Reincarnation Of A Swordsman: The Omni Mage

The thief's face crumpled and his tears began to flow freely now. He lowered his head to the ground, bowing in complete submission.

"You're right! You're absolutely right! I deserve it!" he cried. "But please, don't kill me! I don't want to die! I- I can leave! You'll never see me again, I swear! Just… please!"

Kyle raised the [Aurora Fang], the edge humming with latent energy as he prepared to deliver the final blow. He told himself that this was the right thing to do.

He had made a promise to kill the thief and the thief's life wasn't worth sparing. It was justice even.

Yet, as the blade hovered above the man's bowed head, Kyle hesitated.

'Why am I hesitating?' Kyle thought, his mind battling itself. 'He deserves this. I said I would do it. I should do it.'

The thief's pitiful sobs echoed in the stillness, each one like a weight pressing down on Kyle's chest. The image of the thief's terrified face was seared into his mind, his humanity laid bare.

'He's not a Mana Beast,' Kyle reminded himself. 'He's a person. A person who made terrible choices… but a person nonetheless.'

Kyle lowered the sword slightly, his frustration bubbling to the surface. He was disgusted with himself. How could he hesitate after everything the thief had said? Yet, no matter how much he told himself to act, something inside him stopped him.

With a heavy sigh, Kyle stepped back, his grip loosening on [Aurora Fang]. The faint glow of the blade dimmed as he sheathed it.

The thief lifted his head, his face streaked with dirt and tears. His eyes widened in disbelief as he realized Kyle wasn't going to kill him.

"Go," Kyle said flatly, turning his back on the man. "Before I change my mind."

The thief scrambled to his feet, clutching his injured side. "Thank you! Thank you! You won't regret this, I swear!" he babbled, bowing repeatedly as he backed away. "I'll never come near you or your group again. I swear it!"

Kyle didn't respond. He didn't even look at the thief as the man stumbled away, disappearing into the shadows of the forest as fast as his legs could carry him.

As silence settled once more, Kyle let out another sigh, the weight of the decision still heavy on his shoulders. He glanced at the torn hood the thief had left behind, remembering the face that had been revealed, a face he would not soon forget.

For a long moment, Kyle stood there, staring into the darkness where the thief had vanished. Then, shaking his head, he turned and began walking back toward the rest slept.

The night air felt colder now, and Kyle couldn't help but feel as if he'd lost something, perhaps a piece of himself, in sparing that man.

'I'm weak and that's bad,' Kyle admitted to himself as he stayed watch. Riya's turn soon came and she took over from him, Kyle didn't want to disturb her with what happened so he obliged when she took over, telling her nothing.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

He still paid rapt attention though, not wanting to get ambushed again.

***

The first rays of dawn crept over the forest canopy, casting warm hues across the clearing.

Kyle woke up from the aroma of breakfast, as Riya and Void were already busying themselves re-heating the remaining roasted meat from before.

He didn't waste time to join them, making them finish quickly.

"We need to move quickly today," Kyle said between bites.

Riya nodded, "Agreed. Let's make the most of the Roc's speed."

Once their meal was finished and the camp dismantled, they mounted the Skyrend Roc again. Riya gently patted the bird's neck. "Alright, girl. Let's take off."

With a piercing cry, the Roc spread its massive wings and launched them into the sky. The wind whipped past them as the vast forest below became a blur of green.

The journey unfolded without any major incidents, much to Kyle's surprise. No thieves emerged from the trees, no ambushes, and no dangerous beasts attempted to attack. It felt... odd.

"You know," Kyle said after several hours of flight, "I thought this forest would be teeming with dangers. But it's been unusually quiet."

"There's nothing out of place with that. People rarely ambushed each other on the way to the Tower, as the punishment for offending someone powerful was very severe," Riya explained.

"Oh... I see," Kyle muttered. But Riya's words made him more suspicious of the thief's attack at them. If anything, it wasn't quite normal but he freed his mind by concluding it was just a coincidence... for now at least.

As they traveled further, they noticed that birds of varying sizes and colors began flying alongside them and they seemed to be heading in the same direction.

"They're really alot of people coming to this Tower," Kyle remarked once.

"Yup, who wouldn't want to? The rewards are immense and it opens every hundred years."

"Makes sense," Kyle muttered, focusing his attention on the lands once more.

***

Two days passed in relative peace. They followed Grace's instructions, stopping periodically to rest the Roc and feed it. The majestic bird never once faltered, carrying them tirelessly toward their destination.

Finally, as the sun dipped low on the second day, a sight emerged that left all three of them in awe.

"Wow," Kyle muttered, unable to take his eyes off the scene before them.

Beneath them lay a large island, surrounded by glittering blue waters that stretched as far as the eye could see. But what truly caught their attention wasn't the island itself, it was the sheer number of people there.

Thousands upon thousands of figures moved about, some cultivating quietly under the shade of massive trees, others camping in groups around makeshift fires. More arrivals poured in by the second, some on ship, others on flying beasts or floating platforms.

"It's like a small city," Riya who had expected many people said in shock, her eyes wide as she took in the bustling activity below.

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Void floated closer and scanned the area with an amused smirk. "Not a Tower in sight. Guess someone forgot the 'Tower' part of 'Tower of Trials.'"

The Skyrend Roc let out a sharp cry as it descended toward the island. They landed in a less crowded area, the ground soft underfoot as they dismounted.

Riya quickly stored the Roc back in her space pouch, patting its neck affectionately before it disappeared into the magical storage.

Kyle walked forward and admired the scene once more before declaring:

"We've arrived!"