766: The dual competition system, Key Laboratories, and the Arrival of Uninvited Guests
Locke thought for a moment and asked his senior brothers and sisters, "Seniors, I've had a question I wanted to ask you all. Do you know of any way to reduce the production cost of imaginary roots?"
Eldest Senior Brother Georta, Heidegger, Witch Zoyla, and Witch Fiona all looked at Locke in surprise.
Witch Fiona spoke up, "It's for your wizard shoes, isn't it? Don't be surprised; I've been following your wizard shoes. Or rather, pure magic plant wizard shoes are considered a bit of an interesting topic within the small circle of Breeders in the Cloud Marsh."
"Quite a few wizards occasionally mention this interesting story during their chats."
Locke bowed and said, "That is indeed the case, Senior Sister Fiona."
Witch Fiona shook her head and said, "Then there's no way. There has never been a precedent for second ring magic plants to be treated as quickly replaceable consumables."
"wizard shoes, magic clothes, wizard cloaks, wizard hats, and Magic Gloves—these things are essentially consumables. The reason Second-Ring Potions are priced at astronomical levels is because they require second ring magic plants and Second Ring Level magical creatures."
"The entire Second-Ring Potion market was able to be established and form a stable flow of goods based on the achievements of the Great Void Exploration Era."
Witch Fiona continued, "An ordinary world couldn't possibly form such a developed circulation of Second Ring Level potion commodities like the Wizard World has..."
Witch Fiona said to Locke, "A single imaginary root is equivalent to a Great Magic. The cost to establish it must be high, and it will definitely be more expensive than the Magic items designed by Magic Weavers."
"Making potions only requires using specific parts of a second ring magic plant, but you use an entire Magic Plant to make wizard shoes. Essentially, you are selling the miracle of life and the greatness of evolution—second ring magic plants."
Witch Fiona smiled and said, "So this is very difficult. You could increase the selling price, but that brings about another problem."
Witch Fiona raised her eyebrows.
"If you do that, your wizard shoes will only attract Botanical Wizards."
Locke nodded. Senior Sister Fiona had identified his biggest current difficulty in one go—how to reduce the cost of imaginary roots.
And this was almost impossible to achieve.
Locke spoke up, "Senior Sister Fiona, is there any way to create artificial imaginary roots? That would solve quite a few cost issues."
Witch Fiona frowned.
"Locke, listen to me. You've proposed something that sounds impossible to me. Or rather, this is a very serious project, at least at the Sun Ring Level fund level."
"If one of my students asked me this, I would scold him without hesitation to wake him up and tell him to find a balance between costs and ideals."
A trace of embarrassment appeared on Locke's face.
Witch Fiona was reminding him not to be too far-fetched with his ideas.
Fair enough.
Even if these people were all his senior brothers and sisters, out in the world, they were each a Third Ring Wizard, figures unattainable in the eyes of outsiders.
Suddenly proposing so-called artificial imaginary roots in front of them was indeed a bit of a challenge to their nerves.
A smile appeared on Witch Fiona's face as she softened, saying, "But having ideas is a good thing. It's just that trying to solve a massive problem just to sell wizard shoes is really... ahem..."
Witch Zoyla laughed and said, "Junior Brother, don't mind her. Senior Sister was always like this in Teacher's laboratory; she's always had a cold exterior but a warm heart. She spoke to you like that because she's afraid you'll take the wrong path."
"It's not that your idea is bad; the issue is still the cost."
Witch Zoyla turned serious.
"second ring funds and journals are particularly difficult to apply for and get published in. Developing a Second Ring project easily costs over five million magic stones."
"If the concept is too grand without pursuing feasibility, you'll miss many opportunities, which would be bad for your development."
"Besides, when it comes to commercial entrepreneurship, far too many Second Ring Wizards have gone bankrupt because of it. we've seen many people along the way."
Witch Zoyla handed him a business card.
