Coming Home to Ask for Funding!

"Dragon Flame!"

At the training ground, Barton and the others stood at the edge, watching Isaac and the brown Dragon Lizard at his feet with great interest. Two small bumps protruded from the Dragon Lizard's head.

Five meters in front of the man and lizard stood a target.

At Isaac's command, the Dragon Lizard opened its mouth and spat out a stream of flame, striking the target with perfect accuracy!

"Boom!"

In an instant, the wooden target was reduced to ashes before the scorching Dragon Flame!

Isaac's eyes lit up at the sight. The corners of his mouth rose, unable to contain his smile. He crouched down and stroked the Dragon Lizard's long, narrow head. "Not bad. Well done!"

"Huff, huff~" The Dragon Lizard snorted stupidly, narrowing its slender eyes beneath Isaac's caress and enjoying itself immensely.

The Dragon Lizard had changed considerably since its arrival. Its brown scales had become thicker and more imposing, while the two horn buds atop its head gave it a touch of majesty. Though it was still just over half a meter long, it had grown broader than before, and faint muscle contours could be seen beneath its scales.

Most importantly, it had gained two abilities: Dragon Might, and the Dragon Flame it had just displayed.

There was no need to explain Dragon Might. It was an ability possessed by all dragon-blooded creatures, with its power varying greatly based on the creature's strength and the concentration of dragon blood in its body. As for this Dragon Lizard's Dragon Might...

At present, it could only scare rats—and ordinary rats at that. Demonic Rats were too stupid to be intimidated, while Demon Rats were strong enough that it could not frighten them.

Still, that was not particularly important. Dragon Might had always been a bonus. What truly mattered was its body, strengthened by dragon blood, and its innate spell, Dragon Flame.

Dragon Flame directly elevated the Dragon Lizard's combat power to another level. Though it could not be used many times, with proper timing, killing small magical creatures of the same rank in a single blow would not be difficult.

Of course, the most important thing was that after awakening its dragon blood, the Dragon Lizard's value had soared!

Its entire body was valuable!

Especially a Dragon Lizard that had awakened Dragon Flame. Its throat and tongue were relatively precious magical materials that could be used to modify one's own body, allowing one to master the Dragon Flame spell. Their market price was at least one hundred Gold Coins!

Its combat strength, on the other hand, was hardly worth mentioning. It had no wings, could not fly, and did not know Cliffside Sword. It was still rather weak in the end.

Even so, Isaac had no plans to sell it. He would raise it for now and see whether he could nurture it into a true dragon. After all, it was his first time. It had collectible value.

More importantly, this Dragon Lizard's success had proven that his Golden Finger was equally effective at raising Dragon Lizards. Next, he merely needed to replicate the process.

However, if he intended to properly raise this Dragon Lizard, he would need to learn a contract spell with stronger binding force.

Patting the Dragon Lizard, Isaac stood and led it back to the Beast Breeding Ground. The others exchanged glances, each seeing concern in the other's eyes. Young Master seemed to need them less and less...

Watching Isaac and the Dragon Lizard's retreating backs, the Guard Squad led by Barton was feeling rather complicated. To be honest, when they had first been assigned to Isaac, they had been quite dejected. It meant they had no room for advancement. Without any surprises, this was all their lives would amount to.

But when Isaac became a wizard and even helped their captain, Barton, break through to become a knight, the hope that had already gone out in their hearts was rekindled!

Perhaps they could become knights too?

Even Grand Knights!

With that thought in mind, everyone's enthusiasm for training grew ever greater!

However...

Reality proved there had been a reason they were assigned to Isaac. Despite training intensely for so long, other than Barton, not a single person had become a Quasi-Knight...

And now, not only was Isaac becoming stronger and stronger, he had also acquired a batch of magical creatures that looked incredibly powerful...

Isaac, on his way to the Beast Breeding Ground, knew nothing of the Guard Squad's complicated feelings. Even if he had known, he would not have cared.

As far as these people were concerned, his thoughts were actually the same as his family's. They had served the family for many years, so arranging for them to live comfortably for the rest of their lives was enough. As for helping them go further...

Isaac was not an idiot. Why would he spend so much money on them? Wouldn't it be better to pour those same resources into himself? He had no desire to conquer the world, so there was no point in raising so many people.

At most, he would take care of Smith and his son, Barton.

