Looking at the sincere High Priest, Richard pondered for a long time before finally accepting the group of dwarves.
The scroll bearing the insignia of the five Towers of Truth could not be forged. As long as the scroll was genuine, these Magic Dwarves could almost be considered unofficial Wizards.
In the absence of any crime, even the law enforcement Wizards from the judicial department had no right to restrict a Wizard's freedom.
The High Priest handed over a total of thirty Magic Dwarves to Richard, evenly split between males and females. The male dwarves had reached the Second Circle, while the females were at the First Circle.
Richard temporarily allocated some Wizards to prepare the hibernation potions used for long-term storage of synthetic beasts and had the dwarves consume them.
These Magic Dwarves lacked sufficient combat strength and would only serve as cannon fodder in the Academy War.
After consuming the hibernation potions, Richard stored the dwarves in his Synthetic Beast Pocket and then left the Magic Dwarf settlement.
It had taken Richard nearly nine days to reach the Magic Dwarf settlement, but upon leaving, he flew at full speed and returned to his former hideout in less than half a day.
Upon inspection, Richard found signs that the Magic Array at the hideout had been tampered with, indicating that the Wizards from the Meteor Academy had eventually discovered the place.
"It seems even the best disguises can't withstand decades of searching."
Richard entered the temporary laboratory, and sure enough, the specimen he had casually left on the experimental table years ago had disappeared.
Shaking his head, Richard pulled out a communication Crystal Ball from his pocket.
Having been suppressed by a curse for ten years and then sleeping for another twenty, Richard was completely unaware of the current state of the war.
He now needed to first understand the situation.
Upon activating the Crystal Ball, a dense stream of Magic Messages began to pour out like beans from a bag.
The accumulated messages from thirty years took over ten minutes to finish.
Richard skimmed through some of the more recent messages and found that the war situation seemed quite grim.
Over the past thirty years, nearly two-thirds of the outer academies of the Black Tower Wizard Academy had been captured, leaving only the inner ring still defended.
If the inner ring fell, the Core Wizard Tower of the Black Tower Wizard Academy would directly face the forces of the Meteor Wizard Academy.
This would essentially mark the end of the war.
The two Great Wizards had no deep-seated hatred; capturing the outer academies was more of a symbolic gesture.
If they truly invaded the Core Wizard Tower, not only would the Great Wizard of the Black Tower respond, but the Third Circle Wizards of the Black Tower Wizard Academy would also mobilize en masse.
At that point, the war would no longer be as restrained as it currently was.
"It seems that going back to renew the contract will be quite troublesome."
If Richard wanted to return and renew the contract, he would first have to pass through the outer ring of the academy, which was now occupied by the Meteor Wizard Academy. Then, he would risk being treated as an enemy by the Wizards of the Black Tower Wizard Academy as he made his way through the inner ring.
Finally, Richard could enter the Core Wizard Tower and renew the contract with Erix.
The process sounded complicated, and the difficulty of actually doing it was evident.
But Richard had no intention of giving up on this idea.
The treasury of the Great Wizard of the Black Tower was no ordinary collection room.
Even though the Great Wizard of the Black Tower had only been a Great Wizard for a few thousand years, the treasures in his possession were undoubtedly rare and unseen by most.
Missing this opportunity, Richard estimated he might never encounter such a chance again in his lifetime.
"First, let's observe the situation. If the defenses are tight, then forget it."
Leaving the hideout, Richard also stored the Wizard Hunting team in the Synthetic Beast Pocket.
With these four large figures following him, it would be impossible for Richard to avoid detection.
After storing them, Richard rummaged through his pocket for a map. After recalling the direction from memory, he immediately flew east.
...
Thirty years of war had changed many things.
The once towering black walls of the outer ring of the Black Tower Wizard Academy were now mostly in ruins.
The tall defensive spires had all collapsed in the battles between Wizards.
These defensive tools, regardless of which side they fell into, were deadly weapons.
No Wizard from either side would leave them for the enemy.
Inside the walls, the remains of living stone gargoyles almost covered the ground. These gargoyles, crafted by Alchemist Wizards, had served as cannon fodder and auxiliary troops for the Wizards of the Black Tower Academy over the past thirty years of war.
With these, the Wizards of the Black Tower Academy had once been able to fight on par with the Meteor Academy.
But as the war dragged on, the number of stone gargoyles in the Black Tower Academy dwindled. The production rate of the Alchemist Wizards could not keep up with the war's consumption.
Standing on the hills outside the academy, Richard looked at the ruined academy and couldn't help but sigh.
Even though both sides were controlling the intensity of the war, people still had to die.
These Wizards had survived Plane Wars, stepping over the corpses of countless natives, only to end up dying at the hands of their own kind.
And all this was merely due to the feud between two Great Wizards.
If the two Great Wizards reconciled, no matter how much hatred these lesser Wizards had for each other during the war, they would have to shake hands and make peace.
Perhaps in the near future, the two academies could fight side by side in another world. Former enemies who had slaughtered each other could suddenly become close comrades.
Without becoming a Great Wizard, one would always remain a pawn in the Wizard World.
After observing the academy's outer perimeter for a long time, Richard finally concluded that there were essentially no Wizards in the outer regions.
All the Wizards of the Meteor Academy were concentrated in the frontline areas near the inner ring.
This also gave Richard some information.
Richard murmured to himself, "It seems the Meteor Academy isn't on guard against us dispatched Wizards."
But this was normal. Although the dispatched Wizards were all elites, their numbers were very few.
Even if dozens of Second Circle Wizards gathered together, they couldn't change the course of the war.
