"The patrol team has vanished without a trace?"
Crispin looked at the message in the Crystal Ball, his brow furrowing slightly.
The powerful magical beasts surrounding the academy had been eliminated on the very first day they arrived in this world, and they had even dispatched Third Circle Wizards to patrol, ensuring that there were absolutely no loose ends.
But if it wasn't the magical beasts, then there could only be one answer for the disappearance of the patrol team.
Crispin glanced at Zik across from him. The two of them were the de facto vice presidents of the academy, and before he became vice president, Zik was the only vice president of the Meteorite Wizard Academy.
This old Wizard named Zik had followed his teacher into battle long before his teacher became a Great Wizard, and he had extensive experience in warfare.
Given the current situation, Crispin felt it was best for the two of them to discuss it.
"Master Zik, what do you think about the disappearance of the patrol team?" Crispin asked.
Zik raised his head, his gaze very calm.
"Someone has come close. What do you think? Should we withdraw Wizards from the front lines?"
Crispin shook his head. "Right now is the best opportunity to break through the Black Tower Academy's defenses. As the attacking side, we must seize every chance.
To deal with these pests, I think we just need to adjust the academy's defensive measures."
Zik nodded. "I agree. You take on the burden; I'll make the adjustments."
...
As the sun set in the west, the evening glow was like blood.
Richard stood three kilometers outside the Meteorite Wizard Academy, watching the suddenly altered patrol teams, shaking his head in frustration.
Richard could tell that the command structure of the Meteorite Academy had taken action, and the one who acted was an old Wizard.
This old Wizard had adjusted the patrol teams from small squads to medium-sized ones, doubling the number of personnel in each patrol team compared to before.
Moreover, each patrol team was now equipped with two Second Circle Wizards as the team leader and deputy leader, which significantly boosted the combat effectiveness of the patrol teams.
Additionally, the patrol area had shrunk considerably; the patrol teams were now only patrolling within the academy.
Richard also noticed that some Wizards had begun wearing identification badges, which he estimated were alchemical products.
The purpose of the identification badges, Richard guessed, was to prevent members of the team from being silently replaced.
However, it seemed they did not have enough badges, as only a few teams were equipped with them.
"This is going to be troublesome."
Richard stroked his chin, looking at the Meteorite Wizard Academy, lost in thought.
There was no way around it; their mission was to draw Wizards from the front lines back to the rear, thereby reducing the pressure on the front.
But the Meteorite Academy clearly had no intention of recalling anyone.
You can attack as you wish; as long as I shrink the patrol area and increase the number of patrol teams, I can be a turtle hiding its head.
No matter how you attack, it will be useless.
Once the situation on the front stabilizes, they can come back and deal with you.
"It seems they won't withdraw anyone unless they feel some pain."
Richard unfastened a Synthetic Beast Pocket from his waist and released its contents.
Three Fire Lizards awakened from their slumber and half-knelt before Richard, saying, "My lord."
Due to the Mystic Realm Rift in the Mirror of the World being inaccessible, Richard could only bring these three Third Circle Fire Lizards into the Mirror of the World by placing them in the Synthetic Beast Pocket.
Richard then took off another pocket and handed over the components of the Mechanist Type I individual armor to the three Fire Lizards, allowing them to put it on themselves.
After more than a year of training, the Fire Lizards had become quite adept at donning armor.
With each helping the other, they spent nearly half an hour putting on and adjusting the armor.
Makar, who had come out early, now stood beside Richard, and the Wizard Hunting team Richard had assembled was now officially at full strength.
The three Fire Lizards that came out later looked at the distant tower, their eyes flashing with astonishment.
Although the Core Wizard Tower of the Meteorite Wizard Academy was not as tall as the Black Tower of the Great Wizard, it still stood seven to eight hundred meters high. Such a towering structure was a first for the Fire Lizards.
The shock was comparable to their first sight of the Floating City.
"My lord, is this the Wizard Academy you mentioned?" one Fire Lizard asked. "Such a vast city, such... magnificent architecture, is it really just an academy?"
This Fire Lizard was named Helan. Before joining the Shield of Morik, he was a renowned noble architect in the Morik Empire.
As an architect, he understood the terrifying nature of that tower all too well.
A tower that tall, seemingly made of stone, was simply unfathomable.
Because if stone were used as the material, the sheer weight of such a tall tower would be enough to crush the stone to dust.
This tower must have employed many techniques he was unaware of.
"Oh right, I forgot to tell you." Richard pointed at the distant tower and said, "In the Wizard World, an academy is equivalent to your capital.
And that tower you see is the residence of another Great Wizard."
Helan looked at the tower, a sense of gratitude rising within him.
He was grateful to see such a magnificent structure and grateful that New World Island was discovered first by Richard.
The more they learned about the Wizard World, the more despair filled the hearts of the Fire Lizards.
The gap between civilizations was too vast, to the point that even their hatred began to waver.
When the disparity between two parties is too great, people's mindsets often change.
The hatred of ants means nothing to giants.
The other two Fire Lizards were also astonished by the grandeur of the tower, but they were not architects and did not share Helan's profound understanding.
"My lord, what should we do next?" one Fire Lizard asked.
