Don't Make Kids Drink!

"This is Void Magic. Every mage in the world recovers mana by drawing on the elements around them. The only difference is how quickly and efficiently they can convert them."

"If the elements are depleted, a mage loses their means of restoring mana."

"Of course, you can replenish it by taking mana restoration potions... But potions are limited, and taking too many puts a strain on your body."

"But Void Magic—"

"—isn't subject to those restrictions."

"No matter where you are or what the conditions are like, you can keep recovering your mana."

"Because your mana... comes from the void."

It really was powerful.

Lu Cang's mana pool had already grown to seventy times its previous limit.

And it was still growing.

As for his mana recovery speed...

Lu Cang estimated that he could recover two percent of his mana with every breath.

That was far more than his total mana had been at its previous limit.

Feeling the wondrous flow inside him, Lu Cang couldn't help asking, "But why does mana come from the void? And how did the void form?"

Only after the question left his mouth did he suddenly realize—

He might not understand the principles Iz was talking about.

He learned spells quickly, but he'd barely studied any pure theory.

Iz ran a hand over Lu Cang's hair, his face full of helpless amusement. "I'd love to tell you. My desire to share this knowledge with others might even be stronger than your thirst for it."

"But this is the forbidden knowledge I told you about."

Iz fell silent for a while,

as though trying to decide what he could say.

In the end, he took a sip of hot tea.

Then he said softly, "All I can tell you is that mana isn't the only thing that comes from the void."

"Whew... Want to go look around town?"

Lu Cang tucked Iz's answer away, knowing it was knowledge beyond his reach for now.

He didn't press the matter and simply nodded. "Yeah, I do."

This was the first time since arriving in this world that he'd really gone out to look around.

Three days.

How many times had he passed out in those three days?

He'd gotten drunk on the first day, passed out from overusing spells on the second, and then fainted again on the third because of Iz's "trial."

Thinking it over, it seemed he'd passed out once every day.

Lu Cang's mouth twitched.

Could he... be passing out again tomorrow?

He didn't think he'd been unconscious for long today. The sun had only just set.

Night had just fallen over Rhein Town,

and the streets were still brightly lit.

Iz first took Lu Cang to the Adventurer's Guild.

They settled the quest.

The reward was one gold coin.

Then Iz handed over the spoils he'd collected to Xili, who paid him directly for them.

In the end, Lu Cang received two gold and twenty-six silver.

After the giant snake's spoils had been extracted, they were worth only seventy silver.

Iz didn't take the one silver that was his share.

The reason was simple.

He hadn't fulfilled his duty to protect Lu Cang, so he didn't need to take a protection fee.

Lu Cang sat at a wooden table in the Adventurer's Guild.

It wasn't just a place to take quests; it was also a tavern.

Adventurers gathered there to brag, and they couldn't do that on an empty stomach. A large share of the Adventurer's Guild's income came from its tavern business.

Lu Cang held up his Money Bag. "So this is what you get for clearing a second-tier dungeon..."

"Two gold."

Iz reminded him, "Most adventuring parties have at least four members. They usually include a physical attacker, a spellcaster, a healer, and a defender."

"So they usually split the reward four ways."

Lu Cang did the math. "That's about fifty-six silver each."

"No. If they have a gatherer, it's closer to ninety silver per person."

Iz continued, "But exploring a dungeon means buying supplies."

"A mid-grade healing potion costs ten silver and can treat a moderate injury in a Level 2 Warrior."

"A mid-grade mana restoration potion costs five silver and restores about thirty percent of a Level 2 Mage's mana."

"Worn equipment has to be repaired by a Blacksmith."

"And we also got an extra drop this time: a Dark Crystal that normally wouldn't appear. Even if the party had a gatherer, that wouldn't double the value of the Dark Crystal."

"So for a normal party clearing a second-tier dungeon, the reward comes to about seventy-five silver per person."

"After deducting the cost of supplies and the like, the actual profit is only around twenty to thirty silver."

Hearing Iz's calculations,

Lu Cang got a general idea of what adventurers in this world were earning.

It was far less than he'd imagined.

There were a few things Iz hadn't mentioned... For example, it wasn't always possible to clear a dungeon in one trip. Sometimes you had to go back two or three times, driving up the costs even more.

"Hey, little Lu Cang!"

A hand suddenly landed on Lu Cang's shoulder.

He turned around.

It was the red-haired Warrior, Chicheng.

Two questions surfaced in Lu Cang's mind: Where had he come from? When had he gotten here?

"Oh, little Lu Cang! I heard you soloed a second-tier dungeon today and made a fortune!"

"Haha! You became a Level 1 Mage just yesterday, and today you soloed a second-tier dungeon without Iz's help. No wonder Iz praised you as a magical prodigy!"

Chicheng's voice was loud.

The adventurers drinking in the guild heard him and all turned to look.

They might've been drinking, but their ears worked just fine.

And Chicheng hadn't exactly been discreet about greeting him.

Nearly everyone in the Adventurer's Guild had heard.

"He only changed class yesterday?"

"Is that the kid Iz brought in this morning? I heard he's only eight."

"Eight? Isn't the required age to change class sixteen?"

"Changing class that early could cause a serious backlash, couldn't it?"

"I heard Kumiloni was the one who changed his class."

"Really? Kumiloni personally oversaw it?"

"I heard even the princes are begging Kumiloni to oversee their class changes... just so they can start their careers sooner."

"If Kumiloni oversaw it, then eight really is old enough..."

"But Chicheng said he soloed a second-tier dungeon today."

"A magical genius even Iz acknowledges..."

It felt like everyone around him was staring.

All Lu Cang wanted was to slip away before he drew any more attention.

But Chicheng had an arm around his shoulders, and he couldn't move at all.

"So, what do you say? Want to throw a victory party?"

Wait...

Why did this feel so familiar?

Before Lu Cang could answer, Chicheng raised his hand for him.

"Great! It's settled!"

"Let's throw a victory party! Everything tonight is on our Izpalut's top disciple, the magical genius, little Lu Cang!"

Lu Cang said, "Huh? Wait!"

But before he could get a word in, all the adventurers raised their glasses!

"Yeah!"

"Little Lu Cang!"

"Little Lu Cang!"

"Little Lu Cang!"

The adventurers chanted Lu Cang's name in unison, and he'd become the star of the party.

Damn it...

How had he suddenly become the one paying?

He'd only just earned two gold and twenty-six silver!

Chicheng leaned close and whispered in Lu Cang's ear, "It's fine. If you don't have enough, I'll lend you some."

Get lost!

Who wanted to borrow money from him?!

He was the one who'd decided to treat everyone without asking!

But Lu Cang didn't even get a chance to complain.

Chicheng had already raised his glass. "Let's drink to tonight's star, the conqueror of the Shadow Cave, the magical genius—little Lu Cang, and his first great victory!"

"Cheers!"

Clang—

Hey... Don't make kids drink!