I Refused To Be Reincarnated

Chapter 137: Shadows of the Ruins

As they discussed while progressing, trying to put their worries aside and laughing to brighten the mood, Julius' face couldn't help but turn sombre.

Thomas' mention of Alina awakened feelings he had kept bottled for years. He missed her and wanted nothing more but to reunite with her.

'Sorry mom, I'm a terrible son...' He thought in sadness, tears welling in his eyes as he lowered his head to hide his emotions.

Adam witnessed the boy's turmoil, instantaneously understanding what caused his mood to shift so abruptly.

'Wait for me to reach the fourth tier. I'll barge in their estate, and we'll rescue Alina...' He thought confidently before realising something. His mood plummeted, too, because, after becoming a mage, he would probably be on his own. How would he explain everything to the caring woman?

'Don't think about that, idiot,' he cursed himself inwardly, distracting his thought process the best he could as the passage they were threading narrowed.

Soon, the walls surrounding them, bringing safety to the path, disappeared. The ground extended in a narrow path above a dark abyss. At its end, a circular platform supporting an old ruin caused the party's eyes to widen.

"Let's explore the dilapidated building!" Arun said, his hands trembling in excitement. That's what he came here for, a real adventure filled with mysteries and discoveries, hoping to find lost relics or treasures.

"Sight. How can you be this excited? Didn't you realise we reached a dead end?" Asha said, her brows creasing in worry. They walked so long, only to have to backtrack.

Arun shrugged. So what? They were here anyway and might as well explore the ruins.

Asha shook her head disappointedly before following her fiancé. However, Shiro rapidly grabbed him by the arm, halting his steps.

"Let me lead the way. We don't know if the ruins are trapped." Shiro said severely. The last thing she desired was for the kids to perish, considering all they had endured.

Arun nodded. "Let's take our battle formation, just in case." He said, understanding Shiro's concerns.

The sound of boots on the suspended path and the occasional rocks falling into the abyss resonated in the empty cave as the party's shadow danced under the dim light provided by Adam's illuminate spell. They moved slowly and cautiously until they reached the platform safely, making them breathe in relief.

Then, Shiro opened her mouth, pronouncing old words to release a detection spell. "You'll have to learn this spell If you want to continue adventuring." She said, advising the kids earnestly. After all, what kind of professional adventurer died to mere magic traps?

She quickly scanned her surroundings before opening the building's door under the party's bated breaths.

Unfortunately, what they saw inside disappointed them. Rows of rotten shelves covered the cracked walls, supporting decomposing books. The moldy odor assaulted their nose as they pinched it by reflex.

An old granite table was placed in the middle, on which old magic instruments lay. Broken flasks and mineral dust covered the ground, as everything seemed too old to be of value.

As Arun entered, his boots echoed in the room, raising dust from the floor. He noticed intricately carved cobwebs in every corner, making him realise no one entered the ruin in centuries.

"Let's check the side rooms!" He said, unwilling to return empty-handed, as he ran to a mysteriously intact door and opened it while Louise and Shiro explored the other side of the ruins.

His eyes widened upon seeing the contrasting interior. Marble covered the walls in delicate floral patterns in black and white. In the middle, a pristine altar carved with old but elegant symbols supported a thick, leathery grimoire glowing with beautiful dancing lights.

Behind it, a magic circle, its lines dimly glowing and barely visible in the darkness, seemed about to run out of power.

Excited by the discovery, he swiftly ran inside in excitement. "Guys, come! I found something," he shouted, his eyes ablaze with the prospect of discovering ancient spells.

As he extended his hand, a diamond-shaped magic barrier appeared, its surface hard and shimmering as it crackled with potent energy, causing him to groan in pain after his fingers collided with it.

Asha hurriedly ran to him, worries painted on her face as she grabbed his hand. "Please, be careful. I had enough strong emotions for today." She whispered, making him blush.

Simultaneously, Julius and Adam entered the mysterious room.

"Seems he failed to retrieve the book," Julius remarked, gently extending his hand to try.

However, his attempt proved useless as the same barrier appeared, making him frown.

"What do you think, big bro? Should we try to destroy it? The book looks valuable," he asked, unsure what to do.

"Let me try first," Adam responded, nonchalantly floating towards the book, not triggering any barriers. "Just what I thought. It's not detecting me."

Then, after recovering mana for such a long time, he materialised his mage's hand and flipped the book's thick leather cover open.

"Transmutation Minérale et Métamorphose Corporelle par Elena Leblanc."

"I don't understand the content..." Adam said, his shoulders dropping. However, the scene that had taken place when he first opened Kwame Adewal's grimoire repeated.

His Grimoire Lingua appeared from his body, passively using its Ephemeral Lexicon enchantment to analyse and assimilate the old tome's language before disappearing with a puff as if nothing happened.

Adam nodded at his trusted book's effectiveness. Considering how helpful it was, It really deserved to be outside the common item's ranking.

Then, he read the first page anew, on which the title was written in the middle in an elegant and graceful font.

"Mineral Transmutation and Bodily Metamorphosis by Elena Leblanc."

He nodded, turning the page, only to widen his eyes at the familiar introduction and the concerning note at the end.

"This book records my lifelong achievements in transmutation. If you can read this message, it means the barrier didn't stop you, and you are worthy to inherit my knowledge. Note: Attacking the barrier results in the room exploding, burying my secrets along the trespasser in the abyss below."

He couldn't help but feel an icy shiver run down his spine as he gazed at Julius reproachfully, making the boy look back in confusion. 'What did I do?' He thought in alarm, shivering upon imagining his big brother scolding him.

Thankfully, Adam turned his head back to read the book's content, causing him to draw a breath of relief, unaware of the catastrophe they had avoided.

"My name is Elena Leblanc. Allow me to recount my story before you read the boring treaties and theories this book contains. I hope the last one will shock you."