Geometric Mage: First Spell, Circle

Let me start with this one; it intrigues me a lot…

[Geometric Body: Draw geometric shapes with your body to enhance physical attacks.]

[Available geometric shapes: Circle, Square, Triangle, Oval.]

Lian scratched his chin, thoughtful.

Interesting, so now I not only have to draw with my mind but also with my body.

Lian closed his eyes, imagining the scene.

Him fighting a powerful monster.

With a swift leap, the monster reached his side, but Lian moved quickly, rotating his arm and forming a circle to unleash a powerful attack…

It is ridiculous… I just hope it is not like that…

A whining grunt left his lips. He decided not to think about it too much; the event would start soon, and he could go all out and use all his new abilities.

Of course, with moderation. He was still a wind Mage…

Maybe I could drop the cover… after all, who do I need to hide from? No one seems to want me dead; it just happened that I ended up in an unstable Gate. I got lucky too, not only receiving an inheritance but also meeting Seline…

He thought, getting slightly distracted, before focusing back on the second unlocked ability.

[White Space: Immerse your mind in a white space, within which you are free to do whatever you want.]

"…"

Lian tilted his head slightly. What the hell is that supposed to mean? Can I take a shower?

But before he could think further, an annoying voice pierced his ears.

"Lian, here is our third member," Rick said, almost irritated by the laughter of the girl beside him. "Clara, this is Lian."

"Nice to meet you!" she shouted excitedly, approaching him just enough to tease him.

Lian gave her a glance. Okay, maybe more than one. They are huge; now I understand why Rick wanted her so badly…

"Rick told me you would give me an artifact for fighting!"

"Lend!" Rick muttered with a shy smile.

Lian shot a sideways glance at his friend, then sighed helplessly. He had several artifacts with him, particularly a Bronze 3 one suitable for the girl.

"Here, but you have to return it," he said, staring deeply into her eyes. Why are her eyes so big?

A cough snapped him back to reality. "Thanks for the gift!" she said, hopping happily in place.

Lian and Rick watched the scene with admiration before exchanging a glance.

They both sighed. We are cooked.

<Teleportation will begin shortly. Good luck with the event!>

A sensation of lightness gripped Lian's body.

Everything around him turned black.

A moment later…

A completely different environment.

All the students looked around, dazed.

The familiar academy structures had vanished. The warmth of the sun, which just a moment ago was still in the sky, marking around 6:00 PM, had disappeared, replaced by an unmistakable sense of coldness and darkness.

Countless murmurs and frightened exclamations echoed from the students. There were about a thousand of them, all between Bronze 2 and Bronze 5.

"I feel so good; it feels like home…" Rick murmured, taking a deep breath of the chilly air.

Lian and Clara did not respond, too focused on looking around.

They were in a vast clearing, surrounded by enormous, imposing trees.

Their trunks were so large that it would take at least 20 people holding hands to encircle them completely.

"Everyone," before panic could spread further, a voice broke the atmosphere. "I welcome you to this event. I am Mage Festos, and today you will witness a full-scale invasion firsthand!"

The atmosphere, meant to calm with the man's words, grew darker.

"Do you remember why we Mages exist?"

A question left his mouth, causing a wave of confused murmurs. Everyone turned their heads upward, observing the figure glowing faintly in the darkness.

The man continued, a solemn expression on his face. "We are humanity's last bastion against monsters. Why do we fight? To defend those who cannot. Simple. Now it is your turn."

Festos's lips paused, his head lifted, scanning the horizon.

In the distance, an army of monsters with incredibly massive forms could be seen everywhere.

"We are currently at the border between the Ironridge Kingdom and the Wildlands. We call this place 'The Forest of Giants,' but not because of the enormous trees you all can see…"

Silence gripped the heart of every student. Frightened and desperate looks could be felt everywhere.

"…but because of the monsters on this side. Give them a warm welcome, and remember. Your survival is the only thing that matters. If you are in trouble, you can press the button on your bracelet."

Everyone, including Lian, turned their heads to their wrists. When did this happen?

"Pressing the button because you are in trouble means only one thing."

The temperature in the air dropped a few degrees.

"You are useless. Mediocre Mages, spineless. The academy will not waste resources on you. I am not asking you to die, obviously, but you must fight with all your strength and give 120% of yourselves. Every one of you must."

A shiver ran down the spines of many weaker students. This event seemed unfair to them; they were too weak to win any prizes.

Moreover, pressing the button meant being excluded from any future support.

"I understand your thoughts, but do not fear. All of you will be observed. Every choice, movement, spell. You will be studied. Only the best thrive in this world. Remember that."

At that moment, the furious roars of countless monsters tore through the air like a hot knife cutting butter.

Some weaker students fell to the ground, others drew their weapons, some circulated their mana through their bodies, and a few others brandished their artifacts.

A few seconds later—

The first monster to appear, tearing through the treetops with its size, was a colossus known as the Gargantu. The students recognized it immediately; after all, it was in their monster textbooks.

But seeing it in person was a different kind of terror.

These monsters were low-level, generally Steel rank, but they typically appeared in high-level Gates.

They were powerful monstrosities, difficult to take down for someone at the same level, let alone for Mages like them at Bronze rank.