You could buy one in Lake Town.
Unfortunately, it wasn't cheap.
A whole five hundred Gold Coins!
And it didn't even have much space!
'Rather than waste my money, I'd be better off figuring out how to make one myself!'
'Hm?'
Isaac paused. He was starting to understand why most Wizards were so versatile...
Shaking his head to clear the messy thoughts, he walked to the cages to carefully observe the Dragon Lizard and Demon Rat.
The Dragon Lizard was a little over half a meter long, so it wasn't very large. Its scales looked rather soft and not particularly tough, but its Magic Power content was quite high—equivalent to a full five goblins!
Covered in gray scales, it lay motionless in the cage, just like a stone.
It wasn't dead. It had simply been put under a Sleep Magic Spell for transportation.
The Demon Rat beside it was also fast asleep in its cage. Its menacing fangs and claws and its jet-black skin gave it an ominous air. A faint, almost imperceptible Demon aura clung to its fist-sized body. Though its Magic Power was much higher than a Demonized Rat's, its combat strength was still quite average.
It was only slightly stronger than a single goblin.
Its main advantage was its speed.
This was to be expected. Although "Demon" was in its name, the Demon Rat didn't actually possess any Demon bloodline. If it did, novices wouldn't be allowed to breed them, as Demons were the magical beasts that evolved the fastest and through the most diverse paths!
Demons, unlike Giant Dragons, could awaken their bloodline from even the faintest trace of it after any act of slaughter, causing their power to skyrocket!
The Demon Rat was named as such simply because it possessed a faint, demon-like aura. In reality, it was little more than a farmable commodity. Its teeth and claws were essential for many rituals and in high demand, while its flesh and blood served as secondary ingredients for certain Magic Potions or were used in special rites.
However, the most valuable part was the Demon Rat's pelt. It was a spellcasting component for an entire series of Witchcraft, so the demand for it was even higher!
Therefore, breeding Demon Rats was actually a rather profitable venture.
After confirming that there were no problems with the two Dragon Lizards and the Demon Rats, Isaac had the guards move them to the warehouse behind the castle. He returned to his laboratory to retrieve some materials before heading to the warehouse himself.
...
"Young Master Isaac."
"Master Isaac."
Isaac simply nodded at Smith's and Barton's greetings, then walked directly to the Dragon Lizard's cage. He placed a piece of parchment written in blood in front of it and softly recited the Magic Spell he had received from the Tower of Flesh.
Instantly, in time with the pulse of Isaac's Magic Power, the parchment dissolved into streams of blood-red light that seeped into the Dragon Lizard's body.
This was the Blood Contract Technique from the Tower of Flesh, used to control magical beasts. It was a relatively elementary form of Witchcraft, but necessary. After all, even if the Dragon Lizard was domestically bred, it was still a magical beast, and there was no guarantee it wouldn't lose control someday.
Therefore, it was best to implement some coercive measures.
Of course, nothing in this world was that simple. The Blood Contract Technique could only be used for farm-raised magical beasts; if they entered combat, the already tenuous connection would become even more fragile.
If one wished to control higher-level magical beasts and deploy them in combat, a more advanced Witchcraft was required.
He had no such plans for now, however, so it didn't matter. He would just buy a more advanced technique when he needed one.
Next, Isaac took out another eleven pieces of parchment and signed blood contracts with the remaining Dragon Lizard and the Demon Rats.
This Low Level blood contract Witchcraft wasn't all bad, though. The number of contracts it allowed was one of its few advantages.
After all, no one bred creatures one by one; it was a completely different matter from raising combat beasts or Magic Pets that assisted with casting.
After completing the blood contracts, he placed the Demon Rats into a pre-prepared pen, casually tossed in a few pieces of raw meat, and then turned his attention to the two Dragon Lizards.
While Smith and Barton looked on with curiosity, Isaac produced a vial of Blood Essence Potion and turned his gaze to one of the Dragon Lizards.
Instantly, a data panel visible only to him appeared above the Dragon Lizard's head—
[Dragon Bloodline Awakening: 35%+]
Seeing this data, Isaac's lips curved into a slight smile. 'It works, just as I expected.'
