I Refused To Be Reincarnated-Chapter 623: Last Stand in the Armory

Meanwhile, mana danced in Adam’s tightening throat before a roar, powerful enough for the disciples waiting in the forest to hear it, rocked the sky.

"Send the guardians you branded to the armory and flee, Xian Yunxu. Take everyone out with you. I repeat, focus on escaping, or everyone will die!"

Before his words faded, the emperor’s voice echoed. "Turn right and cross the garden. The armory has its own building. You can’t miss it!"

Adam cut through the garden with a nod, the sculpted bushes exploding into rains of branches and leaves. The pond water splashed, his figure vanishing before the droplets hit the upturned soil.

He stopped before a luxurious building coated with golden calligraphies. Two roaring dragon statues, so lifelike that it seemed the real mythical creatures had been petrified, guarded the broad doors. Besides, five inactive guardians sat, their six arms lowered and their weapons glinting on the lush grass.

But a cursory glance was all Adam threw them. Instead, he shoved the doors open, revealing the neat rows of weapon racks lining the walls.

Intricate swords sparkled with ancient Qi enchantment and detailed flourishes, making them look like art pieces rather than killing tools.

He saw halberds twice as tall as he was and double-edged axes of the same quality. But what drew his attention was the middle-aged man in their midst.

Sitting crossed-legged, his flowing dark hair fluttered, and his crown, carved from dragon scales, tilted with the movement.

Adam noted the embroidered robes depicting celestial landscapes, with a pronounced accent on black holes, as deep purple eyes met his gaze.

"Welcome, Adam. I’m the void..."

"I don’t care. How are you here before me? And tell me how to brand the guardians!" He cut him off, pointing at the dozens of inactive guardians by the side.

The emperor’s lips twisted into a grimace. "Such an impudent brat. I have access to the entire palace through the teleportation formations in my tomb."

Adam’s eyes narrowed and his voice chilled. "Please, tell me you sabotaged them after teleporting."

The emperor snorted. "Of course I did! I admit I made a mistake, but it doesn’t mean I’m a fool!" He pinched the bridge of his nose, his brows twitching. "Anyway, the guardians are far inferior to Andras’ puppet. They can buy you a few minutes, but that’s about it. So, what do we do?"

"Aren’t you supposed to come up with a plan, oh great void emperor? Just forget about it. I have no time to waste with you since you can’t help."

Without sparing a glance at the mythical emperor who had once sacrificed himself and everything he held dear to protect the realm, he rushed to the guardians.

Touching their icy polished surface, he scanned their inner structures, materials, and durability with a deepening frown.

As the emperor said, they were only on the entry stage of the eight-tier, probably slightly weaker than Prometheus had been. Compared to the puppet edging on the ninth, they would provide little to no help.

’Think, or we’re all dead. There must be a solution!’ His fingers trembled, a knot of dread tying around his neck a little more with each second crawling by.

Yet, a steely glint flashed in his eyes. The answer has to be in his memories. Perhaps a compilation of different achievements?

’Enchant them with mana? Not enough. Refine the materials through transmutation? A good start, but lacking. Combine the materials?’

As his mind raced, his eyes landed on his small palm. His eyes brightened. Wasn’t that his ultimate achievement?

"Combine them!" He exclaimed, memories of his puppet and the mana suit he had crafted for Maxwell flashing in his mind.

No. It had to be something bulkier. Speed didn’t matter here, only durability and firepower. As long as he killed the puppet or distracted it until the blessed land closed, they would be safe.

With a determined nod, solar flames erupted from his legs. Simultaneously, crisscrossing magic symbols arranged in an intricate magic circle pulsed with mana by the side.

The guardians’ torsos proved too hard to melt, but the moment their limbs softened enough, he cut them off with a spatial blade and threw them into the magic circle.

Flames and lightning crackled as he transmuted the metals to raise their quality to near perfection in the blink of an eye.

Sweat cascaded down his forehead in a relentless stream, his mind splitting to complete each task simultaneously. ’I can’t make a single mistake. Focus. Focus!’

Mana brightened on his burning hands as he shaped the new materials into thick limbs. Complex engravings weaved along their smoldering surfaces as earth Qi seeped into the metals, reinforcing it to the limit.

The emperor’s jaws dropped open as he observed the surreal spectacle. Even his second son, the palace’s architect, hailed as an unparalleled genius born once every ten thousand years, couldn’t work that fast. Was he rushing because of their impending doom?

He studied Adam’s red face and blurring hands, then the three-meter giant as thick as three burly men. If that was rushed work, most craftsmen would hide in shame.

More questions buzzed in his mind as Adam gripped the most sturdy shields in the armory and shaped them into thick armor plates. He leapt to his feet when he saw him strap ten arms, six with hands and four hollows. Why? What was he doing? His lips burned, but he couldn’t take the risk of distracting him.

Now he dug holes through the torso’s armor? Why was he pouring weapons into them? Why did he waste precious seconds to refine glass for the inexplicably large head?

"..." The world lost its colors the next second as he saw... "What the hell are you doing?! The puppet can arrive at any second, yet you paint!"

Adam glared at him, wiping the sweat off his face with his sleeve and nodding at the red sword arms and silvery cannons. "Style before all." He taped on the golem’s dark and purple head.

BUZZ

With metallic noise, a trap opened, revealing two chairs connected to vein-like engravings that pulsed on the ground and walls. freeweɓnovel~cѳm

Jumping inside, he called for the emperor. "Come in, or the puppet will kill you first."

The emperor’s brows shot up. So, it wasn’t a guardian puppet?

As he moved to enter, his eyes twitched in hesitation. Something was wrong... horribly wrong. "Wait. Didn’t you tell your friend to send the guardians she had branded here? Why aren’t they here yet?" His breath caught in his throat, his face paling. "Where are... my children?"

"Hehehe." A disgusting laugh echoed outside. The world seemed to grow silent just to let it through as if terrorised by its owner’s malevolence. "Do you want the answer, my dear, dear emperor? You might dislike it, though."

"Don’t stay rooted and climb in, old fool!" Adam roared, lunging on his seat.

As soon as he did, the engravings gulped his mana like a ravenous beast, crackling with bright sky-blue arcs as the giant shuddered under the influx of power.

Fueled with his mana, mechanical rumbles rocked the room before its arms blurred. They grabbed the emperor and shoved him inside as the trap shut with a loud clang a split second later.

He knew the emperor’s heart must bleed. After all, the puppet probably devoured or enslaved anyone that crossed his path to the armory. Even he felt a stinging pain and growing unease regarding Xian Yunxu’s situation.

But they had no time for outside considerations! This was the last stand, which would decide if they’d see another sunrise or fall into a hellish pit of despair and suffering.

This chapter is updat𝙚d by f(r)eew𝒆bn(o)vel.com