Wizard: I Can Refine Everything

Chapter 556: Chapter 20 Nobles

Listening to Tai’er’s roar, a cold voice tinged with arrogance emitted from the Crystal Stone Communicator.

“Dull-witted scum, since you are so bent on dying, go ahead and die.”

After speaking, a thunderous boom resonated, and the train Tai’er was on suddenly shuddered.

A heaviness settled in Tai’er’s heart, for as a Red Cardinal, he knew what that sound signified.

“They even brought the Gustav steam cannon?”

The Gustav steam cannon, the dying creation of the former Pope of the Master of All Machines Church, a war weapon manufactured using Crystal Stone Technology and steam supercompression techniques, its power adequate to turn a life pastor of the Blood and Flesh Court into mush.

On the battlefield, this weapon was typically deployed as a strategic tool, its sole purpose being to eliminate the War Beasts bred by the Blood and Flesh Court.

Yet, unexpectedly, the Royal Court Faction had resorted to using such a weapon to deal with him.

“They must really think highly of me,” Tai’er smirked coldly. “But unfortunately, it’s being used in the wrong place.”

Pulling out a scroll from the pocket at his waist, Tai’er decided to play his final card—the Summoner.

Upon tearing the scroll, a Space Rift appeared inside the carriage.

The Royal Court Faction had arrived fiercely, fully prepared. No matter how much they planned, even if they stripped Tai’er down to his underwear colors, they would never guess that Tai’er could summon a false World Master.

But just as Tai’er’s rift opened, a figure clad in a black robe transcended and arrived in the carriage.

“Tai’er, there’s a problem inside your…”

Boom!

A loud crash emanated from outside the carriage wall, and immediately after, the carriage’s thickened special armored plate was torn apart in an instant. A searing solid special metal bullet flew in from outside the train, striking Richard, who had just emerged from the Secret Realm.

“What is this?”

Richard slightly furrowed his brows, one hand holding a Magic Book, the other resting on the Magic Barrier.

Above his head, a massive metal sphere enveloped by magic power hovered on the Magic Barrier.

He looked at Tai’er beside him, “What is this thing? Have I intruded into your weapon testing site?”

The stunned Tai’er shook his head repeatedly.

“No, no, no, Your Excellency, the Royal Court Faction has attempted an assassination on me; what you blocked was a cannonball from the Gustav steam cannon.”

“Cannonball?”

Richard turned his head to look at the cannonball above his hand.

“A solid cannonball? Are you still using mortars?”

Tai’er cowered, nervously saying, “Your Excellency, this thing is explosive; this one might be a dud.”

Richard’s spiritual power reached out, within the cannonball, condensed high-pressure steam was crazily pressurizing the surrounding metallic walls. It hadn’t exploded yet purely because Richard had restricted it with magic power.

“You’ve really turned steam into quite the plaything,” Richard quipped.

Casually sending the cannonball back its original way, Richard told Tai’er, “There’s trouble within your ranks. Many of the Artificial Knights mobilized are rounding up the Church.”

Tai’er was taken aback, then a chill rose in his heart.

Had he agreed to surrender just then, he feared the same fate awaited him as Belte.

“Your Excellency, the nobles of the Royal Court have made their move.”

Tai’er tried to briefly convey what he knew to Richard, but before he could say a second sentence, he noticed Richard frown and violently grab at the air.

Buzz!

A tall figure clad in Crystal Power Armor materialized from the Void, rapidly retreating.

Richard remained unaffected, merely emanating a gentle Holy Light.

“I said, kneel!”

In the next moment, the fleeing tall figure suddenly jolted, as if weighed down by a tremendous burden, staggering. After less than a second of swaying, the figure couldn’t support itself and fell heavily to the ground.

A series of Rune Chains flew out from Richard, turning this tall figure in Crystal Power Armor into a piece of green ice.

The two approached the block of ice, and Richard, peering through the green frost, made out the face of the attacker.

“… No wonder you call me a noble,” Richard said softly.

Inside the ice block, a humanoid creature, who aside from having green skin and somewhat elongated ears bore no differences from a human, remained motionlessly sealed.

Tai’er watched the sealed noble, shivering involuntarily.

He knew the nobles controlled powerful Ancient Relics, but he had never imagined these relics had such formidable capabilities. Had Richard not been by his side, he feared he would have been slain without ever seeing his assailant.

Casting this sealed noble into the Secret Realm, Richard casually waved his hand, tearing open the entire armored wall of the carriage.

Outside the carriage, a train adorned with gold and gemstones quietly stopped just five meters away on the track beside Tai’er’s train.

Click, click, click…

Instantly, as Richard appeared, a series of mechanical sounds emitted from the train.

Soon, after the train’s walls were opened, a tall noble barely shorter than Richard, with a puzzled gaze, peered at Richard.

“I remember all the brothers from all families, but I have never seen you before. But I am sure, you are not one of those depraved ones from the Blood and Flesh Court.”

“Who are you? Where do you come from? Why are you interfering in this matter?”

