Chapter 369 "First Lender"

The doorbell rang.

"Come in!" Jerry replied.

Jerry was engrossed in studying the Western Magic item-making technique, glanced at the time, and knew that Syaoran and Sakura had arrived for their magic lessons.

"Hey, there's one more person!"

Waving his hand to open the door, Jerry noticed that in addition to Sakura, Tomoyo, and Syaoran, there was another little girl with twin buns and a resemblance to Syaoran.

"This is my cousin, who just arrived yesterday!" Syaoran introduced the girl next to him to Jerry.

Jerry was taken aback by the unexpected arrival of his cousin without prior notice, especially since she had transferred to the same class as him.

It's not that he disliked his cousin, but she could be quite troublesome.

Upon hearing it, he suddenly remembered that in the show, Syaoran had a girl with him around. He did not realize that the girl was actually his cousin.

"Hello, I'm Meiling Li, and I'm Shaoran's fiancée!" The girl released her hold on Syaoran's arm, bowed to Jerry, and deliberately emphasized the word "fiancée," giving Sakura a provocative look as if claiming some ownership.

"Fiancée?" Sakura and Tomoyo were shocked immediately upon hearing the words.

They were all just elementary school students. How did these two already reach the engagement stage?

Jerry also raised an eyebrow, sensing that something was amiss. If Syaoran and Meiling were cousins, it was absolutely impossible for them to be engaged.

After all, in ancient times, cousin marriages were not uncommon. It wouldn't be surprising for them to hold more traditional views in their family.

However, marriages between cousins were unheard of even in ancient times. Could the Li family have some strange concept of pure blood and impure blood?

"Um... Meiling, that's a long time ago, and we were just kids. How can you still remember it?" Syaoran couldn't help but cover his forehead upon hearing Meiling's words.

He and his cousin had grown up together, naturally playing games like pretending to be a "Family" together. Their engagement was just a childhood verbal agreement, not a genuine engagement.

Meiling clung to Syaoran's arm and raised her chin. "I don't care. I like Syaoran the most. I am your fiancée, and no one can take you away!"

"Alright, enough. When you return, you guys should discuss this another time. We're here to discuss magic." Jerry interrupted, uninterested in the romantic entanglements of elementary school students.

He raised his hand, signaling everyone to be quiet, grabbed the "Time" card, and returned it to Sakura.

Sakura handed Jerry a new magic card. "Jerry, this is the card we just captured yesterday."

Although Sakura's dedication to learning magic was not as intense and diligent as Syaoran's. She couldn't deny the powerful magic power inherited from Clow Reed within her.

Even without the use of Clow cards, Sakura possessed considerable magical strength.

Combined with her talent for knowledge and Syaoran's proficiency in combining Eastern and Western magic, they could defeat any Clow card that appeared within minutes.

"Thank you. You can read your books, and feel free to ask me any questions." Jerry picked up the card and smiled.

At this point, the group had already developed a particular foundation in magic, so they pursued their magical interests individually.

If they encountered something they didn't understand, they would discuss it with each other. Even when Sakura and the others came over, Jerry spent most of his time on his own activities.

After providing the four of them with a guide, he temporarily set aside his research and began studying the new card.

Like alchemy, Eastern alchemy was a complex knowledge system encompassing various aspects. Mastery couldn't be achieved in a short time.

The "Fight" card was a magic card created by Clow Reed, combining all the fighting skills worldwide.

The unique feature of this card was that even if someone had no prior knowledge of fighting, using it would instantly transform them into the world's greatest martial arts master.

Everything was at their disposal for Muay Thai, Karate, Judo, Boxing, various martial arts, and weapons.

The effect of this card held little interest for Jerry. His current physical abilities had greatly improved under the influence of the enhancer.

It works well with the magic usage of the "Fight" card.

In fact, Jerry quite liked this type of magic that enhanced oneself. As a wizard, there were situations where one might face challenges.

If an opponent possessed high magic resistance and was immune to spells, they were vulnerable to attacks.

Having self-enhancing magic like "Force," which increased his strength, and "Fight," which improved his combat abilities, proved beneficial in such scenarios.

Jerry could instantly transform himself from a wizard into a top-tier warrior using his technique to conjure a weapon.

With his strong foundation and the ability to enhance himself, Jerry could overpower even the Hulk.

In light of Jerry's current level of magic and his previous experience in researching Clow cards, he had already deciphered most of the magical principles contained in the "Fight" card shortly after obtaining it.

He estimated that his unique method would adapt to his own power within a few days. However, as he immersed himself in his research, someone approached him.

"What's the matter, Meiling?" Jerry put away his magic tools and looked up at Meiling.

Though 99% of his focus was on analyzing the magic circle of the "Fight" card, he always kept 1% of his attention on his surroundings. Therefore, he was aware of Meiling sneaking over.

"Ah... I... I have a question for you!" Startled by Jerry's sudden gaze, Meiling was taken aback.

"Go ahead." Jerry stored the "Fight" card and nodded.

