In the goblin burrow, besides the bodies covering the ground, the most eye-catching sight was a massive, tumor-covered green heart!
The green heart was four meters high and three meters wide!
Around the green heart, vein-like green tissue crept outward in all directions. Upon this green carpet, fleshy sacs had formed. As Isaac approached for a closer look, he couldn't help but draw a sharp breath!
For inside those green, fleshy sacs were, unbelievably, curled-up goblins!
HSSS!!!
Isaac couldn't help but take a few steps back, marveling at the strange, fleshy structure. 'So this is how goblins are born? They can actually draw Magic Power from the air... No, that's not right...'
After the initial shock, a deep curiosity welled up. Isaac couldn't resist inching closer to observe it.
Through his observations, he discovered that this strange object didn't just draw Magic Power from the air to nurture the goblins. The ambient Magic Power alone wouldn't be enough to nurture so many of them—this wasn't exactly a high-magic region.
Isaac could faintly sense another channel of Magic Power within the green heart. That was the true source of the power nurturing the goblins.
"How interesting," Isaac murmured, stroking his chin. He was extremely curious about this object.
"Are there other goblins in the area?" Isaac asked curiously, turning to the Goblin Slayer who had followed him inside.
"Er... yes, quite a few." The Goblin Slayer avoided Isaac's gaze, speaking with a hint of fear. "During their breeding season, goblins typically establish multiple nests in an area to lower the chances of being discovered."
"Is that so?" Isaac stroked his chin and nodded slowly. "Alright, that settles it. Smith, find some men to move this thing back to the castle. You'll escort it personally."
"This..." Smith glanced at the unsettling green heart, the corner of his mouth twitching. He wanted to refuse, but in the end, he nodded in agreement. "Yes, Young Lord..."
'It was the same thought as always: he had already mentally prepared himself for his young lord's increasingly bizarre development.'
"Mm. Have all these goblin bodies transported to the castle as well. I have a use for them. That will be all. Today's hunt is over. We'll continue tomorrow. What are your thoughts?" Isaac said, looking to the Goblin Slayer.
The sky was growing dark, and they now had a rough estimate of the goblins' strength. From now on, they wouldn't need to deploy so many people unless they ran into a particularly tough nut to crack.
Of course, the Goblin Slayer was the expert, so it was best to hear his opinion first.
The Goblin Slayer naturally had no objections. It was nearly dark, and fighting in the Wilderness at night was highly disadvantageous. The situation wasn't so critical that they needed to risk it; they could take their time.
With a final glance at the massive green heart, Isaac turned and left with the Black Knight. As curious as he was, it wasn't enough to make him alter his study schedule. Besides, Goblin Nests weren't particularly rare. He could afford to take his time; there was no hurry.
Exiting the burrow, Isaac left the guards and the Goblin Slayer to clean up the battlefield. He, Smith, and the Black Knight headed back to the castle ahead of the others. He needed to get back to studying his Magic Spells.
After his initial foray into Magic Spells, he found that they were more or less what he had expected.
Above basic Magic Spells, there existed a high-level classification of spells known as High-level Curses.
High-level Curses were far more powerful than basic Magic Spells. For example, a basic Flame spell could, at best, be used for heating things or brewing potions. To be effective in actual combat, it had to be combined with other Magic Spells to create a synergistic effect.
But High-level Curses were different; they could unleash immense power without the aid of other Magic Spells!
They could burn the skies and boil the seas!
The reason High-level Curses possessed such might was due to a principle that modern Wizards had abandoned—the Principle of Mystery.
The Principle of Mystery: the more mysterious the Knowledge, the more powerful it is, and vice versa.
According to historical records, when basic Magic Spells were first discovered, their power was comparable to that of High-level Curses. However, as they became more widespread, their power steadily diminished until it reached the current rock-bottom level, unable to fall any further.
There were many similar examples throughout the history of Wizards, and this was precisely why the Principle of Mystery was abandoned: it severely hampered the development of the Wizard's Path!
High-level Curses were one of the final glorious manifestations of the Principle of Mystery.
High-level Curses possessed immense power; at a minimum, each one was equivalent to the Talent Witchcraft of a High-level Mage!
This immense power stemmed from its unparalleled exclusivity: at any given time, only one Wizard could possess each High-level Curse!
Supreme mystery in exchange for supreme power—a fair trade.
However, High-level Curses were still a distant goal for Isaac. He was currently studying basic Magic Spells. Though they had lost their ancient glory, basic spells were still the cornerstone of traditional Witchcraft and crucial for his future research.
Moreover, his Golden Finger could break the Principle of Mystery!
Through repeated Casting, he could enhance a Magic Spell's efficacy!
While practically useless in actual combat, its value in research was immense.
...
In the days that followed, Isaac settled back into a peaceful routine. The castle grew even quieter, especially after Barton's successful promotion to Knight. The daily deliveries of goblin corpses and entire Goblin Nests proved that the extermination mission was proceeding smoothly.
The only downside was...
There was a problem with selling the Blood Essence Potions...
The Magic Pharmacy in Lake Town was no longer buying them!
That's right. They wouldn't buy any more.
This was nothing like what happened in the stories!
Though frustrated, there was nothing Isaac could do. While the Blood Essence Potion had its uses, plenty of people knew how to brew it. It was never a bestseller to begin with; its high price of one hundred Gold Coins was entirely due to the expensive ingredients—and that was the cost for an experienced alchemist.
After all, not everyone could succeed with every attempt like Isaac.
As a result, of the three potions he brewed from the materials he bought, he was ultimately stuck with one he couldn't sell.
Sigh...
In the warehouse, thinking about his predicament with the potions, Isaac couldn't help but sigh again. With a wave of his hand, the two Knight's Attendants behind him immediately stepped forward. They carried away the goblin flesh he had just finished refining and replaced it with fresh goblin corpses.
The Refinement spell, a basic Magic Spell, could be used to extract the essence from materials with low Magic Power content. Many Arcanists also used this spell to process large quantities of Magic Materials.
Furthermore, the refined goblin flesh not only had a higher Magic Power content but also a longer shelf life, so he didn't have to worry about it spoiling. This was crucial for him, as his Talent Witchcraft required Demonized Flesh to be cast with minimal expenditure.
How to preserve the flesh was very important to him.
Of course, how to carry it on his person was also important, but that was a much greater challenge. He was currently researching it and had a few ideas. Before any of that, however, he needed to accomplish something else first...
Perform a ritual...