I Refused To Be Reincarnated

After regaining his composure, Shepard eyed the thick bone. Greed flickered in his eyes for a moment before he coughed. "I'm interested in this material. Want to trade it?" He asked, imagining how sturdy the staff he would create using it would be.

However, Julius shook his head. "I can't decide. Ask big bro after he wakes up," he responded, shrugging his shoulders and reviewing the events in his mind. He understood the sigil was more than a mere medal, but what consequences would its destruction have? Unfortunately, without more knowledge of the emperor's and magus' dynamics, he failed to draw any conclusion.

His mind wandered for a moment until Shepard's voice awakened him from his contemplation.

"What a shame," he said, a disappointed smile tugging at his lips. Then, he gazed at the starlit sky as a calculative light flashed in his eyes. "It's not too late to visit Orion," he added, elated by his survival. In an excellent mood, he wanted to resolve all the lingering problems in one fell swoop. That, of course, included Adam's coma.

"I don't know who that man is, but sure," replied Julius, trusting the arcanist and recalling his youth. Ever since he was a kid, his brother insisted on the importance of the mind. Once shattered, having a body, or a soul in his case, wouldn't matter. According to his words, it even placed first on the ladder of importance despite his yearning for a body.

As he pondered, Shepard set the Gate's coordinate before returning with a smile.

"For information, the school covers a small area of the Jadevale kingdom. Its king rose to power fifty years ago," the dean explained, with a raised finger, knowing how much the boy loved history classes.

Next, they traversed the thick mana veil, enduring the disgusting sensation of teleportation, before opening their eyes in a different place.

Similar to the college, a thick barrier encased the school's campus. However, the stars drew Julius' attention the most. He didn't know why, but their fierce flow illuminated the sky more than the moon, confusing him. He knew astral mages focused on discovering other realms and communicating with their inhabitants. Yet, the otherworldly landscape still thrilled him into mutism.

Meanwhile, Shepard scanned the surroundings with a smirk. "Humph. My academy's garden is much better than this rathole," he snorted, crossing his arms around his chest with a proud expression.

"..." Julius gazed at him suspiciously in response. 'It's not,' he thought, wondering if Shepard's competitiveness blinded him.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

"A shame the boy is too shy to break your delusions, man-child." A sudden voice echoed, sounding from everywhere at the same time.

His fists raised into a guard, Julius scanned the surroundings, ready to protect himself in this unfamiliar place.

"Oh! What a scary kid," said the voice before a man suddenly appeared before him in a show of sparkling lights. "Shepard, your students are much worse than mine! Look at him! He is already ready to resort to violence!" The man said, stroking his long beard before his wrinkly face broadened into a smirk. "But I guess it's normal.

They must resemble their dean!" He added, openly taunting the powerful arcanist.

"Shut up, Orion. If you want to compete, wait for the next inter-academy tournament. My students will not only crush yours but everyone's disciples," answered Shepard, his eyes narrowed into slits. Since the rules forbade them to fight, each arcanist believed to be the greatest. Thus, to compete without ravaging the earth and follow the rules, they used the competition to rank themselves.

And to spice things up, they organised betting sessions.

"Hahaha. Sure. With your alchemy and transmutation, I only hope you won't end up last again," Orion chuckled, his eyes glistening with amusement. How bold was the man to claim he would beat everyone when his students focused on learning supporting jobs rather than offensive spells? "Keep deluding yourself," he added before turning to the boy glaring daggers at him.

"Your big brother won't win. What can he do against students wielding the elements, summoning terrifying creatures from other planes, wielding light and dark magic, illusion or transforming? Throw potions at them?" He said, shaking his head. Then, he gazed at his rival, who desperately tried to steal his ninth place for the last decades.

"Why did you visit me so late?" He asked, dropping his playful attitude to assume the bearing of an arcanist.

Meanwhile, Julius' eyes widened as a startling idea popped into his mind. 'Can he read my thoughts?' He asked, his jaws dropping as Orion winked at him to confirm his suspicions.

"One of my pupils suffered heavy mental damage. Can you heal him?" Replied Shepard, his face turning solemn as he knew nothing came free in this world.

"Mhh. The ghost attached to the boy?" Muttered Orion before mouthing a spell to scan his mind. He lingered momentarily as his hands shook and old eyes widened before replying. "I can heal him. But for his young age, he bears deep scars."

Confused by the answer, Julius spoke, knowing his thoughts weren't private anymore, "What do you mean? Big Bro should be around forty-two. He isn't young at all."

"He lied to you. I feel the moment and date of his birth clearly. The twenty-ninth of the eight-month twelve years ago, he opened his eyes for the first time," he said, his brows furrowing as he realised the inconsistency.

"That's impossible," Shepard said, sharing his understanding and doubts. When did he die if the moment he awakened as a ghost was the moment of his birth?

However, Orion's spell couldn't be wrong. No matter where you came from or how time flew in your plane, its accuracy never failed him.

"Maybe it's because he is a summoned?" Asked Julius, finding their doubtful expressions ridiculous.

"It doesn't matter. The stars exist and hover above every plane. He's twelve years old, that's a fact," answered Orion before dropping the conversation. After all, it was a mystery they needed to solve, not him. Then, he smiled, continuing their earlier discussion and stating his price, "Since you already know about the summoned, I want five of them."

However, Shepard's answer baffled them. "What's a summoned?" He asked, his gray eyes glistening with confusion. Since he served no kings and ruled a city-state, no one informed him about the undercurrents shaking the world's foundations or the bleak future prophesied.