Wizard: Starting With Synthesized Gems巫师：从合成宝石开始

The author really doesn't know how to write smart characters, or researcher characters in general. Not only that, but they increasingly use meaningless side povs that just serve to glaze the mc, while barely even going through the mechanics of what he's actually doing.

Couple that with a several hundred chapter long academy arc, which for me knocks off 2 points, I'm giving this a 4/10.

utter utter trash novel. at most 3/10

Author nerfed the cheat to make the progression slower

It's only okay up to about chapter 80; after that, it's a dump of information garbage and pseudoscientific nonsense. There's no plot or interesting events in the novel.

Will the main character always have an emphasis on dumb plants? (Ch. 200)

There's another novel with a horadric cube from diablo, I wonder how this compares.

This work leaves me confused about how to evaluate it. I cannot say it is bad; quite the opposite, the universe created by the author is genuinely creative. Although it is clearly inspired by other works in the same genre, it possesses its own undeniable unique charm.

However, I find it very difficult to call it a good work. The writing is so superficial concerning everything that the novel feels more like an outline of a good idea than a fully realized novel.

Characters are introduced only to be completely marginalized in the very next chapter. Events occur without any explanation.

The core of the work is crafting. The protagonist has a cheat ability that allows him to combine items, and these combinations are the driving force of the work: the seeds he plants, the gems he uses, the potions he makes. Having said that, the process of using his ability and his creations are severely sidelined. We rarely see the protagonist crafting; most of the developments happen via time-skips, and the reader is presented with only a report of what transpired.

I honestly believe some chapters were written with a lack of enthusiasm by the author.

Overall, it is a good work to pass the time

Seems similar to Synthesis Wizard novel.

A review of Wizard: Starting With Synthesized Gems

A world where wizards actually look for the the truth by researching

Magical Research Done Right
The novel treats magical research as a simplified, magical analogue of scientific work. It’s not bogged down by real-world jargon, but it feels systematic. Most of the story revolves around botany, alchemy, experimentation, and classwork rather than random power-ups. Battles exist, but they’re secondary to the MC’s academic journey.

There is romance, but it’s mature and pragmatic... a night together, then diverging priorities. No melodrama, no harem fluff.

A Cruel, Pragmatic World (Early WMW Vibes)
The setting resembles early Warlock of the Magus World:
— hyper-capitalist wizard society
— cruelty accepted as normal
— enslavement, commerce, and academic hierarchy
— “good guys” who are only good by comparison

Unlike WMW, however, the protagonist isn’t a psychopath nor a saint. He’s a pragmatic, stable man surviving in an inherently evil system. He owns slaves because the world demands it, but he’s not a schemer looking for excuses to betray everyone.

If dark themes bother you, this won’t be your cup of tea.
If you want a truly evil MC, this also won’t scratch that itch.

A Slow-Burn Academic Journey (Not a Fight-Maniac MC)
If you want explosions, constant action, or power spikes...walk away.
This is a slow, steady, deeply thoughtful progression novel.

The cheat ability is strong but not a direct power booster. It’s more like having access to the Internet during an exam....immensely helpful, but it still requires intelligence and effort. The MC often trails behind geniuses and must work hard to catch up.

His nature stays consistent:
He’s not war-hungry.
He’s curious.
He wants knowledge, truth, and understanding of the world.

From Fantasy → Science → Theology (Excellent Worldbuilding)
One of the best aspects of this story is how magic evolves:

At first: fantasy magic
-Later: scientific, experimental magic
-Eventually: idealistic, belief-driven systems

The pacing is immaculate, short-term and long-term goals are well established, and rank separation is handled realistically. It genuinely feels like an academic universe where knowledge is layered and structured.

Conclusion : A Top-Tier Wizard Novel
- Deep worldbuilding, slow burn, scientific magic, stable MC, no murder-hobo nonsense.
- Updates 2–3 days
- Usually 3 long chapters per batch
- Consistent quality
- Very few plot holes if you actually read patiently
- Not xianxia despite some people claiming otherwise

If you like wizard academia, structured magic systems, or steady intellectual growth, this is absolutely worth picking up.

— Daoist Inkdrunkwanderer,
wandering scholar of arcane campuses and chronic drinker of well-brewed worldbuilding.