28:

  The three spell matrices Lucan had constructed consisted of three unbroken lines of primordial manuscript that were shaped into circles, within which three triangles were contained with a red line intersecting it in the middle.

  Lucan saw the triangles as a control valve, while the intersecting line helped him measure the impact of the values he was changing. It was a simple, efficient design that even a beginner mage like him could understand, but all the interpretation of primordial magescript and the calculations involved in designing the spell was done by mages much more experienced and likely, ancient than him.

  Let’s see here. I’ll keep the length at around fifteen centimeters, so that’s a full quarter turn of the first valve. It’s been a while since I’ve cast a spell, so I’ll keep the intensity on the lower side. Again, another quarter turn will do. For the curvature, well, I need this thing to fly off in a straight line, so not fiddling with that. There we go, Lucan thought, finishing the construction of the First-Circle Evocation Spell in his mana core.

  Now I just need to let it flow. Go through my mana core, right, just like that. Up, up, yes now through my right arm and— yes, my wand latched on to it!

  On the tip of Lucan’s wand, a First-Circle spell that was the size of an index finger manifested.

  He immediately began to feed it mana and in a few seconds, the spell circle was the length of his forearm.

  Just need to feed it a little more mana through the wand and it should work. Hopefully, Lucan thought, knowing that he couldn’t really be angry if the years he had spent neglecting his magical studies would come to bite him in the back.

  That’s it, I feel the resistance. The magic circle is complete. Now I just need to— Release!

  A line of white light whizzed off towards Cynthia at a speed that was, well, perhaps a quarter of the speed Cynthia had been manipulating the shard of ice at, except it lacked even a tenth of its penetrating power. Even if it hit her, it would only leave a bruise at best.

  She made no effort to guard and sure enough, a mana shield popped up to defend her the moment it entered her kill zone.

  “I was told you hadn’t practiced in years. About sixty seconds to cast mana bolt, that’s not as terrible as I thought,” Cynthia cheerfully remarked. “Now, watch closely. I’ll be demonstrating an original spell, so I’ll be masking my magic circles.”

  Masking her magic circles? What the flying fuck does that mean?

  Lucan got his answer moments later, as a circular disk formed out of ice mana manifested before his mana sight. It was definitely a mana circle, but… Lucan couldn’t perceive any of its details because it was covered up from both sides with a layer of Ice-attuned mana, likely separated by a miniscule gap on either side.

  Lucan watched as an ice stake that was sharpened on one end and roughly the size of a small boulder in thickness while being about a third of the length of a longblade. Had Cynthia not stepped to one side of the mana shield and pointed her ice stake to the other side, it wouldn’t even fit the kill zone that the shield was covering.

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  Cynthia had manifested the oversized ice stake in a matter of seconds, which was impressive enough on its own, but she hadn’t used the second spell circle yet.

  Lucan waited and sure enough, a second masked spell circle manifested before the first, another ice spell circle from the looks of things.

  A series of cracks and pops began to ring out as to Lucan’s confusion, the Ice stake began to shrink in size, it’s hue changing from a glacial white to deepening blue, almost as if it was being…

  It’s being compressed, Lucan realized, as another few seconds later an ice stake that was no thicker than his forearm and a quarter the length of a longblade had been came into his field of view, its hue now as deep blue as the ocean and a heavy mist seeping out from it, as if it wished to freeze the very air around it.

  Then it began to rotate with increasing speed, becoming a blur before his gaze.

  “Watch closely now!” Cynthia exclaimed. “Second-Circle Ice Evocation Spell: Zero Point!”

  The rotating Ice Stake blurred forward with such speed that it barely registered as a blur in Lucan’s vision. A crinkling sound sounded out as the dome of white light shattered into a million shards, its pieces dissipating and returning to the world.

  Lucan’s jaw had dropped open as he realized what he just watched, but that didn’t stop the deadly projectile that was heading towards the training chamber’s walls.

  The next moment, Cynthia was suspended in mid-air by a dozen chains formed out of earth mana, while a sudden burst of scorching hot heat Lucan felt from the direction the projectile headed in indicated that the Ice Stake had met a worse fate. He only got to glimpse at the last few embers of what had to have been a very powerful fire spell, for where the ice stake was headed, there was not even a puddle of water to be found.

  Well, that sure was one hell of a show.

  “What is the meaning of this!” A stern voice bellowed, one that Lucan recognized as it belonged to the same person that had asked for identification when he had first entered the academy.

  “Professor Morgan, it’s just me,” Cynthia, whose wand had been snatched from her and was now floating unaided a safe distance away, still managed a small wave with her hand. “I was teaching a first-year that I’m in charge of tutoring and the spell wasn’t even remotely pointed in his direction.”

  “So… you decided to use a homebrew spell and break through the very defenses meant to keep you students safe? You may be talented Cynthia, but that is still grounds for disciplinary action.

  “It’s not a homebrew spell if it’s recognized by a specialist mage in the same attunement, Professor,” Cynthia pointed out. “Besides, how was I supposed to know that it was going to break? I just wanted to demonstrate a spell of my creation to my mentee so I’d be taken seriously. It was just a journeyman spell.”

  “Cynthia, I’m well aware that you know that a generalist mana shield isn’t a porous defense,” Professor Morgan countered, with his voice being projected in the training chamber.

  “Sure, sure, so I decided to take some extra precautions to cast an approved journeyman spell. I was just being extra cautious, professor!” Cynthia cheerfully replied.

  A loud sigh was projected through whatever magic the formation spell was using. “You and that sly tongue of yours. Fine, your justification is… barely enough this time. But I’m warning you, if there’s a second time, there will be consequences.”

  “Yes sir!” Cynthia exclaimed in a formal, militaristic tone.

  The chains holding her form in place began to crumble and soon, they dissipated. Cynthia landed on the floor calmly and then winked at Lucan.

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