Chapter 38: Chapter 32: Take This, Blue Silver Entanglement

In the council chamber of Solomon Fortress, an old man with graying hair, clad in heavy full-plate armor, gazed at Isaac with a complex expression. Though he had long since received Caesar’s letter and even prepared a gift, seeing Isaac in person still filled him with complicated emotions.

Truth be told, the old man never wanted Isaac to become a Wizard, especially not a Legendary Mage!

His most beloved wife had been cursed by a Legendary Mage, causing her to die during a difficult childbirth while delivering Isaac. This was also why Isaac’s body was so frail; despite exhausting every means at his disposal, the old man could only manage to keep his son alive, unable to nurse him to better health.

But that was fine by him. The old man held no great expectations for Isaac; he would be content if his son could simply live out his life in peace.

Legendary Mages were undeniably powerful, but every step on their path was like walking a tightrope. The slightest misstep would lead to a doom from which there was no recovery.

However, Isaac was a Legendary Mage now, so there was little he could say. His son had made his choice, and as a father, his only option was to support him.

"Here," the old man said, retrieving a silver box from the side. A faint smile graced his lips as he handed it to Isaac. "A gift for becoming a Wizard, and for your recovery."

"Thank you, Father." Isaac raised an eyebrow as he stepped forward to accept the silver box. Opening it, he found a fifty-centimeter-long Magic Wand.

"Try it," the old man said with a smile.

Isaac nodded and took the Magic Wand from the box. The instant he infused it with Magic Power, information about the wand flooded his mind. ’This is... a Relic?!’

Isaac stared in astonishment, examining the blood-red Magic Wand in his hand. ’This is actually a Relic?’

Relics were a unique class of Magic Items, characterized by their incredible abilities and immense potential for growth.

Relics came in two forms. The first was formed upon the death of a Legendary Mage, when the Legend they embodied had a chance to coalesce into an artifact. Such an item would possess all the abilities of that Legend and could even grow stronger along with its new owner. The second type was an artificially created Relic, made by binding a specific spell to a special material. Once successfully created, the wielder could instantly cast the spell by expending their own Magic Power, and this type of Relic also had the potential to grow.

It was hard to say which of the two was superior. The former, being naturally formed, held greater possibilities. The latter was more practical but felt somewhat artificial, its core abilities largely fixed.

But regardless of the type, any Relic was exceedingly precious.

They were, in the truest sense, items that could last a lifetime.

After a moment of surprise, Isaac quickly composed himself. He stroked the Magic Wand, once again focusing on the three Liberation Magic Spells emanating from within.

He instructed Shushu, "Summon a few rats over."

RIIIP—

To the old man’s utter shock, a hideous Demon Claw burst forth from behind Isaac’s head. The serrated maw in its palm let out a roar at Shushu on Isaac’s shoulder.

"Sigh..." Seeing the shocked expression on his father’s face, Caesar couldn’t help but press a hand to his forehead. ’This feeling...’

He knew it all too well.

The first time he’d seen Harmon emerge from the back of Isaac’s head, it had scared him half to death—especially with the accompanying sound of ripping flesh!

SQUEAK SQUEAK~ Shushu rubbed its tiny paws together, and a peculiar ripple of energy spread out.

"Hm? An Authority?!" The old man’s eyes abruptly transformed into slitted pupils, his gaze fixed on the rat on Isaac’s shoulder as a golden light swirled within them.

"That’s the result of Isaac’s research—a Divine Species that has condensed an Authority," Cheryl explained, noticing her father’s reaction. "What’s more, Isaac cultivated this Divine Species from scratch himself."

The old man nodded, his pupils returning to normal. Notably, throughout this entire exchange, not the slightest trace of his powerful aura had leaked out.

This was a habit he had cultivated since Isaac’s birth. Back when Isaac’s body was weak, he couldn’t even bear a light breeze, let alone his father’s terrifying presence. Thus, the old man had long grown accustomed to completely suppressing his power and aura whenever he was around Isaac.

A moment later, seven rats scurried out from a corner, lining up in a neat row.

"Hmm." Isaac nodded in satisfaction. He then pointed his Magic Wand at three of the rats and chanted, "Devour it! Silver Moon Vine!"

WHOOM!

A brilliant light of Magic Power instantly converged. Three vines shot out from the tip of the Magic Wand, flying toward three of the rats with incredible speed and binding them tight. Thorns then sprouted from the vines and pierced the rats’ bodies. After an eerie green flash, only a pile of gray fur and withered bones remained.

HISS!!!

Isaac sucked in a sharp breath. ’Damn, this vine-binding spell is vicious!’

Silver Moon Vine was the name of the Magic Wand. It currently held three types of magic, corresponding to three different Magic Spells: "Devour it! Silver Moon Vine!", "Strangle it! Silver Moon Vine!", and "Bind it! Silver Moon Vine!". These corresponded to magical attack, physical attack, and control effects, respectively.

The strength of the vines was determined by the wielder’s maximum Magic Power, yet it didn’t require a full infusion of that power to achieve its maximum intensity.

All in all, it was an incredibly practical tool. Moreover, the Magic Spells it contained were not set in stone; as Isaac grew stronger, the spells on the wand would adapt to better suit his own Magic System.

This was because the Silver Moon Vine was not an artificially created Relic and thus possessed great potential for evolution.

However, to truly become the master of the Silver Moon Vine, he would need to perform a ritual to bind it to himself. Otherwise, he would be limited to using only these three basic abilities.

"I’m glad you like it," the old man said with a small smile.

"I do. Thank you, Father." With a slight bow, Isaac tactfully stepped aside. It was his second brother’s turn now.

Sure enough, as Isaac withdrew, the old man’s gaze fell upon his second brother, Remington.

Remington’s body trembled. He walked forward with his head lowered and knelt in silence. He could tell from his father’s gaze that his plans had been completely exposed.

It made sense. Everything he had was a gift from his father. His father might permit some minor machinations, but certain lines were absolutely not to be crossed.

Things like colluding with the enemy, or... allowing goblins to run rampant.

The latter, in particular, had directly endangered Isaac’s life. Even with Smith’s protection, and though danger was unlikely, "unlikely" was not the same as "impossible!"

In his father’s eyes, these two transgressions were absolute taboos.

A flicker of pity crossed Caesar’s eyes as he watched Remington kneel on the floor. He started to step forward to plead on his brother’s behalf, but a single stern glare from the old man stopped him in his tracks.

At home, the old man’s authority was absolute. Even Isaac, the most favored son, didn’t dare speak out of turn when their father was serious.

Even with his entire aura suppressed, some things simply could not be hidden. After all, the old man before them was the Imperial Sword Saint, Gaia Solomon—the man known as the "Mad Lion!"