Richard looked at the noble before him. Upon first seeing this race, he could determine that this race was definitely a creation of the Pioneers.

There was no other explanation; that beautiful face, the golden proportions, and the nearly absolute symmetry—all were characteristics of Pioneer Creations.

“I am who I am, that is a good question,” Richard said calmly. “I am a Sage and a Prophet of the Miracle Order, a walking embodiment of the divine in this world.”

“Prophet?”

The noble, hearing this title, felt his confusion deepen.

He did not sense the common “stench of the peasantry” from Richard. On the contrary, Richard possessed an aura that compelled him to kneel.

Had the pressure not been so faint, he might have thought the Divine King had left his throne.

“Could you please clarify?” the noble asked. “To which family do you belong, and which Ancient Sage’s bloodline flows within you?”

“I have already answered one question,” Richard replied with an unquestionable authority in his tone.

“Now it is my turn to ask.”

The noble, under this authority, paused for a moment before nodding submissively.

“What would you like to ask?”

“Why did you attack my church?”

“Your church?” The noble was momentarily puzzled again, but quickly realized which church Richard was referring to.

“Are you referring to that despicable cult? That was not my decision; it was those scum who made that choice on their own. They said it was a power that does not obey the king, a vile and despicable force that needed to be uprooted. I merely authorized them to mobilize the legions.”

Listening to the noble’s explanation, Tai’er felt a shiver in his heart.

If this was not the noble’s doing, then there must be an unknown traitor of high rank within the Church Faction.

Richard nodded slightly, “Very well, then I won’t kill you.”

With those words, Richard’s figure flashed behind the noble before he could react, and an overwhelming sensation of drowsiness swept over his brain.

Just before falling asleep, he faintly heard a phrase.

“Compared to the Wild Beastmen, the ultimate creation, this race’s resistance is still somewhat lacking.”

Richard threw the noble into the Secret Realm and casually grasped from the Void, pulling out a mechanical figure. As an Alchemy Array emerged in his palm, the Artificial Knight attempting a sneak attack immediately locked up in all its joints.

Richard glanced at the knight’s limbs with some regret. “Such good material used to produce such trash, what a waste.”

There weren’t many Artificial Knights in the train, but each one was at the Red Cardinal level. Such a level of Artificial Knight could rival a Third Level Fire Lizard.

However, regretfully, in Richard’s view, they were no different than mere chicks.

Freezing the last of the Artificial Knights, Richard pulled out a Divine Statue pendant from his pocket and handed it to Tai’er.

“Carry this. I can save you when necessary.”

Tai’er excitedly accepted the pendant and immediately hung it around his neck. However, just as Richard was about to enter the Secret Realm to study this noble race, Tai’er suddenly spoke up:

“Sir, I forgot to mention earlier. When the Royal Court Faction tried to persuade me, they mentioned a great war. They said the Divinity has issued an oracle demanding our unity to combat our kin corrupted by the Abyss Demons…”

Tai’er did not finish his sentence when he realized a strong oppressive force burst from Richard.

“Already aware of it?” Richard looked towards the direction of the Royal Court, his brow slightly furrowed.

“But if they knew, why hasn’t there been any movement?”

Tai’er, noticing Richard’s unusual expression, cautiously said, “Sir, I personally think this pertains to the Abyss Sect. It doesn’t concern you.”

Richard glanced at him, his expression half-smiling: “Is the Abyss Sect common under your governance?”

“Well… not exactly, we are quite efficient in cleansing the Abyss Sect. However, I’m not sure about the Blood and Flesh Court next door.”

“Oh?” Richard raised an eyebrow. “So you say next door is more tolerant towards the Abyss Sect?”

“That’s not exactly the case,” Tai’er explained. “It’s just that the research next door easily tempts the Abyss Sect. The prowess of the Abyss Demons in matters of flesh often leads to self-degradation among the Flesh Priests. Next door has had quite a struggle removing these Fallen Priests. Sometimes, they even need our people to intervene.”

“Is that so?”

Richard appeared a bit surprised, then thoughtful, and muttered to himself, “It seems I will have to make a trip next door.”

Fighting the World Master might be troublesome, but it was ultimately a battle against the natives. However, allowing the Abyss to grow would mean battling against a civilization, and Richard was not yet confident that he could lead the natives to defeat a civilized army.

…

In the early morning, following a night of heavy rain, Dunling City welcomed a rare clear day.

One after another, the bodies of Artificial Monks were carried out of the church of the Miracle Order, then loaded onto trucks. Most of the bodies were incomplete, as the more valuable parts had been stripped by the mechanics of the Miracle Church.

The Miracle Church in Dunling City had suffered minimal losses during the night; a total of twelve modified Miracle Monks had died in battle.

The bodies of these monks were properly buried, and their names were recorded in the holy scripture.

The surviving priests began repairing the church, but unlike before, this time the church did not conceal its identity, and the symbol of the Miracle Order was openly mounted atop the church’s spire.