[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-wizard-starting-with-synthesized-gems":3,"chapter-wizard-starting-with-synthesized-gems-wizard-starting-with-synthesized-gems-chapter-5":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Wizard: Starting With Synthesized Gems",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1265075,1693,"Chapter 5: The Truth and the Wizarding World","wizard-starting-with-synthesized-gems-chapter-5",5,"\u003Cp>Evening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two days after tutoring with Patty Aisa, Locke bid her farewell, left the dormitory, and headed to Dean Tongus’s residence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the academy, deans and professors had private suites and received generous monthly stipends.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The academy’s tuition was exorbitant, after all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But a few steps down the corridor, Locke saw Angel approaching, dressed in a linen-lined white wool skirt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her face showed fatigue, with heavy dark circles, as if she hadn’t slept in days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Locke recognized that look: it mirrored the original Locke’s expression while working for Professor Alder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Spotting Locke, Angel said with displeasure, “Professor Alder asked me to tell you to work for him again.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Locke, I don’t get why you refuse. Don’t you know that building a good relationship with him means we can stay at the academy?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not just me, other Anjou students are working for him too. You know the academy has sent us multiple notices to settle this semester’s fees, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Locke, don’t ruin things for all of us just because of you. Besides, the professor means well.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Locke knew about the notices urging him to pay tuition and course fees, already delivered to his dorm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s why he was rushing to see Dean Tongus, with history class looming tomorrow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Glancing at Angel, who kept following him, Locke pointed to his notebook to shake her off, “I’m working for Dean Tongus now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Angel froze, stopping in her tracks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She watched Locke’s direction, stomping her foot in frustration. “Weirdo. Just work for Professor Alder, and you’d have his protection to stay.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I hope he doesn’t get mad over this.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, Locke quickened his pace toward Tongus’s residence, wary that Professor Alder might intercept him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though unlikely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For some reason, Alder seemed fixated on him, repeatedly sending Angel to probe and invite him back to work.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, Locke reached Tongus’s residence. He knocked, informed the doorboy, and waited ten minutes before being allowed in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Following the doorboy, Locke entered Tongus’s lavish Baroque-style suite, resembling a palace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The corridor was lined with paintings by renowned artists from Corfu’s seven kingdoms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At its end, the reception room was simple and bright, with a long table, two chairs, and a water glass on a wooden table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dean Tongus, in casual gray attire, sat in one chair. “Sit, Locke Augustine.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I expected you’d come, but not that you’d finish my assignment in just two days.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Locke hesitated, then admitted honestly, “Dean, I had Miss Patty tutor me to complete it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tongus chuckled. “I know.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Patty’s part of my secret society. She told me everything. But she only taught you. You learned the material and finished the assignment in two days.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tongus flipped through the notebook. “Your accuracy is higher this time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good job.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You can go, Mr. Locke.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Locke was stunned. This wasn’t how he expected things to unfold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had he misjudged?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tongus said, “What’s wrong, Locke? I gave you a regular assignment, you completed it, and brought it here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s all.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll grade it. You can leave.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Locke frowned, heart racing, but quickly calmed himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He might have miscalculated something, perhaps the Outstanding Graduate quota wasn’t tied to linguistics.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But history class was tomorrow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That would be tricky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Locke sighed softly, bowing politely to Tongus as a student to a professor. “Sorry for the disturbance, Professor Tongus.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned to leave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the reception room’s door, Tongus suddenly asked, “One question, Locke Augustine. You never took classes seriously before. Why complete a class assignment in one day and my special assignment in two and a half?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What made you do this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Locke’s heart skipped. He turned and said, “Dean, you know my situation. I heard about the Outstanding Graduate status, so I want it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I deduced it’s likely tied to the linguistics course.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tongus nodded. “I see. I thought someone tipped you off, but I was wrong.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re smarter than I thought.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Worthy of learning an ancient language so quickly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tongus continued, “The Outstanding Graduate status is indeed tied to linguistics.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I gave you the assignment to test you. The ancient languages I teach are complex. Those without aptitude can barely keep up, even with effort, and only hover at passing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s long been known that the more gifted someone is, the faster they learn these ancient languages, which carry special information.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tongus added, “Testing aptitude requires resources.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This academy was founded to find gifted individuals on Corfu Island.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We set courses to screen potential candidates for testing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tongus looked at Locke curiously. “You shouldn’t have understood my classes before, lacking aptitude. But sometimes, people awaken their potential at a certain age.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s why Aurelian is a seven-year academy, accepting those under twenty-two, as they may still have potential.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Locke was confused. “Dean, what potential? And what’s Corfu Island? Isn’t it Corfu Continent?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In his understanding, Corfu Continent was about two-thirds the size of Earth’s Eurasia, clearly a continent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So he thought the seven kingdoms were this world’s protagonists.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Aurelian was its premier academy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tongus crossed his hands, eyeing Locke. “As I said, Corfu Continent is actually Corfu Island, just a small speck in the Endless Mystic Sea.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“With a population of mere tens of millions, it’s insignificant and lacks occult resources.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Professor Alder and I aren’t natives of this island.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Aurelian isn’t a top academy, just a branch of the true university, Virdantia University, tasked with selecting its new students.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tongus said, “Since you completed my assignment so quickly, you must have the aptitude.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I mean the aptitude to become a great wizard, to pursue the path of truth.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s the truth behind the Outstanding Graduate status.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You don’t need to work for Alder anymore, Locke.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Locke raised an eyebrow, realizing he’d underestimated this world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The seven kingdoms and Corfu were just a tiny corner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Knights, nobles, and kings’ struggles were child’s play to lofty wizards, who didn’t bother intervening, only establishing Aurelian to find those with magical aptitude.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But excitement stirred in Locke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This might be better.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he could enter the wizarding world, the Horadric Cube’s potential would soar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could achieve far more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Locke’s goal shifted instantly from staying at Aurelian to leaving for the true world beyond Corfu Island that Tongus described.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, though, he needed to undergo the wizard aptitude test.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Locke’s quick acceptance despite his surprise, Tongus was mildly astonished but didn’t elaborate further. “Locke, I need a drop of your blood.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then, you’ll drink an [Emerald Element Potion] mixed with it, revealing your specific talents.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This potion is costly, but fifty years ago in the wizarding world, it was a decent testing method.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Locke asked, “Dean, fifty years ago? Does Aurelian rarely connect with the wizarding world?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tongus glanced at him. “The Endless Mystic Sea is perilous. Beyond Corfu’s near shores, dangers abound, even formal wizards can’t cross, let alone us.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My last contact with the wizarding world was fifty years ago, when I first came to Corfu.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A flicker of sadness crossed Tongus’s face. “It was my choice.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Aurelian is a safe, comfortable place.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The wizarding world is harsher than anywhere you’ve seen. Wizard apprentices who can’t survive there are sent to remote corners to live out their days, contributing to their wizard organization.”\u003C\u002Fp>",1197,"2026-06-05T16:22:57.670Z",1,"novelbin.me","67e3303d7c703eac4c1be13fac2465ee4c534fb0ea3db5f6ec6f944cccc89928","wizard-starting-with-synthesized-gems-chapter-6","wizard-starting-with-synthesized-gems-chapter-4",578,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fwizard-starting-with-synthesized-gems-cover.jpg"]