Chapter 91: Chapter 78: Advent of the Divine Lamp (Part 2)

Many of the Flesh Sect’s Witchcraft spells required large quantities of Demonized Flesh as casting components, so this spell was extremely important. After all, even with spatial storage, one couldn’t possibly dedicate it just to holding a huge pile of materials—that would be far too extravagant.

After receiving the two Witchcraft spells, Isaac didn’t linger at headquarters and instead returned directly to the Real World.

His top priority was still to complete the Divine Lamp Grand Trial, and, if possible, to check in on what shenanigans Princess Philo was up to.

CRACKLE~

On a gravelly riverbank, several goblins were hunting Slimes with clubs when, suddenly, a bolt of crimson lightning crashed down. Isaac and Liu Li’s figures appeared on the bank.

GREEBLA WAAAGH...

SPLAT!

The goblins had just shrieked and were about to charge when Liu Li crushed them all with her Invisible Hand, not even a drop of blood spattering her.

"Tsk... Just how far off course are we?" Isaac said, sizing up his surroundings to pinpoint their location.

He could have chosen to return to his exact starting point. However, he figured this could be a viable escape plan if he ever ran into danger, so he’d opted for a random teleport to see how far off it would be.

"We’re still close. About... one or two hundred meters away," Liu Li reported to Isaac. After dispatching the goblins, she had leaped into the air and scanned their surroundings.

"’One to two hundred meters? Not bad,’ Isaac said. ’Alright, let’s head back.’ He casually tossed out a pumpkin, which transformed into a carriage with Shushu as its coachman, and they set off for Philis Town."

...

"Hm? He’s back?" Sitting on Angel’s lap, Philo watched Isaac casually step out of his carriage and stroll into the Veterans Tavern without a single sign of a struggle, her surprise evident.

"Those men are dead," Angel said in astonishment. She had withdrawn her hand to summon a Magic Book, and after a light pass over its surface, she had her answer.

Philo didn’t look at Angel’s Magic Book, afraid she wouldn’t be able to conceal the greed in her eyes. Instead, she turned directly to Remington. "A party of Adventurers—two Great Warriors, four Warriors, including an Archer. Could you take care of them?"

"No problem," Remington said confidently. "Even though we’re both Tier Two, Knights are far stronger than Warriors. We’re superior in every aspect, be it stamina, Combat Techniques, or weaponry."

"And what about without taking a single injury?" Philo pressed.

Remington fell silent. To claim he could do that would be pure arrogance. ’Of course, perhaps Caesar could... even before he became a High-level Knight...’

"See? Your brother managed it. He’s far stronger than you realize."

"..." Remington pressed his lips together, his heart sinking. However, the worst was yet to come...

"Aren’t you worried at all? This means your brother was just attacked by a party of Adventurers. You certainly changed your tune quickly, Sir Norns."

Remington remained silent in the face of Philo’s words.

"Hmph." Philo gave a light chuckle, getting off Angel’s lap. She began to push her wheelchair. "Let’s go. We need to buy a few things and prepare for the intense battle ahead."

「The next day.」

Philo and Angel went to the Veterans Tavern for their first meeting with Isaac. They exchanged some general intelligence—though to call it that was a stretch. It was mostly superficial information, like the layout of Philis Town and a rundown of the local factions.

In addition, Isaac introduced Liu Li to them. Since Liu Li would also be fighting in the Divine Lamp Grand Trial, she was a temporary ally, and it was best they get acquainted.

The rest of their conversation was just meaningless small talk.

And so, time slowly ticked by. Isaac kept himself busy; when he wasn’t researching Magic, he was running all over town with Liu Li, collecting the ritual materials needed to trade with the Outer Gods.

And surprisingly, he actually found something useful: scales from a Fishman’s heart. They could be used as a buffer in the trading ritual with the Deep Sea Evil God, the Lord of R’lyeh. Just ten scales increased the ritual’s margin for error by one percent—incredibly cost-effective!

