Wizard: I can refine all things.

Chapter 14 Black Tower Wizarding Academy

"Finally solved."

Richard wiped the sweat from his brow. This battle was the most dangerous he had faced since his transmigration. If it weren't for the Fireball Staff, a powerful weapon, even ten of him wouldn't have been enough to kill this madman.

After searching the forest, Richard collected Saban's armlet and greatsword.

To Richard's surprise, the armlets were actually magical artifacts, and even self-recharging ones at that. The greatsword, on the other hand, was simply made of exceptional material; it was not a magical artifact in itself.

Richard tried to refine the armlet using the Miracle Forge, but the Miracle Forge remained unresponsive.

"What is the pattern of this refining technique? Baron Blackwood's greatsword can be refined, and so can the core of a chimera, but why can't these magical items be refined?"

Richard was at a loss for a moment, so he had to put the problem aside and begin to study the function of the armlet.

Richard put on the armlets, and instantly a cool energy flowed from his arms throughout his body. Under the influence of this energy, the wounds on Richard's body began to stop bleeding and healed at a speed visible to the naked eye.

"No wonder that madman couldn't be killed by a minor fireball; he was carrying such a treasure."

Richard admired it for a moment, then suddenly felt a slight scraping on the inside of his armlet.

After removing it, he discovered that there was an extra piece of text on the inside of the armlet.

"What is this?"

Richard read it through and found that the text described a way of breathing, something that felt strangely familiar to him, as if the Baron of Hessin had done something similar back then.

"Forget it, let's leave first. We'll have plenty of time to figure things out once we're in the academy."

Richard shook his head, put the armlets back on his arms, and continued on his way.

……

On the fourth day after the exam began, some of the most capable apprentices had already started arriving at the assembly point.

Kevin Medici staggered out of the woods.

After four days of travel and fighting, this noble young master, who was neither a knight nor a formal wizard apprentice, was exhausted.

Fighting, traveling, being on guard, escaping, and finally arriving at the rendezvous point.

After completing all of this, Kevin felt a sense of liberation, as if no difficulty in the world could defeat him.

"Griffiths, we're here," Kevin called back.

Behind him, a burly, blond man carrying a greatsword walked slowly forward. He was Kevin's teammate, the key to his survival against the monsters.

This man named Griffith single-handedly slew that demon-like monster.

"Um."

Griffiths nodded.

Griffith did not reveal his identity, but based on his demeanor and formidable strength, Kevin deduced that he was probably a monk from some monastery.

Upon entering the meeting point, Kevin slumped to the ground, instantly relaxing.

The rendezvous point is a safe zone; arriving here means he is safe.

"Kevin?"

Kevin looked up at the sound and saw a thin figure carrying a greatsword and holding a staff emerge from among the apprentices.

"Richard!?"

Upon seeing who it was, Kevin was taken aback. Compared to his disheveled appearance, Richard, though his clothes were somewhat tattered, was full of energy and spirit. Compared to Kevin, Richard didn't seem like he had just gone through a life-or-death test.

"It really is you."

Richard walked over to Kevin, smiling as he helped him up.

Kevin still owes him a magic stone.

"Looks like my decision was right, and it was the right thing to win you over. It's just a pity that it was all for naught," Kevin said to Richard with a wry smile.

The alliance he painstakingly built was turned into a joke by a single sentence from the wizard.

"Isn't it enough that you're alive? Hurry up and go register with the wizard. There's a teleportation array at the rendezvous point; it activates once for every hundred people. Considering your friend, there are already about a hundred people at the rendezvous point."

As he spoke, Richard squinted at the burly man behind Kevin.

The blond, muscular man had been staring at him ever since he appeared.

"Friend, why are you staring at me?"

Griffith bowed slightly to Richard: "It seems Saban died at your hands."

"Do you know the owner of this sword?"

Richard looked up into the burly man's eyes. This burly man was at least a knight in strength, and judging from his aura, he had also created a magic cycle, making him a dual-wielding warrior.

"Let me introduce you. This is Griffith, a genius knight from another continent."

Seeing this, Kevin stepped between the two, keenly sensing that something was amiss.

“I know him. He’s always wanted to kill me in the Norton Empire.” Griffiths sighed. “He was very talented, what a pity.”

Seeing that it wasn't about seeking revenge, Richard said no more.

After Kevin and Griffith registered, the wizard issued the teleportation command.

"Prepare for teleportation. Apprentices who are dizzy from the teleportation array, close your eyes."

Three, two, one, teleport!

