Wizard: I Can Refine Everything-Chapter 485 - 30: Mayfly Essence

The process of breaking out was arduous, but on the whole, things went relatively smoothly. At the cost of nearly ten thousand Wizards, those who broke out from Fortress 194 successfully entered Fortress 9.

Fortress 9 had not been besieged by the Mayflies thanks to the presence of the Death God nicknamed "Pig’s Head," and when Richard’s legion arrived, the Wizards at the fortress were reinforcing and repairing it.

After the Galaxy Mayflies launched their major offensive, they began to field elite troops equipped with siege machines.

The siege devices of the Galaxy Mayflies might not have been as exquisite as those of Wizards, but they were still quite effective against fortifications.

Moreover, the Galaxy Mayflies’ offensives were relentless, giving the Wizards no chance to catch their breath. Even if these siege devices were feeble, given time, they could erode the strongest defenses.

Upon entering the fortress, Richard had intended to discuss the situation with the Commander Sorin. But after asking around, he learned that Sorin had been grievously injured in a major offensive a few days prior and had since been sent back for treatment.

"This is truly unfortunate," said Richard with a sad expression, "these spiritual attacks of the Galaxy Mayflies are impossible to fend off completely. Many Wizards on our side have been reduced to idiots by their spiritual attacks."

In front of him, Sorin’s former deputy also sighed, "Ah, the command has already reported this situation back to the rear. But spiritual protection magic equipment for a legion, even our Military Department does not have it.

We can only hope that the logistics research and development can come up with something soon."

But easier said than done. Customizing a piece of magic equipment is not an easy task. Even if they could temporarily make something similar with sheer materials, setting up the rune arrays, testing, and then marshaling resources for large-scale production...

All of that requires time.

Even at best, the Wizards on the front line would have to wait at least six months before they could use the first batch of magic equipment. But in six months’ time, who knows how many Wizards will have died on the battlefield.

"Someone must be held responsible for the situation in the Galaxy World this time!" Richard spoke with some indignation.

The whole war emitted an air of unpreparedness from start to finish, from pre-war equipment and material distribution to troop deployment and strategic choices – it all felt like an amateur performance.

God knows how many Wizards died on the battlefield due to this lack of preparation.

"Ah, what good does responsibility do?" the deputy sighed, "Dead is dead. Even blaming them won’t bring the dead back to life.

In the end, the scale of this war is too vast, and the situation is unprecedented.

Not even the Military Department has ever fought a war using a whole world as a battlefield and a civilization as logistics support.

Everyone is feeling their way across the river by groping for stones."

The Wizards on the battlefield, each one living hundreds or thousands of years. Once their anger was put aside, the underlying information naturally emerged before them.

Wizards are neither the Child of Destiny nor omniscient and omnipotent.

Even a Great Wizard, when facing a war they have never seen before, could only trial and error, then learn from experience and lessons to improve themselves.

After understanding the situation from the deputy, Richard did not return to headquarters immediately, but first entered the Secret Realm.

He claimed he needed to meditate to recover his spiritual power. But only he knew that this was just a trivial matter.

His main goal was the Heart of Mayfly that Ulysses had retrieved.

Upon entering the Secret Realm, Richard immediately saw the Heart of Mayfly, suspended in the sky, shining like the sun.

"Whoa, why is this thing so active?"

As a seasoned Alchemy Wizard, Richard could tell at a glance that the Heart of Mayfly was amazingly active.

If he had to make a comparison, the Third-level War Beast core made by his teacher would seem like a firefly next to the bright moon compared to this core.

Ulysses gave him a look, "No kidding, that thing is a core organ of a Level 5 World Master. It would be strange if its life energy wasn’t high."

Richard levitated towards the Heart of Mayfly. As he approached, the light emitted by the Heart of Mayfly suddenly intensified.

"What the hell is going on?"

Richard, supporting a Magic Barrier, hurriedly descended from the sky.

The radiance from the Heart of Mayfly contained a particularly complex Rule Power. Under the enhancement of Rule Power, what had previously seemed ordinary light became more formidable than a Ten Thousand Energy Level spell, leaving Richard covered in soot and ash.

Looking at the somewhat disheveled Richard, Ulysses burst into proud laughter.

"Cackle cackle cackle, this thing may just be an organ, but be clear, its owner was a Level 5 Creature. Such creatures, even with just a hint of flesh, can evolve into monsters known as ’Divine Fiends’."

Watching Ulysses laugh triumphantly, Richard smacked him irritably.

"Petty crow, be careful not to grow out your tail feathers!"

"If my tail feathers don’t grow out, then you’re sure to become bald!"

After the joke, Ulysses summoned a group of Holy Tree Elves. Under his manipulation, the evolving World Mushroom body was drawn forth, and a huge mycelial tendril emerged from the ground, wrapping around the Heart of Mayfly like a silky thread.

Moments later, the Heart of Mayfly, previously as lively as the sun, suddenly dimmed.

Richard approached for a closer look and saw the mycelial tendril absorbing the Life Energy and Energy from the Heart of Mayfly.

"Mycelial tendrils have this ability?"

