I Refused To Be Reincarnated

The three youths conversed inside the speeding carriage throughout the entire day, with Asha showing particular interest in the topic of food.

"I have a great idea, Julius! You said earlier that you had no money left."

Asha nodded, crossing her arms over her chest and her lips stretching into a merchant's smile.

"I propose buying all of your brother's recipes!"

"Why would he sell them to you?" Arun snorted at Asha before shaking his head at Arun. "Don't listen to her! She comes from a rich merchant family and knows how to make profits. If she wants to buy something from you, it means it's beyond valuable."

Arun's protective tone was obvious, unwilling to let his friend suffer a loss at the hands of the proud heiress of the Kaur family.

Meanwhile, Asha cast a menacing glare towards him, her pupils almost spitting fire of dissatisfaction, causing him to break into a nervous sweat.

Fortunately, Julius didn't let the face-off linger. He answered, raising his hand before Arun, showing that he didn't influence his decision in any way to calm Asha.

"I'm sorry, they are my brother's recipes, and he wants to use them to achieve his dream one day. I can't sell them to anyone."

Disappointed by the refusal, Asha fell silent for a moment. Then, curiosity flashed in her emerald eyes.

"You often mention your big brother. Can you tell us more about him? I really want to know more about the man who invented that recipe."

"I also want to know more about him," Arun added with interest.

Julius looked at the unconscious brother for a few seconds, smiling bitterly and feeling a weight press on his heart.

"If fate allows it, you'll meet him in the future," Julius said, trying to sound mysterious and closing his eyes to show he wouldn't answer more questions about the subject.

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In truth, he was unwilling to share any information about his big brother. He did it in the past and got nothing good out of it. His past mistakes taught him valuable lessons he wouldn't commit again. Furthermore, Adam had told him several times never to reveal his existence.

Understanding the clue, Arun coughed before changing the subject.

"Did you see how Julius beat the lizard yesterday?" He asked, knowing that Asha tended to be a bit persistent sometimes. He absolutely admired and felt in debt towards Julius after he saved them, and his refusal of any reward after the event further boosted his respect for him. That is why he genuinely considered Julius a friend and tried to help him.

"Sadly, I didn't," she answered, her eyes lighting up with interest.

For half an hour, Arun recounted the battle with grandiose descriptions, his eyes shining in excitement.

When he reached the moment Julius gave the beast the coup de grâce, he even stood up, mimicking the strike with large and flashy movements, making Asha's eyes widen in fright after realising how dangerous his situation could have been.

After hearing Arun's recollection about how Julius saved his knights and, most likely him, a warm sensation spread in her chest, and her impression of him soared through her inner measuring scale.

Next, the trio engaged in lively conversations, discussing a myriad of topics until the sky took on an orange tint and the sun disappeared behind the horizon.

Their escort halted the carriage, letting a refreshing breeze caress their skin as they jumped out.

"Julius, can you cook this morning's dish again?" Arun asked, surprising him with his hungry expression. Then he remembered that Asha had eaten everything and laughed.

"Sure!"

Unfortunately, as he was halfway done cooking, one of Asha's guards sounded the alarm, screaming for the kids to hide inside the carriages.

As the trio ran to Arun's carriage while scanning their surrounding, the silhouette of ten small magic creatures appeared in their vision. Those beasts stood about one meter tall, with swirling elements serving as their bodies and covering their cores. Those particular ones shimmered with the colors of desert sands.

"They are inferior djinns. Those creatures live in arid regions and usually manipulate sand," Asha revealed, frowning after recognising their origins. These creatures weren't supposed to be here.

Although Alkemia Al-Nur was established in the heart of a small desert, they had only been traveling for two days, still a significant distance from reaching its entrance, making these creatures' appearance rather unexpected.

"Should I help them?"

Julius proposed, popping sounds echoing as he cracked his fingers and stretched his neck.

If yesterday's attack could passed off as a coincidence, he was convinced that something was wrong today. Unlike Asha's statement, they suffered from beast attacks on two consecutive days instead of one every four. Something suspicious was definitely going on, and he would uncover what.

"You don't need to. They're only at the early stage of the first tier and shouldn't be too much of a threat," Arun answered, watching their escort fight against the invading monsters.

Engaged in a fierce battle, their swords clashed against the solidified sand, cleaving it apart in dust clouds. Despite their efforts, the creature's relentless assault persisted. Like immortal demons, their sand-like forms shifted and reformed after enduring strikes before they resumed their assault.

"Why do they seem stronger than what they should be?" Asha muttered, her pupils constricting as a wave of confusion crashed into her mind. The monsters seemed agitated, as if something in their camp excited them.

Unfortunately, she had no clues and could only watch, a pensive frown knitting her brows.

The battle raged on, the clinking noise of metallic collision filling the road as Julius scanned their surroundings for any clue about what could have attracted the djinns.

Amidst the chaos, he noticed Louise gazing at the carriage for a moment before refocusing on the frenetic creatures, her expression tense yet hesitant.

He frowned, his earlier suspicions reawakening and whispering in his ears.

'Is she related to those incidents?' He thought, planning to observe her more in the following days. Then, he scrutinised the battlefield, hearing the combatants breathing and feeling their physical states with his Qi.

After a tense stalemate, the fighters gained the upper hand with a decisive strike launched by the guards' captain. Her blade glinted under the stars as she eviscerated the first djinn and destroyed its core. Then, showcasing her teamwork and experience, she rallied her companions and massacred the creatures one after another.

As the battle concluded and the dust settled, Julius, Asha, and Arun emerged cautiously from their hiding spot.

With the danger averted, the trio joined the others to assess the aftermath of the skirmish.

Despite the tension of the encounter, there were no wounded among their ranks, and the camp remained intact.

However, the presence of the djinns raised troubling questions about their journey and the dangers they may encounter ahead.

Would they have to fight magical creatures every day until they reached their destination? Was someone attracting them intentionally?

Pondering, Julius resumed cooking for the duo with a frown. Amidst the uneasy silence enveloping the camp illuminated by the rising moon, he couldn't help but feel his heart race against his chest. He had to investigate and find the cause before something truly terrifying attacked them.