19: May Penance

After completing all the trivial matters of his promotion, Green no longer ran around.

He began to settle down and execute his May study plan… According to the latest news, out of the 148 Wizard Apprentices in the same batch, 86 had already completed their second five-year assessment.

Green was the eighty-sixth.

From eighteenth place in the first five-year assessment to eighty-sixth place in the second five-year assessment, Green felt a strong sense of urgency.

The cultivation of a Wizard depends on two things: talent and personal study.

If talent is insufficient, diligence can compensate.

If one lacks even diligence, how can they overtake others? By daydreaming?

…From what Green understood about the people around him, the geniuses not only had top-tier talent but also top-tier diligence.

Ellie was one of the first five in Green's batch to complete the assessment a year early. She was currently studying both Demonized Plants cultivation and Apothecary, and her progress had reached the third year.

Oakes completed the assessment ten months early, specializing in Apothecary, and his progress had reached the second year.

Bigg completed the assessment half a year early, specializing in Demonized Plants cultivation, and his progress was in the first year.

All his friends around him were in a state of 'involution,' studying frantically.

In such an environment—

How could Green sleep soundly?

How could he have fun?

…The genes from the 'involution king' nation of Aqua Blue Star had awakened.

Perhaps this was the Aqua Blue Star mother's final gift to her wandering child.

Green began to aspire to become the new generation's 'involution king.'

Green began his arduous May study… At 7 AM, he woke up on time, washed up, and went to the north area on the first floor for breakfast. (He had to eat well in the morning.)

At 7:30 AM, he arrived at the Wizard Tower's fourth-floor library and began to study according to his plan. (The library had the best atmosphere.)

At 12:30 PM, he ate lunch in the north area on the first floor of the Wizard Tower. (He had to eat enough at noon.)

At 1:00 PM, he returned to his dormitory for a nap. (A nap was a good habit; without it, he would be listless in the afternoon.)

At 2:00 PM, he studied in the Wizard Tower's fourth-floor library. (The library was the battleground for involution kings.)

At 6:00 PM, he ate dinner in the north area on the first floor of the Wizard Tower. (He had to eat less for dinner.)

At 6:30 PM, he studied in the Wizard Tower's fourth-floor library. (Library study efficiency +200%)

At 10:00 PM, he ate a late-night snack in the north area on the first floor of the Wizard Tower. (He got hungrier at night and needed more supplements.)

At 10:30 PM, he returned to his dormitory to shower and soak his feet for health. (Studying was too hard; without health preservation, he feared he couldn't endure it!)

At 11:00 PM, he practiced Meditation Technique or Wizardry, exhausting his Spiritual Power. (Daily essential homework, dripping water wears through stone.)

At 1:00 AM, he went to sleep. (Wizard Apprentices were human, not gods; they also needed sleep.)

…Green's daily life was this regular, squeezing every minute to the fullest.

As long as he didn't study himself to death, he would study as if his life depended on it.

Green truly put in the effort of a desperate student from his high school days in his previous life!

In the Wizard Tower's fourth-floor library, Green also met many other 'involution' masters.

Ellie and Oakes also occupied long-term spots there.

Every time he studied in the library, when he was tired and sleepy, he would look at the other masters, and his efficiency would immediately double.

During this period, Green also ate all the free meals provided by the academy in the north area on the first floor.

His appetite also increased rapidly.

Four meals a day, meat at every meal, and he enjoyed every bite.

It could be said that for these five months, Green's dopamine levels were off the charts… The effect of delicious food was significant, especially for a foodie race.

The good news was that Green over-completed his planned schedule.

Some courses related to Wizardry runes and Spiritual Power runes were even studied to the third year's level.

(Influenced by the Golden Finger—Hundredfold Harvest, the comprehension and construction speed of Spiritual Power runes accelerated, and all four newly learned low-level Wizardry spells achieved the 'sentence break casting' achievement. The 0-ring low-level Wizardry—Hand of Wizardry, as a versatile spell and an important auxiliary Wizardry for refining potions, received focused attention from Green and achieved the 'instant cast' achievement.)

