Masaru did not collapse from overexcitement the way Kanzaki Rei himself had the first time he cast magic.
Instead, after firing Lightning Strike several times, he sensed his own mana running dry and stopped on his own.
To be honest, mana exhaustion was actually quite easy to notice.
Back then, Kanzaki Rei had simply been too excited, hurling spells without any sense of restraint.
"Master, how was my magic?" Masaru asked, practically glowing with excitement as he reported to him.
Kanzaki Rei broke into a bright smile.
"Very good. You're already at the level I was back then."
For some reason, his mood had genuinely improved.
Ever since returning from the reset timeline, Kanzaki Rei had not had a single friend with whom he could truly talk.
King Lothar Dan was too steeped in schemes and political maneuvering.
Kanzaki Rei simply could not relax around him. Even speaking to him required constant caution, and he always had to wonder whether the king might be plotting something.
As for everyone else...
He had only just met Roya, and they were far from close.
And beyond that, there was no one.
All alone, Kanzaki Rei truly felt a little lonely...
According to Roya's information, many powerful figures across the world had answered the Expeditionary Army's call.
Iz and the others were likely among them.
Major upheavals were also unfolding around the World Center Tree.
Kanzaki Rei brushed his hand lightly.
A towering stack of thick books appeared beside Masaru.
"These are all books that will help you study magic."
"At your current stage, you do not need to learn a large number of spells. Your talent is best suited to specializing in a single spell."
"I will personally teach you the spell you should focus on."
"These books contain my insights into magic gathered over the years. The magic textbooks currently on the market are not suitable for you."
"You'll study from my materials instead."
Kanzaki Rei was, after all, one of the foundational architects of modern magic.
In truth, the magic textbooks available today were not flawed.
They were simply too shallow.
They were written for the average mage, not for a genius.
If Kanzaki Rei taught personally, he would never begin with such elementary concepts.
"And one more thing—your mana pool is still too small."
"Mana is the foundation of every mage. No matter how many spells you learn, without enough mana to cast them, it is all meaningless."
Kanzaki Rei produced another book with a silver-white cover.
His fingers gently traced across the surface.
"This is... Mana Enhancement Technique."
"It was written personally by my master. Later, I refined parts of it under his guidance."
"I have sealed the final pages."
"When your strength reaches the appropriate level, the remaining contents will unlock naturally."
"If you read too far ahead... it may damage your understanding of magic."
"And this storage ring."
"I forged it personally. It should be more than enough for your needs."
Masaru stared at the dazzling array of gifts placed before him.
"These... are far too precious."
"It's fine. They are things I no longer need."
"Learning magic is a long process."
"For today, return and study."
"When I come back next time, I will inspect your progress."
Masaru nodded with solemn determination.
"Yes! I absolutely won't disappoint you, Master!"
Kanzaki Rei nodded.
Then he dispelled the barrier surrounding the Advancement Hall and led Masaru outside.
"Oh, right."
"Do not tell anyone except me about your talent."
"Your talent is your trump card. If others know what talent you possess, it could place you in danger."
Masaru answered obediently.
"I understand."
At the same time, Kanzaki Rei's thoughts moved, and his voice was transmitted directly into King Lothar Dan's mind.
"Lothar Dan. This child is now my disciple."
That was all he said.
Nothing more was necessary.
With Lothar Dan's intelligence, Kanzaki Rei had no doubt that no one in the Land of the Crimson Moon would dare harm Masaru.
Still, Kanzaki Rei could not help worrying.
Would such a privileged environment breed bad habits?
Would it shape an undesirable personality?
Sigh.
Things had barely begun, and he was already worrying about such issues.
So this was what it felt like to have a disciple.
"Masaru."
"I've already arranged everything for you from here on. Just return to your residence."
"Oh, right..."
Whoosh!
A black sphere condensed in Kanzaki Rei's hand and floated into Masaru's palms.
"This is a Phase Sphere."
"Crush it in an emergency, and I will know immediately."
"As long as I am not trapped, I should be able to reach you at once."
"However, do not call me unless it is truly urgent."
Masaru nodded repeatedly.
"Yes! I understand!"
"Unless it is a life-or-death situation, I absolutely won't disturb you, Master!"
Kanzaki Rei smiled faintly.
"It doesn't need to be that serious."
"I included a Beacon Spell among the magic I assigned you to study."
"Once you learn it, create the beacon whenever you wish to call me."
"If I am nearby, I will see it."
What Kanzaki Rei did not mention was that "nearby" meant within a radius of 900 billion kilometers throughout the Land of the Crimson Moon.
And in Boundless Mountain, the Secret Sea, and the Turbid Sea, he would also be able to sense it.
If he wished to return, virtually nothing could stop him.
Even so, he wanted to cultivate his disciple's independence.
He could not allow Masaru to depend on him for every little matter.
"In my homeland, there is an old saying."
'A master opens the door, but cultivation depends on the individual.'
"Work hard."
Only after carefully explaining everything did Kanzaki Rei depart alone.
Masaru watched his departing figure.
A rift appeared out of thin air, and Kanzaki Rei's silhouette gradually vanished into it.
The admiration in the boy's eyes rose like the morning sun.
…
Whoosh!
In one of the city-states of Boundless Mountain, Kanzaki Rei came to a stop.
This city-state was one of the best-preserved in all of Boundless Mountain.
It also possessed the strongest defenses against monster invasions.
Kanzaki Rei settled there.
Furnaces, earthfire, and every variety of alloyed metal had already been prepared nearby.
With a single thought, the Mana Sea that had been spreading in all directions began to contract, transforming into a single straight line extending into the distance.
Whoosh!
In a single second, that line stretched for billions of kilometers.
Though this speed did not compare to his own maximum velocity, it was more than sufficient...
Wherever the Absolute Mana Sea spread was equivalent to a place he had personally visited.
And this perfectly straight path led directly toward the World Center Tree.
Once the Absolute Mana Sea reached the World Center Tree, Kanzaki Rei would be able to arrive there in an instant.
There would be no need to endure a long and tedious journey.
All he had to do was focus on forging.
Clang!
Flames formed in Kanzaki Rei's hands.
The alloy began to change shape under his control.
From all directions, materials were stripped of their enchantment affixes and drawn into the alloy.
During the Month of Forging and Enhancement, he intended to raise his Blacksmith level as well.
...
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