Chapter 570 - 402: Ten Years (Part 1)

Chapter 570: Chapter 402: Ten Years (Part 1)

The Inference of Soul Structure was different, however. By inferring what the soul structure would look like in the future and comparing it with the brand-new, ever-perfecting soul structure of a Legendary Mage, he might discover something interesting.

Perhaps, if he was lucky, he might solve one of two problems this time: the Mad Witch Traits or the Arcanist’s soul structure.

’Or maybe even solve both at once?’

Although his rational mind told him it was unlikely, Isaac still felt a flicker of anticipation.

Soon, after settling on a general research plan, Isaac planted the Core of Time. A massive, somewhat ethereal tree instantly sprouted, soaring hundreds of meters high!

It stood towering amidst the snowy plains!

However, just a moment later, the towering tree vanished. In its place, Isaac found himself holding three verdant leaves. Each leaf represented a chance to anchor the future.

After a quick glance, Isaac put the leaves away. They held little research value, much like the Core of Time. The leaves themselves had no special properties; their miraculous effects were entirely due to their resonance with a [Grand Concept] of the world, borrowing its power to achieve such feats.

The [Grand Concept] they resonated with was the one left behind by the World Tree·Chronos.

To achieve this resonance, one had to do as Angel once did: use the very [Existence] of an entire Little World as nourishment to cultivate an illusory form of Chronos. Only then could one obtain these leaves.

Simply put, it was a colossal ritual with parameters that were completely set in stone, leaving no room for improvisation.

Isaac had never been interested in such things, unless the payoff was sufficiently large!

But clearly, these few items weren’t worth him going to all that trouble. Besides, if he really wanted them, he could just buy them directly from Angel. She had the [Chronicles of Time], making it far more convenient for her to acquire them than for him.

The cost for her was also quite low.

’Well, as long as she can find a Little World to absorb.’

Isaac put away the verdant leaves, then ate the few pieces of cyan-colored fruit pulp one by one. His vision blurred. A tree even more massive than the Future Tree, its roots and branches seeming to fill the entire Boundless Void, flashed before his eyes!

Though the vision was brief, the giant tree was seared into his mind. Before it, he felt as insignificant as an ant...

This was not a matter of physical size, but of power!

Isaac, who stood at the peak of Tier Four and could even contend with a Tier Five being if fully prepared, seemed not even on par with an ant before that giant tree...

"So that’s the World Tree..." Isaac’s gaze sharpened, and a fervent flame seemed to ignite within his eyes.

At that moment, a mad thought occurred to him. ’I wonder... which is stronger, the Gate of Legends or the World Tree?’

This mad thought lasted only for an instant before Isaac ruthlessly suppressed it. He wasn’t yet qualified to entertain such a wild idea. At the very least...

’He had to reach Tier Five first!’

His primary task now was to press on with his experiments. He only had ten years, but the list of things to do was long. Time was short and the work was demanding.

At this thought, Isaac surveyed his surroundings. He sent his Spiritual Power radiating outward to probe the area. For the most part, it was just as he’d expected; his environment hadn’t changed.

He was still in Brurel, still on the snowy plain. Even all the facilities in the camp remained, including the World Gate and that bottomless, pitch-black Abyss.

But both of these things had fallen into a stagnant state and couldn’t be activated.

Moreover, in his surroundings—and indeed, in the entire world—there wasn’t a single living person!

This was because Isaac had been extracted from his own flowing timeline and placed into this stagnant one. Here, he was utterly alone. And everything was real, for this was no copy or projection, but an actual manipulation of time itself.

However, while everything was real, some things differed from the original timeline. Take the World Gate, for example. In this stagnant world, it was impossible to generate enough energy to activate it, making it little more than an ornament. Calling it a projection, in this case, wouldn’t be far from the truth.

At least, not as long as Isaac had no intention of studying it.

The situation with the pitch-black Abyss was similar.

Its circumstances, however, were more complex than the World Gate’s. In addition to being unable to function due to an insufficient power supply, its true form contained the power of a Deity. This level of temporal manipulation was not yet able to affect a Tier Six True God.

