541: You Must Become a Second Ring Wizard!
The wizards present blinked, and the several Second Ring Wizards exchanged glances, revealing strange expressions.
Team Leader Kelt's expression was very strange; he wanted to say something, but after thinking about it, he ultimately kept his mouth shut.
The Second Ring Wizard from Bonifacius University looked astonished, then looked at Locke with a peculiar gaze: "Are you saying that in order to discover a natural magic structural component, you simply re-cultivated a variant of the Great Yellow Duck Pineapple?"
"I can understand it that way, right?"
Locke thought for a moment and said: "That is indeed a valid way to understand it."
He humbly added: "But I didn't re-cultivate a variant of the Great Yellow Duck Pineapple specifically to discover a new natural magic structural component; rather, I have a habit and hobby of cultivating variant magic plants and have special expertise in this area."
"Then, I was very lucky and happened to cultivate a variant of the Great Yellow Duck Pineapple that contained a brand-new natural magic structural component," Locke said. "I was just extremely lucky."
The several Second Ring Wizards looked at each other, one after another raising their eyebrows, revealing strange expressions.
Hao, the Third Ring Wizard from Quinn Joel University, nodded. "You are very talented in Breeding Science."
"I have indeed met some wizards who are very talented in Breeding Science; they are always able to create things in the field of Breeding Science that exceed the cognition of other wizards."
Unlike those Second Ring Wizards, the Third Ring Wizard, Wizard Hao, had lived longer and seen more people. When a wizard lives long enough, they see many, many geniuses of all kinds.
Or rather, every Third Ring Wizard themselves was a super genius when they were young.
Therefore, in the eyes of the Third Ring Wizard, Wizard Hao, Locke's level was quite good, but it did not exceed his cognition.
He was already too old and had seen too many geniuses, and when he was young, he himself was a genius who often did things that exceeded the cognition of others.
Wizard Hao said to Locke gently: "The projects you are currently handling complement your interests and strengths very well. The quality of your project conclusion is extremely high; you have passed. I don't think any wizard will have any objections."
"You can even continue working in this direction. Since you are so talented in this direction, you should seize the opportunity. Besides, this direction has been worked on for nearly a hundred years, right?"
"It can be considered to have relatively good development potential."
This was effectively the announcement that Locke had passed the project conclusion for the Third-Rank True Knowledge Institute project fund.
The review panel confirmed that Locke had finished the project at hand, completed the scheduled goals, and even exceeded the task requirements.
Wizard Hao even indicated that as long as Locke continued working in this direction, he could obtain a second-rank fund, or even a higher fund.
The Second Ring Wizard from Bonifacius University said to Locke: "Your luck is truly too good."
"To actually happen to discover a brand-new natural magic structural component while cultivating a new variant."
"Many wizards rack their brains, wanting to find new natural magic structural components, struggling for many years, and still end up with nothing."
He looked at a Lightning Studies Second Ring Wizard standing next to him and said: "In this way, you Lightning Studies folks can have a few more Spell Models."
The Lightning Studies Second Ring Wizard was stunned for a moment, then thought: "Hmm... Indeed, as long as I give my project team some time, coming up with a few brand-new Lightning Studies Spell Models is just a matter of course."
"Although it is only a First Ring level new substance, it is of limited help to me, but the article Locke published in the Green Grass Cloud Marsh should be very tempting for many First Ring wizards in Lightning Studies."
He added: "After all, it is a natural magic structural component that had not been discovered before. Based on this, a bunch of things can be developed, but that is a topic for later."
This is the benefit of doing basic research.
Locke didn't have many good ways to utilize this natural magic structural component, but plenty of wizards looking at his article could gain inspiration from it, and perhaps there would be some wizards who just happened to need this knowledge.
Locke submitted his project application for the second-rank fund.
The wizards on the review panel read the next project plan submitted by Locke. The Second Ring Wizard from Bonifacius University raised his head in surprise and looked at Locke: "Your next step is to explore the symbiotic relationship between the reproductive power of twenty-three types of pineapple magic plants and specific magic creatures?"
"Isn't this number a bit too large?"
"And there are four new natural magic structural components discovered among them?"
Yes, with the help of Newt Wizard's five students and Gregor, Locke had added preliminary experimental data for six more pineapple magic plants within half a month.
