"I highly recommend the Alocasia Fruit from the Tier Zero Magic Plants and the Thorny Fruit from the Tier One Magic Plants."
Gaode nodded, strongly agreeing.
These two types of Magic Plants not only possessed a tenacious Life Force but also featured relatively short growth cycles.
"Then I’ll take the Alocasia Fruit and Thorny Fruit. Thirty Alocasia Fruit seeds and ten Thorny Fruit seeds will do."
Gaode was particular about the number of seeds he took. Whether it was Tier Zero or Tier One Magic Plant seeds, he calculated exactly what he needed to hit the boundary for a perfect score.
The two types of Magic Plants would complement each other, securing his final grade.
"Alright." The student from the Magic Potion Department efficiently sifted out forty seeds for Gaode and packed them into two separate cloth bags.
After selecting the seeds, the next step was claiming a medicinal field.
"The medicinal fields available for claiming in the Magic Plant Cultivation course are all located in the No. 11 Medicinal Garden. This was specially opened by the academy for assessments."
The senior student pulled out a plot map of the No. 11 Medicinal Garden, showing that the fields inside had been artificially divided into nearly a hundred plots. A small portion of the fields had already been marked, indicating they were claimed.
"These few plots have only grown a few cycles of Magic Plants, so their fertility is much stronger." While Gaode was selecting a field, the Magic Potion Department student suddenly blinked at him and discreetly pointed out a few specific plots.
Gaode was slightly confused. He didn’t know this student from the Magic Potion Department and couldn’t figure out where this "goodwill" was coming from. It couldn’t simply be because he looked friendly.
"Chief Shadi specifically instructed me to help you choose a good field to aid you in getting a better grade," the Magic Potion Department student added, seemingly noticing Gaode’s confusion. "For us members of the Mutual Aid Association, we still have small perks like this."
Gaode suddenly understood.
As the Chief Student of the Magic Potion Department, Shadi naturally had the influence to cover for him on such a minor matter. Gaode didn’t stand on ceremony. After all, he had joined the Mutual Aid Association specifically for its resources.
He directly claimed the one with the best location from the plots the student had pointed out.
After completing the field claim registration, Gaode took his forty seeds and arrived at his plot.
The soil in the field had already been cultivated. However, being exposed to the elements, it was quite dry. If he wanted the seeds to absorb more fertility and grow faster and better after germinating, he needed to dig a little deeper.
But if he dug too deep, it would hinder germination, causing the seeds to suffocate in the soil. Finding the right balance required Gaode’s personal judgment.
Standing before his own medicinal field, Gaode focused his mind. He took a deep breath, and Magic Energy began to gather.
The next moment, the soil in the field became soft and compliant. Clods of dry earth were easily turned over and then moved aside, driven by Gaode’s will. As Gaode continued Casting, one hole after another quickly appeared in the medicinal field.
A simple application of [Earth Shaping].
Three days had passed since he bought the seven Magic Formulas. Over these three days, Gaode had constructed a total of two Magic Models. One was the [Divine Guidance Skill], and the other was [Earth Shaping], which he had mastered first specifically for this moment.
After all, as a Mage, having to go down to the fields and turn the soil by hand would be far too degrading.
Through the use of the [Earth Shaping] Magic, the soil in the field was completely refreshed and ready for planting. Every hole was turned to a depth of about five to seven centimeters below the surface. If this were done purely by human labor, it would have taken at least half an hour, and it would be impossible to control with such precision.
Following that, Gaode sprinkled some fertilizer into the corresponding holes based on the seed varieties, further increasing the fertility to ensure each seed had enough nutrients to support its early growth.
This step was completed using [Mage’s Hand+].
Sowing the seeds was much simpler. He dropped them into their respective holes and then used [Earth Shaping] to gently cover them with a layer of fine soil, completing the task.
The final step was watering. He needed to ensure the water could penetrate to where the seeds lay, while also avoiding overwatering and causing waterlogging. Furthermore, the water used had to be specially formulated.
Gaode completed all of this without a hitch. He had always been very attentive during "class."
With everything finished, his work for the day was done. However, he would be busy from now on. He needed to come to the field every day to check the soil moisture and seed germination status, along with a ton of chores to do, like weeding and watching out for pests and diseases.
Farming had always been meticulous work.
On the 16th of Frost Mist Moon, the usage time for the Tier One Cultivation Room on Gaode’s "account" ran out again. This time, he directly threw down twenty gold coins, securing eighty hours of Cultivation Room usage time.
It was also on this day that the seeds he had planted in his field began to germinate one after another.
As a result, Gaode visited his plot even more frequently. Once the seeds germinated, he had to pay attention not only to the soil’s fertility but also to the Magic Power absorption of these Magic Plant seedlings.
The primary reason Magic Plants were called Magic Plants was that, in addition to the regular nutrients plants needed, their growth also required the absorption of Magic Power. At the same time, a major difference between Magic Plants and ordinary herbs was that with enough Magic Power, their growth cycles could be significantly shortened.
By the 21st of Frost Mist Moon, Gaode successfully constructed the Magic Models for all seven new Magics.
With that done, his Magic Library expanded to a staggering twenty-seven 0th Ring Magics. He was getting closer and closer to the requirement of over thirty-five Tricks needed for the Awakening of a Super Specialization, as mentioned in Bjorn Ottero’s graduation design.
However, while Gaode agreed with his statement that the number of Magics was positively correlated with the Strength of the Awakened Specialization, he remained skeptical about the number "35."
After all, this was entirely Bjorn Ottero’s speculation based on an extremely small sample size. In Gaode’s view, the difficulty of progressing further would naturally increase; it couldn’t be calculated proportionately. Therefore, thirty-five Magics was not a safe bet. Even forty wouldn’t give him peace of mind.
Gaode’s idea was to expand his Magic Library to over forty-five before advancing to become a First-Ring Mage.
After mastering all seven new Magics and giving it some thought, Gaode applied the [Red-Eyed Sparrow] Origin Points he had recently acquired to the [Divine Guidance Skill].
The purpose of the Divine Guidance Skill was to temporarily and slightly enhance performance in a specific skill. This effect made it seem like just a single Magic, but in reality, it possessed a multitude of uses. Especially at Cyrus Academy, where learning skills had always been a crucial part of the curriculum, the importance of the [Divine Guidance Skill] was even more pronounced.
And in the end, "Wind Spirit Moon Shadow" did not disappoint Gaode either.
[Divine Guidance Skill+] (Prophet, 0th Ring):
Cast this Magic on a target to temporarily and slightly improve their performance in an upcoming skill.
Including but not limited to: lockpicking success rate, archery accuracy, item crafting success rate...
Extra: The buff from the Divine Guidance Skill will no longer be limited to a single upcoming skill. Instead, it will last for one hour, regardless of how many skill-related activities the target engages in during this time.