Argentum's eyes flickered briefly, and then focused on Anton. The same cold, analytical gaze once again seemed to study Anton's every move. "Student Anton. You have a spell for analysis?"
"I - Uh," Anton gulped, mustering the courage to continue. "Yeah, Magister Argentum. It's a spell I crafted myself recently. It's a combination of Pyromancy and Aeromancy. It's a mixture of the Flamethrower spell and an inversion of the shockwave spell. It spews flames that compress themselves until they explode. I crafted it as part of my studies in Spell Crafting at home."
Some students chuckled, and others gasped. Mia was looking at him with wide eyes.
"That'sss the spell you used to try to blow up the wall in the morning, right?" Mia whispered from behind him.
Anton shivered and pretended not to have heard that.
"Demonstrate." Argentum said, casting a cold gaze over the room. "While I will protect the class from any damage, I recommend you cast it with as little mana as possible."
Anton nodded. He took a deep breath and focused on channeling just a tiny amount of Mana - barely enough to cast the Spell. He pointed his staff at the center of the room, above Argentum. The air around him began to shimmer with heat as he gathered his power.
"Flamare..." A crimson-red spell circle materialized at the tip of his staff, intricate runes of fire dancing along its circumference. The circle pulsed once, twice, and then erupted. A torrent of white-hot flames burst forth, the heat so intense that students in the front row instinctively leaned back. The flames twisted and writhed like living things, painting abstract patterns in the air as they roared outward.
Argentum's liquid metal form rippled as it swiftly erected a spherical barrier, its surface etched with glowing protective runes. The barrier caught the flames, containing their fury. Inside, the fire churned and rolled like an angry sea, casting dramatic shadows across the classroom ceiling.
Anton's eyes widened. Even with minimal Mana, the raw power exceeded his expectations. Sweat beaded on his forehead, partly from concentration and partly from the residual heat. With practiced precision, he swung his staff sideways, ending the first incantation. The flames continued their wild dance within the barrier, awaiting the second phase.
"Ruina!"
A new magical circle blazed into existence at the heart of the inferno, this one a deep yellow shot through with crimson veins. The circle began to spin, faster and faster, its runes blurring into solid lines of light. Like a cosmic drain, it pulled the surrounding flames inward, compressing the raging inferno into an impossibly dense sphere of pure fire magic. The air itself seemed to bend around it, distorting like a heat mirage.
With a calculated flick of his wrist, Anton inverted the circle. The compressed sphere of fire held for one breathless moment - then detonated. The explosion was devastating, even contained. A shockwave of superheated air slammed against Argentum's barrier, making the protective dome flex and shimmer like a soap bubble. The flames transformed into a rapidly expanding nova of orange and white, accompanied by a thunderous boom that made several students clasp their hands over their ears.
The room shook and rumbled with the roaring from the explosion. As it died down, a wave of heat washed over the students. The air shimmered and distorted like a desert mirage, and the acrid smell of smoke lingered in the air. Small embers drifted lazily downward, fading to ash before they could reach any surfaces. The barrier that had contained the blast now rippled with residual energy, its protective runes still glowing faintly from absorbing such concentrated force.
The display was much smaller and more controlled than his earlier attempts, but its power still far surpassed his expectations. Even with minimal Mana, the force would have been enough to destroy a small building. Anton held his breath, waiting for Argentum's analysis. Was he going to get scolded?
As the last echoes of the explosion faded, Argentum's barrier dissolved. The construct's runes pulsed with increased intensity, and its eyes fixed on Anton with an almost unsettling focus.
A wave of excited murmurs swept through the classroom. Several students were staring with wide eyes and open mouths, clearly impressed but struggling with the technical analysis.
A student with iridescent marks along their neck let out a low whistle. "That's some serious control work. Did you see how he maintained the compression ratio?"
"Forget the control," another student with glowing runes tattooed on their arms replied, "that modification to the flame matrix is genius. Risky, but genius."
Even Beatriz, usually composed, was leaning forward with obvious interest, her wings creating small currents of air that made nearby papers flutter.