"This is my business card, Zoina Botanical Museum. If you can't keep selling your wizard shoes, Junior Brother, you can come to my place to earn some extra cash."
Locke took the card and thanked her, "Thank you, Senior Sister."
Witch Fiona smiled and said, "If you have the need, you can also come to my Shop Alliance to earn extra cash."
"The few of us only succeeded after failing at entrepreneurship many times. Based on my experience, Second Ring Wizards generally go bankrupt once or twice."
Witch Zoyla turned around, walked toward Witch Fiona, and began discussing seriously with her. "I think among Third Ring Wizards, the average is three or four bankruptcies."
"However, I think not going bankrupt is the most terrifying thing. That kind of wizard is the most likely to develop a misunderstanding about themselves due to good luck, only to step into a pit they can never climb out of."
The two Third Ring Wizards walked to the other side of the room to continue their discussion.
They had only exchanged a few pleasantries with Locke. The gap between them was too large—the difference in Ring levels was significant, and the age gap was huge. It was truly difficult to find common ground for conversation.
Eldest Senior Brother Georta patted Locke's shoulder and said, "Junior Brother, second ring funds are extremely difficult to apply for; the difficulty level is insane. Even if you have a good idea, because second ring fund applications are compared against the entire Wizard Civilization's fund application database, if there's an application similar to yours, they will compare the pros and cons of the technical routes."
"A comprehensive assessment is conducted on both wizards to determine which side is more capable of realizing the idea. In this process, wizards with more seniority find it easier to pass. Of course, wizards with less seniority aren't without a chance; it's just much harder."
"So, to make the application easier to pass, you need to find a point of innovation."
"But even if both parties pass, they will later enter a technical route comparison. That is, the association will gradually provide subsequent funds and support based on the progress of both parties."
"In other words, there's a comprehensive comparative assessment during the application phase, and after passing, there's another comprehensive comparison and assessment. This is the dual competition system of the second ring funds."
"In this process, many wizards will sink a lot of their own money into it to beat those with similar technical routes, those whose technical routes are replaceable, or to stay ahead of the research progress of those in the same ecological niche. If they ultimately lose the competition, they go bankrupt. This is how many Second Ring Wizards go bankrupt."
Georta continued, "Many projects for First Ring Wizards aren't actually earned by them. For example, sometimes I'm invited to review the association's First Ring and second ring fund applications."
"For First Ring fund applications, I just see if there's anything interesting. If it's a bit interesting, I let it pass."
"If that batch of applications is truly terrible, I still have to hold my nose and pick one or two to pass."
"I even have to pretend they were well-written, telling the association and the author of the application about the few merits I could find, using those as the reason to let it pass."
"But second ring funds are different. I also need to compare it with other applications in the database to see if there are similar ideas with better routes or better seniority."
"And your competitors are different. Every Second Ring Wizard is a genius! You need to defeat applicants in the same field from the entire Wizard World."
Georta said, "Additionally, within second ring fund applications, Sun Ring Wizards and Moon Ring Wizards hold a massive advantage; they pass applications much more easily. They have the seniority, equipment, teams, and experience, as well as the certainty brought by completing numerous related projects."
"Although Sun Ring Wizards have a relatively independent Sun Ring fund, they won't pass up applying for second ring funds either."
"In short, second ring fund projects are hard to obtain. And if it's not the association's second ring fund but those miscellaneous funds set up by various major institutions, obtaining them is meaningless."
"Because you won't get the usage rights for a Key Laboratory."
Georta said, "The most important thing is actually the usage rights for a Key Laboratory. The equipment in the Key Laboratories of major wizard universities is expensive and requires fund projects to apply for use. And if you wanted to build a Key Laboratory yourself..."
Georta smiled, "Even we Third Ring Wizards, or even those Throne Wizards, wouldn't have to fight to the death for an opportunity to establish a Key Laboratory."
"Some critical data and sample libraries can only be accessed within a Key Laboratory; that information is not public."