In an instant, the rendezvous point flashed, and the chaotic colored blocks that marked the teleportation reappeared before Richard's eyes.

When his vision returned to normal, he saw a scene that he would never forget.

"This is..." Richard murmured.

Before him stood a colossal tower that could only be described as magnificent, its height seemingly boundless, connecting heaven and earth, reaching even the abode of the gods. Countless lifelike bas-reliefs adorned this tower, as if souls were sealed within them. At its corners stood gargoyles, their claws outstretched, their expressions ferocious, as if they might come to life at any moment.

"This is the Central Black Tower. It was originally the Dean's wizard tower, which only wizards were allowed to enter. Later, when the academy was established, the Dean opened the first fifty floors as the academy's teaching area."

Richard looked toward the source of the sound and saw an owl that had been magnified twice its size.

The owl spoke in a human voice and had a large bag in its talons.

"Little ones, I am the academy's inspector and your guide. I am responsible for monitoring whether you follow the school rules." With that, the owl threw the bag on the ground, revealing a large bag filled with small bags.

"Now grab your things and follow me. I'll show you around the academy."

……

The Black Tower Wizarding Academy has a simple structure. Apart from the central Black Tower where classes are held, it is divided into three areas: the experimental area, the living area, and the commercial area.

The experimental area is the largest of the three areas, serving as a space for wizards and their apprentices to conduct dangerous experiments. The commercial area, on the other hand, is used to sell experimental materials, spellcasting supplies, and magical items. In addition to shops run by wizards within the academy, shops are also available from the external wizarding guild and among the academy's own apprentices.

The common currency in the commercial district is the Academy Coin, issued by the Academy, but magic stones are also accepted. The value of Academy Coins is tied to magic stones; one magic stone can be exchanged for one hundred Academy Coins.

Finally, there is the living quarters, which provide for the apprentices' daily needs. Clothing stores, restaurants, and even carriage shops can all be found in the living quarters. Black towers are scattered throughout the living quarters, and each wizard apprentice has their own room without having to pay rent.

Richard spent the whole day following the owl, finally managing to tour the entire academy. Just before leaving, Richard spotted Ellie among the new apprentices.

"Hey Richard! You passed!"

Ellie looked rather disheveled; much of her once beautiful blonde hair had been burned off, and she had a charred scar on her forehead. Her clothes were mostly torn, but Richard wasn't much better off.

It's perfectly normal for branches and thorns to tear your clothes when walking in the forest.

"I was lucky; I got here a little earlier than you."

Although it had only been a few days, seeing familiar faces in this unfamiliar college always brought a sense of joy.

As darkness fell, dandelion-like plants sprouted from the ground along the college road. The dandelions emitted a bright yet soft light, illuminating the path like streetlights.

"The glowing dandelion, a spoil of war from the Dean's conquest of another dimension. It is used as a street lamp for the academy on ordinary days."

Richard was walking along the road introducing the academy to Ellie. Ellie's group of students happened to arrive at dusk, and the owl thought that these students needed to rest, so he handed out the items and left on his own.

"So beautiful."

Ellie looked at the dandelions with a surprised yet dreamy expression; the scenery of the academy made her feel somewhat overwhelmed.

Is this really the academy where the entrance exam is a murder-for-hire affair? It shouldn't be filled with crosses and wreckage, with students sitting on coffins to attend classes, and teachers who are all as hideous as devils.

"But remember not to touch it. If this thing is stimulated, it will use the seed as a weapon. The power of the seed explosion is no less than that of a low-level fireball."

Richard's words shattered Ellie's illusions instantly.

Richard pointed to a tower not far away, "That's the living area. New apprentices have their own towers, so there's no need to worry about not finding a room."

The academy has a designated newcomer area as a buffer. Once a newcomer has served three years at the academy, they will move out of the newcomer area and find new accommodation.

Richard walked toward the tower when he suddenly felt someone tugging at the hem of his clothes.

"Oh, well... let's be neighbors from now on."

Ellie tugged at Richard's sleeve, her hair falling to the side and obscuring her expression.

"To be neighbors?" Richard didn't pay much attention to Ellie's reaction; the girl's thoughts were as unpredictable as summer clouds and rain.

"That works too, the academy doesn't specifically separate men and women."

"Really? That's great!"

Ellie looked up abruptly, a hint of surprise in her eyes.

"Let's go," Richard said, pointing to the tower in the distance. "That's one of the advantages of arriving at school early—no one's fighting over the rooms. It's already so late, let's find a room that looks nice and settle in first."

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(End of this chapter)