Wizard Lord:I can Extract Anything

In the commercial district, at Anna's small shop.

"I can lend you a hundred magic stones, but why do you need to buy a premium Focus Potion? Those aren't cheap. What do you plan to do with it?" Anna asked, surprised at her junior.

Richard cleared his throat and delivered his prepared explanation. "Anna, I'm studying the Focus Potion myself. I think the one from the commercial district might have similarities to the one our teacher gave me. Buying a bottle might inspire me."

"Inspiration?" Anna rolled her eyes. "Alchemy is about practice, not relying on some elusive inspiration."

Despite her words, Anna went to the back of the shop and returned with a 100ml bottle of light blue potion.

"Here, a premium Focus Potion. It sells for thirty magic stones. I bought it second-hand, so the price doubled," she said, playfully waving the potion in front of Richard. "Now, how many magic stones do you think it's worth?"

Richard looked at the potion, conflicted. He didn't have many magic stones left.

"You really believed that?" Anna teased, knocking on his head. "This stuff is rare in the academy. If you try to buy it with just magic stones, you'll never get one."

"So... are you giving it to me?" Richard's eyes lit up.

"In your dreams," Anna replied, glaring. "Consider it a loan. When you make a premium Focus Potion, you owe me two bottles."

"Do you accept this condition?"

"Yes, yes, of course!" Richard nodded eagerly, adding, "Anna, you're the best!"

Anna blushed slightly. "Get going and make your potion. I should've asked for three bottles!"

...

Back in his dorm, Richard activated the Miracle Furnace with the potion.

[Material: Premium Focus Potion]

[Skill Extraction: Potion Crafting (Incomplete)]

[Extraction Cost: 10 Mental Power]

[Information Extraction: Focus Potion Formula]

[Extraction Cost: 10 Mental Power]

[Proceed with Extraction?]

"I can extract the formula?" Richard's heart leapt. "If that's the case, I could potentially extract formulas from all academy-sold potions."

This bold idea thrilled him, but he quickly suppressed it. Even if he extracted many formulas, he couldn't sell them in the commercial district. Wizards could easily identify if a potion wasn't his original formula.

Stealing knowledge was a grave crime, one even Jolord couldn't protect him from.

"Though I can't sell them, I can use them myself," Richard mused, grinning. "If so many potions are sold, acquiring one or two shouldn't be difficult."

Richard chose to extract the skill. With his mental power at twenty-three, he only felt a slight dizziness before the extraction finished.

Absorbing the skill orb, Richard felt transformed. Materials handled like clay in his hands, and he navigated potion-making effortlessly, instinctively responding to any situation.

Afterward, Richard shook his head to clear it, then gathered the materials for the Focus Potion.

Crushing, filtering, extracting, grinding—his hands worked automatically, processing materials without his conscious thought.

"The wizard's skill is truly formidable."

Richard exhaled, feeling a renewed respect for wizards.

...

With this skill, potion-making became second nature. Although he still experienced failures, they were unavoidable. Throughout this process, Richard kept meticulous records, dissatisfied with the formula's vague instructions.

He believed low potion success rates were largely due to these ambiguous guidelines.

Thus, a month passed swiftly.

"You made all these?" Anna stared at the box of Focus Potions, feeling dizzy.

She wondered if her meditation had gone awry, creating an illusion of her junior, who had only begun making potions a month ago, presenting her with a box of potions for sale.

This must be a hallucination!

"Anna, will you help sell these potions?" Richard asked, annoyed by her silence.

After gaining the skill, Richard dedicated the month to potion-making. After spending the money borrowed from Anna, he produced sixty-five bottles of Focus Potion, with a success rate of nearly two-thirds.

"Yes, of course." Anna snapped back to reality, cautiously asking, "How many times did you fail? The magic stones I lent shouldn't have been enough."

A shameful thought crossed Anna's mind—she hoped Richard had failed more often.

But Richard's answer shattered her hopes.

"I failed a lot, with about a fifty percent success rate," Richard replied, feigning embarrassment. Jolord's records of his former students' achievements listed a fifty percent success rate as below average.

To Richard, this matched his status as a low-level apprentice.

"How much?" Anna felt faint again. Since becoming an apprentice, she'd never felt so powerless.

"Half," Richard repeated. "Anna, I've just started making potions. Isn't a high failure rate normal?"

"A fifty percent success rate! For apprentices starting on Focus Potions, ten percent is average, twenty percent shows talent. To achieve fifty percent as a beginner, I..."

Anna struggled to face Richard. She thought they shared similar talent in magical gear, but it seemed Richard's talent was far more astounding.

"Really?" Richard forced a smile, feeling his face stiffen. "According to the teacher's records, I'm nowhere near the top."

Anna took a deep breath, trying to speak calmly.

"Richard, our teacher has taught hundreds of students. Those he takes as students are exceptionally gifted, and those mentioned in his books are geniuses."

"Haha, I knew I wasn't that bad, not even reaching the bottom of the list," Richard said, feigning excitement. He'd resigned himself to this outcome.

Genius or not, he made the potions himself and could replicate them if needed.

With so many native predecessors setting high standards, his achievements as a transmigrant weren't too conspicuous.

"But don't get cocky," Anna warned, reverting to her usual composed demeanor. "Many talented apprentices exist, but few become wizards."

"Understood," Richard nodded obediently.

Anna counted the potions in the box—forty-six bottles. At five magic stones each, they would earn Richard nearly one hundred thirty magic stones in profit.

Richard intentionally sold fewer than he could have. Had he wanted, he could have earned more.

"For consignment, I won't take a cut," Anna said, placing the potions in the counter and handing Richard a bag of magic stones. "Focus Potions sell quickly, so I'm paying you upfront."

Richard felt a warm gratitude, taking the stones and bidding Anna fare.well before heading to the central Black Tower.

Rest wasn't necessary. With money in hand, he planned to indulge himself.