I Refused To Be Reincarnated

"Alright. Time to get the materials I came for..."

His voice trailed off, and his eyes narrowed, glinting danger.

"And to kill that shrewd rat."

Scrounging his nose in disdain, he closed his eyes to leave the soul sea.

However, he wanted more. Since he had been forced, he'd take everything.

When he reopened his eyes, the abyss enveloped him, feeding his eyes with impregnable darkness.

The horrible cleaver and its whispers were gone, creating a world of stillness and oppressive silence in the mountain's belly.

Despite the atmosphere, his lips curled into a vengeful smirk. His wooden legs bent, and his back followed as sparks danced in his clenched fist.

BOOM

The ground exploded in a deafening rain of rubble, and his figure blurred, propelled upwards like a missile.

However, he knew he couldn't reach the ceiling with so little strength. After all, he fell for a while earlier. Therefore, he channelled mana to his feet.

WOOSH

The wind howled as powerful gales emerged, propelling him faster towards the ceiling.

Like a rising black and red meteor, he blurred. Simultaneously, the sparks condensed into his dark blade of adaptation. In a second, its glistening metal twirled and morphed, transforming it into a heavy war hammer.

BANG

He swung his arm from bottom to top in a large arc, sending the hammer crashing into the ceiling.

RUMBLE

Fissures crisscrossed it, dust rained, and the rocks roared in agony. But it wasn't enough. He knew it.

That's why a blur of brown and red cut through the dust, dispersing it before colliding with the hammer's back. Like a dark chisel pounded by his fist, the hammer dug deeper, making the ceiling cry a torrent of shattered rubles.

He retrieved his fist.

"RAAAH!"

With a mighty shout, a bell-like sound reverberated as he struck the hammer again, making it puncture the rocks and letting a soft light illuminate his smirk.

Propelled by his mana, he watched as heavy boulders collided with the mana barrier protecting him. And finally, the campfire's light shone on his grayed clothes and firm eyes.

Alarmed by the noise, Picket's followers turned like a single man.

He caught disbelief, confusion, and deep terror dancing in their small eyes.

"You are right about the last part!"

His voice cracked in suppressed rage. His body blurred, a dark light flashed, and a torrent of red erupted.

Before they could understand how the human emerged from the ground, their heads rolled, gazing at their own collapsing bodies.

"What is happening?!"

Picket's authoritative voice reverberated through the cave, making his eyes narrow.

"Time to collaborate, Mr. Cleaver."

"Humph. Dismiss the trash you are using. I alone am enough."

Dripping with arrogance, Aamon's cleaver's insidious whispers filled his ears.

With a thought, he dismissed his blade as blood-curdling green flames engulfed his hand.

Alerted by the sizzling noises, Picket turned to face him, eyes widening in confusion and hate.

"How did you survive the whispers? It's impossible!" He roared, brown mana fuming from his mouth as he found his followers' killer.

Yet, when he saw the horrible cleaver take shape amidst the flames, his powerful body deflated like a balloon.

"N-No!"

His head shook frantically as his hair bristled.

Unfortunately, Adam had no plan to discuss with someone he marked as his enemy.

BOOM

His mana exploded behind him. The wind battered his wooden frame, making it groaned in protest. Yet, he needed more speed.

BOOM BOOM BOOM

Three more explosions reverberated, turning him into a streak of red and horrible green in Picket's eyes.

Despite the wind pressure immobilising him, a shaky grin extended to reach his ears.

BOOM

A fifth explosion rocked his arm, shooting the cleaver toward its target's torso. Green flames engulfed its metallic sheen, covering the skull on its guard in a demonic smirk.

CHLING

The air parted, divided by the burning edges. It melted next, turning reality into a drooling canvas. The house collapsed behind, divided into two clean halves before the smell of burning rocks filled the air.

Finally, agonising screams reverberated as the hungry flames engulfed Picket like a ravenous beast.

"ARGH!"

Despite the cleaver's powers, he lacked the strength to wield it. Therefore, the traitorous creature only sustained a light cut across its torso. But it's all he needed.

BANG

He collided with the house, unable to break his momentum. The drake's bones protecting his frame shattered upon impact as ugly cracks ran along the runebark, threatening his puppet's integrity.

Yet, his enemy's screams made him forget about the damage. He pushed himself from the ruin and smirked at the spectacle.

Like a plague, green flames spewed from Picket's shallow wound, engulfing his robust body in a blazing inferno.

"ARGH! Clay shell! Earth blessing!"

Before his gleeful eyes, the creature chanted spells in succession to douse the fire. Yet nothing worked. He rolled and trashed on the ground, desperately trying to weaken them. But it failed, too.

The weapon's burning cleave could not be extinguished.

"Half the contract has been fulfilled. If you want to use me again, pay the price."

The cleaver's whispers filled his ears as it slowly disappeared from his hand.

'Dream on.'

With a snicker, his mana condensed in a barrage of spinning arrowheads above Picket's burning figure. He lashed his arm down, making them follow his movement and drill holes into the creature's weakened body until a loud clang echoed.

'Found it!'

His eyes sparkled.

He summoned a mage's hand the next second and rapidly shoved it into one of the holes. Then, he made it throw the thing it grabbed before it burned.

With a swift movement, he grabbed a rough, round item as a gleeful smile stretched his lips.

"Can't leave without the beast core."

Simultaneously, Picket's roars grew weaker with each second crawling by. Deprived of his energy source, the futile resistance he mustered against the flames melted like ice.

Soon, only a pile of fuming ashes replaced the once deceitful tier-five creature.

"That's all you deserve for using me when I only had good intentions towards you."

His voice, raw with the lingering sentiment of being manipulated, resounded.