Two weeks later, in Locke's laboratory.
On the laboratory workbench sat a small five-year-old apple tree bonsai. This bonsai had undergone special treatment, ensuring it would only grow to the height of a child and no taller, making it appear delicate and compact.
The apple tree bore several fiery-red apples, looking as if tiny red lanterns were hanging from its branches. This particular bonsai was called [Eden Twig].
It was the best Magic Plant for a First Class Wizard Apprentice to practice the highly complex spell model of [Animate Treant].
Originally, Animate Treant was a feat only achievable by a First Circle Wizard specializing in the plant magic branch of the Life School.
However, by using a simplified version of [Animate Treant] along with the specialized Magic Plant [Eden Twig], even a First Class Wizard Apprentice could accomplish this.
And achieving this was crucial—it maximized the wizard's understanding of First Circle Spells.
For a First Class Wizard Apprentice to advance to a Formal Wizard, not only did their mental strength need to meet the standard, but they also had to demonstrate sufficient comprehension of First Circle botanical spells and construct their very own First Circle Spell.
In a sense, all the cantrip models a wizard apprentice learned before reaching First Circle Spells were preparations for their first First Circle Spell.
As Locke chanted the incantation, 89 Ogham Tree Runes flickered across the [Eden Twig].
Immediately, the apple tree began to move like a child, slowly crawling out of its pot. As it did, facial features gradually emerged on its trunk, and its movements grew increasingly agile.
But the moment the tiny apple tree Treant fully climbed out of the pot and placed its roots on the workbench, at least nine of the Ogham Tree Runes on its surface suddenly flickered. The entire spell model rapidly collapsed.
The [Eden Twig] seemed to endure immense pressure—its trunk emitted crack sounds as it swiftly regressed from its Treant form back into an ordinary tree.
Then, its bark split, and some of its branches snapped.
Locke's expression remained unchanged. He wasn't surprised by this outcome. Animate Treant was a cantrip model that Sophia the Witch had specifically instructed him to learn two weeks prior.
Sophia believed it would greatly benefit his comprehension of First Circle Spells.
The greatest gain from mastering this Spell wasn't acquiring another powerful magical ability—it was the auxiliary role it would play in his future path.
Thus, Locke had spent 100 Magic Stones to purchase an [Eden Twig] apple bonsai and another 500 Magic Stones to enroll in the corresponding public course. Whenever he encountered something truly incomprehensible, he sought guidance from Sophia the Witch.
After two weeks of study, this was his first attempt—and as expected, it had ended in failure.
"My Mana is still insufficient to animate ordinary Magic Plants into Treants. That's the first reason for failure," Locke pondered. "The second point of failure lies in the complexity of the 89 Ogham Tree Runes, which led to deviations in my understanding. The spell model was flawed from the very setup."
"There were numerous mistakes during the Mana circulation as well," Locke continued his analysis. "But it doesn't matter. Failure is temporary—I can keep learning gradually."
"The plantation has already begun delivering the second batch of Crystal Palmfire Lotuses," Locke thought. "Perhaps the academy might sign another bulk purchase contract with me soon."
"As long as I have enough resources, I can buy more [Eden Twigs]. With sufficient practice materials, my progress in mastering the Animate Treant spell model won't be slow."
His aptitude had already been elevated due to the Bleeding Dragon Nightshade, and with the Deep Blue Treasure Diamond enhancing his Mana stability and precision, combined with Memory Ointment to boost his learning speed—as long as he was willing to spend and invest heavily in resources—his pace in mastering this spell might not lag behind those Children of Elements.
Locke looked at the partially destroyed Eden Twig and said, "I should still have two or three attempts left. Seems like another major expense, but this money must be spent."
"Learning Animate Treant will deepen my understanding of plant magic."
His gaze shifted to the three Omen Mandrake Vines coiled around his right hand. With his Mana doubled, it was natural to learn more spells and more powerful spell models to convert this increased Mana into actual combat strength.
Over the past two weeks, he had successfully outlined a 0.7-ring cantrip model composed of 40 Ogham Tree Runes—[Vine Jab].
This was the second spell in the Vine Frenzy series.
Locke softly recited an incantation, and the three Mandrake Vines on his right hand each split into five branches. The tips of these branches curled up, forming fists woven from vines.
Then, these fifteen vine fists rained down on the empty air of the laboratory like a storm, each strike louder than the last.
After about three minutes, the spell finally ceased.
Locke observed the scene with satisfaction.
The Vine Jab spell allowed the three Omen Mandrake Vines to form a unique attacking pattern, delivering a torrent of physical strikes against enemies in an instant.
The Vine Frenzy series included three other spells: [Vine Thrust], [Vine Flail], and [Vine Strangulation].
Combined with the current Vine Jab and the previously learned Multiple Manipulation, these completed all the spells in the Vine Frenzy series.
All four spells were 0.5-ring and didn't require specialized courses to learn. Moreover, their similarities were high—mastering one meant the others could be quickly adapted for use.
When combined, these five spells formed a powerful vine-based offensive, trapping enemies in relentless and dense attacks.
Additionally, the Poison Berry Catapult from the earlier Vine Hand series still held some value and could be mixed into the combo.
This set of combined attacks represented the standard spell repertoire for a First Class Wizard Apprentice specializing in plant magic.
At this moment, Locke temporarily set aside his spell studies and headed to Sophia's office.
Inside Sophia's office.
Locke asked, "Professor, you wanted to see me?"
The witch Sophia nodded and inquired, "Locke, how is your Memory Ointment progressing? I noticed you've already administered it to a third-class wizard apprentice."
A smile tugged at Locke's lips as he replied, "Professor, the results are excellent. The third-class wizard apprentice named Pierre has shown approximately a 50% improvement in memory retention after using my Memory Ointment."
"His learning progress in public lectures has significantly accelerated, as evident from his recent academic performance. Additionally, I've assigned my assistant Tilly to conduct daily cognitive and memory experiments on him, which have revealed remarkable enhancements in his memory capacity and learning speed."
"Thanks to the Memory Ointment's effects, he's on the verge of becoming a Second-Class Wizard Apprentice. I estimate he'll achieve this rank within six months."
Locke added, "Though to be fair, he originally possessed 4th-level aptitude, so reaching Second-Class Wizard Apprentice in about three years would be normal progression regardless."
"But the Memory Ointment undoubtedly served as a catalyst in this process."
Witch Sophia showed mild surprise. "Fifty percent? Hmm, that slightly exceeds my expectations. But as long as you're keeping proper records. That ointment of yours generally shouldn't cause any experimental accidents under normal circumstances."
"Remember to document all side effects meticulously. Pay special attention to any manifestations that might seem unrelated to the experiment—those could very well be indirect reactions caused by the testing."
Sophia then shared her experience before continuing, "The reason I called you here is regarding the Breeder certification exam you registered for last week."
Sophia's expression turned peculiar. "To be perfectly honest with you, due to certain circumstances, I'm on particularly bad terms with this year's chief examiner. If you take the test this year, you'll most likely fail."
"So, do you still wish to proceed?"