9: A sensible choice

"No, it's been ten years..."

"I also know what level my talent is."

Bigg smiled and refused, his smile clean and pure, without a hint of regret or sadness.

"By choosing a path early now,"

"I can also start earlier than others."

"Perhaps I can even gain a first-mover advantage and achieve something on this path."

...

Bigg said with some concern:

"I don't want to 'be graduated' and have to fight for scraps with those Black Wizards who crawled out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood."

"Every time I see Mentor Edward's face..."

"...disfigured by the black magic—Shadow Tentacle—I feel a shiver in my heart and my calves tremble."

"Indeed, those Black Wizards are terrifying."

Green nodded in agreement; he was also very afraid of Black Wizards, which was why he studied so desperately.

"However, Bigg," Oakes interjected,

"If you're going down the path of a Magical Plant Cultivator, you shouldn't waste time on a single type of Demonized Plants."

"Instead, you should intern at a Botanical Garden with a wide variety of plants but a small area."

"The first twenty years at the Wizard Tower are all a welfare period."

"Once you miss it, it's gone."

"Interning at a Botanical Garden is mainly for us to complete the thesis for the Demonized Plants Cultivation Practical course, providing practical hours and experience for the paper."

"It's not for doing odd jobs. I guess the director promised you more than just Magic Stones, didn't he?"

Oakes smiled slightly, having guessed something.

Bigg was not stupid; if anyone was deceived by his honest appearance into thinking he was rather foolish, they would be gravely mistaken...

"Nothing escapes you, Oakes."

"Director Odinburg also promised me."

"He'll give me all his notes, documenting thirty years of experience in cultivating Demonized Plantss."

"And, for the next five years, he will give me three free guidance sessions every month."

Bigg explained:

"You know, our director entered the Wizard Academy forty years ago."

"He's been a Mid-level Magical Plant Cultivator for twenty years..."

"If it weren't for his recent plans to pursue the title of Advanced Magical Plant Cultivator, which requires a lot of free study time, this benefit wouldn't have fallen to me."

"Haha..."

"That's what they call 'you win some, you lose some'."

"Compared to the benefits you're about to gain, the current effort is nothing."

"That's great, Bigg, your future is promising!"

Oakes was sincerely happy for his good friend's good fortune. At Plant Heart Wizard Academy, it was not cheap to invite a mentor who was about to become an Advanced Magical Plant Cultivator for long-term, one-on-one private tutoring.

"Come..."

"Let's have a toast together..."

"To the future Advanced Magical Plant Cultivator—Mentor Bigg, cheers!"

Green was also happy for Bigg and raised his glass to celebrate.

"Cheers..."

The three of them heartily drained their ice-cold beers in one gulp.

"Oh..."

The three of them let out a heavy burp together.

They looked at each other and burst into joyful laughter. The air was filled with the rich aroma of hops, and the atmosphere became cheerful...

The three drunkards chatted about everything under the sun, thoroughly enjoying themselves.

But when they talked about their life choices, they inevitably became a bit serious.

Now that they had opened up, they decided to take advantage of the alcohol-fueled mood to express their scholarly ambitions and discuss grand matters.

Oakes was the first to ask:

"Green, with your current study progress, passing the second five-year major exam shouldn't be a problem."

"Have you thought about which path you'll take in the future?"

"Which direction will you choose for the three-five major exam?"

Green already had his mature thoughts on the matter.

He calmly said:

"I want to follow Bigg's lead first, taking the path of a Magical Plant Cultivator."

"Once I've saved enough Magic Stones, I'll also take some Pharmacology courses to see if I have any talent in Pharmacology, and then decide which path to focus on."

This was just Green's humble way of speaking.

In fact, he had already decided—

To take the path of an Apothecary, which had higher potential.

It was just that Oakes and the others didn't know Green had a Golden Finger.

So, to avoid making them worry, he offered a moderate, mainstream answer.

This choice was actually the choice of most Wizard Apprentices who passed the second exam when facing the third exam.

After all.

Few could resist the allure of an Apothecary. People like Bigg, who were so firm and decided early on to specialize in Magical Plant Cultivation, were a rarity.

Out of nearly two hundred people in this cohort, there might only be three or two Biggs...

Oakes carefully scrutinized Green's expression.

From Green's demeanor,

He didn't seem to be lying or just speaking casually.

Oakes was very confident in his judgment of people; this was his innate talent. The reputation of being the most sociable person at Heart of Plants Academy wasn't just talk.

Moreover, Oakes also felt that Green wouldn't lie to him, his good brother, and there was no reason for him to lie.

"Well done, Green."

"I support you. If you need any help, just ask me anytime."

Oakes clapped Green heartily on the shoulder and said with a grand gesture:

"I've already chosen my path as well. With my family's support, I'm going to specialize in the Apothecary path."

"I've already gotten my hands on the three-five Apothecary textbooks, as well as some notes from seniors."

"I can lend all of these to you so you can read them in advance and understand them clearly."

"But for the magic templates, there's nothing I can do. You'll have to wait until you pass the second five-year major exam, and then receive them as a benefit."

"And me, Green..."

"You'll definitely need knowledge in Demonized Plants cultivation."

"I can lend you my set of director's notes as well."

"You're also welcome to discuss any issues with me anytime. You can write down anything you don't understand, and then I'll copy it into my notebook and ask the director."

Bigg said excitedly,

"We can study together again..."

"Back when we were learning the Wizard language—Takdavin—I owe you a lot for helping me with tutoring."

"Green, you absolutely must not refuse!"

Green's eyes reddened.

He hugged his two good brothers tightly.

He sighed inwardly, never expecting to find such pure friendship in another world.

He had read about countless transmigrator predecessors who walked alone. Green cherished this hard-won brotherhood even more deeply.

"Okay, okay..." Green choked out in response.

In the end, all three of them were drunk.

...