I Refused To Be Reincarnated

As the duo stepped out of the Gate and set foot in the peaceful college, Shepard's eyes bulged in shock as an icy shiver ran down his spine. He swiftly unpowered the Gate, worrying The Beast Emperor would emerge behind them and slap him to death.

Then, he asked, disbelief painted on his face, 'How are you alive?' He couldn't bring himself to believe he succeeded. After all, The Emperor was a renowned madman who killed at the slightest sign of disrespect.

He even heard that twelve years ago, he almost started a war against another powerful country after a mage laughed at him during a meeting. Who in his right mind would do that?

"I don't know... My brain can't follow anymore..." Julius tiredly answered. The only thing he wanted right now was to return to his room and relax in a hot bath after the stressful meeting. After all, despite his maturity, he was only twelve and, as an honest and straightforward boy, couldn't follow the rapidly changing events.

"I succeeded. He will lend me his sigil in six months. By the way, he is a nice man. Why are you scared of him, and when will you give me the spell book?" Adam answered, grinning. Why did they all doubt the result so much? He also didn't forget about the promised spell book, happy to get a freebie.

Shepard gazed at him, doubting his understanding of the world for a minute before roaring in laughter. "Hahaha. I should have known that only a madman could get along with another." He said in amusement. The Beast Emperor? A nice man? So many people were killed under his rule that it was impossible to count them!

Julius nodded vigorously in agreement, remembering the terrifying transformation and life force of the man and his big brother's many weird ideas, while Adam's face turned unsightly.

'Since when am I a madman?' He thought, feeling hurt by Julius' swift nod. Despite this, he considered the emperor to be fair, always adhering to the rules.

Moreover, he understood something during the meeting. The emperor's transformation didn't rely on transmutations but on spells. With his understanding of Elena's legacy, he was sure about it. So, what was the difference since he didn't need to cast either?

As he pondered the limitations of spells at the archmage tier, Shepard said, walking towards his tower. "Follow me. You can pick a spell book from my collection. I'll only ask you to return it before graduating."

As they followed behind him, admiring the peaceful academy, Shepard finally asked, unable to contain his curiosity any longer. "By the way, what ritual are you trying to conduct?"

The ghost gazed at him with a conflicted expression before answering, "A ritual to transform minerals." He couldn't share or even mention Kwame's ritual.

His research was just too unreal, and he didn't doubt he would be killed instantly for it if he shared the knowledge. He refused to take any unnecessary risks now that he almost had all the materials secured. So, he lied.

"I see... Actually, I don't. Why do you want to do that?" He asked, perplexed by his objective as Adam gazed at him in annoyance.

"Try to build a body for myself." He said, shocking Julius with the unexpected revelation.

"Did you find a way, big bro?" He asked, his heart filled with joy and hope. He had been searching and asking for a solution since entering college when Adam was training in the Dream place. Unfortunately, he had found no method; not even Vikram knew how to offer a solution.

"Maybe..." Adam answered, guilt gripping his heart. The ritual was unusable before he became an archmage, and he doubted the beast emperor would help him.

He could have asked the emperor as an additional condition but didn't want to push his luck. After all, the man already needed six months of preparation for the sigil. How could he ask for more?

As he saw Julius' jubilation, he swiftly added, "Don't have too much hope. Nothing is sure yet." He hated to have to lie to the boy but couldn't tell the truth either.

"What's the first thing you'll do after getting a body?" Julius asked in excitement and curiosity, dismissing his words.

"Ha... I don't know... Perhaps eat until my stomach bursts?" he answered, smiling wryly. He always missed the simple pleasure of indulging in a hearty meal.

"Hahaha. I'll help cook a feast then!" The boy's eyes lit in emotion. How many times did he dream of sharing mundane activities with his big brother? Sadly, his ghostly condition denied them even the simplest joys.

Shepard gazed at the duo with a smile, unwilling to interrupt them. Yet, within, his mind raced as he imagined Adam possessing his own body. With it, and since he was now his official disciple, he could use his protege's talent to dominate the other academies during their decennial contest.

Just thinking about the wealth he could obtain by plundering the other arcanists' possessions during their betting session caused his eyes to burn with ambition.

As they arrived before his living quarters, he finally asked, his eyes glinting mischievously. "Can you complete the ritual before two years?"

"I don't know. It's complicated." Adam answered with a frown, wondering why two years particularly.

"If you lack materials or need help to conduct the ritual, remember, I can help," Shepard said with a wide grin, planning to invest in the project if needed. After all, his returns would be nothing short of staggering if Adam really participated and defeated all the other arcanists' disciples.

"Ah? Thank you." Adam answered, a bit astonished by the sudden offer, as Shepard opened the doors, revealing an interior stacked with magic devices, alchemical tools, and research papers.

"Welcome to my home. You can come here instead of going to classes if you have questions related to your progression or to read books. By the way, be sure to come tomorrow. I'll introduce you to my other disciples." He said with a wide smile as he guided the duo to the second floor.

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