I Refused To Be Reincarnated

After calming their racing hearts down, they focused on including alchemy.

Yngrid shared her knowledge with him, explaining that alchemists used similar materials of different tiers to force a resonance between them.

Through their use of mana, they controlled the primary material to absorb the dissolving supporting ones, boostin its inherent properties.

After a few tries manipulating tier-four ores amidst the noise of boiling liquid, he grasped the method.

He controlled the process using the correct affinities with extreme simplicity.

Even better! His mana naturally resonated with the ores, giving them a slight natural boost.

'It also happened when I crafted the blade before Moira and the teachers.'

His eyes sparkled in glee at the realisation. The more conductive the material was, the higher the impact his mana would have on it.

He immersed himself in the the discoveries, supported by Yngrid's advice.

And a week later, he felt ready to upgrade his puppet.

"Are you sure you want to do it yourself? A single mistake will destroy all your valuable materials."

Yngrid's worried voice echoed in his ears as he drew the symbols to fuel the ritual.

"Yes. I'm a proud crafter, too, now. I want to build a masterpiece with my own hands. One I can show with my head held high and use for as long as possible."

A hint of bitterness laced his voice.

He couldn't possess the puppet forever, even if he built it to be extraordinary because, in the end, it was not an actual body his soul would recognise as its own.

With a sigh, his soul slowly emerged from the wood and sparked a golden radiance in the smithy.

His luminous eyes shone on Yngrid's shocked expression as he recovered his sensations and felt the room's heat.

Before she could question him, he closed his eyes, retrieved the materials he prepared from his soul sea, and placed them on the worktable using a mage's hand.

The plan was simple: boost the Starmetal Ore and silver fruit wood as much as possible before casting and carving them into weapons he would add to his puppet. In that manner, he'll increase its resilience and power.

With the materials' high mana conductivity, he wanted to rebuild his mana suit with physical items. And using Picket's core like a battery, he could power it without using his own.

But first, he had to raise it to the sixth tier by combining it with the tier five ores he got in the creature's ruined house after killing it.

Meanwhile, Yngrid noticed his narrowed eyes and the focused frown creasing his brows as he moved.

The time wasn't for questions. Between the materials appearing out of nowhere, the presence the wood exuded, or his uncommon golden soul, she only felt her perception of reality crack, letting possibilities she had never considered before filter through. Instead, she focused on supporting him the best she could.

Despite the bark's dead appearance, its prolonged exposure to the Moongem and Manacore Heartgem reawakened a spark of life force.

'Or is it a will?'

He pondered as his mana and soul resonated with the material's texture. His instinct joined in, sending his soul into a world of mirages and memories like when he worked with the Runebark.

Instead of a boundless plain with a sole king towering above the land, he found himself back in the Silvermoon elf's bastion.

Yet, its once grand appearance replaced the ruins he had explored.

Luxurious chandeliers, carpet made of the finest fabric in the magic world and old elvish engravings running on the walls, pulsing to absorb the abundant moonlight, met his eyes.

He felt the fresh wind caress his soul as if it were authentic from the balcony he stood on. He enjoyed the vista for a moment before an enticing smell drew his attention below.

And there he saw it.

Guarded by threatening Moonsilver elves, the splendid silver fruit tree reached for the sky.

Its lustrous bark reflected the light on a canvas of dancing paintings.

Its leave-filled branches made him feel its incredible life force as they cast shadows of a past grandeur onto the ground. A budding fruit adorned one of them like a jewel would a crown, imbuing the air with an enticing scent.

Before he could recover from the extraordinary sight, an ancient voice cut through the wind, reaching for his ears.

"Thank you, human."

He trembled despite the grateful words as an invisible pressure crashed on him... because before him, the tree shifted.

The wood reduced and condensed to take elvish features. The leaves became shining silver hair, each glowing like the trail left by a shooting star.

Eyes reminiscent of two silver moons landed on him next, forcing his mind into panic and his soul to tense as if physical.

"For saving and respecting my body despite my weakness, I'll help you draw the bark's full potential."

The elegant elf, the embodiment of the tree, gazed up, locking eyes with him as the breeze ruffled her natural yet exquisite dress and carried her gentle voice.
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She continued, uncaring about his dropping jaws and knowing he listened.

"The Runebark you used will need slight adjustments to inherit my power. I'll consciously limit it to the sixth tier to match your design. The Dreg'nar's core is an excellent choice with its earth attunement. I'll add moon's and nature's, while the Runebark will tie everything together by improving the mana flow."

'She even knows about my plans! The tree saw everything I did ever since I placed it in my soul sea!'

His luminous eyes flickered as an icy knot of dread tightened around his neck. Yet, it made too much sense for a tree on the archmage level, one that had lived for millennia to have sentience when a mere tier-five beast could speak as fluidly as a noble.

'What would she have done after recovering if I mistreated her?'

The thought sent a wave of terror to tighten the knot, making his breathing ragged.

As he shook, she leapt to the balcony with the grace of a panther and placed her hand on his shoulder.

"I've seen your dedication and kindness. I'm against the cleaver's presence, but I know you had no choice, so don't worry."

He felt her soft touch turn icy at the demonic cleaver's mention. Yet she rapidly recovered and offered him a gentle smile, letting her natural beauty illuminate the night sky.