I Refused To Be Reincarnated

"Tell me the truth. You're bringing troublesome individuals on purpose, right?"

He saw Shepard's lips curl down, quivering in bitterness as disbelief painted his face in a dye of ghastly paleness.

"I didn't plan to bring her. She just popped out of nowhere and said she would join Selene. We can't let her! So, call for Julius while I handle her."

His hand tightened around Shepard's shoulder, and he offered him a gaze filled with all the solemnity he could muster to make him understand how terrible the situation would become if they failed.

His mentor nodded, turned into a cloud of smoke, and left the room at maximum speed.

Meanwhile, he noticed Gaston conversing with Elena without shame.

The bastard even made small jokes and shoved his delirious card game into the discussion.

"Tell me, my dear Elena, did someone ever pass you down a body part through a ritual? You might have created one yourself even if the chances are low."

A frown creased the beautiful archmage's brows for a second.

Then, her eyes lit up as a memory resurfaced.

"I remember killing an unusual adept when the war started. The selfish prick hoarded food and water while the citizens starved. I would have just passed without causing trouble if not for his stupid decision."

Her eyes narrowed into fiery slits, and her voice chilled, causing the surrounding temperature to drop.

"The ugly toad wanted to taste some swan meat, so I fought him to defend myself."

A pang of disgust filled his mouth, and his lips twisted in a horrible grimace.

Nothing disgusted him more than men like him. It was because of these mentally ill bastards that women feared them.

"Surprisingly, his skills almost rivalled mine because of his bizarre muscles. I can't describe enough the shock I felt when I discovered they could store mana like our hearts after his death. So, I took them back with me to Avaloria Frost Peak and transmuted them into my body."

She puffed her chest with pride and continued.

"A few years later, I became an archmage by forcefully condensing the seventh circle with all the mana they stored."

"That solves the mystery. She inherited the lovers' mythical muscles... and flaw."

Gaston tucked his fingers around his chin and sat comfortably to ponder.

BAM

He slapped the table. Brows twitching in annoyance, he glared at Gaston, his eyes spewing fire to tell him to shut up.

However, the nightmarish bastard just shrugged and answered.

"What? I also inherited my eyes. Someone showed up in Gabriel's duchy sixty years ago and traded an entire mythical serpent against food and a place to sleep. What a fool."

"Who asked, you bastard? Close it while I ask nicely."

He snorted coldly, suppressing his rising anger.

However, Gaston didn't care and continued under Elena's interested gaze.

"It turned out that the snake could travel between realms."

Gaston shook his head.

"Anyway, Gabrielle offered the eyes as a dowry and sold the core to awaken Julius' talent forty years later. My fool of a father grafted them on me when I was seven. That's how I became the devil."

He pinched the bridge of his nose, his annoyance lessening since he learned a little more about the ethereal serpent's core origin. Still, it was just a useless detail he didn't care about.

As he sighed to recover his bearings, Gaston's smile enlarged. Louder than a blast, his voice thundered in his ears.

"I think it was Lin something. He wore strange robes, had green eyes and hair, and had an unusual physique for someone his age. He claimed he came from the Lóngshān valley and killed the serpent himself at sixteen years old."

"Lin Yao!"

He roared, the noise of his own excitement defeating him as he rushed to Gaston and gripped his uniform.

"Where did he go? Did he stay in contact? Do you have a way to locate him?" Continue your adventure with My Virtual Library Empire

Gaston's blue eyes flashed maliciously as he urged him for an answer.

"Now you're interested, huh? Unfortunately, no. Lin Yao had just arrived in our world and needed a place to sleep the night. He left the following day despite Gabriel's hiring offers. I think he spoke about finding his friend who dropped off the serpent mid-way."

Gaston shook his head and pushed his hands aside.

"Anyway, they're old stories the old dog had recounted around dinner when I was a kid. I don't know if he embellished some parts or invented everything to motivate me to train harder."

He lowered his head in disappointment, yet a brilliant spark of hope brightened his soul.

Despite the lack of information, Gaston proved Lin Yao's existence and status as a cultivator. After all, he came from another world!

'I'll find his carcass and retrieve his dan tian after the maritime trip. I'll look for L's too. But no one mentioned him besides Nova.'

As he sorted his thoughts and planned for the future, Shepard returned. Julius walked behind him, his hazel eyes narrowed in wariness and his hand resting on his gladius' pommel.

Like a ghost, Shepard floated to him. Scrutinising Elena, he whispered.

"I summed the situation up, so he knows who we're dealing with."

However, they forgot to account for a minor detail, yet one too glaring to be overlooked.

The gladius sang as it left its sheath. A blinding flash of silver cleaved the air in a wide vertical arc before everyone's widening eyes as an enraged roar coming from Julius' guts rocked the windows.

"Die, monster!"

"Oh? The little puppy grew up into a menacing wolf."

Gaston chuckled, unfazed by the boy's sudden attack or the noise of the wind parting with incredible speed.

With a lazy side step, he dodged the gladius' lethal chop and sent a middle kick to push the kid away.

However, his brows shot up in surprise as the muffled sound of the collision reached his ears, and his foot stopped dead in its tracks.

CRACK

A silver light glinting with the metal element dug into the ground, leaving a deep gash and raising dust a centimeter from him.

Meanwhile, Julius continued his charge, unbothered by the failed attack or the tickle he felt from the kick.

He pushed onwards like a human beast, animated by pure hatred and revenge, forcing Gaston's leg to bend.

'Not good,' Gaston thought, a calculative glint flashing in his eyes.

He searched for the most optimal dodge trajectory in a split second, his dark ponytail fluttering with his movement.

Of course, he could retaliate with his dark spells. But if he did, he didn't doubt Adam would kill him the next second.

'Speaking about that fool. What is he waiting for?'

As if answering his thoughts, Adam blurred before him and gripped Julius' hand before he could complete his third swing.

'I'm going to kill them both at this rate.'

His brows twitch as he peered down, seeing the room below through the two gashes.

Then, he pushed Julius back and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Yes, he is back. No, you can't kill him. We'll need his strength in the future, so put your resentment aside."

Julius glared intently at him in response, his shoulders shaking in suppressed rage.

"I let Eleanor and Nathan go because you asked me to. But him? Never! He killed Grandpa Theodor! How can you even stand in the same room as your best friend's killer? I'm so disappointed in you, big brother!"

Meanwhile, Elena sat comfortably, wishing she had snacks to enjoy the drama.