Locke thought for a moment. His permanent defensive field was already in a completed state. As for adding spells later and expanding the forest's scale, those were matters for the future.

Right now, continuing to stay in this research institute had no benefits. It was time to leave.

Currently, he hadn't mastered any First Circle magic besides defensive magic. Continuing to stay in the research institute wouldn't produce anything new, it would just waste time.

"I should have asked Wizard Lewis to teach me a First Circle attack magic before this. Learn an attack-type First Circle spell before going out." Locke said, "But learning First Circle magic isn't something that can be done in a day or two."

Locke held the Executioner’s Hammerhead Mushroom. The All Plants Are Soldiers spell model transformed into green spell halos that enveloped this First Circle magical plant.

The All Plants Are Soldiers magic was somewhat weak, but its advantage was that it was compatible with almost all magical plants, meaning any magical plant could be driven by it.

It was equivalent to a universal driver.

Locke swung the hammerhead mushroom in his hand. Immediately, the air made a whooshing sound. The heavy mushroom forcibly created an air blast in mid-air.

The Executioner’s Hammerhead Mushroom possessed the special ability of the hammerhead mushroom to be large or small, light or heavy. Moreover, the stem end of the hammerhead mushroom could be long or short, used flexibly.

With one swing from Locke, an air wall was swung out by him. Like a surging air wave, it struck into the research institute tunnel, sweeping toward the distance, then fiercely smashing against a wall at the other end of the research institute passage.

At the same time, those green halos enveloping the Executioner’s Hammerhead Mushroom also shattered one by one, dissipating into nothingness.

"Using All Plants Are Soldiers with the Executioner’s Hammerhead Mushroom, chanting the incantation once only allows one use of the hammerhead mushroom?" Locke thought, "Forget it, it's enough anyway."

"At worst, I'll just chant the incantation a few more times."

"At least it can be useful for a while before I learn the supporting spells for the hammerhead mushroom, the First Circle [Mycelium Brand Curse] and First Circle [Mushroom Heavy Hammer Curse]."

"Let's leave here first."

Before leaving, Locke activated all the still-intact defensive magic facilities in the research institute and used the authority of his wizard seed badge to connect to the Magic Sunflower Aerial Garden system, channeling the magic source from there.

This way, he could increase the security level of this research institute.

Locke threw three Corrupt Soil Taro Kings into the Synthesis Cube. Now that he was a First Circle wizard, he could synthesize level 8 synthetic items!

At the same time, he used the Large Green Owl Banana to fly out of the research institute. Then he looked back at the mysterious swamp before beginning to search for those first-class wizard apprentices he was leading.

Because of the magical pressure of a First Circle wizard, all along the way, the magical creatures in the Forbidden Forest all sensed the terrifying First Circle magical pressure and fled frantically.

Even those dangerous magical plants automatically retracted their buds, no longer opening their dangerous flowers outward.

It could be said that as long as First Circle wizards didn't go deep into the Forbidden Forest, basically nothing in the outer areas could threaten them.

Locke moved through the Forbidden Forest as if entering an uninhabited realm.

"Found them."

Locke's current magical pressure was like a river, while Sebastian and the others were like streams. Therefore, Locke easily captured the magical pressure of Sebastian and the other five people.

He saw that Sebastian and the others were battling a Shadow Leopard King.

The purple-colored Shadow Leopard King possessed the top-level combat power of the apprentice level. It moved like the wind and also had the ability to escape into shadows, beating Sebastian and the other five veteran first-class wizard apprentices until they were covered in blood.

"What the hell, Lilith's Cottage students are really ridiculous. Five veteran first-class wizard apprentices being beaten like this by a beast with some power." Locke flew in mid-air, quite speechless. "If I don't come, are they really going to have combat casualties?"

"Having casualties in a wizard secret realm? That's a bit absurd."

Locke descended from the sky. The Black Chain Sword Bamboo, driven by his magical pressure, displayed its maximum power. A torrent of black magical pressure smashed down.

That Shadow Leopard King immediately died on the spot.

When Sebastian saw Locke descend from the sky, his face immediately showed an expression of wild joy, "Senior Locke has come, excellent. With Senior Locke..."

He walked forward a few steps and swallowed, because at this moment, the magical pressure emanating from Locke was like a mountain, like the sea. The heavy pressure even made his knees somewhat unable to stand, continuously trembling.

