious and cunning, and as an Earth Wizard himself, he is familiar with the mountains and lands of the Wizard World." Witch Lana spoke of this person with considerable wariness. "He once managed to enter Yunze Wetland alone and plundered seventeen large magic ore veins."
"With just a glance, he can split the earth, change the landscape, and turn heaven and earth upside down. The White Wizard Association has listed him as a war criminal. Any wizard who encounters him can kill him on sight and receive a reward from the association."
Witch Lana looked at Locke and said, "Locke, do you have an apocalypse wizard stone? The Rose Council has a large project recently that requires quite a few of them. If you have one, I can make a trade."
Locke said regretfully, "I'm sorry, Witch Lana. If you had told me earlier, there might have been a chance. Just now, I already traded that apocalypse wizard stone with Wizard Smith of the Storm Tower."
Witch Lana sighed, "I see. Did I miss it?"
Witch Lana said, "Then never mind. I mainly came here on behalf of the Rose Council to clarify the situation with you, remove misunderstandings, and ensure Golden Crown Mountain and the Rose Council don't fall into the Abyssal Werewolf King's scheme and engage in meaningless conflict."
"Locke, are you still researching Ecological Corridors?"
Locke originally wanted to mention how he used the Moon Magic Mirror to reflect the forest as a foundation for the Forest Alliance Spell, but he suddenly remembered that in his previous correspondence with Witch Lana, her tone would become very severe whenever he mentioned that concept.
Moreover, she seemed to dislike it when a young First Ring Wizard's ideas conflicted with her own. So, Locke swallowed the words at the tip of his tongue. He omitted his latest discovery and instead explained his understanding of Ecological Corridors.
Witch Lana nodded with great satisfaction. "Very good. Your understanding of Ecological Corridors is quite thorough."
"By following what I taught you and using trees as the material medium for the Ecological Corridor, you can create a Forest Divine Path."
Witch Lana brushed her hand over the table, and suddenly rows of rose bushes appeared. Two clumps of rose bushes seemed to form a divine path, connecting one end to the other.
Witch Lana glanced at Locke and then tossed a magic book to him.
Locke looked down and saw that it was a magic book titled 'Rose Ecological Corridor Spell'.
This was precisely the Spell Model Witch Lana had hidden from him before.
Previously, the two had only exchanged theoretical concepts and hadn't discussed any practical Spell Models. Locke hadn't expected that during this face-to-face meeting, she would actually give him the specific Spell Model for the Ecological Corridor.
Locke looked at Witch Lana in surprise.
Witch Lana said, "I am extremely satisfied with your research and depth regarding Ecological Corridors. This incantation is just an ordinary Second Ring level Spell Model. It's expensive if you call it expensive, but cheap if you call it cheap."
"Since you are so interested in Ecological Corridors, I'll just let you learn this Spell Model. It's just an outdated model; I have better ones now."
Witch Lana said, "Giving it to you for reference is enough."
Locke said, "Thank you, Lady Lana."
Witch Lana sat on the sofa in the private room, arms crossed, and said, "To be honest, you've caused quite a few small troubles for our Rose Council recently. Even among the Second Ring Wizard community, your name is heard occasionally."
"Putting everything else aside, have you been doing something with wizard shoes lately?"
Locke hesitated for a moment and nodded. "Yes. I wanted to earn a bit more money."
Witch Lana said, "I am a Floramancer, so this matter has nothing to do with me. It's just that I find you quite likeable, so I'll give you a bit of advice."
"Be careful lately. Behind the various wizard shoe brands in Yunze Wetland, there are actually High-Ring Wizards from the various Wizard Academies."
"The Magic Weavers of the Rose Council are extremely stingy; even we Floramancers can't stand them. You'd better be careful."
Locke expressed his gratitude, "Thank you for the warning, Lady Lana."
Witch Lana nodded. "Alright, I'm quite busy myself. Since things have been cleared up, I'll be going."
Witch Lana stood up, and Witch Suella Sharp whispered beside her, "Teacher, we lost six people this time. Are we really just going to let it go?"
"Six wizards died on our side. Even if he isn't primarily responsible, he should still have joint responsibility."
Witch Lana gave her a cold look. "Since when do you have the right to interrupt when I am speaking?"
Witch Suella Sharp was startled and immediately realized that she had been too anxious and had inadvertently crossed Witch Lana.
Witch Lana looked at her coldly. "It's not that I want to let it go. It's the Rose Council that wants to let it go; the entire incident has been classified by the Rose Council as an extension of the Abyss War. Suella Sharp, what do you want then? Do you want the academy to hold Golden Crown Mountain accountable on your behalf?"
"As long as Locke Augustine had initiated an attack against you even once, the Rose Council could directly hold him accountable. So I ask you, did he attack you even once?"
Witch Suella Sharp wanted to say something, but she realized that Locke and the others indeed had not initiated any attacks against them.
Witch Lana looked at her with suppressed anger. "You fool. Your skills were inferior, and yet you still want me to come out and be embarrassed with you. Why weren't you the one who died!"
Witch Suella Sharp gritted her teeth and, having no other choice, lowered her head to apologize to Witch Lana. "I'm sorry, Teacher. I was wrong."
"It's my incompetence..."
Witch Lana gave her a cold look.
Seeing this scene, Locke thought to himself that he had been wise not to mention the Moon Magic Mirror earlier. If he had, forget about her giving him an Ecological Corridor Spell; the wizard being scolded severely would probably have been him.
Locke made a mental note of the principles for dealing with Witch Lana.
Witch Lana turned around to look at Locke, a smile instantly appearing on her face. "Sorry you had to see that, Locke. Locke, if only my students were as smart as you and as worry-free as you are."
