After halting the battle, Isaac had the Black Knight come back to pick up the three sets of materials he had purchased. He then turned and walked toward the castle, already eager to start learning Magic!
The Black Knight in particular possessed such a high degree of intelligence. Whether in battle or daily life, it could be commanded with simple orders. This level of intellect already surpassed the artificial intelligence available on the market in his previous life.
And this was just one of the lowest-tier Demonic Puppets!
'Magic is getting more and more interesting!'
Returning to his laboratory, Isaac placed the three new books on the shelf, then, with a tearing sound, summoned the Demon Claw.
"HEH HEH HEH~" A grotesque mouth appeared in the palm of the Demon Claw—the very one that had devoured five elders from the Soul Hall. It issued an evil laugh while gently rubbing the back of its hand against Isaac's cheek, almost like a small animal.
Isaac smiled faintly, patting the Demon Claw before picking up the last bottle of Blood Essence Potion from his desk. He poured it directly into the jagged, bloody maw in the Demon Claw's palm.
HISS~
The Demon Claw chewed twice, and the Magic Potion transformed into a bloody stream of light that merged into its meridians, beginning to strengthen it.
Although the Demon Claw existed somewhere between Illusion and Reality, it was still fundamentally a Magic Pet. Moreover, it was a Magic Pet formed from a part of a Demon that Isaac had plundered through a ritual. As such, it possessed a bloodline—a Demon Blood-line.
Naturally, it could consume a Blood Essence Potion. Since a Magic Pet and a Wizard were one, using it on the pet was the same as using it on Isaac, so he felt no heartache in doing so.
And this was just the appetizer. According to the information Isaac had gleaned for free back in Lake Town, a Magic Pet like the Divine Hand was a classic choice among Legendary Mages. It was convenient, powerful, and had many methods of cultivation.
The Blood Essence Potion was merely for building a foundation.
BURP~
The Demon Claw let out a burp, its fingers curling up shyly. Isaac smiled, patted the back of its hand, and then dismissed it.
Now… it was study time!
Despite buying new books, Isaac didn't change his study plan. He would still learn the three basic Arcane spells first to further increase his combat power. In a world where personal strength was off the charts, burying his head in research was a foolish thing to do.
「Just like that, three days passed in the blink of an eye.」
Over these three days, Isaac didn't frantically pull all-nighters to study Magic. Instead, he returned to a normal sleep schedule. After all, though his body had been enhanced by Magic Power, making his stamina and constitution far from ordinary, he was still a biological creature and needed proper rest.
Even so, Isaac's progress hadn't slowed by much. He had completely mastered the three basic Arcane spells—Arcane Missile, Arcane Shield, and Arcane Teleportation—and had even begun studying one of the new books he'd bought, the *Complete Collection of Basic Spells*.
This morning, however, Isaac put his study of Magic Spells aside. He was waiting on the training grounds in front of the castle with a guard detail consisting of one Quasi-Knight and ten Knight's Attendants.
Today was the agreed-upon day to exterminate the goblins. They were here waiting for the Goblin Slayer to arrive.
Before long, Smith dismounted, accompanied by a man dressed in tattered Leather Armor with a worn-out shortsword at his waist. The Goblin Slayer was wrapped up tightly from head to toe, with bandages on his hands and a black hood over his head, leaving only his eyes, nose, ears, and mouth exposed.
'The Goblin Slayer is clearly very poor.'
But it wasn't surprising. 'Anyone with money would just become a Knight. Who would choose to be a Goblin Slayer? Besides, a wealthy person wouldn't take a small job for five Gold Coins.'
Isaac had actually considered becoming a Goblin Slayer himself once. It offered a tangible way to increase one's strength, just like playing a game—all you had to do was kill goblins. For his previously weak and sickly self, it had certainly been an attractive option.
But in the end, he gave up on the idea. For one, being a Goblin Slayer was dangerous, and even more so for someone in his frail condition. Two, no member of the Nobility ever became a Goblin Slayer; to do so would bring shame to one's house, and the repercussions were significant. And three…
'There was still the option of becoming a Legendary Mage.'
However, as a path he once considered, Isaac knew a thing or two about Goblin Slayers, especially their attire. Being so thoroughly covered was a requirement for them, a necessary part of the process to acquire power.
Of course, with his current insight, Isaac could detect traces of Ritual Magic on him. The Goblin Slayer's ability to grow stronger by killing goblins was likely related to this ritual.
"Hello. I'll be counting on you. As we agreed, you only need to find the goblins, and we will handle the rest. Of course, you are more than welcome to join the battle if you wish." Upon meeting him, Isaac immediately handed two Gold Coins to the Goblin Slayer. The remaining three would be paid after the goblins were completely wiped out.
The Goblin Slayer nodded and silently accepted the coins without saying a word.
"Young Master, are you going as well?" Smith walked up to Isaac's side, his brow slightly furrowed.
"Don't worry, it's just some goblins. I have it under control. Besides, the Black Knight needs me to control it," Isaac said, patting the Black Knight behind him.
Smith was still worried. As a family retainer, his instinct was to prevent Isaac from taking any risks, but he couldn't ignore Isaac's orders. He could only nod helplessly, resolving to pay extra attention during the battle. The problem shouldn't be too big.
'Just as Isaac said, it's only some goblins.'
Soon, after a quick check of their equipment, the group set out.
Leaving the village and entering the Wilderness, the Goblin Slayer squatted down by the roadside. After fumbling around in the tall grass for a moment, he pointed toward the river channel.
Clearly, the goblins were over there.
"How could you tell?" Isaac asked curiously. He had been watching from the side the whole time and hadn't seen a thing. There were no tracks, and he'd even scanned the area several times with his Spiritual Power.
The Goblin Slayer glanced at Isaac, then at the two Gold Coins in his pocket, and said one word: "Magic."
"...Alright, a reasonable explanation..." Isaac was speechless.
'A concise but perfectly valid answer. That's the truth.'
A large part of why a Goblin Slayer was so effective against goblins was due to the Ritual Magic they wore. Only those who had been killing goblins for over a decade could claim to be specially effective through pure skill alone.
After confirming the direction, the group followed the Goblin Slayer's lead. Finally, around three or four in the afternoon, they arrived at a small river and spotted seven or eight goblins fishing by the bank.
Isaac's eyes narrowed slightly, but he didn't act rashly. Instead, he followed the others and crept into the nearby tall grass, observing carefully.
'The number of goblins is off. There shouldn't be this few.'
Sure enough, with continued Observation, the Goblin Slayer successfully located the goblins' lair: a burrow beside the river, covered by a large boulder at an extremely tricky angle. If it weren't for the specialized Magic the Goblin Slayer had on his side, they might not have found it at all.
Once the nest's location was confirmed, the rest was simple. Isaac gave a small wave of his hand.
"Advance!"