Wizard: I Can Refine Everything

Chapter 146: Chapter 46: Pioneer Relics

Facing the War God-like Inhardt, Richard had no choice but to sink further down.

The deeper into the Source Sea Abyss one went, the stronger the frenzied Life Energy became, and the more ancient creatures there were.

Now, both Ulysses and Richard found themselves without a way to handle this insect, their only hope being the harsh environment of the Source Sea Abyss.

With the descent in altitude, Life Hot Wind constantly battered against Richard’s Magic Shield, creating ripples after ripples.

Richard’s complexion was ashen, and sweat continuously beaded on his forehead as a steady stream of Magic Power was injected into the Magic Barrier.

At this moment, Richard had descended nearly two hundred meters, where the Life Energy had become incredibly dense. A Level 1 Creature falling in would not last thirty minutes before turning into a pile of endlessly multiplying roasted meat.

However, the pursuit from Inhardt was not having an easy time either.

The violent life surged against its Faith Armor, causing its Holy Light to dim.

This armor did not consume his Energy but rather the Power of Faith; if the Power of Faith was exhausted, then Inhardt, being a second-level creature, wouldn’t fare much better than Richard.

The Magic Barrier, a product of Wizard ingenuity, proved much stronger than the Energy Barriers constructed by the natives.

“Wizard Monster, do you really wish to become disordered flesh?” Inhardt shouted at Richard, hoping to end what he saw as a mutually destructive game.

But Richard’s thoughts were clearly different…

Feigning a look of manic enthusiasm, Richard replied, “Insect, you are Divine Chosen, a Big Shot, and I, a One Ring Wizard, find it an immense honor to be able to drag someone of your stature to death with me. The Wizard World will remember my deeds, and our world will better because of me!”

Zeal made for the best disguise.

Although Richard was also reluctant to continue descending, as the weaker party, he had to increase the stakes of his bet.

And life was clearly a good bet.

He was gambling that this Divine Chosen Insect with a bright future was not willing to accompany a One Ring Black Wizard to their death in the Source Sea Abyss.

And things unfolded just as Richard had hoped.

Inhardt was both angered and annoyed by Richard’s taunts.

“You madman!”

But what could he do?

Feeling the Power of Faith draining from the Faith Armor, Inhardt ultimately chose to give up.

He, a Two Stars Divine Chosen Insect and future High Priest of the Insect Country, could not justify a life-for-life trade with a One-star strength Black Wizard.

Watching Inhardt depart, a smile crept onto Richard’s pallid face.

He had won the bet.

The rest was just waiting for the insects to leave.

“Ulysses, wake up! The insect is gone!”

Richard patted Ulysses on the shoulder and pulled out a Magic Stone from his pocket.

With Flesh Control, Richard’s stomach split open, revealing intestines and a stomach that, instead of food, were filled with Magic Stones.

This was Richard’s reserve of Magic Power, which allowed him to survive for so long in the Source Sea Abyss, thanks to these stones.

“Gaah, finally gone,” Ulysses opened his eyes, his tone tinged with relief.

“Gaah, that old insect actually sent a Divine Chosen to chase after someone insignificant like you. He’s really lost his mind, serves him right to be invaded by you. With such brains, even if you didn’t come, he’d have been finished by his own stupidity.”

Inhardt had scared him quite a bit; had the old insect seen him, both he and Richard would have been done for.

“Alright, enough, you let us down at the critical moment.”

Richard glanced at him. If it hadn’t been for the Source Sea Abyss serving as a refuge, relying solely on Ulysses’s combat abilities, he’d already be a gonner.

“Gaah, it was a special situation…” Ulysses began to defend himself loudly but was cut off as his head suddenly turned one hundred eighty degrees, looking towards one side of the Source Sea Abyss.

“Gaah, Richard, do you feel it?”

Richard looked in the direction he was focusing on, his expression blank.

“Feel what?”

“Gaah, forget it, you’re just a legendary noob, you can’t sense such weak spatial fluctuations.”

Richard: “…”

Ulysses flapped his wings, flying ahead of Richard.

“Gaah, follow me, there’s a hidden space over here.”

…

The Source Sea Abyss sky also teemed with flying creatures, a group of flying insects, each the size of Richard’s head, buzzed past him, quickly dodging to avoid him at the feel of Ulysses’s intimidation.

These insects had exoskeletons that were incredibly tough, and mouthparts so hard they could chew stones like cotton. Within the Abyss, they were considered dominating, and even third-level creatures would have to think twice before confronting them.

But under Ulysses´s pressure, the swarm scattered. Richard seized the opportunity to capture one, intending to turn it into a specimen.

A Wizard would not pass on any chance to increase his knowledge.

Following Ulysses further on, Richard kept descending into the deeps of the Abyss, soon reaching nearly five hundred meters.

