Wizards begin by accessing the Inspiration panel.

Chapter 202 Phosphorite Combat Golem

"Gorkan!"

"Master, what are your orders?" the Tokar Lake fishman prophet Gorkan asked respectfully.

"Here are fifty mid-grade magic stones. Go to the market and buy as many level three wizard apprentice level monsters as you can. Remember, the stronger the better, and only live monsters, for my research," Richard instructed.

With this amount of magic stones, it's impossible to buy a living monster that's at the level of a formal wizard.

Therefore, Richard had no choice but to settle for second best and seek out monsters at the level of a third-level wizard apprentice.

Although Gorkan looked puzzled, he quickly replied, "Master, are there any requirements regarding the type of monster?"

"There are no requirements. Just do as I just said: the stronger the monster, the better, and it has to be a living monster."

"Yes, Master!"

Watching Gorkan gradually disappear into the distance, Richard couldn't help but fall into deep thought.

Acquiring live monsters was not for research purposes, although there was a slight research element involved. The main reason was that he was out of energy points.

This is a real problem that is right in front of us.

Although he had considered other methods before, such as teaming up with Desol and others to explore the Scorched Earth, the lowest level fire elementals there were all at the mid-level of a first-level wizard, while his own strength was only at the early level of a first-level wizard.

Although I have some trump cards up my sleeve, I still can't guarantee safety with a high probability, so I have to temporarily give up the option of exploring the Scorched Earth Secret Realm.

Richard had also considered taking his newly recruited subordinate, the first-level wizard Gorkan, to search for powerful monsters in the wild.

However, the recent spate of blood sacrifices by small and medium-sized tribes has made Tug City surrounded by dangers. Moreover, Richard had some bad premonitions beforehand, so this option had to be abandoned.

After much thought, acquiring live monsters and then killing them myself seems to be the safest method.

Although, the price of a living monster is five to ten times that of a dead monster.

With his current assets, he can't acquire many living monsters. However, once the new beer business takes off, he can make acquiring living monsters a long-term business.

They could even hire full-fledged wizards within the Grey Dwarf Brotherhood to hunt monsters for them by issuing quests.

-

Early the next morning.

After completing his assigned task, Richard took out the exquisite mithril emblem and began to admire it.

Normally, this mithril insignia should contain forty contribution points allocated by the Grey Dwarf Brotherhood, which is the reward he has earned for his "hard work" over the past few days.

However, he will probably use up all of these contribution points in a little while.

Because in a little while, Richard will use these newly acquired contribution points to look up information about the fees for puppetry techniques.

As for why we're not going now?

That's because he had only been in the lab for less than half an hour. If he went out now, it would likely expose that he had completed the production of ten alchemical combination bombs in just half an hour. That efficiency was terrifying!

Therefore, Richard could only rest and think for a while before going to the archives later.

Although, given Richard's Mithril access privileges, he could access much of the Grey Dwarf database for free.

Richard can access information such as the origins, basics, and manufacturing principles of puppetry, as well as the blueprints for basic puppetry products (both gray iron and bronze levels require payment), such as wheat field puppets and wheat harvesting puppets, all for free.

But these were all too basic for him.

Moreover, Richard didn't have a lot of energy points to squander. Otherwise, the most drastic method would have been to learn it without thinking twice, and then spend a lot of energy points to innovate.

However, there is a prerequisite: there must be a large amount of energy points available for consumption.

Clearly, Richard does not currently meet this requirement.

Now, he wishes he could split his energy points in half and use one point as two.

However, even with ample energy points, Richard would not choose the "three-stage leap" upgrade plan, which involves learning from and creating a puppet that is extremely powerful and difficult.

After all, based on past experience with the Inspiration panel, without learning the basics, inspiration is like a skilled cook trying to make a meal without rice; it not only consumes a lot of energy points, but the improvement speed is also unsatisfactory.

In short, that approach is not cost-effective.

The best approach is to proceed gradually and then rely on the Inspiration panel to improve quickly.

So this time, Richard planned to exchange for a blueprint for the Phosphorus Combat Golem and make his first attempt.

As for why the phosphorus combat golem was chosen, it's because the material itself isn't expensive. Apart from the golem's control core, the phosphorus combat golem mainly uses enhanced phosphorus as its body.

Phosphite is a mineral with extremely high reserves in dark regions. After mining and refining, it has good hardness and cohesiveness.

Secondly, it's because the basic version of the Phosphorite Battle Golem is quite powerful, roughly equivalent to a level two wizard apprentice.

If Richard can master and create the basic model, he can add various combat parts to the Phosphorus Battle Golem, which will boost its combat power to the level of a third-level wizard apprentice.

