Chapter 369 - 272: Empire: Isaac? Isaac: Loyal

Chapter 369: Chapter 272: Empire: Isaac? Isaac: Loyal

’What have I, Isaac, done to deserve this summons?’

Isaac’s gaze flickered as he stared at the document in his hand. He was debating whether to go. The decision was crucial.

’If I go, it’s probably a trap. The Empire wants to preemptively execute me, the "arch-culprit" destined to cause its downfall!’

’If I don’t go, what if the Empire has no such intentions? What if it’s just a standard invitation for a noble? Then I’d be screwed, wouldn’t I?’

Isaac mulled it over, the document still in hand. In the end, he decided—he would go.

The reason was simple: the Empire was powerful.

Immeasurably so.

Isaac...

...couldn’t afford to gamble.

To Isaac, the Empire was a behemoth. Even with the Emperor fallen and most of the Empire’s pillars gone with him, the remnants were still far beyond his ability to handle.

At least, not before he finished forging his Demon God Pillar. He couldn’t afford to provoke them.

So, even knowing it was likely a trap, Isaac had to go. If for no other reason than to show the Empire that he, Isaac, was loyal!

Having made his decision, Isaac put the document away and summoned Liu Li.

"Pack up the materials and store them safely..." The words had barely left his lips when he suddenly changed his mind. He raised a hand. "No, pack all of this up for me, along with the materials we prepared earlier."

That’s right. Besides accepting the Empire’s summons, Isaac had also decided to go to the Endless Tower—the first Great Creation.

The promise of a perfect promotion held little allure for him, but the prospect of it being the *first* Great Creation was immensely tempting, even if he wasn’t yet sure if it truly was a Great Creation.

’No one knows if the information is true, of course. After all, those details can be self-reported. But still... for one, I doubt an Existence capable of becoming a Great Wizard would do something so pointless.’

’And secondly, even if it isn’t the *first* Great Creation, given its scale, rewards, and efficacy, it’s definitely a Great Creation. As long as it’s a Great Creation, going there won’t be a loss.’

The only difference was that a primordial Great Creation might be a bit cruder, which gave him a better chance of glimpsing the path to greatness!

’Of course, it’s far more likely that even with the first Great Creation, I wouldn’t be able to make heads or tails of it...’

This was why Isaac had been hesitant before. The Endless Tower’s reward of a perfect promotion to Tier Four held little appeal; in fact, he would have a greater advantage by remaining in the Real World.

In the near future, the Real World would be capped at Tier Three, and he would be invincible!

Even if a "new Level" of Tier Four were to open up, he was confident he could quickly catch up to the top tier!

But this summons changed everything. The reasoning was the same as his decision to answer the call—he needed to prove his loyalty to the Empire!

And the best way to prove it was for him—a potential enemy on the verge of becoming invincible—to simply disappear, heading into the Endless Tower alongside the pillars of the Empire. Only then would the Empire truly rest easy.

Besides, he figured that no self-respecting Wizard could resist the temptation of a Great Creation. The esteemed Mages would almost certainly head to the Endless Tower to seek their breakthrough. The ones left behind, apart from the Tier Three experts from major powers like the Empire, would be nothing but riffraff.

’And if that’s all that’s left, then surely Liu Li and the others can hold the line, even if they can’t expand our territory, right?’

Hearing Isaac’s command, Liu Li paused for a moment before nodding and excusing herself. She went to the warehouse and dug out the nearly forgotten Spatial Storage Items, packing all the materials Isaac required.

Speaking of which, these Spatial Storage Items...

In truth, while this Magic World was advanced, Spatial Storage Items were still quite precious. It was only because Isaac possessed a Dimension World with infinite Space that he had no use for them, allowing them to gather dust.

Isaac had originally planned to save them up and sell them all one day, but in a stroke of luck, they were now proving useful. After all, who knew if he would be able to open his Dimension World after entering the Endless Tower?

Once Liu Li had packed everything, Isaac made a few simple arrangements and then, taking Smith and Lorna with him, traveled to the Imperial Capital via his Dimension World.

He brought Smith because he hadn’t kept up with the affairs of the Nobility for a long time and was rusty on many points of etiquette. He needed Smith’s help. As Solomon’s old butler, Smith was an expert in such matters.

Furthermore, since the Endless Tower could open at any moment, he planned to have Smith enter with him. After all, Smith had consumed a great deal of Isaac’s resources over the years. He had not only been promoted to High-level Knight, but his bloodline had also completely evolved into that of a Pure-blooded Giant Dragon.

His combat power was considerable among Tier Threes. Even if they were separated upon entering the Endless Tower, Smith’s abilities gave him a good chance of passing the tower’s Trial and achieving a perfect promotion to Tier Four.

At that point, his potential would undoubtedly reach a whole new level!

That would certainly make things a lot easier for Isaac.

As for Lorna, the reasoning was even simpler. As a Witch who excelled in both mechanics and raw stats, Isaac was no match for her in a direct confrontation. Passing the Trial would be a breeze for her. ’She’s already this strong at Tier Three,’ he thought. ’What will she be like at Tier Four? It’s terrifying to even imagine.’

For Witches, there was a world of difference between Tier Three and Tier Four. Any Witch with a bit of potential could reach Tier Three easily enough, as long as they were careful and knew how to lay low. But Tier Four was another story.

Reaching Tier Four was not an easy task, not even for a Witch like Angel who possessed an Original Scripture. One could not advance without enduring some hardship.

This was another reason Isaac believed the Real World was about to become a low-stakes game. With the esteemed Mages and the ridiculously overpowered stat-freaks gone, what was left but a bunch of small fry?

...

「The next day.」 Isaac’s party of three had used the Dimension World to arrive directly at Philis Town, just outside the Imperial Capital. Under Smith’s direction, they freshened up and then boarded a rather luxurious carriage to enter the city.

Inside the carriage, watching the other noble carriages pass by, Isaac couldn’t help but feel he had made the right choice in bringing Smith. It was true that he was still just a lowly Baron, the bottom rung of the Empire’s Fifth-Order Title system.

But he was a noble nonetheless.

And while he might be the lowest-ranking Baron, one must not forget that this was an Extraordinary World. A title was not everything!

As a noble Wizard—even a Mad Witch—Isaac’s status was a cut above that of any noble who was not a Wizard.

Furthermore, his formidable Tier Three strength elevated his standing by several more degrees.

Then there was his status as a pioneering noble, recognized across the continent, which raised him higher still.

Adding in a few other miscellaneous factors, such as bloodline and tutelage, Isaac’s status had risen to a surprising degree. So much so that, despite being a mere Baron, his carriage was permitted to travel on the grand avenue reserved exclusively for a Marquis.

Ahead of even his liege, House Solomon!