Wizard Lord:I can Extract Anything

Amidst the endless yellow sands of the ancient battlefield, Richard stared at the rippling Magic Barrier around him, lost in thought.

He realized he might have taken the wrong path.

The closer he moved toward the shadowy figure ahead, the higher the energy radiation in the air became.

After seven days of walking toward it, the ambient energy had nearly doubled in intensity.

Had he gone the opposite way, he might have already left the ancient battlefield by now.

Richard gazed into the distance. The shadow had grown clearer, and through his Eagle Eye spell, he could faintly discern the outline of a massive sphere.

It was likely the wreckage of a war machine left behind by the Precursors.

"Sigh, might as well gamble on it."

The energy radiation here reminded Richard of the black stone he had obtained from the Toad King's calculus. He suspected that within the shadow ahead, there might be many more such stones.

If true, he could potentially acquire a relatively complete rule fragment—an invaluable cornerstone for his path to becoming a Great Wizard.

A semi-complete rule could elevate an ordinary Spell to extraordinary heights.

Even a minor Fireball spell, when enhanced by a fire-elemental rule, could rival the destructive power of a falling sun.

Such an advantage would be indispensable for the upcoming Archmage Trial.

With that thought, Richard pulled out two pieces of Magic Essence from his pocket and began absorbing their Magic Power to replenish his Mana Recirculation.

Though the ambient radiation wasn't immediately harmful to his constitution, reality wasn't a game.

Dripping water could wear through stone, let alone energy radiation comparable to Spells.

Even the thickest armor could be pierced by bullets.

...

Boom!

A black orb exploded midair, engulfing the last crystalline floating turret.

Richard stood to the side, his face pale as he stared at the distant shadow.

Half a month had passed since he left the Crystal Spire.

Now, the energy radiation in the air was nearly equivalent to a 1,000-energy-level Spell specialized in penetration. Even Richard had to maintain an energy barrier to prevent large-scale cellular breakdown in his body.

While a 1,000-energy-level Spell wouldn't critically harm him, no one could endure being bombarded by Spells around the clock.

The shadow in the distance had finally revealed its true form—a crashed spacecraft.

Truth be told, Richard had never imagined finding a wrecked Precursor vessel in this ancient battlefield.

The ship was constructed from metal and black crystal, shaped like an enormous sphere.

Its front half was almost completely shattered, while the rear half was partially buried in the desert sands.

Deep within the wreckage, Richard spotted an eerie green glow.

Though he had never seen a Precursor ship before, he was certain that glow was the source of the desert's radiation.

And that gave him the motivation to press onward.

Two more days, and he would reach the ship's wreckage.

Suddenly, a sharp, piercing hum filled Richard's ears.

He turned toward the sound and saw over a dozen floating turrets, their lenses glowing crimson, speeding toward him.

[Intruder detected. Engaging extermination protocol.]

[Intruder detected. Engaging extermination protocol.]

"Damn it, not again."

Richard watched the approaching floating cannons, his already pale face turning even paler.

The energy radiation in the air was continuously draining his Magic Power, leaving his reserves extremely limited. He had no choice but to constantly replenish it with Magic Essence.

But these floating cannons were different.

Who knew what black technology the Precursors had installed in them? These cannons remained completely unaffected in such a high-intensity energy radiation environment—in fact, they seemed even more energetic, as if the radiation was charging them up.

Moreover, as he got closer to the crashed spaceship, these things appeared more and more frequently. Almost every hour or two, he'd encounter them.

A small number was manageable, but if there were too many, even Richard would have to expend considerable effort to deal with them.

Buzz! Richard sidestepped, narrowly avoiding three energy beams fired by the floating cannons.

These beams weren't particularly powerful, but their penetration was strong. If concentrated, they could easily break through Richard's Magic Barrier.

That's why Richard usually avoided using his Magic Barrier against them.

Surging dragon scales spread across Richard's body, and in an instant, he transformed from a somewhat burly ordinary human into a fierce half-dragon, half-human creature.

Dragon scales offered strong resistance to energy radiation, so Richard didn't need to use a Magic Barrier to defend against the environmental radiation.

If not for the fact that the Myriad Transformation Battle Body consumed both cellular vitality and Magic Power, Richard would have kept it active all the time.

After transforming into a dragon-man, Richard's physical attributes were greatly enhanced—even his vision improved. Under the influence of the Myriad Transformation Battle Body, his Dragon Eyes shone even brighter due to his draconic bloodline.

With a light flick of his staff, Richard summoned an earthen wall from the ground.