At the same time, he had synthesized two new subspecies of air pineapple magic plants containing unknown natural magic structural components.
The Second Ring Wizard from Bonifacius University, as a judge, looked at Locke with confusion: "Didn't you say that you were just lucky and happened to cultivate one pineapple-type magic plant with an unknown natural magic structural component?"
"Why does the preliminary experimental data in your project application mention that you still need to verify four brand-new natural magic structural components?"
Locke nodded, bowed to him, and said: "Yes, this Second Ring Wizard, my luck was indeed good. Therefore, I discovered four more potentially unknown natural magic structural components in the newly cultivated subspecies of air pineapple magic plants."
"But I cannot be certain, so I need funding to allow me to use the Three Great Magic Mirrors to determine whether these four natural magic structural components might be ones that have never been discovered before."
Wizard Hao looked at the preliminary experimental data in Locke's project application and thought seriously: "From my experience, based on the current data, it is nine times out of ten four brand-new natural magic structural components."
"You are indeed very talented in this direction," Wizard Hao commented. "If you cultivate deeply in this direction, you will achieve something, and it could even guarantee your becoming a Second Ring Wizard."
Although he was somewhat surprised by Locke's research efficiency in this direction, he was not too surprised. Again, Third Ring Wizards live for such a long time, and they have seen too many geniuses of all kinds.
And in the Wizard World, there is never a shortage of geniuses who emerge before them on their own.
Therefore, although Wizard Hao appreciated Locke, he was not overly so.
Facing Wizard Hao's praise, Locke bowed to him: "Thank you, Wizard Hao."
The Second Ring Wizard from Bonifacius University glanced at Wizard Hao in surprise. Wizard Hao, as a Third Ring Wizard, and also a Breeder and Prophet, actually said that as long as Locke continued in this direction, it would certainly guarantee he becomes a Second Ring Wizard.
This evaluation might just be a casual remark for Wizard Hao, but for these Second Ring Wizards listening on the side, it had a different meaning.
The Second Ring Wizard from Bonifacius University had waves of thoughts in his heart.
'The risk of a First Ring Wizard advancing to a Second Ring Wizard is extremely high. How many geniuses have fallen at this step and remained mediocre for the rest of their lives.'
'That 10th Yunze Cup champion from Golden Crown Mountain actually received such a high evaluation from Master Hao. He is indeed a talent. It's a pity; when my dean asked for my opinion at the time, I should have said a few more good words for this kid instead of choosing to say nothing.'
'If that were the case, wouldn't that kid be under my command now?' The Second Ring Wizard from Bonifacius University narrowed his eyes and let his imagination run wild.
Back then, when Director Morrison sought out Dean Valentinian of their True Knowledge Institute to negotiate terms, Dean Valentinian had asked for the opinions of several Sun Ring and Second Ring Wizards of the True Knowledge Institute, but at that time he had chosen to let it be.
Honestly, at that time, he was also a bit skeptical about the overall level of wizards from outside the Yunze Wetland.
Who knew it would cause him to lose a talent.
'If this kid came to Bonifacius University and joined my team, letting him develop in this direction, he could completely create a highly perfected project pipeline in a short time,' this Second Ring Wizard thought: 'My students could open up a new laboratory pipeline for publishing articles.'
'Our Breeding Science's presence in the True Knowledge Institute could also rise a bit.'
This Second Ring Wizard thought with regret.
You know, ever since Dean Valentinian took over, he had allocated a large amount of True Knowledge Institute resources to the Textile Studies of their Alchemy School, and their Breeding Science's status in the True Knowledge Institute had been declining every day.
After a brief discussion by the review committee, Wizard Hao took the initiative to sign his name on Locke's project application. "After our committee's discussion, we unanimously agree that your project application for the second-rank True Knowledge Institute project fund is approved."
"In fact, I believe there is no project application more deserving of a second-rank project fund than yours," Wizard Hao looked at Locke more seriously and smiled at him: "In fact, if it weren't for the fact that True Knowledge Institute funds have to be applied for one by one, I think your project could even try to be evaluated for a first-rank project fund."
"Congratulations, young One-Ring Wizard."
Wizard Hao's voice was modulated and full of majesty. "I hope you will continue to make persistent efforts and continue to contribute to our Breeding Science."
The other Second Ring Wizards on the review panel also nodded at Locke one after another, unlike Wizard Hao's lack of surprise.
