I Refused To Be Reincarnated

Like a magical feline, his hands moved with inhuman reflexes as death caressed his back with its icy finger.

TING TING

Dull thuds resounded, his guandao trembled, sending tremors jolting through his hand, and his heart drummed against his chest.

But Adam wasn't done yet.

BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM

Six explosions rocked the wet ground, causing the scarlet liquid to vaporise under the heat as soon as Gaston blocked the two bullets.

Alarmed, Gaston glared at Adam instantly, scanning for the source of the attack. However, all he saw was the dying man's mocking smile, mouthing the words 'I win' before succumbing to blood loss.

Bewildered by the message, he tried to jump back. However, before he could initiate his movement, his pupils constricted in shock as blood-curdling impacts forced his head to lower. Instantly, he analysed and understood what had just happened: three mana bullets pierced his skull from above!

The realisation struck him like a hammer. Adam's three missed shots were a part of his scheme. Just like he had learned Adam's mana bullets, Adam assimilated his technique to make them hover without dissipating!

And after shooting them, Adam forcefully halted their momentum, keeping them above him. Then, when his victory was assured and about to deliver the final strike, Adam used part of the mana fueling his technique to detonate the air behind them, resurrecting their lost velocity and buzzing like lethal wasps towards the distracted Gaston.

As for the three other explosions? They were an insidious lure to draw his attention to the ground, all to hide the real attack.

As realisation settled in his mind, he gathered the last bit of strength he had left to curl his lips in a disdainful smile and uttered, "Fucking annoying cockroach. I really hope you'll reach the legendary ninth tier and become a Supreme Sorcerer, or your victory will be a waste!"

Leaving those last words and filled with his unachieved ambitions behind, Gaston's body slowly dissipated into the bloody ground until his figure completely disappeared.

The dreary space suddenly cracked like a mirror the next second. Shards fell from the sky before turning into light particles upon contact with the red liquid. Soon, the blood covering the ground slowly changed. From its scarlet color, it turned to a beautiful azure blue with tints of green.

The piles of white bones gathered and transformed into a black circular mass, resembling land amidst an enchanting sea.

Finally, Gaston's bony throne dissipated into colourful lights, dancing in the sky akin to an aurora borealis before the cracked space healed itself.

*****

Unaware of the changes taking place in the mysterious space he had been locked in for four years, Adam's eyes snapped open, the monstrous body of what seemed to be the grotesque mix of a man and a beast greeting his eyes.

Still thinking he was in hell and that his plan had failed to kill Gaston, he couldn't help but tremble at his nemesis' new appearance.

Without wasting time, ten mana bullets simultaneously condensed. They circled his body elegantly for a second before darting in a lethal barrage at the unsuspecting monster as his madness-filled voice reverberated.

"GASTOOOOOOOON!"

Hearing the familiar voice of the person he considered his brother, teacher, confidant, and hero, tears welled in Julius' eyes. The wind whipped against his clothes as he turned, his eyes trembling at the sight of Adam's spectral form and at his brother's eyes radiating light.

Simultaneously, Marco sensed the incoming lethal projectiles, his lips curling down and his body trembling. Hurriedly, he threw himself to the side to dodge them.

BOOM

However, the air suddenly exploded behind them, hastening their velocity and making the wind roar in their wake.

Left with no choice and understanding they would hit him, Marco desperately raised his arms to block, counting on his thick muscles to protect his vitals as an ugly grimace distorted his face.

Soon, dull thuds reverberated as the bullets dug ten deep, bloody holes in the monster. Guttural screams of pain and disbelief filled the camp for a second.

"Who is here? Why is an apprentice interfering?"

His terrifying voice resounded as dread's icy fingers gripped his heart. According to his estimates, the spell's speed and power were at the limit between the second and third tier, making his defeat unavoidable if the mysterious individual interfered to protect the kids.

"Interfere my foot. Did you go crazy because I almost got you? Hahaha," Adam answered, appearing behind Marco in a monstrous burst of speed while swinging his Ethereal Radiance towards his neck.

Confusion glinted in his eyes the next moment. His attack passed through Marco's neck, not leaving a single scratch. Yet, icy sweat covered Marco's forehead, and an uncontrollable shiver shook his entire body as if the Grim Reaper had his eyes fixed on his back.

"Huh? What is happening?" Adam asked, perplexed by his sudden inability to attack his enemy.

However, before he could figure out the answer, a young man suddenly charged at the monster.

Simultaneously, Julius, empowered by the presence of his brother, jumped towards the monstrous Marco, spun in the air to gain momentum, and swiped his right leg in a wide arc, infusing it with every ounce of Qi his body contained.

Fwosh

His leg passed through the unprotected neck of the distracted Marco, severing it cleanly as if struck by a weapon.

Still searching for the interfering enemy, Marco's eyes widened in disbelief as he sensed his vision spin before he saw his own bleeding body and, more importantly, his now empty neck.

"How did I lose against kids and weaklings?" Marco's voice weakly resounded, filled with disbelief. He had planned everything with his employer down to the last details, even going as far as to prepare one of those extremely rare and potent pills. So, how did he end up dying on such an easy mission?

Unfortunately, until he died, he couldn't see the perplexed ghost floating behind him with widened eyes. He, too, had many questions he had to find answers to.

After carefully examining his surroundings, he realised the ground was not bloody anymore, and the monstrosity wasn't Gaston. Moreover, even after fighting his nemesis for so long, a third person never appeared in hell.

'So, where am I?'

He thought, a tsunami of confusion assaulting his mind. This place looked like the living world he was used to, but he couldn't be here. After all, he knew he had died to stop Gaston's evil plan four years ago.

Lost in thought, he suddenly heard two teens scream while running out of a carriage. Then, he saw the young black-haired boy who killed Marco look at him, tears flowing down his cheeks and wild tremors shaking his body.

Finding this scene a bit weird, Adam tried to communicate with the boy and said, "Why are you crying, and who are you?"