Wizard: I Can Refine Everything

Entering the army requires comportment befitting of the military.

As an outsider, Richard showed ample respect for the White Wizard squad fighting alongside him. Firstly, several members of this squad were Second Ring Wizards with, presumably, rich combat experience. Secondly, he was there to reap benefits; respecting those who fought to the death seemed only appropriate since he was essentially seizing a slice of their hard-earned pie.

The captain of the White Wizards cast a stern look at Richard and said, "Advisor, we are pleased to cooperate with you and will do our utmost to ensure your safety, but you must also fully cooperate with our operations."

Ensure my safety?

Richard shook his head. "I think you've misunderstood something, Captain. I don't need protection."

Then, Richard turned off the effect of his Concealer Cloak, revealing his Life Radiation.

The captain of the White Wizards was slightly surprised but his words remained unchanged.

"Advisor, your strength is indeed greater than I imagined, but a Second Ring Wizard is not an invincible creature on the battlefield."

To these battle-hardened White Wizards, Level and combat power were not always synonymous, especially for a being like a wizard, where the range between the upper and lower limits is vast.

A strong Second Ring Wizard could instantly kill a Third Level native creature with a sneak attack, while a weak Second Ring Wizard could just as easily be killed by a native of the same Second Level.

Richard felt somewhat helpless; these White Wizards were a tad too disdainful.

Speaking of protection, did he really need it with a World Master perched on his shoulder?

Looking toward Vladimir, Richard hoped he might help clarify things. However, he saw Vladimir was busy speaking to a Crystal Ball while flying off into the distance.

"I..."

Richard wanted to continue arguing but noticed the captain of the White Wizards frown slightly, speaking with a heavier tone:

"Advisor, how many Plane Wars have you participated in?"

Richard hesitated before answering, "…My second."

The captain of the White Wizards pointed to a One Ring Wizard behind him. "He has the least combat experience in our team, but even he has gone through three wars."

Then, the captain of the White Wizards asked again:

"May I ask, Advisor, how old you are today?"

Richard paused briefly, then said somewhat helplessly, "Over three hundred years old."

Hearing this age, the captain of the White Wizards seemed to understand something, and his tone became somewhat impatient.

"Advisor, while a wizard's strength does not necessarily correlate with age, in most cases, an older wizard will have stronger combat capabilities than a younger wizard. I believe you have inherited much knowledge from your family, but please trust me, knowledge is one thing and applying it in combat is another."

"Family... What family?" said Richard, somewhat puzzled.

He didn't understand what had led the captain of the White Wizards to such an association.

At this point, the captain of the White Wizards could not be bothered to continue the conversation.

"Advisor, we are about to enter the city. I hope you can cooperate as you've said."

With that, three wizards from the squad surrounded Richard in the center, with a Barrier Wizard bringing up the rear.

This was the standard formation for a Guard Team, typically used to transport the wounded.

Richard sighed, "Alright then. Have it your way."

He couldn't say anything unpleasant to a group of wizards who intended to protect him.

In any case, the battlefield would soon reveal all.

Wizards had three types of Alchemy Weapons for urban warfare. One type was a Life Detection Device, which looked like a Crystal Ball and was mainly used by Investigation Wizards to detect the presence of enemies nearby. This device was mainly to check for creatures lurking underground; for wizards, spiritual power investigation was sufficient to detect most enemies.

The second type was an Alchemy Hammer designed to demolish buildings, able to emit high-frequency Shock Waves, perfect for breaking down structures.

And the last type was a one-time item—a Magic Potion called "The Third Eye."

This potion enhanced a wizard's danger perception, allowing wizards to react in advance to certain fatal attacks.

Richard looked at the Magic Potion in his hands and sighed.

His company should have been in the business of making Magic Potions; instead, it had become an arms dealer.

Such is the unpredictability of life.

When he returned, he resolved to delve into Magic Potion to see if he could find a scalable way to produce them.

The bulk of the Magic Potion business supplied the military needs for expeditions to Otherworlds. If the potions were not cost-effective, the Great Wizard would not simply give Magic Essence to the company for free.

Equipped, the squad entered the city.

Richard's squad was only seven members strong, but it was clear from the few Second Ring Wizards in it that this was an elite squad.

After years of expeditions to Otherworlds, the White Wizard Army had developed many strategies.

For urban combat, the White Wizards would have elites lead the charge, with ordinary wizards sweeping up any stragglers.

This strategy was risky for the elite squad, but the rewards were equally lucrative.

Apart from the benefits brought by the natives, the army also provided special subsidies for those wizards undertaking dangerous missions.

Entering the city, Richard heard nothing but the roar of spells around him.

It was as if all the Fire Lizards in the entire city had been cleared out.

Above them, War Airships acted as support units, aiding in striking down some enemies, but this assault was minimal, only effective against some obvious foes.

