"There are three ways mages manifest their abilities. We have the usage of Runes, the casting and creating of mystic circles and channelling spells. I'm sure all of you are familiar with the third option so today, for our first lesson, we are going to learn about Circlecraft."
"Circlecraft is the ability to create mystic or magical circles. Not to be confused with Circlemancy, which is the skill of summoning pre-formed mystic circles. The difference is subtle yet monumental. Circlemancy relies on established spells while Circlecraft requires innovation, creativity, and a deep understanding of arcane energies. It is craftsmanship, not merely repetition."
Vastarael and Elyonari had taken their seats together again in the Magic and Mysticism class, one of the most revered courses for advanced mages.
The male lecturer began to walk across the stage, his gaze sweeping over the sea of students o. The lecture hall.
"Circlecraft mages are rarer in this world, and a perfect example is the Nexus of Apathy, a pinnacle of Circlecraft mastery, and perhaps, the Prince of Anqerise sitting in this very lecture."
All at once, heads turned toward Vastarael. Some students craned their necks, others whispered in hushed tones. Vastarael, seated near the front with Elyonari, felt the weight of their gazes. Elyonari shot him a sidelong glance, her lips twitching in faint amusement. He sat calmly, his mask hiding the faint annoyance in his eyes.
Elyonari, sensing his discomfort, casually stretched in her seat, murmuring under her breath, "Well, they're certainly rolling out the red carpet for you."
The lecturer returned his attention to the glowing circle he had summoned earlier.
"Now, the beauty of Circlecraft lies in its fluidity. Unlike static spells or rigid runes, circles can evolve. They are living constructs, capable of adapting to the mage's intent, environment, and power levels. A well-crafted circle is not just a tool; it is an extension of the mage."
He summoned a floating mystic circle with a sweep of his arm, the intricate glyphs enlarging until they were visible to the entire room.
"Let's start with the anatomy of a mystic circle. There are three core components: the Foundation, the Channels, and the Core Matrix."
A new set of holographic diagrams appeared around the circle, highlighting each section as he spoke.
"The Foundation is the outermost layer, the skeleton of the circle. It determines the circle's stability and range. A weak foundation will collapse under pressure, rendering the circle useless."
" Channels are the veins of the circle, responsible for directing energy flow. Precision in their design can make or break complex spells. An inefficient channel will cause energy loss or, worse, uncontrolled feedback."
"The Core Matrix is the heart of the circle, where the magic and mysticism is synthesized and manifested. It must be designed with the specific purpose of the circle in mind. The Core Matrix is what transforms raw energy into tangible results."
The students typed notes feverishly on their holograms as the lecturer went on, but Vastarael sat back, his gaze steady on the diagrams. He already understood the fundamentals; his experiences had taken him far beyond the basics. His father did teach him this.
Still, he paid attention, knowing that refinement was as important as mastery.
The lecturer turned to the class again, his expression serious.
"Today, you will attempt to craft your own Foundation Layer. It is a test of precision and creativity. Remember, this is the bedrock of your circle. If it fails, the entire construct fails. Pair up with a partner and begin."
"And don't worry if you don't have Circlecraft. This is something that every mage can do by the way. All you have to do is pick a spell, summon it and abandon everything and focus on the Foundation alone. Now, begin."
Elyonari immediately turned to Vastarael with a grin.
"Guess we're partners," she said. He gave a slight shrug, muttering, "As if there was any doubt."
"Let's get started then."
Vastarael knew a lot about Circlecraft more than anyone else in the room.
In mage rankings, they are rated from the First Star to the Tenth Star. His father, the Mage Nexus, is at the Eleventh Star, breaking common sense. This is why he's the most powerful mage.
From the First Star to the Eighth Star, this can only be attained by mortals and immortals. For the Ninth and Tenth Stars, they can only be achieved by Divines and Gods.
The Mage Nexus is an energy mage. Aeterium have infinite energy in their souls and they can only be tapped in if they become Divine. So, they are the most powerful mages in history.
