Wizard: Starting with Dealing with Magical Plants

Chapter 37 Future

Guided by Baha, Rolin, despite his mental weakness and physical heaviness, staggered to catch up with the group. Before completely losing consciousness, he casually picked up the largest Concentration Crystal rough stone on the ground, which was shimmering with pure blue light.

When they finally escaped the valley in a sorry state and got rid of the mandrill's pursuit, they all collapsed to the ground, still shaken.

Holm looked at the pale-faced, almost exhausted Rolin, his eyes filled with shock and gratitude.

He knew that if it hadn't been for Rolin's risky attack, their team would likely have been wiped out in that terrifying valley.

Luo Lin opened his palm, looking at the pigeon-egg-sized crystal that seemed to have liquid blue light flowing inside. He felt the pure energy emanating from it that could soothe the mind, and a complex smile appeared on his pale face.

The first batch of crystallization medium material has arrived.

Carrying the hard-won Concentration Crystal and exhausted, Roland and his group struggled back to the Gray Tower outpost.

This mission was far more dangerous than ever before. Almost every member of the team was injured, and Rolin was weak for several days due to exhaustion of his mental strength.

That crystal, the size of a pigeon's egg, became Rowling's most important treasure.

He did not rush to use it, but carefully stored it in a specially made lead box that could prevent energy from escaping.

Simply by carrying it with you, you can vaguely feel a cool and calming aura lingering around you through the few gaps, slowly nourishing your spiritual essence that has been somewhat damaged by overexertion.

This gave him a more intuitive understanding of the effects of the crystallization medium.

When the mission was settled, the outpost attached great importance to their discoveries and encounters in the valley.

The location of the Concentration Crystal vein and the threat posed by the Crystal Cluster Mountain Demon were recorded in detail. Rolin's team received a generous reward of contribution points, and Rolin himself received the largest share due to his key decisions and contributions.

This experience also brought Roland's reputation at Grey Tower Outpost to a new level.

Not only because he brought back precious Concentration Crystals and important intelligence, but also because of his composure in the face of danger and his potential to forcibly create new spells to turn the tide of battle.

Captain Holm gave him a very high evaluation in the mission report, and some senior combat apprentices who were originally somewhat skeptical of his "academic" background began to truly recognize his strength.

However, Rowling was not complacent because of this.

He knew that a single Concentration Crystal was just the beginning; he was still far from meeting all the requirements for advancement.

Moreover, this adventure also exposed his weaknesses.

When facing truly powerful groups of monsters with special abilities, his conventional methods are still limited. The [Corrosion Orb] consumes a huge amount of energy, and facing fusion spells is a gamble with his life, as it cannot be replicated.

After recovering, he focused more on improving his overall abilities.

Using the generous contribution points reward, he exchanged a knowledge scroll called "Basic Energy Structure Deflection" from the outpost and began to systematically learn how to more effectively apply energy attacks of different attributes, especially against enemies like the Crystal Cluster Mandrill that take away elemental resistance.

At the same time, he did not give up his research on ancient scrolls.

He further integrated his ideas on improving rock-like skin with his own protective magic.

Instead of pursuing instantaneous powerful defense, Rolin began to try to build a more "resilient" and "adaptive" force field structure that could fine-tune its energy distribution to deflect or neutralize attacks based on the type of attack it received.

This process is slow, but it requires extremely high precision in energy manipulation, which perfectly matches his current need to refine his foundation.

Bahamas appears to have grown after the Valley Crisis.

Its ability to predict danger is more precise, and it can even vaguely distinguish the strength of the sense of crisis brought about by different types of threats.

Lorin began training it to perform more complex reconnaissance tasks, such as distinguishing the energy attributes of monsters and estimating their approximate energy levels.

Bahamut accomplished these tasks admirably. Its intelligence and understanding of Rolin's intentions made it increasingly resemble a clever companion rather than a mere magical pet.

Information gathering on advanced meditation techniques and other materials is ongoing.

