Wizard Daniel looked at Locke's left hand. "What's wrong? What are you looking at?"

Locke shook his head slightly. "It's actually nothing."

It seemed that Witch Sophia had become a Second Circle wizard in the Star Domain Sea and had completely established her footing. He just had two more opportunities left to contact her over long distances.

The Star Domain Sea was different from other wizard lands. The difficulty of making contact was extremely high.

So Locke was thinking about whether he should contact Witch Sophia and directly ask her some details about advancing to Second Circle wizard. But after all, he hadn't even reached the First Circle crystallization stage yet, so there was temporarily no need to waste an opportunity to contact her.

In the hot spring, Locke had just relaxed, his muscles loosening, when suddenly the gray stone tablet automatically appeared before him. On the gray stone tablet appeared a video call request from Witch Yekaterina.

Locke paused, thinking to himself that this was troublesome. He was still in the hot spring, and his collaborative supervisor was directly forcing a call to him.

Locke quickly got up from the wizard hot spring, used a small spell to clean his body, then changed into a clean undershirt, and then put on the Spell-Breaking Robe that was Golden Crown Mountain's benefit.

Then Locke carefully pinned several badges to his chest: the four honor certification badges from the southeastern quadrant, Golden Crown Mountain's researcher identity badge, and the external consultant badges from the Plutarch family of the Land of Six Towers and Lilith's Cottage.

Daniel on the side was almost dying of laughter. But he hadn't been happy for long when his collaborative supervisor, Mentor Feodor, also directly forced a summons to his Bronze Iron Book, forcibly establishing contact with him.

Wizard Daniel quickly left the hot spring and changed into a new set of clothes, muttering to himself, "Why are these two supervisors both looking for us at this time? It's almost midnight. Can't they let people rest? It's so busy on the first day of joining."

At this moment, the projection cast by the Bronze Iron Book, Wizard Feodor, frowned. "What did you say? Daniel?"

Wizard Daniel's face instantly turned pale.

He hadn't expected that Wizard Feodor had bypassed his Bronze Iron Book's permissions and directly initiated a video call without his consent.

As a result, his complaint was heard by the Third Circle Throne Wizard, Wizard Feodor.

That was a Third Circle wizard.

A figure standing at the pinnacle of all weather mages!

He had actually just criticized him directly to his face like that.

Wizard Daniel's face lost all color. "No, Mentor, I mean, being able to listen to your wisdom at this time is truly my honor."

Feodor glanced at him. He didn't have the spare time to fuss over such trivial matters with him. First Circle stage wizards, in his eyes, weren't much different from little brats.

If wizard apprentices were just seeds, just objects, then First Circle wizards in the eyes of these high-circle wizards finally counted as people, whose feelings needed to be considered slightly, and couldn't be treated so casually anymore.

Feodor snorted coldly. "This is the only time. If you really feel it's too demanding, I'm too lazy to force you."

"There are plenty of excellent wizards waiting outside the Origin Academy. I can find another researcher."

Wizard Daniel quickly waved his hands. "No, no, no, Throne Feodor, that's not what I meant."

Wizard Feodor said, "I need to discuss the Origin Academy project funding matter with you. Hurry up and complete this small project for me..."

On the other side, Locke sympathetically glanced at Wizard Daniel. Fortunately, Witch Yekaterina didn't have the habit of forcing him to answer calls. After Locke finished arranging his attire and ensuring his appearance was fine, he walked to the hot spring's rest area and pressed the answer button.

Immediately, Witch Yekaterina, located in a volcano crater, appeared before him. Behind Witch Yekaterina was a terrifying golden dragon that was sleeping. At this moment, the golden dragon's eyelid moved slightly, but soon closed again and stopped moving.

Witch Yekaterina glanced at Locke and was slightly surprised. "You're taking a bath?"

"That's quite unfortunate timing, but my time is limited, so I can only find this time."

Locke said, "This has no impact on me at all, Mentor."

Witch Yekaterina said, "That's good. I'm calling you to discuss your Origin Academy fund project application plan, and your arrangements on my side."

"I have six groups in the Origin Academy. You should join Group Six first. Group six has a group leader and deputy leader. After six o'clock tomorrow morning, go to Group Six. The group leader will arrange a position for you."

