The moment Isaac touched the Magic Book, a stream of information flashed through his mind. He understood what "Mad Witch Society" meant on its cover...
The Mad Witch Society was a loose organization of wizards. More precisely, it organized gatherings for wizards.
Only wizards who had successfully made a deal with an otherworldly being could join!
Whether they had seized a demon god's dimensional fragment like Isaac, traded for magical knowledge, or even obtained certain Authorities, they could join as long as the deal had succeeded, they were still alive, and they had retained their independence.
In other words, it was a gathering of mad wizards!
Geniuses, too, of course.
The main reason the Mad Witch Society was called a gathering rather than an organization was that it had no mandatory rules. It simply gave mad wizards like Isaac a place to talk.
The Mad Witch Society held a small gathering every month and a large one every year. Wizards of the same rank attended the small gatherings to discuss magic and pool their ideas. They could also trade anything from magical knowledge to magical materials.
The large gatherings, meanwhile, brought every Mad Witch together regardless of strength. They were enormous!
Outside those gatherings, Mad Witches could also talk in real time through the Magic Book, much like the group chats from his previous life. The difference was that these chats had level restrictions: members could only join chats for their own rank.
Beyond that, the Mad Witch Society provided its members with nothing—not magical knowledge, not magical materials.
In other words...
"Nothing but benefits?"
Isaac blinked. That seemed... like a good thing?
After some thought, Isaac picked up the Magic Book and slowly opened it. Trap or not, he had no power to resist it right now. He might as well accept it and quietly build his strength.
Then, even if it was a trap, he could break through it with sheer force!
The Magic Book looked thick, but it actually had only three pages. One was a chat window, almost entirely blank. Its latest message announced that he had joined. He couldn't tell whether past messages were hidden or the chat really was that quiet.
Of the other two pages, one held a list of names and the other a Magic Array.
Every name on the list belonged to a Formal Wizard. He gave it a quick look and counted thirty or forty people. There were more lunatics in this world than he had thought.
The Magic Array was for teleportation. On the first of each month, he could use it to travel to a dimension for a gathering. At other times, he could use it to project himself into that dimension for everyday conversations.
"A name?" Sensing the request from the page of names, Isaac glanced at what the others had chosen. He considered having a little fun, then settled on something more formal—Solomon!
The name reflected a small ambition of his. One day, he would become a mage who commanded demon gods, just like Solomon from the myths and legends of his previous life!
When Isaac inscribed his name, a purple glow flickered across the Magic Book, then faded.
The first was still a week away, so Isaac put the Magic Book away after a brief look. He had nothing he wanted to discuss with the others yet. He would lurk for a while and see how things went.
"Ahhh..."
Isaac put away the Magic Book, stretched at length, and left the laboratory.
Breakfast first.
"Young Master Isaac, we've located every Goblin Lair nearby. Here's the information we've gathered over the past few days." Smith had been waiting outside for some time. As soon as Isaac emerged, he gave his report and handed him several sheets of paper.
Isaac nodded and read the papers as he walked toward the dining room. His brows drew together.
They contained the information he had asked Smith to gather about the Goblin Lairs. Isaac doubted he was the only one who had thought of keeping them as a steady source of Demonic Flesh.
Yet he had never heard of anyone doing it. He had suspected there was a hidden danger, but he had needed large amounts of Demonic Flesh, so he had let the Goblin Lairs grow for a while.
Smith's investigation confirmed his suspicions. Goblin Lairs really could produce goblins without end, like enemies respawning in a game.
But even magic had to obey the law of conservation of energy!
The magic that Goblin Lairs used to spawn goblins came from three sources. Two were local: the air and the earth. The last was more mysterious. Most believed it came from the Dimensional World held by the Legendary Wizard who had created goblins.
And those three sources were precisely where the problems lay!
The first two were straightforward. If goblins multiplied unchecked, the concentration of Magic Power in the surrounding air would fall, and nutrients would rapidly drain from the soil. Given enough time, the area would become a wasteland!
The third source was no less troubling. No one knew where it connected, but drawing Magic Power from it for too long would cause sinister magical creatures to appear!
Creatures far stronger than goblins!
"Tsk. Of course it wasn't that easy. We'll stop farming goblins here. Destroy every Goblin Lair, but keep bringing back the bodies."
"Understood, Young Master Isaac." Smith nodded, then took a letter from his coat and handed it to Isaac. "Young Master, your elder brother sent this. It came with a thousand Gold Coins, a manuscript on witchcraft, and a Magic Book from your elder sister."
"They know I've become a wizard?" Isaac raised an eyebrow as he took the letter.
"Yes. The Shadow Guard probably saw us clearing out the goblins," Smith said with a nod.
This was the heart of Solomon Territory, after all. Even if the family didn't control every inch of it, they controlled eighty percent. There was no hiding what Isaac's group had done—not that they had tried.
Isaac smiled and opened the letter. Partway through, he frowned and paused. "Uncle Smith, do you know much about Black Orcs?"
"Black Orcs? Right, it's almost time for them to come." Smith's brow furrowed. "I do. They're a race from the Dark Land. They don't farm; they live by hunting. In autumn and winter, they gather in large numbers, invade our territory, and steal food. Did your elder brother ask you to go back until they're gone?"
"Yes. He wants me to stay at the fortress for a while. Starting next month, even the heart of the territory won't be completely safe. But if I'm going, I won't just sit around."
"Understood. I'll put together everything we know about the Black Orcs for you as soon as possible." Smith bowed slightly, a trace of pride in his eyes as he looked at Isaac.
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