Wizard: I Can Refine Everything-Chapter 421 - 40 Hub World

After years of battle, the Fire Lizard Battle Group had lost more than half its members, leaving only one hundred thirty-two remaining.

Yet these members had all made significant progress through their battles in Green Forest World,

spurred by the cruel biological weapons and various dangerous but evolutionary material-rich demonized plants. Among these remaining members, nearly a hundred were Second Level Fire Lizards, with the remaining First Level Fire Lizards also on the verge of breakthrough.

Even the company commander of the battalion had recently become a Third Level Fire Lizard.

Moreover, what was most surprising was that a considerable portion of these Fire Lizards had learned basic casting ability.

Although the casting abilities of these Fire Lizards were rudimentary, even a Wizard Apprentice was stronger than them.

Yet, this was still a delightful occurrence.

It demonstrated that the potential of these Fire Lizards was far from fully realized.

The Fire Lizards assembled as ordered, and Richard, looking at these iron-like Fire Lizards before him, said, "This war has astounded me with your performance.

You have confirmed a view to me again, that Aliens are not inferior.

Now, as the war is about to end, I will fulfill my promise.

I have two contracts here, one is to continue serving in the battle group, the other is to return to Red Sun World as an instructor.

Each contract has its benefits; decide for yourselves."

With that, Richard took out two group contracts and handed them to the company commander who had become a third-level creature.

The company commander took the contracts and, without hesitation, signed the contract to continue serving.

Then, one by one, the Fire Lizards signed their names on the contract to continue serving.

This outcome somewhat surprised Richard.

He did not expect these Fire Lizard Warriors before him to love war so much that to even modify the contract was entirely unnecessary.

Even if he hadn’t modified the contracts, these Fire Lizards would have chosen to continue serving; they had become somewhat inseparable from war.

"Everyone choosing to serve... this was somewhat unexpected to me."

Richard, watching the contract full of names, casually left his own name on it. The next instant, the contract turned into flames and vanished into the air.

The Fire Lizard Battle Group remained as silent as before, but Richard perceived a change.

This change arose from their spirits; this contract seemed to have become a sort of test that had tempered the spirit of every member of the battle group.

At this moment, the entire battle group seemed to have become a single complete entity.

"Since you have chosen so, naturally, I will not send you all back. Continue training."

"Yes!" the Fire Lizard Battle Group responded in unison.

...

Fifteen years after the ultimate battle, a teleportation gate opened.

But unlike before, this gate did not directly connect to the Tower of Truth; instead, it connected to a transfer world known as Hub World.

The distance between teleportation gates cannot be indefinitely extended, and when the distance exceeds a certain limit, another teleportation gate must be added in between as a transfer.

The distance from Green Forest World to Wizard World had just exceeded the limit of the teleportation gate.

Thus, the gate connected to Hub World.

Connected to Green Forest World, this transfer Hub World was extraordinarily bustling, with over ten world’s teleportation gates needing to transfer through this world.

Wizard Commerce’s interdomain trade caravans, Wandering Wizards seeking to expand their horizons, various subhuman races, and even the Garon Great Wizard’s slave races converged in this world, creating a bizarre yet harmonious picture.

"Ha, this world isn’t bad, just like our commerce worlds."

Ulysses, standing on Richard’s shoulder, looked at the somewhat devil-may-care city of Hub World with some nostalgia and said.

"In our place, we also have such transfer worlds. North-South caravans stop in the transfer world for trade goods or to replenish supplies.

All sorts of peculiar things and races converge in one world; as long as you are willing to look, you can find anything you want in the transfer world."

Richard, looking at the somewhat devil-may-care city before him, did not express the kind of longing that Ulysses did.

To him, this world was just an expanded business layer of the Tower of Truth, nothing worth noting.

After he came out of the teleportation gate, he began searching the city for a wizard commerce known as Truth Fist.

Jimmy had told him that Garon the Great Wizard had found the ritual magic that could bring things from other dimensions years ago. But since the teleportation gate had not been connected before, Garon the Great Wizard couldn’t be bothered to return from Wizard World to Green Forest World for such a trivial matter.

So, years ago, he entrusted it to an affiliate of the academy called the Truth Fist Commerce for temporary keeping.

And now, with the teleportation gate connected, that ritual magic had also been moved to a branch of Truth Fist Commerce in Hub World.

Richard’s visit to Hub World was to retrieve that spell and incidentally return to Wizard World.

...

Cities in Hub World were typically mega-cities that expanded outwards with the teleportation gate at the center. In such cities, finding a branch of a commerce could indeed be a challenge.

Truth Fist Commerce, despite being backed by Garon Wizard College, was not a major commerce. The primary business of this commerce was special ingredients from various worlds, essentially serving as the external procurement department of Garon Wizard College’s cafeteria.

