Wizard Lord:I can Extract Anything

Richard was calmly preparing his toxin when he heard some noise coming from the cave entrance. Alert, he looked up, his staff gathering elemental energy, only to see a familiar figure emerge from the tunnel, waving at him.

"Richard, I'm back," Ellie called out, walking towards him.

Seeing her, Richard relaxed. It was Ellie, returning after reporting their discovery.

"How did it go? Did we get a reward?" Richard asked, stopping his work and looking at her expectantly.

"We were the first to report these insects, and the command awarded us five hundred magic crystals," Ellie said with a smug smile, handing a bag of magic crystals to Richard.

Thanks to her quick reporting via the communication crystal ball, they secured the reward before any other wizard could.

Richard took the crystals, casually putting them into his magic pouch, then resumed mixing his alchemical toxin.

Ellie noticed the two incapacitated Spider Knights nearby and tightened her grip on her staff, her voice tense. "Richard, what's with these half-spider Black Crystal Insectoids?"

"These are the ones that attacked me just now. I damaged their central nervous systems and am preparing a toxin to knock them out completely," Richard explained, as smoke rose from the beaker he was using, a viscous liquid emitting a strange odor.

This alchemical toxin could paralyze biological nervous systems, effective on flesh-based creatures, but ineffective against elemental or semi-elemental beings.

Richard waved his staff, and the liquid turned into black smoke, enveloping the two Spider Knights. The toxin, absorbable through the mucous membranes of the skin, rendered breathing irrelevant for them.

The Spider Knights emitted a few sharp cries, their upper body blades twitching uselessly. After about five or six minutes, they succumbed to the neurotoxin-induced paralysis.

Richard approached and severed their nerves, injecting a secondary inhibitor into their bodies. This would suppress their bodily functions for the next half-month.

"Have you taken up potion-making again?" Ellie asked, surprised.

She knew Richard well and was aware of his focus on magical equipment, alchemical machinery, and some evocation studies over the years. It seemed he had rekindled his interest in potion-making and achieved notable results.

Creating a toxin potent enough to paralyze a first-tier creature was no simple feat.

Richard smiled slightly. Thanks to the Miracle Furnace, he had unlocked many pieces of knowledge from the cryptic notes, increasing his repertoire of tricks despite their lack of cohesion.

With the two Spider Knights secured, Richard checked his pocket watch. It had been nearly ten hours since Lawrence left, far exceeding the six hours he had mentioned.

Such a long absence—had Lawrence found something valuable, or was he in danger?

"Where's Lawrence?" Ellie asked, scanning the surroundings with her mental power, realizing someone was missing.

"Lawrence went to scout deeper into the caverns after you left. He said he'd be back in six hours, but it's been nearly ten," Richard explained.

"So, what do we do? Wait for him?" Ellie asked.

Richard frowned, slowly shaking his head. "We'll wait a bit longer. I've sent something to scout the path as well."

An hour passed, and finally, a shadow flew out of the tunnel.

"Caw, I'm back."

Ulysses emerged, clutching a familiar shadow creature in its talons.

"What have you got there?" Richard asked.

Ulysses flew to Richard, dropping the creature at his feet. Upon closer inspection, it was Lawrence's shadow bat.

"How did you end up with Lawrence's bat?" Richard questioned, puzzled.

"Caw, that wizard got himself into a mess," Ulysses replied, landing on Richard's shoulder and communicating mentally. "He's surrounded by insects and sealed by a white insect. He's probably been eaten by now."

"What happened? Tell me everything," Richard demanded, his heart sinking.

Lawrence was an experienced wizard, having survived two planar wars. How could he have been caught so easily?

"Caw, I'm not sure. I was exploring the tunnels as you instructed and stumbled upon a cavern like this one, where I saw the little guy being attacked by a swarm of insects. He seemed to notice me and tossed this bat at me just as he was sealed by the white insect. The insects tried to catch me too, but I slipped away..."

Ulysses continued to boast about his escape, but Richard wasn't interested. He picked up the shadow bat, which opened its eyes and spat out a contract as soon as he touched it.

Richard retrieved the contract, reading its simple terms: Lawrence was offering a thousand magic crystals for Richard and Ellie to rescue him.

"Caw, what's it say?" Ulysses asked, curious.

"Just a plea for help," Richard replied nonchalantly, handing the contract to Ellie. "Ellie, do you think we should help him?"

"Me?" Ellie glanced at the contract and shook her head. "I wouldn't go by myself. These caverns are too cramped; I'd be afraid of getting buried alive. Are you planning to help him? Remember, half of our earnings go to the academy."