Therefore, compared to the World Gate—which was completely real but inactive—the Abyss possessed a faintly illusory quality.

Isaac already had a general understanding of all this before arriving, so he wasn’t overly curious. He gave them a casual glance and then began his experiments.

First on his agenda was research into the Witch’s Secret Medicine.

The Witch’s Secret Medicine came in two versions: a deluxe, premium version and a standard, affordable version. Strictly speaking, the effects of both were completely identical; the only difference lay in the ingredients.

The deluxe version used extremely expensive materials, making it easier to brew; it required only low-level manipulation of Concepts to complete the concoction. However, the ingredients were so expensive and rare that production was destined to be limited.

This had nothing to do with technical skill.

Consequently, Isaac had little interest in researching this version. ’It’s just a matter of throwing money at the problem. What’s the point of something so simple?’

But he had no choice. The ingredients for a Legendary Mage’s Magic Potions were often rather... unsavory. Never mind other people; many Legendary Mages wouldn’t even consume the Magic Potions they brewed themselves...

Isaac included!

After all, a Magic Potion is something you have to drink. It was fine if you were ignorant of the ingredients, but once you knew, the psychological barrier was difficult to overcome.

But the Witch’s Secret Medicine had little to do with Isaac—he wasn’t the one drinking it. So naturally, he favored the version that was more difficult to make but had a lower cost!

Not only was it more challenging, but the profits would also be higher!

Unfortunately, the potential ingredients for this version were strongly condemned by his Sponsor, Angel. So after some thought, and considering the market, Isaac ultimately compromised and decided to research both versions.

Each would cater to a different client base.

’Besides, the ingredients won’t be made public. As long as I don’t say anything, how would those Witches know what they’re drinking?’

Given the scarcity of the premium version’s ingredients, its production volume and price couldn’t possibly compare to the standard version. Isaac wasn’t worried about a lack of buyers for the cheaper one; after all, it wasn’t just a matter of price.

As mentioned, although the research on the Witch’s Secret Medicine had just begun, the relevant theories were already well-developed. Furthermore, Isaac’s Golden Finger, with its ability to increase the fault tolerance rate, gave him a significant advantage in brewing Magic Potions.

As a result, his progress was remarkably fast!

On his very first attempt, Isaac successfully brewed a bottle of golden-red Dragon Witch’s Secret Potion!

It was a Tier Three potion. It could significantly enhance Witch Bloodlines related to Magic and Giant Dragons. For a Witch within Tier Three, consuming it would directly increase their power by one Minor Tier. Even a Witch at the Tier Three Peak would see some effect, allowing them to delve deeper and more comprehensively into their bloodline’s power within the Tier Three domain!

Unfortunately, while the Magic Potion had been created, the research itself was not yet a success.

This was because when brewing a Magic Potion, Isaac could adjust the fault tolerance rate on the fly. This was unlike a ritual, where the parameters were fixed before activation and generally couldn’t be changed.

Therefore, this bottle of Magic Potion had essentially been brute-forced into existence with resources, regardless of the cost!

In terms of fault tolerance, it had consumed a whopping 1,583 percent!

More than fifteen times the normal amount!

An outcome like this could hardly be called a success.

Regardless, a finished product had been made. As a result, on Isaac’s system panel, the completion rate for this research project shot up to thirty-seven percent!

This was only because Witch Bloodlines were so diverse, and Isaac’s potion was only effective for Dragon Witches. If it had been more general, the progress increase would have been even greater!

After briefly organizing his thoughts, Isaac began a new round of brewing. He still didn’t use the future-anchoring leaves, as it wasn’t yet time. That resource was best saved for when he hit a major roadblock.

’Preferably during the final stages of research...’

And so, time slowly trickled by. Bottles of Magic Potions in various colors began to accumulate beside Isaac. Correspondingly, the completion rate for the Witch’s Secret Medicine research on his system panel continued to climb at a visible rate!