Geometric Mage: First Spell, Circle

He had standard meditation, where he absorbed blue mana orbs. It had a daily limit, but Lian had realized something. Before dedicating himself to it, he should absorb Mana Cores and draw lines through Geometric Meditation.

These two things would grant him quicker, more direct power to absorb a greater number of orbs during the day.

Moreover, he had the new Geometric Cultivation at his disposal. He could advance in this technique simply by absorbing Cores and through Geometric Meditation.

It was a positive cycle limited only by the daily restriction of standard meditation.

With all this in mind, Lian set off. He had tried to meditate, but it seemed the daily limit had not yet reset. Unable to advance further, he had no choice but to collect and absorb cores from golems.

His training had officially begun!

---

Meanwhile, elsewhere inside the Gate…

The air shimmered with stifling heat, as if the world itself were breathing fire. The ground was a expanse of black volcanic rock, cracked and smoking, with fissures pulsing with an orange glow, like veins of living lava, a hellish landscape radiating danger.

Geysers of flames erupted at irregular intervals, spewing sparks and ash that danced in the smoke-heavy air. The horizon was dominated by an active volcano, its peak vomiting clouds of red ash and embers that fell like incandescent rain.

This was a different biome from the one Lian was in.

In a random spot in this fiery domain, a figure lay, eyes closed, breathing lightly.

Due to the ground's heat, the sleeping girl was not on the ground but on a bed large enough to hold at least five more people.

This girl was none other than the only daughter of the king of Emberfall, Aelya.

As soon as she entered the Gate, the girl had walked for a bit, killing a few occasional monsters, before collapsing from exhaustion.

She always carried a bed for her naps, so she had no trouble falling asleep in any environment. As if that were not enough, her robe, laden with various accessories, protected her from any external threat, a shield of artifacts ensuring her safety.

Even the scorching environment she was in only felt like pleasant warmth to her.

Suddenly, just a meter from where Aelya was sleeping, a geyser erupted, producing an incredible blaze.

But the girl did not care, merely feeling a light breeze brush her face. She simply turned to the other side.

However, when the geyser's jet faded, something appeared in its place. A fire salamander.

It was one of the monsters inhabiting the region. Its skin was a weave of charcoal black and glowing orange, with cracks that shone like living magma, emitting intense heat that distorted the air around it, a creature born of fire and fury.

The creature, intrigued by the strange situation before it, did not attack immediately.

It was confused.

It circled the bed cautiously, as if to ascertain what it was.

And as it circled, it finally saw her.

A figure lay on it, emitting no energy, as if dead.

The salamander, growing more curious, decided to do what it knew best.

Opening its mouth, a jet of liquid flames, capable of incinerating anything, shot directly at the girl on the bed.

After several seconds, the salamander, satisfied with its action, stopped its fire. But the scene it saw stunned it.

The bed, along with the figure on it, was intact. The only evidence of the blaze was the slightly blackened ground beside the bed.

Just as it was about to attempt another attack, the sheet covering the lower part of the bed snapped open.

A sword flew out automatically and, with a single swing, decapitated the fire salamander.

The monster's eyes were still wide as its head fell to the ground with a dull thud, its body collapsing. It was dead, obviously.

Through all this, Aelya slept soundly, as if everything happening was none of her concern.

---

In another zone inside the Gate.

The air vibrated with wild energy as the wind howled fiercely, cutting like a blade. Uniformly sized mountain peaks surrounded a high, slender plateau, like a natural tower carved by the wind.

Swirls of dust and fine sand danced endlessly, rising in spirals that dissolved only to reform elsewhere.

Freddy was half-naked, his body covered in cuts, his muscles torn in several places.

"What an absurd situation…" he murmured as he pressed forward, heedless of the cutting wind. One arm shielded his eyes while the other hand rested on the hilt of his sword. "I've been walking endlessly for hours, yet that plateau is still far…"

"…it'll take days—"

At that moment, the cry of a bird interrupted his thoughts.

The monster, with a wingspan of about three meters, towered hundreds of meters above Freddy's figure, shrieking as it hurled countless air blades toward the man.

"Here we go again…" he sighed before unsheathing his sword with unnatural speed, slicing the air before him.

Several air blades shot out simultaneously, intercepting the monster's attacks.

But the power between the two beings was worlds apart. On one side was the Bronze 3 eagle; on the other…

A human who had recently broken through.

Now, he could be considered a true powerhouse.

Freddy, Steel 1 Knight.

His air blades cut through the eagle's air blades, continuing without losing speed toward the monster's outstretched wings.

The result? Silver and white feathers floated in the sky, carried far by the strong wind, as the monster lost its ability to fly.

Its wings were sliced clean off, but the monster was still alive as it crashed to the ground, spraying blood everywhere.

Despite the fall, the monster was still alive, struggling to stand on its legs, glaring at the human with hatred. Its beak opened and closed as a powerful gust of wind swirled around the human, causing several minor cuts on his body.

"Will I ever get used to this power?" Freddy wondered as he severed the monster's head with a swift sword stroke, a clean strike ending the fight.

"Since I advanced, it feels like I'm living on easy mode. Plus, the mana concentration here is incredible; my sword keeps recharging after every use." He murmured with a satisfied smile as he extracted the Mana Core from the monster's body.

He had never used the artifact this way before. Here, he could unleash his full power without restraint.

He had killed dozens of those eagles while advancing relentlessly toward the only point of interest in the area, the plateau at the center of the biome.