A Small Test of Skill

This ritual was called the Spell Ascension Ritual.

As the name implied, it was used to elevate magic spells. Once successful, the ascended spell would receive an enormous boost, perhaps even undergo a earth-shaking transformation.

The reason Isaac had come up with this idea began with the Goblin Nest...

On the second day after returning to the castle, Smith had people deliver the Goblin Nest ahead of time. Isaac immediately began dissecting and studying it, but ultimately found nothing. Later, he had even gone to the site to study it while the Goblin Nest was still alive.

Unfortunately, this thing might truly have been too advanced for him. After dissecting it for half a day, all he had learned was the structure of a Goblin Nest. He had discovered nothing else...

That was only natural. After all, it was the product of some big shot directly altering the rules of the world.

But Isaac still did not want to give up. He felt that this thing had great potential when combined with his Innate Sorcery, Flesh Conversion!

After some thought, Isaac eventually came up with the Spell Ascension Ritual.

This ritual came from one of the three spellbooks Isaac had purchased in Lakeside Town, Ten Essential Beginner Rituals.

Of the three spellbooks he had bought this time, aside from this one and Basic Spell Compendium, the other was Path of the Wizard, which broadly outlined the paths of various spellcasters and provided Isaac with some direction for his future research.

For instance, Isaac had learned from that book that advancing to Archmage actually required conducting three advancement rituals. After each advancement, one's magic power would enter a turbulent period and require another wait.

Isaac's idea of ascending magic spells had also come from this book.

A Spell Ascension Ritual was essentially a transaction with Extraterrestrial Beings, borrowing the power of their higher status to reconstruct a magic spell. And among those ten rituals, there happened to be rituals for trading with Extraterrestrial Beings.

There were five in total. Ten Essential Beginner Rituals devoted half its contents to them, giving Isaac a rough impression of Legendary Wizards.

It was worth mentioning that although there were five, only three could actually be used. Two had already been completely cracked by Extraterrestrial Beings, leaving their ritual success rates at zero. Even Isaac's Golden Finger could do nothing about that.

Of course, the remaining three were not usable because they were particularly profound. Like Basic Magic Spells, they were simply the most basic Trade Rituals imaginable, with no room left to decline.

The three trading targets were fairies, fiends, and Demon Gods. Though each only had a one-percent success rate, which was truly heartbreaking.

But that was not a problem for Isaac.

Among those three targets, Isaac chose a Demon God. The reason was simple—simplicity.

Among the many Demon Gods was an existence called the Lord of Myriad Flesh. Just hearing that name made it seem fated to his Innate Sorcery. Moreover, according to Isaac's tests, increasing this ritual's success rate was easy: he simply had to increase the Demonized Flesh used to set up the ritual.

In the ritual's Original framework, only one portion of flesh from each type of magical creature could be used, with every additional ten types increasing the success rate by one percent. But in Isaac's hands, it became one percent for every ten portions of magical creature flesh, with no restriction on species!

And what he had the most of right now was Goblin corpses!

The only flaw was that each Goblin corpse could only yield one portion of Demonized Flesh that met the standard. Because of that, he now did not even dare damage the Goblin Nest, afraid that he would not have enough materials.

"Phew~" After processing the day's Goblin corpses, Isaac let out a long breath. He glanced at the mountain of Goblin flesh piled beside him and helplessly shook his head. He had been grinding away for nearly a week, yet the success rate was only five hundred percent. He still had to hold back a little longer.

Since it involved a Demon God, he did not dare act without at least a tenfold success rate.

After leaving the warehouse, Isaac headed toward his bedroom. Although he could not yet carry out the Spell Ascension Ritual, he could first research the creation of magical items.

Path of the Wizard and Ten Essential Beginner Rituals also mentioned the method Legendary Wizards used to create magical items: rituals.

But they were not rituals for trading with Extraterrestrial Beings. Of course, those could also be used to create magical items, but few people did so. Compared to making a magical item, it was better to fuse the traded power with oneself.

Before long, Isaac passed through the long corridor and arrived at his bedroom. He opened the hidden door, ignited a flicker of green flame in his left hand, and stepped into the basement amid the eerie green glow.

The basement had now been completely transformed. He had cleared away all those sinister, terrifying, evil, and bizarre materials, and even altered the magic circle on the floor—the Magic Power Imprint Ritual.

This was one of the most basic crafting rituals. According to Path of the Wizard, its upgraded versions could be used to refine all kinds of magical creations, including but not limited to Golems, statues, Potions, magical beasts, and even... people!

However, the one Isaac had mastered could not accomplish any of that. Even piling up materials with his Golden Finger would not work. It required reconstructing the ritual itself.

Isaac currently lacked that ability, whether in money or knowledge.

After giving the room a cursory glance, Isaac placed a living Green Heart in the center of the magic circle. It was a Goblin heart.

He wanted to see whether he could use the ritual to strengthen a magical creature's heart. If it worked, he could save a huge amount of Research Funding!

It could not be helped. Magical creature hearts were too expensive!

First, not all magical creatures had hearts. Second, the hearts he needed for transplantation had to be removed while the magical creatures were alive; once they died, the hearts became useless. The conditions were harsh. Third, living magical creature hearts counted as living things and could not be purchased directly in Lakeside Town.

Of course, they were available for sale, but after purchasing them, they had to be delivered through other channels. The shipping costs...

Were extremely high!

Isaac gave up on that idea after just one look.

He could also buy them through the merchant guilds in his territory, but that would still be no small expense. He would have to bleed heavily.

But if he could strengthen Goblin hearts... then...

That would be absolutely wonderful!

"Hiss~ Hoo~" Taking two deep breaths, Isaac calmed himself, and his gaze at the ritual gradually became tranquil.

He had raised the ritual's success rate to two hundred percent, but that was merely the ritual's success rate. It did not mean the ritual's effect would necessarily be what he wanted.

After all, this was not a trading ritual.

"&*￥...&￥()&"

As low incantations echoed out, mysterious magic power flowed from Isaac's body, spreading across the floor and slowly illuminating the magic circle. The flesh placed upon it dissolved with that mysterious power, turning into ribbon-like crimson energy that flowed into the Green Heart at the center of the circle.

"Phew~~~"

After a while, the glow of magic power gradually faded. Carrying faint expectations, Isaac picked up the Goblin heart from the ground, then slowly let out a sigh.

It had failed...