The Wizard: Starting by Scamming the Demon God

Page 64

"Hmm... I'm taking on more and more responsibilities... Should we hire more people?" Isaac frowned slightly on his way to the council chamber.

It's not that Smith can't handle this; he's quite capable. Back in Solomon, he handled far more complex matters. But he was assigned to Isaac.

On one hand, they hope he can protect Isaac. Knight-level strength may be insignificant to Isaac now, but it is more than enough to protect him before he becomes a wizard.

After all, this is the heart of Solomon's territory, and unless the territory is breached, protecting him is not a problem at all.

Being a bodyguard was one reason, but another was because of his age. Even though knights have a longer lifespan, they only live to be a little over a hundred years old. Smith is already in his late eighties or early nineties, which is considered old even among knights. So, having him follow Isaac was also partly a way to let him return home to retire.

"Tsk~ Let's ask first." Isaac shook his head; recruiting people is not easy.

Putting aside how many people would be willing to work for him, the "God Thief," even if they were, Isaac might not trust them. Smith, on the other hand, had watched him grow up; he was Solomon's retainer and Isaac's elder, so their relationship was different.

"The potion for advancing to Grand Knight doesn't seem too expensive. If all else fails, I'll just advance. After becoming a Grand Knight, my lifespan will be over two hundred years. Even if the advancement effect is a bit weak, I'll still have fifty or sixty years. Fifty or sixty years is enough to accumulate enough to become a High Knight." Thinking this, Isaac nodded. "That makes sense!"

He was quite confident in himself. Fifty or sixty years was not a short time for him. As long as he didn't die, he would definitely become a high-level wizard. Unlike his father, he didn't have a large family to support, and his resources were highly concentrated. It wouldn't be difficult for him to create a high-level knight.

After all, the path of knighthood originated from one of the experimental products of wizards, while high knights were further developed by some wizards out of their reluctance to part with their families and friends.

But that's all there is to it. The path beyond that for a high-ranking knight is one that the knight himself must forge.

Thinking it over, Isaac went to the council chamber, where Smith and Liuli were already waiting, each holding a document and waiting for a report.

Chapter 95 The Proud Glass

“There are 20,000 square meters of medicinal fields within the territory. The new season of Silver Moon Grass has just been planted, and it might be a bit difficult to uproot them all, mainly because the tenants have a lot of complaints.” Smith frowned slightly as he reported the documents in his hand.

This amount of Silvermoon Grass isn't worth much to Isaac right now, but the real challenge is the resettlement of the tenants after the grass is uprooted. Although Isaac is a lord, he doesn't actually have any subjects.

The herb farmers who grow silver moon grass are still registered residents of Solomon's territory; Isaac only owns the land.

Of course, how to dispose of the medicinal herb field is also his own decision; there's no problem if he doesn't want to rent it out.

The problem is that forcibly driving him away might strain relations. Isaac's reputation was already significantly damaged by killing Remington in Phyllis, and if the methods are even more forceful, it might only make things worse.

This is not the situation Smith wanted to see; after all, if he had a good reputation, Isaac might not have actually fallen into the darkness of the mad witch.

“It’s alright, we can take our time. We still have a lot to prepare. We can just move some space from other places to house the demon rats.” Isaac flipped through the documents in his hand, and after a moment, he looked up and asked, “If I want to build a mage tower, what procedures should I follow?”

Upon hearing this, Smith thought for a moment and said, "Building a mage tower requires permission from Count Gaia and Lady Cheryl. Furthermore, according to regulations, it is forbidden to install attack systems above level two, or to link to energy planes outside the four elemental realms. There are also some minor details, but since you are also a member of Solomon, you don't need to worry about them."

Smith had clearly prepared for the mage tower, having thoroughly researched the relevant regulations. After speaking, he handed Isaac a list containing the most basic cost of building a mage tower.

"Tsk tsk~" Isaac glanced at it, shook his head helplessly. As expected of a wizard's divine equipment, it's really expensive...

Even the most basic model costs at least one million gold coins to make!

This only covers the costs of technology and materials for the first phase; there are at least two more phases of construction to come, which will also require a significant amount of money.

Isaac gave up after just one look; he couldn't afford to build it...

Although he made some money by begging from Philo, his usual magical research also costs a lot of money, and he can't afford such high expenses at the moment. Besides, he doesn't actually have that much of a need for it right now.

The eldest sister built the mage tower because she works with golems, which require production lines. Also, the mage tower is a powerful weapon that can effectively defend against foreign forces. Isaac is located in the heart of Solomon's territory, so there's not much need for combat.

For research, adding some experimental facilities would suffice; he also has a mage tower he borrowed from his older sister, which is more than enough.

Seeing Isaac shake his head, Smith understood and began to discuss the next matter: "If we don't cultivate Silvermoon Grass, we will need to purchase an extra batch of Knight's Elixir every month for the daily training of the guard. Unless one becomes a knight, this expense is necessary."