"Antonnn," Mia hissed, her own spellbook open to her Flamare notes. "I've been practicing fire spellsss for years and never thought of combining them like that. How did you even figure out the timing between the compression and explosionnn?"
The excited chatter died down as Argentum raised one metallic hand, commanding silence. The construct's analytical gaze remained fixed on Anton, awaiting his response about the Spell's development process. Anton felt his heart race, but filled with pride. He had worked hard on this Spell, and he was proud of it.
"Analysis: Compound combat matrix," Argentum's metallic voice resonated through the now-silent classroom. With a fluid gesture, it recreated the Spell's structure in glowing detail above its head. "Fascinating. The architecture demonstrates unusual complexity for a student-crafted spell."
The construct raised both hands, causing the magical diagram to expand and separate into its component parts. Anton gulped, realizing that his work was about to be dissected.
"Primary observation: The initial framework utilizes a modified flame matrix - note the distinctive hexagonal arrangement of the core vertices. This not only captures the fire mana in the air but also combines the free Mana in the air with the fire element, causing an exponential increase in input power. However..." The construct paused, its runes flickering rapidly. "The traditional stability nodes have also been deliberately weakened. An intentional flaw that serves to increase the amount of flame output. Very efficient, but also very dangerous."
The diagram rotated, revealing layers of interconnected geometric patterns. "Secondary phase introduces a similar air matrix to Airo, with a slight modification. Instead of pushing the air out, it pulls it in. Observe the counter-rotating rings of force - they create a containment field that simultaneously compresses and stabilizes the flame matrix. The mathematical precision of the interference patterns is... remarkable."
Argentum's eyes brightened slightly. "Of particular note: the Spell's detonation timing is controlled by a precise harmonic resonance between the fire and air matrices. When the resonance reaches critical frequency..." The construct demonstrated, causing the magical diagram to simulate the explosion in slow motion. "The Air matrix inverts, converting the compressed energy into explosive force. Highly efficient design."
The construct's head tilted exactly 12 degrees. "Query: Did you derive this relationship through mathematical analysis or empirical testing?"
Anton cleared his throat, trying to keep his voice steady under the intense scrutiny. "I, uh... Both, actually. I started with mathematical modeling based on standard fire-air interactions, but the initial calculations weren't giving me the results I wanted." He gestured to illustrate his points. "The traditional harmonic ratios for fire spells tend to follow the Fibonacci sequence, but that was causing the compression phase to destabilize too quickly. No explosion."
"Through trial and error, I discovered that using the golden ratio as a base multiplier created a more stable resonance pattern between the two mana types. The fire naturally wants to expand, while the air matrix wants to contract - finding the exact point where those forces balance was the key. It took a lot of... " He paused, remembering the many failed attempts, burn marks on the walls, and scolding from his brother. "*testing* to fine-tune the wavelengths."
Argentum stood absolutely still, its glowing eyes fixed on Anton. The class murmured between themselves, and Anton felt the weight of all the gazes fixed upon him.
"Fascinating." Argentum's metallic voice carried an unusual note - something almost like... interest? The construct's runes pulsed with a brighter intensity, casting shifting shadows across the classroom walls. Several students exchanged meaningful glances, clearly as surprised by Argentum's reaction as Anton was.
"Your methodology demonstrates advanced understanding of harmonic resonance principles. Most students require years of study before attempting spell synthesis of this complexity."
The construct's liquid metal form shifted, its runes reorganizing into new patterns. "However, your implementation contains significant risk factors. The destabilization of the flame matrix, while effective, introduces a 47.3% chance of catastrophic failure under standard casting conditions, and the conversion of Mana into fire means that the potency of the Spell always modulates under external conditions."
"I will provide you with additional reference materials on stabilization techniques." Argentum's eyes flickered briefly. "Your talent for innovative spell architecture should be properly channeled."
Before Anton could respond, another hand shot up. It belonged to a tall student with crystalline skin that refracted the room's ambient light.