This was... formal wizard level magical pressure.

Sebastian's expression suddenly changed, "The magical pressure that erupted last time was really emitted by Senior Locke... no, by Instructor Locke."

"Instructor Locke's purpose for entering the Forbidden Forest this time was to become a First Circle wizard!"

The expressions of the four people behind him also varied. Some showed awe, some worship, some inferiority, but in any case, they all became more respectful toward Locke, and the sense of distance between them and Locke became heavier.

Sebastian said to Locke with some nervousness, "Instructor Locke, have you already become a First Circle wizard?"

Nixon and the others also looked at Locke.

Locke nodded slightly.

Everyone immediately looked at Locke with extremely respectful gazes and bowed to him one after another.

In the academy, formal wizards and apprentice wizards were completely two different statuses, two different classes.

Even the most talented wizard apprentices couldn't be certain they would definitely become formal wizards, because the number of genius wizard apprentices who had fallen on the road to becoming formal wizards was already countless.

Every formal wizard was a person standing at a high position in a certain magical field.

Sebastian said to Locke, "Instructor Locke, congratulations."

The others also began calling Locke instructor.

Formal wizards at Lilith's Academy could hold teaching positions of lecturing mage or above, or even formal wizard instructor and chief instructor positions, which was why they addressed Locke as instructor.

This was the convention within wizard academies.

Locke nodded slightly and surveyed them, "Your condition has also reached its limit. It's impossible to continue. The materials from this Shadow Leopard King's entire body, I'll give them to you. Keep them well. I'm taking you to leave the Forbidden Forest."

Sebastian and the others immediately showed expressions of extreme joy on their faces.

The Shadow Leopard King was the top-level apprentice-grade magical creature. Even those wizard seeds might not necessarily be able to hunt this kind of magical creature. Its entire body's fur and bones were excellent materials for making magical items, yet Locke didn't even blink before directly giving them to them.

However, with Locke's current status and wealth, naturally he didn't care for such things.

At the same time, deep in the Forbidden Forest, all the flowers, grass, and trees of the Forbidden Forest were the eyes and ears of the Forbidden Forest King. An existence wearing a filthy black robe with a pair of furry beast feet appeared deep in the Forbidden Forest, secretly watching Locke.

Beside him followed a dark green, bee-shaped but medium-sized dog-sized special fairy [Silent Bee].

The Silent Bee Fairy waved its antennae, "Oh my, oh my, although only First Circle, after all, the number of Nature Guardians in this world has already become very scarce."

"Really not meeting him?"

The Forbidden Forest King made a voice like metal clashing, "No need. If it were another type of Nature Guardian, although only First Circle, meeting them would be fine."

"But Type I Nature Guardians are different from us. Disaster Beasts are nature's disasters, symbols of nature's destructive power."

"Naturally incompatible with my type of Nature Guardian. His level is also too low."

"Moreover, he's also a human wizard. I really don't understand how he deceived the natural plane to obtain the status of Nature Guardian. Perhaps this is a conspiracy of those human wizards."

The Silent Bee circled around the Forbidden Forest King, "Conspiracy? That's not right. How could a First Circle wizard possibly participate in any plan related to our Forbidden Forest?"

"Those human wizards aren't that foolish."

"I actually hope they are that foolish."

Suddenly, from deep in the Forbidden Forest came the sound of chains being dragged, causing the ground to rumble.

Both the Forbidden Forest King and the Silent Bee Fairy changed color.

The Silent Bee Fairy said, "It's it again, it's come again... If not for it, we wouldn't need to compromise to this degree."

"The Forbidden Forest has too many enemies, but we must maintain our own existence, provide shelter for those marginalized groups in the magical world, and ensure the continued existence of biological diversity."

The Forbidden Forest King silently turned around and returned toward the depths of the Forbidden Forest.

With each step he took, the magical tide changed violently once. That enormous power was incomparable, leaving only rows of special beast footprints on the ground.

The wizards of the southeastern quadrant would call these footprints—[The Footsteps of Death Itself].

Because in the past, every wizard who saw these footprints, even First Circle wizards, would inexplicably die.

The mysterious Forbidden Forest King, master of the Forbidden Forest, had always existed as an unsolved mystery in the hearts of all wizards in the southeastern quadrant.