The Synthesis Wizard

Lize, having gone through the experience herself, understood that the most critical and challenging step in breaking through from Level 1 Crystallization to Level 2 Wizard was infusing mental energy.

Talent Crystal models could be provided by wizard organizations.

Constructing these models could be accelerated with Construct Potions.

Even for high-tier Talent Crystal models, sufficient potions meant they could be completed within a year or two.

However, the mental energy infusion stage required an arduous amount of time and patience, akin to grinding stone with water.

While there were items like Spirit Pearls that could speed up mental energy recovery, such resources were exceedingly rare and difficult to obtain.

Even when Su Nan scoured the entire Starlight Tower, he only managed to acquire a dozen Spirit Pearls, which were barely enough to fill less than 30% of his mental energy capacity.

This was why he sought out Lize, hoping she might have a solution.

After pondering for a while, Lize shook her head apologetically.

"Sorry, given the current state of the Starlight Continent, I can't think of any feasible methods."

". . . I see."

Su Nan sighed inwardly.

It seemed his only option was to find a way to further enhance his Elemental Pool.

If he could synthesize a large-scale Elemental Pool, it might significantly increase his mental energy recovery rate.

With a plan forming in his mind, Su Nan dismissed the issue and shifted his attention to the papers on the desk. His expression changed slightly upon reading the text written there.

"Increasing subgrade mana stone production?"

Lize made no attempt to hide it. "The Star Alliance's current mana stone output is insufficient to support the rapid spread of sub-mana technology. If we can resolve this issue, it would greatly benefit the continent's development."

Su Nan nodded knowingly. "Do you have any ideas?"

"I do, but the harsh conditions on the Starlight Continent make many of them impractical."

"Let's hear them anyway." Su Nan's interest was piqued.

"For example, artificially cultivating subgrade mana stone veins."

Lize's clear and melodious voice resonated in the study.

"Mana stone veins form when elemental energy naturally condenses, purifies, and crystallizes over an extended period—a long and complex process requiring very specific conditions. Thus, artificial creation is nearly impossible. Even the demi-planes constructed by True Spirit Wizards rarely manage to form mana stone veins."

"But subgrade mana stone veins are different. Their formation conditions are much simpler and can be artificially influenced."

"In fact, this technology was developed in my era. However, during the golden age of wizards, when mana stone veins were abundant, the demand for subgrade mana stones was low. Very few wizard factions saw value in this technology, though the Starfall Society happened to be one of them."

Su Nan's eyes lit up.

In the age of wizardry, artificially cultivating subgrade mana stone veins might indeed have been unnecessary.

When demand was low, direct manufacturing sufficed, and no one would bother with the painstaking effort of cultivating veins.

But the situation was entirely different now. Subgrade mana stone veins were crucial for the Starlight Continent.

With sufficient veins, not only could sub-mana technology be rapidly popularized, but the production capacity of Starlight Academy could also be partially liberated, reallocating its resources to produce other materials.

A win-win situation.

"What are the requirements for cultivating subgrade mana stone veins?"

"There are two main ones: geocentric nodes and mana stone essence."

Lize gestured, and a roll of parchment floated from the bookshelf and landed on the desk, unfolding automatically.

It was a map of the Starlight Continent, with over thirty locations marked in red.

"I assigned the task of finding geocentric nodes to Starlight Academy. These 36 locations are the nodes discovered over the years, all of which have energy levels comparable to Node 1 in Flash City. They are entirely suitable for cultivating subgrade mana stone veins."

"The geocentric nodes are easy enough to address, but the mana stone essence is a different story."

"Mana stone essence is a byproduct of mana stones, typically found in small quantities within large mana stone veins. It's extraordinarily valuable and a necessary material for crafting elemental furnaces."

"The Starlight Continent certainly doesn't have any mana stone essence now."

Lize sighed.

Not only were there no large mana stone veins, but even small ones were absent.

It was impossible to cultivate veins without the essential ingredient.

When she looked up at Su Nan, however, she was surprised to find no trace of disappointment on his face. Instead, he seemed deep in thought.

"Mana stone essence—does it resemble a highly condensed crystallization of mana stone essence?" Su Nan suddenly asked.

Lize blinked, considering his words. "That's a reasonable way to describe it."

A subtle smile spread across Su Nan's face.

"I see. Let's set this matter aside for now. I'll think of a solution."

Lize cast a puzzled glance at him, her mind awhirl with questions.

How could this possibly be resolved? Unless he could conjure mana stone essence out of thin air, the project to cultivate subgrade mana stone veins was a nonstarter.

Su Nan, however, offered no further explanation and shifted the topic. "How's work going recently?"

"It's manageable," Lize replied evenly.

In the beginning, Carolina and the Red Widow had made subtle moves to undermine her authority.

However, Lize hadn't been overly concerned.

Neither of them dared openly harm the Alliance's interests, thanks to the constraints of the soul contract. Their actions were limited to minor schemes that posed no real threat.

Lize had simply focused on managing the Alliance and implementing its development plans, knowing that the Alliance's growth would naturally consolidate her power and overshadow the other two.

Today, both Carolina and the Red Widow had been completely subdued, with their actions diminishing noticeably.

Seeing no sign of trouble in Lize's expression, Su Nan didn't press further and smiled. "If you're overwhelmed, consider finding an assistant."

"An assistant?"

"There are members of the Russell family at Starlight Academy, aren't there?"

Lize fell silent for a moment before shaking her head. "No. I don't want the Russell family to know I'm still alive."

Though her connection to the Russell family was now tenuous, she had no interest in rekindling old ties. Moreover, Su Nan's trust in her wouldn't extend to allowing her to form factions within the Alliance.

"I'll consider it," she eventually said, noting that capable individuals within the Academy might be worth enlisting.

---

Su Nan returned to his lab and began experimenting.

"Since mana stone essence is a condensed crystallization of mana stone energy, it should theoretically be synthesizable—like elemental crystal dust and cores."

After a series of trials, Su Nan's efforts finally bore fruit.

[Mana Stone Essence: Purity 8.29%, containing immense energy. Suitable for crafting energy supply cores.]

A smile spread across his face.

"It worked."

With this breakthrough, cultivating subgrade mana stone veins was no longer a pipe dream.

This marked the beginning of the Vein Cultivation Plan, the Star Alliance's second grand project for the coming centuries, following the Transport Network Plan. 

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