The team's popularity exceeded Lu Cang's expectations.
After they got out of the cart, no small number of people crowded around to give them vegetables and fruit.
Chi Cheng, however, accepted all the gifts without hesitation, as carefree as ever.
Basking in the townspeople's welcome all the way, Lu Cang and the others finally returned to the inn.
According to Kumironi, they had purchased long-term residence at this inn.
However, because of Lu Cang's arrival, they had gotten an extra, separate room just for him.
"Hoo..."
'An Otherworld, huh.'
After having a simple meal with Kumironi and the others, Lu Cang finally returned to his room, took a shower, and lay down on the bed.
This was the first time Lu Cang had been alone since coming to this world.
'Magic, swords, class changes, adventure, Dungeons...'
A ball of flame appeared, dancing in Lu Cang's palm.
"Magic..."
Lu Cang repeated the word.
The flame dancing in his palm was a symbol of his contact with extraordinary power.
He had spent most of the past two days unconscious.
The night before last, he had passed out drunk at the celebration party. The next day, not long after waking up, he passed out again from excessive Casting.
He hadn't actually been conscious for very long.
There were many things Lu Cang hadn't had time to think about in detail.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK—
A knock came from the door.
"It's me, Iz." Izparut's voice sounded from outside the door.
"Ah, come in."
Lu Cang got up to open the door, but with a SHWISH, Iz's figure phased directly through it and into the room.
Seeing Iz appear like that, Lu Cang couldn't help but sigh with admiration.
'Magic... is so convenient.'
Iz let out a long sigh. "Hoo, finally taken care of."
Lu Cang asked curiously, "Taken care of what?"
"Those students," Iz said.
"I rushed back after answering their questions."
"They were all very basic questions."
'He actually managed to help all those people?'
Lu Cang remembered there had been at least a few dozen people surrounding Izparut.
Izparut continued, "Never mind that."
"Your Magic Power is too low. We have to increase your total capacity first."
'Oh~ Just what I'd expect from a professional teacher.'
'The first thing he talks about is Magic, and he's in such a rush to worry about my Magic Power?'
'Iz, I get the feeling you're more anxious about improving my strength than I am,' Lu Cang couldn't help but think.
Izparut might not be a powerful Mage, but he was definitely a popular teacher.
He had just witnessed that firsthand, after all.
"What should I do, Master."
Lu Cang sat upright on the bed, ready to learn from Izparut.
Lu Cang himself was eager to increase his total Magic Power; he didn't want to be some two-pump chump who was spent after just a few spells.
'A real man should have stamina!'
"Hmph, hmph."
The space in front of Iz distorted strangely. He reached into the Void and pulled out a book with a white cover.
'Another Magic Book?'
Seeing a Magic Book again, he no longer felt the same awe as the first time.
Instead, he felt a sense of anticipation.
'All I have to do is read a few lines to learn a new spell.'
'That's a pretty awesome feeling.'
"This is something I wrote myself..."
"*Magic Power Growth.*"
'Ah...'
'He wrote it himself?'
His anticipation dropped considerably in an instant.
Though that's what he thought, Lu Cang still took the book from Izparut.
Compared to the *Thunder Strike Skill* book, this *Magic Power Growth* book was surprisingly thick.
It was about as thick as a dictionary, and its length and width made it about half the size of Lu Cang's torso.
It was a book more than twice the size of a brick.
Iz said proudly, "These are notes I painstakingly compiled. There's not a single wasted sentence; every single word has meaning."
"You're the first student to see these notes."
'Oh...'
'Looks like I'm being taken pretty seriously.'
'Then again, the Talent I've shown should be worthy of this attention.'
'There isn't a master alive who doesn't hope for their disciple to become a dragon.'
Although his anticipation had lessened somewhat, Lu Cang still opened the book, full of expectation.
'The table of contents alone is ten pages long...'
However, the first chapter was [The Best Magic Power Growth Technique for a Level 1 Mage—Magic Tide].
"Keep your Magic Power circulating through your body; do not let it stagnate."
"Allow the Magic Power to make greater contact with the external Elements before returning to your body."
"Imagine a Magic Sea within you that ebbs and flows like the tide, constantly rising and falling. When the tide rises, your Magic Power scatters outside your body. When the tide falls, your Magic Power flows back in. Every rise and fall of this tide will bring about an increase in your Magic Power."
These words seemed to hold a magic of their own. Though there were many of them, once he started reading, he couldn't help but continue.
Just as Izparut had said, there was no filler like [History and Origins].
Every single word was pure, useful substance.
As he read, Lu Cang also began to mobilize his Magic Power.
He felt his Magic Power, which had been scattered and still throughout his body, begin to gather.
It converged within him, forming an "ocean".
This tiny bit of Magic Power couldn't really be called a sea; at best, it was a pond.
But this pond of Magic Power, under Lu Cang's control, did indeed begin to ebb and flow like a tide.
Under his control, the Magic Power spread out from his body and made contact with the external Elements.
Lu Cang felt that upon contact with the Elements, his Magic Power grew.
One part of the Magic Power expanded on its own, as if flexing a muscle.
The other part was the Elements being partially converted into Magic Power, which was then carried back into his body by his own Magic Power as the tide receded.
[You have learned the Magic Power growth technique—Magic Tide (Tier One) (Level 1)]
[Magic Tide Skill EXP +10000]
[Skill Level Up—Magic Tide (Level 5)]
WHOOSH—
Lu Cang felt his total Magic Power increase. The specific amount wasn't huge—only about 5%.
But this was from just one rise and fall of the tide.
From just a single breath.
Furthermore, the Skill Level of his Magic Tide had also increased.
The second rise and fall was even more turbulent.
Lu Cang's Magic Power swept up even more external Elements, converted them into Magic Power, and drew them back into his body.
At the same time, its self-growth was also greater.
A look of unusual surprise appeared in Iz's eyes.
Although Lu Cang was the first person to read this textbook, the Magic Power growth method inside it was one Iz had taught to many others.
This first method, [Magic Tide], was what Iz had theoretically chosen as the best Magic Power Enhancement Technique for a Level 1 Mage.
But... very few people had ever managed to master this Enhancement Technique.
Based on the failures of different students, Iz had recorded a wealth of experience and summarized numerous improvements and solutions.
But even so, in the end, only two people had ever truly mastered the [Magic Tide] growth technique.
As for someone who could understand and learn Magic Tide just from the few introductory sentences, there were none at all.
Yet Lu Cang, right before his eyes, had actually managed to fully learn Magic Tide based on nothing more than the first page—a few sentences that were merely the [Introduction].
'This aptitude is truly terrifying...'
A few beads of sweat formed on Izparut's forehead, his expression a mixture of joy and excitement.
'This child's Talent is really worth nurturing.'
'If I cultivate his abilities carefully, he'll definitely become a Mage second only to myself!'
Lu Cang didn't know what Izparut was thinking. He only knew that with every breath, his Magic Power was growing rapidly.
[Skill Level Up—Magic Tide (Level 14)]
[Skill Level Up—Magic Tide (Level 19)]
[Skill Level Up—Magic Tide (Level 25)]
...