Wizard: I can refine all things.

Chapter 1 Mental Strength Test

The Black Forest Ridge is exceptionally cold in winter. The wind and snow blowing from the Northern Barbarian Mountains are like a bucket of white paint, adorning the filthy Black Forest Ridge with a pure white hue.

In a dilapidated wooden hut on the outskirts of Hessian territory, Richard wrapped himself tightly in a thin shirt and huddled in the hay to minimize heat loss.

"Hiss... It's so cold. Seriously... As a transmigrator, I'm really living a shameful life."

A month ago, Richard was born into this world due to a traffic accident, becoming the son of old Richard, a farmer under the rule of Baron Hesse.

Old Richard was a drunkard. Under his alcoholic father's care, Richard suffered nothing but hunger and beatings every day.

Even more tragically, due to long-term malnutrition, Richard's frail body was unable to even put up a fight.

Fortunately, that drunkard is now dead.

The bad news was that the alcoholic had exchanged all the family's valuables for cheap liquor, and Richard had eaten the last grain of food in the house the day before.

Cold, hungry, and wounded by a drunkard who froze to death in the snow three days earlier, Richard huddled in a haystack, feeling like he was about to ascend to heaven at any moment.

"I can't sleep, I absolutely can't sleep! You're a transmigrator with a cheat system, how can you collapse in a place like this!" Richard forced his eyes open, constantly encouraging himself.

Yes, Richard, who traveled through time, wasn't actually without any special abilities.

When he transmigrated into Richard's body, he discovered that there was a furnace deep within his soul.

But Richard never knew what this furnace could do.

But whatever its purpose, it gave Richard a glimmer of hope at that moment.

For someone about to drown, even a straw can be a lifeline.

Boom boom boom!

In a daze, Richard thought he heard a knock on the door.

Who would visit someone in such cold weather?

boom!

Seeing no response, the person outside kicked the door open.

"Old Richard, are you still alive?!"

Richard suddenly regained his senses and struggled to his feet from the hay.

He recognized the voice; the person who entered was the territory's affairs officer, Mr. Ellison, the chief steward of the Hessian territory.

"Officer, my father froze to death a couple of days ago, but I'm still alive. Please leave anything to me."

The territory's affairs officer is a big shot; he would never come to a farmer's house in person without a reason.

This is an opportunity!

"Oh, you're Richard, right?"

Mr. Ellison frowned as he looked Richard over, then pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and covered his nose.

But it's not his fault, because Richard looks really bad right now.

Her long, unkempt hair hung in clumps on her head, her face was filthy, her clothes were covered in dirt, and her wounds had turned black and rotted due to lack of care.

Compared to Richard, the homeless men were all handsome, dashing, clean, and tidy.

"I am Richard, Officer." Richard forced himself to give a half bow.

Rumor has it that Mr. Ellison was a man who valued etiquette highly, and he would tirelessly insist that even the most foolish country farmer follow proper manners.

Richard now hopes the rumor is true.

A hint of surprise flashed in the clerk's eyes as he looked at Richard bowing.

Having dealt with the untouchables for years, he was used to their rudeness. Although he often corrected their manners, he had actually become numb to the problem.

The minds of the common people are naturally unable to remember aristocratic etiquette.

But the fact that the child in front of him could still bow even when he was about to freeze to death undoubtedly touched him.

Even in death, a nobleman must not lose his manners, and he saw a trace of that noble spirit in Richard.

"Good boy, it's good that you're alive. Come with me, and you'll do whatever I tell you to do later," Mr. Ellison said gently.

"Yes, sir."

Stepping out of the wooden house, thick clouds covered the entire sky, like a curtain blocking the poor's cheapest source of heat—the sun.

A gust of cold wind blew by, and Richard shivered from the cold.

Richard was only wearing a thin shirt, and in the cold wind, his clothes were practically useless.

"Damn it, guard! Take your clothes off! Now!"

Seeing Richard's appearance, Mr. Ellison frowned and turned to order the soldiers following him to take off their cotton-padded coats.

The soldier who was given the order froze. In such cold weather, he was being asked to take off his clothes for a smelly, lowly commoner. This was simply absurd.

"Sir, it's alright if one is missing. The territory is so big, and that wizard has who knows how many children he has," the soldier who was given the order muttered.

"Shut up! Don't try to fathom the wisdom of a wizard with your petty cleverness!"

