Wizard: I Can Refine Everything

The order from the Communication Crystal Ball interrupted Damir's words. In times of war, missions were the utmost priority, and Richard did not continue to tangle with Damir, quickly returning to his own Magic Support Vehicle, ready to head to Position Forty-three along with Vehicles One and Two to provide support.

According to the headquarters' planning, these more than four hundred Magic Support Vehicles were divided into nine teams, each team consisting of fifty Magic Support Vehicles, and the remaining vehicles were reserves, used to maintain the number of the fleet in case any Magic Support Vehicle suffered irreparable damage.

Soon, with the roaring of engines, Teams One and Two started moving.

Richard followed behind the two teams and casually pulled Ulysses out of the Secret Realm.

As soon as Ulysses entered the Red Sun World, he shivered all over, looked around at the environment, and asked,

"Caw, has the war started again?"

Richard nodded, "It has, the Fire Lizards have started a major counteroffensive, and this battle should be the toughest one of this expedition.

If we win, the path ahead will be smooth. If we lose, we can only beat a humiliating retreat."

"Caw, those are not bad terms," Ulysses flew onto Richard's shoulder, "When I was conquering worlds in our place, if I failed, only I could leave. All my crows and their descendants had to stay in the Otherworld. You at least have a Floating City to take you away."

Although entering a world with the Floating City consumed a great deal of time, that was the most reliable and safest way.

But if one needed to flee, there wasn't a need to be so particular.

Forcibly tearing through the World Barrier to fly out of the world was also possible, but the cost could be the entire Floating City being shredded by the Power of World Origin.

"Don't your invasions into worlds have fortresses like Floating Cities?" Richard curiously asked.

"Caw, no, we would drop our soldiers into the Divine Country, and then the World Master would enter the world alone."

"Then when you fled, why didn't you take those crows and their descendants with you?"

Ulysses looked at Richard as if he were a fool, "Caw, being distracted when fleeing, are you asking to die even faster?"

"..."

Position Thirteen was about three hundred kilometers from Richard's starting point; the Magic Support Vehicles, operating at full speed, could reach their destination in less than three hours.

On the way, Richard unexpectedly saw Wizards with Synthetic Beasts moving in the wilderness, seemingly searching for something.

"Ulysses, go see what these Wizards are doing," Richard said.

At his words, Ulysses flew out of the cockpit, and soon, he came back.

"Caw, it's nothing, they're just cleaning up Fire Lizards living in your control area," he reported.

"Cleaning up Fire Lizards?"

Richard suddenly thought of a Fire Lizard village he had passed by accidentally more than a decade ago.

"Are they clearing out those ordinary Fire Lizards?"

"Caw, seems like it; I didn't see any Level 1 Creatures among the Fire Lizards," Ulysses replied.

Richard didn't ask any more.

He knew that the command headquarters could tolerate the existence of these ordinary Fire Lizards before the war started, but now, they must ensure absolute safety within their control zone.

These Fire Lizards living in the Wizard's Control Zone, although mostly ordinary Fire Lizards who couldn't survive within the Fire Lizard Empire, would not be spared by the command if there were any chance that they were infiltrators from the Fire Lizard forces.

"Sigh, what a pity," Richard suddenly sighed.

"Caw, what's wrong? Don't tell me you've developed some sort of sympathy for those Fire Lizards?"

Richard cast him a glance, "If my Puppet State plan could have been implemented back then, these Fire Lizard civilians would not only have not drained our forces but would have increased our combat power.

But unfortunately, no matter how good my plan is, it's garbage if the Great Wizard doesn't need it."

Ulysses expressed some confusion, "Caw, if you think your plan is good, just use it yourself when you become a Great Wizard.

Hoarding good stuff for oneself is the proper way, why give it away to others?"

"That's exactly why I'm sighing," Richard said helplessly, "This plan is useless to the Great Wizard. Would it become useful once I'm a Great Wizard?

Your position decides your perspective. Once I become a Great Wizard, I won't use this plan either.

This plan is likely to remain just a plan forever."

...

Position Thirteen.

A massive Dragon Turtle wreaked havoc in the midst of the fortress cluster. Under the immense power of the War Beasts, even the Wizard's fortresses could not withstand and toppled one by one.

Around the Dragon Turtle, shield-bearing Wizards continuously blocked those trying to attack it, while Fire Lizard Warriors engaged in a bloody street fight with Wizards amidst the rubble of fallen fortresses.

Even without the support of bunkers, Wizards could still obliterate these Fire Lizards, but there were too many of them. No matter how formidable the Wizards' individual combat strength was, they could only humiliatingly be traded for lives in the face of the Fire Lizards' determination.

The Commander of the position had already issued a retreat order, hoping to ensure as many Wizards' survivors as possible.

For the Wizards, these fortress cities were only tools for bleeding the Fire Lizards dry; if the tools no longer served their purpose, abandonment naturally followed.

"How many have been evacuated?"

Outside the city, the White Wizard Commander watched the rampaging giant Dragon Turtle, feeling as if his heart was bleeding.

Position Thirteen might have been just a small city, but it was a place he had managed for over a decade, every bunker, every trap in the Magic Array, had been personally designed by him.

