In the Divine Dream Realm, Isaac floated in the empty Void, looking down at the Deep Dream Realm with a grave expression. After a moment of observation, he waved his hands, tracing one mysterious symbol after another in the air.

Under Isaac’s control, these peculiar symbols gradually formed a massive, three-dimensional pattern.

A closer look would reveal that this was the same Ritual Array as the one in the outside world.

A dual ritual. This was the latest method Isaac had devised.

The other Mad Witches had never even considered awakening the Outer God. They only wanted to trade with it here, relying on its half-awake state to increase their chances of success.

Therefore, Isaac had to devise a method to awaken the Outer God himself.

And his idea was quite simple: a forced awakening!

He would construct another plundering ritual on the surface layer of the Divine Dream Realm, skipping the trading process entirely. By forcibly plundering the Outer God’s source of power, he would trigger Its instinctual defense mechanism and force It to awaken.

Simple. Brutal.

But it was also extremely dangerous. It was a method only Isaac could use, because he could rely on his Golden Finger to ensure his own survival.

Soon, the massive Ritual Array was complete. Isaac took a deep breath, glanced one last time at the Deep Dream Realm, and then resolutely activated the ritual!

A dazzling red light shot toward the heavens!

"Master of Billions of Flesh! Time to get up!"

BOOM!

After a massive roar, Isaac’s vision blurred. He opened his eyes with a look of resignation, finding himself back in the laboratory. Nearly half of the Demonized Flesh before him had vanished.

’I failed...’

’The idea was right, but I overestimated my own power.’

His ritual had indeed triggered the Master of Billions of Flesh’s instinctual defenses, but It hadn’t woken up.

Because after the ritual began, a giant, scarlet hand had reached out from the Deep Dream Realm and, with a single slap, obliterated both Isaac’s Ritual Array and his ethereal form...

’The approach was right, but... the details still need some refinement...’

Isaac walked to his desk, lost in thought. He recorded the experimental data, placed it with his notes from the recent gathering, and then stood up to begin preparing the Dragon Transformation Secret Medicine.

His eldest sister’s celebration for her promotion to Grand Arcanist was in just over two weeks. He would have to set out as soon as he finished the Dragon Transformation Secret Medicine. After all, his status was different; he couldn’t just show up on the day of the banquet like everyone else.

The Solomon Clan wasn’t yet on par with the great Nobility, so the relationship between the brothers hadn’t deteriorated too badly.

’Well, that’s if Remington hadn’t been an idiot back then...’

Thinking of Remington, Isaac sighed as he measured out the secondary ingredients. ’I wonder if my eldest brother has accepted the fact that I killed our second brother yet...’

’It’s been a while, so he should have... right?’

Isaac shook his head, pushing the troublesome thoughts aside and focusing his attention on brewing the Magic Potion.

’It’s a shame I’m running out of time,’ he thought. ’Otherwise, after the project team’s symposium on the Dragon Transformation Secret Medicine, I could probably improve its quality a bit.’

’But as for now...’

’Even though I’m a Grand Wizard now, the quality of the Dragon Transformation Secret Medicine won’t change. At most, I’ll just be a bit more efficient at brewing it.’

「Three days later.」

The brewing of the Dragon Transformation Secret Medicine was complete. Isaac poured it into a transparent vial, placed the vial in a gift box, and casually tossed the box into his Phase Space before heading for the door.

RIIIP~

Sensing Isaac’s movement, Harmon—who had fallen into a semi-conscious state after Isaac’s promotion—emerged. It sleepily waved a claw at Isaac, and a gentle breeze swirled around him, carrying away any grime and strange odors.

"You’re awake?"

"Hiss~"

"Then get some rest. There won’t be any fighting for a while."

"Hiss."

Harmon tapped its claws and retreated back into Isaac’s body.

Outside the laboratory, Smith, Liu Li, the Saint Master, and Shushu—who was perched on the Saint Master’s shoulder—were already waiting by the door with their luggage packed.

Luggage was a generous term, as there were only one or two small suitcases. Despite their numbers, only Isaac and Smith actually needed a change of clothes. Shushu and the Saint Master wore none, while Liu Li’s clothes were manifested along with her appearance, meaning she didn’t need to pack anything either.

"Everyone ready? Let’s go then." Isaac smiled as he walked up to the group. The space behind him began to ripple, and in the blink of an eye, it swallowed them whole.

When they reappeared, they were already at the gates of Solomon Castle.

"Who’s there!" The moment Isaac and his group appeared, the expressions of the guards at the castle gate changed. They immediately drew their longswords, aiming the points directly at Isaac.

However, upon seeing Isaac’s face, they immediately plunged their longswords into the ground, knelt on one knee, and bowed their heads in apology.

"Our apologies, Young Master Isaac!"

"It’s nothing. You did well." Isaac smiled and waved his hand dismissively. He then looked up at the sky with a helpless sigh, at the barrier only a select few could see.

’As expected of a Grand Arcanist,’ he thought.

’Her Defense Barrier is so strong that even my Phase Teleportation, taught to me by an Evil God, couldn’t break through it. I could only make it to the gate. Truly impressive.’

"Little brother, why didn’t you give me a heads-up before you came?" Before Isaac could even look away from the barrier, his eldest sister’s figure materialized in front of them. Her expression as she looked at him was a mixture of pride and exasperation.

She was proud of how quickly Isaac was progressing. It felt like no time at all, and he was already a Grand Wizard. Such speed was considered fast even among the Legendary Mages and Mad Witches who were accustomed to taking shortcuts. On top of that, he could use Space Magic to teleport directly to the castle gates.

After all, the barrier she had cast didn’t just seal off the space within it. It prevented any unauthorized Space Teleportation within a ten-kilometer radius of its perimeter!

Yet Isaac had teleported right to the castle gates—a testament to his power.

At the same time, however, Cheryl knew such power couldn’t have been obtained through normal means. It most likely came from some Outer God...

But Isaac’s path as a Mad Witch was unstoppable, and there was nothing she could do about it.

"I just got a little stronger, so I wanted to see how I’d fare against the power of a Grand Arcanist," Isaac said with a cheeky grin.

"And what’s your impression?"

"Utterly unfathomable!" Isaac said with genuine admiration.

"Hah, as if I needed you to tell me that. Come on, when Father sees you’ve been promoted, he’ll be..." Cheryl stopped mid-sentence and sighed. "He’ll be happy to see you."

Isaac just chuckled at Cheryl’s sudden change of subject, not taking it to heart.

’If I’d taken a normal path, Father and the others would’ve been overjoyed and proud of my promotion. But alas, I’m a Mad Witch. The path I walk is just a tad... abnormal.’

’So it’s only normal for them to have mixed feelings.’

Cheryl glanced at the people and creatures behind Isaac. Her gaze lingered for a moment on Liu Li and Smith, her brow furrowing slightly, but she said nothing more. She simply turned and led Isaac through the castle gates.