"But that's not the key point. You're an Advanced Origin Academy researcher and don't need too much interaction with those Ordinary Origin Academy people. Let's first talk about the topic selection scope for your Origin Academy fund project application."

Witch Yekaterina said, "My six groups are currently all working hard for one of my projects. It's just that the project is too massive, so it was split into six groups. Group six is specifically responsible for high-throughput observation of natural magical power structural component products of magical plants closely related to animal fertility."

"This is relatively simple, so you'd best be able to get involved in research from this aspect."

Locke nodded. "Okay, Mentor."

At the same time, Locke speculated in his mind about what research project Witch Yekaterina, as a Throne Wizard, was studying.

However, since it had been split into six groups, and each group's low-circle wizards were actually working on just a small part of Yekaterina's entire research, countless research contents from low-circle wizards like them combined together was what was truly useful to Witch Yekaterina.

Precisely because of this, as long as Witch Yekaterina didn't say what she was actually doing, the wizards working on these small details and small directions of the entire project would find it very difficult to guess the specific content.

Witch Yekaterina said, "You can look up some materials yourself, or find some materials from within Group Six to see which magical plant's magical mechanism pathway related to magical creature fertility you want to analyze."

"As long as it's in this direction. As for the specific content, it's up to you to decide. This is what was agreed upon in the contract we initially signed."

Witch Yekaterina said, "However, there's another point. You also need to take three courses."

Locke said in surprise, "Take courses? Mentor, I still need to take courses?"

Witch Yekaterina said, "Yes, it's a benefit of our Golden Crown Mountain. For the first course, you need to complete seventy-two hours of teaching curriculum. This will let you know the specific framework, rules, and style of teaching wizard apprentices at Golden Crown Mountain, as well as some methods."

"Only after taking these courses can you perform teaching tasks."

"The second course is Cloud Marsh Wetland's All Things Course. This requires some time, which is why I wanted you to join half a year early."

"If you don't take Cloud Marsh Wetland's All Things Course, you won't be able to keep up with much common knowledge."

"The third course is also the most important." Witch Yekaterina's eyes became serious. "It's the Habit Correction Course. This course is specifically prepared for outside wizards newly joining Golden Crown Mountain. No matter how excellent you are, you've already been tainted with too many short-sighted thoughts in your outside wizard lands."

"So to make you completely meet the high standards required by our Golden Crown Mountain Academy, you need to relearn how to explore magic."

Witch Yekaterina sent over some information. "This is the class schedule. It also has the class locations. Don't miss too many classes. Although these three courses seem to have no use."

Witch Yekaterina herself seemed somewhat uncertain. "Perhaps they really are of no use to you, but rules are rules. If you don't attend class, points will be deducted from your score. Completing each course can earn you three hundred points."

"This is the fastest way for you newcomers to earn points before obtaining specific projects."

"During this half year, you'll still be relatively relaxed. Just work on the Origin Academy fund project while completing these three courses."

Locke bowed to her. "Okay, Mentor."

Witch Yekaterina looked Locke up and down. "You're almost at the crystallization stage?"

Locke bowed again. "Yes, Mentor. My mana has now reached 8,700."

Witch Yekaterina nodded. "Have you thought about which special plane in the endless void you want to form a contract with after becoming a First Circle crystallization stage wizard?"

Witch Yekaterina said, "If you haven't thought it through, or don't know what to choose, come find me after you reach the First Circle crystallization stage."

"I have a special plane that's very suitable for you."

"Alright, I need to get busy. Oh right, the Habit Correction Course is about to start."

Locke looked at Witch Yekaterina with confusion. "Mentor, it's midnight right now."

The atmosphere suddenly became silent, because not far away, Wizard Daniel was also saying in surprise, "It's midnight right now."

Witch Yekaterina looked at him with a confused expression. "Yes. Precisely because it's midnight, that's when you can go to class."

"Cloud Marsh Wetland's official wizards and Second Circle wizards are all very busy. During the day they need to work on their own projects. Only at night do they have time to teach. If the teachers are like this, the students are even more so."

"So our classes are generally at night."

Locke swallowed.

The corner of the golden dragon's eye behind the video call seemed to move.

Locke smiled bitterly. "Okay, Mentor. I'll go right away."

Cloud Marsh Wetland's wizards... were truly too diligent.