"So, you must grasp the two things you can currently obtain through clever means. The first is the special grant project, and the second is the key single project sub-plan. Both of these projects... can also grant... the opportunity to use a Key Laboratory."
Georta patted Locke's shoulder, "As someone who's been through it, my advice to you is to do everything you can to get these two projects."
"They will be of absolute benefit to you."
"When a Second Ring Wizard applies for their first second ring fund, they get a certain amount of preference. That is, during the application, they receive some 'unspoken rule' care. Of course, this has never been explicitly stated in writing."
"So, your first application will likely be the easiest one to get passed before you become a Moon Ring Wizard. Every time after that, you'll have to compete with peers, and your proposal will be reviewed by numerous peers without you even knowing."
"Junior Brother, you must make the most of your first application opportunity. If you miss it, the loss would be too great."
Locke nodded. This was all valuable experience.
These things that weren't explicitly written but were industry norms were the most formidable.
If you asked, they'd say there's no such thing; if you asked, they'd say it doesn't exist.
Knowing these things was the greatest help to him.
How much help this could bring him!
At the very least, it allowed him to avoid a pitfall where he might have unintentionally lost a second ring fund project.
Georta said, "If you can get the two projects I just mentioned, it's equivalent to having two more opportunities to use a Key Laboratory than other Second Ring Wizards."
"That way, your growth rate will be faster than others. In the eyes of those fund reviewers who value seniority and future growth curves, that's impressive."
"It will be easier for you to apply for funds in the future."
"It's a snowball game."
Georta shook his head slightly.
"Though I feel that sometimes being too utilitarian actually destroys certain things."
Georta turned around and went to the other side to discuss things with Heidegger.
Now, at this small banquet, only Locke and Turazin were sitting together.
In fact, if they were outside, Locke and Turazin would definitely not be sitting at the same table, because the difference between a Sun Ring Wizard and an ordinary Second Ring Wizard was quite vast.
But right now, their close relationship as fellow disciples undoubtedly brought them closer together.
Wizard Turazin laughed and said, "In the past, I was the one being lectured by those senior brothers and sisters, but now there's someone at the bottom, little junior brother, so I like you."
Locke remained silent.
Wizard Turazin poured a cup of Peach Blossom Brew into the empty cup in front of Locke, "Something like an artificial imaginary root—if you wrote that in a project application, it would definitely be rejected. Because it's simply impossible to achieve. The second ring fund has a hidden rule, which is that it values feasibility."
Locke nodded.
Whether it truly valued feasibility or if the project reviewers had a severe bias toward seniority—easily assuming projects proposed by certain wizards were achievable while others' were impossible—was unknown.
Locke said, "It's just that I really want to create a pair of Second Ring Wizard shoes to establish my brand. Do you also think the possibility is low, Senior Brother?"
Turazin hesitated before speaking, "Actually, I think you've fallen into a mental trap, little junior brother."
Locke looked at him curiously.
Wizard Turazin said, "An artificial imaginary root isn't the only way to reduce costs. Perhaps there are other paths."
"You can think about it."
Locke fell into deep thought, then nodded and said, "Senior Brother is right to remind me. Thinking alone makes it easy to fall into mental traps; one's thinking isn't as active."
"So, I should discuss this with more people."
Wizard Turazin smiled and pointed to the wizard shoes on his feet. "Look at my wizard shoes."
Locke looked at his wizard shoes. "Blue Ribbon?"
Turazin nodded and said, "It's a sub-Shop Alliance of Solas Lightfoot and a regular on the Alsace wizard shoes bestseller list. Oh, by the way, on the First Ring wizard shoes bestseller list, you seem to be on the verge of taking down this Shop Alliance. Now the top two spots are both yours."
"Blue Ribbon previously proposed a plan to monopolize the top three monthly bestsellers for Alsace First Ring wizard shoes within ten years, but now it seems that might be difficult."
