I Refused To Be Reincarnated

The rector's words about resurrection being an impossible taboo lingered like a prophecy among the students. They slowly nodded in silent acceptance. After all, who were they to refute the most powerful and ancient mage?

But his words only caused Adam's frown to deepen, not because of the impossibility. That truth, however bitter, was one he'd made peace with long ago. Succeeding once was enough, even if his case had been unique. He had never died or possessed a body, and therefore, his soul had no recollection of an original shell. It had also been a wounded half-soul that he had strengthened over thirteen years, and the union with the other half made it more flexible. Then, by merging it with his forged body in Luna's fusion pool, he had made the impossible possible.

No—it was the rector's voice. Haldris' melancholic gaze fixed on a horizon of golden sunrays and drifting clouds whispered of deep sadness. Though it sounded grief-stricken, he couldn't hear a single variation in tone—perhaps as if the grief had never been his in the first place?

Adam leaned aside, just enough to glimpse the man's face.

Haldris' lips were pursed under twitching brows. His jaw was clenched in an expression of pain that seemed to have haunted him for years, and his shoulders, which had seemed strong enough to support the weight of the realm, were slumped. His every micro-expression told Adam that it was genuine sorrow.

As if feeling Adam's glance, Haldris passed a hand over his face, and when it reached his gray hair, his teacher's expression returned as if he had put on an unreadable mask. He turned toward the students.

"If my warning isn't enough, here is another: I'll banish anyone feeling bright enough to play with resurrection. With any taboo art, for that matter."

Adam raised his hand to ask about the other arts, but Haldris didn't give him time to speak. Though the rector had seen him, he clapped his hands and simply continued. "I won't give you ideas by naming arts you shouldn't touch. Now, back to the lesson."

Haldris wiped a thick thumb on the grooves of the massive stone table, then leaned against it. "You'll each receive one talisman. You can't lose them, understood?" He reached for another pouch at his belt and took out a stack of empty talismans.

As students began to line up in front of him, Jonathan asked. "Is there any reason we shouldn't lose them?"

"Indeed." Haldris nodded. "What element does the talisman draw strength from?"

"Soul?" As Jonathan answered, realisation dawned on the entire class.

Haldris would use everything in his power to wipe out soul affinity users. Everyone knew it as much as they knew the sun rose in the east and set in the west, making the answer crystal clear. The college hadn't crafted these talismans for ages, which led to another answer: why had Haldris not taught this technique in thousands of years.

Suddenly, most of the students puffed out their chests as if they were the chosen ones Haldris had waited to use these rare talismans on. Adam rolled his eyes at their reactions. Even if the college couldn't craft talismans, what about the archipelago's guardian? Surely, Leviathan could have found a moment to refill the stock between two naps at the bottom of the seabed. No, scarcity wasn't the answer. There was something more to it.

He pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing. It was useless to delve into questions he couldn't answer. If anything, it made his nape itch as paranoid ideas he didn't want to consider formed one after another. Did the rector understand Leviathan had forged his identity? Was this class suddenly given because Haldris knew about his origins?

'Yeah, better not think about it.' With a shrug, he received Haldris' talisman, then returned with the other students. He took a moment to study it before storing it in his chest pocket. It was the same one he had used dozens of times.

After Haldris gave a talisman to everyone, even Quintella, he waved his hand without a word.

Suddenly, Adam felt soft soil replace the stone platform. The sweet breeze that had ruffled his sky-blue hair shifted to a pervasive musty scent of soil caressed by morning dew. Again—Haldris had teleported them without him feeling anything.

He took in the sunrays filtering through a lush canopy, the dread he had felt earlier settling in his guts like a stone. Leaves crumpled beneath a student's unsteady steps, while another almost fell when his foot met the thick root of a gnarled tree.

"Where are we?" a student asked, followed by two others. "Which forest is this?" "What are we doing here?"

Haldris clapped twice to catch everyone's attention. "We're in Spellroot Thicket, a forest in the west. What should you do with empty talismans?" he asked with a knowing smile. "Let's spice things up first. Whoever captures the soul of the strongest beast earns two hundred points. You can team up if you feel safer, even if I'll keep an eye on you at all times."

The promise of so many points caused every student to rush to their friends with eager shouts. Groups were formed in the blink of an eye, but no one gave Adam more than a dismissive glance. Even when Quintella approached, her two new friends seized her shoulders and shook their heads with disgusted grimaces. Beside them, Sarah nodded, mouthing, "Don't worry. We'll watch over her."

Reassured, he held Quintella's gaze for a half-second too long—long enough to see the apology in her eyes before she was pulled away.

As she vanished between the bark of an old tree, he stretched his arms skyward and cracked his neck. This was the moment to impress Haldris with a powerful beast. Of course, it wouldn't be enough to bring the rector to the negotiation table, but it was a start. Being alone would also help—less to hide.

However, when he took his first step, a hand met his left shoulder from behind.

"YAHOOOO! Let's team up as fellow outcasts!" Desmond screamed into his ears, forcing him to control his fist from kissing the loud boy's teeth in a lesson he'd never forget.

"I told you not to scream around me." With a slap, he shoved Desmond's hand aside. "Or is your plan to use that infuriating voice of yours to drive a beast mad until it breaks its skull on a tree?"

Desmond glanced sideways, then burst into laughter, slapping Adam's shoulder repeatedly. "Wouldn't it be quite an interesting sight? More seriously, I don't like to boast, but—"

Adam cut him off. "Sure, you don't like to boast. You love it."

"You can't hinder a man who's trying to be humble." Desmond scratched his cheek, and when Adam opened his mouth for another scathing remark, he hurriedly continued. "You've seen how fast I am on the ship. You must have focused on body cultivation, but I'm actually an adept. With you at the front and me behind, we'll definitely catch the strongest beast!"

Adam rolled his eyes, lifting his foot to walk away. Then Desmond's words struck him. To everyone, he was just a weak apprentice. True, he had shown magic far above that tier, but blasting the forest wasn't part of his plans. Perhaps teaming up with Desmond could make his success more acceptable to everyone?

He glanced at Desmond, a smirk creeping on his face as he waved. "Come, my outcast friend. We have an appointment with the two strongest beasts in this forest."