Locke tidied up the battlefield.
He gathered the bodies of the five Blood Curse Court apprentices together, collected all the fragments into a burlap sack, and stored them in his Astral Ring, intending to use them as fertilizer for his plants later.
The White Wizard Association had strict ethical review mechanisms to prevent Breeders from using wizard apprentices as fertilizer for Magical Fields. However, if these individuals were Black Wizards, it didn't matter.
Black Wizards had no rights or protections in White Wizard society.
Locke glanced at Gabby, who looked somewhat ashamed. Her coachman had regained his normal senses but remembered nothing.
Gabby glared at the bewildered coachman.
Then, she turned to Locke and apologized awkwardly, "I'm sorry, senior. Everything happened so suddenly—I didn't even react in time."
"Thank goodness you were with me."
A wave of belated fear washed over her. "If I'd been alone when they attacked... I'd be dead by now."
Her face paled.
Locke nodded. "It's not your fault. They were probably here to kill me. You just got caught up in it."
"But it really is dangerous outside the academy lately. You should avoid leaving unless necessary."
Compared to Black Wizards, White Wizard apprentices—who spent most of their time on research—were far less combat-ready.
Still, White Wizards had their own advantages.
Unlike Lilith's Cottage, which bound apprentices through contractual obligations, Black Wizards directly controlled their apprentices with curse magic—an inefficient method that caused severe internal strife.
After all, one system relied on complex contracts to create "voluntary" compliance, while the other was pure coercion.
The difference in initiative was obvious.
Locke and Gabby boarded the carriage and continued toward the academy's main campus, though Gabby had clearly lost patience with her coachman.
If not for needing someone to drive the carriage back, Gabby would likely have dismissed the mortal coachman she'd hired.
...
Upon returning to the port city where Lilith's Academy was located, Locke parted ways with Gabby and immediately headed to Sophia's office.
Inside Sophia's office, Locke placed the Amethyst Matrix back on her desk. "Professor, I'm back. Here's the report I prepared on the way."
"The plague in the Ashgla Mountains has been resolved. The source was a Corpse Soil Konjac."
"Also, Professor, there's something even more important I need to report."
Sophia set down her quill. "Corpse Soil Konjac? It seems you've made quite a haul this time."
"Wait a moment..."
"This sensation... Magic Pressure."
The flower on Sophia's Wizard Hat turned a vivid red, reflecting its owner's emotional fluctuation. "Locke, have you become a First Class Wizard Apprentice?"
Locke nodded. "Yes, Professor. It's all thanks to your guidance and that Crimson Echo Potion. Otherwise, I wouldn't have advanced so quickly."
Sophia paused, momentarily taken aback. "You enrolled about two years ago, didn't you? Time flies—we've been teacher and student for two years now."
"My original plan was that you would at most become a Second-Class Wizard Apprentice before I left Lilith's Cottage, but your growth speed has truly far exceeded my expectations."
Sophia the Witch said, "So fast—almost advancing a rank every year. This speed is already no less than those 'Children of Elements.'"
"Such advancement speed is nearly on par with mine when I was still a wizard apprentice. My affinity with Wood Element Particles was level 7."
Wow, Locke hadn't expected Sophia's advancement speed during her apprentice days to be this rapid.
He had only barely achieved this speed by relying on numerous resources.
Locke said, "Teacher, so you were a 'Wood' Child of Elements."
Sophia smiled. "Currently, the methods for detecting talent are still quite rudimentary, so evaluations of Wizard Talent are far from being able to assess a person's true potential."
"This has always been my belief, and this belief has found its greatest validation in you."
Sophia continued, "Locke, for wizards, the result is more important than the process. If you could become a First-Class Wizard Apprentice in just one year, your talent is no less than those so-called Children of Elements."
"It's just that their talents are more obvious, while yours requires someone to carefully uncover."
Sophia added, "I once witnessed an apprentice whose talent in Potionology was abysmal. Later, he switched to Alchemy Studies and became a first-tier Alchemist. Sometimes, the world is just like this—frustrating. Talented individuals waste their lives because they fail to recognize their gifts or mistakenly believe they lack talent."
Sophia paused. "Aside from yourself, I, as your teacher, am the happiest about your advancement to First-Class Wizard Apprentice."
"Now that you've become a First-Class Wizard Apprentice, you can take the exams for the Breeder Certificate and the Potionology Assistant Certificate."
Sophia's interest in Locke grew significantly. Initially, she had taught him diligently simply because he was her first student.
But now, it wasn't just that.
It was also because of Locke's talent.
For Formal Wizards, an outstanding student always garners more attention.
Moreover, the teaching assessment in the Star Domain Sea primarily consists of three parts: first, one's own titles; second, one's achievements; and third, the outstanding students one has mentored.
Having just become a Formal Wizard, she was naturally at a disadvantage in the second category, and the third was entirely blank.
But now, Locke had become a First-Class Wizard Apprentice within two years and obtained the Breeder Assistant Certificate. If he could acquire the Potionology Assistant Certificate and the Breeder Certificate in the next few years, he could serve as an exemplary student for her.
This would greatly assist in the evaluation by the wizard organizations in the Star Domain Sea.
Thus, Sophia's gaze toward Locke carried even more weight. "Dear Locke, I underestimated your talent before."
"I don't care how exactly you advanced."
"I'm giving you two tasks: obtain the Breeder Certificate and the Potionology Assistant Certificate within the next year and a half. Any problems with that?"
Locke was somewhat surprised. "Teacher, the timeline you've given me this time is quite tight."
Sophia the Witch lowered the brim of her wizard hat and said, "Geniuses and mediocrities require different teaching methods. I was wrong in my approach with you from the start."
She crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair. "A little pressure will do you good. The requirements at Lilith's Cottage Academy are too lenient for someone like you. Over time, you'd grow complacent, Locke."
"Don't worry, I'm not completely unreasonable."
"Locke, as long as you obtain either the official Breeder Certificate or the Potionology Assistant Certificate within a year and a half, I'll consider it a pass."
Locke pondered for a moment, following Sophia's train of thought. "Potionology is more complex than breeding studies, but the Potionology Assistant Certificate is easier to obtain than the official Breeder Certificate."
"After all, a certified Breeder already holds considerable status within the academy."
"So, I should aim for the Potion Master Certificate within a year and a half?"
Sophia couldn't help but chuckle at Locke's earnestness. "You're actually taking this seriously."
"Do as you wish. I only require one certificate to consider you qualified. From now on, I'll give you two and a half hours of lessons daily."
Locke looked at Sophia curiously. "Teacher, do you really have that much time to spare?"
Sophia tapped her fingers on the table. "That's precisely what I was about to tell you. Recently, the academy has assigned me many teaching tasks."
"Which means I'll have quite a few new Wizard Seedling students this year."
"They probably want me to establish deeper ties with the academy. I was initially worried about it, but now that you've become a First Class Wizard Apprentice, it's no longer an issue."
"You can teach some of their classes for me."
Sophia sighed regretfully. "It's a shame I don't have other students. When I advanced to First Class Wizard Apprentice, my teacher gathered all his First Class Wizard Apprentice students—even those outside the academy—for a grand celebration."
"It's a way to strengthen the master-disciple relationship."
"But you're my first and only student, so... we can't really hold such an event with just the two of us..."
After some thought, Sophia said seriously, "You should be coming of age this year, right? I'll give you a birthday present tomorrow as a celebration."
"By the way, what was it you wanted to report to me?"