In fact, even after becoming a knight, this expense cannot be avoided, because without the Knight's Elixir, a knight can only be said to not decline significantly, but progress is out of the question.

But how to put it...

The guards' position here is actually quite awkward. Their functions can all be replaced by magic. Forget about protecting Isaac; if something really happens, Isaac will have to protect them...

Their sole purpose in existence is probably to add some life to the territory and make the castle look a little more normal...

"The guards..." Isaac was also troubled when the guards were mentioned. Not only were they useless, but he also had to support them for nothing...

"Here's what we'll do: go and gather opinions. Those who don't mind being monsters can stay, and those who do, send them all back."

"Hmm, hmm?" Smith instinctively tried to take notes, then realized what Isaac meant, looked up at him in astonishment, "Young Master, you mean..."

“Don’t get me wrong, if you put it that way they might be more inclined to leave. Staying doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll become monsters,” Isaac explained with a smile.

However, his explanation only made Smith more speechless.

"uncertain……"

Liuli glanced at Smith. "So what if he's a monster? Is there anything wrong with becoming a monster? Is there discrimination against monsters? As long as he can help his master, does it matter what he becomes?"

Although speechless, Smith didn't really have any objections, because subconsciously he also felt that becoming a monster wasn't a big deal, as long as he still had his sanity.

Therefore, he nodded, took a slight step back, and said that he had finished reporting his matter.

This is the advantage of having a butler. If Isaac were to handle these matters on his own, it would take him months to finish. But with a butler, he only needs to deal with these few things and set the general direction.

"Master, this is the overall data of the Demon Rat. If it continues to breed, there is a 70% chance that its bloodline factors will mutate, and a 10% chance that it will become stronger than it is now. But no matter which direction it goes, it will not change its value much."

Compared to Smith, Liuli's report was more important; it contained experimental data that needed to be carefully reviewed.

Inbreeding can indeed lead to bloodline abnormalities, but this side effect doesn't have a significant impact on monster breeding. This is because the value of most farmed monsters is concentrated in their corpses, and as long as those parts don't change, there's basically no impact.

For example, the current Demon Rats, the bloodline mutations caused by inbreeding, whether they become stronger or weaker, will not affect them, and the Demon Rats' role is not in combat.

Unless they lose their reproductive ability or their main selling parts such as claws, tails, and fur after mutation, it is necessary to use magic to regulate their bloodline factors and eliminate the possibility of mutation.

After all, regulating bloodline factors also requires money, and costs need to be controlled.

Isaac carefully examined the data and nodded: "Try breeding a few groups with high mutation rates and see what happens after the mutation. If the impact is not significant, we can continue to expand the scale."

Liuli nodded, memorizing Isaac's words, and handed over another set of data: "This is the data for the dragon lizard. Its bloodline factor is more active than that of a normal dragon lizard, but there are still no signs of further awakening. Its physical and magical growth is also very fast. The dragon blood in its body is extremely thin, and the possibility of the next generation naturally awakening the dragon blood is only one in a thousand, which is almost the same as the data of a normal dragon lizard."

As Isaac carefully examined the dragon lizard's detailed data, he nodded. He wasn't surprised; the dragon lizard's awakening still depended on his cheat system, and he hadn't studied this technology in depth before, so the data was normal.

"Sell the rest of the dragon lizards except for number one, and buy a new batch of dragon lizard cubs. Also, reorganize the location of the breeding farm. From now on, you will be in charge of the demon rats and dragon lizards."

"Yes, Master!"

Liuli nodded, then turned to look at Smith triumphantly. Useless human, I am still more favored by my master!

"???"

Smith looked at Ruri, who was staring at him expressionlessly, and couldn't help but feel helpless. This... monster maid had forgotten that she didn't have an expression.

Chapter 96 Dragon Lizard Bloodline Purification Experiment

After dealing with these two matters, Isaac got up to leave the council hall and head to the laboratory to study witchcraft. But as he reached the door, he suddenly remembered something and turned back to say, "By the way, Smith, the breathing technique you practice is the Black Serpent Breathing Technique, isn't it?"

"Yes, Master."

"Okay, I understand. Practice more when you have free time. I'll help you advance to Grand Knight, so please continue to take care of me."

Smith paused for a moment, then smiled with satisfaction, bowed deeply, and thanked him.

"Thank you, Master."

Isaac waved his hand, indicating that it was nothing to worry about, and then headed to the laboratory behind the castle.

The layout of the laboratory remained largely unchanged, and even the magical effect of expanding the internal space was preserved. From the outside, it looked only a little over a hundred square meters in size, but in reality, the interior was as big as three or four football fields!

It's quite spacious, but the only downside is that there's no tower spirit.

So, having a large space is, in a sense, a drawback. However, now that he has Liuli, he doesn't have to clean up the lab himself, so apart from shopping anytime and anywhere, there isn't much difference.

