This place was once the mangrove forest of Gale Hills. After a drastic change in terrain, the river rose, submerging everything underwater.
It was as quiet as an ancient ruin, with intricate root systems intertwined beneath the water, resembling an abstract piece of art.
On the sunny slope on the other side, sunlight filtered through the clear water, casting its glow on the treetops.
Many of the massive trees seemed as if they were still alive, reaching toward the sky above. Schools of fish occasionally darted through, adding a touch of vitality to the scene.
Roy, however, had no interest in admiring the underwater beauty. Instead, he searched with caution, gradually making his way to a flat area below, carefully sensing his surroundings.
"Based on the flow of the Earth Vein here...
It should be a bit further south!"
Not long after, Roy moved to a new spot and once again used his Mental Strength to sense the area. Finally, he nodded in satisfaction.
"This should be the right spot."
The Earth Veins of the Wizard World were similar to the Magical Veins of other planes and worlds—natural energy concentrations that manifested as powerful elemental fields.
They were like rivers and mountains, spread across the land, with Mana flowing through them, easily accumulating and undergoing Demonization to form various natural Wizardry Materials or Enchanted Items.
Following the treasure-hunting method for Leyline Energy recorded in his book, Roy searched the area and suddenly discovered a relatively flat stone platform, about the size of a millstone.
He set up a simple Wizard Array on it and began guiding the spiritual energy of the entire lake.
This was the method for harvesting Sacred Lake Crystals.
If the spiritual energy in this lake was sufficient, they should be able to reap some rewards in ten to fifteen days.
...
Gurgle! Bubbles surged.
Roy emerged from the depths of the water, his body slowly rising until he stood on the surface.
Celine, seeing this, came around from the other side and waited for him ahead.
As Roy walked across the water to the shore, she approached him and said, "I just checked the surroundings and didn't notice anything unusual for now."
Roy nodded. It was normal for this remote place to be devoid of apprentices.
He told Celine, "It seems the intel was accurate. There's a real chance of harvesting Sacred Lake Crystals here. We'll have to stay for a while."
With that, they began setting up camp.
Unknowingly, evening arrived.
Roy and Celine gathered some dry firewood nearby and lit a bonfire.
Thanks to the Storage Wizardry Artifact he carried, he didn't need to rely on dry rations or hunt for food, which greatly enhanced the adventure experience.
"If only we had some Magic Pets or Autonomous Constructs, it would be even more comfortable.
Well, let's take it slow."
As he enjoyed the simmering meat stew, Roy indulged in a bit of wishful thinking.
"You're already an Elite Apprentice. Can't you afford those things?" Celine asked.
"It's not that I can't afford them, but there's no need.
Think about it—I might get promoted at any moment, and then I'd have to replace all my gear. It's just unnecessary trouble."
Roy spoke as if it were the most natural thing.
"That's true. Many things from the apprentice stage become useless after promotion. The gap in levels is just too big."
Celine was slightly taken aback by his words.
"Of course, I'm not talking about you.
Even if I become a full-fledged Wizard, I'll take you with me."
Roy noticed her hesitation and smiled.
Celine listened, half-believing, half-doubting.
As a follower, she wasn't one to be overly sentimental.
Without saying much, she continued sipping her meat soup and then went on patrol nearby, fulfilling her duties.
...
The night passed uneventfully, and soon it was the next day.
Roy once again dove into the water to investigate the situation.
The platform where the Wizard Array was set up remained undisturbed, with no signs of being disturbed by fish or aquatic magical creatures.
"It seems this place is relatively peaceful for now, with no powerful magical creatures emerging," Roy thought to himself, feeling reassured.
"I really don't understand why this material can be used to brew Magical Potions," Celine couldn't help but say. "It just looks like salt particles crystallized from the lake water. During my early apprenticeship, I also tried hard to understand these Wizardry concepts, but even after many years, I still couldn't grasp them."
Hearing this, Roy couldn't help but smile.
"It's normal not to understand. If it were that easy, would it still be Wizardry?"
Indeed, there were many mysteries in this world, such as his own Inherent Essence, the reason for his transmigration, and so on.
And why did the Screaming Potion require bat wings, or the Activation Potion need slime from slimes and dried earthworms?
As a transmigrator, Roy didn't fully understand many aspects of Wizardry either.
But he knew it was a classic "black box." Not understanding didn't hinder its use.
Wizardry mostly focused on this aspect, differing from Arcane, which leaned more toward the "white box" approach.
He said to Celine, "Why must we understand everything? That's the Arcane way of thinking, not the Wizardry way. What I care more about is whether there are proven formulas, whether there's exploration and empirical evidence from predecessors. Have you ever heard of the Sentience of All Things?"
"Of course," Celine replied. "It's the foundation of Wizardry."
"This material, in Alchemical witchcraft, symbolizes the pure and flawless spirit of nature. It resonates with all things in the world, which is why it can be used as an ingredient for the Mana Essence Potion," Roy explained briefly, then shrugged.
"As for why this resonance occurs, don't ask me—I don't know much about it either. Perhaps some books in the library might explain it, but I haven't had the chance to read them all. If I had a mentor, maybe I could get some answers, but I don't have one yet."
...
In the blink of an eye, several more days passed.
Roy spent each day by the lake, monitoring the collection of Sacred Lake Crystals.
He was pleased to find that the stone platform was indeed starting to develop small, salt-like crystals.
Those were the Sacred Lake Crystals he needed!
"Just as the records say, sufficient spiritual energy can crystallize into this solid form. It looks a bit like how pearls form inside clams. If it were within a living creature, it might be possible to harvest them directly. But that's often a matter of luck," Roy said to Celine after emerging from the water once more.
He carefully collected the small particles he had observed.
However, he didn't add more Mana Gathering Wizard Arrays nearby, as the effectiveness of such things primarily depended on the Leyline Energy itself. In the surrounding area, the Wizard Arrays were already sufficient.
Not long after, Roy arrived at the temporary campsite. He sat in front of the tent, set up a simple small table, and began to enjoy today's breakfast.
Every day, he would get up and head into the water to investigate without even eating breakfast, and he would go back to check again before nightfall.
Yet, he was extremely protective of the treasures on the stone platform below.
At that moment, Roy's mind stirred slightly.
His Mental Strength, which had already reached the peak of an apprentice, faintly sensed the feeling of being watched.
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