A frenzied tide of insects surged through the dense forest, leaving no vegetation untouched in their wake, transforming the earth into a toxic quagmire.
Yet the mastermind behind all this was now comfortably counting his spoils within the Secret Realm.
Beneath the canopy of the World Mushroom, the returned Fire Lizard Battle Group, with the assistance of the Holy Tree Sprites, was removing their Personal Armor.
Miraculously, the battle group had suffered no casualties this time, though five unlucky individuals had been struck by massive vines, shattering most of their bones.
Even a Wizard would find such injuries troublesome to treat. But with the help of the World Mushroom, these wounded Fire Lizards received thorough treatment—though the process was somewhat sanity-draining.
The mycelium of the World Mushroom burrowed directly into their bodies, realigning shattered and deformed bones while stitching together torn internal organs with rooted filaments.
After completing this, the World Mushroom infused them with sufficient life energy.
Before long, these severely injured Fire Lizards would return to the battlefield, stronger than before.
Aside from these five unlucky souls, the remaining Fire Lizards had also sustained minor injuries.
The original Artisan Type I Powered Armor was practically as flimsy as paper against the biological weapons of this world.
The Fire Lizard workers collected the damaged armor for repairs, reinforcement, and research into future improvements.
While the armor couldn't be perfected, addressing its common flaws was still worthwhile.
After removing their armor, the Fire Lizards tended to their wounds with the help of the Holy Tree Sprites.
The Sprites could manipulate mycelium to suture injuries, and their innate abilities accelerated the Fire Lizards' recovery.
If not for their individual weakness, Richard would have gladly deployed them directly onto the battlefield as healers.
Setting aside the Fire Lizards for now, Richard turned his attention to the greatest prize of this operation.
The moment the World Tree Sub-body entered the Secret Realm, it became nothing more than a plaything for the World Mushroom.
Under the Mushroom's control, the Sub-body was thoroughly infiltrated by mycelium, its energy cycle hijacked, reduced to a mere puppet on strings.
"World Mushroom, what will you do with this?"
Richard approached the World Tree Sub-body, his eyes burning with desire as he gazed at the towering tree brimming with life energy.
Last time, he hadn't dared to examine it closely, fearing it would only torment him since it had to be handed over to the academy.
But now, with no one to contest his claim, he scrutinized the Sub-body thoroughly.
The inspection nearly triggered his Alchemist Wizard instincts—every part of this Sub-body was a valuable Alchemy Material.
"My lord, I'm going to eat it."
The World Mushroom's reply doused Richard's enthusiasm like a bucket of cold water.
"Ah… could you at least leave me a little?" Richard said, his heart aching as he looked at the Sub-body.
"Of course."
For some reason, though the Mushroom's tone was as neutral as ever, Richard sensed suppressed amusement in its words.
"Wait a bit. I need to study this thing carefully."
As a top-tier Level 3 organism, every part of the World Tree Sub-body was a treasure.
From its leaves, bark, and vines, a neurotoxin can be extracted. This toxin can induce a state of suspended animation in living creatures, and this state even affects the soul.
Even against Soul Wizards skilled in soul manipulation or undead Wizards without physical bodies, this toxin remains effective.
Its trunk possesses extraordinary toughness, capable of resisting spell attacks up to 5,000 energy levels, blunt force damage up to 3,000 energy levels, and slashing damage up to 1,000 energy levels.
Compared to alloys of the same volume and strength, its weight is less than half.
Deep within its trunk, Richard discovered a core of heartwood.
Although this heartwood core is poor in material quality, its rich life essence and magic-conducting ability comparable to Mithril can significantly enhance the effects of any energy-related Spellcraft.
It's a natural staff blank.
At its roots, Richard found a special evolutionary substance.
This substance can promote mutation in living cells, and this mutation can be directed to some extent.
Richard is certain that these discoveries represent only a fraction of the World Tree Sub-body's potential.
With further research, he could uncover even more valuable elements from the World Tree Sub-body.
"Damn, this World Tree Sub-body is truly a treasure trove," Richard marveled as he reviewed his six months of research findings.
After putting away his research notes, he approached the workbench.
On the bench, a two-meter-long, milky-white wooden rod emitted a dense life essence.
This was one of the items Richard had preserved from the World Tree Sub-body. He planned to craft this heartwood into a staff to replace his Mithril Staff.
While the Mithril Staff was excellent, its material couldn't withstand Richard's physical attacks.
Though Mithril is good, its hardness and spell resistance fall far short of Adamantine.
Using a Mithril Staff as a melee weapon would bend it in just a few strikes.
So Richard decided to replace it. Although this heartwood core's material is poor, Richard could reinforce it with an Adamantine alloy shell.