This group of Second Ring Wizards all raised their perception of Locke's talent several levels, realizing that Locke might truly be a rare talent.
Team Leader Kelt's eyes widened as he looked at Locke, full of innocence. He wanted to speak, but realized the occasion was wrong, and could only hesitate.
Locke left the round table conference room with the approved project application. In this way, his third-rank True Knowledge Institute project fund was considered perfectly concluded, and the 500,000 magic stones that came with the second-rank True Knowledge Institute project fund he obtained would be distributed within a week.
Locke had invested another 260,000 magic stones back and forth to do preliminary experimental data.
In this way, although a month had passed and he had received a month's salary from the True Knowledge Institute, the 60,000 magic stones shared by Lady Irina, the 30,000 salary from Liliths Cottage, and the magic stones shared by the magic potion specialty store in the Six Towers Land, his savings had not increased but decreased.
He currently only had 200,000 in savings left.
But it was all worth it.
This was all to be able to get the final special grant project, as well as the key single project sub-topic from Witch Yekaterina, and also to constantly publish articles to improve his resume.
He had spent 360,000 magic stones in total for the preliminary experimental data of the 23 types of air pineapple magic plants and the four brand-new natural magic structural components for the second time.
He spent his own money.
Self-funding his own scientific research was one of the reasons he could obtain so much high-quality data.
After all, wizards who know how to make money will have many more advantages when doing research.
Locke walked out of the round table conference room and exhaled a breath of turbid air. With the 500,000 magic stones from the second-rank project fund being issued, he had indeed resolved an urgent need.
Locke leaned against the wall of the round table conference room, watching Wizard Daniel walk in, and at the same time greeted him, then he leaned against the wall. "For the third-rank project, I paid 100,000 out of my own pocket, so adding that up, I spent 460,000 of my own magic stones on this."
"But it is indeed worth it."
For ordinary One-Ring Wizards, an ordinary Magic item is worth about 10,000 magic stones, and an ordinary magic plant is usually in the range of several thousand to 10,000 magic stones.
But for wizards in the Crystallization Stage of the First Ring, basically the Magic items they can use are around 100,000, and magic plants are also in the 50,000 to 100,000 stage.
And wanting to use 460,000 to quickly invest in oneself and improve quickly is not very possible.
And scientific research is inherently a very money-consuming thing.
Wanting to use his own money to help himself produce results quickly is like a drop in the bucket, using individual strength to fill a collective gap.
Otherwise, most wizards would not rely on the White Wizard Association's project funds to do research.
But as a result, he had already obtained two first district journal articles and obtained a second-rank True Knowledge Institute project fund, while also discovering a brand-new natural magic structural component.
This might attract the attention of some Shop Alliances, which might be good for him, but it might not.
"The mechanism of action of those magic plants I discovered still needs to be written into articles by students and published, so I can mix in some contribution points in the library," Locke said: "I had quite a few documents I wanted to subscribe to before, all of which require contribution points, and the fastest way to get contribution points is to publish articles yourself."
"However, the students in the True Knowledge Institute are all high-quality students who can work. It seems I need to find First-Class Wizard Apprentices from other places to help me write articles."
Locke thought of the Dragon Blood Market, where there were shops providing First-Class Wizard Apprentices who could do work.
There seemed to be many First-Class Wizard Apprentices there who were struggling to make ends meet, surviving by doing odd jobs for various One-Ring Wizard mentors and obtaining learning resources.
Handing them the raw data and the materials he had prepared and letting them help him write a few articles that could be published in the second district should be no problem.
After all, he had already finished the experiments and data.
They only needed to synthesize it to write the article.
He only lacked people to write the articles.
His time and his students' time were really too precious; it would be unwise to waste time on such trifles.
Gregor came over carrying a cup of eagle-tooth tea, still cold-brewed, and handed it to Locke. "Teacher, did you succeed?"
Locke nodded slightly.
Gregor said excitedly: "That's great."
Locke took a sip of the cold-brewed wizard tea with satisfaction. "Not bad, Gregor, you remembered my preference; you brewed this cup of wizard tea well."
Locke saw a wizard from the Shop Alliance walking towards him, seemingly a professional manager from the Alsace plantation Shop Alliance.
Locke said to Gregor: "Let's go, our collaborator has arrived."