Wizard: I Can Refine Everything-Chapter 433 - 52 Star River Plankton

Looking at the old wizard who had appeared so suddenly, Richard felt a chill run down his spine.

Before the old wizard uttered a word, he hadn’t noticed the slightest sign of his presence. Had this been on the battlefield, he would probably be dead by now.

"This Master, you..."

"You are Master Delis!"

Just as Richard was about to speak, he saw Stio exclaim with a shocked expression.

Delis?

The name, even for someone like Richard who wasn’t very well-informed, was famous.

Harvester Delis, the legendary Black Wizard of the Four Rings Tower of Truth. According to legends, this Black Wizard had participated in more than thirty Plane Wars, slain countless natives, and completed countless tasks that were deemed impossible.

The most legendary of these was holding off a World Master.

In one Plane War, Delis managed to hold a World Master at bay for a full half-hour on the battlefield.

This action directly changed the course of the war, allowing the wizards to successfully conquer that world.

But according to rumors, this legendary Black Wizard had fallen in the Great Wizard Promotion Ceremony.

Richard took a detailed look at the old wizard before him. This old wizard had the standard human appearance, with no obvious body modifications or mergers with any native Bloodlines.

In terms of appearance, the old wizard had a completely ordinary face, the kind that wouldn’t draw a second glance if seen on the street.

His build was also average, at most a bit sturdy.

As for Life Radiation and energy fluctuations... this old wizard did exceptionally well. There was almost no external energy fluctuation or Life Radiation emanating from his body.

And Richard could barely achieve this relying on the Radiation Rule.

"It is me," the old wizard replied calmly, "I know there are rumors outside that I died in the Great Wizard Promotion Ceremony.

But I did not die, I simply failed."

Promotion failure...

Upon hearing this, both Richard and Stio trembled inwardly.

Regardless of Delis’s casual manner, a common wizard’s failure in promotion often cost at least half a life’s worth.

Yet Delis managed to survive after failing to be promoted to Great Wizard. This alone warranted his title as a Legendary Wizard.

"Let’s forego the small talk, Chairman Richard, I would like to invite you to join my plan," Delis spoke up.

His voice was very calm, so calm it lacked any hint of emotion, as if it were synthesized by a machine.

"Plan?" Richard’s eyebrows raised slightly, "I’d like to hear more."

"I have discovered a hideout of a native resistance organization, but I am not powerful enough to eliminate them. So, I plan to invite some sufficiently strong wizards to join me in wiping out this native hideout."

Delis’s words were calm, but Richard picked up a certain unusual significance in them.

"Sufficiently strong? What counts as sufficiently strong?"

Delis looked at Richard with calm eyes that made Richard a bit uncomfortable.

"Your strength is sufficient, while his is not. I personally suggest you take his points, lest others benefit.

Because even if he enters the inner circle, he will immediately become points for others.

His rules... are too few."

Delis’s words were not very pleasant to hear, but Stio did not object in the least; in fact, he even nodded and said, "Indeed. My combat ability truly cannot compare with those geniuses."

"It’s not about being a genius," Delis corrected, "None of the wizards who pass the first selection are mediocre.

The difference between you and them lies in luck, resources, and the occasional burst of inspiration, not innate Talent."

Stio was momentarily startled at these words, then lowered his head and said, "Master doesn’t need to console me, I’m not so..."

"I’m not consoling you," Delis interrupted, "I am merely stating a fact.

Just like I’m advising you to give your points to your companion right now and then go to that tedious gathering."

"Are those natives very dangerous?" Richard suddenly chimed in.

"Extremely dangerous," Delis corrected, "They are the most dangerous natives I have ever encountered in my lifetime. It’s hard to imagine just how many wizards the incompetent Military Department squandered conquering this world."

Delis’s comments made Richard’s heart sink.

If his guess wasn’t wrong, these so-called "natives" were probably the remnants of another civilization’s military left in this world.

"Can you elaborate?" Richard asked softly.

Without saying much more, Delis took out a palm-sized biological specimen from his pocket and tossed it to Richard.

"This creature, which I have tentatively named ’Star River Drifter,’ is a semi-Gestalt Creature. These drifters have a Mind Link between them, yet each one possesses an independent personality.

This makes them exceptionally agile in combat. In small-scale battles, these creatures do not even require a Commander.

They can respond to local battles just with the cooperation between individuals."

As Richard listened to Delis’s description, his heart grew colder. Faced with this Race, unless wizards were significantly more powerful on the higher echelons, the fight between the two civilizations...

The Wizard Civilization did not seem to hold the advantage.

Richard took out his tools and examined the specimen a bit. The strength of this Star River Drifter specimen was roughly at the peak of Level 1 Creatures.

Their physiological characteristics are very similar to those commonly seen floating entities in the Wizard World. For instance, they have developed compound eyes, mandible-type mouthparts, three pairs of thoracic legs, and three caudal filaments.