Richard pondered, hesitating over the decision. Even after splitting with the academy, they'd still earn fifty thousand magic stones—a significant sum.

If Lawrence had appealed to sentiment or friendship, Richard wouldn't consider the rescue. But the tangible reward was tempting.

"I am considering it, but I'll decide after assessing the situation," Richard said, pocketing the contract. He planned to evaluate the conditions around Lawrence first.

If the security wasn't too tight, he'd proceed with the rescue. But if it was too risky or if Lawrence was already dead, Richard would leave.

A wizard he'd only recently met wasn't worth risking his life for.

"You're tempted?" Ellie asked, surprised, recalling that Richard typically avoided risks.

"Can't help it—I'm broke," Richard shrugged. His strength had been acquired with magic stones.

The Adaptation Physique was a bottomless pit that had consumed most of Richard's earnings over the decades. No wonder Jolord had stopped training after reaching resistance to a thousand energy levels.

Besides the Adaptation Physique, his research required magic stones, as did enhancing his magical equipment with a staff head. Furthermore, once he returned, his free residency period in the Tower of Truth would end, requiring more stones to stay on a residential floor.

He hadn't even considered the start-up funds for his wizard's guild, Ulysses' body reconstruction, or soul healing.

Thinking about the massive expenditure made Richard's scalp tingle.

"Alright," Ellie shrugged. "I'll join you. I'll take twenty thousand of the reward."

"Huh?" Richard was taken aback. "You don't need the stones?"

Ellie made a face at him. "Someone's willing to risk their neck for stones, right? Besides, my abilities aren't suited for these underground lairs. Taking twenty thousand is already a stretch for me. Another wizard might only offer ten."

"Then... how about I take ten?" Richard blurted out.

Ellie paused, then angrily waved her staff. "No way! Not a stone less than twenty thousand!"

...

Lawrence had left numerous magical markers while scouting. These markers were highly visible to wizards. Following them, Richard quickly reached the cavern Ulysses had mentioned.

It was a medium-sized settlement. From the remnants of structures, it seemed lively once but now lay deserted.

Richard didn't rush into the cavern. He knew Lawrence was cautious and highly skilled among first-circle wizards. His capture likely involved a trap.

"Scout ahead," Richard ordered Ulysses.

"Caw, my life is rough. Stuck with you, my injuries barely healed, always sent into danger."

Despite the grumbling, Ulysses spread his wings and entered the cavern.

The cavern was silent, illuminated by the faint blue glow of large fungi.

After ensuring no traps or alarms remained, Ulysses signaled Richard and Ellie to enter. The evidence of a struggle suggested Lawrence had been quickly sealed by a priest insect using starlight.

"Could it not be a trap?" Richard pondered.

Before the war, the insect nations hadn't anticipated defeat, leaving many treasures in the upper hives. The advancing wizard front and the hive's complexity meant an incomplete sweep, with many items likely still in ground-level hives.

With the insects defeated, their remnants retreated into the underground hives. Combining this with the current scenario, Richard formed a bold hypothesis.

The insects might be scavenging for supplies in the upper hives, and Lawrence had the misfortune to encounter them.

Richard shared his theory with Ellie, who agreed it seemed plausible.

"We might score a big haul," Ellie said, eyes gleaming with excitement.

Using the shadow bat, Richard handed it to Ellie for a divination to locate Lawrence's approximate position.

As a dual-school wizard, Ellie wasn't limited to throwing fireballs; she excelled in curses and divination.

Ellie set up an altar, drawing a circle with blood, placing a two-striped curse insect inside, and using a bone as a pointer.

Then she placed the shadow bat on the altar, chanting ancient incantations.

Infused with magic, the ordinary stone altar began to glow with black runes, exuding an ancient, eerie aura.

"Caw, kid, that woman of yours is impressive. I've seen a god with similar skills back in my realm—a deity even the main gods respected. That race is highly esteemed by us," Ulysses communicated mentally.

"This is a curse spell, one of the five major schools," Richard explained.

"Caw! Do you have a god-king who mastered this art? Anyone waging a war against your civilization is doomed," Ulysses exclaimed.

Richard said nothing more. According to wizard rumors, a Truth Wizard in the curse school hadn't appeared in ages.

Some even speculated that the wizard had died.

As Ellie's spell neared completion, the bone pointer on the altar began to tremble, finally settling in a direction.

"Done." Ellie picked up the pointer. "This will guide us to Lawrence's approximate location for the next three hours!"

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