I Refused To Be Reincarnated-Chapter 676: A Taste of Talent

As Adam dusted his hands with a satisfied grin, hurried footsteps drew his attention to the corridor.

Clutching a pulsing beast core, Noah rushed through the circular gate. Though he wasn’t sure about what Adam wanted to do, his hands trembled in anticipation as he presented it. A talent awakening couldn’t be bad, right?

"We got it from a Humming Death." He felt sweat cover his palms as his voice cracked with hesitation. "The order suffered many losses because of that vicious tier seven insect. But we eventually tore off its wings and shattered its chitin. We used the body parts long ago, but the core became a show of our predecessors’ resilience, exposed in the venomous temple for the younger generations to admire."

Adam snatched the core, rolling his eyes. "Who asked you about its story?" ƒree𝑤ebnσvel-com

Noah bit his lip, his eyes slipping to the side before a steely glint flashed in them. "It has historical value to the order. Even I admired it during my youth, so please... don’t ruin it."

"Tsk. It’s just a tier seven core. Keep it if you don’t trust me." Adam shrugged.

If Noah didn’t want compensation for the deed and the knowledge, why would he force the matter? Especially for a humming whatever core. He had more than he could use in his bastion, all of higher quality.

Misha watched Noah grapple between worry and curiosity from the side, her lips twisting slightly. She felt a little bad for Noah. But could she let the poor man miss the opportunity after they benefited from him? Not really. That wasn’t how she or Adam were—even if he wouldn’t admit it.

With a gentle smile, she approached Noah. "Your worries make sense, but we want to repay you."

Adam grumbled. He would have repaid Noah one way or another. But he didn’t need to know about it before they were far away. What was done was done, though, and Noah’s posture straightened already.

"I-I’ll trust you..." he muttered, finding the last sliver of courage he had needed in Misha’s smile.

"So dramatic for something impossible to fail." Adam snapped his fingers, mana erupting into dense symbols on the walls, ground, and ceiling, each pulsing a beautiful sky-blue color.

Noah gasped at the unknown patterns before Adam placed the core on the desk and commanded. "Stand there. It’ll be over in what? Ten seconds?"

Heart drumming loud enough to deafen him, and breath ragged, he rushed to the desk. The time for hesitation was gone. He had to see this talent awakening through.

The moment he did, the core responded. As if feeling his presence, it hummed and shone a deep purple, connecting with his heart through his mana circuit.

He recoiled, the alien sensation taking him off guard. The records talked about the rhythmic drumming the monstrous wasp’s wings produced. And he felt the same thing resonate with him.

’Calm down.’ He took a deep breath. ’He knows what he’s doing.’

Trusting Adam and ignoring the drumming, he sensed the core’s energy transfer itself into him. Like a gentle stream, it coursed through his circuits before it settled in his heart as if it had always been its rightful place.

Depleted, the core cracked and turned into fine dust, blown by his quick breath a few seconds later. He clutched his warm chest, the cave lit by a storm of colors in his eyes and his thoughts rushing like a raging river.

He subconsciously understood how simple yet incredible his talent was.

"Better mental resistance, reaction speed, and higher affinity to venom!" He raised his fists, unable to believe he had inherited a part of the Humming Death’s strength.

Behind him, Adam crossed his arms and sighed, the result disappointing. "A flop."

"Really?" Misha leaned toward him, grinning. "Looks decent to me."

He shook his head. "He wanted to know how to wield mana and qi but didn’t get a dan tian."

Noah’s breath caught in his throat, disbelief painting his face red. Could this ritual make the impossible possible? Why did his ancestor not pass it down if it was this amazing? No, no, no. Why did no one succeed then? And how was his talent bad? It was incredible!

More questions buzzed in his racing mind, each adding to the mystery.

Yet it didn’t matter to Adam, who just continued. "I don’t know if Julius was lucky or if only the Ethereal Serpent can grant a dan tian to a mage. Well, we tried." He waved at Noah. "You still benefited from it, so don’t feel too bad. We’ll take our leave if you don’t mind."

However, Noah roared, his voice cracking and breath ragged. "An Ethereal Serpent?! That’s rarer than a tier eight dragon! How did you find one, and more importantly, how did you kill it before it escaped to another world?"

Adam paused, then smirked. "That’s true. I’ve seen a dragon and a phoenix, yet no Ethereal Serpent. I guess we lucked out."

A dragon and a phoenix? How was he still alive? Noah shuddered, but the echo of Adam’s steps shattered his shock.

He couldn’t let this mysterious youth leave so soon, not when he could perform the ritual for a few talented youths. He just had to play his card right to convince him.

Without wasting a second, he rushed behind Adam. "Wait! What will others think about the order of the venomous path if we treat our guests this poorly? Please, you must enjoy our hospitality and spend the night in our town. You’ll see, we have amazing local dishes, and the temple is worth exploring."

Adam tilted his head. "We got what we came for." His eyes narrowed. "Or do you take me for a fool? I know all you want is the ritual."

Noah paled, icy sweat forming between his brows. Why was he so perceptive?!

Fortunately, Misha pointed her finger at him, a playful smile spreading across her face. "Bill told us about the unfortunate kids. We can awaken their talents if you provide the cores. Not for free, though."

"Your price is mine." Noah clenched his fist behind his back in victory, agreeing without second thoughts. Of course, talented youths would have been better. But offering a future to the wretched ones also had merits.

"Magical herbs will do. The more, the better." Adam’s eyes narrowed into slits, his voice threatening. "I don’t need to tell you what will happen if word gets out, right?"

Noah gulped, torn between delight and fear. He nodded fast enough for his head to blur with his newly enhanced speed. "No one visited the order. The kids and I stumbled on an ancient legacy which awakened our powers. But we don’t know how."

Emerging from the underground corridor, Adam raised his thumb. "Sounds like a decent story. You can prepare everything."

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