The Shameless Black Orc God! He Tui!

Whoosh!

A terrifying face formed in the gray flames as the Black Orc God's will descended. Seeing Isaac standing before the ritual, he split into an excited grin. After all these years, another fool had finally taken the bait!

Though plenty of new and veteran Legendary Wizards made deals with beings like him every year, there were far too many Outer Gods. Spread among them, there was not even one Mad Witch apiece.

And for someone like him, who had left a gaping back door in his ritual, fools who took the bait were rarer still.

But now it was finally his turn. How delightful!

"Hiss..."

The Black Orc God took a deep breath of the gray flames. That little bit of energy could not make him any stronger, but an occasional whiff was good for body and soul!

One word!

Bliss!

Excellent. He had decided: when he ate this fellow's soul, he would make it quick and spare him some pain!

The delighted Black Orc God soon settled on Isaac's fate.

So, while secretly working to break through the ritual's defenses, he asked Isaac, "Wizard, tell me your wish. I can grant you anything you desire!"

That was a lie.

Isaac tugged at his hood without thinking, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.

He had not fallen for the Black Orc God's trick. It was a classic Outer God lie.

It was not that the Black Orc God could not do it. Given the gulf in their strength, he might well be able to grant many of Isaac's wildest wishes. But the offer was a trap.

If Isaac accepted, the Black Orc God could seize his soul on the spot!

No amount of protection would help!

But that lie was common knowledge, and the ritual's defenses had completely blocked the seductive power in the god's words. Isaac naturally would not accept.

He performed an ancient wizard's salute, then said softly, "Great Black Orc God, master of night and monsters, I have only one question for you. Why have so many High Priests appeared among the Black Orcs of the wilderness?"

"...That question... is difficult to answer..."

That was a lie.

Isaac's lips curved again. Sure enough, though one was an Evil God and the other a Dimensional Demon God, the Black Orc God and the Lord of Billions of Flesh and Blood were cut from the same cloth. They put on a show of answering while sneaking around behind the scenes!

He tui!

After spitting at the Black Orc God in his mind, Isaac wasted no time. He immediately guided the ritual's power into a covert intrusion of the god's domain.

"But... as a reward for you, I can make an exception. The being involved in this answer is rather unusual, so it will take a little longer. Bear with me. You can also think about whether there is anything else you need. I will do everything in my power to grant your wish!"

"Thank you, Your Grace!"

Isaac glanced at the percentage displayed on the ritual, visible only to him, as it kept dropping. His face betrayed nothing, but inwardly he laughed in disdain.

The god said one thing and did another, making grand promises while secretly making his move. How shameless!

Good thing I'm doing it too!

Isaac narrowed his eyes. A black night sky seemed to appear before him, with specks of starlight gathered around three enormous moons!

Perhaps it was because this was his second time performing the ritual and he had grown used to it. Or perhaps Evil Gods and Dimensional Demon Gods were simply different.

Either way, compared with his last attempt, when he had blindly grabbed whatever he could, Isaac could "see" far more this time.

The three enormous moons in the night sky were the Black Orc God's Authorities. They represented night, monsters, and stars.

Yes, despite being called the Black Orc God and receiving the worship of nearly all Black Orcs, he had no Authority over Black Orcs. Isaac did not know why. Perhaps the god had assumed the name under false pretenses, or perhaps this world had no such thing as an Authority or divine office over a race. His knowledge in this area was still lacking.

But that did not matter. It would not affect his plan.

The three moons were undoubtedly the Black Orc God's most important possessions, and the most valuable things he had. But they were not Isaac's target. He was only a Formal Wizard; even with the ritual's aid, he could not seize an Outer God's core power.

Dimensional Demon Gods were different. A dimension was also a demon god's most important source of power, but it was far too vast. Almost no demon god devoted all their attention to every part of their Dimensional World at all times.

That was why Isaac had been able to use the ritual's Veiling to seize a Dimensional Seed back then. Even so, he had succeeded only because taking one seed was a relatively small matter.

If he targeted the Black Orc God's Authorities instead, he would certainly fail. And even if he succeeded, he was only a Formal Wizard. He could not use an Authority anyway. He was no Divine Species.

So Isaac's targets were the stars around the moons—Forbidden Knowledge!

Not only was it easier to take, he could use it himself.

In fact, that was what most Mad Witches sought. Few set their sights on an Authority or a dimension. Even Mad Witches considered that too crazy.

And so, the Black Orc God delayed transmitting the information while secretly breaking through the ritual's defenses. Isaac, meanwhile, pretended to consider another wish as he quietly "took" things from the god's domain.

Of course, he kept a close watch on the ritual's percentage too. Once it fell past the halfway mark, he would end the ritual at once, whether or not the Black Orc God had delivered the information!

At worst, he would try another Outer God. Either way, he stood to lose nothing.

Fortunately, the Black Orc God did not drag out the act too long. When the percentage stood at six hundred percent, the information finished transmitting. A sinister Beast Skin Book floated silently above the ritual.

"That is all the information. I have also included some spells tailored to your needs. Now, tell me your next wish."

Isaac blinked beneath his hood. Why was the god wrapping things up already?

He had only taken three "stars"...

But he had achieved his goal, and much of his buffer had been used up. What remained was not enough to do much else. Isaac decisively stopped and ended the ritual!

"Hm?"

Isaac moved quickly, but the Black Orc God sensed it in advance. As the one invited into the ritual, he could not stop Isaac, its host, from ending it. But he still had one last trump card!

It was worth a try!

Without a moment's hesitation, the Black Orc God's eyes widened. A mighty force struck across the void, pushing right up against the limits of the world's rules!

The Evil God's terrifying power whipped up fierce winds, and the gray flames above the ritual churned wildly!

The progress bar in Isaac's eyes plummeted... eighty percent...

Then the ritual ended.

The gray flames dispersed completely before the Black Orc God's unwilling eyes.

"Whew! That was close. Good thing this old man had the better move." Isaac wiped nonexistent sweat from his brow and looked with satisfaction at the slowly fading success rate before him. Only five hundred and twenty-three percent remained.

See? Playing it safe was the right call.