Upon entering the laboratory, Isaac quickly got to work, taking off his wizard robes and changing into a white lab coat. He then went to the number one lab table. Unlike the versatile operating table in the castle laboratory, the current laboratory was spacious enough to hold many things, so he finally categorized the workbenches.

Experiment table number one was specifically used for processing internal organs; biological experiments were still conducted on the operating table.

What he is preparing to do now is to put into practice the research project he received from the Flesh and Blood Cult—"Bloodline Purification: Heart Chapter".

As mentioned earlier, sorcery is much more complex than arcane magic. Each sorcery spell, in addition to the specific spell, also contains accompanying knowledge, such as bloodline purification. Complete bloodline purification is a third-order sorcery. It is said that a single spell can purify the bloodline of a dragon lizard to the level of a dragon!

However, this comes at the cost of the dragon lizard's life force, and the spell's effect only lasts for ten seconds. After ten seconds, no matter how powerful the dragon lizard becomes, it will revert back to being a dragon lizard and die.

The goal of "Dragon Blood Monster Bloodline Purification Research" is to make the spell's effect permanent and achieve freedom in obtaining dragon materials!

Isaac has no idea how far things have progressed; only the high-ranking wizards involved know. He's just following along, submitting materials and getting a share of the profits.

Back in the capital, he had already thoroughly grasped the theory of "Bloodline Purification: Heart Chapter," and all that was missing now was practical verification.

On the first experimental table, a bright red dragon lizard heart was placed, while on the third operating table not far away, a dragon lizard whose heart had been removed lay quietly, its life frozen to the maximum extent by magic.

This is the advantage of having an assistant. In the past, he would have had to do all the preliminary work himself!

Unlike now, you can just give them some instructions and they'll make it.

It's a pity that the [God Thief] can only create one familiar, otherwise he really wanted to get more. After all, they are really useful, obedient, good at fighting, and have strong learning abilities. So what if their original form is a bit strange? At worst, they can also get a transformation skill like Ruri.

Yes, Isaac had noticed Ruri's unusual behavior during this time. After all, she was Isaac's familiar, and Isaac had some sense of her. At first, he just didn't think about it and was infatuated with his own desires, but as time went on and the novelty wore off, he naturally noticed it.

But it doesn't matter. Who cares what it looks like? As long as it works, that's all that matters. Isaac is a pragmatist.

"Hi~hoo~"

Soon, Isaac adjusted his state, put aside his complicated thoughts, and devoted himself wholeheartedly to the experiment. The light of magic shone in Isaac's hands, and strands of magic merged with the dragon lizard's heart, stimulating some of its vitality. Then, Isaac poured some green potion onto the dragon lizard's heart one by one, and then injected magic into it, repeating this cycle three times.

The hematopoietic cells in the dragon lizard's heart become fully active, making it the perfect time to purify the dragon blood.

Although it was Isaac's first time conducting this experiment, he was not flustered at all. He carried out all the experimental steps in an orderly manner. After all, he had already simulated the experimental process countless times in his mind when he was in the capital. He knew that the experiment was a success without even looking at the panel!

Sure enough, as Isaac injected a thin, well-prepared, crystal-red potion into the dragon lizard's heart, the crystal-red magic began to permeate the entire heart with each heartbeat, and the dragon's aura began to emanate from it.

However, the experiment has not yet succeeded. At present, the ordinary dragon lizard heart has been transformed into the heart of a first-level dragon blood demon lizard. Before it can be put back, there is one more step, which is to compress the size of the heart!

Dragon lizard and dragon-blooded demon lizard – don't be fooled by the fact that they only differ by two words; they are actually very different!

Dragon lizards are just non-ranked monsters, and even ordinary people can raise them, while Dragon Blood Demon Lizards are first-rank high-level monsters, and their size is five times that of dragon lizards!

To support such a huge body, the Dragonblood Demon Lizard's heart was naturally also quite large. After Isaac injected the potion, the Dragonblood Demon Lizard's heart began to expand rapidly. In just a few seconds, it had expanded from the size of a fist to the size of a basketball!

This is bigger than the dragon lizard's chest; it's impossible to stuff it in!

This isn't even its final size!

Therefore, at this time, another witchcraft of the Isaac territory is needed—flesh coagulation.

This technique can be further compressed using the essence of demonic flesh and blood, making it convenient to carry around. It can also be used in various biological experiments. After all, there are quite a few giant monsters in the magical world, and many of them have internal organs that are as tall as a three-story building!

Wizards can't just dive right in during experiments, so they need spells that shrink their size.

However, flesh and blood coagulation is not a transformation spell, so extra care must be taken when compressing the heart. The heart's structure must be preserved while compressing its volume to avoid crushing it into a lump of flesh.

Therefore, Isaac was extremely careful in this step, and didn't even have time to check the success rate displayed by the cheat code.