Alone

Although a second spell could not be cast while one spell was being released.

Once a spell's proficiency leveled up, however, it could potentially gain rapid-fire effects such as double casts, triple casts, or even five consecutive casts.

Unfortunately, those rapid casts still only counted as a single casting.

If they counted as five, that would mean five times the proficiency.

"Level 80..."

Lu Cang murmured inwardly.

"Let's switch to Fireball."

After level 80, the number of casts needed for further upgrades became far too high.

Lu Cang decided to get a basic grasp of all three spells Iz had left behind first.

The second was Fireball.

"Blazing, burning flames."

"Gather and take form within my palm."

"Fireball, burst forth."

Boom!

A blazing sphere of fire condensed before him, completely different from the flames he had previously formed using elemental power alone.

This Fireball had a higher temperature, and...

It could be thrown.

Boom!

Lu Cang launched the Fireball into the sky!

The Fireball burst into a flash of flame in midair, followed by a faint explosion in the distance.

"It seems a little... not very quiet."

Compared to the silent Ice Spike, the explosion from Fireball certainly made some noise.

Still, it did not seem too bad.

"Fireball, burst forth."

Whoosh!

The Fireball, cast with a shortened chant, flew out once more!

Inside Iz's room.

Chicheng, Kumiloni, and Obades sat around the dining table in the suite's living room.

A small plate of pastries sat before both Iz and Kumiloni, while Chicheng had a plate of steak in front of him.

There was nothing in front of Obades.

Holding a cup of hot tea, Kumiloni asked, "Iz... what do you think of little Lu Cang's talent?"

Iz cut off a piece of cake, put it into his mouth, and replied, "His talent for magic is truly remarkable. First-rate elemental affinity, first-rate magical affinity, and first-rate comprehension."

"Even compared to me, he is not inferior by much."

Kumiloni said, "That really is high praise."

Iz nodded. "I have taught many students. To cast without chanting, they usually need tens of thousands of repetitions of that spell."

"Even with the talent of Proficiency Mastery, that only reduces tens of thousands of practices to a little over ten thousand."

"But after just three casts, he mastered chantless casting."

"This is the first time I have seen such talent for spellcasting."

Cradling her tea, Kumiloni smiled. "But compared to a certain mage who never needed to chant from birth, he still falls slightly short, doesn't he?"

Izpalut smiled confidently. "Not everyone can be me."

Kumiloni asked again, "So what are you planning to do now?"

Iz thought for a while before answering, "My original plan was to train him into a mage capable of protecting himself, then recommend him to the Kingdom of Loren in my name and have him enroll at Loins Magic Academy."

"After graduating, he would be able to establish himself in the Kingdom of Loren as a level 2 or level 3 mage."

"Loren is a fairly peaceful kingdom. He should be able to live a good life there."

Kumiloni chuckled. "That was only your original plan, wasn't it? What about now?"

Iz smiled. "Kumiloni, you truly know me well."

"Now that I have seen his magical talent, I have decided to personally train him into the finest mage."

Kumiloni asked, "Second only to you?"

Iz said, "Second only to me."

Chicheng lounged in his chair, rocking back and forth as he picked his nose. Hearing their conversation, he interjected, "Iz, is there no chance he could surpass you?"

Rubbing his chin, Iz looked delighted. "Mm, I suppose I have to consider that possibility too."

"A mage who can surpass me? Haha, that is truly something to look forward to!"

"If that day comes, it will surely be wonderful!"

Iz looked toward the ceiling.

The elemental fluctuations above had never stopped. Lu Cang was tirelessly casting spells.

Through magical perception and magic detection, he could clearly sense that every one of Lu Cang's casts had improved over the last.

Chicheng asked, "Then you are not coming with us tomorrow to subjugate the Earth Dragon Monarch?"

Iz replied, "The three of you should be enough. I plan to accompany him to a dungeon."

Chicheng asked, "Which one? The level 6 Cave of Desperate Howls?"

Iz said, "That would be too difficult for him. This time, I do not plan to intervene. I plan to take him to the level 2 Dark Jungle."

After casting spells until late at night, Lu Cang felt sleepiness surge over him once more.

Ice Cone Technique, Fireball Technique, and Wind Blade Technique had all been trained to LV:80.

Magic Tide had also risen to LV:99.

Once the novelty of magic had worn off.

Lu Cang finally lay back down on the bed, staring at the unfamiliar ceiling.

A wave of sadness suddenly struck him.

Lu Cang thought of his hometown again.

Ever since crossing into this world, he had constantly been preoccupied with matters of this world.

Only now had he finally calmed down again.

And thought of home.

"Are my parents... doing okay?"

"Was there an explosion at the airport?"

"Do they know that I am dead?"

"After I crossed over, has time stopped for them, or is it still moving...?"

"Will I ever have a chance to go back?"

Grief welled up within him, and tears slipped uncontrollably from his eyes.

The novelty of another world could never truly wash away the pain of being separated from home.

Izpalut's guess had not been wrong, either.

He had been randomly teleported to this world...

And he could no longer return to that hometown.

Grief crashed over him like a tide. Lu Cang wrapped himself in the blanket and curled into a ball on the bed.

When he opened his eyes again, sunlight was already shining through the window onto the bed.

An unfamiliar environment, a muddled mind.

Lu Cang sat there blankly for a long time before remembering where he was.

The events of the past two days still felt as unreal as a dream.

Lu Cang could no longer remember how he had fallen asleep last night.

He only remembered crying the whole time.

But now that he was awake, he felt much better.

When he thought of home again, he no longer felt quite as overwhelmed by sadness.

Perhaps that was why Izpalut had not stayed too long last night.

He had given Lu Cang time to be alone.

"He really is a kind person."

Kumiloni and Izpalut had both left a very good impression on Lu Cang.

Although he had not spoken much with Chicheng and Obades, they also seemed like good people.

Chicheng was beloved by the town's residents no less than Izpalut.

And from the looks of it, he was especially popular with the older men and women.

After getting up and washing, Lu Cang put on a new set of clothes Kumiloni had given him last night.

Compared to the burlap clothes he had originally worn, this outfit was much more refined.

It was made of smooth silk.

Once he put it on, it turned out to be a mage's robe.

Thousand Silk Robe

Quality: Excellent

Defense Effect: Weak

Special: Casting efficiency slightly increased (activated for level 1 mages)

"So this is how equipment works."

There were no level restrictions on equipment, but if an item had special effects, one needed the appropriate level to activate them.

Otherwise, wearing it merely made it an empty shell.

After getting dressed and ready, Lu Cang glanced at the clock hanging on the wall.

Ten o'clock.

It seemed he had slept for quite a long time. After patting his face, Lu Cang walked out the door.