Meiling seized the opportunity and spoke up.

"I heard from Syaoran that your magical power is incredibly strong, stronger than even the elders in our family. Maybe second only to Clow Reed. I want to ask if it's possible for me to learn magic?"

Growing up with Syaoran, Meiling came here to help him collect the Clow cards that he had wanted since childhood.

However, upon her arrival, she discovered that Syaoran had shifted his focus to study Western magic, determined to become a formidable magician not inferior to Clow Reed and Jerry himself.

With Syaoran abandoning the pursuit of Clow cards, her own martial arts expertise became useless.

Moreover, she watched as Syaoran discussed magic with Sakura and Tomoyo, but she could only observe from the sidelines.

She wanted to ask Jerry for an opportunity to learn magic as well. After all, a regular person like Tomoyo had learned magic. She might have a chance too.

Jerry carefully observed Meiling and then held her small hand, using his mental power to scan her briefly before shaking his head.

"You don't possess the talent for learning magic. You're unable to absorb magic power, which means you can't use magic."

Meiling's situation was different from Tomoyo's.

Although Tomoyo was ordinary, her high IQ allowed her to possess an excellent talent for magic and learn it naturally. On the other hand, both Meiling and Aisha belonged to a similar type.

They possessed physical gifts, but their low intellect made them lack the talent for learning magic.

Upon hearing this, Meiling couldn't help but feel disappointed and turned to leave.

Since her birth, she had been deemed unfit to practice magic by the family elders and was left with only martial arts to pursue. Now, she wanted to try again.

Jerry observed Meiling and suddenly spoke up, "However, it's not completely impossible."

"What do you mean?" Surprised by his statement, Meiling turned back and approached Jerry once again.

Syaoran, Sakura, Tomoyo, and Kero were also drawn to Meiling's voice.

"It's impossible. Even the great Clow Reed couldn't make someone without magical talent learn magic. Otherwise, there would be more magicians in the world," Kero interjected while stuffing the remaining piece of cake into his mouth.

Syaoran shared the same doubt.

From childhood, he had been conditioned to believe that individuals without the talent for magic could not learn it. It was a longstanding truth within Eastern magic, unchallenged for thousands of years.

Jerry possessed formidable magical power, but Syaoran didn't believe he could defy such an ironclad law. Being out of touch with magic for a long time, Sakura appeared bewildered.

Tomoyo, who stood beside Sakura, didn't seem particularly invested in the topic.

Observing Sakura's perplexed expression, she found it cute and skillfully adjusted her camera to capture the perfect angle for a picture.

Jerry, noticing everyone gathering around, touched his chin and smiled.

"Indeed, I can't change a person's magical talent. However, it's not impossible for someone to absorb magic power and learn magic."

It was impossible for Jerry to grant magical talent to someone without it, enabling them to absorb magic power and learn magic.

The blood enhancer he studied was explicitly designed for wizards and only worked based on the wizard's bloodline.

Injecting the enhancer into ordinary individuals without any wizard bloodline would have fatal consequences.

In the future, once he gains a deeper understanding of advanced biological knowledge. He may develop a potion that could bestow wizard bloodlines upon ordinary people.

But that was not currently feasible.

The idea he had in mind was inspired by how the mages in the main world borrowed magic power from the Dimensional Gods.

In the main world, mages did not possess magical talent themselves. Instead, they performed magic by borrowing magic power from corresponding Dimensional Gods.

Jerry's goal had always been to become as powerful as them.

However, relying solely on his training, even with continuous enhancements to the enhancer and improved meditation methods, he needed to figure out how long it would take to achieve that level.

While exploring the ancient collections of Kamar-Taj, he came across various methods used by the Dimensional Demons to enhance themselves.

These methods served as a reference for his current plan—to create similar procedures and lend magic power to those who desired to use magic.

Like banks in the ordinary world, lending magic power to others would accumulate greater power.

With the enhancer, his total magical power had significantly increased. He could already dedicate a portion of it to lend to others.

As long as he didn't push himself too hard initially, he could progress step by step. Surviving the initial stage would lead to exponential growth in his magical power.

Naturally, fully comprehending this lending system was a challenging task.

Furthermore, he needed to ensure his strength surpassed the borrowers. Otherwise, he could encounter troublesome situations, as he did with The Ancient One.

Fortunately, he had encountered numerous private collections of The Ancient One in Kamar-Taj, which gave him insight into the methods of borrowing magic power from different Dimensional Gods.

He could use them as references to refine and improve his plan.

As for Meiling, she could serve as his first test subject, allowing him to experiment with it.

"What should I do? What should I do?" Meiling's excitement was rekindled upon hearing Jerry's words.

After a brief moment of contemplation, Jerry responded, "For now, you need to follow Syaoran and Sakura to learn the basics of magic.

"The process of acquiring magic power will need to be taken slowly, not rushed. Remember that you must come here with Syaoran and the others daily, as I will conduct some tests."

And so, the days passed, one after another.

