Magic generally manifests in three major forms.
First Form
Drawing a frame, often referred to as a circle or seal, then adding strokes within it to create a magic circle, into which mana is infused.
This is the most standardized method of using magic and serves as the foundation for the concept of “using magic.”
By drawing a magic circle, the framework of the spell is established, and chanting is added to enhance the stability of the spell’s activation. This is the most basic way magic is practiced.
Second Form
Using mana without a magic circle, or with chanting alone.
Mana, magic circles, and chanting can be compared to modern devices: mana represents electricity, while magic circles and chanting are akin to electronic devices and plugs.
Trying to use magic with mana alone is equivalent to attempting to alter reality with only electricity, without a device or mechanism.
Still, just as high-voltage electricity can incinerate someone, simple elemental magic like light creation, create water, or wind cutter can be performed with sufficient mana control.
Third Form
Using magical tools to cast spells.
This method involves inserting mana stones into catalysts that already have magic circles inscribed on them. It allows anyone to use magic, even without mana or knowledge of magic. However, the effects are limited to what is inscribed on the magical tool.
Among these, the first method is the one most commonly used by magicians. While Felix’s use of a magic circle was impressive, it wasn’t particularly extraordinary from the perspective of a magician. After all, didn’t Lumillion himself cast magic by drawing a magic circle in midair using mana imbued with fire-elemental properties?
“Incredible…”
Lumillion couldn’t help but gape when he saw Felix’s magic circle.
“How many strokes are there? Wait, did he interweave another circle inside the original one? And what is this? The circles are shaped like interlocking gears?”
The form was astonishingly precise and perfect, with tightly packed strokes filling the gaps seamlessly. What shocked Lumillion even more was that Felix hadn’t drawn it on paper but suspended it in midair as a completed magic circle.
Why Casting Is Vital for Magicians
The act of drawing a magic circle is a crucial ritual for any magician.
The first thing a novice learns when they begin handling mana is how to draw a flawless circle for their magic circle.
The circle in a magic circle serves as the foundation of all magic. Before a spell can be activated, the circle ensures a stable supply of mana and increases the likelihood of the spell’s success.
If the circle is even slightly distorted, the spell might fail to activate or cause a mana surge, potentially resulting in an explosion.
Once the circle is drawn, additional strokes must be added.
Take Fireball, a basic offensive spell, as an example:
First, a stroke is drawn at the center to transform neutral mana into fire-elemental mana.
Next, additional strokes are calculated and added to define parameters such as size, duration, and range.
This process must be flawless, with no errors in calculation, and the circle must be supplied with adequate mana for the spell to activate successfully.
Magic, as an academic discipline, is extraordinarily intricate. Even learning the basic Fireball spell requires months or even years of practice for a beginner to master drawing the circle in midair instead of on paper. This complexity explains why skilled magicians are so rare.
Of course, for someone like Lumillion, creating ten Fireballs in the blink of an eye is a testament to the combination of talent and relentless effort required in the field of magic.
“So many magic circuits are moving like clockwork—this makes no sense!”
Lumillion’s glasses slipped slightly as she struggled to process the shocking sight of Felix casting magic and observed the magic circle he had drawn.
What lay before her eyes was not something that could be easily judged by talent or effort alone.
Even the most complex spells typically involved three or four circles, but the large circle Felix had drawn contained well over ten smaller circles interwoven within it, at a glance.
Such a magic circle was akin to those nonsensical doodles students would jokingly scribble on paper and pretend were magic circles—it was nothing short of impossible.
In short, it was utterly unfeasible.
And yet, the intricate, densely packed lines, leaving no empty space, were so precise they seemed steeped in madness. Despite this, the magic flowed smoothly and without a single error, activating the circle flawlessly.
“What… is that?”
“That’s supposed to be a magic circle?”
“It just looks like a drawing! How is that magic?”
“But… it seems to be working, doesn’t it?”
Even Professor Lumillion, unable to fully analyze Felix’s magic circuits, could only stare in stunned silence. The students, who were still learning under him, couldn’t even grasp how extraordinary it was and merely whispered amongst themselves.
“Magic, as you know, is a resource used to cast spells. That’s not exactly wrong.”
Standing in the dimly lit lecture hall, Felix, bathed in the radiant glow of the magic circle, stepped forward from behind the podium and stretched his legs as he spoke.
“But my perspective differs slightly from that idea.”
Clap!
Flash!
The next moment, Felix clapped his hands together, producing a crisp sound, and the view before the students and Lumillion began to change.
The dark, enclosed lecture hall transformed into the heart of a lush meadow, with a gentle breeze swaying the grass.
“W-Where are we…?”
“Is this… an illusion?”
“Was that an illusion spell?”
The sudden shift in scenery was enough to startle anyone, but the students quickly deduced it was an illusion conjured by magic. After all, they had chosen the path of magic, even if they were still novices.
“An illusion…? No, this is not just an illusion…!”
But Lumillion, more experienced than the students, immediately realized that what she was seeing wasn’t a mere illusion. Without even thinking, she bent down and reached out to touch the grass growing in the field.
