Wizards begin by accessing the Inspiration panel.

Chapter 203 Meeting

After Stephena dismissed the convoy and its servants transporting the giant spiky-backed fighting boar, the furious clawed bear, and the dark water crocodile, Richard slowly walked forward and looked at the monsters in the three huge iron cages.

Upon seeing Richard approach, the enraged crocodile fiercely rammed into the thick iron cage, "Bang! Bang!!"

"So noisy!"

The next second, the Darkwater Crocodile, which had just been roaring angrily, suddenly turned white-eyed and collapsed to the ground, motionless!

This terrified the other two monsters.

That was just Richard's innate sorcery, "Mental Shock!"

In an instant, he killed a Darkwater Crocodile, a monster at the level of a third-level wizard apprentice. Half a year ago, Richard would have had to exert a great deal of effort to kill it.

But now, for Richard, who has been promoted to a formal wizard, a single glance is enough to instantly kill his opponent.

Clearly, to Richard at this point, these three monsters, which were merely at the level of third-level wizard apprentices, posed no threat whatsoever.

[Gained 3122 energy points.]

After easily dealing with the three monsters, Richard headed to the alchemy room on the second basement level to make preparations.

Before long, Fingart had purchased all the body parts of the Phosphorus Battle Golem.

After the various parts of the body were brought over, Richard arranged them in a specific order.

From left to right, they are the head, torso, hands, hips, and legs.

The torso can be further divided into two main parts: the chest and the back. The legs are even more complex, and can be divided into the thighs, knees, calves, ankles, feet, and so on.

These phosphorus stone components have all been refined, significantly improving their hardness and plasticity. Furthermore, they have all been subjected to basic solidification magic, a commonly used level zero earth-based sorcery.

Therefore, Richard now needs to draw a magic array on the surface of the phosphorus combat golem according to the blueprints, and draw energy channels inside the parts. After both are completed, assemble them together and then cast the activation spell.

Richard brought up the Inspiration panel and glanced at the 8342 energy points he had just gained.

[Host detected creating Phosphorus Combat Golem. Do/Do you want to consume energy to gain inspiration for creating Phosphorus Combat Golem?]

Richard didn't hesitate to drag the slider all the way to the right and select "Yes!"

With a dizzying sensation, Richard's soul arrived in the dream space. This time, he came to a spacious basement, where the various components of the phosphor golem were also arranged in an orderly manner. In the center of the basement, there was a blurry figure who was bending over and carefully drawing something on the chest of the phosphor golem.

When Richard returned to his original body, he brought up the panel and saw the skill: Phosphorus Combat Golem Crafting (Mastery 9%).

This made Richard breathe a sigh of relief; he was lucky to have actually reached the master level.

I thought he was probably only at the proficient level, but I didn't expect him to be at the master level. One reason is that Richard had already studied a lot of basic puppetry knowledge in the past few days.

Secondly, the creation of the Phosphorus Combat Golem is not particularly difficult, as it is one of the mainstream golems. However, the difficulty of creating later golems such as the Obsidian Combat Golem is much greater, and the energy points required will naturally be much higher.

Having mastered the art of engraving magical arrays on the surface of the puppet's body parts and drawing the energy channels inside them during his dream, Richard found it quite easy to operate in the real world.

In no time, all the body parts that had been drawn were assembled together.

Richard clapped his hands, dusted them off, and looked at the tall phosphorescent battle golem with its surface engraved with intricate witchcraft arrays. A small sense of accomplishment welled up within him.

The next step is the last one.

As Richard began chanting the incantation for the resurrection spell, the nearly two-meter-tall phosphorescent battle golem began to undergo incredible changes.

Richard could clearly feel the energy core inside the puppet—a high-grade magic stone—outputting energy. The gaps between the various structural components on the puppet began to disappear, and after a few seconds, it was no longer possible to tell that the puppet was actually assembled.

Instead, it appears as if it were naturally formed, like a giant human-shaped rock.

At this moment, according to the blueprints, the maker can insert his mental tendrils into the primary control core of the Phosphorite Battle Puppet. Upon first contact, Richard discovered that with the slow input of mental energy, he could control the Phosphorite Battle Puppet at will.

"Knock knock knock"

This is a giant leap forward!

"Swish!"

This is a left hook plus a right hook!

Richard couldn't help but feel a surge of joy. The feeling of controlling the puppet was as if the Phosphorus Battle Puppet was an extension of himself, but the mental energy consumption was not small.

After taking another careful look, Richard discovered that it felt completely different from what he had imagined a clone to be, or rather, very different.

The mental energy consumption of controlling the phosphorus combat puppets is linked to the complexity of their movements. Moreover, Richard could sense that if he controlled multiple puppets simultaneously, the mental energy consumption would increase exponentially.

No wonder, wizards who specialize in puppetry never choose to control a large number of puppets in battle; the mental energy consumption is too great, making it inefficient.

