The Genius Mage Was Reincarnated Into A Swordsman Family

Chapter 51 - 51

Some of the trainees appeared visibly pale, their eyes reflecting a mix of anticipation and anxiety. Murmurs from the spectators in the tribune echoed complaints about the perceived difficulty of the challenge, suggesting skepticism regarding the trainees’ ability to face it. The patriarch, Roman Lionhart, however, silenced the dissent with a steely gaze, as if signaling that the true test had already begun.

"Alright, let’s commence. Activate the Array," Rick instructed the six individuals positioned at each extremity of the Aequalis Array. The formation itself took the shape of a massive hexagram star, encircled by a luminous purple magic circle adorned with ethereal runes that shimmered mysteriously.

Clad in white robes with hoods concealing their features, the six figures were instantly recognized by Klaus as magic scholars. Their presence added an air of gravitas to the proceedings.

Initiating the process, the scholars began to chant an incantation, the words sounding like unintelligible gibberish to most observers. After a brief interval, radiant magic circles manifested beneath their feet, each glowing with a distinct hue—red, blue, purple, yellow, green, and orange. The hexagram star commenced its slow rotation, accompanied by the gradual spread of an ethereal fog emanating from the drawn Aequalis Array.

The trainees, along with the onlooking commoners, watched in awe as the spectacle unfolded before them. The fog, once it had enveloped the entire Array, prompted Rick to turn his gaze back to the trainees and address them with a measured tone.

"All you have to do is enter the fog and get out on the other side as fast as possible," Rick declared, his voice cutting through the tension.

Curiosity sparked among some children, prompting them to raise their hands with questions, but Rick dismissed them with a wave, choosing to forge ahead with his instructions.

"You will enter the fog one by one, starting from the people at the front of the row," he continued.

As the directive settled, a sense of apprehension filled the air. Alex cursed his luck for being among the first to step into the enigmatic haze. One by one, the trainees entered the fog, each grappling with their own fears.

When Myre’s turn arrived, he cast a fleeting glance back at Klaus, hoping for some guidance. However, the expression on Klaus’s face sent shivers down his spine. It was an unfamiliar look, one that even surpassed the intensity of the moments when Klaus had subjected them to torture.

Swallowing dry saliva, Myre entered the fog, more unnerved by Klaus’s demeanor than the unknown challenges within the mist. Observing Myre’s reaction, Keeryl chose not to glance back, swiftly disappearing into the fog. Ken followed suit. Sarah, too, felt the impulse to look at Klaus but resisted, wary of the unnerving atmosphere.

"Good luck," she whispered to Klaus without turning back, then ventured into the fog.

Nicholas, the last in his row to face the fog, stole a moment to study Klaus. A disconcerting thought crossed his mind, "What’s wrong with him? His eyes look scary." With that lingering concern, Nicholas plunged into the fog, mirroring Klaus’s journey into the unknown.

***

As Klaus ventured deeper into the fog, the fabric of reality began to unravel, giving way to a haunting illusion. The once tranquil mist transformed into a gruesome battlefield, littered with the lifeless forms of burned corpses. The air resonated with anguished screams, and the pungent stench of charred flesh invaded Klaus’s senses. The scene was all too familiar—it mirrored the horrifying memories of the Battle of Luxmiria.

In his past life, Klaus Zagerflied had been entrusted with a perilous mission by Damien Zagerfield, the clan leader of the Zagerfield clan. The task: infiltrate a Mage tower within the Luxmiria Empire and steal an ancient grimoire. However, a critical error on Klaus’s part activated the tower’s formidable defenses. Wounded and nearly devoid of mana, Klaus emerged from the tower to find himself encircled by over three hundred elite soldiers of the Luxmiria Empire.

Facing imminent death, Klaus resorted to forbidden magic. Deliberately shattering three of the five magic circles around his heart, he cast the forbidden spell Hell Fire—a torrent of white flames that incinerated the opposing army. While successful in his mission, Klaus concealed the truth from his clan, for revealing his regression to a second-circle mage status was unthinkable in a society where power reigned supreme.

Unable to afford the time required for the slow process of rebuilding his former magic circles, Klaus delved deeper into the forbidden arts, reconstructing his lost power in a mere four months. Drawn by the addictive allure of forbidden magic, he sought to surpass his past limitations, attempting to form a sixth circle around his heart and ascend to the esteemed realm of an archmage, as six-circle mages were known.

Tragically, his ambitions backfired. The forbidden arcane he wielded turned against him, rending his mana circuit and obliterating his magic circles. Klaus Zagerfield, once a formidable mage, found himself stripped of his magical abilities, and deemed useless to his adoptive family. The price of power, it seemed, exacted a toll far greater than he had anticipated.

***

Klaus Lionhart surveyed the grim illusionary battlefield with a stoic expression. His desire to conclude the test quickly overshadowed any nostalgic sentiments tied to the tragedy that led to his demise. He awaited the appearance of the missing piece—the manifestation of his alter ego.

After approximately two minutes, a door materialized at the far end of the battlefield, surrounded by the anguished cries of the burnt soldiers. Stepping out of the door was a tall figure with black hair and crimson-red eyes—his past self, Klaus Zagerfield. As the man approached, his form fluctuated between Klaus’s current and past selves, his silhouette flickering as if the illusion itself were glitching.

<<How do you find the scenery?>> his alter ego inquired with a voice that merged Klaus’s present and past tones.

<<Look what we can achieve when we don’t restrain ourselves with typical magic,>> he continued, arms outstretched to emphasize the gruesome display.

"I don’t want to waste any more seconds talking to you. Let’s end this little facade," Klaus declared with a cold tone, showing no hint of emotion despite the illusionary spectacle before him.

<<If you insist!>> Klaus’s alter ego responded, levitating high into the air. Once again, he opened his arms wide, and five massive red magical circles materialized behind him, radiating potent energy.

Klaus recognized the spell his alter ego was casting—the Five Circle Magic: Raging Suns, a favorite and powerful spell from his past life.

"I would have loved to see how long this new body of mine could last fighting against you, but you see, there are some people outside that need to understand how ’GREAT’ I am, so they will no longer mistreat my family. So we sadly have to part ways here," Klaus declared, his voice carrying a cold resolve. With that, he invoked the first spell he personally invented in his past life to dismantle illusions type Spells and Arrays.

Third Circle Magic: Veritas.

As colossal red fireballs, each the size of a miniature sun surged from the Raging Suns spell, Klaus’s eyes began to radiate a greenish hue. A magic circle, the size of his iris, materialized in each eye. The Veritas spell, a powerful incantation allowing the caster to perceive the true nature of everything around them, took effect.

With the spell now fully formed in Klaus’s eyes, the illusory battlefield dissolved, reverting to a thick fog that obscured his vision.

"An illusion you can’t see can’t affect you," Klaus asserted, striding confidently through the fog toward the other side. The aura of determination surrounding him spoke volumes, emphasizing his mastery over both the illusions and the haunting memories of his past.