"Sigh, the quality of my incoming students has been getting worse year after year. I don't know what's happening."
"Originally, I was quite optimistic about a researcher from the True Knowledge Institute this year, but who would have thought that just as they were about to join the Rose Council's branch of the True Knowledge Institute, they suddenly rejected the Rose Council." Witch Lana said, "What a pity. I thought my research group would get a reliable wizard this year."
Witch Lana looked at Locke with a sense of regret.
Witch Suella Sharp swallowed hard; she actually knew what had happened, but no one dared to tell Witch Lana.
That wizard who was supposed to join the Rose Council's True Knowledge Institute this year had immediately requested a different partner wizard after hearing it would be her. When the academy refused the change, he simply withdrew from the program.
But no one dared to tell Witch Lana about this.
Locke blinked, because by observing the expressions of Witch Lana and Suella Sharp, he instantly guessed the truth of the matter.
He thought for a moment and said to Witch Lana, "Then it's truly a pity for that wizard to lose a partner mentor like Lady Lana."
Witch Lana smiled, clearly very pleased by the flattery. "Exactly. It is indeed his loss."
"I'm leaving, Locke."
After a few more words, Witch Lana departed.
Locke breathed a sigh of relief as he saw her leave. This way, he had managed to handle a Third Ring Wizard and a Second Ring, Sun Ring Wizard in a short amount of time.
Locke whispered, "Dealing with this Witch Lana requires specific techniques. If one can master them, she's actually very easy to talk to."
"But if your thoughts differ even slightly from hers, she gets very angry. I've realized that once she's angry, she'll find fault with everything you do. Once you enter that vicious cycle, she'll likely see a wizard as being wrong in every way."
"No wonder there are wizards who would forcibly withdraw from the program after finding out she is their partner mentor."
If one's partner mentor for five years was someone they didn't get along with, it would truly be a loss of both time and resources. Not only would it be a waste of time, but one would also be suppressed for five years for no reason.
Locke sat in the private room and sighed, for the moment he sat on the sofa, he suddenly felt very tired.
Suddenly, he felt laden with worries and felt that the future was so hopeless. The Silent Grail Competition was so difficult that he had absolutely no hope of winning.
A moment later, Locke snapped out of it, and the confusion and despair that had suddenly arisen in his heart vanished.
"The most terrifying thing about the soul decline period isn't the fading of power or the decline in status, but that even my mind is affected."
"This is what it means for one's judgment to be clouded and to fall into a muddled state."
Locke waved his right hand in front of him, and suddenly a bright moon reflected him, his image appearing within the full moon.
He saw that in the full moon, his expression was listless, like someone suffering from insomnia.
It was indeed insomnia.
Because his magic pressure had gradually exceeded his soul limit, and since the soul limit could not be broken, the magic pressure could only leak away through the cracks in his soul. The more his magic pressure increased, the larger the soul cracks became.
There is another unique aspect to the soul decline period: one's magic pressure will gradually increase from 9,999, infinitely approaching 10,000.
Because the soul cracks will widen, as long as the cracks are large enough, the magic pressure will relatively increase.
It can be considered that the generation of soul cracks is not only because the soul cannot bear one's magic pressure, but also because the soul undergoes a corresponding change to adapt to the wizard's attempt to break through.
It's just that this change in soul structure can lead to the destruction of a wizard's soul.
Locke looked at himself in the moon and said, "I must advance to become a Second Ring Wizard as soon as possible. Otherwise, my magic pressure and mana will rise every day, while I myself will decline."
"Furthermore, in this special state, my mind will suffer erosion."
"The longer it drags on, the harder it will be to leave this state."
Locke opened the Rose Ecological Corridor Spell. After spending an hour roughly reading through the magic book, he nodded and said, "I see. This Spell Model is indeed much more complex and refined than the rudimentary divine path I established before. Although it's just an outdated version, it's the research result of a Sun Ring Wizard's team, which is profound enough for me."
"It's fortunate I hadn't seen this magic book before," Locke mused. "If I had read it, my thinking would have been limited by the magical framework within this book."
"To me, this magic book represents the work of a Sun Ring Wizard's team; it is like a high mountain. At that time, my ideas for the Forest Alliance Spell were rudimentary and I hadn't formed my own views. If I had encountered this magic book early on, I would likely have been completely led astray."
"But now that I have my own ideas, looking at this magic book is as easy as taking something from a bag, using stones from other hills to polish my own. Not only does it have no negative impact, but it's full of inspiration I can draw from."
Locke sat on the sofa and thought, "I only wanted to create a hierarchical relationship between different forests to form an alliance."
"But what Witch Lana wanted was to connect the ecologies of different regions to form an ecological alliance. Learning this Rose Ecological Corridor Spell would require a lot of time and energy; without over half a year and a million magic stones, I probably couldn't learn it."
"So, there's no point in me trying to learn it," Locke said. "With the Grand Magic Modeling Competition imminent, time is incredibly precious. Having already entered the soul decline period, it's even more impossible to learn more things."
Locke noticed that his learning ability was also declining.
This was the horror of entering the soul decline period.
Yet every wizard who wants to become a Second Ring Wizard must go through this stage.
Locke pondered, "But the key point of this Ecological Alliance Curse is to form Ecological Corridors between different ecologies to establish an alliance. And my Moon Magic Mirror can establish connections between all things."
"If I use these connections as a foundation and this spell's Spell Model as a prototype, perhaps I can make my Moon Magic Mirror into an ecological alliance?"
That idea in Locke's mind was increasingly taking shape.
That would be his first Great Magic completely formed.
If he could completely conceptualize it before the Grand Magic Modeling Competition