Then, in a single step, he suddenly appeared in front of a Crystal Floating Cannon.

The cannon detected his approach and instantly activated an Energy Shield, while the surrounding cannons adjusted their positions to encircle and eliminate Richard.

But it was all futile.

With a sharp crack, the Dark Gold World Tree Staff overloaded the cannon's shield in a single strike, shattering both the shield and the cannon itself midair.

Having succeeded in his first attack, Richard swung his staff again, conjuring two thick, small Magic Barriers behind him to block the cannons' energy blasts.

Around him, Crystal Floating Cannons glowing with a dark red light had nearly surrounded him.

An invisible field expanded, instantly slowing Richard's movements.

A Stasis Field—a combined skill of the floating cannons.

This ability required at least three cannons to activate, and its effect intensified with more cannons involved.

A Stasis Field generated by over a dozen cannons was so powerful that even a physically enhanced Wizard like Richard felt as if he were trapped in quicksand.

Spells cast under its influence moved as slowly as a crawling turtle.

However, this Stasis Field had two major flaws. First, it had no effect on spatial teleportation abilities.

In an instant, Richard vanished, reappearing in the shadow of the earthen wall he had created before the battle began.

Second, while easy to activate, it was difficult to deactivate.

The deceleration field also imposed certain constraints on the floating cannons. Once formed, the floating cannons comprising the field required half a second to disengage their interconnections.

Don't underestimate this half-second—in battles between Tier 3 creatures, such a timeframe could determine life or death.

With a light flick of Richard's staff, pitch-black Hearts of Annihilation streaked through the air like meteors toward the floating cannons.

A resonant hum followed as dark fireballs exploded midair, transforming into inky spheres. Under Richard's precise control, not a shred of the Hearts' destructive power was wasted—each one struck a floating cannon with unerring accuracy.

His face pale, Richard gazed skyward while clutching two Magic Essence crystals to replenish his depleted Magic Power. The dozen Hearts of Annihilation had nearly drained him dry.

Soon, the black spheres dissipated, leaving only molten magma dripping from the sky where the Crystal Floating Cannons had been.

"Where are these floating cannons even coming from?" Richard muttered, staring at the cooling magma. "It's like this ancient battlefield has an endless supply."

He was about to resume his journey when—after just a few steps—he froze abruptly.

The sand beneath his feet trembled faintly despite the windless conditions. Something... was approaching.

"Need to move. Now."

A sense of foreboding gripped him as he prepared to leap toward the distant spacecraft. But before he could take flight, an azure cloud appeared on the horizon, speeding toward him.

"What in the—since when do clouds come in blue?"

Donning a pair of Eagle Vision-enchanted glasses from his pocket, Richard squinted at the phenomenon. What he saw made him recoil as if encountering a ghost, immediately propelling himself toward the spacecraft at full speed.

The "blue cloud" was in fact a swarm of glowing azure Crystal Floating Cannons!

Beneath them, a colossal Arachnid Automaton advanced steadily in his direction. Behind the mechanical horror, an enormous maintenance bay continuously disgorged and received streams of floating cannons.

Had the Serpent King witnessed this, he would have cried impossibility.

A Giant Floating Cannon Matrix—one of the Precursors' creations—still remained operational in this ancient battlefield. Not only functional, but actively patrolling with its floating cannon entourage, some departing while others returned from distant sectors.

Suddenly, the behemoth halted.

At its forefront gleamed six multifaceted crystals. One now emitted a crimson beam that illuminated a patch of ground precisely one kilometer ahead—the very spot where Richard's molten cannon debris had fallen.

[Detected Tier 3 biological energy residue]

[Detected Tier 3 biological energy residue]

[Fortress defense protocol: %&*& ERROR]

[Fortress defense protocol: ACTIVATING ERADICATION MODE]

As the Matrix reached its decision, one Crystal Floating Cannon in the swarm shuddered, its glow shifting from blue to violent red.

Like a plague, the crimson hue spread rapidly through the floating cannon collective. Soon, the entire azure swarm had transformed into a red tide, fanning outward in all directions.

Meanwhile, the Giant Floating Cannon Matrix extended two tendrils, meticulously gathering the crystalline fragments from the sand below.

Soon, two brand new funnels emerged from the compartments on its back.

...

In the distance, a black crow observed the funnels intently, its eyes glowing faintly.

Upon seeing the funnels shift from blue to red, its gaze immediately turned grave.

"Damn it, Richard's been discovered."

With that, the light in Ulysses' eyes faded as he spread his wings and swiftly flew toward the spacecraft.