Chapter 541 - 387: The Difference Between a Mage and a Brute (Part 2)

Chapter 541: Chapter 387: The Difference Between a Mage and a Brute (Part 2)

After some thought, this thing is much more cost-effective when used in a normal ritual.

As he thought, Isaac flipped his right hand over. A silvery-white magical radiance appeared—it was the Privilege Magic of [Boundless]: Big Mouth Swallow. ’Perhaps these concepts could be used to help me grasp the [Boundless] Authority...’

No, that’s not right!

There’s more!

Isaac’s brows shot up as an idea surfaced. ’What if I take it a step further and turn it into a Power Crystal Stone? Could I even make Big Bro’s "Venerable Bone" grow back?’

The more Isaac thought about it, the more excited he became. ’This seems to have incredible potential!’

Isaac himself wasn’t particularly interested in [Boundless]. It was powerful, to be sure, but using it in actual combat required a slow process of stacking buffs. Its greatest utility was as an aid for Cultivation.

But Isaac was a Legendary Mage. Their Cultivation was simple—they just had to complete the corresponding rituals. They didn’t place much importance on personal Cultivation, which was why [Boundless] was considered the strongest Authority for a Knight, not a Mage.

If he could give it to Big Bro, that would be a much better outcome.

And most importantly!

If this step succeeded—if he could truly condense an Authority from Privilege Magic into a transferable Authority Crystal—then what if he took it even further? What if he paved the way from the Privilege Magic of the [Analysis] Authority all the way to the Authority itself? Then...

Wouldn’t a new heroic feat be within his grasp?

’No...’

’This is two damn heroic feats!’

’It might even be one heroic feat and one Great Creation!’

This was because, to this day, there was still no effective method for learning the [Analysis] Authority.

However, based on what Isaac had learned recently, the chances of it being a Great Creation were quite low. Even so, it was guaranteed to be a heroic feat at the very least. The research for these two projects overlapped, and once he completed them both, his journey through Tier Four would be almost finished.

He could start preparing for his advancement to Tier Five.

"Well, well. ’Now isn’t that an instant surge of motivation?’"

Having decided on a plan for the prize in his hand, Isaac put away the Privilege Magic, Big Mouth Swallow. He then turned his gaze to Liu Li, Saint Master, and Shushu, who was perched on his shoulder, and began contemplating how to enhance them.

Among all his subordinates, the Servant Demons were the easiest to strengthen. The reason was simple: a Servant Demon’s power was entirely bound to him. He didn’t need to worry about their potential and could act boldly, devising a specific modification plan for each stage of their development.

This was different from human subordinates like Smith and Agares. For them, the most Isaac could do was guide and instruct them. Their growth wasn’t just about strength; their potential also had to be considered.

This was one of the reasons he had chosen to bring these three with him.

Of the three, Shushu was the easiest to enhance. Although it, like Soron, had embarked on the grand path of research, Shushu was fundamentally different—it was a Divine Species!

For Shushu, Knowledge was merely a supplementary tool, not the most crucial part of its being.

Enhancing Shushu would only require a single Virtual Divinity. If the fused Virtual Divinity was compatible with its Divine Network, he might even be able to help it strengthen that network, allowing it to truly advance into a Tier Four Divine Species!

From there, he could take it another step further, perhaps configuring different Virtual Divinities for Shushu to expand the scope of its Divine Authority!

Perhaps, through this method, the path for a Deity’s Divine Authority to evolve into Sovereignty might one day manifest in Shushu?

Isaac looked forward to this possibility and was more than willing to give it a helping hand.

But while Shushu’s path was straightforward, the other two were more complicated...

Originally, Saint Master was the only difficult case. His growth involved three steps. First, he had to learn Demon Secret Techniques to become proficient in using Dimensional Magic Power. Next, he had to use a summoning ritual to call forth Divine Power containing a portion of a Demon God’s origin, which he would then devour. Finally, he had to temper his physical body by simulating a Knight’s Furnace Skill, using specific rituals to completely digest that power and make it his own.