At the same time, since the manufacturing cost of the Phosphorite Combat Golem is relatively low compared to other combat golems, there are many blueprints for various modifications and upgrades based on it.

It is a combat puppet that is quite popular among wizards who specialize in puppetry.

If Richard can master the Phosphorus Combat Golem after a period of time, he will be able to apply what he has learned to other combat golems and learn how to make them using the Inspiration Panel with ease!

This is also why Richard ultimately chose the Phosphorus Combat Golem after studying it for the past few days.

The archives room on the second floor of the Grey Dwarf Brotherhood.

At the lobby service desk, a row of gray dwarf girls in uniform sat upright, constantly answering questions and handling business for members of the fraternity at all levels.

Richard arrived at a mithril-grade window.

"Hello, I'd like to exchange this blueprint for a basic control core." Richard came to the information room service desk with a parchment scroll and handed the mithril insignia to the gray dwarf girl at the front desk.

"Beep!" The gray dwarf girl swiped Li Wei's insignia and respectfully said, "Respected Master Li Wei, your insignia contains a total of 40 contribution points."

"The crafting blueprint for the Phosphorus Combat Golem requires 20 contribution points, and the basic control core also requires 20 contribution points. Are you sure you want to exchange them?"

"OK!" Richard nodded.

"Okay, please wait a moment. I'll copy the contents of the original into the crystal ball now. And this, this is the primary energy core, please keep it safe." The gray dwarf girl handed Richard a small gray iron box with both hands.

Richard took it curiously, opened it, and saw a grayish, square object about half the size of his palm inside.

It looks very similar to the computer CPU chips I saw in my previous life, but it is four or five times larger in size, and the workmanship is not as exquisite as the computer chips in my previous life.

Computer chips in the previous life were a high-end manifestation of integrated circuits, integrating and packaging circuits on a tiny silicon chip. Obviously, the logic of the control core of the gray dwarves should be very different from that of chips in the previous life.

But it is also a product of alchemy, the culmination of the Grey Dwarf Empire's achievements.

Even the rudimentary control core is a top secret of the Grey Dwarf Empire.

Richard was very curious and wanted to take it apart to study it carefully, but the packaging of the primary control core was very special, and it would self-destruct if it were forcibly cracked.

So, after thinking about it, Richard decided to wait until some time later before studying the secrets of this rudimentary control core.

As for the reason?

It's not that I'm worried about backdoors.

In the past, computer chips were mostly imported from abroad. China spent a lot of manpower and resources developing this technology because it was worried that the enemy might leave backdoors in the chips.

Richard already had a preliminary idea for this, although the core of control was a top secret of the Grey Dwarf Empire.

However, Richard refused to believe that he could find the relevant basic knowledge in the Grey Dwarf Brotherhood's database. He thought that after learning all the relevant basic knowledge, he could use a lot of energy points to explore the secrets of the matter by using the Inspiration Panel.

If 10,000 energy points aren't enough, then 50,000; if 50,000 aren't enough, then 100,000!

"Alright, Master Levi, your Phosphorus Battle Golem blueprints have been copied into this crystal ball. Please keep it safe." The gray dwarf girl smiled sweetly and respectfully handed the crystal ball to Richard again with both hands.

Clearly, the contents of the parchment scroll have been copied.

"Okay, thank you." Richard smiled and nodded, then turned and left the Grey Dwarf Brotherhood headquarters after taking the crystal ball.

As an alchemist, Richard enjoys a high degree of freedom within the Grey Dwarf Brotherhood. As long as he completes the relevant tasks as required, he can freely use the rest of his time.

For example, he has now returned to his villa.

"Fingart, go to the nearby puppet equipment shop and buy these parts for me, according to these specifications," Richard beckoned and instructed Fingart.

"Yes, my master."

Just then, a commotion arose outside the villa gate, mixed with the roars of what could be wild beasts or monsters.

Richard smiled slightly. "Hmm, Gorkan is very efficient. He purchased the living monster so quickly. It seems I can start trying to make the Phosphorus Combat Golem soon."

As Richard had expected, the two huge iron gates of the villa slowly opened, and a giant unicorn lizard, pulling an equally huge iron cage, slowly entered the empty garden.

There were three unicorn lizards, one after another.

"Master, there are three monsters at the level of a third-level wizard apprentice: a giant spiky-backed fighting boar, a furious clawed giant bear, and a dark water crocodile," Gorkan said respectfully, bowing slightly.

"Very good, Gorkan, eh." Richard was very satisfied with Gorkan's efficiency and nodded approvingly.

However, he noticed that Gorkan's eyes were red and swollen, as if he had just been crying.