The most significant use of the War Airships was as the eyes of the command unit, allowing commanders to observe as much of the battlefield situation as possible.

This eerie phenomenon had clearly caught the attention of more than just Richard.

The White Wizard Captain extended his spiritual power to its limit, but within the range of his spiritual power, not a single soul could be found.

The retreat of the Fire Lizard army to the White Wizards beginning the siege had only been three days, how could this large city, home to millions of people, turn into a city of death within such a short time?

Just as the White Wizard Captain was puzzled, a team member holding a Life Detection Crystal Ball came to his side.

Within his hands, the Crystal Ball showed several red dots hidden beneath the ground of the houses nearby.

"So they've been hiding in the cellars."

The White Wizard Captain glanced at the locations and the life strength on the Crystal Ball, then sent out commands through the psychic network.

"Take out those few Fire Lizards, keep it quiet."

A Wizard whose body had undergone metallic transformation entered one of the nearby houses and after a while, he re-emerged, and the red dots on the Crystal Ball vanished.

"Just a few old Fire Lizards that couldn't move. It seems the civilian population of these creatures has already left."

"Left?" The White Wizard Captain frowned, but then relaxed his expression.

"If they've left, it's for the better, reducing interference will make our mission smoother."

The conversation between the two was not conducted over the psychic network, so Richard also learned of the Fire Lizard civilians' evacuation. Unlike the White Wizard Captain's reaction, Richard's brow furrowed deeply.

This species, temporarily called Fire Lizards, seemed to have strong countermeasures against warfare.

Following the squad, they continued to advance in a continuous "L" shaped path. Every building they passed was probed repeatedly by a few Wizards using their spiritual power to ensure no Fire Lizards remained.

Suddenly, the White Wizard Captain gestured with his hand, and the entire team stopped instantaneously.

Within the psychic network, the White Wizard Captain calmly commanded:

"Two hundred meters ahead to the left, the building with a black plaque has three First Level Fire Lizards in ambush. When we move in, we must be swift.

We've got a privileged scion with us now, so we can't fish around carelessly like before."

"Captain, this advisor looks familiar to me." A team member suddenly spoke out in the psychic network, "I think I've seen him in the Insect Nest World; he was with Master Vladimir repairing a number of Magic Stone Cannons..."

"You must be mistaken, Acker," the Captain interrupted bluntly. "This kid has become a Second Ring Wizard at such a young age and even joined the war as a technical advisor. It's clear which Wizard Family lacks ability and is vying for favor with their youngest son.

What normal Wizard could gather enough resources to advance at that age, and which teacher would allow their student to ascend so early?

I've seen this type of behavior before."

As he spoke, a trace of disgust flashed across the Captain's face.

Such privileged individuals were like unpredictable bombs in war, and any Commander would despise having this uncertain factor in their team.

"Moreover, this Master Richard you speak of, I've heard of him. He's a newly graduated One Ring Wizard, and although his teacher is Jolo, Master Jolod has more than one student.

If he wants to break through to the Second Ring, he'll have to fight in at least one Plane War, and even if he amasses enough resources, Master Jolod wouldn't allow him to advance to the Second Ring so soon."

Wizards who follow spiritual evolution do not face the issue of it being harder to advance as they age before reaching the Third Ring.

In fact, due to the existence of Soul Darkness, it's safer for older Wizards to advance.

The spirits honed by years are more capable of enduring the endless Soul Darkness.

The team advanced steadily, quickly arriving at the location of the ambushing Fire Lizards. The Captain issued orders through the psychic network, and with a flick of their Wizard's Wands, several Wizards shot groups of crimson fireballs into a house on the street.

As there was a loud boom, the Captain gestured, signaling the team to continue forward.

Suddenly, Ulysses perched on Richard's shoulder opened his eyes.

"Caw, someone's coming."

Before Ulysses finished speaking, loud crashes were heard as several dark figures burst through the doors of nearby houses and charged at them.

So swift their approach, even the White Wizard Captain, vigilant of his surroundings, barely managed to react.

"Enemy attack, defensive stance!"

The White Wizard Captain shouted, his expression cold and composed, showing not a trace of panic.

He was battle-hardened; such situations were nothing new to him...

Bang!

A Wizard's Magic Barrier shattered, half of his body sliced through by a scimitar in an instant.

The attacking creature, over two meters tall, radiated life as vibrant as the sun. He had a golden mask on his face, in his hand wielded a Black Gold Scimitar exuding a fearsome chill.

It was that scimitar that had cleaved through the Magic Barrier of a One Ring Wizard at the rear of their formation.

A Second-level Creature!

The White Wizard Captain's heart tightened, his spiritual power swiftly swept over the battlefield, and then his heart sank.

There were ten Fire Lizards attacking them... and all of them were Second Level!