Wizard: From Zero-Circle Wizard to the Omnipotent Lord

The war horns echoed across the sky as the Furnace's army launched fierce assaults on multiple extraordinary factions. 

This war, like all others before it, followed the Furnace's traditional method of training soldiers tempering the strongest black wizards through the baptism of blood and death. 

Every ten years, this brutal cycle repeats. The mortality rate was alarmingly high, and only the most elite of the elite ever survived the battlefield to return to the Furnace. 

The black wizards of the Furnace had long grown accustomed to such bloody hunts. To them, these hunts were not just a tradition but a necessary rite of passage. 

However, this time, something was different. 

High in the azure sky, a majestic black dragon soared through the clouds. 

Its massive wings stirred up fierce winds, cutting across the sky like a streak of jet-black lightning. 

Seated upon the dragon's back was a sorceress. 

Her features were exquisite and radiant, her deep purple eyes brimming with a mysterious allure that was almost impossible to resist. 

At this moment, however, a hint of doubt and contemplation flickered in her gaze. 

"Our battle lines are stretched too thin." 

Aestry muttered softly. Her voice was clear and melodious, ringing lightly in the air on the dragon's back. 

"We wiped out three nearby extraordinary factions in a remarkably short time. Now, our forces have penetrated deep into enemy territory… Something doesn't feel right, especially with the Devout Cult. As a third-level power, they shouldn't have collapsed within just two days. Could it be that…" 

She paused, a trace of worry flashing across her eyes. 

"Something is happening behind the scenes…" 

The black dragon flapped its wings powerfully once more. Its deep, rumbling voice drifted through the wind, carrying a tone of reassurance: 

"Hahaha, Aestry, don't fret over such trivial matters. Your teacher wouldn't care in the slightest. Do you know the true purpose of a hunt?" 

With a sudden twist of its massive body, the black dragon cut through the sky, its voice growing more steady. 

"If someone truly dares to plot against us, that would be to the old man's delight. Trust me, if that's the case, he would rather celebrate the occasion with a fine goblet of blood elf wine…" 

Aestry furrowed her brows, still murmuring under her breath: 

"It just doesn't sit right with me. If the apprentices die because of the Furnace's trials, that's one thing but if they're being slaughtered like helpless birds by outsiders, then that's a waste of the Furnace's resources…" 

"Hahaha, you silly girl…" 

The black dragon vanished into the clouds, its laughter lingering in the air. 

Her identity was undeniable Aestry, the Furnace Lord's personally recruited genius student from five years ago. 

Time passed, and the Furnace War raged on. Meanwhile, the Potion Garden remained as busy as ever. 

The war had been ongoing for three months. 

During this time, Lynn had stayed in the Potion Garden, where the workload had only grown more demanding as the conflict dragged on. 

Initially, Lynn and Remi, both newcomers, were only responsible for handling potions and packaging resources. The work was simple. But as their skills improved, so did the difficulty of their tasks. 

Now, they had been granted access to a more advanced course "Introduction to Potion Processing." 

This was a highly valuable alchemy course. In traditional wizard academies, one would typically need to pay a hefty sum of magic stones to study it. 

At the Furnace, the course was similarly not free. 

"Introduction to Potion Processing" required an exchange of 1,000 points. 

At their current wages, Lynn and Remi would need to work diligently for three years just to afford the course. 

Of course, if they couldn't pay the full amount upfront, the Furnace kindly offered a loan service. 

But that meant taking on an enormous debt. 

Lynn and Remi had no choice but to bear this burden after all, learning this course was essential for their future work. 

"Paying to work, huh? Knowledge is expensive." 

Lynn sighed a wry smile on his lips. 

As time went on, Lynn's work environment subtly changed as well. 

He was no longer stationed in a simple greenhouse. Instead, he had been transferred to a new area where the potions and herbs he handled were vastly different. 

Lynn had a hunch that if he ever hoped to enter the core area of the Potion Garden, he would likely need to fully understand every herb and potion cultivated here and master the knowledge from "Introduction to Potion Processing." 

Yes, after nearly six months in the Potion Garden, Lynn had spent all his time working in the outer greenhouses, tending to the medicinal plants. 

Along the way, he noticed that he and Remi were not the only new apprentices. 

There were many other unfamiliar faces likely those who had joined the Furnace earlier but failed to grasp potion knowledge well enough to enter the core area of the Potion Garden. 

"Three-Tailed Butterfly Flower thrives in sunlight and often disguises itself as a butterfly to attract real butterflies, which it then devours. It poses little danger and is primarily used for healing, particularly in mental recovery…" 

As he walked through the greenhouse, Lynn's gaze fell upon an unusual flower. 

Its petals curled into the shape of three butterflies interwoven together, as if ready to take flight at any moment. 

Without hesitation, Lynn recited the plant's properties and used them aloud. 

All this information was recorded in the "Potion Care Manual" provided by the Potion Garden. 

Lynn had long since committed the book to memory. Now, he closed his eyes and silently recalled the knowledge from "Introduction to Potion Processing." 

"Three-Tailed Butterfly Flower when combined with the man-eating butterfly from the Black Forest, Windless Grass, and half a queen bee's stinger, can be refined into the precious potion 'Seventh Night's Kiss.' This potion significantly boosts mental power for ten minutes and greatly enhances mental recovery. It is one of the most expensive options available…" 

Lynn opened his eyes, a slight smile tugging at his lips. 

This had become a habit of his a form of self-entertainment. 

On one hand, it allowed him to test his own understanding of the material. On the other, it helped reinforce his memory through constant repetition. 

Beyond that, Lynn often found himself mocking the bizarre names given to these potions. 

"I swear, eight out of ten of these potions are named just to sound mysterious. Were they all invented by riddlers?" he muttered to himself. 

Just as he was about to continue his daily work, a voice suddenly called out from the distance. 

Lynn looked up, surprised to see Colin approaching. 

Ever since the Furnace War had broken out, Colin had been taking refuge in the Potion Garden. 

Now, after three months, he had finally come looking for Lynn. 

"Your teacher has finally finished her business. She sent me to find you." 

Colin smiled as he spoke. 

Hearing this, Lynn's pupils shrank slightly. 

Ever since he joined the Furnace six months ago, his so-called "teacher" had left on urgent business and never returned. 

Lynn still remembered how, when the man took him as a student, there was supposed to be an official process to follow. But that process had been abruptly interrupted, leaving him with only three books before his teacher vanished. 

Since then, Lynn had been waiting for his teacher to return and complete what had been left unfinished. 

Now, at last, there was some movement! 

-support me in Patreon for more chapter, 25+ chapters 

patreon.com/LordoftheReader