The Genius Mage Was Reincarnated Into A Swordsman Family

Flickering torches cast long shadows across the coliseum as late dusk settled over the sky, not fully night yet but dim enough to make every silhouette loom larger. The thick iron gate had lifted just moments ago, and from that open maw, four colossal Alpha Shadow Wolves emerged. Their fur shifted like living darkness. Atop each wolf crouched a Kobold Rider, thin and pale, faces warped into wolf-like skulls. They clutched spears etched with a faint violet glow—odd runes that sent a chill through every trainee watching from the arena floor.

A hush spread among the scattered formations of trainees. They had just withstood an onslaught of elite shadow wolves, and many stood breathing hard, weapons slick with the residue of earlier battles. At the far side, Klaus readied his sword, half-expecting this new wave to rush him first. For an instant, one of the Kobolds aimed its spear directly his way. Nora and Finn flinched behind him, bracing for a head-on charge.

Yet in a swift pivot, the Alpha Wolves veered aside, racing with jarring speed toward the weaker trainees still reeling from their injuries. Klaus swore under his breath. He recognized the cunning: these Kobold Riders, stronger than anything they'd faced before, were deliberately targeting the least defended pockets of the coliseum. The lines that had begun to form after the last fight now splintered once again as shouts of alarm rippled through the half-lit arena.

Before Klaus could force his way across the sandy floor to intercept, the Alpha Wolves let out eerie howls, each cry resonating with a dark power. From the fur along their shoulders or from somewhere just behind the gate, more beasts poured in: Elite Shadow Wolves, nearly as large as the Alphas but lacking the same oppressive aura. They surged forward, intensifying the chaos. Tired trainees who had only moments ago tried to regroup found themselves overwhelmed anew.

On one side, Sarah Margot stood with her thin rapier hovering in front of her, its edge flickering with a light yellow aura that reflected her core stage. She had pulled together a shaky circle of trainees around her, all of them drained from the last wave. Gerald, nursing a bruised shoulder, leaned on another companion. Kurt, beside Sarah, exhaled as he spotted a group of Elite Wolves stalking closer. Read exclusive content at My Virtual Library Empire

"Steady," Sarah called, heart pounding. "Keep close—don't let them pick you off!"

She thrust her rapier at a lunging beast, parrying it just enough to prevent it from slamming into the trainee behind her. The wolf snarled, jaws snapping at empty air. Kurt lunged, intercepting the creature with a powerful blow. His demi-human instincts flared, letting him read the wolf's movement and strike with controlled savagery. The beast stumbled away, black ichor splattering across the sand.

A Kobold Rider galloped in on its Alpha Wolf, spear crackling ominously. The rider aimed for a cluster of wounded trainees pinned just behind Sarah. Frowning, she darted forward, crossing swords with the rider. Her light yellow aura sparked against the spear's violet runes, producing a sharp clang. She gritted her teeth, calling to the others, "Help me push it back!"

Even as she spoke, the group she'd gathered rallied behind her instructions. One trainee, mustering courage, took advantage of the rider's partial distraction, swinging a sword at the wolf's exposed flank. The rider hissed, forced to twist around, and Sarah saw her chance to slash at its side.

***@@novelbin@@

Near the center, Nicholas realized the monsters were singling out friends who could scarcely raise a sword. A flash of anger coursed through him. He recalled how these waves had already pushed everyone to their limits, yet here came an even deadlier cavalry. If he didn't act, the helpless would be lost.

He spotted a brief opening, turning his body slightly away from the trainees around him. With a quick motion, he pressed a hidden rune on his forearm beneath his uniform—a rune he'd painstakingly etched in secret. There was no glow or dramatic flash, only a sudden flood of power through his limbs.

His muscles felt electric, and his perception sharpened. Taking two steps, Nicholas blurred into action. Trainees nearby barely caught a glimpse of him before he cut down an Elite Wolf zeroing in on a fallen comrade. The wolf's growl turned into a choking gasp as it hit the dirt. Nicholas pivoted, eyes blazing, finding his next target. A second wolf leaped at a terrified trainee—Nicholas intercepted it in midair, sword cleaving into shadowy fur.

Several onlookers gasped at how fast he was. Sarah, glimpsing him from across the arena, felt a momentary chill. Nicholas had always been skilled, yet now he darted from threat to threat like a seasoned warrior well beyond his years. Each downed wolf or forced retreat bolstered the confidence of the frightened trainees.

***

Kurt and Sarah, meanwhile, combined their strengths to build a solid defensive formation. Although the trainees had no real shields, Sarah's commands and Kurt's fierce presence created a makeshift barrier. She directed small pockets of fighters, urging them to move in tandem. Whenever an Elite Wolf tried lunging for an isolated person, Kurt rushed over, brandishing his blade with enough force to keep it from ripping into their lines.

"Hold that gap!" Sarah shouted, pointing at two panting trainees who had almost lost their nerve. "Don't let it slip behind us!"

