Witch Sophia stood up and walked to the door, then suddenly seemed to remember something. She turned back and tossed Locke a set of keys.

"This is the key to my magical creature cultivation room. I originally planned to post a long-term task to hire a second-class wizard apprentice to help feed the potion ingredients in the magical creature cultivation room."

"Now that you're here, you'll be responsible for it from now on."

"There’s an instruction manual in the room. Just follow the feeding methods listed there. You’ll also pick up a useful skill."

"Feeding magical creatures is relatively simple. Once you’re proficient, I’ll have you take care of the magical plants in my cultivation room as well."

Witch Sophia added sternly, "For now, the only thing you really need to pay attention to in the cultivation room is the dryad. No matter what she says to you, don’t listen."

"If you let her out, you’ll die."

"I’m not joking."

Locke nodded solemnly. "Understood, Mentor."

"Oh, and Mentor, I’d like to buy some Mandrake Vine seeds from you..."

Witch Sophia waved her hand dismissively. "I’m busy."

"You want Mandrake Vines? That outdated stuff is hard to sell these days. If you want them, I’ll just give them to you. I have about a hundred left over from an experiment."

"I don’t have much to say about your choice of magical plants. You’ll eventually master the entire Vine Hand spell series anyway, so I don’t think you need to switch to a different magical vine."

"It’s just a foundational spell before moving on to higher-tier magic. The type of vine you use doesn’t make much difference. At least, that’s my personal opinion."

Locke nodded along. Clearly, Witch Sophia’s perspective was completely different from that of the first-class wizard apprentices on the wizard ship.

Of course, this was due to their vastly different levels of experience and insight.

To Sophia, the Vine Hand spell series was merely a learning tool, primarily meant to boost mental strength and wizard rank.

Pursuing better magical vines was a waste of time.

But for those wizard apprentices, better magical vines meant stronger spell effects, a significant difference.

Locke didn’t mind either way. He didn’t need to switch vines now that Sophia was giving him a hundred Mandrake Vines. He could just synthesize them.

With a hundred, he should be able to synthesize up to Level 5.

He didn’t know what a Level 5 Mandrake Vine would be like, but even if it had no special effects, it would undoubtedly outperform a Level 1 Mandrake Vine.

Based on past experience, ordinary synthesis formulas generally enhanced an item in some way.

And if he got lucky and unlocked a special synthesis formula with unique effects, that would be even better.

While Witch Sophia was busy, Locke took the key and entered the magical creature cultivation room.

He unlocked the wooden door and, following the manual’s instructions, hung the key on a nail by the door. Then he looked around.

From the outside, it was just a small wooden hut, but inside, it was as large as a football field.

The air was filled with the mixed scents of various magical creature feeds.

The room was divided into different sections, stables, cattle pens, and cages holding mysterious creatures. Some cages were human-sized, others hung from the ceiling, and many were covered with black cloth, hiding their contents.

Just a quick glance was enough to amaze Locke. Some horses had fiery red manes that burned like flames, while others had brown manes crackling with lightning.

There was also a giant eagle with feathers like iron plates, a massive frog measuring 1.5 meters long with icy crystalline protrusions on its skin and a tongue covered in dense capillaries, it looked bizarre.

"Ald Flame Horse, Ald Flame Horse subspecies Lightning Horse, Iron Feather Eagle, and Frost Throat Giant Frog..." Locke read from the manual, gradually learning about these magical creatures.

For example, the Ald Flame Horse required feeding with magic stone fragments and a special mix of lava and wheat flour.

The Frost Throat Giant Frog’s cage needed daily checks to ensure enough ice blocks were provided, as its blood was a key ingredient for the [Fire Resistance Potion], and its eyeballs were casting materials for many ice-based evocation spells.

Locke found it fascinating, partly because it was his first time seeing so many strange magical creatures, and partly because this was foundational knowledge of the wizarding world, crucial for his future studies and spellcraft.

He wouldn’t learn everything in one day, but he had the patience to memorize it all gradually.

Following the manual, Locke finished feeding the creatures in the room.

Then, suddenly, he noticed a faint glow in the distance, like a lamp in the dark.

He looked up and saw that the black cloth covering the cage at the far end of the room had somehow fallen away, revealing the creature inside.

Inside the cage was a naked, golden-haired human girl, covering herself shyly as she looked at Locke with pleading eyes.

She wept pitifully.

"Save me… please, save me. That witch is a monster, a devil! Look at what she’s done to me! Please, help me!"

"Save me!"

"That witch, Sophia, captures human girls and performs evil experiments on us. Please, just open this cage… I’ll do anything you want..."

Locke remained expressionless as he walked up to the cage, completely unfazed by the seemingly helpless beauty. He picked up the manual hanging on the cage and read:

"Dryad, Child of the Forest. Possesses a passive 0.7-circle [Human Charm Spell], capable of fully enchanting and altering the cognition of ordinary humans."

"Extremely dangerous."

"Prolonged conversation with a dryad, even for wizard apprentices, will gradually erode their grasp of reality. Therefore, extended dialogue is not recommended."

"Dryad blood is a key ingredient for many potions. Feed one serving of dew daily. Under no circumstances engage in conversation."

Locke opened a jar of dew, scooped some with a wooden spoon, and poured it into the iron bowl inside the cage.

Instantly, the "human girl" slammed against the cage bars with a furious roar. Her milky-white skin turned into something resembling a toad’s, black, bumpy, and grotesque.

Her form twisted into a rotting, withered tree stump, her hair becoming a tangle of dead branches. Her face twisted into a mask of hatred.

"Damn human! When I get out, I’ll rip out your heart myself!"

"Just you wait!"

"Don’t you dare walk away!"

With his final task complete, Locke turned and left the room.

It had to be said, the wizarding world was indeed a dangerous place.

Even a simple feeding job had to be done carefully. One mistake, and it could cost you your life.