Chapter 17: Second Draw and Wizardry

Time passes.

Night fell, the lights just lit up.

After finishing a day's classes, and spending some time in the Library, Lin Ke leisurely returned to the dormitory under the starlight.

He swiped his ID to open the mailbox; inside were two small boxes and an envelope.

Lin Ke took out the boxes and envelope, opened the door and entered the dormitory lounge.

He first opened the envelope; inside was a card voucher and its usage instructions.

After reading the instructions, Lin Ke learned that the voucher could be used at the Wizardry Trade Center next to the Library to freely select a Zero-ring Wizardry.

"Wizardry Trade Center?"

Lin Ke, who went to the Library every day, could see that squarish single-story building not far away, but he had never known its name or purpose.

Even the campus map on his Portable Smart Brain had no marking for it.

As a result, Lin Ke didn't even know for the past two weeks that he could go there to purchase wizardry models.

After thinking it over, perhaps the academy deliberately kept the Wizardry Trade Center out of the spotlight; after all, it has been operating for nearly 1800 years, and it has a keen grasp of the psychology of Newbloods like Lin Ke, who lack a sense of security and prefer to stay low-key.

The academy simply wants to tell Newbloods: don't hide those insignificant little achievements that don't even count as accomplishments; report them promptly for rewards, otherwise you wouldn't even know where to buy wizardry models!

"What? You mean the bookstore?"

In the Wizardry Trade Center, a Zero-ring Wizardry worth five Standard Grade One Magic Stones would sell for at least ten if placed in a bookstore.

Even so, that's still a conscience price.

Lin Ke carefully kept the voucher, planning to go to the Wizardry Trade Center tomorrow.

He then opened the two boxes; each contained three Standard Grade One Magic Stones.

The academy is meticulous: rewards are rewards, subsidies are subsidies, never mixed together.

Lin Ke picked up a standard six-sided Standard Grade One Magic Stone, intending to closely examine the adorable little thing emitting charming light.

But just as Lin Ke's finger touched the magic stone, the long-dormant Pay-to-win Card Draw System suddenly stirred.

"Beep! Detected a new currency system, system updating..."

"Update complete, please check promptly."

Lin Ke's hand froze there, unwilling to move for a long time.

Given his understanding of the System's money-hungry nature, this update surely means he'll have to charge Magic Stones to draw cards from now on?

He had only drawn a card once, and was still planning to find time to work and earn money, saving up ten Gold Coins for a second draw.

Who knows whether tomorrow or an accident will come first?

He let out a heavy sigh; there's no escaping it, better face it sooner—Lin Ke resignedly summoned the System's panel.

【Linke Grand

Wizard Talent: Fourth Grade Middle

Wizard Rank: First Grade Wizard Apprentice

Card Pack: None

Used: "Brain Seal Technique" Study Card

Card Draw Count: 0 (First draw requires only 1 Magic Stone)

As expected, Lin Ke's guess came true.

The money-hungry System, favoring the new and discarding the old, took a liking to Magic Stones and abandoned gold and silver coins.

"Pfft! Scumbag."

Lin Ke deeply despised the System's behavior, then without hesitation topped up one Magic Stone, exchanging it for a card draw.

"European God, possess me!"

Lin Ke silently stacked a buff, "Draw!"

In an instant, the System completed a plain and simple card draw, and the panel updated quietly.

【Linke Grand

Wizard Talent: Fourth Grade Middle

Wizard Rank: First Grade Wizard Apprentice

Card Pack: "Pomona Sprout's Botany Talent" Talent Card

Used: "Brain Seal Technique" Study Card

Card Draw Count: 0 (10 Standard Grade One Magic Stones)

"Tsk…… another card from the Harry Potter world."

Lin Ke hesitated not, immediately using the Talent Card he just drew.

One can only say it's no surprise, being the head of Hufflepuff House at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and a senior Herbology professor; as soon as the Talent Card was used, Lin Ke sensed the difference.

All of Lin Ke's previous misunderstandings and doubts about the Herbology lessons vanished completely.

Whether the lessons he'd taken this month or the knowledge he'd self-studied without attending class, everything was now fully integrated.

The effect was indeed immediate.

"More than worth it!"

Lin Ke did not, because of his hatred for the System's money-hungry nature, disparage the System or deny it a fair evaluation; on the contrary, he praised it highly.

People cannot, at least should not, deceive themselves!

He closed the System panel, put away the remaining Magic Stones, Lin Ke washed up, washed away fatigue, then continued his daily meditation without interruption, and went to sleep.

The next day.

Lin Ke took the card voucher and Magic Stones, left the dormitory, and headed for the Wizardry Trade Center.

The Ruiwosuosi Biological and Medical College is highly intelligent; aside from the few recruitment staff at enrollment and the teaching instructors, Lin Ke had never seen any other staff.

Campus affairs, the vast majority can be resolved by Newbloods swiping their ID cards and using their Portable Smart Brains, while a few are handled by intelligent mechanical puppets.

The Wizard Trading Center had no staff assigned; instead, it was fully intelligently operated.

The doors of the Trading Center were tightly shut; Lin Ke stood at the entrance, looking around, and discovered an access control device on the left side of the doors.

After thinking, Lin Ke took out a card voucher and pressed it onto the access control device.

The doors then slid open to both sides.

Lin Ke entered the Trading Center and found that only a hall was open, with the small doors on the three surrounding walls all locked.

In the center of the hall stood an interactive device with an enormous screen.

Lin Ke searched a bit, then inserted the card voucher into the card slot of the interactive device.

The large screen lit up, displaying the catalogue of 0-ring Wizardry, many rows long, sorted by elemental category.

Lin Ke browsed the Water System 0-ring Wizardry catalogue for a while, ultimately selecting the Secondary Mist Rain Technique.

This is a functional wizardry that condenses water element and magical power into a mist or a light rain; the mist has certain concealment, confusion, and hallucinatory effects, while the rain can nourish plants.

After selection, the small door on the left wall clicked open, a slit appeared in the middle, and a tray extended out.

Lin Ke walked over quickly and took the sealed scroll from the tray.

Such scrolls are specially used to record wizardry models; when unsealing, the user's mental power must first be bound to it, after which no one else can unseal it.

Thus, the Wizard Organization maximally prevents the leakage and outflow of wizardry models.

Having stored the scroll, Lin Ke did not rush to leave; instead, he took out all his possessions—five standard first‑grade Magic Stones—and inserted them one by one into the interactive device's recharge port.

He has high affinity for both water and wood elements, dual‑system, making him naturally suited to study water wizardry, wood wizardry, and water‑wood dual‑system compound wizardry.

However, compound wizardry belongs to 1‑ring wizardry; one must first become a Third Grade Wizard Apprentice, and only when about to advance to Formal Wizard can one learn it.

Therefore, as a First Grade and Second Grade Wizard Apprentice, Lin Ke can only study water wizardry and wood wizardry separately.

After a comparison, Lin Ke chose a technique called the Growth Technique, which is a Wood System 0‑ring wizardry.

Its effect is to make plant seeds sprout without damage, and, at the cost of losing reproductive function, to cause plants to mature in an extremely short time.

However, the Secondary Mist Rain Technique and the Growth Technique are well matched in tone.

After stimulating growth, promptly applying a Secondary Mist Rain Technique prevents the plant from losing its reproductive function.

(End of chapter)