Syaoran, Meiling, Sakura, Tomoyo, and Kero would visit Jerry's house almost every day after school.

They would spend time learning magic or bringing the new Clow cards they had discovered and collected to Jerry.

Jerry found himself once again caught up in a busy schedule, spending nearly 24 hours a day immersed in his work. Most of the time, he would use astral projection to separate his soul from his body.

While his body meditated to strengthen his magic, his soul would delve into studying Eastern magic, analyze the new Clow cards, and develop his own method of lending magic power.

Among these activities, the most challenging was studying Eastern item making.

Syaoran was young and had limited knowledge of item making, so he could only provide a little helpful advice. This meant that Jerry had to start from scratch, learning the intricacies of the art of item making by himself.

Many of the professional terms used in the book proved difficult for him to understand from books alone.

Though he could manage to make some simple items, meeting his own expectations proved far more challenging.

As a result, he gradually reduced the time dedicated to studying it. Instead, he planned to visit Hong Kong to seek advice from experts, hoping to achieve more efficient progress.

The analysis of the new Clow cards proved more straightforward in comparison.

Take the new "Loop" card, for instance, which involved the principles of space magic. It created a closed loop connecting two spaces, trapping individuals within.

The "Sleep" card had a similar effect to a Sleeping Charm, but the Sleeping Charm could only target one individual. The "Sleep" card could stun multiple targets within a large area.

The "Song" card could imitate any sound, and the "Little" card had the power to shrink objects and people.

Analyzing the magical principles behind these new Clow cards allowed Jerry to make enhancements and improvements to his own magic.

Additionally, the activity that occupied most of his time was developing an effective and safe method of lending his own magic power.

Studying the lending methods of various Dimensional Gods and with the assistance of Meiling, he had spent over a month formulating a plan.

First and foremost, this method of lending magic power involved a type of contract magic.

A contract would be signed, enabling the borrower to borrow magic power with the understanding that it must be returned.

Violating the contract would result in punishment.

However, considering that his magical power was far from that of the dimensional demon gods, Jerry deliberately imposed a limitation on the maximum amount of magic power that could be borrowed through this contract magic.

The rule was never to exceed one-fifth of his total current magic power.

For example, if he had 100 units of magic power, a borrower could only borrow a maximum of 20 units.

During combat or spellcasting, if his magic power dropped to 50 units, the amount borrowed by the borrower could not exceed ten units.

This restriction ensured he wouldn't have numerous borrowers depleting his magic power during a battle, leaving him unable to use his own magic.

Simultaneously, borrowing one unit must be paid for two units in return.

In other words, if he received a certain amount of magic power, he would return double that amount to fulfill the terms. Failure to do so would result in punishment.

While it seems like a high-interest rate, it was smaller compared to the Dimensional Gods. Many of them borrowed one unit and were required to pay two, three, or even ten units.

The unfortunate ones, like Dormammu, could pull an individual's entire being into the Dark Dimension. Enslaving them and siphoning their magic power to strengthen the Dark Dimension.

However, except for lunatics or the uninformed, most people would avoid signing a contract with Dormammu and borrowing his power.

If someone managed to escape the punishment or evade Dormammu's pursuit, borrowing his power could be a viable option.

"Alright, focus your attention on this magic circle and recite the incantation with me."

Within the house, Jerry placed the contract magic circle he had created in front of Meiling and began teaching her how to recite the incantation for the contract magic circle.

As Meiling finished reciting the incantation, the contracted circle emitted a dazzling light.

A magic symbol in the shape of the letter "J" appeared on Meiling's forehead, gradually fading away.

"How did it go? Are you done?"

Syaoran and the others who surrounded them anxiously inquired.

Jerry nodded, saying, "Yes, it went smoothly. Now we'll see the specific effects."

He handed a bracelet to Meiling and said, "Wear this Ring of Carmen. It will help you sense magic and allow you to practice the magic you just learned."

Excitedly, Meiling nodded, putting on the Ring of Carmen without hesitation, and chanted, "Lumos!"

A faint light appeared at Meiling's fingertips, to everyone's surprise.

"I can finally cast magic! Finally, I can cast magic!" Meiling jumped up in happiness, overjoyed by the light at her fingertips.

Jerry displayed a satisfied smile and said, "Remember to meditate afterward to replenish your magic power. Otherwise, you may not be able to cast magic next time."

In truth, the function of the Ring of Carmen was to allow Meiling to sense Jerry's magic power more efficiently and borrow it through the magic power channel opened by him,.

However, Meiling could borrow less magic power than she desired, even with the signed contract and the Ring of Carmen.

The amount depended on her mental strength and Jerry's magical ability.

Similar to the mages in Kamar-Taj, some could only use one or two types of magic, while others could utilize dozens of different spells and borrow a substantial amount of magic power at once.

After using magic, according to his instructions, Meiling would meditate.

The power would be transmitted back to Jerry through the magic channel, doubling the borrowed amount.

From Meiling's perspective, it felt like she was storing the magic in an unknown place through meditation.