Shattered Dreams of Melee Combat

A wand was one of a spellcaster's most important pieces of equipment. It was even more important to a Legendary Wizard, and together with a Wizard Robe and Wizard Hat, they were known as the wizard's three-piece set.

Among the three, the wand was the most important. Even for other spellcasters who did not rely on [Legend], a wand could greatly enhance their strength.

Naturally, such impressive effects came with an equally impressive price. Isaac knew a little about the cost of wands, and for now, he had no plans to buy one. Or rather, his budget...

Still, even though he had no intention of buying one, since he was already here, Isaac decided to take a stroll down Wand Avenue first. He could at least broaden his horizons.

Before long, Isaac had not only finished exploring Wand Avenue, but had also visited the other three avenues: Spellcraft Avenue, Materials Avenue, and Department Store Avenue.

How should he put it?

The names might have been plain enough, but the goods inside were absolutely genuine. Isaac's eyes were nearly dazzled by everything on display.

Fortunately, his wallet was thin. Otherwise, he would have been unable to resist going on a shopping spree.

Though he had bought nothing after making the rounds, Isaac had not come away empty-handed. He now had a much clearer understanding of Lakeside Town.

First of all, Lakeside Town was not, as his previous information had claimed, the trading center for all spellcasters in this world. More accurately, it was one of them.

However, the spellcasters in Lakeside Town did seem to come from every corner of the world. During this trip alone, he had heard five or six different languages, not to mention the countless accents in the common tongue.

Second, while the goods for sale were mainly concentrated along the four avenues, that did not mean those were the town's only streets. The four districts divided by the avenues each had their own distinct character.

According to what he had learned, most of those areas housed the strongholds of various Sorcerer Organizations, along with a small number of shops. Supposedly, they sold all manner of things.

But Isaac had no interest in that, at least not yet.

He was interested in joining a Sorcerer Organization, but unfortunately, none would take him. The organizations in Lakeside Town only recruited Archmages and above. He had only just become a Formal Wizard, so he was still far from qualifying.

Once Isaac had gained a general understanding of Lakeside Town, he stopped hesitating and headed straight for his destination to handle his business.

First, he sold the Bloodline Essence Potion in his possession to a potion shop for eighty Gold Coins. That was twenty Gold Coins below market price, but he could not help it. He was short on time.

If he sold it himself, he would have to set up a stall on Department Store Avenue. Leaving aside whether he would even find a buyer, even if he did, he would most likely only sell it for ninety Gold Coins. There was no way he could sell it for a hundred. Otherwise, why would anyone not just buy it directly from a shop?

After selling the potion, Isaac bought three sets of ingredients for Bloodline Essence Potion from the same shop for 120 Gold Coins. Then he went to Department Store Avenue and bought a Knight-level Alchemical Golem for 100 Gold Coins. Finally, he went to Spellcraft Avenue and spent 156 Gold Coins on three Spellbooks.

By then, Isaac had spent nearly all the money he had brought with him.

After finishing his purchases, Isaac did not linger. He had only four Gold Coins left in his pocket, so there was no point staying. He might as well return and continue studying magic to improve his strength.

Taking the Golem with him, Isaac passed through a layer of white mist by boat and returned to the woods. The Old Witch was still stirring her cauldron at an unhurried pace, showing no reaction to Isaac's arrival.

She might not have reacted, but Isaac could not simply ignore her. After giving the Old Witch a slight bow to show his respect, he led the Alchemical Golem out of the woods and arrived at the training ground before the castle.

At that moment, Barton was training with his bare upper body flushed red, grunting under Smith's watchful gaze. Isaac could sense the magical fluctuations of a Potion from him, which meant he had already taken it.

But...

"Young Master Isaac." x2

Isaac looked Barton up and down, his brow lifting slightly. He had actually failed to break through after drinking an entire bottle?

Glancing at the Black Knight-shaped Alchemical Golem behind him, Isaac immediately understood why the family had not given Barton a Potion to help him break through. Spending one hundred Gold Coins on a living person might go to waste, but spending it on a Golem guaranteed results.

Meanwhile, Barton had already felt awkward over failing to break through. Now, seeing the Golem behind Isaac radiating a dangerous aura, an even stronger sense of crisis rose in his heart.

"Uncle Smith, spar with it and see how strong it is." Isaac waved a hand to signal Barton to continue training, then spoke to Smith.

"Yes, Young Master." Smith nodded slightly.

He was no stranger to Golems. House of Solomon had them as well, and had even formed an entire legion out of them. Of course, Isaac's was only slightly stronger than the lowest-grade Golem. It could not compare with those at the estate.

Naturally, this sort of Golem posed little trouble for Smith.

Boom!

The moment Isaac issued the command, the Black Knight behind him charged out first. Red light flared wildly in its eyes as it wielded its greatsword and collided with Smith!

Isaac's pupils contracted slightly. He had failed to clearly see either the Black Knight's movement or Smith's movement just now!

Then, as Smith wielded a sword-cane and engaged in a fierce clash with the greatsword-wielding Black Knight in the training ground, an unrealistic idea in Isaac's heart slowly faded away—the Potion was better off going to Demon Claw.

He had originally wanted to try cultivating both magic and martial arts. It was a pretty good path, and quite a few wizards in the modern wizarding world followed it. He had even seen several Sorcerer Organizations devoted to it.

He thought he could do it too!

Was it not just physical strength?

Was it not just special abilities?

There was no problem magic could not solve!

But that had been what he thought before Smith fought the Black Knight. Now...

He should just wash up and go to sleep.

Watching the Sword Qi surge through the training ground and the dazzlingly swift movements, Isaac gave up on his unrealistic idea. He should just honestly cast spells. Melee combat was not for him.

A Knight's strength came partly from powerful physical qualities, but beyond that, battle techniques forged through countless trials were also incredibly important.

Take the battle in the training ground right now. As the fight continued, Isaac was gradually able to see Smith and the Black Knight's movements clearly.

In this battle, the Black Knight, as an Alchemical Golem, was unquestionably superior to Smith in physical ability. After all, it had a body of steel, while Smith was already old and his physical condition was beginning to decline. Yet Smith was the one holding the upper hand.

He calmly parried the Black Knight's attacks, the sword-cane in his hand moving as naturally as an extension of his arm. He guided the Black Knight into displaying its three preset combat styles one by one.

That composure, that confidence, could never be gained by simply chugging Potions!

And Smith was not even among the strongest Knights!

"Stop. I have a general idea now." Isaac waved a hand to signal Smith to stop. He had understood enough. If they continued, they would have to replace the energy source. His household was still modest, so he needed to be frugal.

"Yes, Young Master Isaac."