This can be understood as follows: controlling five intermediate-level puppets consumes far more mental energy than controlling two advanced-level puppets, but in terms of combat power, two advanced-level puppets are far superior to five intermediate-level puppets.

So that's where the problem lies.

but

This phosphorescent combat golem also has another way of being used, which consumes very little mental energy. The wizard can choose to issue a simple command with the mental tendrils and then retract it, allowing the rudimentary control core within the golem to execute it automatically.

This surprised Richard quite a bit; it was somewhat like the robots from his previous life.

Of course, this simple instruction is far less precise than the previous method of continuous control via mental tendrils.

For example, if Richard gives the command "Attack!", the Phosphorus Battle Golem will automatically step forward and bombard the enemy with its fists, even if there is no one in front of it and even if the enemy has already fled.

Moreover, when Richard gave the order "Get the water cup," the Phosphorus Combat Golem was completely at a loss as to what to do.

However, if Richard goes a step further and specifies which cup or object it is, the puppet will step forward to take it, and it is very easy for the cup to be crushed on the spot by the Phosphorus Combat Puppet.

Therefore, the second method of controlling the puppet can only cope with repetitive labor scenarios, such as mining coal, until the puppet's energy is exhausted.

No wizard would be foolish enough to choose a second way of fighting if they wanted to deal with agile and mobile enemies.

From a certain perspective, this has indirectly promoted the development of advanced combat puppets.

-

Early the next morning, Richard arrived at his private alchemy room at the headquarters of the Grey Dwarf Brotherhood.

His headquarters' private alchemy room was also located on the second basement level, in the same alchemy hall where he had competed with Gorkan.

The alchemy hall on the second basement level has more than twenty private alchemy rooms, as well as dozens of public alchemy rooms available for rent at any time.

A private alchemy room is generally only available to alchemists. In addition, the Grey Dwarf Brotherhood will provide alchemists with relevant professional utensils and equipment based on their different specializations.

For example, the alchemy tools needed by Richard, a master alchemist specializing in explosives, are vastly different from those needed by an alchemist specializing in potionmaking.

Furthermore, equipment may be added or removed slightly depending on the individual alchemy master's personal habits and requirements. Therefore, even among alchemy masters in the same branch of potion-making, their exclusive alchemy rooms vary considerably.

However, Richard is an outlier among them. His alchemy lab has both pharmaceutical and explosives-specific equipment, which is what makes him a master of alchemy with two branches.

Richard finished all his work for the day in no time, checked the time, and realized it was about time to go upstairs.

Being punctual is a good habit and it also leaves a better first impression.

Hawkins, the vice president of the Grey Dwarf Brotherhood, has his office on the third floor of headquarters, which is the top floor.

The headquarters has a ceiling height of nearly ten meters on each floor, so even on the third floor, there is a very good view. Although the Underdark is usually gloomy and has low visibility, both the Grey Dwarves and the Night Elves have dark vision.

Therefore, the visibility they could see around them was similar to the visibility of the ground on a clear day. From the third floor, they could basically see the shape of most of Tug City.

Placing their offices at a high place gives them a sense of looking down on all living beings. It seems that in this respect, the leaders of the Grey Dwarves and the leaders of the Humans have almost the same philosophy.

As Richard stepped into the third-floor corridor, an elderly man resembling a gray-haired nobleman with a meticulously braided beard approached him and asked, "Excuse me, are you Master Li Wei?"

"Yes." Richard nodded.

The other party's aura was similar to his, clearly indicating that he was a master at the level of a formal wizard.

"Vice President Hawkins already told me that Master Levi would be coming today. Please follow me. Vice President Hawkins' office is the third from the bottom at the end of the corridor," the gray dwarf nobleman said respectfully.

Richard never expected that such a person would only be doing reception work on the third floor.

"Knock knock knock"

"Come in!" A deep, resonant voice came from inside the room, which must have been Vice President Hawkins.

Richard followed the elderly grey dwarf nobleman into the room, where he found it lush and green, with many rare and even unnamed plants in full bloom. If Richard hadn't known beforehand that this was a grey dwarf's office, he would have thought he had entered an elf's room.

Besides the green vines, the walls around the room are also covered with many oil paintings of various sizes.

It features battles between Grey Dwarf heroes and monsters, as well as Grey Dwarf wizards casting magnificent and powerful spells. The content is diverse, but all of it reflects the greatness of the Grey Dwarfs.

An elderly gray dwarf with a dignified appearance and an extremely deep aura, dressed in a magnificent black wizard's robe woven with gold thread and intricate patterns, sat behind an enormous mahogany desk.

Richard immediately recognized the person in front of him as Vice President Hawkins, and the other party's strength must have reached the level of a second-level archmage. His aura was profound and imposing, and his brown eyes seemed to be able to see through the fog.

"Haha, this must be the young and promising Master Li Wei, right?" Hawkins walked out from behind the desk with unusual politeness.

This caused a hint of surprise to flash in the eyes of the old gray dwarf nobleman. It seemed that Vice President Hawkins attached great importance to this newly joined human alchemy master.

