Chapter 26: Ring Mage

Chapter 26: The Circle Mage

Lyle stepped out from behind Alan.

He wore the robes of a mage apprentice.

To confirm Lyle’s status, he approached the magical stele for testing.

"Mana intensity: 63."

Erl glanced at it and exhaled in relief.

This was far weaker than his own apprentice, Doug.

Wear him down with successive challengers, then let Doug finish him—this matter would be over.

But could it truly be so simple?

Erl cast an uneasy glance at Alan, whose face was alight with quiet amusement.

Alan didn’t seem anxious at all. Instead, he leisurely surveyed the surroundings, savoring familiar fragments of memory long past.

Erl activated the spell array, opening the magical protective barrier.

Lyle looked to Master Alan, then stepped into the barrier’s domain.

Within this field, any spell capable of harming life would trigger the barrier’s power to intervene—

and intervention meant defeat.

Doug stepped forward, eager to fight.

But Erl said, “Vern, you go.”

Vern hesitated, then nodded. “Yes, Magus Erl.”

He entered the barrier.

“Vern, apprentice of Maple City’s Mage Tower.”

“Lyle, apprentice of Frostnight City’s Circle Mage Tower.”

At these words, Erl’s expression darkened. He whirled toward Alan. “You’ve sided with the Circle Mages?”

Alan smiled gently. “Brother, surely you understand—the Circle Mages are the tide of the future. Let go of your outdated dogmas.”

In the audience, some frowned in confusion—what were Circle Mages?

Others leaned back, smug and expectant, as if watching a play unfold.

Levi, hearing Erl’s accusation, felt a question stir within: *What is a Circle Mage?*

The tomes in the Mage Tower had never mentioned such a group.

And judging by Erl’s reaction, Maple City clearly held no love for them.

“Ahhh! Impossible!”

A cry rang out nearby. Levi turned.

Inside the barrier, Lyle had already cast his spell—a tiny fireball struck Vern before he could dodge.

White light flared across Vern’s body, absorbing the blast.

“How can his casting speed be so fast?”

“From the start of combat to that fireball—it took less than six seconds!”

“Five! From mana release to spell formation—only five seconds!”

“Even a journeyman mage couldn’t cast a zero-tier spell that quickly! How is this possible?”

Vern stared at Lyle, eyes wide with disbelief.

Then, regaining composure, he said, “I yield.”

He stepped out of the arena.

Alan’s smile remained, serene and unshaken. To Erl, it was dripping with mockery.

“Kas,” Erl commanded, “you’re next.”

Seeing Erl resort to attrition, Alan showed no anger—only the quiet delight of one watching a drama reach its climax.

Kas stepped forward, announced his name.

Then he began running—denying Lyle the chance to lock onto him.

Meanwhile, Kas cast spells on the move, slower but still able to retaliate.

Levi watched from the sidelines when Gauze appeared beside him.

“Master Gauze,” Levi asked urgently, “what are Circle Mages?”

Gauze replied, “Circle Mages are a new breed of mages risen in the last few centuries. They worship the Goddess of Magic and draw power from the Weave to cast spells.”

“Compared to traditional mages, they cast faster, more easily.”

“Traditional casting requires three steps: constructing the spellform, infusing it with magical elements, then releasing it.”

“But once recognized by the Weave, Circle Mages gain spell slots—pre-forged spellforms stored within. When casting, they simply draw upon these slots, skipping construction entirely. Thus, casting time plummets.”

“It also makes learning new spells simpler. They skip the long process of mastering spellform creation. After forming just one, they instantly achieve peak casting speed.”

Levi frowned. “That sounds advantageous—saves so much practice time. Why does Magus Erl despise them so?”

Gauze sighed. “Relying on the Weave is both their strength—and their flaw.”

“Their spell power is bound by the Weave, fixed and unchanging.”

“These fixed spells are called ‘circle spells,’ ranked from zero to ninth circle—from weakest to strongest.”

“But that’s not the worst of it. What truly divides traditional mages from Circle Mages is this: dependence on the Weave erodes the ability to deconstruct or create spellforms.”

“The Weave is killing creativity in magic!”

“Circle Mages can only use spells created by others. They will never invent a spell of their own!”

“That is why many ancient mages regard the Weave’s creator—the Goddess of Magic—as the enemy of all true mages.”

Gauze paused, hesitant.

Then, deciding it didn’t matter, he continued:

“A thousand years ago, before Mystra ascended to godhood, that was the golden age of mages. Legends rose like stars—mages whose names echoed through eternity.”

“In those days, even gods dared not tread lightly upon the mortal realm. There were mages equal to deities, some who forged spells to slay gods—just to prove mortals could defy heaven itself.”

“But when Mystra became divine, the age of mages ended.”

“To this day, many ancient mages believe she betrayed her kind—betrayed the very pursuit of truth.”

“Mystra’s ascension broke the pride of mages. Ancient mages believed none stood above them—not even gods. But in the age of the Weave, mages kneel, offering faith in exchange for power.”

Gauze sighed deeply. “These are recorded histories. Don’t dwell on them too much. Think of them as legends.”

“After all, the conflict between Circle Mages and traditional mages has lasted centuries. Over ninety percent have chosen the Weave. The tide has turned. No need to debate right or wrong.”

Levi hadn’t expected the origin of Circle Mages to be so profound.

Nor had he imagined the rift between them and traditional mages stretched so far back.

His expression shifted subtly, thoughtful.

Perspective shaped belief.

Where one stood determined how one saw Mystra—and the Weave.

For the greatest mages, those already wielding immense power…

Nature itself resists the Weave’s constraints, unwilling to have a goddess of magic standing above it.

They oppose the Weave, and they regard the goddess of magic with hostility.

For novice wizards and low-ranking mages, however, the Weave is an aid—an exceedingly useful tool.

It allows them to swiftly gain combat power, saving vast amounts of time otherwise spent mastering spells, time they can instead devote to cultivating magical energy.

As for whether the Weave kills a mage’s creativity—such concerns are far beyond the thoughts of those at the lower rungs.

The spells already recorded within the Weave would take a lifetime just to learn.

(End of Chapter)