Suppressing his excitement, Isaac focused his attention on the "+" sign after the percentage. A whole list of materials for improving the success rate instantly appeared.
At the very top was Blood Essence Potion x2. Three vials of the potion would guarantee a direct awakening.
But the cost would be far too high.
Luckily, there were many other materials listed below it. He could take his time and choose. Cost-effectiveness was very important.
Unfortunately, there were quite a few materials he didn't recognize.
But that wasn't a problem. The materials provided by his Golden Finger had to be things he had seen before and roughly understood. He would just have to check his references when he got back. It wasn't a big deal.
With a weight lifted from his shoulders, Isaac smiled contentedly as he placed each Dragon Lizard into a separate enclosure and activated the Position Magic: Beast Breeding Arena!
To Smith and Barton's amazement, a magical radiance spread across the walls of the warehouse. A special frequency of Magic Power rippled through the rat and dragon pens, silently accelerating the growth of the Demon Rats and Dragon Lizards.
"From now on, feed them once a day. Just throw some raw meat in," Isaac said happily, dusting off his hands. "For now, use the meat we have here. I'll make other arrangements when it runs out."
"Yes, Young Master." Smith nodded slightly. The task itself wasn't difficult; the only question was whether they could afford to feed them.
But that wasn't a major problem. For one, he trusted in Isaac's abilities. If his master wanted to raise them, he must have already calculated the costs and known he could afford it. And for another...
Even if they truly couldn't afford it, Isaac was a Wizard now, no longer the weak and sickly youth he once was. Though he had lost some of his inheritance rights when the family assets were divided, he was still of the Solomons Family bloodline. It wouldn't be a problem for him to enter the domain's inner circle on the strength of his status as a Wizard.
The domain could afford to support not just twelve magical beasts, but ten times that number!
Among Viscounts, the Solomons were considered one of the most powerful families, rivaling even some Counts!
After giving his instructions to Smith, Isaac left the warehouse. The magical beasts had been received; now, it was time to study again.
As for the Dragon Lizards, there was no rush. First, it wasn't time to awaken their bloodlines yet; he needed to wait for them to grow larger. And second...
He had no money.
He was flat broke. Even if he found cost-effective materials, he couldn't afford them.
The prices of any materials related to Dragons were always inflated. Even a useless weed from near a Dragon's lair could sell for extra money just on the strength of its name. No matter how cost-effective a material might be, the current Isaac couldn't afford to even consider it.
He would just have to continue his research for now and reconsider after he sold his first batch of Demon Rats.
...
「Three days later.」
Isaac stood before an operating table, completely focused. He wore a white lab coat and held scalpels in his hands. Behind his head, a menacing Demon Claw danced about, periodically handing him replacement tools.
On the operating table lay a Demon Rat that had been cut open and was practically dismembered.
Normally, an incision that nearly split the entire body in two would be instantly fatal. And yet, miraculously, despite its head being sliced halfway open, the Demon Rat still maintained a faint spark of life!
It was as faint as a firefly's glow, but it was, without a doubt, still alive.
Judging by Isaac's furrowed brow, however, the surgery was not going smoothly...
After a long moment, the percentage in Isaac's vision dropped to zero, and the Demon Rat's life force was finally extinguished. It had ultimately died on the operating table, failing in its bid to become the God of Demon Rats...
"Sigh... Not enough vitality again..."
Isaac frowned, casually feeding the Demon Rat's corpse to the Demon Claw. He then removed his blood-stained gloves, returned to his desk, and recorded the data from the recent surgery.
He had just been performing a Totem Refining surgery, a procedure he created by modifying the principles of the Totem Refining Technique. He had to invent it because the actual Totem Refining Witchcraft required a mastery of basic Alchemy, which he currently lacked.
Therefore, he had decided to try and replicate the effect through surgical means.
Unfortunately, he had already failed five times...
He had used Demonized Rats for the first four attempts. This time, he had switched to a Demon Rat with a stronger Life Force, yet he had still failed...
'Perhaps the problem lies elsewhere...'
Frowning, Isaac opened the Witchcraft Manuscript once more and continued his research...