I Refused To Be Reincarnated

After fetching Nova and a brief discussion with the mage handling the Gate, he crossed it, stepping into Durazmarn's mountainous city.

He remained silent on the way, not sure about how to feel.

Despite his victory against all odds and the tier-six ore he got, the bizarre development doused the joy he should have felt.

More importantly, the chasm separating him from Edgar shattered his self-confidence.

The more he witnessed the prowess of higher-tier beings, the more his plans and dreams seemed unachievable. Confront tier-five vampires and werewolves with a potential tier-six leader?

'Might as well return, insult Edgar, then attack him and see how I die. And that's considering he is much weaker than those creatures.'

A bitter taste filled his mouth as he shook his head in ridicule.

The walking Nova noticed his slumped shoulders and defeated sigh, a frown creasing her brows.

"Cheer up! You are qualified for the five final matches. No matter what happened, you should celebrate!"

Her melodious, enthusiastic voice filled his ears, chasing his negative thoughts away.

He knew one of her bizarre, joyful abilities was at play, yet he felt grateful for her unwavering support.

"Thank you."

He muttered, indulging in her ability without resistance. After all, he couldn't remain depressed and still had a few solutions.

With Picket's tier-five core, the tier-six ore, and the tier-seven silver fruit tree's branches, he only lacked enough proficiency to create terrifying equipment.

'Or would integrating these materials to improve the puppet show better results?'

The question lingered in his mind for a moment before he shook his head.

'I need a specialist's opinion.'

And he just happened to know one.

"I'll go see an enchanter I met the other day. You can head back first."

An apologetic smile stretched his lips as he gazed into the ethereal beauty gray eyes. Find your next adventure on My Virtual Library Empire

She had nothing to do there and would wait, dying of boredom when they discussed something she didn't care about.

"Alright. Don't lose sense of time again, and head back. I'll show you something incredible in a few days."

With a gentle smile, she waved Stella's paw to bid goodbye and returned to their academy's room.

He watched her depart, the forge's light illuminating her white dress and the hot wind blowing her flowing hair as a warm sensation spread across his soul.

After lingering for a moment, he turned. Determination fueling his steps, he went to Yngrid's banned shop.

The moment he stepped through the old creaking door, the dwarf burst up the stairs. Her muscular arm rested on the counter while an expectant smile brightened her face.

"Ah! It's you again. Do you have more cores to sell, or did you make up your mind to order something from Durazmarn's best enchanter?"

Her braids danced as he noticed the excited gleam flashing in her eyes.

"Unfortunately, no. Instead, I came with an offer."

"Oh? Tell Aunty Yngrid. I'm sure I can help you... If the benefits are worth my time, of course."

He chuckled, impressed and enjoying her straightforward, even blunt character.

"I need technical advice on crafting high-tiered items. Before you refuse, I don't need to learn enchantments but how to handle the materials to maintain or even increase their properties."

Noticing her hesitation, he continued, knowing she struggled to get her hands on materials.

"I can pay you with tier four ores. I know I can trust you for the pricing."

She smiled at the offer and slammed the counter.

"Alright, little imp. But let me warn you, my training is hellish. No one ever returned after working with me for a day."

"Hahaha. I bet you'll give up before I do."

"Let's make it a friendly bet, then. Show me the materials."

She outstretched her palm, eyes sparkling and brows raised in curiosity.

He retrieved Picket's core and the Starmetal Ore, keeping the branches a secret.

With the tree alive and recovering, he knew he could work with it like he did for the Runebark, making her insight valuable but not vital. A tier seven material couldn't be shown wantonly, anyway. Even if he trusted her, no one could boast immunity to greed.

However, he miscalculated as her voice rumbled in the shop, and disbelief flushed her face red.

"Where did you get a tier-six ore?!"

She jumped over the counter, showing surprising agility for someone so short and bulky.

"Tell me the truth! Are you a royal bastard or an archmage's hidden son?"

Baffled by her words, his smile froze on his lips, and his eyes widened.

A moment later, he coughed.

"My mentor is an arcanist. Got the ore from him as a reward."

"I see!"

She clapped, beaming a joyous smile as her eyes flashed greedily.

"Let me turn this bad baby into a weapon. I'll do it for free! I want to work with rare minerals after so many years."

"Well. You can help me design the weapon and guide me during the forging process. But I'm the one who'll do everything."

A wry smile stretched his lips as he saw her bright eyes dim in disappointment.

'She is devoted to her craft and a nice person.'

A pang of guilt struck his soul. Her situation was too unfortunate.

'I want to help her...'

"You know what? I promise to give you the next high-tiered material I get. It might take some time, but trust me, I never lie."

A fire reignited in her dimming eyes.

She gripped his arm in the blink of an eye while her other hand slapped his back, wooden noise reverberating.

"Hahaha! I'll wait impatiently for that day! Follow me."

Without waiting for his approval, she dragged him into the dark backroom behind the counter.

He observed the neatly arranged and sparkling hammers and anvil, then the high-quality coal filling the colossal fireplace.

'This shop is so mysterious. The outward decay is like an illusion hiding the clean and well-managed interior.'

As he pondered, Yngrid lightened the fire using a surge of fiery mana before turning to him.

"Let's start with the boring theory."

The room temperature increased with each passing minute as he gulped her knowledge like a ravenous beast.

To his surprise, Yngrid proved to be an excellent and meticulous teacher. Just like him, she aimed for perfection and nothing else. No matter how many errors he made when she taught him forging techniques, she continued to ask him to start again from the beginning.

They worked until the sun disappeared into the horizon, and the moon illuminated the sky before she whistled.

"You're a tough nut to crack! I thought you would give up after six hours, top."

"No way! I can continue for at least sixty more."

"Yeah, sure. And I can forge nonstop for a month."

She rolled her eyes at his stupid claim. No one could remain focused for so long without rest, much less delving into such complex subjects.

"Let's sleep for today. You can come back tomorrow. For the price, I think one ore for three days should be honest."

She showed him the exit, making him understand that her pricing was not negotiable.

He found it honest, to be fair. Even if the techniques he learned lacked depth, for now. Once he reached the more intricate ones, he knew the knowledge would be worth much more than a handful of ores.