Having exhausted all valuable information from Old Jack, Rowling began to look further afield.

He reconnected with the elusive grocery store owner through the channels left by Mason.

The communication rune lit up, and Masen's slightly tired voice came through:

"Hey, Rolin?"

"I heard you're doing quite well in the Gray Tower, even managing to get your hands on a Concentration Crystal?"

"Just luck." Without any pleasantries, Luo Lin cut straight to the point.

"Boss Ma, I need information on how to obtain the Advanced Meditation Technique, as well as precise details about materials like Soul Flame Flower, Elemental Essence, and Primal Ink. Prices are negotiable."

There was a moment of silence on the other side of the rune, then Ma Sen's voice became more serious.

"Kid, you're playing with fire."

"These things, which one of them is not something a student like you can touch?"

"Meditation is the lifeblood of major organizations; those that have fallen into the wrong hands are either traps or come with enormous trouble."

"As for those materials... I've only heard that the Soulflame Flower might appear deep in the Deathwhisper Swamp, a place even more sinister than the Rotten Hollow."

Elemental essences... perhaps they can be found in fragments of certain elemental planes or extremely pure elemental nodes, but these are beyond our current level of exploration.

The essence of ink involves the very soul; its preparation method is almost lost to history, and I've only ever heard of the finished product in rumors.

Deathswamp... Fragments of the Elemental Plane... Roland silently memorized these place names and keywords.

Although the hope is slim, at least we have a concrete direction.

"As for meditation..."

"I do have a vague lead, but I can't guarantee it's true or false, and it's extremely risky."

Masen lowered his voice.

"Speaking."

Rowling became interested.

Have you heard of Shipwreck Beach?

Mason asked.

Rowling recalled that he seemed to have seen the name on a scroll recording ancient geography, and asked somewhat uncertainly:

"Is that the dangerous sea area formed by fragments of a large continent sunk in an ancient war?"

"That's right? Rumor has it that not only did countless ancient warships and cities sink there, but some wizard towers that couldn't be evacuated in time were also buried there."

"There are rumors that some fearless treasure hunters have found incomplete ancient meditation methods there. Although most of them cannot be practiced directly, they may provide some different ideas, or... be used for exchange."

Masen's voice carried a hint of seduction.

"Of course, it is a true lawless land, with pirates, exiles, alien races, and all sorts of sea monsters corrupted and twisted by magic. It is no less dangerous than the Black Forest."

Shipwreck Bay... fragments of ancient meditation techniques... Rolin weighed the options in his mind.

This is indeed a path full of unknowns and dangers, but compared to signing a two-hundred-year-old indenture, it seems to offer a glimmer of autonomy.

"I received the message, and I will pay the reward as promised."

Rowling ended the communication.

He put down the rune stone, walked to the window, and looked at the gray sky and the outline of the distant, continuous black forest.

The acquisition of the Concentration Crystal gave him a glimmer of hope, but the information provided by Mason brought him back to reality.

The road ahead is still long and fraught with difficulties.

Deathwhisper Swamp, Elemental Node, Shipwreck Bay... these place names all represent extremely high risks.

There is still no reliable way to obtain advanced meditation techniques.

The materials for innate spells are even more distant.

But Rowling was not discouraged.

Five years of living in the Black Forest had already forged his will into steel.

He possesses a control panel, the "Highly Effective Scholar" feature, Bach, and an ancient knowledge perspective gained from relics.

These are the reasons for his confidence.

"Take it one step at a time."

He said to himself.

The primary task at present is to utilize perfect meditation techniques and existing resources to adjust mental and physical strength to their true peak, and to continue to deepen knowledge and spells.

Lorin glanced at Baha, who was preening his feathers in the nest. The little guy seemed to sense his gaze, raised his dark golden eyes, met his gaze, and conveyed a firm sense of support.

The road ahead is still long, but he is already on the right track.

Every step from here on out requires both greater caution and greater decisiveness.