Tower of Flesh

"What? Third Brother is clearing out Goblins?"

Solomon Territory, Solomon Fortress, Third Defense Line Barracks.

A young man clad in full black armor looked at the Shadow Guard beside him in astonishment, then frowned.

"What is Third Brother clearing out Goblins for? Where did he get the men? Did Eldest Brother interfere?" the young man asked, puzzled.

"No, Young Master Remington. Young Master Isaac personally led his guards to do it."

"Third Brother led the team?" The young man—Isaac's Second Brother, Remington—froze slightly. "Third Brother's body is so weak. Would Smith allow him to leave the house?"

Although Smith was merely a butler, and one assigned to a branch family at that, it did not mean his status was low. As a butler who had served the Solomon Family since their grandfather's generation, Smith held a high position. Many times, even their father—the current Viscount Solomon—had to listen to him.

Sending him to Isaac's side was instead a sign of how highly Isaac was valued. Isaac had been frail and sickly since childhood, unable even to keep up with ordinary exercise, so even after being sent to a branch family, he still needed someone reliable to protect him closely.

Furthermore, Smith was only a Knight. He had been injured in his early years and could no longer advance in strength, and he was getting old. It was time for him to retire and enjoy his later years.

Thus, without Smith's permission, Isaac absolutely could not leave the castle, let alone take part in something as dangerous as encircling and exterminating Goblins...

Besides, whether the Goblins were exterminated was a matter for the territory—a matter for Eldest Brother to worry about. It had nothing to do with Isaac. With Smith and the guards protecting him, the Goblins posed no threat to Isaac either.

So Remington was even more curious.

"Young Master Isaac... has become a sorcerer," the Shadow Guard said, sounding somewhat astonished.

Remington paused. "A Legendary Wizard?"

The Shadow Guard nodded. It could only be a Legendary Wizard; after all, Isaac had been tested long ago and lacked the talent to become an arcane practitioner.

Remington's brow furrowed completely. "Did Eldest Brother arrange it? Tch~"

After thinking for a long while without reaching any conclusion, Remington waved a hand. "Forget it. End the Goblin plan here. As for Third Brother... pay closer attention. Find out whether Eldest Brother really helped him become a sorcerer."

"Yes, Young Master." The Shadow Guard replied softly, then left the room, leaving Remington alone as his expression shifted beneath the uncertain light while he stared at the sand table before him.

"What? Isaac has become a sorcerer?"

Solomon Fortress. A middle-aged man in casual clothing looked at the Shadow Guard in surprise, then revealed a bitter, helpless expression.

"So I still couldn't stop it in the end... Forget it. Since he has become a sorcerer, let him do as he pleases. Transfer one thousand Gold Coins to him from my account. Since he is a Legendary Wizard, he should need to spread stories. Ask what stories he has written, then circulate them throughout the territory first. Finally, find someone to follow him and collect his deeds. They may be useful in the future."

"As you command."

"Wait."

The Shadow Guard was just about to turn and leave when the middle-aged man called him back.

"The sorcery tome we seized before—I remember it hasn't been sold yet, right? Send word that it is no longer for sale. Deliver it directly to him."

"As you command." With a slight nod, the Shadow Guard slipped into the shadows and vanished.

The middle-aged man sat back down in his chair and looked at the documents in his hands with great interest, a gratified smile appearing at the corner of his lips.

"Hmm? Third Brother has become a sorcerer? A Legendary Wizard? Tsk tsk~ He's got quite the nerve~"

Solomon Fortress · Mage Tower · Tower Top.

A woman in white robes raised her head and looked at the document in her hand in surprise, her delicate brows knitting slightly. For nobles, being a Legendary Wizard was not exactly a good profession...

Legendary Wizards could easily become connected to Extraterrestrial Beings. Under Their guidance, they might very well go mad—and once they went mad, there was nothing they would not do. They could even solve math problems!

Throughout history, there had been no shortage of lunatics who sacrificed their own territories to extraterrestrial Evil Gods in exchange for power!

There were still plenty of them now!

She was worried that Isaac would become like that as well. But...

In the end, she was not the Solomon Family's heir, nor did she intend to contend with Eldest Brother, so...

"What did Eldest Brother say about this?" the woman asked the Shadow Guard.

"Eldest Brother has allocated one thousand Gold Coins and a sorcery tome to Third Brother."

"Eldest Brother supports him? Fine, then give this to Isaac. Consider it my congratulatory gift to him." As she spoke, the woman took a Spellbook that had long been prepared from a drawer and placed it on the table.

After saying that, she lowered her head and continued studying what was in her hands.

The Shadow Guard picked up the Spellbook, bowed slightly, and withdrew from the room.

Meanwhile, Isaac in the Cabin in the Woods had no idea that his family already knew about him. But it did not matter even if they did. He had never expected to hide it for long. A man could not lie low for too long, or he might turn into a real dog.

He had only wanted to buy himself more time to develop. What troubled him now was which Sorcerer Organization would be best to join.

There were basically no barriers to becoming an external member of a Sorcerer Organization. You could join whichever one you wanted. After all, there were scarcely any benefits to speak of; only work earned rewards, so they naturally welcomed anyone who came.

But Isaac could not choose carelessly. First, it had to be one where he could currently make money. For instance, there was no need to consider those that required crafting sorcery tools. What he needed now was money, knowledge, and resources!

Not experience for practice.

After a round of selection, Isaac had three candidate targets. The first was Twilight Crow, a Sorcerer Organization renowned for making Potions and cultivating Magic Pets. The tasks for external members mainly involved brewing low-level Potions and planting magical herbs. The second was Black Forest House, which excelled in all kinds of Black Sorcery and possessed formidable combat strength. Yet the tasks for external members were all about planting magical herbs, with rituals to alter the environment provided free of charge—ensuring a harvest through drought or flood.

The last was the Tower of Flesh, somewhat similar to the sorcery Isaac currently excelled in. Most of its members specialized in Biological Modification sorcery, while external members were tasked with breeding all kinds of Demonic Beasts. They likewise provided rituals for altering the environment.

But this was nothing like cultivating Potions, where drought or flood still guaranteed a harvest. Raising Demonic Beasts demanded considerable skill.

Of course, the rewards were also far greater.

Whether from an economic or developmental perspective, all three Sorcerer Organizations suited Isaac quite well. Though he currently claimed to specialize in Biological Modification sorcery, that was only because it was the only kind of sorcery he had—he had no choice.

That did not mean he had no interest in other forms of sorcery. Whether it was sorcery for breeding Magic Pets or combat-focused Black Sorcery, he wanted to learn them all.

After pondering for a moment, Isaac ultimately chose the Tower of Flesh!

When his strength was still lacking, he should not dream of mastering everything. He would specialize in one path first and build up his skill tree from there.

Having made his decision, Isaac took down the notice and prepared to head into Lakeside Town to register for membership, while also purchasing supplies according to the list provided by the Tower of Flesh.