Wizard Lord:I can Extract Anything

"The wizard is dead? What does that mean?"

Richard pondered deeply over the notebook owner's last words. On the surface, it suggested the wizard of the laboratory had died. But if he thought further, Richard had to consider the hidden implications of this statement.

How did the wizard die? Was it an experiment gone wrong, or did he die of old age?

If it was an experiment gone wrong, the lab could be a dangerous treasure trove. But if he died of old age, the lab might be a wizard's tomb.

Tomb raiding has always been a risky business.

If the latter was true, Richard needed to weigh whether he should explore the lab.

"Richard, are you done reading?"

Ellie's voice pulled Richard from his thoughts. He closed the notebook and smiled at her.

"This notebook contains a modified spell model. I'll copy it for you when we return to the academy."

"Yay! Richard, you're the best!" Ellie exclaimed, hugging him tightly.

At the academy, spell models available for exchange were the most basic versions. Modern wizards had developed various versions based on extensive research. This was the academy's hidden test for wizard apprentices.

Using only the academy's basic spell models meant certain defeat in apprentice confrontations.

Old John found several items on Loken, including his magical boots and three magic stones.

Richard gave one nearly depleted magic stone to Old John as payment. The old man was incredibly useful in the Blackstone Mountains, from guiding to tracking.

"Old John, this is for you."

Old John accepted the magic stone with delight, patting his chest in gratitude.

"Wizard, command me as you wish. Old John will do his utmost."

Richard nodded, then turned to Ellie.

"Here, take these two magic stones."

"Huh? For me? I can't accept them!" Ellie protested. "You killed him, so the stones belong to you. I can't take this money."

"Consider it a loan. I'm lending you these two stones," Richard insisted, placing them in her hand. "I need a long-term, trustworthy teammate. This is my investment in your future."

Ellie's clear stance against Loken endeared her to Richard. A person with clear boundaries made the best teammate.

Wizards could be lone wolves because they had time to build a foundation. Wizard apprentices had at most thirty years, which seemed long but was short when accounting for earning stones, meditation, travel, and rest.

This meant no apprentice could master everything.

A trustworthy teammate was the best way to cover one's weaknesses.

Plus, Ellie showed potential as a curse wizard, making her a valuable ally.

"Alright, I'll accept them," Ellie agreed, determined to improve her skills quickly.

After dividing the stones, Richard examined Loken's boots.

Named Swiftwind Boots, they were inscribed with a speed-enhancing spell on the soles, allowing faster movement with wind manipulation.

This was a significant upgrade for Richard.

Had he possessed these boots earlier, Loken couldn't have escaped his first strike.

After resting in the valley overnight, Richard followed Old John to the white crystal deer's habitat the next morning.

The white crystal deer, a magical creature, had crystalline scales used in making crystal balls.

After confirming the population hadn't decreased, Richard considered collecting some crystals for alchemy. But he soon realized why the academy required apprentices to team up.

Beams of white light shot from the deer's antlers. Individually, they weren't strong, but Richard faced hundreds of them.

"Hiss... that smarts."

Smoking, Richard leaned against a tree, thankful for his scales and life-saving bracelet. Otherwise, he'd be a roasted pig.

"I told you not to approach, but you didn't listen," Ellie teased, covering her mouth.

"Alright, at least I got something," Richard replied, shaking a bag of white crystals.

Leaving the deer's habitat, Richard visited common herbal gathering spots with Old John. Many herbs hadn't matured due to season and timing.

Still, Richard collected a few immature herbs, planning to nurture them back at the academy. After all, potion making was part of alchemy.

After gathering herbs, Richard spent two more days in the mountains with Old John searching for the black-patterned water python.

In a swamp, Richard found a five-meter juvenile python.

A low-level magical beast, it could manipulate water elements and use its powerful muscles to strangle a senior knight in the swamp.

Old John even used himself as bait to lure the beast into the forest.

"Your magic stone was well spent, right?" Old John boasted, panting in a tree.

Outside the swamp, the python lost its advantage.

Richard's boots glowed green, boosting his speed. Using a surprise attack, he sliced the python in two with Raven's Slash.

Yet, the beast's vitality kept it thrashing, even in two parts.

Its blood flowed freely, manipulated into pillars by the python, assaulting the forest.

But Richard's group had retreated far, letting the beast exhaust itself.

After several minutes, the python stilled. Richard approached, severed its head, and collected its blood, intending to refine and sell it.

"Ellie, try your spell on this," Richard suggested.

Ellie cautiously approached, releasing black energy into the python's lower half.

Crack, crack...

The python's corpse shriveled under the spell, becoming a skeleton.

Soon, a bulge appeared at the tail, and a light-black-striped white worm emerged.

"This one's different," Ellie noted, pocketing the worm. "Black-striped worms are superior to plain ones, with five times the effect and price."

Richard was thrilled. "Great, let's try the other half."

Curse worms were valuable, a potential income source.

But Ellie shook her head.

"No, I can't take more. The book says a low-level apprentice can't hold more than two curse worms, or they'll face unforeseen misfortune."

"You can't, but I can," Richard smiled.

He pulled the remaining corpse half to Ellie.

"Don't waste it. It's all magic stones."

...

With the python's head, Richard achieved his goal.

On the way out, he casually asked Old John about mudslides in recent years. The answer was a major slide occurred twenty years ago, and rumors of monsters kept guides away from the area.

This confirmed Richard's suspicion.

If Old John's account was true, the wizard's lab remained undiscovered.

Richard still had a chance.

Leaving Blackstone City, Richard and Ellie took the magic airship back to the academy.

After submitting the task, Richard dove into crafting the magic armor.