He should have realized this earlier. Back then, the Cloud Marsh Wetland competitor, Witch Diana's group, were all work fanatics.

They didn't sleep for several months, doing experiments there.

After the video call ended, Locke thought about whether he needed to prepare some stamina potions for himself. From the looks of it, Cloud Marsh Wetland's work atmosphere was very competitive.

He exchanged glances with the worried-looking Wizard Daniel. Wizard Daniel had a despairing expression. "Wizard Matthew said we still had one last period of free time. He was wrong. Our free time didn't even last until the sun rises tomorrow morning."

"I was planning to go out for another walk tonight. Cloud Marsh Wetland is quite fun."

Locke nodded slightly. "It's alright. Anyway, originally, even if there was nothing to do, I would find something to do for myself. And having just arrived in Cloud Marsh Wetland, I haven't determined my own plans yet."

Daniel blinked, hesitating to speak, but finally couldn't help saying, "Locke, in a sense, you and the atmosphere here are quite compatible."

Locke looked at him with confusion.

...

One o'clock in the morning, with the silver moon shining bright.

Both Locke and Wizard Daniel were in the classroom for the Thought Correction Course, located on the first floor of the Origin Academy castle.

Although they had to attend class, Locke and Daniel were no longer students after all, so even if they didn't come to class, absolutely no one would come to urge them.

The most serious consequence would just be not having enough points and possibly being eliminated from the Origin Academy.

It all depended on personal choice.

In the Habit Correction Course, there weren't just Locke and Daniel. There were five other wizards. Three of them seemed to be wizards from small to medium-sized wizard organizations from outside. They had specifically saved up ten thousand magic stones to pay to attend the class, essentially crashing the course meant for him and Daniel.

The other two wizards were outside wizards from the Ordinary Origin Academy side.

Daniel whispered in Locke's ear, "Golden Crown Mountain's Habit Correction Course is so famous? There are even wizards who pay to come take classes?"

Locke shook his head slightly.

At that moment, on the classroom lectern, a Second Circle wizard who looked like an old man scanned the seven official wizards attending the class. He took a sip of wizard tea. Both his eyes had dark circles.

Locke didn't even know what had happened that even a Second Circle wizard would have dark circles.

This was truly... too frightening.

This Second Circle wizard said with satisfaction, "Everyone is here. On the first day of class, no one is absent. This course has a total of seven lectures, one hour each time."

"I hope there won't be any absences in each subsequent session."

This old Second Circle wizard mainly focused his attention on Locke and Wizard Daniel. To be honest, the entire course was actually prepared for the two Advanced Origin Academy researchers. These two were the academy's important assets.

The remaining three outside wizards needn't be mentioned. They were paying to crash the course.

The other two Ordinary Origin Academy wizards were just being taught incidentally.

This Second Circle wizard coughed and said, "I am Wizard Thomasson, a breeder and also a weather mage."

Locke's eyes moved slightly. From this Second Circle wizard's professions, he immediately understood that this class was completely prepared for him and Wizard Daniel, the two of them.

Otherwise, this Second Circle wizard wouldn't need to be both a weather mage and a breeder.

Wizard Thomasson said, "All of you who can enter our Golden Crown Mountain Academy must be outstanding individuals in your respective fields, even called geniuses by others outside."

"So I won't say much else. I'll just ask you one question. What exactly are meteorology and botany the study of?"

Wizard Thomasson looked at Daniel and said, "I'm asking you, is meteorology a discipline for controlling weather, making a region have favorable weather and good harvests, or violent storms, is it a discipline for controlling climate?"

Wizard Thomasson looked at Locke and said, "I'm asking you, young Augustine. Is breeding just a discipline for creating powerful weapons, or some kind of powerful energy, or a type of high-quality potion material?"

Wizard Daniel was bewildered. "Huh? Lord Thomasson, if meteorology isn't a discipline for controlling weather, then what discipline is it?"

He glanced at the expert-level weather mage badge on Wizard Thomasson's chest and had fallen into a bewildered state. "Has Cloud Marsh Wetland's meteorology already been researched to this extent?"

Wizard Daniel's voice trembled slightly. "Then... then what does current meteorology study?"

Wizard Thomasson looked at him with the expression of someone disappointed in a student who failed to meet expectations. "Young Daniel, your comprehension is insufficient!"