This Fire Lizard was named Kava. Before joining the Shield of Morik, he was the most outstanding Flame Behemoth hunter in the Morik Empire.
"Do what you do best: hunt."
Richard looked at the distant Meteorite Wizard Academy and said slowly.
Although with his current strength, he could easily wreak havoc inside the Meteorite Academy, doing so would only attract the pursuit of those Third Circle Wizards.
The Wizard Hunting team, while formidable, consisted of only four Fire Lizards.
According to the intelligence Richard had gathered, there were at least dozens of Third Circle Wizards in the Meteorite Wizard Academy.
If the Meteorite Academy set its sights on him and dispatched multiple Third Circle Wizards to hunt him down, even with the Wizard Hunting team, he would find it hard to escape death.
The Mechanist Type I individual armor was not the Sacred Armor left by the pioneers, which would allow the Fire Lizards to slay Third Circle Wizards as easily as killing chickens.
In a sufficiently spacious area, facing experienced Third Circle Wizards, a single Fire Lizard wearing the Mechanist Type I Individual Armor would still be defeated by a Third Circle Wizard; it would just take a bit more effort.
Thus, Richard had to exercise restraint and find a balance.
This balance should compel the Meteorite Academy to withdraw Wizards from the front lines without provoking them to send Third Circle Wizards after him.
"My lord, the prey is huddled in its lair. To hunt it down, we need bait," Kava said, glancing at the academy's interior. Upon seeing the patrol teams, Kava instinctively felt that this team would be difficult to deal with.
"Bait?" Richard suddenly chuckled. "Isn't the bait right in front of you?
I am the biggest bait, hoping to lure in a big fish."
"You as bait?" The only female Fire Lizard in the Wizard Hunting team spoke up.
"How can you be bait? We all depend on you for survival; you must not come to harm.
Let's think of something else for the bait."
The female Fire Lizard was named Mishan. Before joining the Shield of Morik, she was a renowned noble doctor in the Morik Empire.
Richard had some impression of her; she was one of the first Fire Lizards to sign a contract on New World Island.
Richard waved his hand. "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."
...
After adjusting the patrol range and the personnel composition of the patrol teams, the news of the patrol team's disappearance vanished from Crispin's Crystal Ball.
Although the Meteorite Wizard Academy had not fortified itself like a fortress, it still had many defensive measures in place. Magic Power light spire towers, like streetlights, covered the entire outer ring of the academy.
These spire towers were directly powered by the Magic Power pool of the Core Wizard Tower, and each attack could reach a power level of two thousand. Moreover, the attack ranges of the spire towers overlapped, so a single stroke of bad luck could trigger the attacks of two or even three spire towers.
Once the patrol team detected a suspicious target, these spire towers would spring into action at the signal of an alarm.
At that point, unless the intruder was a Third Circle Wizard, they would most likely perish on the spot.
At night, the patrol teams continued their rounds.
Led by two Second Circle Wizards who had participated in Plane Expeditions, the entire patrol team was silent, with all Wizards extending their mental powers, constantly alert to their surroundings, leaving no suspicious area unchecked.
For Wizards who had truly experienced war, the battlefield was never a place of laxity; any negligence could lead to death. Under their demands, the novice Wizards who had never been on the battlefield could only muster their spirits and take the tedious and unprofitable task of patrolling seriously.
Suddenly, the Second Circle Wizard at the front of the team stopped. A brilliant beam of light shot from the lantern in his hand, dispelling a shadow fifty meters away from him.
Seeing this, the members of the patrol team also directed their lanterns toward that area.
As the illuminated area expanded, a peculiar shadow flashed before everyone's eyes.
Under the light, the shadow did not immediately disappear but paused for a moment.
This moment might have fooled the novice Wizards in the team, but it certainly did not escape the two Second Circle Wizards who had experienced war.
"Someone has infiltrated!"
The Second Circle Wizard shouted, and a red light shot from his palm, quickly darting into the Core Wizard Tower.
The patrol team members waved their staffs, and a chaotic array of spells instantly covered the area surrounding the shadow. Meanwhile, the spire towers around them had awakened, their colorless crystals suddenly turning a vivid red.
Then, a figure emerged from the shadow, and judging by the Magic Power fluctuations, it seemed to be a Second Circle Wizard.
After appearing, this Wizard flickered and vanished into a more distant shadow, then fled toward the outside of the academy without looking back.
So fast that in the blink of an eye, he disappeared from the sight of the patrol team Wizards.
"Captain, should we catch this rat?" a novice Wizard asked eagerly.
After becoming Wizards, these novice Wizards had rarely experienced combat, and now that they had the chance to take action, they were all eager to test their years of research on an enemy Wizard.
But both team leaders shook their heads.
"Capturing them is not our responsibility."
As they spoke, a five-member Black Wizard team rushed in from deep within the academy. Each of these Black Wizards was a Second Circle Wizard, and a conspicuous crimson alchemical badge was prominently displayed on their chests.
They approached the patrol team, and the patrol team leader exchanged a few words with the leader of this small team, then continued patrolling along their route.
Meanwhile, the Second Circle team sped off in the direction the figure had fled, quickly disappearing into the darkness.