’What a pity. The shortcut to becoming a Legendary Mage is ultimately a bit lacking. The ceremony only boosted his Magic Power; it would have been perfect if it had also granted the corresponding Witchcraft. After all, Wizards are different from Knights. Wizards fight primarily with their minds.’

’He’ll still have to study diligently when he gets back to be considered a true Grand Wizard. Right now? He’s just an empty shell of Magic Power.’

As the advancement ended, a hazy portal of light and shadow unfolded behind Isaac. The Great Sword Ghost and the Demonized Rats turned into crimson streaks of light and disappeared inside. Witnessing this, the youth’s eyes narrowed once more. ’So that thing really is reusable!’

’In other words, Isaac truly commands a two-thousand-strong Tier Two legion!’

’It seems I really must re-evaluate the relationship between Isaac and the House of Solomon. If their bond hasn’t changed because of Remington Solomon’s death, then the Solomons can’t be treated as just any new Count.’

’Three High-level Knights, a Grand Arcanist of impeccable standing, and now Isaac’s two-thousand-strong Tier Two legion...’

’Compared to a normal Marquis, the only thing they’re lacking is a Tier Four Transcendent!’

’They cannot be underestimated...’

The youth gave Isaac a deep look, then turned and went back into his cabin.

...

After the ceremony, everyone returned to East Port aboard the Noy Clan’s ship. Unlike the journey there, this trip was free of charge—a small perk, one might say.

Isaac didn’t know what the others thought, but he was certainly happy about it. Who doesn’t love a free ride?

Back in East Port, Isaac wasn’t in a rush to return. After all, on top of the ceremony and the Sea Race heads, he had also acquired a large amount of equipment. Though most of it was junk, selling it off could still fetch three to five hundred Gold Coins. There was his meal money for the next month, right?

Moreover, he also needed to discuss the matter of the island with the Noy Clan.

Selling it was out of the question.

In the future, if he couldn’t buy a Floating Island, he could always stick this one in his Dimension, slowly modify it, and turn it into a Floating City. However, his Dimension was currently only a little over a thousand cubic meters, which was nowhere near the size of this island.

But the Solomon territory had no access to the sea, so he had no choice but to leave the island here. This, in turn, required a discussion with the Noy Clan. After all, while it wasn’t specified in the official deeds, the coastal waters were effectively their domain.

And while he was waiting, Isaac received a pleasant surprise—the blonde girl, Sylvie, and the Arcanist, Avin!

Isaac was beyond delighted by Avin’s arrival. To him, Avin was like a lighthouse, illuminating the path forward!

"Brother, you’re finally here!" Isaac strode forward and pulled Avin into a bear hug, much to the astonishment of Avin, Sylvie, and the young man with them.

The young man glanced at Sylvie and blinked, a question in his eyes: ’They knew each other before?’

Sylvie’s gaze flickered back: ’No.’

His expression seemed to ask, ’Then why is he being so friendly?’

Sylvie’s look replied, ’It’s... a long story. You’ll understand in a moment.’

The young man raised an eyebrow and dropped the silent "conversation."

"Uh... sorry to bother you," Avin said, taking two uncomfortable steps back.

"Not at all! Come, come, sit down," Isaac said with a laugh, ushering the three of them inside. Once they were all seated, he asked, "I don’t believe I know your names?"

The young man: "..."

’He’s this enthusiastic and he doesn’t even know their names? What on earth did this Avin guy do?’

"Ahem. I’m Avin Northman. This is Sylvie Hass, and he is Iriel Norman." 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

A flash of understanding lit up Isaac’s eyes. ’Just as I thought, all Nobility. And the blonde girl is from a major house, no less. Hass... also Nobility of the Terra Empire, and a Duke, even!’

’But unlike Duke Norman, Duke Hass isn’t a border duke. That doesn’t mean he’s any less significant, though. Duke Hass runs the Lion Merchant Association, which dominates the entire continent. It’s no exaggeration to say he’s as wealthy as a kingdom!’

’Most importantly, this is an Extraordinary World. So not only is he as rich as a kingdom, his own personal power is also immense!’

