Wizard Lord:I can Extract Anything

The academy seemed more lively at night than during the day. On the way to the dormitory, Richard noticed seven or eight apprentices flying about.

"Do wizard academies have classes at night too?" Richard wondered.

Arriving at the tower, he saw the thick door adorned with two knockers, and a metal lion's head above them.

Richard gently knocked on the door's knocker.

Knock, knock, knock.

"New students again?" 

The metal lion's head above them suddenly spoke.

"Ah, the statue talks," Ellie exclaimed in surprise.

The lion's head paid no attention to Ellie's reaction.

"Little ones, show me your crystal balls."

Following its command, Richard and Ellie retrieved a crystal ball from the bags the owl had given them. These crystal balls were of much higher quality than those used in the exam, flawless and clear.

Seeing the crystal balls, the lion's head emitted a red light that scanned them. After confirming their identities, the door swung open with a loud rumble.

"Apprentice Richard, Apprentice Ellie, welcome to Residential Tower No. 012."

Inside, the first floor was empty, seemingly a hall covered in a thick layer of dust, indicating it had been long unused.

Ascending the stairs, they found the second floor quite different, with a corridor dividing it into two sections.

Richard chose a sunny room, and Ellie, as agreed, took the one next door.

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Richard."

The room was spacious, about thirty square meters, with a private washroom and all necessary furniture. After cleaning and checking for pests, Richard unpacked his belongings.

He hung the greatsword on the wall and neatly arranged the synthetic beast core and magical artifacts on the table. Finally, he emptied the owl's pouch, finding aside from the crystal ball, a black robe, a set of school rules, a basic meditation manual, and ten magic stones.

Holding the robe, Richard was surprised when the Miracle Furnace trembled slightly.

"Hmm? This robe can be used as a material?"

Intrigued, Richard examined the robe, which felt like silk and subtly emanated magical energy.

Probing it with his mental power, an imprint entered his mind:

[Lucky apprentice, you have obtained an exquisite apprentice wizard robe personally crafted by Alchemy Master Jolord. This robe is inscribed with Forcefield Protection, Conceal Breath, and Purify Filth spells, equipped with a self-recharging circuit. It is the perfect choice against low-level apprentice assassinations.]

The corners of Richard's eyes twitched. This Alchemy Master Jolord seemed rather eccentric.

Yet his message provided valuable information. This robe was 'exquisite,' suggesting that 'exquisite' magical items might be the standard for the Miracle Furnace's material extraction.

Despite this hypothesis, Richard had only one example and couldn't confirm it. However, the ability to extract was undoubtedly beneficial.

[Material: Apprentice Wizard Robe]

[Extractable Skill: Spell Inscription (Incomplete)]

[Extraction Cost: 15 Mental Power]

[Extractable Information: Forcefield Protection Spell Model, Conceal Breath Spell Model, Purify Filth Spell Model]

[Extraction Cost: 5 Mental Power]

The furnace's message made Richard's heart skip a beat. He hadn't expected the robe to yield both skills and information.

"Spell Inscription skill demands fifteen mental power, while the three spell models only require five. These spells are likely zero-ring spells."

Richard hesitated, considering whether to extract them. The zero-ring spells offered little help, and extracting the skill might knock him out.

"The entrance exam isn't over yet, and there's nothing much to do for now."

After a moment of thought, Richard decided to extract the skill.

As expected, he blacked out immediately.

When he awoke, it was already midday.

"Did I faint for so long?"

Richard squinted at the glaring sunlight through the window, slowly getting up.

The Miracle Furnace emitted a jumping white light, which Richard absorbed. Instantly, he felt like a wizard, manipulating magic like threads, inscribing spells on a robe with unknown materials.

"Wow!"

Snapping back to reality, Richard stared at his hands.

Magic flickered with a bluish hue at his fingertips, then spun into a thread extending outward, forming words in the air.

[Is this the skill of a wizard?]

Richard retracted the magic, feeling as if he'd opened the door to a new world. He never imagined magic could be wielded like a limb.

"Amazing, and this is just an incomplete skill. How powerful would a complete one be?"

In that moment, Richard grasped the terrifying potential of wizards. This was merely part of one skill among many. What kind of genius was a wizard with all these skills?

Could he become a wizard like them?

Richard dared not ponder further. After washing up, he opened the school rules.

His exam experience taught him that academy-issued books had their purposes.

Reading the rules from start to finish, Richard's expression shifted from relaxed relief to deep seriousness.

The rules weren't stringent—quite the opposite. Many aimed to prevent apprentice conflicts.

This starkly contrasted with the entrance exam.

But every gift had a hidden price.

Though the academy prevented daily conflict, every ten years, apprentices faced a deadly exam akin to the entrance test.

To survive until the graduation exam, an apprentice had to endure at least two bloody tests.

And if one reached the graduation exam, there were two choices: undergo the equally brutal graduation exam to qualify as a wizard, or graduate directly, paying thirty years of tuition to leave.

Yes, the wizard academy charged tuition.

The fees were exorbitant, requiring a senior apprentice to work for the academy for a century if they failed to become a wizard.

"Is the academy's principal a business tycoon from Myanmar?"

Richard's expression darkened, his earlier light-heartedness vanished.

The rules left him restless, as if thorns pressed into his back.

He couldn't fathom what the academy aimed to cultivate.

Killing machines?

Setting the rules aside, Richard engaged the lion's head in conversation, inquiring about academy matters.

Being part of the academy, the lion's head knew the rules well, offering Richard constructive advice.

For instance, the library was open to all apprentices, with many books available for free. The academy's overseers favored nuts and gems, and building good relations could mitigate minor offenses. Even magic stones retaining power could be traded for academy coins, though haggling was necessary...

These details seemed minor but saved Richard endless time had he discovered them alone.

"Thank you for your guidance. I'll buy some alchemical oil to polish you," Richard said, bowing slightly to the lion's head before heading to the commercial zone.

The lion's head, being metal, felt discomfort despite rust-proof treatment. Some rust had appeared over the years, causing it distress.

A bit of rust-removing alchemical oil would ease its suffering.

The oil wasn't expensive; Richard traded twenty-five academy coins for a large bottle. On his way back, he also bought clothes and shoes.

After applying the oil to the lion's head, Richard returned to his room, showered, drank a nutrient potion, donned new clothes, and headed to the library.

Wizards pursued and respected knowledge, making the library the academy's sacred place.

Librarians could expel any apprentice for disrespecting knowledge, and a proper outfit minimized trouble.

Richard had many questions needing answers.