Wizard Lord:I can Extract Anything

Upon returning to his body, Richard immediately stretched and moved around.

As a second-circle wizard, his physique had naturally reached 100 points through the feedback effect, unlike those who forcefully increased from 50 to 100. Richard's body, honed during his first-circle days, had already reached the limit of a first-tier creature, making the feedback seamless.

Wizards who hadn't trained their bodies had to endure a long period of adaptation to complete the feedback process.

Power always comes at a cost. In the wizard phase, the feedback effect seemed slow due to the vast difference between wizard levels.

If a wizard ascended to the second circle with a physique of 50, they'd need about 500 years for the feedback to complete. During this period, the wizard had to carefully control their actions, lest their body suffer from the overwhelming mental power, risking damage or destruction.

In such cases, a custom second-circle body would be required, costing enough to consume the entire profit from a planar war.

Feeling the surging power within, Richard threw a punch.

Boom! The air echoed with a dull thud, and a gust pierced through a giant mushroom nearby, scattering tree spirits in panic.

"What strength! Even a casual punch can reach 400 energy units. With spell enhancement, my fists alone could deliver nearly a thousand."

He then assessed the changes in his mental power.

As a second-circle wizard, Richard's mental power was further purified, extending his reach to 200 meters. Approximately two meters per point of mental power.

His magic capacity had also doubled since before his ascension.

"Being a second-circle wizard is something else," Richard mused.

Ulysses perched on his shoulder, "Caw, feels good to dual-train, right?"

Richard nodded, asking casually, "By the way, I never asked about your usual training. Does the divine civilization mostly focus on spiritual evolution or physical evolution?"

"Caw, neither. We generally dual-train. In fact, most world creatures dual-train, though their methods make it seem slow."

"Hmm?" Richard was surprised. "So wizards are the odd ones out?"

"Caw, do you think any race can casually link to the Sea of Souls during the mortal phase?" Ulysses replied. "Your race may start weak, but your soul-linking talent compensates.

Other races are biased towards body or spirit, while wizards are spirit-biased.

The astral realm is vast and full of wonders."

After adjusting to his body, Richard wrote a report in the secret realm, detailing his experiences in the Nightmare World.

He hadn't forgotten how he entered the Nightmare World.

In his report, Richard attributed his return to encountering a Dream Gate, omitting his ascension in the Nightmare World.

With the report done, Richard left the secret realm and returned to the task hall.

After fifty years, the Hive World had transformed, with numerous strange buildings now housing wizards, likely laboratories.

Around the Mother Insect God's seal, a circle of constructions housed wizards studying the grand wizard's seal.

Besides buildings, the floating city used for planar wars had returned to the wizarding world, leaving a vast mark and a structure enclosing the portal.

"Seems my report isn't needed anymore." Richard noted the task hall's absence with a wry smile.

At the portal, a white-robed wizard stopped Richard, holding a crystal ball.

"...Are you Master Richard?" the wizard asked uncertainly, comparing Richard to the image.

Richard nodded, prompting the wizard to excitedly present a scroll for Richard's magical imprint.

"Master, you've been missing for fifty years. Master Jolord and your lover Ellie asked me to wait here, believing you weren't dead."

Richard felt a warmth in his heart, leaving his imprint on the scroll.

After paying the portal fee, Richard returned to the wizarding world.

...

The Hive World's portal was located in the Black Tower Wizard Academy's underground level, a place Richard knew of but had never visited.

The underground hall housed four portals, with the remaining three likely leading to worlds previously explored by the Black Tower's grand wizard.

A teleportation array led Richard to the Black Tower's 51st floor.

"Central Black Tower... how nostalgic."

Richard ascended to the 99th floor, finding Jolord absent from the lab, replaced by a young apprentice tinkering with something.

"A new student for the teacher?"

Richard silently entered, unnoticed by the apprentice engrossed in magical equipment.

Observing the apprentice's work, Richard stroked his chin, offering advice:

"Your third rune on the left is too far off. If you don't want a defective piece, shift the fifth rune on the right thirty degrees left and move it three millimeters."

