Geometric Mage: First Spell, Circle

"Ouch! Bastard!" Rick shouted, gritting his teeth. "You can still sense me, huh!"

Lian nearly choked on his saliva. True, the dummy has no ears…

He focused again, mana pulsing from his dantian, coursing through his entire body.

"Umbra Velum, Simulacri Vani!"

A shadow detached from his body, forming an illusory clone that mimicked his movements. The clone, a blurry copy of Rick with the sword in hand, lunged toward the dummy, while Rick tried to approach from another angle.

For a moment, the trick seemed to work. The dummy turned toward the clone, raising an arm to parry a nonexistent blow. Rick took advantage, darting forward with the flaming sword. "I got you!" he shouted, aiming at the target's side.

But the dummy was smarter than he thought. The runes on its body flashed, and with a lightning-fast movement, it turned, hitting Rick with a punch to the chest that sent him flying back to the ground.

Lian, who was watching the clone with rapt interest, could not hold back a slight laugh. "Nice try, Rick, but that thing is not fooled so easily. Your clone is cute, but not convincing enough."

Rick got up, spitting out some dirt. He cursed lightly before resuming his assault. He had not yet played all his cards.

Gripping the sword, he let the Shadow within him take command. "Okay, last try."

Mana flowed to his open left palm—

"Umbra Velum, Tenebris Strictae!"

A faint, thin shadow chain shot from Rick's hands, wrapped in a grayish mist, heading toward the dummy's legs.

"Now!" The dummy staggered for a moment, losing its balance. Rick's clone danced around it, distracting it, while the real Rick lunged forward.

The flaming sword glowed brightly as the strike aimed at the dummy's back.

But before he could land the blow, the dummy broke free from the chains, throwing a punch first at the clone circling it, making it vanish into nothing, then at Rick's blade.

Boom—

A small explosion resounded, with Rick being pushed back several steps, rolling on the grass, while the dummy stood still, as if it had not felt the blow.

"Damn, damn, damn!" Rick shouted, lying on the ground, the sword still clutched in his hand. "Now I will destroy it!"

Rick got up, breathing heavily but with determination burning in his black eyes. "One last try." He focused, summoning another spell.

"Umbra Velum, Obscuritas Fugax!"

A veil of light shadows formed around the dummy, obscuring its movements for a moment. It was not a powerful spell, but it created a distraction, making it harder for the dummy to predict his attacks.

Despite the shadow enveloping the dummy, Rick could see it perfectly.

With a shout, he lunged again. The dummy, momentarily confused by the shadow veil, reacted a second too late.

Rick's strike hit its arm, leaving another superficial burn. But before Rick could celebrate, the dummy recovered, counterattacking with a punch that Rick dodged by a hair, rolling to the side and retreating to Lian's side.

"Okay, enough!" Rick panted, raising his hands in surrender. "I am simply too weak… but it is not my fault; it is just that this stupid shadow element has no offensive abilities. It is not as simple as throwing a fireball or a wind blade. Damn it!"

Lian furrowed his brows. "What the hell are you talking about? The shadow element seems fantastic; the problem here is just you! You need to improve, train, get stronger. Until now, I did not even know it existed, but now that I have seen your abilities with my own eyes, I can say it with certainty."

Lian paused for a second, staring into Rick's eyes. "The shadow element, which you complain so much about, is very strong. You just need to develop your individual abilities, or you are useless."

Rick huffed, running a hand through his dusty hair. Lian knew nothing about his element; it was easy to talk as an outsider. "Yeah, yeah, I will do as you say—"

A loud, nasal laugh interrupted the scene. "I did not mean to interrupt your conversation, but I could not help but notice your way of fighting. It is simply pathetic—Is that how you use an artifact? With a sword like that, I could make that dummy eat dust in seconds!"

Lian and Rick turned, finding themselves face-to-face with a chubby boy, wearing an Academy robe slightly too tight, highlighting his prominent belly.

"And who are you?" Lian said, stepping forward, placing himself between his friend and the newcomer. They were not exactly expecting visitors.

The dummy had returned to being inactive with Rick's surrender, so it would not attack unexpectedly.

The chubby boy gave a smug smile, resting a simple-looking staff on his shoulder. "My name is Plammer, and I am a Bronze 5 Mage with an affinity for wind. I saw your little show, and let me tell you, you are embarrassing."

He had greasy brown hair, slicked back, and a know-it-all expression that made you want to punch him. In his hand, he held a walking staff that did not seem to have any use other than decoration.

"However, I will give you credit for your affinity," he added, nodding slightly, causing his chubby cheeks to jiggle. "It is not every day you see an extremely rare affinity like yours. But let us skip the chatter. Give me that sword. I will show you how to really use an artifact."

Lian narrowed his eyes, suspicious. There was something in Plammer's tone, a mix of arrogance and cunning, that he did not like. "The sword is mine," he said coldly. "And I do not lend it to someone who shows up laughing at others. Besides—"

Lian paused for a moment, pointing at the dummy. "If you really destroy that thing, you will have to pay for the damage."

Plammer raised his hands, feigning innocence. "Oh, come on, do not take it personally! I am just saying that an artifact like that deserves to be used by someone who knows what they are doing. Why do we not make a bet?"

"Lian…" Rick merely gripped the sword tightly in his hands. He had no intention of participating in any bet; the guy seemed very confident. It would go badly. But the artifact was not his; he could not decide.

"A bet, you say? Let us hear it." Lian gently raised a hand toward Rick, telling him to listen before judging.

Plammer smiled sweetly, but a glimmer of cunning shone subtly in his eyes. "Simple. Give me the sword for one minute, and if I do not manage to take down the dummy, I will pay the rental cost. And if I accidentally destroy it, then I will give you the full amount. You said it costs at least 50,000 gold coins, right? Well, I will give you 60,000."