Now the situation had reversed, and Isaac had become strong enough to protect not only himself but also her.
She would be lying if she said it didn’t sting her pride a little as his older sister. Even so, that feeling disappeared almost as quickly as it came. As long as Isaac could protect himself and return safely every time, nothing else mattered to her.
"What are you thinking about? You’ve been staring into space for a while," Isaac asked after noticing that she had become unusually quiet.
Catherine shook her head with a faint smile. "Nothing important. Let’s leave the dungeon for today. If the Fourth Area was already that difficult, I don’t think the two of us can clear the Fifth Area yet. At the very least, we’ll need Emily with us."
"Are you sure? Now that our souls have evolved, I think we have a chance if we work together," he said.
Before Catherine could respond, Isaac stepped through the portal.
The scenery around them instantly changed. They found themselves standing inside an enormous crystal cavern, where towering formations of shimmering crystal stretched into the darkness ahead.
The crystals reflected faint light in every direction, making the cavern appear brighter than it actually was. Even without sensing any monsters yet, Isaac could tell the Fifth Area felt fundamentally different from the previous Areas.
"Let’s leave. We still haven’t learned how to properly use our evolved Aura. I’m happy that you want to help me become stronger, but I don’t want you risking your life for it. You’re much more important to me than gaining a little more strength," she said calmly.
Isaac looked at her for a moment before smiling.
He had wanted to push forward while they were already inside the dungeon, but Catherine wasn’t wrong. There was no reason to challenge an area they knew nothing about after already receiving such incredible rewards today.
He slowly nodded in agreement. The entire reason he wanted to become stronger was so he could live comfortably without constantly worrying about danger. If he rushed into the Fifth Area and nearly got himself killed, he would only be putting the cart before the horse.
To leave, Isaac searched the nearby area until he found a lone crystal beetle wandering close to the entrance. He killed it with a single attack. After that, the two could summon the exit, and returned to the outside world.
The familiar streets outside the Imperium Aeternum replaced the crystal cavern almost instantly, and the pressure they had felt inside the dungeon disappeared.
Isaac stretched his shoulders before looking toward Catherine.
"What are you going to do now?" he asked.
"I’ll go find Master. I still need to convince her to accept the Bloodline Evolution Potion from you," Catherine replied.
Isaac nodded before removing one of his spatial rings. He placed it in Catherine’s hand and closed her fingers around it.
"Take this with you. Everything we obtained today is stored inside. Give the Legendary swordsman equipment set to master. If she refuses, tell her it’s an order from the City Lord. Give the other Legendary equipment set to Beroga and Oz, then move everything else into the warehouse," he said.
Catherine looked at the ring before a playful smile appeared on her face. "Don’t worry. If Master still refuses, I’ll just tell her Isaac is going to move her room farther away from his in the mansion. She will do anything then."
Isaac immediately became speechless.
He had known for a while that Catherine had noticed her master’s unusual behavior around him, but he hadn’t expected her to tease Eleanor so openly.
If the Sword Empress became embarrassed enough, there was a good chance Isaac himself would end up suffering for it.
He let out a helpless sigh before waving his hand.
"Just do whatever you want. If things get awkward, I’ll pretend I have no idea what you’re talking about," he muttered.
Catherine chuckled after hearing his answer. She gave him a quick wave before leaving with the spatial ring, clearly amused by his reaction. Isaac watched her disappear into the distance before shaking his head with another sigh.
Just as he was about to return to the mansion, Isaac suddenly stopped walking. He closed his eyes and shifted his consciousness toward the clone he had sent to Fortified City 22. In an instant, his awareness transferred to the clone’s perspective.
The clone had already reached the underground chamber containing the City’s Core. Overlord Aurora stood nearby with her arms folded, silently waiting for him. She glanced toward Isaac as soon as she noticed him focusing through the clone.
"Don’t forget your promise," Aurora said.
"I haven’t," Isaac replied calmly. He stepped forward and placed his hand against the glowing City Core. A familiar translucent screen immediately appeared before him.
[Would you like to gain ownership of Fortified City 22?]
[Cost: 100 Gold Coins.]
Isaac read the notification before noticing something missing. This time, there was no warning explaining that the world had been set to Hell Difficulty or that taking ownership of a city carried additional risks. Since he was already a Lord, those warnings were no longer necessary.
Without wasting any time, Isaac selected ’Yes’. The moment he confirmed his choice, an invisible connection formed between himself and the city. He could faintly sense every inhabitant living within its walls, just as he could with Imperium Aeternum.
Several notifications appeared one after another.
[You have gained ownership of Tier 1 Fortified City 22.]
[Lord Level has increased. Level 5 → Level 7.]
[Railgun Blueprint acquired.]
Isaac smiled slightly after reading the last notification. The Railgun Blueprint was an excellent reward. He immediately used his clone to start gathering materials and people to construct it.
Before he could think any further, another notification appeared.
[Would you like to fuse Fortified City 22 with Imperium Aeternum?]
Isaac immediately selected ’No’. He planned to claim ownership of the last remaining human city first before beginning any large-scale fusion. Moving an entire city’s population was already disruptive enough, so it was better to complete the process only once.
There was another reason as well. City fusion increased the final city’s size by more than simply adding both territories together. That extra land would allow him to rebuild many more homes for the citizens who had lost theirs.
"So, where are the things you promised?" Aurora said impatiently, breaking the silence.