After putting the Dragon Lizard into its pen, Isaac first tossed several chunks of plump Demonic Wild Boar meat to the two Dragon Lizards. Then he took a small glass bottle from his pocket and carefully poured its contents into the minced meat beside him. After mixing it evenly, he scattered it into the rat enclosure.

Watching Little Mouse and the others devour every scrap of the treated minced meat, Isaac's lips curled into a smile that carried a faintly lecherous edge.

What he had added was a potion he had developed himself—Spring Has Arrived.

It was a potion that enhanced reproductive desire!

He would test it on Little Mouse and the others first. If the effect was good, he could later consider bringing in some herbivorous magical creatures to complete the supply chain. Then he would not need to keep running to Lake Town to buy wild boar meat every few days.

After watching Little Mouse and the others finish the meat, Isaac gently closed the door, leaving the space to them.

Afterward, Isaac returned directly to the laboratory. It had already been four days since the gathering, and they should be setting out for the fortress within the next couple of days. Before leaving, he needed to settle several key experiments.

For example, the research on Flesh Mimicry had reached its final stage, and he would soon be able to begin attempting production. The Demon Rats had also initially completed their integration with the Divinity Network and could proceed to the next stage of condensing divine spells. The cultivation plan for demonized hearts had been optimized, and he needed to collect experimental data before departing.

Back in the laboratory, the first thing Isaac handled was the Demon Rat's divine spell condensation...

"Tsk. No materials..." Isaac helplessly looked at the Demon Rat tied to the operating table. Man and rat stared wide-eyed at each other, both speechless.

Shaking his head, Isaac returned the bewildered Little Mouse to its cage. After looking around, he helplessly realized that there did not seem to be a single experiment he could conduct now...

Even though these projects had already been designed to be as economical as possible!

"Sigh... I still need to make money... Perhaps I can ask my family for help?" Rubbing his chin, Isaac found the idea more and more feasible the longer he considered it. He was not alone, so why had he been thinking of doing everything himself?

He could work with his family. They would provide the funds, while he would provide the technology. They could get rich together!

Reliable!

Isaac slammed a fist into his palm, his thinking completely opened up!

"Smith! Smith!"

"Whoosh!"

"Young Master, what is it?" A gust of wind swept in. Smith, dressed in a tailcoat and holding a cane, appeared instantly before Isaac. His right hand gripped one end of the cane, ready to strike, his expression tense.

"It's nothing. Don't be so nervous~" Isaac waved a hand and began gathering his experimental materials. "Pack up. We're going to the fortress."

"Now?" Smith paused in slight surprise.

"Yes, now. There is nothing to do here anyway. Pack up the Demon Rats and Dragon Lizards too. They'll come with us. They'll starve to death if they stay here."

"Yes, Young Master."

Smith did not say anything else. He simply nodded and turned to make arrangements, because Isaac was right. There was not much to do at the castle. Isaac was the busiest person here; if he had no problems, then no one else would either.

Before long, the Guard Squad had packed everything up with bewildered expressions, including Little Mouse and the others, who were still in heat. No one knew how much psychological trauma they suffered when they opened the warehouse door and saw that scene...

As for Isaac, though he was the busiest person in the territory, he was also the fastest to pack. All he needed to collect were a few Magic Books and spell experiment notes. Oh, and that crucible and several experimental subjects.

So by the time Barton and the others loaded the cages containing Little Mouse and the Dragon Lizards onto the cargo wagons, Isaac had already climbed into the carriage. The group set off in grand fashion for Solomon Fortress at the Territory Border!

Just as on the journey there, the convoy carried little food. After all, they would not be leaving the territory, and they could resupply at the towns along the way.

Three days later, Solomon Fortress.

"What? The third one is here?" Inside the fortress castle, a middle-aged man reviewing frontline intelligence looked up in surprise at the guard by the door.

"Yes. Young Master Isaac and the others... seem to have all come." The guard also looked somewhat surprised.

"All right, I understand. You may leave." The middle-aged man set down the intelligence report in surprise and rose to head outside.

The guard bowed, then turned and left.

When the middle-aged man arrived at the fortress residential district, he found that the second child, Remington, and the eldest sister, Sheryl, had already arrived. They were currently circling Isaac and inspecting him from head to toe with astonishment on their faces.

"Big Brother!"

On the other side, Isaac, who was being examined like a lab rat, noticed the middle-aged man. As though he had found a lifeline, he waved excitedly.