Illusion magic, at its core, converts the caster’s imagination into magical energy, projecting it to others. This means that those under the spell would experience what the caster envisioned.
If this were a proper illusion spell, touching the grass should have provided a tactile sensation consistent with the caster’s imagination.
However, as Lumillion’s fingers grasped at the grass, they simply passed through it, as if it were a mirage. The grass was intangible, and its texture could not be felt.
Not only that, but there was no scent of the grass, no sensation of the breeze—nothing could be physically experienced.
The only thing Lumillion noticed was the faint blue glow of magic particles dispersing as her fingers disturbed the grass.
The meaning was clear: all these scenes were not a fleeting illusion created by magic but were physically materialized by mana and shown to everyone in the lecture hall.
That alone was enough to leave Lumillion astounded.
Creating a physical manifestation using mana was something Lumillion could also do. However, covering the entire room with materialized mana in an instant and making it feel like an illusion required an extraordinary level of skill. It involved calculating every minute motion, like the subtle sway of grass in the wind, in real time, inputting the calculated values to alter the mana array, and then injecting the appropriate amount of mana accordingly.
The constantly shifting mana array behind Felix was a testament to the accuracy of Lumillion’s hypothesis.
Yet, even though explaining it like this made it seem somewhat feasible, it was akin to claiming that one could fly by rapidly crossing their legs upward in mid-air—it was a ludicrously impossible act.
“This world is a single sculpture, and mana is the tool to shape it. That is how I see it.”
Clap
Whirlwind
“Now… a snowy mountain?”
“Eek…! This is so high!”
As Felix clapped his hands again, the peaceful plains transformed, and suddenly, they stood atop a snowy peak, high on a desolate and barren mountain covered in thick snow.
The towering, fierce ravines that seemed ready to devour anyone who dared approach were so vividly real that, despite knowing they were illusions crafted with mana, they sent shivers down everyone’s spines.
“What does it mean to walk the path of magic? Magic is about distorting and twisting reality and carving out a path of one’s own.”
“Those who walk the path of magic come in all shapes and forms, each walking their own unique path.”
“Some paths may be gentle slopes, while others may be treacherous trails filled with thorny bushes and muddy pits.”
Clap
“Wow!?”
“Ahhh!?”
Another clap echoed, and the snowy mountain, which seemed cold enough to turn one’s cheeks bright red, vanished. In its place was a fiery volcano, with lava and magma bubbling and boiling around its peak. The students now found themselves suspended precariously in mid-air, screaming in terror.
“Yet we are magicians, those who walk the path of magic.”
“And I believe mana is both the steadfast companion, the indispensable tool, and the lifelong subject of study for those who walk this path.”
Clap
The world shifted once more.
Now they were in a breathtakingly beautiful scene, on a small boat floating atop a serene lake illuminated by the shimmering stars of the night sky and two radiant full moons. The surreal scenery felt less like they were on water and more like they were gliding through the night sky itself.
“When you walk your path of magic, there will be times when it feels joyous, times when it feels arduous, times when it feels slow, and times when it feels swift.”
“Countless challenges and perplexing problems will circle around you.”
“But even so, I hope you do not give up.”
“Do not confine your thoughts to limitations.”
“Rather than thinking of mana as just a resource, see it as a means to uncover the world, to realize your will, and to become a master trickster capable of deceiving even the gods.”
From the start, magic is a discipline of deception—of deceiving others, deceiving the world, and deceiving oneself.
When everything is deceived in such a way, it will no longer be a lie but become reality.
“In that case, your magic, your sorcery, will show you the path where anything is possible.”
Clap-
“Gasp…!? Hah…!?”
“I was definitely by the lake just now…”
“Is this an illusion…? It felt too real…”
As Felix clapped for the final time, the students found themselves back in the lecture hall, where the curriculum had yet to begin. They panted heavily, trying to calm the wild pounding of their hearts, muttering blankly to themselves.
“My name is Felix Evergarden. I am the professor in charge of this semester’s elective course, [Fundamentals of Magic].”
“To help you grasp the basics of magic, I have meticulously prepared the lessons for this semester, so I hope you look forward to them.”
“With that, this marks the end of today’s curriculum.”
The brilliant magic circle, which had been shining brightly moments ago, began to fade. As it completely disappeared, Felix surveyed the lecture hall and gave a slight nod. His demeanor was so composed that it was hard to believe he had just performed such extraordinary magic.
The process of manipulating every single thing…..from a blade of grass to a snowflake, a drop of lava, and even a ray of starlight….was something that would normally drain the mana of an ordinary magician within a minute, leaving them unconscious.
“……..”
“……..”
“……..”
The students, who had been staring at Felix Evergarden’s composed nod, exchanged glances with one another in silence.
Clap clap-
Suddenly, faint and steady clapping echoed from the back of the lecture hall.
Clap clap clap-
Clap clap clap clap clap clap
The sound of applause quickly spread to the few students present, and one by one, they began clapping. Soon, all of them rose from their seats, giving a standing ovation.
This marked the first legendary lecture by Honorary Professor Felix Evergarden.