"Blue Ribbon only has one Sun Ring Wizard, who is also a Official Wizard mentor of the Rose Council. Little junior brother, you probably understand now just how many High-Ring Wizards you've given a headache lately."
"But I'm telling you this because I want you to know that in the field of wizard shoes, sponsoring sports matches or holding competitions is actually the small part."
"Do you know what the truly big part is?"
Locke was very smart. "Plane explorers?"
Wizard Turazin nodded and said, "Correct. Most customers in the wizard shoes market are actually Plane explorers. They view wizard shoes as consumables; walking through different worlds is very dangerous for a wizard personally."
"Even if there is no direct life-threatening danger due to the Eternal Defense Field, there are other problems. For example, if we go to the Styx Plane to find a specific Magic Plant, a single drop of Styx water is a grievance soul. Even a Second Ring Wizard, once fallen into it, is like a drowning person who cannot climb out and eventually dies of exhaustion."
Locke nodded in deep agreement.
"Yes, that feeling of being submerged is indeed very unpleasant."
Because he had once been nearly drowned in the Styx by the female leader of the Ghost Saint Church, who used Ritual Magic to borrow the power of the Styx.
Wizard Turazin smiled and said, "I didn't realize, little junior brother, your experiences are quite rich. You've even been to the Styx Plane; I haven't even been there."
Locke immediately recounted what had happened to him.
Wizard Turazin listened and nodded.
"Oh, so it was just a simple case of pulling your consciousness into the Styx; your body never actually entered it. I was wondering. Even a Second Ring Wizard wouldn't dare touch Styx water. If you had truly entered the Styx and returned unscathed, then I... would really have to study what kind of creature you are."
Locke thought carefully and only then realized that the ghost magic he encountered in the Southeast Corner Region years ago hadn't actually pulled him into the Styx, but had hooked his consciousness into it.
So that was it.
Wizard Turazin pointed at the wizard shoes from the Blue Ribbon Shop Alliance.
"This is their second-ring magic item, a Sun Ring Level super single item, their shop's most classic style: [Blue Ribbon Wizard Shoes]."
"There are Blue Ribbons on both sides of the shoes, allowing the wizard wearing them to wield the power of the Magic Wind. Once activated, walking feels like Blue Ribbons dancing in the air, and it provides me with the ability to blink seven consecutive times within fifty meters in a short duration."
"But those are just extras. The most practical feature of this flagship wizard shoe is that it can quickly adapt to the principle of the world of major worlds and make corresponding changes, allowing me to walk on them."
"In other words, even on the Chaos Sea, I can walk with these wizard shoes, though I can only last for about half a minute."
Wizard Turazin said, "The Chaos Sea destroys the forms of all things, returning them to their primordial state."
Locke listened intently because the Blue Ribbon Shop Alliance, being an industry under Solas Lightfoot, was a future competitor.
This was his senior brother telling him about his experience using the flagship product of one of his future competitors.
'In a very short time, it can perform seven consecutive spatial blinks.'
'It can use any principle of the world to walk in very dangerous places. Even in a place like the Chaos Sea, where a Second Ring Wizard couldn't stay for even a second, as long as they wear the Blue Ribbon Wizard Shoes, they can walk for half a minute.'
Locke thought seriously.
'In other words, as Senior Brother said, the Plane explorer group is the largest buyer segment in the wizard shoes field. Other wizards who want to buy wizard shoes just want a specialized Magic item, but for Plane explorers, wizard shoes are a necessity.'
'Without wizard shoes, it's truly impossible to move a single step.'
Wizard Turazin looked at Locke and said, "Locke, don't let previous victories blind you. The Solas Lightfoot and Meileqi Magic Step you face were once dragon slayers themselves. They weren't built by a single administrative order from a High-Ring Wizard, nor do they exist because of past relationships or certain privileges."
"These two Shop Alliances were able to rise in the past because countless Magic Weavers joined them for a noble ideal, and through technological development and keeping up with the future, they overthrew the corrupt Shop Alliance of the Cloud Marsh at that time."
