The Genius Mage Was Reincarnated Into A Swordsman Family

The gate's ascent came to a grinding halt, leaving a gaping black maw in the arena wall. From its depths came a sound that sent shivers down every trainee's spine—the synchronized steps of predators moving as one.

The air shifted.

A coldness spread across the coliseum floor, distinct from the crisp night chill. It was a predatory cold, the kind that came from knowing something was watching you—waiting for you to falter.

Nicholas Davoss's crimson eyes locked onto the shadows beyond the gate. This was different from the first wave.

"Stay sharp," he ordered, voice firm but low. "They're already testing us."

The first wolf stepped into the torchlight.

It was lean and larger than any normal wolf. Its muscles were taut beneath its shadow-infused fur. The tendrils of darkness wrapped around its limbs shifted and writhed like living smoke. Unlike the beasts from the first wave, this one didn't snarl or charge recklessly. It moved with deliberate caution, its eyes gleaming like twin embers.

Then another followed. And another.

Within seconds, fifteen wolves emerged, spreading out across the arena floor.

Their formation wasn't chaotic.

They advanced in a staggered pattern, heads low, shoulders rippling with restrained power. Their eyes moved constantly, scanning the human formation for weakness.

Grade 1, Class 3 Elite Shadow Wolves, Nicholas realized. Stay tuned with My Virtual Library Empire

Far weaker than the Alpha—but their speed, strength, and intelligence dwarfed the Class 1 wolves from the first wave.

They spread into a wide arc, leaving the center open. A classic encirclement tactic.

They're trying to force us to react, Nicholas thought. They want us to move first.

***

Klaus stood at the right flank, sword held loosely at his side. His silver hair was damp with sweat, his uniform stained with shadow wolf ichor. But his expression remained blank, cold eyes fixed on the approaching predators.

The wolves on his side split into three—two flanking wide, one creeping toward him directly.

"Stay close," Klaus murmured to Nora and Finn behind him.

His teammates swallowed hard but obeyed.

The lead wolf charged without warning, a blur of shadow and muscle.

Klaus reacted instantly.

He stepped forward, sword lashing out with mechanical precision. The blade met the wolf's open maw mid-leap, slicing through flesh and bone. The creature's momentum carried it past Klaus, its body collapsing into the sand with a muted thud.

Ding!

[A portion of the target's stats has been absorbed.]

[ Agility increased by 0.4.]

The remaining two wolves hesitated.

Klaus advanced on them with the same detached focus he'd had in the first wave. His sword blurred as he lunged into the first, severing its spine with surgical accuracy. The second tried to circle toward Finn—only to be met with Klaus's blade through its skull.

The battle lasted less than five seconds.

Nora blinked in disbelief. "They didn't even touch you."

Klaus flicked the blood from his sword and stepped back into position. "They were too slow."

***

On the left flank, Sarah Margot's team was struggling.

The wolves here moved more aggressively, singling out the weakest members of her team. Two of the beasts darted past her strikes, snapping at Gerald and Leona behind her.

"Stay together!" Sarah shouted.

Gerald swung his sword clumsily at the nearest wolf. It ducked beneath the blade, pivoted, and lunged for his exposed side.

Sarah rushed to intercept—but she was too slow.

The wolf's jaws snapped shut around Gerald's arm, crushing bone with a sickening crack. He screamed as the beast yanked him to the ground.

Nicholas saw the attack and moved without hesitation.

He sprinted across the battlefield, weaving through the chaos. The wolf sensed his approach and released Gerald, turning to face the new threat.

Nicholas didn't slow.

He dropped low, sliding across the sand as the wolf lunged. His sword lashed upward, slashing across the beast's throat.

Black ichor sprayed across his chest.

Nicholas rolled to his feet and turned to Sarah.

"Reform the line!" he barked.

She hesitated for half a second before snapping into action. "Gerald, fall back!"

Nicholas knelt beside the injured boy. "Hold your arm against your chest. Breathe through the pain."@@novelbin@@

The boy whimpered but followed the command.

Nicholas stood, eyes fixed on the remaining wolves. They were regrouping, their crimson eyes flickering as they reassessed the human defenses.

They're smart, Nicholas thought. Too smart for mindless beasts.

***

Alex Lionhart didn't stay with his team.

While the others maintained formation, Alex darted across the battlefield like a shadow.

He intercepted wolves as they targeted the weaker trainees—not to protect his teammates, but to rack up kills.

His sword flashed as he bisected one wolf's spine.

Ding!

[A portion of the target's stats has been absorbed.]

[ Strength increased by 0.3.]

Another wolf lunged from the side. Alex twisted, ducking beneath the strike and stabbing upward through its chest.

Ding!

[A portion of the target's stats has been absorbed.]

[ Dexterity increased by 0.4.]

He grinned as the power surged through his limbs.

The more he killed, the stronger he became.

Klaus won't always be ahead of me, Alex thought, eyes gleaming.

***

Nicholas's eyes tracked the remaining wolves. Seven were left.

Instead of charging randomly, they began shifting positions, moving laterally across the arena.

Nicholas's stomach dropped.

They're using pack tactics.

"Everyone, stay close!" he shouted. "They're going to—"

The wolves attacked mid-sentence.

The seven creatures split into two groups, attacking from opposite directions simultaneously.

On the right, Klaus reacted first.

Two wolves lunged at once—one low, one high.

He sidestepped the low strike, pivoted, and brought his sword upward. His blade pierced the airborne wolf through the ribs, then continued the motion into a horizontal slash as he landed.

The second wolf collapsed mid-lunge, its skull split open.

Klaus turned back toward his teammates. "Stay on me. Don't get distracted."

On the left side, the wolves overwhelmed Sarah's line.

Nicholas sprinted toward them, intercepting the lead beast with a precise thrust through its eye socket.

The remaining wolves hesitated.

Nicholas wiped his blade on his sleeve and smirked. "Come on," he muttered. "Show me what you've got."

The wolves obliged.

They lunged together, jaws snapping.

Nicholas met them head-on.

His blade became a blur, parrying one strike, countering another. His movements were precise, efficient—years of training and experience from countless lifetimes distilled into each step.

When the last wolf fell at his feet, he exhaled and turned to Sarah.

"Keep the formation tight. They'll try again."

Sarah's hands trembled, but she nodded.

***

From the platform of the captains' stand, they watched in astonishment.

"They're adapting faster than expected," muttered Captain Lian of the Black Vipers.

Captain Lucien nodded. "Nicholas's leadership is exceptional. And Klaus—his swordsmanship is far beyond his age."

"The younger generation might actually have potential," said another.

Melo, seated above them all, said nothing. His golden eyes remained fixed on Klaus.

Even now… he's still holding back.

***

The remaining wolves suddenly disengaged, retreating toward the open gate.

Nicholas frowned. Why are they giving up?

The surviving beasts gathered just inside the shadows.

Then they began to howl—a long, resonant sound that vibrated through the arena floor.

The shadows at the gate thickened.

From the darkness emerged four larger wolves.

These beasts dwarfed their predecessors, their fur a shade so dark it seemed to consume the light around them.

But what made the trainees freeze in place were the riders mounted atop the beasts.

The figures were humanoid but grotesque.

Their bodies were elongated, limbs unnaturally thin. Patches of coarse fur covered their pale skin. Their heads resembled twisted wolf skulls, with narrow eyes that burned crimson.

Each rider gripped a long, jagged spear that pulsed with faint runic light.

The lead rider raised its weapon and pointed it directly at Klaus.

The wolves howled in unison.

Then they charged.