Geometric Mage: First Spell, Circle

Lian nodded, understanding the point presented by Loper.

"However…" he added after a second's pause. "If you manage to obtain a staff that does not focus on launching fireballs but on enhancing spell effects, that is another matter. Its value would skyrocket, naturally."

Rick's eyes took the shape of gold coins as he imagined earning a fortune, while Lian scratched his chin, thoughtful.

Does he mean the same type of artifacts used by Patrick? I remember how, through that artifact, he managed to destroy the Shadow Wolf Steel 1 with relative ease… he thought.

Seeing the thoughtful expression on the boy's face, Loper leaned in slightly, his voice low. "Boy, you would not happen to be the new Rune Master apprentice Master Torin was talking about, Lian Veyr?"

"Huh?" Lian raised his eyes, focusing on the man's words. He did not respond, but that was all Loper needed to know he was right.

"Interesting… so you are not just an apprentice. Did you create the staff you just told me about? Where did it end up? Can I help you recover it? I would like to examine it closely." His monocle gleamed for a moment, as if responding to his interest.

Lian furrowed his brows, while Rick looked around. He did not want his friend to be exposed. Sure, it was not supposed to be a secret, but it was better to maintain some privacy at first.

After a moment of reflection, Lian decided to trust the man. "I gave it as a pledge for payment at Seven Spirit Flavors… we ate more than we could afford because of someone—" Lian glanced sideways at Rick.

"Eheh…" Rick's dark eyes squinted slightly, pinching the bridge of his nose in embarrassment.

Loper nodded slightly, but a hint of amusement could be seen in his eyes. Ah, youth. He thought, before gesturing to the two. "Follow me."

Lian and Rick exchanged a glance before following the man into a room behind the counter.

Loper closed the door behind them before making another gesture with his hand. Before the two, a golden card appeared.

Rick's eyes widened in awe. "A 1,000-gold note!" he shouted excitedly.

The man smiled, handing the note to Lian. "As your friend said, this is worth 1,000 gold coins. Use it to redeem the staff and deliver it to me. Keep the rest for yourself, consider it…"

Loper paused for a second, thinking of the right term to use.

"…an investment."

Lian could not believe his eyes. First, he had no idea that gold coins could take this form. Second, he did not think he would earn so much from his staff.

"Deal!" Lian said, visibly excited.

"Can I ask something?" After a moment of hesitation, Rick raised a hand.

"Of course, young man. Tell me everything."

"Do you have any artifacts related to the shadow element?"

"Shadow element?" Loper raised an eyebrow, surprised. He did not think there was anyone like that in the academy. "I am sorry, but I do not have artifacts of that kind. Artifacts of a rare element are considered superior to a custom artifact…"

Rick sighed, dissatisfied.

Lian placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Do not worry, Rick. I told you I will build you a weapon just for you. Do not fear!"

Rick smiled. "Thanks, Lian."

Loper shook his head as he said, "Creating an artifact does not only require affinity with runes. It also involves affinity with a particular element."

The man's words made Lian frown. "Huh?"

"Of course, you do not need an excellent affinity," Loper continued, his voice calm, but a hint of helplessness could be perceived. "But it must be at least Good… at most it can be Poor, but at that point, the likelihood of creating an artifact of that element becomes very low."

Exchanging a few more words with the man, the two left the store, both satisfied and dissatisfied, heading back to the ground floor.

"And now? You do not have shadow affinity, do you?" The look on Rick's face grew grim.

Lian wanted to reassure him, but the truth was he had no idea. He might even have it; he did not know… he could cast spells only with the corresponding geometric shape.

Perhaps he just needed to wait to unlock the one related to shadow.

Lian gave Rick a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

"Come on, it is pointless to think about it now. We have some money to try buying something interesting," Lian said happily, returning to the map in the central area of the Falling Stars Emporium. "Why do we not head to the east wing? They sell monster materials there, including Mana Cores. Maybe we will get lucky."

"Sure—" Rick paused for a second, quickly turning his head back.

"Everything okay?" Lian asked, surprised by his friend's action.

Rick did not answer immediately. He kept looking around, searching for something.

"Lian? What is happening now?" Lian insisted.

"Strange…" Rick stopped looking around. "I felt an odd sensation, as if someone was watching us… but not just anyone, a person we are looking for…"

"A person we are looking for?" Lian pondered for a second. "Could it be that Plammer, or Flammer, or whatever his name is?"

Rick nodded, then shook his head vigorously. "I have no idea… it was just a moment. So strange—"

Could this have something to do with my new affinity too? he thought, heading to the east wing with Lian.

Climbing the stairs, another massive structure appeared before the two.

Unlike the Artifact Store, this place was much more crowded. Besides items obtained from monsters, this place also offered common and rare materials, plants, and the like.

After entering, Lian immediately noticed the Moon Grass for sale, the herb he had read about in the mission that afternoon.

The mission required collecting 10, for a total of 50 gold coins… each additional Moon Grass was worth 4 gold. He thought distractedly.

On the shelf, the price was similar. Each Moon Grass could be purchased for 5 gold coins.

Lian and Rick looked around, not interested in things like that.

After several minutes, they finally reached the section that interested them.

Like the other resources, not everything was displayed. Only a few things were shown; the rest could be viewed on the screen.

"So…" Lian murmured, observing the screen. "This thing shows the presence of countless Bronze Mana Cores of all four basic elements…"

Rick looked closely. "Incredible! There are thousands and thousands… the war against monsters has been going on for over a month now. It is true that wars lead to wealth."

Lian nodded as he continued scrolling through the catalog. The prices of Bronze Mana Cores were truly negligible. They ranged from a few gold coins to about fifteen for a Bronze 5 Mana Core.

"Hey, imagine how much a Rune Master could earn in this period!"

Lian agreed, but they were not there for common Mana Cores. Besides, Lian had several with him, given by the headmaster.

Continuing to scroll through the catalog, Lian finally stumbled upon what he was looking for.

<Mana Core Rare Elements: Lightning, Ice, Light, Darkness, Shadow…>