"The Rose Council wasn't one of the seven top academies back then either; it was a late bloomer. So don't look down on them because of one victory. If you really want to carve out a path in the wizard shoes market and obtain more resources to support your research and magic level, you must take your opponents seriously."
Wizard Turazin curled his lips.
"Take them seriously, and then when you kill them, strike even harder."
"Anyway, these guys have all turned into evil dragons. If it were the Meileqi Magic Step and Solas Lightfoot of three hundred years ago when they were first founded, they would probably loathe their current selves too."
Locke nodded, feeling that he and this senior brother were truly of the same mind—take them seriously, respect them, and then when striking, strike even harder!
Moreover, through the conversation with his senior brother, Locke had discovered the true method the female leader of the Ghost Saint Church had used to pull him into the Styx in the past.
That didn't really matter now.
After all, it was a long time ago.
However, Locke gained an inspiration from this, a flash of insight: changing his way of thinking, it wasn't necessarily required to lower the cost of manufacturing an imaginary root to lower the cost of Second Ring Wizard shoes.
The imaginary root was, after all, the greatest characteristic of a second ring magic plant, and his understanding of imaginary roots was still very shallow.
So shallow that when he proposed this idea to Witch Fiona just now, she immediately dismissed it as an immature, childish thought.
Locke was thoughtful.
'Magic Plants and I are both living organisms. When my consciousness was pulled into the Styx, I felt like I was going to sink into the Styx forever. If I use this mechanism to pull the spirituality of a second ring magic plant into the Styx and then place an imaginary root within the Styx, could I let multiple wizard shoes share a single imaginary root inside the Styx at the same time?'
But in doing so, he would essentially be creating a fictional imaginary root service center.
The key point was that the ability to make the main body sink through the sinking of a sliver of consciousness was a property of the Styx; no other river had this capability.
After all, consciousness was just consciousness. Even if his consciousness sank into the Abyss River, his main body should be fine.
Unless his consciousness returned to his body and brought Abyss Energy back with it.
But here came the paradox: from Locke's current level, if consciousness could return to the body, it couldn't be called sinking.
If it had sunk, it couldn't return to the body.
Therefore, the spell used by the female leader of the Ghost Saint Church back then likely achieved its effect by leveraging the properties of the Styx.
Locke immediately made plans to have his clone find that female leader again.
Perhaps he could find a solution to the problem of being unable to lower the cost of imaginary roots through Ghost Studies.
Of course, this was just an idea.
There was a chasm-like distance between an idea and a project application, let alone the implementation of that idea.
There were numerous difficult problems involved.
Just how to make an imaginary root exist in the Styx for a long time without being destroyed by Styx creatures was a challenge in itself.
Locke thought: 'Now that I have this inspiration, I first have to thank my senior brother, and second, I have to thank the magic that female leader cast on me back then.'
'When I go back this time, I must certainly pay a visit to express my thanks. Just like meeting Witch Zoyla again; Witch Zoyla was also generous, giving me a Second Ring level wizard treasure map.'
At this moment, the small room was suddenly enveloped by a powerful magic pressure. A terrifying, almost indescribable magic pressure descended from the sky.
Countless rose petals drifted down into this wizard town.
Locke was stunned.
"This is the Rose Witch's magic pressure!"
"What is she here for?"
"Right. It's a congratulatory gift."
A voice drifted in from outside the wizard town, full of hostility.
"Red Dragon Witch, I heard you have a personal disciple who became a Second Ring Wizard. It's truly worth celebrating."
"Since that student of yours has become a Second Ring Wizard, it wouldn't be right for me not to come and see him. Coincidentally, I have a granddaughter the same age as your student; let the young people interact more. My granddaughter is about to become a Star Ring Wizard; she is, after all, a bit more excellent than this new student of yours."
"Of course, just a little bit."
Next chapter, will be posted before 1 PM tomorrow afternoon.