Thus, they naturally did not build a luxurious branch as some major commerces would in the prime real estate of the bustling Hub World city.

In order to find the commerce branch, Richard had to hire a local guide.

"Wizard sir, are you sure you didn’t get the name wrong?"

Before Richard, there stood a local guide whose body was humanlike, but whose head resembled a jellyfish, and he voiced his confusion.

Richard’s brows slightly furrowed, "I am sure that’s the name. Why, can’t you find it?"

"You might have come to the wrong city, my lord," said the guide with a bit of regret. "In this city of teleportation gates, such a commerce does not exist.

However, you can tell me what their main business scope is, I have some knowledge about other cities, and I might be able to offer you some suggestions."

Richard replied with a steady voice, "This commerce mainly deals in demonized ingredients, like Magic Beast Meat and Demonized Plants as their business scope."

"Ah, I see."

A myriad of minute electrical arcs suddenly flashed across the guide’s jellyfish brain, as if he was recalling something.

"Then I guess, they might have set their commerce branch in City Nine, that teleportation gate connects to a world abundant with Magic Beasts.

City Eleven could also be possible; that world produces a lot of Demonized Plants."

"Alright, thank you for your advice."

Richard casually tossed a piece of Magic Essence to the guide and immediately took out a map of the Hub World from his pocket.

According to the map, the city he was currently in should be City Seven, not terribly far from City Nine.

"Thank goodness, it’s not very far."

Richard put away the map in his hand and instantly transformed into a streak of light, flying off into the distance.

The jellyfish person guide, who felt Richard’s Life Radiation, suddenly found his legs weakening, nearly collapsing to the ground.

He watched the departing streak of light with a mix of fear and relief,

"My Mother of the Sea, he was a Three Rings Wizard. I’m lucky I didn’t cheat him of his Magic Essence, otherwise I would have definitely been dead."

...

Following the map, Richard spent five days and arrived in City Nine as indicated on the map.

Here, with his experience, Richard quickly found a local snakehead guide.

"You’re looking for the Truth Fist Commerce, I know that place well," said a small green person in front of Richard, smiling sycophantically.

"Take me there," Richard commanded indifferently, "you won’t be short of benefits."

The little green person chuckled, and a pair of fly-like wings sprouted from his back.

"Right away, my lord, follow me."

Following the guide, Richard navigated through the complicated streets of City Nine, but he soon sensed something was amiss.

As the surroundings became increasingly dilapidated, it began to look like a slum.

After all, Truth Fist Commerce backed by Garon Wizard College would not likely fall to such a place, even if they couldn’t afford a luxurious branch.

"Are you sure we’re not lost?" Richard asked, furrowing his brows.

He had gathered quite a bit of information about Hub Worlds on the road, where wizard crime was rampant, with foreign wizards often getting completely robbed.

"My lord, don’t judge this place by its state," the little green guide guessed what Richard was thinking and explained. "This place was one of the starting points of City Nine.

It looks so broken mainly because it’s difficult to renovate, and nobody wants to spend that kind of money.

However, the residents here are all respectable wizards, not at all like those in the slums."

Richard looked around; the buildings here were mostly towering, somewhat different from the current architectural style prevalent in the Wizard World.

At least at the Four Rings Tower of Truth, this towering architectural style had been out of fashion for over two thousand years.

What’s trendy now are the low, spacious Wizard Towers.

Back when Tosio established the Wizard Tower, he didn’t spare criticism about the current popular style of Wizard Towers, saying these stout towers were a complete insult to Wizard Towers.

Following the guide for another ten minutes, Richard arrived in front of a small Duel Arena.

"My lord, we are here. Inside is the Truth Fist Commerce."

Seeing the characteristic Duel Arena, Richard confirmed the guide had not led him astray.

He casually tossed a piece of Magic Essence to the guide and then turned to approach the entrance of the Duel Arena.

Standing before the Duel Arena were two golden-haired lion men, looking incredibly formidable.

As Richard approached the entrance, the lion man on his left spoke, "Sir, do you have a ticket?"

"I don’t, but I’m not here to watch the duel?", Richard responded indifferently. "I’m here to find the branch leader of the Truth Fist Commerce."

"Do you have an appointment?" asked the lion on Richard’s right.

"Uh... no."

"Then I’m sorry, but you’ll need to make an appointment before..."

Before the left lion could finish speaking, they felt a dreadful oppressive force emanating from Richard’s body.

Under this overwhelming force, the two lion men stiffened, unable to move.

Richard calmly walked past the lions, with a slight hint of apology in his voice,

"I’m very sorry, but I’ve been traveling for five days to get here. I really don’t want to wait any longer."