Chapter 18: Trust

When he saw Iz again, the intense, almost visible malice no longer radiated from him.

Kumironi had also timed his intervention perfectly.

He immediately offered a gentle explanation: "What Iz used on you back then was likely the Malice Aura."

"This spell emits a powerful sense of ill will, which can instantly trigger alertness, hatred, or even fear in any target nearby."

"Malice can drive away cowardly monsters, and it can also be used for... trials for humans."

"Many academies use the Malice Aura to increase the sense of crisis during training to achieve better results."

"However, if one knows about it in advance, the effect of the Malice Aura is greatly diminished. After all, if you know beforehand that the other party isn't truly trying to harm you, the effect will certainly be weaker."

Looking at Izparut now, Lu Cang indeed felt that he no longer loathed him as much as he had before.

A hint of guilt appeared on Iz's face. "I'm sorry. Because of the unique circumstances at the time, I couldn't explain too much to you, otherwise, it wouldn't have worked."

"One of the conditions for learning Mana Void is that you must exhaust your mana under the threat of life and death."

"In addition, I had to personally arrange a corresponding ritual."

Lu Cang felt a slight sense of relief in his heart.

Although his vigilance had not been completely lowered, at least looking at the current situation, there was a high possibility that they were telling the truth.

He had been unconscious for so long...

They had plenty of opportunities to kill him.

Even if they hadn't killed him, after what happened, they shouldn't have brought him back.

Should he trust him?

Lu Cang was actually quite conflicted.

To act as if nothing had happened after being on the brink of death seemed far too magnanimous.

But feeling the "Mana Void" within his body...

It was indeed as described; he had broken through his mana limit.

And he had indeed learned "Mana Void."

If what Iz said was true, would it be too heartless of him to simply give Iz the cold shoulder and walk away?

But if he believed him so easily again... would he be too gullible in this other world?

To trust someone who had placed him in a life-threatening situation?

Right and wrong struggled within Lu Cang's heart.

Images flashed through his mind: the enthusiasm of the adventurers toward Iz, the sincerity and joy of the apprentices when asking Iz magic questions, and the urgency with which Kumironi had appeared in the dungeon to save him.

Concern and tenderness...

Could those also be disguises?

The fact that he hadn't died and had been rescued was real. Even though the shadow of death flickered in his memory, Lu Cang made his decision.

Ultimately, Lu Cang let out a soft sigh.

He said quietly to Iz, "Iz, I believe you."

Despite being much stronger than Lu Cang, Iz seemed to feel a sense of profound relief upon hearing those words, and a smile returned to his face.

Iz smiled. "Thank you."

Iz did not know just how difficult it had been for Lu Cang to make the decision to trust him.

Lu Cang had never heard of Izparut's reputation in this world.

Nor had he heard any household legendary tales.

He was merely a traveler who had been in this world for less than three days, knowing almost nothing about it.

He only knew that the person he originally trusted had plunged him into a death trap.

And now.

Lu Cang was attempting to rebuild trust with this person he had known for less than three days—the very person who had nearly caused his death.

This was far more difficult than it would be for those who knew the legends of Izparut.

...

Lu Cang calmed down and listened carefully as Izparut explained the entire sequence of events.

Iz had designed how to plunge him into mortal danger last night.

It was just that the dungeon had been changed from the Tier 2 Dark Jungle to the Tier 2 Shadow Cavern.

But regardless of which dungeon it was, the result would have been the same.

Ultimately, Iz would personally control the strength of the Dungeon Lord.

Through the "Monster Manipulation" spell, he could make monsters attack when necessary.

Through the "Monster Frenzy" spell, he could allow monsters to gain strength beyond their original limits.

The final result was that Lu Cang faced life-and-death threats at the razor's edge, time and time again.

But in reality, these threats didn't truly exist.

They were all orchestrated by Iz.

If Lu Cang couldn't dodge an attack, Iz would find a way to stop it.

And as long as Lu Cang could dodge, Iz would create a situation that was perilously close to being hit.

Listening to Iz describe his plans, Lu Cang's expression was very complex.

Iz held up a cup of hot tea. "Your performance was truly stunning."

"Even against the Shadow Serpent after its frenzy, you were able to suppress it, and even nearly kill it."

Recalling the scene, Lu Cang lowered his head and said, "At the time, I was only thinking about how I could survive."

Iz's expression darkened slightly. "I'm sorry..."

"Perhaps I should have used a gentler method."

Lu Cang shook his head. "No... Iz."

"I said I believe you."

"At least, I will believe you this time. After all, it was you all who brought me out of that place."

The lingering fear remained, and the grudge in his heart would not vanish so easily.

However, Lu Cang chose to trust this mage once more.

It wasn't that Lu Cang lacked reverence for life, but rather because of the character Iz had displayed, everything he had shown, and the companions by his side...

It was also because the "Mana Void" within him was still functioning.

All of this led Lu Cang to believe that Iz was worthy of a second chance of trust.

"Tell me about Mana Void, Iz," Lu Cang said with a grin.

Izparut also showed a relieved smile. "Alright."

...

[Mana Void (LV: 100) (Forbidden) — Eternal operation; mana originates from the Void; all-attribute mana; mana absorption resistance; extremely fast mana recovery speed; continuous mana growth.]

Iz spoke: "Only two people in the world have mastered Mana Void."

"One is me."

Lu Cang: "The other is me."

Iz nodded slightly.

Lu Cang: "Then, the method of breakthrough..."

Iz: "It only exists in theory, but I am ninety-nine percent sure of this theory."

Lu Cang's mouth twitched.

So, he was the first person to attempt it.

*Oh, Iz, I just regained my trust in you,* Lu Cang thought.

Still, he tilted his head and asked doubtfully, "Then why is there no second person besides you who has mastered it?"

"Didn't you say that besides me, there were two others who learned Mana Tide?" Lu Cang's tone was full of curiosity.

Iz: "It's a matter of level."

"They have both broken through to become Level 1 Mages."

"To break through the mana limit and master Mana Void, one must be a Level 1 Mage."

"There is another condition: Mana Tide must reach the limit of proficiency."

The limit.

Was he referring to Level 100?

One of the effects of [God · Proficiency Evolution] was that he could see his proficiency progress.

This meant that ordinary people usually couldn't see exactly how much progress they had made.

They could only feel that they were progressing more or less.

*But there should be a way to detect it,* Lu Cang guessed.

"Yes."

"I felt it once you mastered Mana Tide. With your talent, you will soon master Mana Tide to its limit."

"You are the most likely mage I have ever seen, other than myself, to learn Mana Void."

"If you don't learn Mana Void at Level 1, you will never have this chance again."

Lu Cang nodded slightly.

Now that he understood the context, Lu Cang could accept the "trial" Iz had set.

Even if it left him with psychological scars.

"Mana Void doesn't just increase your maximum mana capacity."

"It also allows you to recover mana in any environment."

Iz lightly raised his hand.

*Vroom—*

The familiar sensation appeared again. Using Lu Cang as the center, all free elements within a one-kilometer radius instantly vanished.

This area had become a... Mana Forbidden Zone, where mana could not be recovered.

Iz said, "Try consuming mana."

Lu Cang raised his hand, and an ice spike condensed beside him.

Lu Cang increased the amount of mana output.

He consumed 0.2% of his mana.

This 0.2% was equivalent to 14% during his battle with the giant serpent.

However, the moment the mana was consumed, it was instantly replenished.

The recovery of mana was not affected by the external elements at all.

Rather...

His mana did not come from the supply of external elements.

Instead, it came from the Void within his body.

(End of Chapter)