Although a mere one tenth of the Abyss’s depth, this was already Richard’s limit. Any deeper and his absorption of Magic Power would not keep up with the consumption by the Life Hot Wind.

“Gaah, found it.”

Ulysses suddenly flew to a cliff face and shouted at Richard.

“Are we there? There’s nothing here.”

“Gaah, it seems there isn’t anything now…” Ulysses scratched the air with his claw, and a space rift instantly appeared.

“But now there is.”

Richard was somewhat startled by this move; he hadn’t expected Ulysses to be capable of such a feat while injured.

Indeed, even an injured World Master should not be underestimated.

Ulysses took the lead to scout through the rift. Soon after, he flew back out, his words carrying a hint of excitement:

“Gaah, Richard! You’re about to strike it rich!”

“What’s the situation?” Richard entered the rift with a mix of surprise and delight, and the object that appeared before him made him gasp in astonishment.

“This is… Pioneer Relics?”

…

Beyond the rift, a small space resembling a laboratory appeared before Richard.

The room was small and irregularly shaped, much like a child’s scribbles, with walls and ceiling made of dark crystals.

There wasn’t much inside, just a damaged crystal platform covered with cracks, looking like it could shatter at any moment. At the very back of the room was a broken crystal storage that emitted a rich fragrance, involuntarily drawing Richard closer.

After the excitement, Richard frowned as he looked around the room.

The issue was that the room was far too small for a laboratory and too irregular.

Moreover, he could visibly see the laboratory walls trembling constantly, with space quakes appearing like ripples on water…

“Gaah, stop looking and start grabbing things,” Ulysses urged. “This space is about to be destroyed. If you don’t grab things now, they’ll be gone.”

“Destroyed?” Richard was shocked.

“Gaah, didn’t you see how unstable this space structure is? This space has already collapsed several times before, and I reckon it’s all going to collapse very soon. But if it weren’t about to collapse, I guess I wouldn’t have found this place.”

Without further ado, Richard immediately sprang into action.

First was the incubation pod at the end of the room.

The lid of the crystal pod had cracked due to the spatial collapse, and the liquid inside had become murky.

Touching it with his hand, the Miracle Furnace immediately responded.

[Material: Unknown liquid]

[Refinable substance: Soul Essence]

[Refining cost: Thirty spiritual power]

[Refinable substance: Life Essence]

[Refining cost: 2000 magic power]

Reading the information provided by the furnace, Richard’s pupils quaked.

Life Essence was an extremely gentle life-active material that could enhance a creature’s physique and heal internal injuries without side effects, including damage to the Life Core. Except for rule damage inflicted by a Great Wizard, Life Essence could heal all wounds.

And Soul Essence was even more extraordinary.

Soul Essence was one of the rare treasures that could enhance spiritual power without side effects. Besides, using Soul Essence might even awaken Soul Talent acquired later in life. Such talents were only seen in Wizard Apprentices who had the potential to become Wizards at birth!

Suppressing the ecstatic joy in his heart, Richard chose to refine without hesitation.

After the refining was completed, a somewhat ethereal liquid and a blood-red liquid with a rich fragrance appeared in his hands.

With fiery eyes, Richard temporarily stored them away and then began to search the entire room.

Source Material could be used at any time, but the Pioneer Relic might collapse at any moment.

Richard approached the cracked crystal platform, gently caressing it.

This Pioneer civilization seemed to have a fondness for crystals, crafting everything from them.

After a complete sweep with his hand, Richard failed to get what he wanted—the Miracle Furnace’s notification information.

“Could it be that this object is even more destroyed than the chip I acquired back then?”

Unwilling to concede, he swung his Magic Wand and gently tapped the crystal platform.

Ding ding ding… Crack!

As though it had received its final blow, the densely cracked platform suddenly spread its fissures, and in an instant, it turned into shattered crystals.

Now Richard was dumbfounded.

“These Pioneer creations seem to be not very durable.”

Ulysses landed on his shoulder, “Gaah, this thing was probably about to break long ago. Hurry up and tidy up; this space is about to collapse.”

As if to prove Ulysses’s point, as soon as his words ended, the spot holding the crystal storage collapsed, a space of three square meters crumbled along with the crystal storage, vanishing in an instant, and even the walls began to exhibit dark space rifts.

The walls of this space probably acted like a World Barrier, separating the relics from the chaotic space streams.

Now that the walls were showing space rifts, it meant that this space was about to collapse.

Without the luxury to ponder, Richard used his magic power to sweep up the crystal fragments from the ground, shoving them into his Magic Pocket. These materials, used by the Pioneer civilization, must have some use, even without any residual information.

The next moment, the space collapsed, and the small chamber shattered into pieces. Ulysses suddenly increased in size, grasping Richard with his two claws, and in the last moment before the complete collapse, they left the ruins.