Richard turned his head slightly again to look at the two Tokar Lake fishman tribe wizard apprentices who were accompanying Gorkan. At this moment, the tear stains at the corners of their eyes could still be seen.

What could possibly make a merman prophet, whose strength has reached the level of a formal wizard, cry?

Could it be that...

"Gorkan, has something happened in the tribe?" A thought flashed through Richard's mind, and he felt as if he had guessed something.

Richard's concern immediately broke Gorkan's defenses; he could no longer contain his grief and wept bitterly, saying:

"Master, the Tokar Lake fishman tribe is gone forever!"

"My wife, my son, and even my grandson Gorney are all dead!"

Richard was immediately startled!

Although I had heard Gorkan mention the blood sacrifices of some small tribes around Tug City, I had a bad feeling about it.

However, he never imagined that things would develop so quickly and affect him.

Does the mastermind behind this know that the fish-men tribe of Lake Tokar is now his vassal?

It's fine if you don't know.

But what if we knew?

This immediately gave Richard a sense of urgency.

Richard's expression turned serious, and he reassured him, "Don't worry, Gorkan, tell me the whole story."

After Gorkan calmed down a bit, he began to slowly recount the news he had received that morning.

Before long, Richard understood what had happened to the fish-men tribe of Lake Tokar. He never expected that the entire Lake Tokar fish-men tribe would suddenly suffer a misfortune and be killed!

"Gorkan, did you go to the scene?"

"Go, Master. The scene is a mess, just like those small tribes that were slaughtered before. Only ashes remain after the flames have burned, and there is no useful information to be found."

Richard immediately fell into deep thought.

It seems my hunch was right; the Grey Dwarf territory wasn't as safe as I had imagined.

Although it seems safe for me to stay in Tug City for now, I still need to start making some arrangements.

For example, I need to speed up the process of improving my skills.

Secondly, tomorrow I can apply to the Grey Dwarf Brotherhood to strengthen the defenses of my villa, which is also one of the privileges of the Mithril Emblem.

"Gorkan, go report this to the Grey Dwarf Brotherhood first. Also, check the relevant records to see if similar incidents have occurred before. I feel there might be more to this than meets the eye," Richard said in a deep voice.

"Although I can't guarantee anything to you right now, the murderer will pay a bloody price once the conditions are right," Li Wei said, patting Gorkan's shoulder gently.

"Thank you, Master. I'll head to headquarters now."

Although Gorkan did not obtain the mithril insignia, he possessed the bronze insignia of the Grey Dwarf Brotherhood thanks to his skill as a high-level alchemist.

From a certain perspective, Gorkan, in terms of both strength and connections, was Richard's number one servant in Tug City.

Watching Gorkan's hunched figure gradually disappear through the gate, Richard turned and gave him a word of advice:

"Stephena, don't bother me unless it's important. I need to do some experiments."

"Yes, Master."

"Also, if Fingart returns, have him bring the experimental materials in directly."

Just as Richard was about to kill the three-headed demon, the communication mark on his chest suddenly vibrated, and he sensed it in his consciousness.

Hey, it's Alhan's message mark.

Richard immediately checked the message sent by the other party.

The communication of signal marks between formal wizards is more like a text message from a past life. It's not that there is no real-time communication, but it is easily affected by external energy. Generally speaking, text message messages are more common.

"Master Levi, greetings. I apologize for bothering you. Tomorrow morning at nine o'clock, Vice President and Head of the Alchemy Department, His Excellency Hawkins, would like to meet with you in his office. I wonder if this time is convenient for you?"

Richard fell into deep thought as he read the message.

Tomorrow, the vice president of the Grey Dwarf Brotherhood, who is also the elusive head of the Alchemy Department, will take some time to meet with me.

Richard had anticipated that the higher-ups of the Grey Dwarf Brotherhood would want to see him.

The alchemical combination bombs I've been making these past few days will surely attract the attention of the Grey Dwarf Brotherhood's higher-ups once they're put to practical use.

Previously, Richard wasn't particularly interested in these semi-official meetings.

Moreover, he had already roughly guessed the other party's intention in meeting with him.

They simply wanted to buy the recipe for their alchemical combination bomb in the name of the Grey Dwarf Brotherhood.

Because alchemical combination bombs are not difficult to make, a senior alchemist specializing in explosives should be able to replicate them quickly after learning the formula and disassembling his finished combination bomb.

Moreover, the Grey Dwarf Brotherhood has two master alchemists specializing in explosives, which, in a sense, shows that they already respect him by sending a high-ranking member to discuss this matter.

After thinking about it, Richard replied as follows:

"No problem, Your Excellency Allehan. I will pay a visit to Vice President Hawkins at nine o'clock tomorrow morning."

(End of this chapter)