Wizard: I can refine all things.

Chapter 12 Take this fireball!

The chimera core resembles an enlarged neuron, with several thick blood vessels extending outwards from it. When the chimera is alive, massive amounts of blood are transported to all parts of its body through these blood vessels, and a continuous flow of energy is also transported to every corner of the chimera's body along with the blood.

Now, while the monster is rapidly decaying, this core continues to beat healthily.

Richard held the chimera core; its outward-extending blood vessels had been sealed, and the remaining blood had begun a tiny internal circulation within it.

Richard felt it wasn't like an organ at all, but more like a special kind of parasite.

"no."

Richard made a decision.

After fainting during the last refining process, Richard learned his lesson and decided that he would only conduct refining in a safe place from now on.

Besides, the creation of these chimera cores is of no use at this juncture, and there's no loss in keeping them for later extraction.

The dead monster turned into a pile of bones within minutes. Richard searched through the sewage and a staff wrapped in a bag caught his eye.

"It seems these are the magical items prepared by the academy."

Richard took the staff in his hand. It was about half a meter long and weighed about a pound. The staff was jet black, with a spherical crystal the size of a baby's fist embedded at the top. After Richard used his mental power to examine it, a message that seemed to have been left by the creator immediately appeared in Richard's mind.

This staff is inscribed with the Lesser Fireball spell, takes three minutes to charge, does not have a self-charging loop, and consumes one-third of a standard magic stone per use.

Richard, who had noticed the message, was amazed. He had never seen such a way of transmitting information before and found it quite wonderful.

"Lesser Fireball, costs a third of a magic stone each time, and has a recharge time." Richard waved his wand twice. "Compared to the Cone of Cold ring, its cost-effectiveness is a bit low in this exam."

Lesser Fireball should be more powerful than Ice Spike, but the enemies he faces now, apart from magical beasts, are almost all high-attack and low-defense. Ice Spike, a spell with almost no charging time and low cost, is perfectly suited to the current environment.

The Lesser Fireball spell is like using a cannon to kill a mosquito.

"But something is better than nothing. Who knows, we might encounter monsters in the future."

Richard shook his head, feeling that he had been too greedy.

After carefully storing the chimera core, Richard cast a silencing spell on himself. Although it was the middle of the night, the commotion caused by the monster was considerable, and there was no guarantee that someone wouldn't try to take advantage of the situation.

It's always better to be safe than sorry.

Shortly after Richard left, several apprentices hoping to scavenge the monster's remains arrived at the site.

"We're too late; someone beat us to it."

"What should we do then, even if it's a wasted trip?"

The apprentices exchanged glances, then turned to look at the bald apprentice in the lead.

The bald apprentice was about to make a decision when he suddenly saw a tall figure leap out of the forest.

The man was at least two meters tall, with a burly body clad in chainmail. He had seven or eight bags strapped to his waist, a two-handed greatsword in one hand, and a dying wizard apprentice in the other.

"You don't need to think about what to do, because you're all going to die here."

……

The next day, the sun rose as usual.

Richard rose from a pile of withered leaves. After meditating, his mental state was no different from if he had slept all night. But good mental state didn't mean good physical health. After a day of traveling and a midnight chase, Richard's whole body ached.

But we still have to keep going.

Dragging his aching body, Richard set off again. The monster rampage of the previous night had its benefits; besides the magical items he carried, the monsters had also trampled some paths through the forest.

This saved Richard a lot of trouble.

With the aid of the Lightness Technique, Richard easily completed half of the journey on the second day.

As they got closer to the meeting point, the density of apprentices increased.

These apprentices carried at least two or three bags. After meeting each other, except for a few who were mentally unstable, the vast majority of them would show off their crystal balls and then turn away.

Few of those who survive halfway through the journey are good people; they all have blood on their hands. When the risks and rewards are disproportionate, few people will risk their lives.

At night, Richard, as usual, hid among the dead leaves to meditate.

Although most people who reach this level have met the requirements for the exam, one can never be too careful. Richard always felt like someone was following him when he was traveling during the day. This feeling made him feel uneasy and even made it difficult for him to enter a meditative state.

A few dozen meters away from Richard, a tall figure with more than a dozen bags tied around his waist was squatting in a tree, silently watching the spot where Richard was hiding.

"I followed him all day, and all he did was keep moving, avoiding people whenever he could. How could such a coward kill that monster?"

He had assumed that an apprentice capable of killing a magical beast must be a knight, a formidable opponent, but after a day of following him, he realized this person was no different from any other fool.

Could it be that he's hiding his true abilities?

……

Richard, who was meditating, suddenly felt a chill in his heart. A piercing sound made him instinctively duck to avoid it.

With a loud "bang," Richard saw a wooden gun, as thick as an arm, appear beside him.

This wooden gun was estimated to be over a meter long, with one end sharpened. After it was inserted into the tree trunk, its tail was still trembling.

Someone is attacking, and it's a skilled fighter.

Richard's heart sank, and he immediately gripped the fireball staff he had acquired the day before.

To be able to do something like this with wood, the person must either possess extremely powerful magical tools or be a genius knight.

Richard hoped it was the former, because the latter was more likely to possess both magical artifacts and the strength of a knight.

"You dodged it; looks like you've got some skill."

A voice came from not far away. Richard turned around and saw a tall figure carrying a two-handed greatsword and a dozen bags tied to his waist walk out of the forest.

"A dozen or so bags, looks like we've run into a madman."

Richard unconsciously tightened his grip on his wand. In this test where he only needed to kill one person to pass, he killed more than a dozen apprentices and hung their bags on his waist as trophies.

This person is clearly a madman, and a very powerful one at that.

"Let me introduce myself. I am Saban Chavez of the Norton Empire," the tall figure called out. "May I ask how I should address you?"

Richard used the moonlight filtering through the woods to get a clear look at the man's face. He had red hair, triangular eyes, a high nose, and a scar that ran from the bridge of his nose to the corner of his eye.

He carried the greatsword on his shoulder, and although his chainmail was badly damaged, he had no injuries.

"This is a skilled fighter, most likely a knight," Richard concluded.

Aren't you going to answer?

After waiting for a while and seeing Richard reveal his identity, Saban shrugged helplessly, and the next second he charged at Richard with his greatsword.

"Anyone who doesn't even give their name should just die."

Richard stared coldly at Saban, a crimson light flashing in his staff.

"Idiot, take this fireball."

Please read on! _(:зゝ∠)_

(End of this chapter)