’Otherwise, he’d never be able to hold on to such tremendous wealth.’

’As for Iriel, I’ve seen him around a few times. We’ve never spoken, but I know he’s from the Norman Clan. But Avin Northman... isn’t he just a minor noble?’

’If I remember correctly, his family is only at the level of Baron. But a mere Baron, running around with the children of two different Dukes?’

’Either his family has some well-kept secrets, or Avin’s own talent is simply astonishing.’

But regardless of the reason, it didn’t change Isaac’s opinion of Avin. After all, Avin was the lighthouse that had illuminated his future path!

Avin felt uncomfortable under Isaac’s intense gaze. Clearing his throat, he got straight to the point. "You’ve probably guessed some of the reasons we’re here. Are you... really planning on using an Evil God Ceremony as your advancement ritual?"

Isaac nodded matter-of-factly. "Of course. If one is going to take a shortcut, one should naturally take the fastest one. Otherwise, why call it a shortcut? But I won’t be doing it just yet. Before, I only suspected this method was possible, but I hadn’t confirmed it, nor did I know the specific steps. All I’ve learned from you so far is that it *can* be done."

With that, Isaac sighed emotionally. "You know, you’ve really done me a huge favor! It seems this information is being suppressed. I looked through so many books in my older sister’s collection and found no mention of it. If I hadn’t run into you, who knows how many detours I would have taken! Rest assured, I will remember this debt. If you ever need anything in the future, don’t hesitate to come find me!"

As soon as he finished, Sylvie and Iriel both scooted their chairs a little farther away.

Iriel stared at Avin with a look of utter novelty. ’Good heavens. I’ve known him for so many years, and only now do I discover how completely wild this kid is on the inside, guiding a Mad Witch down what is universally acknowledged as the craziest path...’

’Truly...’

Sensing his companions’ stares and movements, Avin felt the corner of his mouth twitch. ’I’m so screwed. I might actually go down in history as a villain for this...’

But it was alright. This was exactly why he had come.

Avin then reached into his wide wizard’s sleeve and pulled out a Magic Book. It had a brown leather cover, but a dark aura seemed to seep from it. He held it out to Isaac.

"It’s normal that you couldn’t find anything. This path is extremely dangerous, so the relevant information was sealed by the association long ago. Lady Cheryl must have been the one who restricted your access so you couldn’t look it up. To be honest, I don’t know the exact method either. This book only contains a part of it, but I hope it will be helpful."

Staring at the Magic Book Avin held out, Isaac, Sylvie, and Iriel were all stunned. Isaac never expected Avin to offer more help; he had been certain Avin would try to stop him!

Seeing the confusion in Isaac’s eyes, Avin gave a bitter smile. If he could, he would have tried to stop him. ’But do I have the power? The status? The relationship to do so?’

’I have nothing...’

"I know I can’t stop you," Avin said. "So, my only hope is that you keep succeeding. That way, I won’t have to become a villain of history!"

Sylvie and Iriel froze for a second before realization dawned. It was true. Isaac was neither friend nor family; why on earth would he listen to their advice?

If things were that simple, he wouldn’t be on the path of a Mad Witch to begin with.

So, rather than let him find his own way and fail, it was better to lend him another hand and do everything possible to ensure he *didn’t* fail!

’After all, the result would be the same if he failed, no matter what.’

Isaac looked at Avin, a smile returning to his face. He accepted the Magic Book with a solemn expression and said, "Thank you. And like I said, if you ever need help in the future, just find me. If it’s something I can do, I’ll do it without hesitation! And what’s more, I will absolutely not fail!"

Isaac’s words were brimming with confidence, but Avin remained completely unmoved. Every Mad Witch who had ever failed had been just as confident right before the end.

After giving Isaac the book, Avin and his companions left quickly. Despite Isaac’s warm reception, they had no desire to get too entangled with a Mad Witch.

Isaac was well aware of this, but he didn’t mind. He was a practical man. Attitudes were unimportant; actions were what mattered.

In any case, Isaac had firmly committed this favor to memory.