Moreover, once the Wizards of the Meteor Academy discovered that the dispatched Wizards had returned, the Wizards held back in the Meteor Academy's homeland would inevitably reinforce the frontline.
At that point, the frontline situation for the Black Tower Academy would become even more unfavorable.
"Since there's no guard, maybe I can sneak in."
Richard stroked his chin and pulled out a mask from his Magic Equipment.
Although the war had been going on for thirty years, Richard believed that the Wizards of the Meteor Academy couldn't possibly all know each other.
As long as he acted naturally enough, he shouldn't be discovered for a short period.
And all he needed was to find a way to infiltrate the inner ring of the Black Tower Academy during this time.
This was a risky plan. If discovered, Richard would undoubtedly be hunted down by the Wizards of the Meteor Academy.
Moreover, he couldn't bring out the Wizard Hunting team while sneaking in; a Wizard followed by a massive Alchemy Golem would be too conspicuous.
If not for Richard's current physique being at the peak of a Second Circle Wizard, and the ability he gained after assimilating the Soul Rule—a skill called Mind Guidance—he wouldn't dare to execute such a risky plan.
Putting on the mask, Richard quietly entered the now-ruined Black Tower Wizard Academy.
Once impregnable defenses had turned into ruins after thirty years of war. Richard, cloaked in an Invisibility Cloak, moved cautiously through the debris, making no unnecessary movements.
Soon, Richard spotted a Wizard from the Meteor Academy.
This was a First Circle Alchemist Wizard, currently repairing his Alchemy Golem.
It was an eight-legged, spider-like alien Alchemy Golem. Its dark golden shell was inscribed with densely packed runes. Eight crystal-like eyes on the golem's head were all glowing a dangerous red.
The golem was severely damaged. Four of its eight mechanical legs had been blown off by spells, and its outer armor had significant dents and cracks. Through the cracks, one could see the complex internal structures that were also damaged.
If Richard were to judge, this golem was essentially beyond repair, and it would be easier to just rebuild it.
But clearly, the First Circle Wizard didn't think so. He was still laboring to repair it and had even called for help using a Crystal Ball.
The helper was a Second Circle Wizard, likely the teacher of the First Circle Wizard.
Upon arrival, the Second Circle Wizard scolded the First Circle Wizard harshly, then inspected the damaged Alchemy Golem and came to the same conclusion as Richard.
"This golem isn't worth repairing. Dismantle it for parts and melt down the rest for recycling."
The First Circle Wizard was disappointed, but with his teacher's judgment, he had no choice but to comply.
"Not necessarily."
A voice made the First Circle Wizard pause.
He turned to see a black-robed Wizard with a silver mask slowly emerging from the ruins.
"Who are you?"
The Second Circle Wizard gripped his staff, eyeing Richard warily.
"Who else could I be? Could I be a Wizard from the Black Tower Academy?"
Richard's voice carried a subtle, persuasive magic that made the two Wizards unconsciously overlook the inconsistencies in his appearance.
This was the ability Richard gained from the synergy of the Soul Rule and the Nightmare Rule—Mind Guidance.
This ability didn't directly influence people's minds but subtly guided them to fill in the gaps themselves.
For example, Richard's statement led the two Wizards to conclude that he must be a Wizard from the Meteor Academy.
This was a gentle, almost imperceptible change, but its effect was more terrifying than the direct mind-control spells of the Soul School.
Once a person made a decision, they would subconsciously seek evidence to support it and ignore any evidence to the contrary.
The First Circle Wizard asked respectfully, "Master, do you think my golem can still be repaired?"
Richard nodded slightly, "Of course, though it would be quite troublesome.
But why repair it? Why not just rebuild the shell, remove the damaged internal structures, and turn this eight-legged alien golem into a four-legged one?"
The First Circle Wizard was taken aback, then fell into deep thought.
But his teacher, with his vast experience, replied immediately after hearing Richard's suggestion, "Master, your knowledge is as vast as the ocean, but such a transformation is too difficult for us."
"Difficult... indeed. Then how about this? Why don't you sell the golem to me?" Richard said slowly, "In these times, we should avoid wasting resources."
The Second Circle Wizard was momentarily stunned, then looked at his student, "It's your golem; you decide."
The First Circle Wizard hesitated for a while, then sighed, "Two hundred Magic Essence. If you're willing, Master, it's yours."
Without further ado, Richard took out two hundred Magic Essence from his pocket and exchanged it for the Alchemy Golem.
After acquiring the golem, Richard didn't hide anything. Right in front of the two Wizards, he dismantled the golem's outer shell and then quickly disassembled the complex internal structures that would make most people dizzy just by looking at them.
The golem's structure was intricate, but this was a sign of inferior craftsmanship. Complexity meant it was prone to damage and difficult to maintain.
After removing the damaged parts, Richard couldn't help but look up, "How did you manage to make a First Circle golem so convoluted?"
The First Circle Wizard looked ashamed, and the Second Circle Wizard sighed helplessly.
Richard slightly modified the remaining usable parts, removing most of the redundant structures, then reshaped the shell and reinstalled the four intact mechanical legs.
Soon, a four-legged alien golem was completed.
The entire process took less than half an hour.
Witnessing this, even the Second Circle Wizard couldn't help but praise, "Master, your skill is truly awe-inspiring."
Though he could also perform such modifications, he admitted he couldn't simplify his student's mess into such an elegant form so quickly.
Controlling the four-legged golem, Richard naturally headed towards the Meteor Academy's camp.
And the two Wizards naturally filled in the gaps with a suitable identity for Richard.
"Master, have you come to support us?"
"What do you think?"
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