"I've been working on a frost spell that-" The student began but was cut short as the classroom's crystalline interfaces suddenly pulsed with a deep blue light. A melodic chime echoed through the room. The student sighed and sat down.
"How unfortunate. End of instructional period, we shall analyze your frost spell next week." Argentum announced. "For the next session, prepare an analysis of one basic Spell from your primary affinity. Focus on geometric structure and mana flow patterns." The construct's eyes swept across the room before settling back on Anton. "Student Anton. Expect a letter in your mail tomorrow."
As students began gathering their materials, excited chatter filled the room. Mia gave Anton a sympathetic pat on the shoulder. "Wowww, you really are smart, huh? I thought you would be a dim-wit when you walked into my ssshop, but looks like you know your ssstuff!"
Beatriz fluttered her wings nervously as she packed up. "That was incredible, Anton. I'd love to learn more about spell synthesis sometime."
Anton nodded absently, his attention fixed on the imposing figure of Argentum. What could a centuries-old magical construct want to write to a first-year student?
As the last students filed out, Argentum's form shifted, becoming more compact and focused. The room's ambient lighting dimmed slightly, making the construct's glowing runes stand out more sharply against its metallic surface. Anton was getting ready to leave when the Construct's voice echoed through the room.
"Student Anton," Argentum began, its voice modulated to a lower volume. "Your spell crafting methodology indicates unusual aptitude. I have transmitted my observations to Principal Khan. You will receive additional instructions regarding specialized training sessions." Argentum's eyes brightened slightly. "Your potential for spell architecture is significant. It would be... inefficient to allow it to develop without proper guidance."
The construct's form began to lose cohesion, spreading into a pool of liquid metal. "That is all. You are dismissed." With those words, Argentum sank into the floor, leaving Anton alone with his thoughts and a growing sense that his time at A.M.U. was about to become even more complicated.
As Anton gathered his things, his mind raced. First the incident with Professor Arthas, then the meeting with Principal Khan, and now this. He had hoped to keep a low profile, but that plan was clearly falling apart.
He sighed, shouldering his bag. The motes of light in the classroom seemed to dim as he headed for the door, as if the room itself was powering down for the day. Anton couldn't shake the feeling that he had just passed some sort of test - one he hadn't even known he was taking.
"Hey! Wait up!" A familiar voice called out behind him. Anton turned to see Mia walking towards him, her red hair bouncing with each step. "That wasss quite the show you put on in theresss!"
Anton managed a weak smile. "Thanks. I wasn't expecting everyone to be so... intense about it."
"Are you kidding?" Mia fell into step beside him, her eyes gleaming with excitement. "I've always heard that Argentum isss super rough. I doubt he ever showed that much interest in a student's work before. Usually it... he... uh, it just points out all the flawsss and moves on." She nudged him playfully with her elbow. "You're full of surprisesss, aren't you?"
"I just hope this doesn't complicate things," Anton admitted, his hand unconsciously tightening around his staff.
Mia's serpentine eyes studied him for a moment. "You know, most students would be thrilled to get special attention from any of the teachers in the University. Why do you look like sssomeone just cursed your breakfast?"
Anton hesitated, then just sighed. "It's been a long, long day, Mia."
"Well," Mia grinned, showing just a hint of fang, "I'd say that ship has sssailed. But hey, if you're going to be getting extra lessons, maybe you can share some of that knowledge with your friendly neighborhood shopkeepersss?"
Despite his concerns, Anton found himself chuckling. "We'll see. I wonder if it will be lessons or something else. I'll let you know."
They reached the intersection where their paths diverged - Mia toward the shops, Anton toward the dormitories. "Don't forget to visit the shop sssoon!" Mia called as she headed off. Anton nodded and waved as he turned away.
With a sigh, he lightly rubbed his staff, feeling the intricate carvings. A habit he had picked up from his father, who would do the same when nervous - to the point where some of the skin on his thumb was worn away.
"Following in my father's footsteps, huh?" He chuckled to himself and shook his head, walking away.