Chapter 388 - 287: The Mysterious Tiger-Pelt Man

Chapter 388: Chapter 287: The Mysterious Tiger-Pelt Man

In the depths of the settlement, several figures clad in animal hides were huddled together, looking at a parchment map. Their faces were a mixture of joy and sorrow, their brows furrowed.

Isaac drew closer for a look and immediately understood why they had such expressions.

This was clearly a map to the nearest new metropolis, which had to be the City of Madness. One could tell from the name alone that this was a Magic City built by a Legendary Mage.

Compared to Arcanists, who relied almost entirely on a system of Knowledge, the difference between them and Legendary Mages—who still primarily used a system of the Mysterious—became vast after Tier Four.

For example, with the kind of Magic that could raise a giant city from the ground in a short time, a city built by an Arcanist’s Magic would be exceptionally orderly, possessing a kind of aesthetic beauty born of Knowledge. A city built by a Legendary Mage, however, would be filled with a Mysterious aura—and Magic Power!

Especially the latter!

You could often see unidentifiable creatures running around inside, like chairs, tables, and what have you...

Even more so, in a place like this City of Madness, non-Extraordinary beings who lived there for a long time had a high chance of going insane...

In short, it was quite bizarre.

But even so, for the humans in the Wilderness Dungeon, this was still an exceptionally rare haven of peace. This was the source of their joy. As for their sorrow...

It wasn’t because of the City of Madness’s side effects. When facing survival, a few mental problems were nothing. What truly worried them was the distance!

This place was over a thousand kilometers from the City of Madness!

It was a despair-inducing number!

The Parchment had been sent out from the City of Madness, so it was enchanted with a simple Magic. Even an illiterate person, just by looking at it for more than three seconds, would understand its meaning and the concepts of the units involved.

So, while they didn’t know how far a thousand kilometers was, they did know that for a single person to walk that distance, it would take at least thirty-odd days and nights!

And if it was all one hundred-plus of them together, it would take even longer!

And what was more likely was that they would all die on the way!

They would never reach that land of hope!

News of a land of hope had brought them no hope at all...

Isaac circled twice around the group, who were growing more desperate yet gradually firming up some kind of resolve. Under the cover of Magic, a purplish-black Demon Claw emerged silently from behind Isaac’s head and circled once above the group’s heads. As Isaac extended his right hand, the sharp claw retracted and tapped lightly on his fingertip.

Instantly, Isaac had a rough understanding of their inner thoughts. ’Their character is noble enough. They’re qualified to merge with a Virtual Divinity. At least, there are no problems for now. As for whether problems will arise in the future...’

That wasn’t a problem Isaac needed to consider. That kind of thing was something humanity had to solve on its own.

With that thought, Isaac dispelled the Magic concealing his form and appeared before them. He smiled and called out, "Yo, fellas. Interested in moving to a better place to develop?" ℯℯ𝑙.

"Who’s there!?"

Isaac’s sudden appearance startled everyone. They stared in horror at this black-robed youth who had materialized out of nowhere. Though they were just Ordinary people, they all grabbed the Stone Spears by their sides and pointed them warily at Isaac.

They didn’t let down their guard just because of Isaac’s human appearance. Their enemies were not just the Demons of the Underground Palace; the Sect was also an enemy of humanity, and the Sect was a pack of monsters in human skin!

Not to mention, the Extraordinary World was full of malicious Magic that could alter one’s appearance!

But Isaac wasn’t angered by their vigilance. Instead, he clapped his hands in appreciation. "Not bad. Weak, but your courage is commendable. I appreciate you all the more. Relax, I’m a genuine human, just like the builder of that City of Madness. I came from the outside."

Seeing that they still hadn’t lowered their guard, Isaac tilted his head slightly, paused, and said, "I admire your courage, but I hope to see your wisdom. If I wanted to kill you, it would take no effort at all."

As he spoke, Isaac pointed casually. A faint light shot out, and before their horrified eyes, the half-man-high boulder they had just been gathered around instantly turned to dust!

They looked at the pile of dust on the ground, then at the half-fist-sized stones on their spear tips, and then at each other in dismay. Finally, a young man in a tiger-skin pelt, who seemed to be their leader, was the first to lower his weapon. He then motioned for the others to lower their spears as well.

After all, Isaac had already proven he was a Transcendent. Although they still didn’t know if he was truly a savior from the outside, one thing was certain—Isaac could kill them without breaking a sweat.

After lowering his weapon, the tiger-skinned youth pondered for a moment, then bowed respectfully to Isaac. "Venerable Savior, please forgive our earlier offense. Could you please explain what you mean by ’moving to a better place to develop’?"

"Finally calmed down. Not bad. I’m taking more and more of a liking to you." Isaac chuckled as the stones on the ground rose up to form a chair, allowing him to sit. "But there’s one thing I must correct. I’m no savior. I just want to research something. You help me complete my research, and I’ll give you power. A... very fair trade."

After saying this, Isaac couldn’t help but laugh. "Consider it an honor, children. You get to make a relatively fair trade with me."

The tiger-skinned youth had no idea what this "fair trade" meant coming from one of the most ancient Mad Witches. He only knew that the one before them was, in all likelihood, a true savior!

This was because Isaac’s words were recorded in both the information transmitted by that magical Parchment map and the legends that had been inexplicably passed down among humans!

But the tiger-skinned youth didn’t want to get too hung up on definitions. He looked at Isaac with anticipation, his hands unconsciously tightening their grip on his Stone Spear, then relaxing, then tightening again. With a slight tremor in his voice, he asked, "What... power?"

"This." Isaac opened his right hand, and a brilliant light flared. A Knight’s Longsword wreathed in golden Flame appeared in his grasp. "I call this thing a Virtual Divinity. With it, you can possess the power of a Deity! And you can also bestow this power upon your companions."

Hearing this, the tiger-skinned youth couldn’t help but take a few excited steps forward. In that radiance filled with [Light], [Justice], and [Warmth], he couldn’t stop himself from reaching out a hand, but he instantly pulled it back, suppressing the desire in his heart.

"Not bad. To be able to restrain yourself in the face of such power. But there is one thing I must make clear beforehand. Once you accept this power, you... will no longer be human. And this power will burn away your life force. Can you... still accept it?"