You should know that when a typical deputy director of the Alchemy Department comes in, Vice President Hawkins won't even budge an inch.

"Yes, Vice President Hawkins, it's an honor to meet you for the first time!" Richard bowed slightly and gave a wizard's salute.

Hawkins walked over and sat down on a soft leather sofa, right across from Richard, and said, "Please sit down, Master Levi, don't be shy."

Facing a second-level Grand Wizard, Richard dared not be careless and sat upright, but in his heart he was not flustered at all.

Before he arrived, he had already assessed the other party's purpose in meeting with him.

Hawkins' eyes were like the starry sky, deep and wise, seemingly able to see into people's hearts. Just by glancing at Richard twice, Richard felt as if his whole body had been seen through.

"Li Wei, you must be under twenty years old, yet you're already a dual-system alchemy master in both pharmacology and explosives. That's incredibly rare."

"I wonder who your mentor is? I admire him so much. If I have the chance in the future, I must visit him."

Richard had already prepared his answer regarding his origins.

He calmly replied, "Vice President Hawkins, that may be difficult. I actually come from the surface world. I was injured in a battle with the night elves and unfortunately ended up in the gray dwarf region."

"I come from a wizarding academy for surface-dwelling humans called Gurus Academy. Have you ever heard of it?"

This immediately startled Hawkins, and the next second, a happy smile bloomed on his previously serious face.

"Haha, Li Wei, I like your honesty."

"I have watched how you prepare the golden horned frog eggs. Several of the steps use techniques commonly used by surface humans. It seems my guess was right."

Huh! Richard never expected that his match with Gorkan that day would be recorded by someone using a photographic technique.

Fortunately, I had no intention of hiding my origins.

There's a saying: "The enemy of my enemy is my friend."

The grey dwarves and night elves are sworn enemies, and the three major necromancer academies among the surface humans are currently locked in a fierce battle with the night elves.

Coming from one of the three major necromancer academies, he naturally became an ally of the gray dwarves.

Richard had already come up with a plan, and it seems that Hawkins has a very good first impression of him.

Hawkins seemed lost in some kind of memory, a hazy light flashing in his eyes, as he murmured, "The surface of the earth."

However, Hawkins quickly composed himself and said, "Levy, the feedback from many grey dwarf wizards who used the alchemical combination bomb you developed was excellent."

"So, the reason I invited you here today is to discuss with you whether your alchemical combination bomb formula can be sold to the organization. As for the price, it could be contribution points, magic crystals, or some rare materials. Of course, you can also make other requests."

This was almost exactly as Richard had predicted; they were indeed after the alchemical combination bomb.

Although Richard already had a plan in mind, he still pretended to be troubled and hesitant.

Hawkins, clearly a shrewd old fox, remained unhurried, calmly awaiting Richard's reply.

After a long pause, Richard finally managed to utter two sentences: "Vice President Hawkins, to be honest, I'm honored that my Alchemy Combo Bomb is so popular."

"But I personally have no intention of selling it. However, if the organization really needs it, may I ask how many contribution points the organization is willing to pay to acquire it if we choose to use contribution points?"

Hawkins could understand Richard's feelings at this moment. After all, if it were him, he would naturally be unwilling to sell the formula he had invented to the organization.

What could have been a long-term, sustainable business turned into a one-off deal.

In fact, if Richard's alchemical combination bomb hadn't been so incredibly useful that it caught the eye of a powerful figure in the Grey Dwarf Empire, the Grey Dwarf Brotherhood wouldn't have wanted to be the villain.

This kind of thing, which is somewhat coercive and forces members of an organization to sell their self-developed formulas, is really not a good thing to hear if it gets out.

Therefore, the reward that the higher-ups are willing to give this time is exceptionally generous.

"Haha, if you choose contribution points, Li Wei, the organization also has many exclusive formulas sold by alchemy masters that you can refer to, so you definitely won't suffer a loss."

"After testing your alchemical combination bomb recipe, several explosive alchemy masters estimated it to be worth between 5000 and 6000 contribution points. However, I can make the decision to increase it to 8000 contribution points."

Richard nodded. This price was definitely above average; Hawkins' premium was at least 30%.

Richard was not a greedy person, nor did he want to go to great lengths to gain benefits from this one matter, thereby offending the Grey Dwarf Brotherhood.

After all, his purpose in joining the Grey Dwarf Brotherhood was to gain protection, not out of jealousy or malice.

"Vice President Hawkins, this price is indeed very attractive, but if I really have to make a request, I would like to choose to exchange for an advanced control core."

Richard slowly revealed his true purpose.

The Advanced Control Core is only available to members of the Grey Dwarf Brotherhood at the Adamantite level, and the exchange price is 10,000 contribution points.

At the same time, the advanced control core is also an essential item for controlling advanced and higher-level puppets, such as the giant war golem, and is considered the highest-level alchemical product in the puppetry research of the Grey Dwarf Empire.

(End of this chapter)