And now, simply because his small position was not equipped with minor disruptor cannons, his position had become the Dragon Turtle's toy.

The Commander knew that although the Dragon Turtle was still within the city, once the Fire Lizards realized there were no more Wizards in the city, they would immediately redirect the beast.

"My lord, three hundred have evacuated," someone reported.

"Three hundred." The Commander's face darkened upon hearing the numbers; his position had a total of six hundred people. It had been nearly an hour since his request for support, and only three hundred had been evacuated.

Could it be that the rest had all died in battle?

The Commander dared not contemplate any further.

Headquarters had issued every commander a strategy to preserve manpower, which meant that while positions could be sacrificed when necessary, the number of Wizards had to be maintained.

For most Wizards, injuries were merely a matter of two healing spells from an Undead Wizard, or at worst, a matter of swapping out a couple of organs, or even an entire body.

As long as the person remained alive, it wouldn't be long before they became once again a lively fighting force.

The bottom line set by Headquarters for these commanders was half; if the number fell below that, the Commanders would be held accountable.

The Commander comforted himself:

"Perhaps those Wizards are just temporarily entangled and will be able to break free before long."

Seconds and minutes passed, and in the blink of an eye, an hour had elapsed.

By now, the number of Wizards who had withdrawn reached three hundred and fifty. This number wasn't high, but it was just above the critical line.

The Commander glanced at his pocket watch and waved his hand grandly:

"Wait no longer, everyone prepare to retreat to the second line of defense."

Upon hearing the order, the withdrawn Wizards immediately formed a formation and began to retreat. However, less than twenty minutes after he had left, a group of Wizards withdrew from the city.

This group of Wizards was in very poor condition; most had injuries severe enough to be missing arms or legs, and the others were critically wounded Wizards in a state of near death, with only parts of their bodies remaining.

The leading Wizard, seeing the empty gathering point, immediately took out a map Crystal Ball. After confirming multiple times they hadn't taken a wrong turn, the lead Wizard's face turned pale, nearly dropping the Crystal Ball to the ground.

A Wizard noticed the team leader's expression and felt a sudden sense of foreboding.

"Captain... have we arrived too late?"

The leading Wizard closed his eyes and gently nodded his head.

They were too late; the main force had already retreated towards the second line of defense.

But when fortune does not arrive in pairs, misfortune does.

Just as they confirmed that the main force had already retreated, a squad of Fire Lizards began to chase them down on their retreat path.

Upon seeing the group of Wizards, the Fire Lizards instantly became excited. The leading Fire Lizard reached for the horn at his waist to summon comrades, while the Wizards tried to stop him, but as soon as the spell was cast, a shield-bearing Wizard appeared beside the Fire Lizard blowing the horn.

"We're done for, we've been spotted," a Wizard said with a wry smile.

The team leader, seeing that the Fire Lizards had discovered their trail, couldn't help feeling dizzy for a moment.

But as captain, duty prevented him from giving up immediately.

"Retreat, pay no attention to this group of Fire Lizards," the captain ordered with a steady tone.

Hearing the command, the squad of Wizards looked towards their captain, whose orders became their mainstay, making them feel as though there was still hope of survival.

They could not see the captain's despair, or perhaps they did, but chose to ignore it.

In a desperate situation, even a straw would be clutched at tightly.

The Wizards silently formed up, with the healthiest Wizards at the rear dealing with the approaching Fire Lizards.

As soon as their formation was set, they saw a group of Fire Lizard Warriors riding Dragon Beasts appearing at the end of the road.

"Go!"

The captain ordered through clenched teeth, as if he had not seen the approaching Fire Lizards.

He did not want to die; he wanted to live.

The formation activated, and the gathered Wind Element made every Wizard feel lighter. A pushing force emerged from the Array, making their Flying Technique swifter.

But as fast as the Wizards were, the Fire Lizards were faster.

The Fire Lizard Warriors on Dragon Beasts wielded their Scimitars, issuing excited roars at the fleeing Wizards.

The Wizards were fleeing!

Those Wizards who had killed countless Fire Lizards were now fleeing!

They excitedly whipped their mounts, urging the Dragon Beasts to go faster, determined to cut off the heads of these Wizards as a symbol of their honor!

And behind them, more and more Fire Lizards started to appear.

"It's over."

The captain closed his eyes in despair.

"Hey, hey, can you hear me?"

Hmm?

The captain's eyes snapped open, and he brought the Communication Crystal Ball to his ear.

"Hey, hey, can you hear me?"

"I can hear you, I can hear you!" the captain shouted excitedly.

"If you can hear me, keep up your current speed, don't slow down. I see that you're not in great shape, but remember, do not slow down."

"Alright, alright, we absolutely won't slow down," the captain's hands trembled with excitement as he asked, with a quivering voice, "Are you reinforcement?"

There was no response from the other end of the Crystal Ball, only some unclear noise came through.

"That's it, that angle, don't touch him, this device is my design, I know it better than you. Hey, what did you say just now?"

"I asked if you're reinforcements?"

"Yes, we are your support. The fire support you called for is in position, just be ready to receive!"