As the sun began its descent toward the western horizon, Izzan stood nervously before his mother, Mira Elric, who was diligently maneuvering a large golem at the dock. The golem, seemingly as nimble as a dancer, effortlessly moved heavy wooden crates from one place to another, as if they were mere pebbles. Mira's concentration was unwavering as she directed the golem with practiced ease.
"Mom, can I leave early today?" Izzan asked, trying to sound casual despite his racing heart.
Mira glanced up, a frown forming on her face. "Why? You usually enjoy watching the golems at work. Is something urgent?"
Izzan swallowed hard, thinking quickly. "Uh... I have a lot to do at home. Physical training... and maybe some magic study."
Mira studied Izzan with a questioning look but eventually nodded. "Alright, but don't skip dinner."
Relieved, Izzan quickly nodded and sprinted toward home. The truth was, his main reason for wanting to leave early wasn't just to get home—it was because he didn't want anyone to know he, a young child, had reached the level of a Star Mage. More importantly, he wanted to attempt something he had dreamed of for a long time: summoning his first golem.
Once at home, without wasting any time, Izzan headed straight to the backyard. He called upon Athena, the ever-faithful entity in his mind who always offered guidance. "Athena, can you project the circle image that Elara showed me?"
"It's ready," Athena's calm voice replied. A pale blue hologram floated in the air, displaying the intricate magic circle. The holographic light spun slowly, showing every detail Izzan needed.
Taking a deep breath, Izzan began drawing the magic circle on the ground. With confidence, he activated his mana. But as the energy began to gather, something strange happened. From the magic circle emerged a golem... but its shape was bizarre—more like a pile of rocks arranged haphazardly with arms that were too long and legs that were too short. The golem swayed precariously, as if it might topple over at any moment.
"What... is this?" Izzan complained, while Athena chuckled softly in his mind. "Are you making a golem or an abstract art sculpture?"
Izzan scowled. "I'm serious, Athena! I followed Elara's instructions exactly!"
"Exactly, you say?" Athena laughed again. "Your circle's alignment with the original is only about 65%. Your magic circle isn't symmetrical, and the symbol in the upper right corner is inverted."
Izzan stared at his magic circle in frustration. "How did I miss that?"
"Here, take a look," Athena said, projecting the correct magic circle once more. She then highlighted the mistakes in Izzan's creation. "This symbol should face a different direction, and this line is too short."
After observing more closely, Izzan began to understand his mistakes. Carefully, he corrected the magic circle and tried again. Gradually, the golem that emerged this time had a more proportional shape, although it was still a bit wobbly.
In the backyard, after several failed attempts at summoning the golem, Izzan began to reflect. Every attempt yielded far from perfection. The intricate magic circle felt like an endless maze, with each mistake adding to its complexity. However, as a veteran agent from his previous life, Izzan was accustomed to facing seemingly impossible challenges.
His mind was filled with memories of the grueling training he had endured in his past life. In a sudden flashback, Izzan found himself back in those days—days filled with extreme training and harsh punishments.
In the cold, sterile training room, Izzan sat before a large screen filled with dancing lines of code. The atmosphere was heavy with pressure and tension. During sessions, he often received electric shocks as punishment whenever he made a mistake in programming.
"Why do I always get it wrong?!" Izzan shouted, stumbling from his chair after being shocked.
Athena, then still an AI without consciousness and merely following its programming, spoke in a flat tone. "The data input does not match the required format. Please check the syntax and structure."
"Yeah, yeah, I know," Izzan said, rubbing his trembling hands. "But how can I get this code right if everything feels so confusing?"
The flashback continued, showing Izzan forced to solve various programming problems, each time receiving painful electric shocks for his mistakes. Athena could only provide suggestions without truly understanding Izzan's discomfort.
Returning to the present, Izzan snapped out of his reverie with a look of realization on his face. "That's it! I need to simplify the pattern in a way similar to how I simplified code during training!"
With renewed enthusiasm, Izzan decided to use a simpler approach. He began restructuring the magic circle using principles from programming he had learned. Each step, he simplified and reduced the complexity of the circle, like solving problems in code.
Athena, noticing the change in Izzan's approach, couldn't resist commenting on the past. "So, you finally remembered your painful training? You know, I remember how clumsy you were back then."
Izzan smiled widely. "Oh, I remember. Every time there was a mistake, it felt like I had just touched a high-voltage wire. I almost felt like you were just a program laughing every time I got shocked."
Athena chuckled in his mind. "Yes, and every time I suggested something, you always responded with 'thanks, but that doesn't help.' It felt like I was a useless entity."
Izzan laughed. "It was really ridiculous. But now you can see how important your role was, even without consciousness."
"And you, as a veteran who never gave up, always managed to succeed despite the difficulties," Athena said with pride.
"And now I can finally use that experience to overcome this challenge," Izzan said, refocusing on his magic circle with a sense of triumph. With his renewed spirit and simplified approach, he finally succeeded in creating a proportional and stable golem, reminding himself that difficulties and failures are part of the path to success.
Athena added cheerfully, "Well done, Izzan. You've managed to conquer this challenge just like before—though without the electric shocks this time!"