Reincarnation Of A Swordsman: The Omni Mage

The Year-1 Lightning mages all streamed into their Thunder Wing hall, taking their seats on the mats that were arranged in a circular position. All thirty of the mats had someone on it, as not a single student was absent, even Orion had chosen to come over the Steel Wing.

At the forefront of the hall, Instructor Layla sat cross-legged in quiet cultivation. She remained unmoving, even as the students came in one after the other. It wasn't until the last student settled down that her eyes slowly open.

Sensing the room's completeness, she rose gracefully to her feet and a radiant smile lit up her face as she went to address her students. .

"Good morning, everyone," she began with a welcoming tone. "It's wonderful to see you all here so promptly. I'm genuinely impressed with your punctuality. Good job!"

They all responded with their greetings and bore proud expressions as they had impressed their teacher.

"Of course I have to thank Instructor Dan for releasing you from you a bit sooner than expected," she added with a playful chuckle. "I know how he loves to waste my time, so I'm glad you could make it on time."

The students laughed lightly before she continued. "I hope all of you had a successful and safe Mission Week."

A few students nodded enthusiastically, and murmurs of agreement rippled through the room. Layla clasped her hands together with her warm smile still in place.

"Before we begin, as usual, I'd like to take a moment to check in on your cultivation progress," she continued. "Lightning is a powerful yet demanding element. I'm eager to see how much you've grown during your missions. So, when I call your name, please tell me your current stage."

The students exchanged glances, some nervous, others confident.

Layla picked up her clipboard and began calling names. "Amara?"

"Third stage, 70% through," Amara said steadily.

"Good, good," Layla said encouragingly. "Next, Felix?"

"Third stage, 80% through."

The reports continued, with the majority of the class announcing that they had reached the third stage and were above 50% from going to the next, only Orion seemed to be in the same place as before but Instructor Layla understood and moved on.

When Milo's name was called, he stood up with an air of confidence. "Fourth stage."

A few students turned to look at him, impressed, while Layla's eyebrows lifted slightly. "Well done, Milo. That's solid progress."

As the roll call continued, it became clear that only a handful of students, including Milo, had reached the fourth stage. Layla offered praise to each, her tone warm and supportive.

Finally , it was Kyle's turn. Instructor Layla didn't expect much from him as he had broken through to the fourth stage by the last class and she'd be surprised if he had even advanced through by over 10%.

"Kyle?"

Kyle rose to his feet calmly and without any dragging, he announced simply:

"Eighth stage."

The silence that followed was unmistakable. Every head in the room snapped toward Kyle with disbelief etched on their faces.

"What?!"

"Eighth stage?!"

"Is he joking?"

The murmurs swelled into a cacophony as the students struggled to process what they'd just heard. Even Instructor Layla, who had been composed throughout, looked genuinely stunned.

"Eighth stage?" she repeated with a blink. "Kyle, are you serious?"

Kyle rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Yeah, I, uh... got lucky during my mission. I stumbled upon an Origin Source."

An audible gasp rippled through the room. They all attended History classes and they were all knowledgeable on the rarerity of an Origin Source.

"An Origin Source?" Layla said, her shock giving way to awe. "I've know about them, but I've never seen one myself. They're incredibly rare, and the power they hold is astonishing. I had no idea they could propel someone this far."

Kyle gave a nervous chuckle, his hand still scratching the back of his head. "Yeah, it was... pretty intense. I guess I was just in the right place at the right time."
Enjoy new adventures from empire

"Well, luck or not, that's an incredible achievement," Layla said, her awe shifting to admiration. "You should be proud, Kyle."

The murmurs among the students grew louder, a mixture of envy, disbelief, and amazement.

"How did he even manage that?" one student whispered.

"An Origin Source? That's insane!" another added.

Not everyone was convinced, though. Orion knew the facts and was confident that Kyle was lying. "That's not possible," he said with his usual analytical tone.

The room quieted as everyone turned to look at him, ready to hear what the genius had to say.

"An average Origin Source lasts for about 24 hours," Orion explained, his voice taking on a lecturing tone. "Even if you were absorbing energy at an unprecedented rate, there wouldn't be enough time to jump from the fourth stage to the eighth stage. The energy density simply doesn't support such exponential growth."

Kyle's smile faltered slightly, but he quickly recovered, giving Orion a pointed look. "Hey, Orion," he said with a nervous laugh, "shut up, okay? I said I got lucky."

The tension in the room broke as the class laughed. Even Layla hid a small smile behind her face.

Orion huffed and muttered something about their ignorance before letting the matter drop.

Milo, however, was not laughing. He sat on his mat with his fists clenched. His jaw tightened as he glared at Kyle, his mind racing with anger and disbelief.

'Lucky bastard,' Milo said within himself. 'I suffer to close the gap between us, why he just stumbles into an Origin Source and puts my efforts to vain.'

He ground his teeth because he knew better than anyone the monumental gap between the fourth stage and the eighth. It wasn't just a few levels—the eight stage was so far that some students might not even reach it throughout an academic year.

Yet there Kyle was, basking in the attention and admiration of their peers like it was nothing.

'But it doesn't matter,' Milo reassured himself, a dark grin tugging at his lips. 'Let him bask in the glory while he can. Luck won't save him when I deal with him. Eighth stage or not, he won't stand a chance against me. Not with what I've gained. The Storm Body will make sure of that.'

His mind played out vivid scenarios of their inevitable clash, each one ending with Kyle broken before him.' I'll show him. I'll show everyone... That I'm simply better.'

Meanwhile, Instructor Layla clapped her hands, drawing the students' attention back to her. "Alright, everyone," she said and her radiant smile widening mischievously. "Now that we've checked on your progress, it's time to put it to the test."

The students exchanged glances and their anticipation bubbled. They all knew what she meant; it was time for them to fight and they were all excited about it.

Layla's confirmed their thoughts her next words.

"Let's start off with a duel, shall we? And going first will be…"

She didn't even need to say anything for her students to realize who her choice would be, the mischievous grin on her face already gave it out.

As expected, her gaze turned and lingered on two students, the two rivals of the class and her favorite pair to spectate.

"Milo and Kyle!"