Wizard: I Can Refine Everything-Chapter 328 - 44: The War Situation

Richard shook his head and pulled out the Communication Crystal Ball from his pocket.

Cursed and suppressed for ten years and having slept for another twenty, Richard knew nothing of the current war situation.

He needed to understand the state of the war first and foremost.

Turning on the Crystal Ball, a deluge of Magic Power messages burst forth incessantly.

Accumulated for thirty years, the Magic Power messages jumped for over ten minutes before coming to a stop.

Richard selected some of the more recent information to read and discovered that the war situation seemed very bleak.

Over the past thirty years, Black Tower Wizard Academy had nearly two-thirds of its external academies occupied, with only the Inner Ring remaining as the last defense.

If the Inner Ring were lost, then the Core Wizard Tower of Black Tower Wizard Academy would be directly exposed to Meteor Star Academy’s assault.

This would essentially mean the end of the war.

The two Great Wizards had no deep hatred; occupying the external academies was more for show.

To really attack the Core Wizard Tower, not to speak of the Black Tower Great Wizard himself, the Three Rings of Black Tower Wizard Academy would collectively take action.

At that point, the war would no longer be the restrained affair it currently was.

“Looks like renewing the contract when I return is going to be troublesome.”

If Richard wanted to renew the contract, he would first need to pass through the occupied external rings of the academy held by Meteor Star Academy, and then risk being treated as an enemy by the wizards of Black Tower Wizard Academy as he passed through their Inner Ring.

Finally, Richard could enter the Core Wizard Tower and renew the contract with Eric.

Just talking about the process was troublesome; the actual difficulty was imaginable.

But Richard had no intention of giving up on this plan.

The treasure vault of the Black Tower Great Wizard was not just some cat or dog’s collection room.

Even if the Black Tower Great Wizard had only been so for a few thousand years, the items he possessed were definitely treasures they had never seen before.

Missing this opportunity, Richard estimated he would never come across such a chance in his lifetime.

“Let’s go and observe the situation first; if the defenses are too tight, then so be it.”

Leaving the hiding spot, Richard also put the Witch Hunting Team into the Synthetic Beast Pocket.

With these four big guys trailing behind, it’d be difficult for Richard to go unnoticed.

After storing them, Richard searched his pocket for a map. After aligning it with the direction in his memory, he immediately flew eastward.

…

Thirty years of war had changed many things.

The once majestic black walls of the outer ring of Black Tower Wizard Academy were now mostly in ruins.

All the towering defensive spires had collapsed in the midst of wizard battles.

These defensive weapons were powerful in the hands of either attackers or defenders.

No side’s wizards would leave them for the other.

Inside the walls, the remnants of animated stone gargoyles created by Alchemy Wizards almost covered the ground. These gargoyles acted as cannon fodder and auxiliary troops for the wizards of Black Tower Academy throughout thirty years of conflict.

Thanks to these, the wizards of Black Tower Academy could initially fight Meteor Star Academy on equal footing.

However, as the war continued, the number of gargoyles dwindled. The production speed of the Alchemy Wizards could not keep up with the rate of war consumption.

Standing on a hill outside the academy, Richard observed the broken academy and couldn’t help but sigh.

Even though both sides were controlling the intensity of the war, death was still inevitable.

These wizards who survived the Plane War, stepping over the bones of many natives, now perished at the hands of their own.

And this was merely thanks to the two Great Wizards acting petulantly.

If the two Great Wizards reconciled, no matter how much hatred had been engendered in the war, these lesser wizards from both sides would have to shake hands and make peace.

Perhaps before long, the two academies might fight side by side in the same world again. Enemies who had fought tooth and nail could quickly become close comrades.

Without reaching Great Wizard status, one is forever just a pawn in the Wizard World.

After observing outside the academy for a long while, Richard finally confirmed that there were basically no wizards in the outskirts of the academy.

All the wizards of Meteor Star Academy were concentrated in the frontline area near the Inner Ring.

This also provided Richard with information.

Muttering to himself, Richard said, “It seems that Meteor Star Academy hasn’t prepared for us external wizards.”

But this was normal; although these external wizards were all elite, their number was very scarce.

Even if dozens of Second Ring Wizards gathered together, they could not change the outcome of the war.

And once the wizards from the Meteor Star Academy discovered that their dispatched wizards had returned, those retained at their home academy would certainly provide reinforcements for the front lines.

At that time, Black Tower Academy’s position at the front would become even more unfavorable.

“Since they’re not on guard, can I not just blend in?”

Richard stroked his chin and took out a magic mask from his pocket.

Although the war had been going for thirty years, Richard believed that the wizards at the Meteor Star Academy definitely wouldn’t all know each other.

As long as he acted natural enough, he wouldn’t be discovered, at least not in a short time.

And all he needed during this period was to find a way to infiltrate the inner ring of the Black Tower Academy.

It was a risky plan. If he were discovered, Richard would definitely face relentless pursuit by the wizards of the Meteor Star Academy.

Moreover, when he infiltrated, he couldn’t let the Witch Hunting Team out. A wizard followed by a huge Alchemy Golem would be too conspicuous.