Unfortunately, no one sold the things. They were worthless and had no market circulation. Fishmen aren’t particularly powerful Demons, and their scales are too weak to be used for Armor. As for their meat...

People rarely eat humanoid Demons; no one is that desperate for a meal.

So, no one bothered to salvage Fishman corpses. Small numbers were simply tossed into the river, while larger quantities were gathered and burned. Isaac even posted a collection request at the tavern, but few people accepted it.

The pay was only one Silver Coin for a hundred scales, which meant killing a dozen or so Fishmen. It was fine to grab some if you were already out, but making a special trip wasn’t worth the effort.

He could have increased the price, but Fishmen weren’t rare Demons, so there was no rush to collect all the scales right here and now. From Isaac’s perspective, raising the price would be a waste of money.

Even so, by the day the slots for the Divine Lamp Grand Trial finally appeared, he had leisurely collected eighty percent of the scales he needed!

On the day the slots appeared, Isaac and his three companions stood on the roof of a small building. Watching four beams of golden light descend from the sky, Isaac rolled his neck.

"Four slots, huh? Do we stick together or split up?" Isaac asked, looking at the other two.

Philo didn’t answer, looking instead to Angel. Angel stroked the Magic Book in her hands and said with a smile, "Let’s stick together. We’ll go that way."

Isaac followed her gaze to the southeast corner of Philis Town. It was the most chaotic district, where most of the low-to-mid-tier Adventurers gathered. Their overall strength was average; he’d heard there were only three Casters, all of them Magic Net Mages. The strongest group was a seven-man team led by four Great Warriors.

"Then that’s where we’ll go."

Isaac nodded in agreement. He had no objections. After all, Angel’s Chronicles of Time could predict the future to some extent. Since she didn’t recommend the other three locations, there was no need to take any chances. In any case, there were fourteen slots in total and only four had appeared so far. There would be more opportunities later.

With the decision made, Isaac tossed out a pumpkin that transformed into a carriage and flew across the sky toward their destination. Philo, meanwhile, summoned an Alchemy Demonic Puppet and flew off in the same direction, perched on its shoulder.

"Thank you," Angel said with a sweet smile over her shoulder. A winged Evil Spirit suddenly materialized and nodded at her. It then lifted her wheelchair, and with a beat of its wings, flew off toward the southeast as well.

Remington: ...

Watching the other three show off their unique methods of flight, Remington sighed and broke into a dead sprint.

Fortunately, even though he was on foot, he was a Great Knight—and one of the best, at that, with the potential to become a High-level Knight. His speed was nothing to scoff at. Leaping across the uneven rooftops, he arrived on the scene just moments after the other three.

By the time he arrived, the scene had already erupted into a chaotic free-for-all.

The Divine Lamp Grand Trial wasn’t just for Wizards; anyone could participate, and the rewards for success were substantial.

Assuming they succeeded, of course.

So, by the time Isaac and his group arrived, the tavern where the Little Divine Lamp had descended was already in ruins. The golden Lamp flitted from one person’s hands to another; whoever held it immediately became the target of a concentrated assault from all sides.

Well, not everyone. The sharp-eyed Isaac noticed some Adventurers were using the chaos as a cover to settle old scores, but the main fight was still centered on that small, golden glow.

Watching the chaotic battlefield, Isaac narrowed his eyes and said softly, "Liu Li, retrieve it."

"Yes!"

Liu Li gave a slight nod. Her Invisible Hand instantly maneuvered past the crowd, reaching for the Little Divine Lamp. Seizing the moment, Isaac cast a shield on himself and stepped into Harmon’s palm, ready to be lifted into the air at a moment’s notice.

Seeing this, Philo and Angel, though unable to see Liu Li’s Invisible Hand, knew Isaac was making his move. They immediately cast their own shields and prepared for a quick getaway.