Wizard Lord:I can Extract Anything

"What the hell is that thing!" Ivan shouted through the mental network.

In the distance, the gigantic mutated transport insect was slowly advancing towards the war fortress. Every step it took felt like a hammer blow to the hearts of the wizards.

Even within the fortress, Richard could faintly feel the tremors each time the massive creature moved.

This insect bore some resemblance to the transport insects within the hive, but its size was magnitudes larger. The twenty-meter-high war fortress barely surpassed it in height.

It was clad in thick armor, with a massive horn on its head, reminiscent of a rhinoceros beetle.

"Ulysses, can you deal with this big guy?" Richard asked through a mental message.

"Caw, if it were just this one big insect, you wizards could handle it easily—it's just a big target. But now, it's being used as a war machine, surrounded by other insects. You can't get through to kill it, and neither can I, not without using faith power."

Unlike the wizards' panic, Ulysses remained calm upon seeing the insect. Having seen many such war beasts, he was more curious about why it had taken so long for one to appear.

"I guess that's a problem," Richard said, rubbing his temples in frustration. "If we don't deal with this insect, the fortress can't hold."

The horn of this war beast wasn't just for show. If it got close, no magic array could withstand its charge.

"Caw, then don't hold it," Ulysses said coolly. "Insects like this are never alone. In front of such war beasts, lasting even a short while is brave. Normally, upon seeing one, you'd retreat immediately."

Ulysses was right.

After a brief moment of thought, Richard headed to the command room to persuade Ivan to retreat.

In this situation, not retreating would be disastrous.

But upon entering the command room, Richard saw Ivan staring at the crystal ball with a grim expression. After a moment, Ivan responded calmly, acknowledging an order before the light of the crystal ball faded out. He then gripped the ball and smashed it to the ground.

"Those bastards at command want us to hold for another six hours until the war airships arrive!"

"What!" Richard's voice rose sharply. "Six hours! In six hours, that insect will be right at our doorstep!"

Ivan slumped into a chair, pulling out a cigarette with trembling hands and placing it in his mouth.

"We're too late to retreat. The neighboring fortress pulled out three hours ago. Command wants to prevent a larger breach in the line, so they've ordered us to hold at all costs. Not a second less than six hours!"

"What the hell!" Richard was incredulous, realizing their duty had become a death sentence.

"Did the neighbors encounter such a war beast too?"

Ivan shook his head weakly. "No, the neighboring fortress's commander is the grandson of an old man in our Third War Zone command. That kid's always been a coward. He probably saw the full-scale attack coming and bolted."

"Third War Zone command?" Richard caught the specific term. "Aren't we under the main command?"

Ivan laughed bitterly. "The main command is busy dealing with two million insects in the First War Zone. They can't focus on us secondary battlefields. We're under the Third War Zone's sub-command, made up of some high-ranking members of my white wizard regiment. They probably ordered us to hold because that kid's blunder was too big. We have to hold the line, or the whole front could collapse like a snowball."

"Damn it!" Richard cursed. "That bastard! Isn't he afraid of a court-martial?"

"Court-martial?" Ivan finished his cigarette in one drag. "His timing was perfect. If we survive, he hasn't done much wrong—just a slap on the wrist. If we don't hold, the blame falls on us for not meeting the command's time requirement. That kid's got a good grandpa. Unless the main command gets involved, he'll be fine."

Ivan exhaled smoke. "The main command gets their reports from these old men. Unless we report it ourselves, no one will know the truth. And even if we do, who's going to stick their neck out for us little guys?"

"Can that old guy in the white wizard regiment really cover everything up?" Richard asked suddenly.

"Cover it all up?" Ivan scoffed. "If he could, the regiment would be doomed. He's just lived long and has seniority. The high-ups give him some face."

"Then there's a chance!"

Richard's face turned grim. "As long as we live, someone will stand up for us! My teacher is the Minister of the Beast Division, my girlfriend is the grand-disciple of the Black Tower High Mage, and her teacher Suzanna is in the main command! The High Mage remembers me! If we survive, the main command will have to listen!"

"Huh?!"

Ivan stared at Richard, stunned, his mouth agape.

He never expected the black wizard, whom he'd been chatting and joking with, had such connections.

Why was someone like him on the front lines with a nobody like me?

"Richard, you're not joking, are you?" Ivan stammered, but seeing Richard's serious expression, he couldn't help but take a sharp breath.

