Wizard Lord:I can Extract Anything

"Finally over," Richard sighed, wiping the sweat from his forehead. This battle had been the most perilous moment since his transmigration. Without the powerful Fireball staff, even ten of him wouldn't have been enough against that madman.

After searching the forest, Richard collected Saban's bracers and greatsword.

To Richard's surprise, the bracers were magical artifacts with self-recharging capabilities, while the greatsword, though made of exceptional material, was not a magical artifact.

Richard attempted to use the Miracle Furnace to extract the bracers, but the furnace remained unresponsive.

"What exactly are the rules for extracting skills with this furnace? The Black Forest Baron's sword and the synthetic beast core could be extracted, but why can't these magical artifacts?" Richard pondered, setting the question aside to focus on understanding the bracers' function.

When he donned the bracers, a cool energy spread throughout his body, and his wounds began to clot and heal rapidly.

"No wonder that madman survived a Lesser Fireball. He had this treasure on him," Richard mused, noticing a slight scraping sensation inside the bracers.

Removing them, he found a piece of text inscribed within.

"What is this?"

Richard read the text, discovering it described a breathing technique. It seemed vaguely familiar, reminiscent of something the Black Forest Baron might have known.

"Never mind, I'll figure it out once I'm in the academy."

Richard shook his head, re-donned the bracers, and resumed his journey.

...

By the fourth day of the exam, some of the stronger apprentices began reaching the rendezvous point.

Kevin Medici staggered out of the forest.

After four days of travel and combat, this noble scion, neither a knight nor a full-fledged wizard apprentice, was utterly exhausted.

Fighting, traveling, staying vigilant, and fleeing, he finally reached the rendezvous point.

Having done all this, Kevin felt transformed, as if no challenge in the world could defeat him.

"Griffith, we've arrived," Kevin called back.

Behind him, a blond giant carrying a greatsword trudged along. Kevin's companion and the reason he survived the magical beast's pursuit.

This man, named Griffith, single-handedly slew the demon-like magical beast.

"Hmm."

Griffith nodded.

Griffith had not revealed his identity, but Kevin suspected he was a monk from some monastery, given his aura and formidable strength.

Entering the rendezvous point, Kevin collapsed to the ground, relaxing completely.

The rendezvous point was a safe zone, signifying his safety.

"Kevin?"

Kevin turned at the voice, spotting a slender figure with a greatsword and staff emerging from the crowd of apprentices.

"Richard!?"

Seeing who it was, Kevin was astonished. Compared to his ragged state, Richard, though his clothes were a bit tattered, exuded vitality, looking nothing like someone who had just endured a life-or-death exam.

"So it really is you."

Richard approached Kevin, smiling as he helped him up.

Kevin still owed him a magic stone, after all.

"Seems my decision was right; recruiting you was correct. It's just a shame we never got to use it," Kevin said to Richard with a wry smile.

His hard-built alliance had become a joke with a single word from the wizards.

"Being alive is what matters. Go find a wizard to register. The rendezvous point has a teleportation array, activated for every hundred people. Including your friend, it's almost full."

Richard squinted at the blond giant behind Kevin, who had been staring at him since his arrival.

"Why do you keep staring at me, friend?"

Griffith gave Richard a slight bow. "It seems Saban met his end at your hands."

"You recognize the owner of this sword?"

Richard looked into the giant's eyes. This man was likely a knight and had constructed a magic circuit, making him a dual-class warrior.

"Let me introduce you. This is Griffith, a talented knight from another continent," Kevin interjected, sensing the tension.

"I knew him. In the Norton Empire, he often sought to kill me," Griffith sighed. "He had great talent; what a pity."

Seeing it wasn't a vendetta, Richard said no more.

After Kevin and Griffith registered, the wizard issued the teleportation order.

"Prepare for teleportation. Apprentices prone to teleportation dizziness, close your eyes.

Three, two, one, teleport!"

In an instant, the rendezvous point flashed, and Richard's vision filled with the chaotic colors unique to teleportation.

When his vision cleared, he beheld a sight he would never forget.

"This is..." Richard murmured.

Before him stood an awe-inspiring towering spire, its height seemingly infinite, as if connecting heaven and earth, reaching the abode of the gods. The tower was adorned with countless lifelike reliefs, as if souls were sealed within. Gargoyles perched at the corners, their grotesque forms appearing ready to spring to life at any moment.

"This is the Central Black Tower. It was originally the Principal's wizard tower, accessible only to wizards. After the academy's founding, the Principal opened the first fifty floors for academic use."

Richard turned toward the voice, finding it came from a cat-sized owl.

The owl spoke in human tongue, clutching a large bag in its talons.

"Little ones, I am the academy's overseer and your guide, responsible for monitoring your adherence to the rules." With that, the owl dropped the bag, which contained many smaller bags.

"Now take your items and follow me; I'll show you around the academy."

...

The Black Tower Wizard Academy's structure was simple, divided into three areas besides the Central Black Tower for classes: the experimental, residential, and commercial zones.

The experimental zone was the largest, dedicated to dangerous experiments for wizards and apprentices. The commercial zone sold experimental materials, casting supplies, and magical artifacts. It housed shops run by academy wizards, external wizard guilds, and academy apprentices.

The commercial zone's currency was academy-issued coins, but magic stones were also accepted. The coin's value was tied to magic stones, with one stone equivalent to a hundred coins.

Lastly, the residential zone handled apprentices' daily needs, from clothing shops and restaurants to stables. Black towers were scattered throughout, with each apprentice having a personal room, rent-free.

Following the owl, Richard toured the entire academy in a day. Before long, he spotted Ellie among the new arrivals.

"Hey! Richard! You made it through!"

Ellie looked a bit worse for wear, her once-lustrous blonde hair singed, a charred scar on her forehead. Her clothes were tattered, much like Richard's.

Forest travel made torn clothes inevitable.

"Just lucky, got here a bit earlier."

Though they'd only been apart a few days, seeing a familiar face in the unfamiliar academy was a comfort.

As night fell, dandelion-like plants emerged along the academy paths, emitting a bright yet gentle glow, lighting the way like streetlamps.

"These are Nightlight Dandelions, spoils from the Principal's planar conquests. They're used as streetlights."

Walking, Richard explained the academy's layout to Ellie. Her group had arrived at dusk, and the owl, deeming them in need of rest, left after distributing items.

"So beautiful."

Ellie gazed at the dandelions, her eyes filled with wonder and awe. The academy's sights left her bewildered.

Was this truly the academy with a deadly entrance exam? Shouldn't it be filled with crosses, littered with remains, students sitting on coffins in class, teachers resembling demons?

"But remember not to touch them. If provoked, they'll use their seeds as weapons. The seeds explode with the power of a Lesser Fireball."

Richard's words shattered Ellie's fantasy.

Richard pointed to a tower not far away. "That's the residential zone. New apprentices have their own towers, so finding a room isn't an issue."

The academy designated new areas as buffers. After three years, apprentices moved from these areas to find new housing.

As Richard headed toward the towers, he felt his coat tugged.

"Oh, um, let's... let's be neighbors."

Ellie tugged at Richard's coat, her hair obscuring her expression.

"Be neighbors?" Richard didn't dwell on her reaction; a girl's thoughts were as changeable as summer weather.

"Sure, the academy doesn't separate by gender."

"Really! That's great."

Ellie beamed, excitement in her eyes.

"Let's go," Richard gestured to the nearby towers. "An early arrival means first pick of rooms. It's late; let's find one we like."

Requesting continued support.