Chapter 49: Chapter 41: Offline Master of Billions of Flesh

Stepping out of the pumpkin carriage, Isaac adjusted Shushu on his shoulder and strode toward the council hall.

Before long, Isaac walked into the council hall. At a glance, he saw that besides his father and older brother, four other people—three men and a woman—were seated across from his second brother.

These were the four Barons who served the Solomons Family.

They were Mad Sword Alitos Hall, Demon Wolf James Allen, the strongest Great Knight, Black Snake Barry Edward, and the Witch, Snake Princess Barbara Cook!

There wasn’t much to say about the first two. Both were at the Knight Level, and their titles of Baron were inherited, passed down from their ancestors who had achieved great deeds alongside the forebears of the Solomon Clan.

Black Snake Barry Edward, however, was different. He had carved out his title of Baron here in Solomon Fortress with his own formidable strength, one sword stroke at a time!

His strength had reached Great Knight Peak, and as long as he obtained the cultivation method and resources for a High-level Knight, he could attempt a breakthrough at any moment!

Of course, this wasn’t the orthodox Path of the Knight, which relied on the Power of Faith to become a High-level Knight. Instead, it was an alternative path—becoming a Demon Incarnation!

This path involved melting a Demon’s bloodline into one’s body and using a specialized Melting Skill to achieve a complete fusion. By doing so, one would shed their human identity and evolve toward a higher form of Existence!

It was an option no weaker than the orthodox Path of the Knight, and its threshold was even lower, as one could pursue it without the Power of Faith.

However, the "lower threshold" was only relative. For most people, the bloodline Melting Skill and its accompanying cultivation resources were exceedingly difficult to obtain!

Of course, the Solomon Clan was prepared for this. After all, their territory was only so large, limiting the number of High-level Knights they could support. It was one thing if their other retainers lacked talent, but what if they were gifted? Wouldn’t that potential go to waste?

However, even the Solomon Clan had only managed to assemble a single set of the necessary cultivation resources. Thus, if Barry wanted to become a High-level Knight, he would have had to find them on his own.

Of course, that was the situation before... 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

Isaac glanced at the excited Barry and his dejected second brother, Remington, and instantly understood. ’His second brother’s punishment isn’t officially over yet.’

It made sense. With a moment of thought, Isaac understood. ’Putting aside his failure to protect me and be a competent brother, the act of colluding with the enemy alone is enough to seal his fate.’

’He’s still alive for two reasons. First, the war with the Black Orcs is imminent. If word got out now that the second young master of the Solomon Clan colluded with them, the blow to morale would be unprecedented!’

’Second, Remington is nobility, and more importantly, he’s Gaia’s son. No matter how much Gaia loves his people like his own children, they’re only *like* children. Remington is his *actual* son. That’s why he won’t be executed.’

’Of course, while he might be spared a death sentence, he can’t escape punishment!’

’It’s foreseeable that he’ll face a reckoning as soon as the war with the Black Orcs is over. The severity of it might depend on his performance during the war, or it might not be affected at all.’

’After all, Gaia is the one making the final decision, not me or anyone else.’

’Still, the punishment is bound to be severe. Remington can forget about the resources to become a High-level Knight. I can guess from Barry’s expression that he’s been given quite the pep talk.’

’Then again, maybe it wasn’t just a pep talk.’

’Barry is a vassal of the Solomon Clan; his loyalty is beyond question. To be frank, he’s probably more loyal to Caesar than Remington ever was...’

’So, barring any surprises, it’s pretty much a given that the resources will go to him.’

’Unless Barry completely bombs this war or just gets himself killed.’

’But that’s unlikely. A Great Knight’s Life Force is incredibly potent. Their healing efficiency far surpasses that of a certain "strongest" from a modern story—they can even survive being cut in half at the waist!’

Isaac’s gaze only lingered on Barry for a moment. What truly piqued his curiosity was the woman in the last seat: the Witch, Snake Princess Barbara Cook.

Barbara was dressed in a loose, black Wizard Robe that concealed her figure completely. On her head sat a Witch’s Hat with a brim even wider than Isaac’s own. From his vantage point, all he could see was a glimpse of a pale, delicate chin.

Witches—people born with an innate and powerful Casting Ability!

Their childhoods were typically filled with fear and loneliness.

From a young age, the vast majority of Witches were feared and cursed by the Ordinary people around them. Their childhoods were tragic, and they often lost everything while still very young.

But...

This wasn’t simply because Ordinary people feared the unknown.

In fact, in a world where Extraordinary Power exists, being born with it would make you a treasure to your family, your village, or even your entire city—you certainly wouldn’t be shunned!

As long as such a person didn’t die prematurely, they were destined to become a powerful figure!

Witches, however, were the exception. It wasn’t because their powers were as evil as the Legends claimed; in fact, the abilities of many Witches had nothing to do with evil at all. So why were their lives so tragic?

Because their power was too strong, too easy to control, and awakened far too early...

In Isaac’s previous life, many people grew tired of hearing the phrase, "He’s just a child."

But the sentiment wasn’t wrong. A child’s worldview is still unformed. Their minds can harbor thoughts that adults would find terrifying, and they are prone to acting them out.

For example, many children will point a toy gun at someone and shout with a giggle, "Bang, you’re dead!" In their minds, they are simply mimicking the world they don’t yet understand.