…The bad news was that Green gained weight.

He became two full sizes rounder.

Previously, Bigg was the 'fat one' of the iron trio, even nicknamed 'Round-faced Bigg.'

Now Green was the heaviest, his waist size having directly doubled.

His once loose Wizard robes now looked like tight-fitting clothes on Green.

Amidst his intense studies, only three things would disrupt Green's strict schedule.

First was the internship at the Botanical Garden.

Green completed his tasks on time and in full every month, not a minute more or less, as he had to give face to his 'sugar daddy.'

All the Botanical Garden benefits, Green had Senior Reinhardt exchange for magic stones, which he saved up for the tuition fees of advanced Pharmacology courses.

Second was attending seminars.

As long as they were related to Demonized Plants cultivation and Pharmacology, and within the scope of the third five-year assessment, Green actively participated.

Unfortunately, even with the help of Oakes and Old Moore Botanical Garden's connections, Green only attended two Pharmacology seminars and five Demonized Plants cultivation seminars.

Third was the monthly friends' gathering.

Because everyone had different study habits and routines, the iron trio rarely saw each other on weekdays.

Everyone was desperately 'involutioning,' not having much time to play.

So the iron trio agreed to gather once a month to exchange feelings and relax their nerves.

(Influenced by Green's foodie nature, they basically gathered to eat every time.)

…Plant Heart Wizard Academy, Wizard Tower inner ring six area, Building 2, first-floor reception room.

This was Green's small den.

Today was the day of Green's iron trio gathering.

Ellie, who lived on the fourth floor, also heard the news and came to join.

Because today was the last day of everyone's second five-year period since entering the Wizard Academy.

Tomorrow, they would enter the 'three-five' period;

Tomorrow, classes would begin;

Tomorrow, a group of classmates would be forced to graduate, thus heading towards different futures… Fortunately, no one in Green's small circle was forced to graduate.

Everyone could still be together, happily enjoying at least five more years of classmates' time.

Perhaps it was the risk and pressure of such close friends facing life-and-death separation and the circle falling apart that made the apprentices of Plant Heart Wizard Academy especially cherish their friendships.

They would do their best to help friends in need… supporting each other as they explored the long wizard's path.

Green also benefited greatly from this pure friendship.

Therefore, Green put a lot of thought into this commemorative gathering… Because it was currently the dead of winter, what was most suitable to eat in winter? Shabu-shabu lamb.

When Green was on Aqua Blue Star, he was fortunate enough to eat authentic shabu-shabu lamb in the capital city, and that meal made Green almost bite off his tongue.

Green even specifically asked the old master chef in the back kitchen how it was made.

Although he didn't learn any secret recipes, Green did learn the key points to delicious shabu-shabu lamb.

A month ago, Green had posted a bounty worth three magic stones in the chef group on the first floor north area of the Wizard Tower.

(This was of immense value to ordinary chefs; the Motlan Grand Kingdom even issued a law allowing magic stones to be exchanged for noble titles. Three magic stones could be exchanged for a baron title.)

…For Green, who wished he could split one magic stone into two, he truly spent a fortune for today's meal.

Those chefs truly lived up to their reputation as the pinnacle of culinary art in a civilization—the mortal world.

In just half a month, they successfully replicated shabu-shabu lamb, which was vastly different from local cuisine.

Moreover, because they added many unique ingredients and seasonings from the Wizarding World, the shabu-shabu lamb had a richer, fresher, and more delicious texture.

After a satisfying meal and drinks, everyone was extremely pleased.

Their first encounter with this unique shabu-shabu lamb greatly impressed these Wizarding World natives, who usually only ate fried or roasted food.

Even the most reserved Ellie ate with oil dripping from her mouth, sweating profusely, exclaiming how enjoyable it was.