Reincarnation Of A Swordsman: The Omni Mage

Kyle took a deep breath as the spectral figures above descended towards him with great speed.

'No time to hesitate,' he thought, gripping the [Aurora Fang] tightly.

The first spirit darted toward him, its claws extended. Kyle sidestepped and slashed upward, his blade glowing with a mix of frost and fire.

The spirit shrieked as it dissipated into wisps of mist, but more followed in its place.

The ground beneath him began to pulse with energy as the glowing runes emitted bursts of mana. Kyle leapt back, narrowly avoiding a spike of spectral energy erupting from the ground.

'The arena itself is trying to kill me,' he realized.

For many seconds, Kyle danced across the arena with sharp movements. He used [Air Steps] to evade clusters of spirits, occasionally launching [Lightning Bolts] to thin their numbers.

At the ten-minute mark, the spirits abruptly halted their assault and began merging into a single, massive entity.

The resulting creature was a hulking amalgamation of spectral energy with its form constantly shifting as though unstable.

[Arena Wraith]

[Tier: 5]

[HP: 3,500]

Kyle wiped his face and grinned. 'Finally, a real challenge.'

The wraith roared, sending out waves of energy that forced Kyle to activate [Air Steps] to stay off the ground. Explore more at My Virtual Library Empire

He countered with [Blazing Impact], sending a shockwave directly into the wraith's core. The attack tore through its form, but the wraith quickly regenerated.

'It's going to take more than raw power,' Kyle thought. He knew that there was no way for the 18th floor to bear such a powerful creature without any means to defeat it.

He quickly scanned the arena for an advantage and his eyes landed on the runes on the ground, which seemed to pulse in sync with the wraith's movements.

'The runes are its anchor.'

With a new plan in his head, Kyle charged toward the nearest rune cluster, dodging spectral tendrils that lashed out to stop him.

He plunged the [Aurora Fang] into a specific part of the rune that was responsible for its durability, channeling his mana into the blade. This made the runes to shatter instantly and the wraith to let out an agonized scream.

One by one, Kyle targeted the rune clusters, each time chipping away at the wraith's strength. As the final rune shattered, the wraith's form began to collapse.

Kyle seized the moment, leaping high into the air and executing [Blazing Impact] at full power.

The strike tore through the wraith, leaving nothing but faint wisps of energy behind.

[Vanquished Foes: 161/2000]

[Trial Complete. Floor 18 Cleared.]

[Rewards Acquired: Ascension Orb, 1* Tier-5 Mana Core, 10,000 Gold Coins.]

'That makes five of them,' Kyle thought before storing it away in his inventory.

The 19th floor was a forest once again, but Kyle knew better than to let his guard down. The moment he took his first step, the forest shifted unnaturally, and some trees themselves began to move.

[Nineteenth Trial: Defeat the protectors]

From the shadows emerged three hulking tree-like creatures.

[Tree Protectors]

[Tier: 4]

[HP: 1,200]

The first tree lunged at Kyle immediately with its vines whipping through the air. Kyle dodged with ease, slashing his [Aurora Fang] through its torso.

He focused the effect on the fire trait and the enchantment burned the creature, causing it to crumble.

The other trees closed in, but Kyle easily darted through the forest in a blur, cutting them down with ease.

[Vanquished Foes: 164/2000]

[Trial Complete. Floor 19 Cleared.]

[Rewards Acquired: 3* Tier-4 mana core, Ascension Orb, 15,000 Gold Coins.]

Kyle channeled his mana through the orb and was met with the 20th floor which was a stark contrast to the last.

A fiery battlefield stretched as far as the eye could see with molten lava bubbling from cracks in the ground. Floating platforms hovered above pools of magma, creating a treacherous arena.

[Twentieth Trial: Defeat the fiery guardian]

Kyle barely had time to take it all in before the enemy appeared; a massive, four-armed demon wielding fiery blades.

[Infernal Guardian]

[Tier: 5]

[HP: 3,000]

The demon roared, unleashing a wave of fire that threatened to consume the entire arena. Kyle activated [Air Steps] to evade, landing on a nearby platform. The heat was intense, but he remained calm.

Kyle immediately jumped at the beast and went for a counter.@@novelbin@@

He threw various [Lightning Bolts] at its back, which damaged the beast greatly.

When the Guardian's health dropped below 50%, it entered a berserk state and the lava around it erupting in violent geysers. But Kyle adapted, using the platforms to outmaneuver the demon.

With one final, calculated attack, Kyle channeled his mana into the [Aurora Fang], executing a devastating slash that cleaved through the demon. The Infernal Guardian let out a deafening roar before collapsing into ash.

[Vanquished Foes: 165/2000]

[Trial Complete. Floor 20 Cleared.]

Kyle smiled at his achievements and waited for the rewards to be presented... But it never did.

Eventually the Tower's voice echoed ominously

[Anomaly detected]

Kyle froze at the words, not liking where these was going.

[Challenger's rate of progression is unprecedented. Floors are being cleared too quickly. Strength far exceeds baseline.]

'Uh oh...'

[Adapting to the Challenger's capabilities; fifficulty setting has been adjusted: Hell Mode initiated.]

'Hell Mode?' Kyle asked within him.

[The Tower has calibrated itself to your strengths, so prepare yourself.]

The voice paused for a moment before continuing, this time with something Kyle had heard :

[May your strength guide you, your wits sharpen your path, and your resolve carry you to Ascension]

Moments later, his rewards materialized before him.

[Rewards Acquired: 1* Tier-5 mana core, Ascension Orb, 15,000 Gold Coins.]

What stood out the most amongst the rewards was the Ascension Orb, which was of a crimson red hue.

'Oh, crap,' Kyle thought with a sigh. 'I guess this if for the hellish trials.'

Still, he couldn't help but grin. 'Well, at least it's going to be exciting.'

He held the crimson orb in his hand and channeled his mana into it which made the orb to light up, and the fiery battlefield began to dissolve around him.