Throughout this process, Isaac could only assist with the last two steps. He could use his Golden Finger to enhance Saint Master’s series of refining rituals, but the initial step was something Saint Master had to complete on his own.

Furthermore, as Isaac’s understanding of the Knight Furnace Technique deepened, he had integrated it into Saint Master’s growth plan. This was another part that Saint Master would have to practice diligently himself.

Again, Isaac was a Wizard, not a Knight. The Furnace Skill he created could only serve as a template, a seed. What it ultimately grew into depended on the Cultivator’s own efforts to adjust and perfect it step by step.

The most Isaac could do was create a version of the Furnace Skill that a Dragon-man like Saint Master could practice.

Saint Master now had to walk most of this path on his own, which was the most difficult part. Of course, the ultimate achievement would be equally extraordinary.

Compared to Saint Master, Liu Li’s case was far simpler. Her situation was unique; she was, in essence, a Demon God’s Favored, born from Isaac’s own [Legend].

Therefore, her strength was completely dependent on Isaac. To enhance her to Tier Four, he only needed to perform the [Stealing God] ritual a few more times. She didn’t even need to expend effort to refine the power; once the ritual was complete, she would master the corresponding power almost perfectly!

Compared to Harmon or Shushu, Liu Li had far less freedom in how her power grew. But because of this, it was also much easier. As long as Isaac continued to grow stronger, and as long as there were enough Outer Gods or even Deities in this world, she could continue to advance right alongside him!

Endlessly!

All it took to increase her power was a simple [Stealing God] ritual.

At least...

...that’s how it was supposed to be.

But now, something had changed...

It wasn’t that her method of advancement had changed, like Saint Master’s. The method was the same—it was still centered on [Stealing God]. The root of the problem didn’t lie there, but with... Liu Li herself!

Isaac had known about Liu Li’s true form for a long time. He hadn’t known at the very beginning, but as they spent more time together and his own power grew, he had gradually learned the truth.

By that point, however, Isaac had already been through a lot and was able to completely accept it. He hadn’t thought about trying to fundamentally alter her true form or anything like that.

From his perspective, it made no difference to him, since Liu Li possessed a near-perfect Mimicry ability. In fact, from a practical standpoint, her true form was actually more advantageous for unleashing her full power.

Of course, the most important factor was that Liu Li herself had never expressed any desire to change her true form.

Isaac treated his Servant Demons who had reached a certain level of maturity quite well. Unlike other Wizards who saw non-Magic Pet Servant Demons as mere consumables or test subjects, Isaac would now consult them before performing any modifications. This naturally included discussions about their future paths of development.

It could be said that, to Isaac, they were more like family or partners.

Isaac worried that rashly bringing up the matter of her true form might negatively affect Liu Li. So, if she didn’t mention it, he felt he shouldn’t either. As time went on without her saying a word, he gradually came to believe she had simply gotten used to it.

After all, judging others by his own standards, one of the reasons Isaac hadn’t mentioned changing her true form when he first discovered it was because he himself had already grown accustomed to it...

’Habit truly is a terrifying thing!’

But judging from the recent battle in Terra Royal City, it was clear that Liu Li hadn’t grown accustomed to her true form as he’d thought. Instead, she had grown accustomed to hiding it, to running away from it...

It had gradually become a deep-seated psychological issue for her, one that needed to be carefully unraveled.

But that was also the tricky part. A psychological issue this big wouldn’t be easy to handle. ’If I just ask her directly...’

’...that doesn’t seem appropriate.’

Recalling the terrifying aura when Liu Li’s true form was exposed, the corner of Isaac’s mouth twitched. ’I might have to...’

However, just as Isaac was wrestling with this problem, Shushu, still perched on his shoulder, seemed to notice his dilemma. Its small, beady eyes glanced at Liu Li, then back at Isaac. After a moment, its little eyes darted around. It put down the Divine Fragment it had been gnawing on, and its tail rose slightly, gently tapping the back of Isaac’s head.