If Richard’s physique hadn’t reached the peak of a Second Ring Wizard now and hadn’t gained an ability called Mind Guidance after absorbing the Soul Rules,

He really wouldn’t dare to carry out such a risky plan.

With the mask on, Richard silently entered the Black Tower Wizard Academy, which had become a collection of battered walls and ruins.

The once tight defenses had crumbled into rubble over thirty years of conflict; Richard moved cautiously among the debris, cloaked in a Concealer Cloak, without any superfluous movements.

Soon, Richard spotted a wizard from the Meteor Star Academy.

This was an One Ring Alchemy Wizard who was currently repairing his Alchemy Puppet.

It was an eight-legged, spider-like Alien Alchemy Puppet, its dark-golden shell etched with dense runes. Eight crystal eyes were located on the puppet’s head, flashing a dangerous red.

The puppet was severely damaged, with four of its eight mechanical legs blasted off by spells, and the protective armor on its exterior showed a massive dent, with some cracks still open. Through the cracks, one could see the complex structure inside that had been damaged.

If it were up to Richard, this puppet was essentially beyond repair; it would be easier to simply rebuild it.

But clearly, the One Ring Wizard didn’t think so; he was still futilely repairing it, even calling for help using a crystal ball.

The help was a Second Ring Wizard, who seemed to be the One Ring Wizard’s teacher.

As soon as the Second Ring Wizard arrived, he sternly reprimanded the One Ring Wizard and then, after looking at the damaged Alchemy Puppet, came to the same conclusion as Richard.

“This puppet isn’t worth fixing. Dismantle its parts, and recycle the remaining pieces by melting them down.”

The One Ring Wizard looked a bit dejected, but as his teacher had made the judgment, he had no choice but to comply.

“Not necessarily.”

A voice stopped the One Ring Wizard’s movements.

He turned around to see a black-robed wizard wearing a silver mask, slowly walking out of the ruins.

“Who are you?”

The Second Ring Wizard held a magic wand, watching Richard appear suddenly with suspicion.

“Who else could I be? Surely, I couldn’t be a wizard from the Black Tower Academy, could I?”

Richard’s voice carried a subtle magic power that made both wizards listen and unconsciously overlook the incongruities about Richard.

This was the ability produced by the link between the Soul Rules and the Nightmare Rules within Richard—Mind Guidance.

This ability didn’t directly influence one’s mindset; it subtly made one fill in the blanks.

For instance, Richard’s statement made the two wizards assume that Richard had to be a wizard from the Meteor Star Academy.

It was a subtle, imperceptible change, but its effects were more terrifying than the direct mind-control spells of the Soul School.

Once a decision was made, one would subconsciously seek evidence to support it and ignore any evidence to the contrary.

The One Ring Wizard asked respectfully, “Master, do you think my puppet can still be repaired?”

Richard nodded slightly, “Of course it can, just that it’s rather troublesome.

But why repair it? Simply reshape the exterior, remove the damaged internal structures, and turn this eight-legged Alien Puppet into a four-legged one – isn’t that simpler?”

The One Ring Wizard was startled upon hearing this, then fell into thought.

However, his teacher, with his wealth of experience, immediately responded after hearing Richard’s suggestion: “Master’s knowledge is as profound as the sea, but such a transformation is somewhat too difficult for us.”

“Difficult… I see. How about this,” Richard slowly began, “how about you sell this puppet to me instead? During times like these, we should avoid wasting resources as much as possible.”

The Second Ring Wizard paused briefly, then turned to his student, “It’s your puppet, you decide.”

The One Ring Wizard hesitated for a while, then finally sighed and said, “Two hundred Magic Essences. Master, if you want it, it’s yours.”

Richard didn’t say much and took out two hundred Magic Essences from his pocket, trading them for the Alchemy Puppet.

Upon receiving the puppet, Richard didn’t bother hiding anything and disassembled the Alchemy Puppet’s outer shell right in front of the two wizards. Then he dismantled the labyrinthine internal structures which would dizzy any layman with just a few swift movements.

The structure of the Alchemy Puppet was complicated, but it was a sign of poor craftsmanship; complexity implied vulnerability and maintenance difficulties.

Richard removed the damaged areas, and couldn’t help but look up and ask, “How did you manage to make a First Level Puppet so excessively intricate?”

The One Ring Wizard showed a shamed expression, while the Second Ring Wizard also sighed helplessly.

Richard slightly modified the remaining workable parts, removing most of the excessive internal structures, then reshaped the shell and reattached the four intact mechanical legs.

Soon, a four-legged Alien Puppet was assembled.

The whole process took less than half an hour.

Even the Second Ring Wizard couldn’t help but admire, “Master’s skills are truly breathtaking.”

Although he was capable of making the same changes, he admitted he couldn’t have simplified his student’s botched job so quickly and efficiently.

Controlling the four-legged puppet, Richard naturally headed towards the Meteor Star Wizard’s position.

And the two wizards naturally filled in an appropriate identity for Richard.

“Master, you’re here to support us, aren’t you?”

“What do you think?”