"Of course, they do, but there was no need to use it before."

With a light touch, the Miracle Furnace immediately responded.

[Raw material: Heart of Mayfly]

[Possible refinement Rule: Mayfly Sun Rule (Second Level) (incomplete)]

[Refinement cost: 1000 Soul Power]

[Bloodline Extractable: Galaxy Mayfly King Bloodline]

[Extraction Cost: 100000000 Magic Power]

Looking at the information given by the Miracle Furnace, Richard stroked his chin and recalled the information provided by the furnace when he had previously extracted the Radiation Rule.

"Radiation Rule is First Level, according to Ulysses’s words, a World Master needs to go through rule melting to advance. Which means, the foundational rules are First Level. This Mayfly Sun Rule, since it’s merged with other rules, has become Second Level."

Richard nodded thoughtfully, then immediately took out a scalpel.

This scalpel looked extremely eerie, its metal blade covered in threads of blood, and inside the blade, there were even tiny blood vessels spreading. In the handle, a dark red gemstone was embedded, resembling a blood-red eye.

This was a Rule Magic Equipment made by Richard using the Flesh Rule—the Flesh Scalpel.

Richard infused the scalpel with Magic Power, the already eerie scalpel now seemed as if it had come to life. He even felt a slight trembling in the handle, like that of a heartbeat.

But Richard knew this was an illusion. He remained calm as he made a small incision upon the Heart of Mayfly, which immediately broke open slightly.

Although the Heart of Mayfly had the protection of Rule Power, rules still had to follow fundamental principles. At this moment, its energy and Life Energy were being drained by fungal tentacles; it was already straining to remain alive.

It had no spare strength to resist the attack of the Flesh Scalpel.

The open wound slowly dropped droplets of golden liquid, which Richard caught in a test tube, and he quickly healed the wound on the Heart of Mayfly with the Flesh Scalpel.

Even sealed within the test tube, a faint aroma leaked out, and Richard suddenly felt a hunger he hadn’t experienced in hundreds of years.

Hunger! A hunger that penetrated deep into his bones!

A thunderous rumble echoed from his stomach, his body yearning for the liquid.

Richard swallowed hard, forcibly suppressing his body’s hunger.

He had to restrain this desire.

He was a Physique Evolution Wizard, and controlling one’s physical instincts was a skill all Physique Evolution Wizards had to learn. If one could not control their physical urges, then a wizard might very well become a beast with no free will, entirely dominated by biological instincts.

Just as Spiritual Evolution required a strict adherence to emotions and humanity, Physique Evolution necessitated controlling the surging tide of life instincts.

Taking the liquid to his workbench, Richard used a bit of Magic Power to extract a sample for some simple testing.

But the results left him bewildered.

"Nothing detected?"

Richard looked at the golden liquid which, despite all sorts of tests, remained unchanged, and felt a bit of a headache.

He had thought of many possibilities, but had not anticipated this one.

"Stop testing it with those mundane methods."

Ulysses landed on Richard’s shoulder, his eyes slightly glazed over as he looked at the golden liquid. Fortunately, as a World Master, suppressing his basic desires was very simple for him.

"That Heart of Mayfly is a part of a Rule Body, its secreted liquid naturally isn’t mundane either. If you want to analyze it, you have to use something of the same Level."

"The same Level? I don’t have such things."

"That’s your problem," Ulysses said indifferently, "I personally suggest you just consume it. The difference in Level between you and it is too great, you won’t discover anything significant."

Richard looked at the golden liquid on the workbench, his stomach rumbling once again.

"So... try tasting it?"

Richard absorbed a bit of the golden liquid with Magic Power into his body, and immediately, he felt an overwhelming Life Energy.

Under the influence of this Life Energy, his Physique actually began to increase slightly!

Without hesitation, Richard immediately swallowed the remaining golden liquid.

Instantly, he felt every cell in his body rejoicing. The Life Energy from this golden liquid was even stronger than Life Essence.

In just ten minutes, Richard’s Physique grew by five points.

His eyes burning with desire, he looked up at the Heart of Mayfly in the sky; at this moment, it was no longer just research material, but a renewable gold mine.

"This time I’ve hit the jackpot," Richard muttered to himself.

...

After confirming that the golden liquid could enhance Physique, Richard did not continue consuming the liquid to improve his Physique.

He didn’t have an immediate need for Physique enhancement, and he had to consider the possibility of developing resistance.

He meditated in the Secret Realm for three hours, restoring a good portion of his spiritual power before leaving the Secret Realm, ready to follow the tunnels back to headquarters.

But as soon as Richard left the Secret Realm, he sensed an energy fluctuation that sent chills through his soul.

This vibration wasn’t the oppression of life from a World Master, but the innate fear of a natural disaster instilled within life itself.

He hurried to the top of the Fortress, only to see a beam of light spanning across the sky erupting from the Expedition Nest...

Directly hitting the location of the Teleportation Gate of the Third War Zone.

Moments later, a command transmission was received by all Three Rings Wizards in the Third War Zone via the Communication Crystal Balls.

[I am the acting Commander of the Third War Zone, by the time you hear this message, I will be dead.]