Reincarnation Of A Swordsman: The Omni Mage

"Forge Mastering students, you're up next."

The Alchemy students began clearing their stations as the Forge Mastering students moved into position.

Kyle's eyes darted toward the new group. These were the creators of weapons like his Katana, and their tasks would be far more physical than what they had just witnessed with the delicate, chemical brews of the Alchemists.

As the students filed into the center of the arena, the stage transformed.

The long counter where the Alchemy students had worked was replaced by several individual forges, each equipped with an anvil, tongs, hammers, and various other tools.

Large bellows sat beside each forge, along with bins filled with glowing coals that gave off waves of heat.

Stacks of raw materials, including all types of metals were laid out in front of the students, ready to be shaped by their hands.

Orion stood out immediately because of his sheer confidence.

He scanned the materials laid out before him with his eyes, before curling his mouth for a smirk.

"Pfft," Orion laughed, loud enough for the students nearby to hear. "This is child's play."

A few of them shot him glares, but he didn't care. Orion had long since established himself as a force to be reckoned with.

His reputation in Forge Mastering was built on his superior skill, and he knew he was the best.

Kyle could see the way Orion's confident demeanor contrasted with the nervous emotions of the others.

Most were already preparing to dive into their work, carefully selecting their materials with their eyes, but Orion hadn't even moved yet.

Dan's voice interrupted the tension. "You have two hours to forge a basic equipment of your choice. Your time starts now!"

The forges roared to life as students immediately began using the flames to heat their metals.

Sparks flew in every direction, and the coliseum was soon filled with the smell of heated metal.

Orion, however, took his time. He let the others rush into their work while he simply drew some stuff on paper.

"Amateurs," Orion muttered under his breath. "Rushing into it like that. This isn't a race; it's an art."

Finally, after several minutes, Orion stepped forward and selected his materials with deliberate care.

His hands moved with precision, calculating every step before he even touched the forge.

He took his selected materials to the flames, heating them with a calculated intensity.

As they reached the perfect temperature, Orion pulled it from the flames and set it on the anvil.

He channeled a spell and began molding the melted metal. He took it slowly and delicately, making the metal assume its shape with time.

Even as others focused on their work, they couldn't help but glance at Orion's direction.

'He's making... A Gaunlet?' Kyle couldn't help but notice.

That was a rare choice as everyone went for something simple like... Swords, axes, spears.

Making a Gaunlet might not be difficult. But it wasn't easy to make it stand out.

'He must be cooking... I'll just wait and see,' Kyle decided and continued watching him work.

As the minutes ticked by, Orion's Gaunlet took shape faster than anyone expected.

Kyle could hear whispers from the crowd. Even the instructors, seated in the stands, seemed to be paying particular attention to Orion's work.

Dan's voice rang out again. "Five minutes left!"

The students began getting desperate and increased their pace when they heard the time.

But Orion? He was done. He stood back, admiring his work with a self-satisfied grin, as if he had known all along that he would finish first.

"Not bad for an hour's work," Orion muttered to himself, wiping his hands clean and stepping away from his station.

With time running out, the other students did their best to wrap up their projects.

The final clangs of metal against metal echoed through the coliseum before Dan's voice called out once more, "Time's up! Step away from your forges!"

The Forge Mastering students did as instructed, stepping back from their creations with varying levels of confidence.

Some looked at their weapons with pride, while others couldn't hide their disappointment at their rushed, incomplete projects.

Orion, on the other hand, stood with his arms crossed, admiring his Gauntlet.

Its color was an imposing blend of green, silver and brown. The green color made up its base, with traces of brown claw marks around it. Finished off with a golden color for the fingers.

The Gauntlet had a small gaping hole, of about 2cm in diameter. Designed to fit a ball of some sort.

Dan motioned toward the instructor standing off to the side. He was stocky, with thick arms and a beard that almost reached his chest.

"Master Holt will be judging your work," Dan announced.

Master Holt stepped forward, his expression neutral as he approached the first forge.

He inspected the weapons methodically, testing the balance, the sharpness, and the craftsmanship of each piece.

For some, he gave a nod of approval, while others received only a frown or a shake of the head.

When he reached Orion's station, there was no reaction at first. Master Holt simply picked up the Gaunlet, testing its weight in his hand.

"This... It's a masterpiece!"

He took some time to regain his composure before asking, "Explain what you created, Orion."

He crossed his hands behind his back and began with a smirk.

"This is not your average gauntlet. It's a conduit for elemental power, specifically for mine. That space over there," he gestured to the prominent spherical hole on the wrist.

"Not only can it be used to cast, but also for storing energy— mana.

Mater Holt's mouth was already wide open at this point... He was out of words.

Orion smirked, not done yet, he continued.

"With this gauntlet, I can amplify my attacks, store energy for later use, or even redirect it to block incoming elemental strikes.

And it's adaptable. I could slot in different mana cores, depending on the affinity I want to use, but for now, this is optimized for my elemental powers."

He was brimming with confidence at this point.

"Orion... This is amazing!" Master Holt said. "You've outdone yourself."

"I know... I haven't outdone myself though."

Master Holt wanted to say something but controlled himself.

"We'll talk later about how you did this, okay?"

He proceeded to check the remaining works. But... Orion's work had captured everyone's attention,

As the judging continued, Kyle leaned back in his seat, a small smile playing on his lips.

Orion might be a pain sometimes, but he was one of the best. There was no denying that.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity for the students, Dan called for silence.

"The results are in. Congratulations to the 32 of you who will be moving on. As for the rest of you, better luck next time."

"Like before," Instructor Dan said, glancing at Orion and his gauntlet. "You're free to take your forged equipment... It's yours."

Orion had a proud smile on his face when that was said. He had already planned lots of contingency measures in the case they didn't give him the gauntlet.

Measures that'd be to make sure the gauntlet proved to be useless. Luckily... It didn't have to come to that.

He took his Gaunlet and wore it on his right hand, before taking a bow and leaving the stage.

"The Beast Tamers... It's your turn!"