The entire morning was spent by Locke at the Healing Hand Clinic. In the afternoon, he returned and devoted three hours to studying the Lesser Emerald Potion.
By evening, Locke began practicing the Advanced Meditation Technique, immersing himself in deep meditation.
Determined to maximize the benefits of the first-month grace period, Locke went all out—consuming a bottle of Tears of Stars Potion, burning Four Seasons Fruit Kernel Incense, and drinking Energy Potion to sustain his meditation throughout the night.
With this setup, his daily expenditure on Magic Stones soared to 400. Currently, his savings stood at only 5,500 Magic Stones—a combination of his original funds and last month's earnings from the plantation.
His plantation currently generated a monthly income of 3,700 Magic Stones. Based on this calculation, Locke could sustain this full-resource consumption for about thirteen days before running out of funds.
The plantation's earnings for this month wouldn't be settled until the end of the month through Lijin Secret Language. Similarly, payments from treating apprentice wizards at the clinic would also be tallied by month's end.
As a result, Locke found himself in a temporary financial crisis.
If this continued, he would have no choice but to halt his full-resource usage of the Advanced Meditation Technique, missing out on the crucial first-month grace period.
Alternatively, he could seek external loans—but non-academy loan contracts often came with exorbitant interest rates, while academy loans involved tedious bureaucratic procedures.
Back at his residence, Locke instructed three Gray Dwarves and two Catwomen to clean his home while taking a bite of an apple.
"This first-month grace period can't be missed. Many First Class Wizard Apprentices skipped it due to lack of funds, forcing them to spend years—sometimes even decades—trying to compensate for that lost opportunity."
"Forget it—I'll keep meditating with full resources daily. If money runs short, I'll figure something out then. As a Potionology Assistant and Breeder Assistant, I'll definitely find a way to earn quickly."
Truthfully, he wasn't exactly lacking in resources.
Most First Class Wizard Apprentices without backing likely missed this grace period entirely—or signed high-interest loans, plunging themselves into spiraling debt, trapped in endless repayment cycles, and ultimately forced into servitude.
Locke recalled an anecdote Essie had shared that morning: a wizard apprentice from Lilith's Cottage carelessly signed a predatory loan contract. Unable to repay on time, he kept taking out more loans, sinking deeper into debt.
Eventually, his credit collapsed, the repayment chain shattered, and he was forced into a fifty-year indentured labor contract—effectively becoming a debt slave in all but name.
In Locke's eyes, such contracts might not label the signer as a slave, but the difference was negligible.
They were debt slaves in every sense.
In the society of White Wizards, once someone becomes a debt slave, it essentially means social death. All social connections would actively sever ties with them, keeping their distance—a fall from heaven to the abyss.
Locke snapped back to reality and resumed his meditation.
By the next morning, his spiritual power had increased from 227 to 235. With all resources maximized and still within the grace period for beginners, he had gained a remarkable 8 points in spiritual power overnight.
The next day, Locke felt refreshed—a side effect of consuming the Energy Potion. He glanced at his reflection in the mirror: clad in a well-fitted white Wizard robe, his figure was impeccable, his stature tall and lean.
After adjusting his attire, he turned to open the door.
Today was the day he would publicly recruit a Second-Class Wizard Apprentice and experimental subjects.
To get the Pharmaceutical Room approved through the proper procedures, he needed at least three third-class wizard apprentices, one Second-Class Wizard Apprentice, and one Potionology Assistant.
Only then could the process begin.
If he wanted to expedite his application for a personal Pharmaceutical Room, he needed to gather the required personnel as quickly as possible.
Locke had already recruited Sophia's three students—his junior apprentices—but he still lacked one Second-Class Wizard Apprentice.
As for his friends, Raun and Pierre, unfortunately, they were still third-class wizard apprentices.
Their progression speed was the norm for most students at Lilith's Cottage.
Someone like him, advancing at his current pace, was an exception—after all, he was already the second fastest in his cohort.
The only one faster than him was a Child of Elements, the sole one in their entire batch.
Not every incoming class had a Child of Elements.
Wizard Seedlings with the aptitude of a Child of Elements were fiercely contested by all wizard organizations in the Southeast Corner Domain. Sometimes, a decade could pass without a single Child of Elements enrolling.
When Locke opened the door, he found Pierre already waiting outside.
Pierre seemed to have been standing there for quite some time.
The moment Pierre saw Locke, his eyes brightened slightly, though a hint of guilt flickered in his gaze. "Locke, I came as soon as I got your letter. You'll really pay me a hundred Magic Stones every month? That's more than what Senior Angron gives me?"
Locke nodded, then frowned in displeasure. "You don't have to be so formal with me. Next time, just knock."
"We're friends."
Pierre, moved, asked, "Then, Locke... is it safe to be your test subject?"
"I still have parents back home. I don't want them hearing news of my death..."
Locke gestured for him to come inside. "Relax, if it weren't safe, I wouldn't use it on you. I'll stick to animal and mundane human trials first."
"The potions I'll give you are already confirmed to be effective. I just need a report—and your Low Magic Resistance Constitution is the most convincing proof."
"Here, take the pen. I won't force you. If you refuse, I can always find someone else."
Locke placed the contract and a quill in front of Pierre, who was now seated on the sofa.
At the thought of a hundred Magic Stones—and his close relationship with Locke—Pierre immediately picked up the quill. "I'll sign. I trust you, Locke."
"A hundred Magic Stones every month... I can't even imagine how many magical resources that could buy."
Pierre quickly signed his name on the contract with a few strokes.
After he finished signing, Locke put away the contract and said, "Pierre, I'll have my servant serve you some refreshments. I need to conduct a brief interview shortly, so I must excuse myself for now."
Pierre replied, "Oh... alright."
Outside Locke's door, several Second-Class Wizard Apprentices were already standing in small groups.
They had all come in response to the recruitment notice Locke had circulated, hoping to participate in the interview and join his newly established personal Pharmaceutical Room.
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