Reincarnation Of A Swordsman: The Omni Mage

Chapter 195 Abnormal Kyle

As the dome dissolved, Kyle gasped, greedily pulling in lungfuls of fresh air. Both exhaustion and relief washed over him as the sensation of oxygen flooding his system felt almost euphoric, and for a few moments, he simply stood there, savoring it.

Once his breathing steadied, he straightened up and looked around. To his surprise, the large hall was eerily empty. The rows of domes were gone, leaving behind only the smooth floor and silence. A quick glance confirmed there were no other students left.

"I wonder where they all went," Kyle muttered to himself. His gaze then landed on Instructor Layla, who was seated cross-legged in the middle of the room, her eyes closed, cultivating.

Dragging his heavy legs forward, Kyle approached her. He didn't call out or disturb her focus. Before he could even get close, Layla's eyes snapped open and she spranged up to her feet with effortless grace. Her piercing gaze locked onto Kyle, and a wide smile broke across her face.

"Kyle!" she exclaimed, her eyes moving to the belt around his waist.

[Domes: 16]

[Points: 327,670]

For a moment, she didn't say anything, then her jaw dropped. "Three hundred and twenty-seven thousand, six hundred and seventy points?!"

Her voice echoed through the empty hall as she stepped closer, her face a mix of shock and excitement.

"Sixteen domes?! Sixteen! Kyle, I've never seen a student reach the fifth dome before! And you…" Her voice trailed off as she stared at the belt, almost as if she couldn't believe what she was seeing.

Kyle scratched the back of his neck, laughing nervously. Sweat was still dripping down his face, and he looked like he'd been through a storm.

"I, uh… just kept going, I guess. Didn't want to stop until I absolutely couldn't."

Layla shook her head in amazement. "Just kept going, huh? Do you realize what you've done? The fifth dome is already considered impossible by student standards, and you shattered the sixteenth! The strength, the stamina, the focus—"

She paused, placing her hands on her hips as she studied him with narrowed eyes. "—and, let's not forget, holding your breath for two hours! How exactly did you manage that?"

Kyle blinked, unsure how to respond. He opened his mouth but then hesitated, glancing at her with a sheepish smile. "Uh… just… practice, I guess?"

Layla raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. Then her expression softened, and she smirked. "Don't worry. You can keep your secrets, Kyle. I've known for a while that you're not exactly… normal." She winked at him, which only made Kyle more uncomfortable.

"Thanks, I guess?" Kyle muttered awkwardly.

Layla chuckled. "Come on, let's sit. You've earned a moment to catch your breath."

Kyle followed her as she led him to a nearby bench. As they sat down, Kyle glanced around the empty hall again, the silence finally registering. "What happened to everyone else?" he asked, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

"Oh, I dismissed them," Layla said casually, crossing her legs. "They got tired of waiting for you. After all, you were in there for over two hours. Most of them barely lasted ten minutes."

Kyle's eyes widened. "Two hours?" He instinctively checked his comm device, and sure enough, the timer confirmed it. "Huh… no wonder the hall's empty."

Layla nodded, leaning back slightly. "Your classmates gave it their best, but none of them came close to your performance. Your rival, Milo, scored the highest amongst them, if you can call it that. He lasted ten minutes and managed to destroy four domes. That's seventy points."

"Milo? He got seventy points?"

Layla smirked at his reaction. "Surprised, aren't you? He did well, considering the difficulty ramps up exponentially with each dome. But compared to you? He's not even in the same league."

"Welp," Kyle could only say, unsure of what to say.

Layla studied him for a moment, her expression shifting to something more curious. "Tell me, Kyle, how did you manage to destroy all those domes with just a Lightning Bolt? I, myself know how powerful they are."

Kyle hesitated again, unsure how much he should reveal.

Layla saw his struggle and decided to help him out by letting him off. "Fair enough. Like I said, you're not normal, but that's what makes you interesting." She gave him another sly smile before standing up. "Either way, you should head back and rest. You've more than earned it."

Kyle nodded, getting to his feet. His muscles protested every movement, and he realized just how much strain he'd put himself under. "Thanks, Instructor. I'll head back now."

As he walked toward the exit, Layla called after him. "Oh, and Kyle?"

He paused, glancing back.

"Don't get too comfortable. When this score gets out, you're going to have every student, and probably some of the instructors, gunning for you."

Kyle smirked, raising a hand in acknowledgment. "I'll keep that in mind."

***

The walk back to the dorms felt longer than usual, every step reminding Kyle of how drained he was. When he finally arrived, he collapsed onto his bed without bothering to change out of his uniform. For a while, he just lay there, staring at the ceiling, replaying the events of the test in his mind.

Eventually, the exhaustion won over and sleep carried him. Kyle slept on and didn't wake up until it was 4:41 PM, prompting him to jump out of his bed the moment he realized the time.

The day wasn't over for him yet as the timetable stated that they had homeroom class by 5:00 PM. Kyle didn't know what it was for, nor why at such an odd time, but he couldn't afford to anger Instructor Dan by arriving late.

He quickly headed to the bathroom and took a well deserved bath before changing in some casual clothes and storming out of the door, not even bothering to have the lunch he missed.

When he got to the doors of homeroom, after walking as quick as he could, he could very much figure out that Dan had already arrived as only his voice could be heard from the class.

Kyle knew that he had failed... He was late once again.

[5:04 PM]

'Ah shit.'