I Refused To Be Reincarnated

Chapter 123: The Second Tier

Name: Adam

Talent: Unlocked at thirteen

Job: Tier one alchemist

Class: T2 Mana Conjuror

LVL: 1

Exp: 0/20

HP: 140/140

Vitality: 14

Strength: 14.6

Agility: 14.8

Intelligence: 16

Free attribute points: 0

Items: Grimoire Lingua, Beastbane Dagger, Manacore Heartgem, Ethereal Radiance, Gaston's Sovereign Eye

Spells: Active: T1 spells: Illuminate LV1, Mana shield LV2, Magical Perception LV1.

Other: Mana bullet LV MAX, Atom Burst LVL MAX, Mage's hands LVL3.

Passive: Mana Control T3, Enhanced Intuition T1, Dagger mastery T1, Spear mastery T2,

Mana Shaping T2.

Note: Soul is heavily damaged. Please progress using the proper paths...

"Hum, Hum." Adam nodded, pleased to see his promotion results. His mana shaping passive ability progressed along his tier, and he returned to level one.

"After each promotion, the level is reset back to one. However, my stat points will be twice as effective as they were previously." He summarised his understanding of the system's workings, thinking it was efficient before pondering the experience progression.

"Hmm, if I've earned bonus experience points from taking down tougher opponents, it's logical to assume there's a penalty when facing weaker ones." He theorised while opening his apartment's door. He was in a good mood and wanted to stroll in the empty plaza.

With each step taken, he could feel the ambient mana slightly resonate and nourish his body, making him feel stronger than ever despite his unchanged stats.

As he reached the plaza's center and stood below the three huge screens displaying his name in the first place, he couldn't help but gaze at the mysterious tower.

"Should I try to challenge the third trial?" He playfully asked himself.

With his experience limit unlocked, he could progress quickly and obtain new items if he did. However, he shook his head in dismissal after a moment of pondering.

He almost lost his life on the first trial and could have died at any moment during the confrontation with the light guardian in his second. Moreover, his soul was already in bad shape. He was unwilling to take that risk now that everything was progressing smoothly.

Furthermore, he came up with a theory. In his first trial, he faced normal beasts but missed the boss, who was probably in the first tier. In the second, tier-one magic beasts appeared, with the boss on the second tier. Didn't this mean the third trial's boss would be on the third tier?"

"I should become an apprentice before challenging the tower, or at least be close to that level," he muttered, hatefully glaring at the three screens above him. "I hope I'll stay alone in this place. I would die of shame if others saw my name plastered in the sky."

Little did he know that the various buildings circling the plaza were filled with sleeping youths, destined to awaken in just a few short months.

*********

Simultaneously, Julius cultivated, drawing energy from nature through his meridians to nourish his dan tian. His cultivation speed improved since he received his gladius from Vikram, thanks to the weapon's potent enchantments.

Soon, a bright smile covered his face as he felt the walls of his power center starting to crack. In response, he focused on absorbing and refining the ambient natural energy faster. The small cracks widened and crisscrossed the thick walls like a spiderweb.

'Finally! After four years of rigorous training!' He thought, elated as the first wall's shards fell in his liquid essence.

CRACK

A loud noise shook his whole being as the walls finally crumbled entirely. He felt his Qi strengthen like never before. Then, thin crystalline walls rose from his essence, surrounding his dan tian.

Subsequently, his strengthened Qi flooded his meridians akin to a raging river, reaching for every part of his body.

He yelped in surprise as he felt his muscles tighten, his bones crack, and his blood flow accelerate.

His attention drawn by Julius' sound, Arun gazed at his friend in confusion. However, his eyes widened after he noticed Julius falling from his bed with perspiration covering his body.

"Julius! What is happening to you? Are you alright?" He jumped to his feet in panic, unsure about what to do. However, his surprise was far from over as he soon saw the perspiration turn denser and take a black color.

A pungent smell permeated the room as Julius painfully felt his body transform. His muscles were being condensed, his bones hardened, and his blood thickened, turning his already strong body more powerful.

"ARGH!" Julius roared in pain, unable to hold it in anymore as his vision suddenly turned red, his ears buzzed, and his nose stung. Black blood flowed from his seven orifices, rendering his pale face as terrifying as the one of a zombie.

Arun jerked back in shock and despair, unable to understand the sudden turn of events. Just after they planned to go on an adventure together, his friend was dying in front of his eyes, and he could do nothing to help him.

"NO! Julius, hold on! I'll bring my father, no the director himself. Please don't die..." He screamed, tears flowing down his cheeks as he ran to the room's door, kicking it open with all his strength.

Left alone, writhing in pain in a pool of his own blood, Julius couldn't help but have mixed feelings. He could feel his body strengthen, but why was the process so excruciatingly painful?

He gathered one hundred per cent of his mental strength to stay awake and fight back the pangs of pain for twenty minutes before it slowly receded.

Convulsing on the ground, drained of all mental strength, he smiled in relief. He had done it.

"I've reached... The second tier!" With this last exclamation, he closed his eyes, his body unmoving.

*******

Five minutes later, Arun's voice resounded in the third dormitory's corridor. "Quick! He is in danger!"

His figure appeared at the door, accompanied by Vikram and Shepard. He ran to Julius' unmoving body, ignoring the terrible stench, his eyes filled with despair.

"NO! YOU CAN'T DIE!" He roared in unwillingness before gazing at the two adults pitifully.