I Refused To Be Reincarnated

Julius regarded Beatrix with a perplexed expression. No one had ever addressed him in such a manner, and it felt distinctly odd.

"We came to accept your offer," Adam said, smiling innocently.

Echoing his words, the sound of Beatrix's hand meeting the desk reverberated through the room as she slapped it in excitement. Her eyes sparkled with satisfaction, and her lips curved into an enchanting smile. "I'm glad you chose me! I'm sure we can do so much together!" her melodious voice echoed in the empty room.

"But... I have a condition." Adam said, making her frown. "I need some rare element-neutral materials. If you can get hold of a set, I'll help you become an adept in less than five years."

Beatrix gazed at the ghost in shock, her eyes wide, the monocle almost falling from her nose and her mouth open. She wondered how he could be so sure he could pull it off.

"Show me the list." She said, her delicate face turning serious. She might harbor doubts but trusted Shepard's discerning eye.

Adam wrote the materials from tier four and above using mana, causing Beatrix to almost fall from her seat.

"Do you realise that your list is worth a small kingdom? What do you need those materials for?" She asked, her voice trembling.

"A ritual. I can't share much, but know that if I succeed, I'll probably become a mage by the end of this academic year." He revealed with burning eyes.

His words even shocked Julius. How would his big brother become a mage when he couldn't even gather mana on his own? He could drink potions to remedy the problem but had already consumed one this year.

Beatrix gazed at the ghost intently. If he could really rise from tier one to tier four in one academic year, he might become an adept in less than five years. The youngest mage in the world took four years in the academy to reach that tier after all. Even after centuries had passed, his record remained unbroken.

She tapped her index on her desk pensively before deciding. "I can get you the tier-five materials." She said, succumbing to the temptation under Julius' astonished gaze.

He failed to understand how she could accept to trade two valuable materials for a hypothetical opportunity to become an adept.

But her eyes shone with determination. After years of stagnation, she would seize any chance for advancement, even if she had to sacrifice rare materials.

"If I'm not mistaken, Thaddeus obtained a ghostly essence years ago. You can try to get it from him. The tier-four materials are the easiest to get. Vikram has a bunch of them. Considering your good relationship with Arun, he'll probably give you what you need," Beatrix said, trying her best to help Adam before a deep frown etched itself onto her delicate face.

"The problem is the last two... For the ancestral grimoire, try to ask Elysia. She comes from an old family of mages. Who knows? She might have inherited one." She paused briefly, a shiver running down her spine as she fixed the last material's name.

"Ask Shepard for the archmage sigil. If he can't help you get it, no one can." She said, her voice echoing ominously in the classroom, forcing Julius to take a step back.

Adam nodded calmly and said in gratitude, "Thank you for the information. You have my word. Any person who helps me now will become an adept in less than five years."

Beatrix nodded, hoping he could achieve his objective and hold his promise, before bidding the duo goodbye.

After leaving the classroom, Julius swiftly ran to Thaddeus' transmutation classroom. Fortunately, the old man was still inside, seated at his desk and reading a thick grimoire.

Knock Knock.

"Yes?" Thaddeus responded, his brows twitching in annoyance. Why couldn't he read in peace during mealtime?

However, after the door creaked open, and he discerned the ghostly figure of Adam through his monocle, his face brightened.

"Ah, isn't it our transmutation genius? Why did you suddenly come to visit this old man?" He said, his smile so wide that his pearly white teeth reflected the sunlight.

"I came to accept your offer..."

Adam repeated what he said to Beatrix, except he directly asked for the tier-six ghost essence instead of showing him the list.

"Count me in." Thaddeus made a split-second decision, accepting Adam's request without asking questions.

Julius regarded the man with a weary gaze, realising his big brother had been right since the beginning. They only wanted apprentices to become adepts. He shook his head in disappointment, releasing a heavy sigh.

Noticing his expression, Thaddeus frowned.

"You are still young, boy. You don't know what it is like to become a mage at a young age. Dream to climb the tiers all the way to the magus level, only to be crushed by reality and stagnate for decades." He said, reminiscing about his younger days.

Despite his diligent training during the past fifty years and the innumerable potions and elixirs he drank, he seemed unable to form his fifth circle. He still couldn't understand the reason. His mana reserve was as deep as a well and extremely potent. His rare affinity to metal was equally developed, reaching a really high level.

He could say without a doubt that he tried everything, yet failed. So, why not accept the ghost's offer? After all, he would have invested resources in him if he had become his disciple in the first place.

"You have my word. You'll become an adept soon." Adam reassured him before leaving the class with Julius.

As they made their way to Elysia's class, Adam pondered how to persuade her. She potentially held the second most valuable item. Thankfully, the grimoire wouldn't vanish after the ritual. It would only diminish in power. Still, the item was so precious that he questioned whether it could even be removed from a heavily guarded chamber in the first place.

Moreover, during their last conversation, he remembered he called her a dandelion eater.

He sighed in apprehension as Julius tried to open the door, only to find it locked.

"She already left, big bro." He said, his shoulders dropping in disappointment.