Wizard Lord:I can Extract Anything

"What the hell!"

Richard drew his greatsword, his breathing shifting into a rhythmic pattern. Behind him, Ellie retrieved a wand from her luggage, its magic flickering faintly.

"Don't attack, it's me! Loken!"

The bloodied figure wiped his face, revealing a familiar chubby visage.

"Loken? Weren't you teamed up? What happened to you?"

Richard subtly signaled to Ellie, who moved to Richard's luggage and grabbed the staff for casting fireball spells.

Something was wrong with Loken; it seemed he was being chased.

The forest echoed with more sounds, reminiscent of magical missiles.

Loken's face changed, and his boots shimmered with light.

"It's a long story; we'll talk later."

With that, the hefty apprentice bolted into the forest, calling back to Richard, "I've got the goods. Let's split up!"

Even a fool would realize they'd been set up.

"Hey, I have nothing to do with him!" Richard shouted into the forest, his heart pumping heat as his magic rapidly depleted, replaced by the growing scales on his skin. Within a breath or two, he was covered in black scales.

Voices spoke from the forest, but not in the wizard language. Then Richard heard a distinct hum.

Buzz!

A buzzing sound reached Richard's ears, prompting him to swing his sword instinctively, striking a blue streak of light. Behind it, several magic missiles pierced through the force field of his robe, hitting his body. Before the Bloodline Alchemy, these missiles might have killed him, but now, they merely made him grunt as he turned to shout at Ellie.

"Attack!"

Ellie waved her staff, channeling magic through it to unleash a deadly spell.

An orange-red fireball shot into the forest like a meteor, erupting in a towering blaze.

Boom!

A roaring shockwave of earth and stone rushed at Richard, but the black scales shielded him from harm.

"Are they all dead?" Ellie asked, her voice trembling.

It was Ellie's first time witnessing a lesser fireball spell, its crimson blaze and thunderous roar reminiscent of divine retribution.

The fire spread through the forest, an unavoidable consequence of using fireball spells.

Richard's eyes remained fixed on the blaze. He had a gut feeling someone survived.

Whoosh!

A figure rose from the flames, accompanied by a gale summoned by magic.

The wind fed the fire, rapidly expanding the blaze.

Richard lunged forward, charging into the inferno.

The scorching air seared his lungs like burning coals, but he ignored it, focusing solely on the figure conjuring the wind.

Finally, Richard reached the figure, only to find a charred, unidentifiable form. Consumed by hatred, they had risen from the flames to cast one last spell.

"I'll send that bastard down to join you."

Richard swung his sword, severing the head.

The summoned wind ceased instantly, but the wildfire raged beyond control.

"Loken..." Richard growled through gritted teeth.

Loken's deceit had led to this catastrophe.

Returning to the camp, Richard found Ellie covering her mouth and nose, trying to escape the blaze.

"Hold on to me," Richard said, pulling Ellie close.

"Okay."

With Ellie in his arms, Richard charged through the fire. His formidable physique and scale armor forged a path through the inferno.

"Wizards, over here!"

Emerging from the flames, Richard saw Old John waving from a distance.

The old guide hadn't abandoned his clients.

Joining Old John, Richard spotted a small river.

"Wizards, let's hide in the water. The fire will be out soon," Old John advised.

"Out? How?" Richard questioned, watching the expanding blaze. In his previous life, such a scene would require firebreaks and helicopters to manage.

"Heh, seems you don't know the Blackstone Mountains' rules," Old John chuckled, leaping into the water. "We have a guardian deity here."

Just as he spoke, a roar echoed through the mountains.

From the depths of the Blackstone Mountains, a massive figure emerged, sporting three snake-like heads, broad bat wings, and a body covered in scales.

"Is that... a dragon?" Richard stammered.

The creature hovered over the fire, inhaling deeply with its three heads, drawing the flames into its maw in torrents.

"What... what's it doing?" Richard asked.

Old John stroked his beard. "Putting out the fire, of course. According to wizard lore, the guardian is absorbing the fire element."

"Fire element?" Richard murmured, dazed.

In the wizard's worldview, matter's fundamental state wasn't atoms or electrons but the four elements: earth, air, water, and fire.

All matter comprised these elements.

In this view, fire was the manifestation of the fire element, and burning released this element from matter.

The beast took over ten minutes to extinguish the fire, then flapped its wings, returning to the mountain depths.

"Alright, Wizards. Let's head back. With luck, my roast might still be edible," Old John quipped, wringing out his clothes.

"Old John, can you track?" Richard asked, setting Ellie down, eyes burning with vengeance.

"Track? Of course, Old John can track," Old John boasted. "In these woods, no one can slip past me."

"Good." Richard nodded, eyeing Ellie. Despite shielding her, she still bore minor burns.

"How are you feeling?"

Ellie rubbed her head. "Thirsty. Are you going after the fat one?"

"Yes," Richard replied. "Will you stop me?"

"Why would I?" Ellie scoffed. "I'm not crazy. That pig caused us so much grief, killing him is too merciful."

"Glad to hear it."

Richard sighed in relief. If Ellie had turned pacifist, he might have lost a friend.

A flash of anger crossed Ellie's face, the fire rekindling dark memories of her entrance exam.

"Take me when you kill him. I just learned a curse spell, perfect for testing on that pig."

"A curse spell?" Richard was startled.

"Don't misunderstand! I'm not planning to curse anyone!" Ellie quickly clarified. "You don't get out much, so you wouldn't know. There've been several curse-related murders among freshmen."

"I learned it for self-defense against curses."

Richard remained silent, making Ellie increasingly anxious.

"Believe me! It's just for protection!"

"I know you're not a killer," Richard nodded, studying Ellie with newfound curiosity.

"Ellie, did you know? Curses don't choose the wizard; they choose the person. Without the 'spirituality' the Curse School speaks of, even with the spell model, you can't cast it."

"What?" Ellie gasped. "Then my magic stones were wasted!"

That was fifteen magic stones, her entire savings.

"I read it in a book," Richard mused.

The Curse School was one of the Five Schools, the most mysterious and least populous. Their spells seemed bizarre yet could kill without trace. Rumor had it a Curse School truth wizard once cursed an entire world to death.

"Curse wizard talent is rare. I hope your stones weren't wasted," Richard smiled, then called Old John.

"Old John, let's go. I'm killing that pig tonight!"

...

At a valley's edge near the fire's origin.

"With that commotion, they should all be dead," Loken muttered, watching the guardian retreat into the mountains. "Those two were impressive, causing such a stir that the guardian intervened."

But then he grinned, rubbing his hands and pulling a dirt-strea

ked notebook from his coat.

"No matter how strong, they were my scapegoats. A senior apprentice's notes, written in wizard language. Not stealing this gem would be a crime."