I Refused To Be Reincarnated

"I'm really glad to see you awake," Julius said, a shy blush creeping on his cheeks after receiving approval for his decision. Now that they were finally reunited, things would progress smoothly. After all, what could go wrong when his dependable big brother was with him?

"Believe me, I'm too. I'm just sad that our time together was shortened by four years."

Adam muttered the second part of his answer, an invisible pressure pressing on his heart as the inevitable day approached mercilessly.

According to the interface, he would recuperate the boy's body in a year.

However, he still didn't know what would happen to Julius after he did. Would he disappear? More importantly, who was he in the first place and how did he end up replacing him in this body?

He had been pondering these questions for years, yet the answer remained an elusive mystery.

With a loud exhale of turbid air carrying his depression and negative feelings away, he focused on the road, his face somber.

As dusk descended upon the horizon, and Julius stopped the carriage to help set the camp up, Adam excused himself to return to his apartment in the Dream place.

He wanted to ponder in peace and read all the missed notifications of the past four years.

Julius understood that his brother needed some time alone to assimilate the four years' worth of information he shared with him. Therefore, he offered him a warm smile.

"Rest well, big bro. See you tomorrow."

'What a good kid,' Adam thought, his eyes dimming and a mysterious itch piercing his soul as the familiar sensation he felt each time he entered the dream place enveloped him like a mantle.

When he reopened them, he noticed the ceiling first, then that he was lying on his bed in his familiar apartment, where the traces of the terrible battle from four years ago still lingered like unhealed wounds.

Brows twitching, he gazed at the mess. Littered with holes like Swiss cheese, his table lay sprawled on the ground. The library he had been proud of looked like a terrible mess of torn covers and papers. It seemed like a tornado swept the place with a vengeance.

His eyes blazed with determination the next moment. He had to bring his place to its former glory, or he wouldn't feel at home! Anyway, he had tried to read the book. They were just empty projections. The same was true for his computer and most items. The only exceptions were a bunch of useless cardboard in the kitchen, an uncommonly large box, and the broken table.

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Once done, he sat on his bed and focused on his notifications, making them appear in stylish boxes wafting billowing gray smoke.

[Tier 2 Mythic Boss: Gaston, The Uncrowned Arcane Sovereign, defeated. You have gained 4000 experience points.]

[Boss vanquished while being at a much lower level, xp+100%]

[Material detected in Soul Sea. Soul bind available, proceed? Yes/No]

[Cursed material bound: Gaston's Malevolent Eye]

"Huh? Wait... What?!"

His face drained of colors, and a tremor jolted his body, making his heart hammer against his chest at maximum force.

Firstly, why did Gaston have such a stylish title? Next, how did beating this nightmarish man reward him with only 4000 Xp? Finally, what was wrong with that cursed eye binding itself without his consent?

"Unbind it! Keep your cursed items for yourself, crazy system!"

He roared in outrage, glaring at the system and condemning the liberties it took while he was in a coma.

Why could he bind the eyes, anyway? Because he gouged Gaston's right eye out of its spectral form when they fought in his soul sea?

"Let's at least check it..."

He sighed, shoulder slumped in defeat.

Soon, he found a beautiful-looking azure blue eye next to his Manacore Heartgem. He squinted at it, making its information appear a second later.

Gaston's Sovereign Eye:

Rank: Tier 2

Rarity: Mythic

Description: Gaston's Malevolent Eye possesses unique properties imbued with his dark aura. With his exceptional abilities, he had the potential to ascend to Tier 7 mastery, making him a fearsome individual and lethal adversary.

Abilities:

Close Combat Mastery: Gaston excelled in close combat, combining swift strikes with precise positioning to outmanoeuvre and overpower foes.

Aura of Malevolence: Exuding an intimidating aura, Gaston unnerved opponents, disrupting their focus and making them more vulnerable to his attacks.

Enhanced Reflexes and Agility: Possessing remarkable speed and agility, Gaston swiftly reacted to incoming attacks, evading strikes with ease.

Tactical Genius: A strategic mastermind, Gaston formulated intricate battle plans and exploited opponents' weaknesses to gain the upper hand.

Ethereal Insight: With heightened perception of magical energies, Gaston's deep understanding of arcane forces granted him unique insights into the mystical arts.

Cursed Material: Gaston's Malevolent Eye is cursed, causing the possessor to endure mental attacks from Gaston himself. Over time, the possessor may be possessed by Gaston's malevolent spirit, succumbing to his will.

However, after Adam's victory, the curse shattered, dispelling its dark influence for good.

"This son of a..."

Realisation dawned on him. Gaston played him like a fool by making him think they were fighting in hell for four years.

However, they were stuck in a mental battle in the eye. That's why Gaston wanted him to surrender so much: to possess him through the cursed item.

"It's because of that bastard that I couldn't wake up..."

Through gritted teeth, his voice reverberated. His phalanxes turned white as he clenched his fists, feeling his blood boil in his veins.

Despite losing, Gaston had stolen four years from him. Even if those years weren't wasted, with his mana control and battle style progressing by leaps and bounds, he couldn't help but slam his hand on the bed to vent. He only had a short year to enjoy his time with Julius.

After huffing in anger and sadness, he calmed down, grabbing the eye.

"Should I try to use it? It's not cursed anymore, so it should be safe, right?"

A brow raised in curiosity, he tried to activate its abilities.

However, the item didn't respond to his attempts.

"Do I have to turn it into a weapon or magic artifact to use it?"

His brows creased into a frown as he pondered the question. It was the second mythical material he got, and both shared the same defect: they were useless.

"Whatever. I'll find a use for it later."

He shrugged, throwing it into the box before sliding it under his bed.

Since he was on his way to one of the nine magic academies, why would he break his head over the problem? They most likely had information about mythical materials and how to use them there. He just had to wait to get the answer.

Finally, he checked his last notifications.

[Tier 2 Elite: Marco defeated. You have gained 350 experience points.]

[Maximum experience points reached. The surplus will be lost.]

"Why is this damned system scamming me from my Xp?"

His forceful yell reverberated all the way to the empty plaza as he slapped the ethereal window. Not only did he lose Marco's experience but also a part from Gaston's.

After a quick calculation, he spat.

"Almost 3000!"

Hoping to be wrong, he quickly called his interface to check.

"Status."