Caesar Solomon, the eldest son of the Solomon Family, was thirty-one years old. Whether in cultivation talent or interpersonal skills, he was outstanding in every respect. Throughout the territory, whether it was the troops directly under his command or the barons who had been granted fiefs, there was not one who did not respect him.

He was also the person closest to Isaac.

Seeing Isaac run toward him, Caesar instinctively rushed forward to support him. Only then did he realize that his younger brother truly had become a wizard. He had been completely transformed, and his body was far sturdier than before!

"Good! Good! Good!" Caesar excitedly patted Isaac's shoulder and said "good" three times in a row.

Remington and Sheryl exchanged a glance, both revealing relieved smiles.

"I'm sorry. I've made all of you worry these past years."

"We're family. What is there to apologize for? As long as you're well, that's all that matters!" But after calming down, Caesar's brow furrowed. "You understand the dangers of a Legendary Wizard better than I do. Since you have chosen this path, there is something I need to tell you in advance. If one day you threaten the safety of the territory, I will kill you with my own hands!"

Isaac looked at Caesar's grave expression and nodded with a smile. He knew what Caesar meant.

The power of Legendary Wizards came from Outer Gods, which made them the group most enthusiastic about trading with Outer Gods. Not only had such things happened throughout history, even in recent years, Legendary Wizards had made mistakes during trades with Outer Gods, resulting in entire nations being devoured by Outer Gods!

Although, as the Truth Wizard system had gradually improved in recent years, many Legendary Wizards had slowly abandoned trading with Outer Gods, history still spoke for itself. And there were indeed still people throwing themselves into it one after another, such as the Mad Wizard Society Isaac belonged to.

So there was nothing wrong with Caesar saying this. Besides being Isaac's brother, he was also the future lord of the Solomon Viscount Territory. He needed to be responsible for its people.

Still, he had said it a little too late...

After all, Isaac was already a Mad Witch...

Of course, not every failed Outer God Trade Ritual resulted in a territory being devoured. Most of the time, when a ritual failed, only the wizard himself was consumed—unless that wizard had put the territory on the gambling table during the trade!

But that required the wizard to possess actual control of the territory. It was not as though just any random person could gamble away someone else's land. Isaac did not have that authority, nor would he do such a thing.

There was no need to explain those distinctions to them. It would only cause unnecessary worry. In the future, whenever Isaac traded with an Outer God, he would leave the territory first anyway.

Caesar gave Isaac a deep look, patted his shoulder, and did not continue the topic. He turned to the several carriages covered in black cloth and said with a smile, "I heard you've brought quite a few strange things. Why don't you introduce them to us?"

"Just what I wanted!" Isaac nodded heavily. "But let's make this clear first: you can't look for free. Once you're done looking, you have to pay!"

"You brat, didn't we just give you a thousand Gold Coins?" Caesar patted Isaac on the head and scolded him with a laugh.

"What can a thousand Gold Coins even do? A barbarian is still a barbarian!" Isaac shot Caesar a look of disdain. "Spell experiments are expensive, aren't they, Big Sister?"

"Hm? Oh, yes." Sheryl, who was lifting the black cloth to inspect the contents, turned and nodded. After looking Isaac over from head to toe, she said meaningfully, "You used Witch Tea Party for your advancement ritual? The odds of that are quite low, aren't they? A Legendary Wizard being so fond of gambling is not a good thing."

"Fortune is found in danger~" Isaac shrugged, looking unconcerned.

Not knowing the outcome is gambling. Knowing the outcome beforehand is called investment.

"Come on, enough of that. Take a look at your little brother's research results! Big Sister, you can be the judge!" As he spoke, Isaac pulled the black cloth off the first carriage. Two iron cages sat atop it: one held two Dragon Lizards, while the other held more than a dozen Demon Rats. Most of the Demon Rats looked listless, but several were in good condition. Judging from their auras, they were already pregnant.

"This is... a Dragon Lizard that has awakened dragon blood?" Sheryl, the most knowledgeable of the three siblings, ignored the Demon Rats and looked directly at the Dragon Lizards. Her eyes shone brilliantly. "This one is about to awaken too? Is this the result of your research?"

"Hehe~" Isaac planted his hands on his hips, wearing a smug expression. This was one of the reasons he had brought the Dragon Lizards. There was no need to show anything else—this Dragon Lizard alone would be enough to secure funding!

"Dragon Lizards? They awakened dragon blood? Really?" Caesar asked in surprise.

Remington was equally shocked. They might not understand magic, but they knew how powerful dragons were!

And how expensive!