"Damn, brother, you're serious!"

Ivan felt like he'd smoked himself into a hallucination, discovering such a powerful figure beside him.

After the initial shock, Ivan's face fell again.

"But brother, your impressive connections only help if we hold. If we die, that old guy will pin everything on us. Dead men can't speak. And if we retreat now, he'd still blame us. Disobeying orders is a serious charge."

Richard took a deep breath, suppressing his anger.

What could be worse than an incompetent leader? An incompetent leader on the battlefield!

Richard spoke firmly, "Ivan, we still have a chance! This big insect is clearly a new creation, bound to have flaws. If it malfunctions, we can hold off the smaller ones and win!"

With that, Richard turned to leave the command room.

"Caw, are you asking me to use faith power?" Ulysses, perched on Richard's shoulder, spoke up.

Richard responded with determination, "I can't swallow this unless we bring that bastard to court."

"Caw, alright. But we have limited faith power. I can immobilize the big insect, but we'll have to handle the smaller ones ourselves."

Richard nodded, pulling two golden crystals from his pocket.

"Make it discreet, like it's malfunctioning."

"Caw, don't worry, they'll never know."

...

Ulysses's use of faith power lacked the dramatic flair of the Mother Insect God. After receiving the power, he appeared unchanged, but to Richard, he felt far more profound.

Ulysses flew towards the giant insect, his body like a streak of lightning.

Unseen by either insect or wizard, he moved unnoticed across the battlefield.

Landing lightly on the giant insect, he whispered to himself, "Caw, what should I use? Divine Speech, perhaps."

Then, he spoke a single word to the insect.

"Stop."

Instantly, the advancing giant insect halted, standing motionless.

"Caw, a bit rusty," Ulysses muttered, dissatisfied.

The insects soon noticed their war beast had stopped, no matter how they urged it on.

Seeing the motionless giant, Richard felt a surge of relief.

As long as the giant stayed put, the fortress could hold.

Boom!

Spells roared across the battlefield, fireballs and lightning bursting continuously.

Though the giant's halt temporarily stalled the swarm, it hadn't stopped them.

Like a tidal wave, the swarm surged towards the fortress.

Inside, every white wizard wore a fierce expression, filled with anger at command's actions. With no outlet for their rage, they turned it on the swarm.

Richard stood at the firing point, his staff a blur of motion.

"Cool it down, Richard!" a white wizard manning a cannon shouted.

The cannon before him radiated intense heat, its magic circuits unreconstructed, causing severe thermal loss.

Without cooling spells, it would reach meltdown in ten seconds.

Richard gestured with his left hand, conjuring a frosty mist over the cannon. Simultaneously, he swung his staff with his right, hurling a fireball to drive back an approaching insect, then smashing its head with a bluish metal fist.

The swarm was closing in on the fortress, forcing non-cannon wizards to fend off the encroaching insects.

Ulysses and the alchemical golem joined the defense.

With only ten minutes left to hold, they were close to retreating.

Suddenly, Richard noticed a change in the white wizards' faces. Their anger seemed ready to burst from their eyes.

Richard hurried to the command room, finding Ivan cursing nonstop.

"Command wants us to hold for another three hours!" Ivan roared.

Richard felt his blood boil.

Three more hours? They were being driven to death!

"No, another three hours and we're doomed!" Richard declared. "Get everyone out; staying means death."

"Hahaha..." Ivan laughed bitterly. "Richard, you can leave and survive, but we can't. You have people to protect you, but we'd be disobeying orders. Even if we reach the main command, we'd lose. Some missions are meant to be fatal. If we don't hold, we'll die, our families' assets seized, our students shamed."

Ivan handed Richard a crystal ball. "This has all the battle data. Spread the truth if you can. If not, so be it."

Ivan's eyes were resolute; he was ready to die.

Richard took the crystal ball, feeling its weight like a leaden burden.

He wanted to say more, but Ivan shook his head gently.

Richard pocketed the crystal ball, nodding firmly.

"Don't worry, I will..."

Before Richard could finish, his communication crystal ball sounded.

The voice was familiar—Suzanna, Ellie's teacher.

"Attention all wizards in the Third War Zone, attention all wizards. Withdraw to the Floating City. All wizards, black and white, withdraw to the Floating City!"

--Support me in Patreon for more chapters 35+ chapters in there 

patreon.com/LegendaryTL

Thanks!