"Ah?!"

Startled, the apprentice looked at Richard, instinctively ready to perform a wizard's salute upon seeing his robes.

Richard stopped her with magic, pointing at her project:

"Forget the formalities, focus on your task."

"Yes!"

Taking Richard's advice, the apprentice adjusted the runes, completing the final one with a faint magical pulse from the disk.

"It worked!" she exclaimed, then set the disk down to salute Richard, "Greetings, Master. I'm Apprentice Yelena, Master Jolord's student."

Richard nodded, curiously appraising Yelena.

"Just became a junior wizard apprentice? Impressive talent."

Richard had needed the Miracle Furnace to join Jolord as an apprentice, while Yelena had done so without such aids, indicating her considerable talent.

"Thank you, Master," Yelena replied, bowing.

"Richard!"

A familiar voice called from behind. Richard turned to see his mentor Jolord at the door, looking at him with delight.

"Where have you been all these years? You look..." Jolord scrutinized Richard, growing puzzled.

Why couldn't he see through his student?

"Looking great, right?" Richard smiled.

"Indeed, seems you've gained much during your fifty years away."

Jolord approached, introducing Yelena to Richard:

"Yelena, this is your senior, Richard."

Yelena gazed at Richard, mouth agape, then bowed excitedly:

"Greetings, Senior."

Richard smiled at Jolord, "Looks like you've got another promising student."

Jolord stroked his beard, grinning:

"Yelena's talent rivals yours back then."

After some small talk, Richard parted from Jolord and sought out Vice-Principal Ellex.

"Oh? Richard!" Ellex exclaimed, surprised. "Where have you been these fifty years? We couldn't find a trace of you in the Hive World."

Richard chuckled awkwardly, "An accident sent my body into a secret realm."

Understanding dawned on Ellex, "No wonder we couldn't find you. Are you here to submit your spoils?"

With Richard's return, his war earnings needed reporting, even as Jolord's student.

Richard nodded, handing Ellex a magic pouch filled with crystals.

He'd gained much from the war, but the academy was unaware of his most valuable finds. Richard converted his Hive World spoils into magic stones, offering half to the academy.

Handing over a thousand crystals, Richard felt a pang of loss.

Half his earnings were gone, with no academy reward.

Ellex accepted the pouch with a smile, then asked warmly:

"Richard, having participated in a planar war, your academy contract is fulfilled.

What are your plans now?"

Richard understood Ellex's intent—the Black Tower Wizard Academy wanted to renew his contract.

He'd pondered this en route, considering his future.

Should he become a free wizard or remain contracted, becoming academy staff?

Richard lacked an answer, but Jolord had offered advice during their chat.

"Since the academy won't launch expeditions soon, signing a short-term contract isn't a loss."

After a moment's thought, Richard told Ellex, "Vice-Principal, I'd like a five-hundred-year contract with the academy."

"Five hundred years? That old bastard Jolord is always milking the academy."

Ellex grumbled, guessing Jolord's influence behind Richard's decision.

"Fine, five hundred years."

Sighing, Ellex retrieved a contract from his drawer.

The contract's terms were simple: Richard would participate in the academy's expeditions and wars for the next five hundred years.

Given the Black Tower's current state, expeditions were unlikely. As for academy wars...

These were proxy battles between grand wizards, as their power prohibited internal conflicts within the wizarding world. They settled grudges in the astral realm or through academy wars, destroying the rival's base.

However, considering the Black Tower's rapport, Richard was unlikely to face such conflicts.

Signing the contract, Richard then met Kevin's successor.

Kevin's grandson now managed the potion shop, one of the oldest in the commercial district, having expanded into other ventures.

Seeing the transformed youth, Richard paused, feeling a poignant nostalgia.

"You're Topher, right?" Richard recalled the young man's name, once a tiny child, now an elder.

"Yes, Master," Topher replied respectfully.

"Alright, let's sign the contract."