Upon hearing the soldier mention wizards, Mr. Ellison's expression changed drastically, and he immediately reprimanded the soldier sternly.

"If I ever hear you say such a thing again, you can expect to be hanged! Now take off your clothes and put them on this child!"

But what was said unintentionally was taken seriously by the listener.

Richard, who was standing to the side, was startled when he heard the word "wizard".

wizard!

There is magic in this world!

Richard had inquired about the extraordinary when he came to this world, but unfortunately, the Black Forest Territory was remote and his status was low. After asking around, he found nothing but local legends.

But now it seems that extraordinary powers exist in this world.

The cotton-padded coat, still warm from the soldier's body, made Richard feel much more comfortable.

The soldier's loose tongue completely ruined the good mood the officer had gotten from Richard, and he spoke loudly to Richard with a sullen face.

"Get dressed and get moving! The wizard is getting impatient, and we're all going to die!"

Richard boarded the carriage with the steward and soon arrived at the baron’s castle in the center of the territory.

The castle hall was dimly lit, with torches on the walls and a fireplace in the center providing illumination.

In the center of the hall, hundreds of children, regardless of wealth, gathered together, quietly waiting for the wizard in the depths of the hall to speak.

"My Lord Wizard, my Lord Baron, all the children in the territory aged twelve to fifteen are here."

The clerk reported to the depths of the hall, where a figure dressed in a black robe and wearing a tricorn hat slowly rose to his feet.

"Heh heh heh! You Black Forest territory has rather few children, Delis."

Beside him, Richard saw the obese Baron of Blacksin with a fawning expression, constantly wiping the sweat from his forehead.

"Yes, sir, the harvest has been poor these past two years, and many commoners have indeed starved to death."

"That won't do." The black-robed wizard patted Baron Blackwood, making the baron tremble in fright.

"The academy needs children of the appropriate age to enroll. If I can't gather enough children, the academy will punish me."

"But I don't want to be punished."

"So if I come to Hessen Territory again, you'll still have so few children prepared..."

You can just wait to turn into a maggot and eat shit in the toilet for the rest of your life!

The wizard's tone grew increasingly forceful, until finally, his words, almost like a beast's roar, silenced the entire hall.

"Very good." The black-robed wizard turned to look at the children in the hall. "The hall has quieted down now."

"Now, line up one by one and come to me one by one for the test."

Don't make me say that a second time.

Upon hearing the wizard's words, the children in the hall immediately formed a long line.

They might not know how powerful wizards are, but after seeing Baron Blackwood's pale face without any makeup, any child would know what to do next.

Richard was in the middle of the group of children, a position that happened to be at the corner of the line, giving him a perfect view of the black-robed wizard deep in the hall.

Richard saw the wizard pull a crystal ball from beneath his black robes and then beckon the child to place his hand on it. The crystal ball then glowed slightly, and the wizard announced the test results.

"Mental strength nine points, unqualified, next."

"Mental strength 8 points, unqualified."

"Seven points in mental strength, unqualified."

"Ten points in mental strength, just barely passing. You stand behind me."

"Mental strength nine points, unqualified."

……

The test proceeded quickly, and soon it was Richard's turn.

"Unsatisfactory, next one."

The child in front of Richard moved aside, and Richard nervously walked up to the wizard.

As he got closer, Richard finally saw the face that had been hidden by the shadow of the tricorn hat.

Surprisingly, the wizard's appearance was not frightening. He had gray hair, a wrinkled face, and a monocle clipped to his deep-set eyes.

Overall, the face even appears somewhat kind.

But for some reason, Richard's body trembled involuntarily when he stood in front of him.

It felt like prey encountering its predator!

"Place your hand on the crystal ball."

"Yes, Your Excellency Wizard."

Richard nervously placed his hand on the crystal ball and silently awaited his fate.

Whether they freeze to death in their dilapidated house or follow the wizard, it all comes down to this.

Light gradually shone from the crystal ball, and something like an electric current flowed from the crystal ball up Richard's arm and into his body.

This force circulated through Richard's body and eventually entered Richard's brain.

At the same time, the furnace deep within Richard's soul also seemed to be awakened by power.

A message was transmitted from the furnace.

The Forge of Miracles is now open.

At the same moment, the black-robed wizard also announced Richard's test results.

"Fifteen points in mental strength, qualified!"

(End of this chapter)