I Refused To Be Reincarnated

With a disappointed sigh, he explained his findings to his disciple, startling the youths, who wondered if the extravagantly dressed newcomer was crazy.

"Tsk. Your condition is so troublesome. Start building that puppet already!" He said, grabbing the kid's shoulder and mouthing ancient words.

Scared by the sudden physical contact, they trembled in fear. Yet, they didn't know it was only the beginning.

"HAAA!" They shrieked in unison, filling the elegant tower with dreadful screams. Their heart rate shot through the roof, and their legs trembled as they finally saw Adam's ethereal frame.

With the ominous mist swirling around his body, his indistinguishable facial features, and his luminous eyes, they felt they were in the presence of a horrifying demon.

"I feel offended... I didn't choose to be a ghost!" Adam yelled at the kids, causing their teeth to clatter and their legs to buckle. Their heads cradled between their hands, they called out for their parents, crying in despair.

"Hit them until they stop!" He said, squinting at Julius in frustration. He understood their reactions, really. Yet, being looked at as if he were some monster still hurt him. Then he held the bridge of his nose between his fingers and exhaled aloud to calm down.

Meanwhile, Julius approached them with a bright smile. "He has been with us the entire time. If he had ill intentions, you would already be dead," he said before gazing at the laughing dean, silently requesting help.

After a moment, the scared kids finally turned quiet, prompting the dean to explain why the duo sought them.

"You are telling us we came from another world and have incredible talents for magic?" Asked Najet, rolling her eyes after the lengthy explanation before adding. "Nonsense."

The other kids nodded. This theory stretched reality a bit too much to be believable. However, their pupils constricted, and they froze as the ghost approached them.

Annoyed by the reaction, Adam's eye twitched. "You'll learn magic for a year like nobles. If we were wrong, you lost nothing," he said, his convincing words sounding true to their ears. Then, he added. "And stop being scared when you see me!"

"Since you enjoy fighting, Aurelius, you'll sleep in Julius' room. Khalid, you'll stay with Arun. As for Najet, you'll join Morgane's," Shepard said, a bright smile stretching on his face. Despite their appearance, those new disciples' personalities satisfied him. Yet, the thing filling him with anticipation the most was to witness their capabilities.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

If they possessed just half Adam's talent, the kids would grow into valuable additions to his ruling plan.

Next, he walked to his desk and retrieved three identical books. "Study well and learn how to feel mana," he said, handing them to the trio and asking them to go to the first floor.

Excited by the mystical knowledge they never dreamed of learning, they scrambled away with cheerful smiles. Yet, Khalid couldn't help but throw some glances at Adam's mysterious frame on his way out. He didn't know why, but he felt he was mocking everyone in the room.

Indeed. Once alone, Adam smirked. "Are you all fools? Where do you think they found a teacher to learn to read?"

His sharp words echoed in Shepard's ears. Realising his mistake, his eyes slipped to the side, and he coughed in embarrassment. "I know. I just chased them away to have a proper talk with you."

His response only made Adam's grin widen. "Of course you knew," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. Then, he crossed his arms over his chest and asked, "What do you want to tell me?"

"Ahem. I believe the mission is compromised," he said before turning solemn. His narrowed gray eyes exuded mana, and his fists shook before he continued. "Many kids disappeared over the years. The city guards found no trace of them as if they evaporated in a puff of smoke."

He marked a slight pause, taking a deep breath to control his surging anger. "I don't think we'll find many more of them. I scanned the entire northern section of the city without detecting a single summoned. So give up after a few days if you can't discover them."

The duo nodded before joining the kids on the first floor.

The rest of the day went by uneventfully. Julius taught them the alphabet's basics as Adam finally found time to learn about puppet crafting.

Hours later, they returned to their assigned rooms to pass the night.

A repetitive yet peaceful routine settled for the group as time flew by. Despite his initial dissatisfaction, Arun took good care of Khalid, helping him to learn how to read. To his stupefaction, the boy mastered the art in a short week, making him the first novice of the new trio. His sister followed, and Aurelius came last.

Gradually, the three kids learned more about the group's dynamic and the goal the girls pursued. Fortunately for them, Najet's integration made their progression soar as she analysed their gathering techniques, pointing out methods to increase efficiency.

Meanwhile, Aurelius voluntarily joined Julius in his everyday training, shocking everyone. As the training sessions multiplied, they realised the boy had no interest in magic and preferred to train his physique to Shepard's despair.

On his side, Julius finally broke through to the Golden Core Realm, making him a genuine tier-three cultivator. Unfortunately, the surprise promised by his brother for his achievement never came, disappointing him. Even when he asked for the reason, the only answer he received startled him. "I can't get it for the time being because stupid clouds are blocking me!" That's what he said...

Yet, the most excited was Adam.

"Finally!" His voice echoed in his apartment's room as he controlled a rudimentary puppet carved out of ordinary wood. It took him three months to reach this result, yet his heart hammered against his chest in pride each time he looked at it. The joints moved smoothly, and the inactive magic symbols blended flawlessly into the delicately sculpted frame.

Yet, his joy stemmed from a different event. His lips curled into a bright smile as his mana flowed like a calm river. His circuits had finally recovered after three long months! However, he calmed down in an instant as the inevitable date approached.

"We are almost in July," he muttered, gazing at the red cross on the thirteenth box of his calendar with mixed feelings. Supposed to be a day of celebration and deliverance, he had chosen against it along his eventful journey. But before reaching it, he wanted to complete his puppet.

'The academic year is over, too,' he pondered, planning to visit auction houses with Arun to search for suitable materials.

His thoughts sorted, his lips curled into a wry smile as he gazed at the persistent clouds daring him to leave his shelter with occasional rumbling lightning strikes.

"I'll test my affinity in the real world." He shrugged, wondering when they would disappear. Anyway, he didn't want to go to the tower, so he wasn't too bothered by his inability to go out.

Then, he closed his eyes to wake up, eager to discover what feat he could achieve with his new powers.