Circlecraft mages are a rarity in the mystic world and their uniqueness lies in the fact that they create their own mystic circles from scratch.
Unlike Circlemancy mages, who summon pre-formed circles learned from ancient tomes or taught through mentorship, Circlecraft mages rely on innovation and creativity. They must have a deep understanding of arcane energies, precise control over their magic, and the ability to conceptualize their intent into physical form. This sets them apart as artisans, crafting spells tailored to their needs.
However, this exceptional ability comes with a significant drawback.
Slower progression.
Circlemancy mages, by contrast, are akin to students who inherit a well-developed toolkit. When they awaken to their powers, many Circlemancers already have a foundational mystic circle available to them, often ranked at the First to the Third Star.
These circles are stable, tested and highly effective, (mostly because they learn them from magic or mystic books), enabling these mages to hit the ground running in their development. With guided practice, they refine their abilities and summon increasingly powerful circles, steadily climbing the ranks.
For Circlecraft mages, advancement is more... arduous.
They start from scratch, creating each mystic circle through laborious trial and error. Each new circle must be crafted to meet specific requirements for increased rank, which involves extensive research, experimentation, and even failures. The time and effort required to produce a single usable circle far exceed the effort needed by a Circlemancer to summon one.
However, their star rank is more powerful. If they succeed in creating a mystic circle, they will be able to use it. They can decide to share the circle knowledge to other Circlemancers or not.
Imagine two students preparing for a grand banquet. Both need to create a dish for a culinary contest.
The first student has access to a recipe book handed down through generations. They simply select a recipe from the book, gather the necessary ingredients and follow the instructions step by step. The result is a polished, well-prepared dish that satisfies the judges. With each banquet, they try new recipes, perfect their techniques, and gain accolades effortlessly.
This is a Circlemancer.
The Circlecraft mage, on the other hand, has no recipes to rely on because it does not work on them. They must experiment to discover new flavors, measure ingredients intuitively, and refine their techniques over countless trials. Their dish is crafted from their imagination, painstakingly tested until it reaches perfection. While their final creation may be far more unique and personalized, the time it takes for them to produce even one dish is significantly longer than their counterpart.
This is the essence of the growth disparity. While the Circlemancer has a head start and consistent progress, the Circlecraft mage's path is slower, filled with more challenges, but ultimately leads to mastery that is unmatched in versatility and ingenuity.
Despite the challenges, Circlecraft mages are among the most revered practitioners of mysticism and magic. Their slower growth fosters profound understanding and exceptional adaptability.
While a Circlemancer might be limited to the power and constraints of pre-existing spells, a Circlecraft mage can create entirely new mystic phenomena, bending the arcane to their will in ways others can only dream of.
They represent the pinnacle of magical creativity, proving that while their path is longer and harder, it leads to unparalleled greatness.
And so, this is why Vastarael doesn't use mystic circles that much and focuses on runes instead. Over the last seven years since he started his mage lessons, he has only created two circles; a Plasma Circle and a Healing Circle. Even if his father created a mystic circle for him to use, it wouldn't work.
Circlecraft mages can't use any other circles from mystic books. They have to make their own. And they have to start at the First Star.
In the mage lecture hall, most of them were at the Third Star and above but Vastarael was the First. This didn't mean that he was weak.
He is a divine child and compared to the others, his energy and power is higher in quality and quantity compared to the others.
The lecturer passed by, pausing to inspect the work Vastarael and Elyonari were doing. Vastarael took a few seconds to summon the skeleton of his blue mystic circle, which consisted of concentric circles in different distances from each other.
It had no runes or symbols embedded onto it. Elyonari took five minutes to get it right. Being a Seventh Star mage, her knowledge was vast.
The lecturer nodded approvingly, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
"Impressive," he said, his tone genuinely appreciative. "This is the kind of craftsmanship I expect from Seventh Enlightenment students. Nice work, Your Majesties."
Vastarael gave a slight bow of acknowledgment, while Elyonari couldn't resist a smug glance at some of their classmates, who looked at them in shock.