They nodded, stepping forward with swords quivering but unwavering in commitment. Sarah's own aura glowed that distinctive light yellow, weaving faint arcs around her blade as she stabbed another Elite Wolf. Kurt, spotting another threat, leapt sideways, swinging his sword in a broad arc that slammed a snarling wolf off its feet. Though exhausted, they kept the weaker members safe.

In unspoken coordination, Nicholas flowed into their formation, dealing swift blows whenever a Kobold Rider or Elite Wolf threatened to break past Sarah and Kurt's line. His presence, fueled by those runes, made him a blur of steel and raw momentum.

At the same time, Klaus recognized that conventional swordsmanship alone wouldn't turn the tide quickly enough. He paused, shutting out the clamoring howls around him, then drew on the silent spellwork he'd carefully developed. Without chanting or gestures, he invoked layered enhancements for speed and strength. Anyone watching would only see him straighten his posture, eyes sharpening.

He shifted into the thick of the chaos, each slash precise. One Kobold Rider aimed a spear at a stumbling trainee, but Klaus cut the spear's shaft in half before the blow landed. Another Elite Wolf pounced from his peripheral vision; he whirled, severing it mid-lunge. Each movement radiated a lethal grace that made some of the more observant trainees gasp.

Where Sarah and Kurt held a defensive position with Nicholas reinforcing them, Klaus carved a path through the densest threats, ensuring no wave of Elite Wolves could overwhelm the battered lines. Injured trainees caught glimpses of him dispatching multiple foes back to back. The synergy between his unstoppable calm and Nicholas's sudden bursts of speed began turning the tide.

***

Across the coliseum, it became glaringly evident that Nicholas and Klaus stood on a different plane of skill compared to the others. As monstrous as the Kobold Riders and their wolves were, they couldn't fully handle two fighters tapping into such hidden reserves of power. While the rest of the trainees fought tooth and nail to survive, these two plowed through clusters of enemies, preventing the final meltdown of the lines.

Between swings, Sarah paused long enough to see Nicholas streak by, eviscerating an Elite Wolf that nearly blindsided her. A subtle shock flickered across her face. She had never seen him fight like that. At the same moment, she caught a glimpse of Klaus across the arena, singlehandedly dealing with two Kobold Riders, cutting down their alpha wolves in swift, brutal arcs. A chill ran through her. Relief, awe, maybe even a hint of fear. She shook her head, forcing herself back into focus.

Kurt sensed the tension swirling in the air too. He roared, finishing off another wolf, then turned to help a trainee climb free from beneath a fallen beast's corpse. Through the corner of his eye, he watched Klaus dash past, sword raised in practiced efficiency. "Those two… they're unstoppable," he murmured to himself, uncertain whether to be grateful or unnerved.

***

The battle raged, but as soon as Nicholas and Klaus unleashed their strengths, the monstrous cavalry's advantage waned. Under Sarah's directions and Kurt's raw power, the weaker trainees held on, refusing to collapse. When an Elite Wolf attempted to flank, Nicholas flashed in with a cutting strike, or Klaus obliterated it before it could cause havoc. Slowly, the wave of Kobold Riders found themselves outmaneuvered, their cunning overshadowed by two warriors who refused to yield.

At last, one Alpha Wolf toppled under multiple wounds. Its rider, hissing in agony, tried to stagger away, only to be slammed down by a trembling trainee who mustered enough courage for a final blow. The remaining beasts scattered, confused or retreating, until the dusty floor fell into a strained lull of heavy breathing and gasps of relief.

That lull revealed everyone's battered condition. Dozens of trainees knelt near the bodies of friends, checking for pulses. Kurt, panting, tore a strip of cloth to bandage a companion's bleeding arm, while Sarah guided half a dozen more to stable ground, her light yellow aura flickering around her rapier. Nicholas exhaled, letting the runic warmth fade from his limbs, and Klaus wiped a streak of black ichor from his cheek, ignoring a shallow cut across his forearm.

A distance away, Alex lowered his sword, bitterness etched into every line of his face. He had taken out many enemies tonight, but the images of Nicholas blitzing across the field, and Klaus calmly shattering entire pockets of monsters, gnawed at his pride. Shaking with resentment, he averted his gaze, fists trembling at the proof that his own improvements had been overshadowed.

Klaus, noticing the tension, said nothing, focusing on whether any more hidden threats lingered. Nicholas similarly remained silent, though he caught Klaus's eye in an unspoken moment of mutual respect. Exhausted trainees began forming small circles, collecting themselves in the flickering half-light. The stench of sweat and blood weighed upon them all.

No roars of triumph erupted, only the sound of ragged breathing. On the ground lay the corpses of both wolves and fallen classmates, scattered under the torchlit sky that hovered between dusk and full night. They had survived—barely—but the sense of final victory felt hollow. If these Kobold Riders and their alpha wolves were only another wave in a series of trials, how many more nights like this awaited them?

In that fading glow, Klaus and Nicholas both realized they had exposed more of their potential than they ever intended. Sarah and Kurt, while relieved, couldn't help but question the source of such skill. And Alex, standing alone, let his silent frustration carve a deeper place in his heart. No one spoke of it yet, but the lines of rivalry and alliance had shifted, forging new tensions that would inevitably shape the battles yet to come.