While he could do the same to his Mithril Staff, crafting his own staff from scratch would be easier than modifying someone else's work.
Removing the original Mithril Staff's head, Richard grasped the Mithril Alloy shaft. With a thought, information appeared before his eyes:
[Material: Mithril Alloy]
[Extractable substances: Mithril]
[Extraction cost: 10,000 Magic Power]
[Extractable substances: Refined Copper Essence]
[Extraction cost: 50,000 Magic Power]
...
[Extractable substances: Dark Gold]
[Extraction cost: 20 Magic Power]
Being an alloy, the staff contained numerous substances, making the Miracle Furnace's information exceptionally complex—even displaying impurities.
Richard selected several useful substances. Channeling his Magic Power to an unknown place, the extraction completed.
The Mithril staff shaft transformed into a finger-sized piece of Mithril, a head-sized lump of Refined Copper Essence, and other chosen materials.
The remaining "impurities" were considerately processed by the Miracle Furnace.
Richard had long discovered that the Miracle Furnace consumes impurities during extraction.
During the process of material refinement, anything deemed unnecessary by Richard would be silently devoured by the Miracle Furnace.
Not a single mistake, omission, or deviation in content—check it out at 69shu!
However, this wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
The impurities left after refining many materials were notoriously troublesome to handle.
Numerous harmful substances required thorough neutralization before they could be safely buried or incinerated.
Otherwise, one could expect a visit from enforcement Wizards, who would make it abundantly clear that environmental protection was everyone's responsibility.
After refining the Mithril Staff, Richard retrieved his Adamantine armor.
Upon reaching the level of a Third Circle Wizard, the protective capabilities of this Adamantine armor had become somewhat redundant.
The dragon scales he could manifest with his Myriad Transformation Battle Body already provided eighty percent of the armor's defense—and they could regenerate on top of that.
He subjected the armor to the same refining process.
Soon, Richard held a lump of Adamantine the size of a human head.
Next, he gathered additional materials for alloy smelting, crafting a Dark Gold outer shell for the staff's body.
What followed was the intricate engraving of runes and the construction of mana-conducting circuits.
Fortunately, Richard's alchemical skills hadn't deteriorated. After six months of meticulous work, the staff—named World Tree—was finally complete.
The World Tree staff gleamed with a golden hue, its head adorned with a fist-sized Crystal Ball encased in a skull-like golden protective shell.
"Good. Now for the final step," Richard murmured.
Gripping the hefty staff, a soft glow of Holy Light enveloped his body.
The last step: a Luck Enchantment.
A radiant light took shape in Richard's hand before merging into the staff.
With this final touch complete, he excitedly grasped the staff and conjured a Fireball spell, launching it at a pre-prepared target.
Boom!
The metal target, designed to withstand elemental damage up to five thousand energy units, shuddered violently from the explosion.
Moments later, the connected Crystal Ball displayed the Fireball spell's potency:
[Power: 3,500 energy units]
"Not bad at all," Richard remarked, pleasantly surprised.
Since becoming a Third Circle Wizard, Richard had iterated on his Spell Models multiple times.
Among them, the Fireball spell's power had reached nearly two thousand energy units—almost on par with the original version of the Heart of Annihilation.
Thus, the staff's amplification added roughly fifteen hundred energy units.
Of this, thirteen hundred came from the staff itself, while the remaining three hundred were the result of the Luck Enchantment.
And this was just the spell's offensive capability. Beyond spell amplification, the staff also bore a Gravity Enchantment tailored for melee combat.
With this in mind, Richard approached another target—this one designed to test physical strikes.
Crafted from the Mycelium of a World Mushroom, this target excelled at absorbing kinetic force while simulating the resilience of flesh-and-blood creatures.
Eyeing the target, Richard gripped the staff with both hands and swung with all his might.
Thud!
The Mycelium target instantly caved inward.
The connected Crystal Ball promptly displayed the staff's striking power:
[Power: 3,500 energy units]
Richard's expression flickered with astonishment at the result.
He hadn't expected a single swing to match the destructive force of his spells.
"Heh. Let's see who dares get close to me now," Richard muttered to himself.
Suppressing his joy over the new staff, Richard tidied up his workbench before opening a Mystic Realm Rift.
Having spent half a year in the Secret Realm, it was time to leave.
In the distance, the Fire Lizard Battle Group was training with their specialized armor.
Over the past year, their armor had undergone a complete upgrade, and the Dragon Breath Guns had been fully distributed.
Even their melee weapons had been specially modified.
Now, they were brimming with energy, ready to wreak havoc on the battlefield at any moment.
Richard shouted to them, "My soldiers, it's time for war!"
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