Locke was moved by this application for three reasons.

First, this project was very high quality, almost complete. Aside from lacking money, there was nothing else to criticize.

Second, he indeed needed a reconnaissance-type magical plant. When he previously fought the circus, he had suffered from not having reconnaissance-type magical plants.

Third, this project application stated that once this eye grass completed magical power grafting with a wizard, it could connect with the wizard's sight and transmit the wizard's vision.

This point attracted him. After all, he had some spells that relied on sight to cast. If they could combine with this magical plant, the prospects might be very good.

'If this project has my help, it will obtain large amounts of funding and can be completed quickly. After they complete it, I can synthesize it to see if I can synthesize a special formula, strengthen the eye grass a second time, then take it to other wizard lands to compete.'

Locke thought, 'This way, whether for strengthening my combat power or adding to my credentials and qualifications, it would be very helpful.'

There was no need to participate in competitions in the Land of Six Towers.

Even if one won first prize in competitions in this kind of place, it was best not to write it on one's resume. It was easy to be misunderstood that the entire resume was padded.

That would be shooting oneself in the foot.

The old wizard watched Locke deep in thought and misunderstood something. He immediately spoke up eagerly, "I believe Breeder Augustine, you will definitely be interested in this project. As long as you can help me obtain the association's First Circle fund, I'll... give you both the corresponding author and first author positions."

Locke nodded, "That's not necessary."

He could completely synthesize even more powerful magical plants based on the other party's research using the Synthesis Cube, but the premise was that the other party's magical plant needed to be researched quickly.

He was quite interested in this magical plant from underground ore veins.

As long as he synthesized a new First Circle magical plant, he could completely publish a new article. Therefore, he didn't care about the first author and corresponding author positions for the other party's magical plant. That would instead pollute the gold content of his other achievements on his resume.

A resume wasn't a collection cabinet where you could stuff in any good things you saw.

Rather, it depended on whether it was appropriate.

Locke said, "Let's look at each person's contribution. Alright, I'll help you apply for this project proposal."

Disbelief appeared on the old wizard's face. After all, in his eyes, handing over the projects and articles in his hands to family wizards was common sense. This was a pledge of allegiance. Both parties were each taking what they needed.

But the old wizard quickly couldn't care about this anymore. Because Locke agreed, he fell into excitement, his whole body trembling.

"Thank you, thank you. I knew my research would definitely be appreciated by someone."

"My name is Collins. I'm a teaching assistant at Magic Gem University."

Locke looked at him strangely. "Teaching assistant? Isn't that a position held by excellent First-rank wizard apprentices? How can you be a teaching assistant? You're a First Circle wizard. No matter how poorly you do, you should at least be a lecturer."

This place wasn't the Star Domain Sea or Takamagahara. First Circle wizards were still quite valuable.

The Star Domain Sea was the core wizard land of the Eastern Zone, while Takamagahara was the core wizard land of the Western Zone. In these two wizard lands, the number of First Circle wizards was numerous, so indeed they weren't worth much.

Old Wizard Collins said somewhat ashamedly, "Oh, you're a wizard from an outside wizard land. In our Land of Six Towers, even teaching assistant positions might not be available for First Circle wizards."

"Teaching positions are generally held by family wizards. They're all relatives..."

Old Wizard Collins said, "Here, we commoner wizards have no chance at all. Even if family wizards casually write a project application, they'll get funding. Even if they have no credentials. But we ordinary commoners, no matter how excellent our credentials are, have no opportunity at all."

"Sigh, it's been too long. I've completely gotten used to this kind of life. There's nothing wrong with it. Everyone lives like this."

Locke nodded.

Alright, this magical wizard region was just different from others.

Next, Locke chatted with some more commoner wizards and looked at at least eleven more project applications during this banquet.

Some commoner wizards would show him multiple project applications. Some weren't commoners but marginal collateral wizards from various major families.

For wizards with ability and ambition, this banquet was simply a place to pick up good projects everywhere.

Locke agreed to three more projects related to potions. These projects all had one characteristic: aside from lacking funds, they had everything else they should have and were already very close to completion.

And what Locke needed to do was just apply for funding for them, then the other party could share their research results and all original data with him.

Locke planned to use three potion projects about to be completed to increase his accumulation in potion studies through deep participation, while using the eye grass project to increase his learning accumulation of the Limited Element Cultivation Method.

'Coming here wasn't a loss.' Locke thought, "I didn't expect to have such gains. This Land of Six Towers, for honored guests of these prestigious family wizards, is simply full of gold to pick up everywhere."

"The resources that family wizards can't digest, I can digest. There are a large number of commoner geniuses suppressed by family wizards here. These geniuses have ability but aren't sufficient to break through the family wizards' blockade."

"As long as I unite with them, I can accelerate my own growth." Locke looked at Senior Anthony. "Presumably, Wizard Anthony also did this."

Locke conversed with the four commoner First Circle wizards he had reached cooperation with, exchanging each other's information. They agreed to go to their laboratories tomorrow to observe the situation. After observing and confirming there were no problems, he would help them apply for funding.

Locke walked to Wizard Anthony's side. Wizard Anthony stopped talking with others and said to Locke, "Junior brother, how was your harvest?"

"Mm, four projects. Looks like you had quite a harvest this time." Wizard Anthony thought for a moment and said, "It should be that your eating manner isn't ugly, so those Land of Six Towers commoner wizards, seeing this scene, took out their treasured items, wanting to obtain opportunities from you."

"Only a super genius like junior brother you could do this. Otherwise, even wizards from outside wizard lands, seeing these projects they could get for free, would feel greedy, right?"

Locke smiled, "Aside from that eye grass project, although the other projects are good, they haven't reached the level of greatly attracting me. Projects of this level, I'm too lazy to publish under my name, so I don't need their corresponding author and first author positions. I'm just using them to practice."

When Wizard Anthony heard Locke say he didn't need them, he looked at Locke with astonishment, then smiled and said, "That's true. You're different after all."

Locke said, "Senior brother, can four fund applications be approved?"

Wizard Anthony nodded, "Of course. If these funds aren't given to you, they'd have to be given to those absurd and ridiculous project applications casually made by family children. Those projects are neither reliable nor meaningful."

"When they obtain funding, they just embezzle it into their own hands, spend it on themselves, even use it for entertainment. So, just four applications. Tomorrow I can have them all pass for you."

"The more projects you have, the more beneficial it is for me. The more the better. Senior brother completely supports you." Wizard Anthony said, "Just also pay attention to rest. Four projects, plus Grand Wizard Sulla's side. I don't know if you'll be too busy."

Locke nodded, "Mm, thank you senior brother. I know what I'm doing. Senior brother, I want to go to my room to rest."

Anthony smiled, "That's good."

Anthony immediately found an elf wizard apprentice maid for Locke, had her lead the way for Locke, and told her that any needs Locke had could be satisfied.