I Refused To Be Reincarnated-Chapter 680: A Taste of True Poison

Horrified by the green mana spiraling around William, the students stumbled back, clutching the corridor’s cold walls for support.

No one liked the previous order leader. He was stern, prone to anger, and a sucker for rules. Now that he had pronounced the condemnation, even Noah could not save Adam.

But the target of William’s anger didn’t move. Instead, crossed-armed, lips curled into a cocky smirk, Adam met his gaze.

Poison was the element he feared the least. Not only would his D.N.A develop antibodies faster than it could spread, but the serpent who had raised him made it a personal mission to immunise him thoroughly from any form of venom. And which archmage, no matter how old, would have the audacity to claim he knew better than a magical beast?

"Even imminent death can’t wipe that presumptuous expression from your face? If I were anyone else, I might have applauded your courage." William’s eyes narrowed into slits.

Green poison spiralled around his hand as it moved to grip Adam’s shoulder. A death by heart failure, lightning-fast and painless. That’s the only mercy he’ll give the insolent youth.

His hand met Adam’s shoulder, his icy voice echoing in judgment. "You’re nothing but a fool, a rotten seed contaminated by madness. I’ll pull you out before your rebellious behavior spreads to our untainted burgeons."

The students gasped for air, knowing Adam was doomed. Strength wouldn’t help against an experienced archmage.

Sharing his fellows’ opinions, James gnawed on his thumbnail, his feet rising to help Adam but lowering the next second because of William’s horrifying aura.

His mission to guide Adam... Not to provoke him... Now, he would shoulder the responsibility of this fiasco. He clenched his jaws. William—that half a foot in the grave old bastard. Everything was his fault! True, he deserved respect for his past achievements, strength, and advanced age, but that old coot was too unreasonable!

Still, he had to do something, anything. Not for Adam—but so others could say he’d tried everything.

However, when determination surged in his heart, it deflated instantly as he saw the unthinkable.

Adam’s grin broadened into something unsettling, predatory, almost devilish. Just watching it chilled his soul and froze his blood.

"Is that all? A mere cardiotoxin? Let me show you true poison."

Moving as if nothing afflicted him, he placed his palm on William’s shoulder. Mana gushed out in a fountain, purples and greens melding into a dark color that seeped through the old man’s pores.

William’s eyes widened at first. "How are you unaffected?!" Then, they rolled as his voice cracked in an agonising scream. "ARGH!"

He stepped back, opening his robes only to tremble in horror at the sight. Dark veins spread in a throbbing spiderweb network. Red blisters emerged like slumbering volcanoes, ready to erupt with infected blood and pus.

He dropped to his knees, unable to believe how a youth not only resisted his toxins but retaliated with a venom he had never heard about before. It was as if... as its composition came from another world altogether.

"W-Who the hell are you?" Clutching his shoulder, he managed to hiss through the pain.

Adam shrugged. "Am I not a rotten seed you couldn’t let spread? Here, I shared a bit of my rot with you. I hope you enjoy my kind attention."

He moved past the archmage without glancing at him, followed by Misha, who pulled her tongue out in mockery.

"Did you think you could insult us, feel offended by our answer, then condemn us to death without consequences? You have ten seconds before you rot to oblivion, old fool."

Death’s icy fingers wrapped around William’s heart. Would he die just like that? No! Mutual destruction was an option. Or better. His lifelong efforts couldn’t betray him. He would break down the toxins’ structure and condense a counteragent with his mana. Then, these two youths would regret opposing an archmage, and poison resistance wouldn’t save them from his crushing mana!

Not wasting any more time on thoughts, he focused on halting the toxins’ progression while analysing their compositions.

Soon, the proteins laid bare before his eyes. Yet blood drained from his face as he cursed under his breath. What was this aberration composed of thousands of links? This complexity... two seconds remaining when even a year wouldn’t suffice to understand... Death would reap his soul. freёwebnoѵel.com

In his last moments, he couldn’t help but regret. Arrogance, conceitedness, comfort in his position—when had he begun to go astray?

Once, he was a dashing middle-aged man proudly leading the order against the inhospitable cultivator realm. Youths were the seeds he cared for the most until he stepped down to let his best student, Noah, replace him. But now? He had become a soured old man, petty enough to judge without listening to those he had once protected.

One second remained. He closed his eyes, tears trailing down his cheeks. "I count on you, Noah. Lead the order of the venomous path better than I did..."

His time was up, yet he heard the insolent youth’s voice behind him in his last moment.

"I hope you know you’re terrible, Misha."

"Why? He deserves it."

What were they talking about? Mhh? Why was he still alive, and... why was the pain receding?

Adam rolled his eyes. "What death after ten seconds? Why would I even kill him? It’s just an overly complex toxin that makes the infected suffer because the skin blisters too fast. It collapses on its own ten seconds later."

"You can talk, mister magic. You used his own element to humiliate him in the first place when you had a thousand other methods." Misha clicked her tongue, shaking her head.

William snapped his eyes open and twisted his lips. These youths had played him! But somehow, he sighed in relief. Any lingering hostility faded as he pushed himself off the ground and walked to Adam and Misha.

The students, who had been watching in muted stupor, almost fell to the ground when they heard him.

"I was at fault." William lowered his head. "Please accept my apologies, and... I’m glad to see such talents join us."

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