Chapter 467 - 347: The Trio Works Together Again (2)

Chapter 467: Chapter 347: The Trio Works Together Again (2)

"Master, Princess Philo is here to see you." Isaac, who was reviewing the list of candidates for Mad Sorcerer Apprentice, looked up in surprise at Liu Li’s words.

"Why is she here? Shouldn’t she be governing her domain at a time like this?"

"I don’t know." Liu Li shook her head and handed Isaac a letter. "She just said it has to do with a New World."

Upon hearing this, a glint appeared in Isaac’s eyes. He took the letter from Liu Li and began to read it carefully. A moment later, his expression cleared with understanding.

The purpose of Philo’s letter was simple: she wanted to invite him to participate in the development of a New World. Her reason for inviting him was just as simple. With the Empire all but gone, the blade that had been hanging over the Time Witch Angel’s head had been removed.

Therefore, Philo would have to be more cautious from now on. There was no telling when or where Angel might pop out and launch a surprise attack!

Furthermore, with the Magic Scripture—the Chronicles of Time—in her possession, Angel had a unique, almost heaven-sent advantage when it came to ambushes.

’Should I go?’ Isaac’s fingers tapped gently on the desktop, lost in thought.

Through his recent probing, Isaac had come to understand that exploring a New World wasn’t so simple. For one, the exploration device and the New World Gate were difficult to construct, demanding vast amounts of materials and time, not to mention a certain level of technical skill.

The technical aspects were still somewhat challenging for Isaac. However, materials and technology weren’t an issue; he had collected everything he needed from Prince Norns’s Domain. And with the help of his Golden Finger, learning was easy. The only thing he lacked was time.

But even if he built both, finding a New World was no easy task. The Boundless Void was indeed filled with New Worlds as numerous as grains of sand, but the vast majority of them literally contained nothing but mud and sand...

Utterly worthless.

Finding a valuable New World was not easy. Finding a *suitable* one was even harder.

This was one of the main reasons why most Tier Four individuals chose to band together to develop New Worlds. They were beggars, not choosers; having any world to develop was a blessing.

So, while he couldn’t stop his own search, it was best to actively participate in others’ explorations as well.

However, Isaac was currently facing a major problem. His combat power was more than sufficient, but his reputation...

...was, if anything, even worse.

Some bastard had revealed that his Divine Spirit Book contained the power of the Nameless Lord. As a result, not only was he nearly kicked out of the Sects and from the Mad Witch circles, but all of his applications for New World development had also been rejected...

Therefore, in the short term, this might be the only New World development Isaac could join!

Moreover, by using Philo as a stepping stone, he might be able to get involved in other New World developments led by the Terra Kingdom...

But if this meant he had to confront the Time Witch Angel...

That would be... unpredictable. After all, her power was formidable; she was an opponent Isaac had to take seriously, at least until he reached Tier Five. Furthermore, as an Origin Witch, Angel held a high status in the Witch Country. Her attitude could very well affect his future prospects...

"Tsk... ’If only I could advance to Tier Five,’" Isaac thought with some resignation. After the brief grumble, he waved his hand. "Let her in. I’ll hear what she has to say."

With another sigh, Isaac turned his attention back to the list in front of him. In the end, not many were willing—or rather, dared—to become a Mad Witch. After a month of recruitment, he had gathered two hundred Wizard Apprentices and three hundred candidates for the Divine Spirit Knights, but only four Mad Sorcerer Apprentices...

It was just as he’d expected. After he had explained the situation in full and given them a clear choice, the only ones willing to walk the Path of the Mad Witch over the Path of the Legendary Mage were either consumed by the need for bloody vengeance or had been destitute orphans since childhood.

Of course, this was normal. Without that kind of pressure, who would willingly become a madman and gamble everything?

Natural-born lunatics were a rare breed, after all, and not so easily found.

Still, Isaac was satisfied. Of the four, three were driven by blood feuds. The fourth was not only a former beggar but was also disabled—blind in one eye, with a crippled leg and a severed arm...

’What a wretched bunch...’

After reviewing the files on the three vengeance-seekers, Isaac nodded. ’Not bad.’ Even the enemies of those three were of no consequence to him and wouldn’t cause him any trouble. That meant they were worth training.

However...

Isaac wasn’t going to have them become Mad Witches directly. Although it would be simple for him to do so now, he wanted them to learn a few things first, to build a solid foundation. He had no desire to cultivate a pack of mere gamblers.

Just as Isaac was lost in thought, Liu Li returned with Philo. The princess sat down opposite him, her gaze falling upon the list he hadn’t covered. Her pupils constricted slightly, for there on the paper, written in large, bold letters, were the words: Mad Witch Crash Course!

’Mad Witch?’

’A crash course, no less?’

’What is this guy trying to do?’

"Let’s hear it. Your trump card."

"What?" Still in shock, Philo’s mind hadn’t caught up, and she asked instinctively.

"Your leverage," Isaac said softly, his fingers tapping the tabletop. "Or rather, the source of your confidence. The reason you think you can persuade me to help you develop a New World. You know how powerful Angel is. When a Tier Four Witch goes on a rampage, even I have to steer clear for a while."

He wasn’t being modest; it was the truth. Take Lorna, for example. After advancing to Tier Four, she could pay a certain price to summon a Tier Five Giant Dragon!

’Fucking ridiculous!’

That was a genuine Tier Five existence. If the current Isaac went up against that, he would have zero chance of winning. And Angel, as a Witch who possessed a Magic Scripture, was certainly even more powerful than Lorna. No one knew what she was truly capable of.

"Mm," Philo nodded, her expression complicated. In the blink of an eye, she had been left so far behind by the other two from their original trio that she couldn’t even see their shadows anymore...

But those feelings quickly dissipated. Philo was well aware that even back in the Imperial Capital, when the three of them were only at Tier One, she had been the weakest.

It was just that back then, she had been the most arrogant and clueless about her own limits...

Since they hadn’t been on the same starting line from the beginning, there was no point in feeling dejected about falling behind now.

"You don’t have to worry about that," Philo said seriously. "Because she will be participating in this world’s development as well."

"Hm?" Isaac looked at Philo, surprised. ’That can’t be right.’ "You two just let go of your grudge that easily?"

If the grudge between Isaac and Philo was a simple conflict, then the one between Angel and Philo was a full-blown, mortal feud!

At least, that was his understanding of the situation.

"In this world, only interests are eternal," Philo began with a platitude before revealing the real reason. "My current research has a very high chance of allowing me to advance to Tier Five. So, my Ancestor personally went to the Witch Country to mediate with Angel, and she has already agreed."

After a brief pause, Philo continued, "Besides, there was never really that great of a grudge between us. I didn’t kill her parents; at most, I was just a bystander. And frankly, while it may sound shameless, I’m the reason she had a relatively happy childhood. With her level of power, her life would have been far more miserable if she had lived like an Ordinary Witch."

Hearing this, the surprise in Isaac’s eyes vanished. ’Ah, the carrot and the stick,’ he thought. ’That makes sense...’

Whether the conflict between them was truly resolved, only Philo and Angel themselves knew. In any case, all Isaac needed to know was that if this was the arrangement, then this New World was a go.

"When do we set out?"