I Refused To Be Reincarnated

Darkness surrounded his figure as he plunged deeper into the mountain's icy abyss.

He channelled his mana and swung his arm downwards as the grimace distorting his face worsened.

'I underestimated tier-five magical creatures too much. I can't beat them in a duel, especially if they force me into melee combat.'

As he pondered the recent defeat, a radiant flare left his palm, illuminating the darkness for a hundred meters before dimming without finding the ground.

A defeated sigh escaped his lips.

If he used the system's stats as a reference, the difference between them was like day and night.

'More than triple mine...'

The thought alone sent a shiver down his spine.

Yet, he survived by the skin of his teeth, making defeat taste less bitter in his mouth.

'I'm stranded, though.'

His lips stretched into a wry smile as he chuckled in self-derision.

"I'll forget about hunting beasts of that tier for a while."

However, sudden whispers filled his ears the next moment, shattering his contemplation.

"Burn them all!"

"Mama!"

"Spare no one!"

The noises of war followed. The crackling of burning cities and the screams of citizens and their executioners swirled in his mind in a chaotic mess, influencing his emotions.

Despair crept towards his soul like an icy rain threatening to extinguish the fire animating him.

However, as the first droplets touched it, they sizzled before evaporating as his eyes ignited with an inferno of defiance.

"Want to influence me? Fool!"

His roar reverberated in the abyss, deafening the whispers for a second as he clenched his teeth.

A moment later, they returned, yet with different contents.

"Claim your destiny."

"Sign a contract with me. You'll become a king."

"With me, a conqueror."

"I'll give you powers you never dreamed of touching."

"Begone evil spirits or whatever you are! I don't want anything!" He spat in response, his brows twitching in annoyance.

"I'll give you a body!"

The last whisper caused his features to freeze for a second.

A body? He had dreamed of getting his own for years. Yet, the whisper claimed it could give him one on the spot.

"Hahaha."

He covered his face with his hand as his laughter reverberated.

"Accept. Accept."

The whispers grew more forceful, feeling a crack in his defiance and a boundless desire.

With a gradual movement, he removed his hand, revealing a smile that did not reach the steely glint in his eyes.

"Thank you," he started, his tone filled with gratitude. Yet, it shifted to mockery the next second.
Experience tales with empire

"But you can give it to your sister for all I care!"

Why would he accept a suspicious offer in a dreary underground mine?

'Did anyone ever accept? What kind of fool were they if they did?'

He clicked his tongue as the whispers continued to tempt him. Since they refused to listen, he ignored them, treating them like a pesky neighbor listening to loud music.

As the boring scenery reflected in his eyes, a dim light in the distance suddenly drew his attention. Then, he noticed the fast-approaching ground.

In the blink of an eye, he outstretched his palm down.

WOOSH

A vigorous wind blast broke his fall, making him hover above a cloud of dust a few meters above the rocks. Cancelling the wind, he let himself drop to the ground before landing unharmed.

"Are you ok, Anya?"

He gazed at his shadow, curious about the girl's state. However, she didn't respond. He took a moment to check on her, realising she lost consciousness after the first wave of whispers. They probably awakened old traumas she had no desire to remember in her new life.

"It's better that way. At least she won't accept some weird offers."

With a nod and nowhere to go, he stepped towards the light.

Each meter crossed made it glow brighter in his eyes as the whispers intensified. From an annoying neighbor's music, they became a full-blown concert, making the windows of his mind tremble.

Finally, his face distorted into a grimace, and his soul trembled in pain and anger as his eyes landed on the culprit.

Amidst a statue's broken limbs, a horrifying great sword planted onto the rocks sent tremors jolting him out of his pain. The long pommel adorned with a scarlet, round gem from which spikes protruded caused alarm bells to resound in his mind.

Despite its dangerous appearance, the weapon's mesmerising quality forced him to lower his eyes to the dark guard. Composed of a solid mineral, it depicted a sinister skull smirking in derision, instilling terror in the unfortunate enemies facing the weapon.

The blade started straight before curving and enlarging in the middle section, making it a natural cleaver. A green gem pulsed at its base, extending in a complex network of fiery engravings he had no idea how to even begin to analyse.

Icy dread wrapped around him like a blanket as the idea of using Elara's eyes of truth crossed his mind. His instinct screamed against it, forcing a realisation on him.

'The weapon is way above my league!'

With a shaky step back, he detached his glued eyes from the blade.

However, a rumble almost tore his mind.

"Do you want power? Do you want to kill the creature above? Sign a contract."

Lost about what to do, he coughed and chose negotiation by habit.

"Let me leave in peace, sir. Amazing great sword. I'm not good enough to sign anything."

However, a deep frown etched itself on his face the next second.

"You have no choice. Sign and get me out, or die."

Scalding green flames danced along the blade, threatening to engulf him. Even if he couldn't feel anything with his wooden body, he sensed the scorching heat through his soul.

Yet, he shook his head, his defiance burning brighter than the sword's flames.

"I refuse! No one will force me to do something against my will ever again!"

He roared, stunning the sword into silence.

Despite the minutes passing, his gaze remained firm, and his determination didn't waver.

"Hahaha! Interesting. I like your fire very much, but I won't spend more time here. He will come back with reinforcements."

The flames flared, engulfing him as the words lingered.

As his figure vanished into a green sea, he sighed in bitterness. His options were too limited. From the moment Picket recovered his strength, everything spiralled out of control and worsened by the second. Yet, no matter what, he would not sell himself for power or a chance to survive.

'I pay the price for my mistake.'

He thought, closing his luminous eyes inside the puppet and waiting for the agony to assault him.

Seconds crawled by in depressing silence. After half a minute, a sudden ring resounded in his ears.

Puzzled by the notification and absence of pain, he snapped his eyes open, noticing the floating message.

[Cursed weapon: Aamon's Cleaver requesting soul binding, proceed? Yes/No]

Before he could make sense of the situation, the message shifted slightly before his enlarging eyes.

[Cursed weapon: Aamon's Cleaver forced soul binding.]

"Wait? No!"

His roar reverberated against the abyssal walls as the blade disintegrated into green sparks to join his soul sea.

He instantly closed his eyes.

'Since you are there, I'll throw you into the tower. Let's see how you'll deal with the trials, cursed bastard!'