However, there are also differences, such as the wings of the Star River floaters being covered with many tiny scales, just like a butterfly’s.

"This creature’s individual strength isn’t very high, is it?" Richard handed the specimen back to Delis, "If these creatures were individually powerful, the Military Department would hardly dare to use this world as a venue.

They would have probably destroyed it directly."

"Indeed, it’s not high," Delis’s eyes flashed with admiration, "The individual strength of these creatures almost always falls between the Second Level and First Level, with scarcely any Third Level life-forms.

Moreover, the combat effectiveness of these natives is very weak, they must move in groups to possess any fighting capability."

"Then I feel that Stio would still be able to participate," Richard replied, "Chain Lightning, a spell like that, should be very useful next.

And my friend here, he possesses the Thunder Rules."

Delis glanced at Stio and nodded slightly, "That is indeed possible, but before that, I have something to say. His strength isn’t enough, even if he follows us to exterminate the natives, his points won’t reach the top one hundred.

Moreover, if he triggers the natives’ defense mechanism, you can’t get his points either."

Richard said nonchalantly: "I’m not short on points, and I don’t have such a desire to enter the Military Department."

Although entry into the Military Department allows for the exchange of military merits for the qualifications to be promoted to Great Wizard.

The original selection for Great Wizard had not been canceled because of the emergence of new regulations.

Richard could still directly participate in the Great Wizard Trial and gain the opportunity to be promoted to Great Wizard.

Do not think that by participating in the Great Wizard Trial, the battlefields you go to are all meat grinders. If they joined the Military Department, these Three Rings Wizards couldn’t escape being thrown into such meat grinders.

Upon hearing these words, Delis looked deeply at Richard.

Richard’s condition was the same as his, with not the slightest fluctuation of energy or Life Radiation. But his ability had been honed through countless wars.

And it was clear that Richard hadn’t endured his experiences.

"Radiation Rules?"

Delis had already made a guess.

He took out a map from his pocket and handed it to Richard.

"This is a map and the location of the nest, I’m next going to find a student of a Great Wizard, so I won’t take you there."

After saying that, Delis merged into the shadows right in front of Richard. But even so, Richard still couldn’t detect Delis’s presence.

"What a terrifying old Wizard," Richard sighed somewhat.

He unfolded the map, whose content was rough, but it didn’t lack anything essential.

"It’s only a hundred kilometers away, not too far."

Saying that, Richard was about to call Stio to head towards the nest marked on the map.

But when he turned around, he saw Stio somewhat indecisively say: "Actually, I think it would be good to give you the points directly. A dangerous plan like this, I would just be a hindrance to you guys if I went."

Stio was keenly aware of his own limitations; forcibly meddling in affairs beyond his capability would surely not end well.

"Don’t talk like that," Richard said somewhat helplessly, "I already told you, your rules can be used later, why are you being so hesitant?

Let me tell you, these creatures are good stuff. We will mostly be at war with this kind of creature for many years.

Better to make contact and prepare early. Later, when you are on the battlefield, it will help you to survive."

"Fight for many years?" Stio said, puzzled, "Although these creatures are troublesome, even if those Wizards in the Military Department are incompetent, they should clean them up in fifty or sixty years.

Besides, it’s not like we have to do it ourselves..."

"Who told you that these creatures are only in this one world?" Richard said somberly.

"What do you mean by that?"

A flicker of panic passed through Stio’s heart, Richard’s words sending a shiver down his spine.

In his subconscious, he had deliberately ignored some things.

But Richard’s next words mercilessly dug up those overlooked things.

"Stio, do you think it’s possible that in the vastness of the Star Realm there exists another large world like the Wizard World?

Could the creatures of that world, like the Wizards, have stepped out of their world barrier and expanded their power throughout the Star Realm?"

Stio’s face turned ugly. The long-standing attitudes of the Wizard World had led Wizards to always regard themselves as enlightened higher beings.

Subtly, Wizards had come to think of themselves as the "Children of Destiny" among the multitude of races in the Star Realm.

But this subconscious idea had a significant flaw.

With the history of the Star Realm being so extensive, why should Wizards be the first enlightened race?

If there were a race even more "enlightened" than the Wizards, wouldn’t the Wizards also be natives?

Thinking of those creatures treated as natives by the Wizards, Stio couldn’t help but shiver.

He tried to smile, though it looked forced, "Richard, you’re joking, right? We are Wizards, those natives..."

"Stio," Richard interrupted coldly, "Maybe my judgment is flawed, and this insect isn’t from another civilization.

But you have to face a fact, the Wizard Civilization is not unique.

Within the Star Realm, there must be other civilizations competing with us for worlds.

Otherwise, why would the Lost Ones have disappeared?"