Geometric Mage: First Spell, Circle

The mana used for this attack had burned at least a third of his reserves, causing him a sensation of heaviness without precedent.

"Look, it is coming from that side!" said Albert, his face filled with astonishment.

Pixie furrowed her brows while observing the barrier surrounding the small villa's garden.

"Guys, is that not the villa Master Corvan gifted to the new Rune Master?" she said uncertainly. "Do not tell me that the new guy blew it up? He is nothing like Torin."

A frown appeared on Albert's face at the mention of Torin, but before he could say anything, more people reached the site of the explosion, commenting and talking among themselves.

Gin remained silent. Her eyes scanned the surroundings, scrutinizing the crowd.

Unlike the Bronze students, the Silvers did not enjoy company that much. With the exception of some, like them, who formed small groups, the others were all enemies.

Not in the mortal sense of the word. They were enemies when it came to resources, missions, and similar matters.

The smoke slowly but inevitably began to dissipate.

The villa's fence did not allow a clear view, but that was not a problem. They could clearly perceive what was inside the barrier; moreover, many of them had an artifact that allowed them to fly into the sky.

Coughing faintly, Lian left his home, heading toward the site of the explosion. "I made a mess…" he muttered, half nervous.

Then, his senses caught something.

Not that his senses were really needed. One only had to raise their gaze to see dozens upon dozens of eyes fixating on him.

Many students were staring at him. Some had looks of dissatisfaction, others gazed with curiosity, while a few scrutinized his every move with piercing sharpness.

"Uhm…" Lian coughed, clearing his throat. "How can I help you?" he said, trying to appear more accommodating than usual.

After all, those before him were all Silver students.

Some of the auras Lian could feel gave him shivers.

"Tsk, it is just the new Rune Master blowing things up," one said in an irritated tone.

"You should craft your artifacts in the designated area inside your villa, not out here. Are you just looking for attention, huh?"

Others murmured various nonsense.

Only a few studied him thoughtfully.

His rank was clear to everyone: Bronze 4.

No one expected that the explosion that had just occurred was the result of his attack.

And yet, as the smoke fully cleared, no trace of any weapon could be seen around. But few paid attention to that; no one seemed to care about the true reason for the explosion.

Lian coughed again, more to buy time than because of the smoke. "Sorry, I will be more careful…"

And with those words, most of the students went away. They had believed something big had happened, but it was just the new arrival.

No one knew him personally, yet everyone hated him for setting foot in that villa.

But there was nothing they could do; the fame of a Rune Master was worth exactly that much. No one could shout at him more than necessary.

Even Gin, Pixie, and Albert left the area, but Pixie wore a thoughtful expression.

"You think so too, do you not?" Gin asked suddenly. Her sharp eyes had already grasped the situation.

"Yes, it was not the explosion of an artifact. It was simply a spell." Her brows knitted, her voice low.

"What are you two talking about?" asked Albert. "How could he cast such a powerful spell? Is he not just a Bronze 4?"

Gin and Pixie did not answer, limiting themselves to casting a sharp glance toward Albert.

"He is not a simple Bronze 4…" Pixie finally said. "The amount of mana inside his dantian is far greater than that of an ordinary Bronze 4."

"How is that possible?" Albert replied, incredulous. "Does he perhaps have a hidden talent, like you?"

Pixie nodded. "That is what I suspect. My senses never fail."

"It is useless to think too much about it," Gin spoke, interrupting their musings. "Since he is a Bronze 4, he will surely take part in the event. Let us keep an eye on him, he might prove to be a useful resource to add to our group."

The three continued talking as they headed back to their previous training area. After all, they still had to finish their session.

---

"Well then," Lian wiped the sweat from his forehead, letting the sword fall to the ground. "I would say that is enough training for now."

After the explosion that had drawn the attention of the whole neighborhood, Lian had decided to stop using his power recklessly.

"My power is on par with a Silver 1, but only if I hold back. If I were to use the concentric variants, then my power would far surpass that of a Silver 1."

He had trained all morning with the wind sword Torin had gifted him, trying to fuse the close-combat style of a Knight with the ranged style of a Mage.

The sun was shining high in the sky, the clock marked 12:30.

"I wonder what Rick's reaction will be to this enormous house. Surely I have made an upgrade." A faint smile lit up his face. "And I wonder how his… meeting with the new member went. Damn, trusting him was a mistake."

At that exact moment, a sharp sound echoed through the garden.

"Speak of the devil…"

Lian grabbed the communication crystal tied to his waist.

Exactly, Rick had bought two of them yesterday, giving one to Lian before going to the restaurant with Clara.

"Hey Lian! These things are awesome, we can talk from a distance. Listen, do not wait for me today, we will not be seeing each other. I am going out with Clara. You know, she is even more beautiful in person! And guess what? She will be part of our team! I only need to get another pair of Yellow Tiger pins, nothing problematic. I will leave you to your business, you will not have me around today. Bye byee!"

Beep—

Lian stood still, motionless. He did not know what to say.

"What the hell!? Today we were supposed to meet with the new member to study strategies suitable for the event—"

He sighed helplessly.

"There are still a few days left before the two-week deadline given by the academy." He murmured, doing some calculations with his fingers. "I just hope the event is not tomorrow."

He chuckled lightly.

"Well, then I would say we have nothing to do for today. We might as well break through to Bronze 5, while we are at it. I just need to absorb the Bronze 5 Mana Pill and draw the last line during Geometric Meditation."

Nodding slightly, Lian entered the house, but not before shutting down the barrier.

"But before all that—" his lips curled into a smile. "It is time to try out this new bath!" Removing his sweaty robe, Lian rushed into the tub.

He planned to properly relax before breaking through.

After all, he was about to obtain something huge, the system had hinted it to him.