I Refused To Be Reincarnated

"Troublesome," answered Adam, frowning at the drawing. "Explain the trap types, please," he added, drumming his fingers on his ethereal arm.

"Truthfully, they almost cover the entire complex and have late-stage tier-four potency. From soul-freezing cold to fire tornadoes, passing by poison, acid, or even lightning, a single wrong turn could cost the boy's life," Elysia explained, sighing at the difficulty. She had never thought Adam couldn't phase through the walls to avoid them.

Yet, she continued, bringing worse news, "Triggering a trap will automatically alert my brother and prompt him to investigate the underground complex."

"Tsk. We can't even activate them from afar before advancing," Adam said, clicking his tongue in annoyance. The more he listened to her, the less he wanted to partake in this foolish operation.

Truthfully, he didn't see how they could find the elusive chamber without drawing anyone's attention or risking Julius' life. Doubting they would find a viable solution, he fell silent, missing a crucial detail.

Fortunately, Julius curiously asked, "How are the traps triggered?"

"What a foolish question! Of course, by walking on them! Now, let the adults speak," Elysia said, her brows twitching as she lost her thoughts because of the interruption.

However, Julius spoke again, shrugging at her impatient remark. "I can just not walk on them, right, big bro?"

Annoyed by the second interruption, Elysia prepared to admonish the bothersome kid before her eyes enlarged as a loud sound echoed in her living room.

Clapping his hands with a broad smile, Adam exclaimed, "Hahaha! Well thought, boy! We can indeed navigate the traps safely." After all, he learned about his possibility almost thirteen years ago.

Reassured thanks to Julius' intervention, Adam asked the shocked teacher, "How long will you keep the guards busy and after how many hours will the rooms' position shift?"

"I can make them chase me for five hours maximum. As for the transfer, the time varies. It can be one, three or even twelve hours," replied Elysia, confusion veiling her features as she gazed at Adam's renewed spirits.

"Did you think about a solution?" She asked, pensively tapping her finger on the table, causing rhythmical sounds to echo in the room.

"Yes. We can avoid any contact with the ground, walls, or ceiling," answered Adam before asking. "But don't you think five hours is too short?" With so little time, he doubted they would find the grimoire's chamber. To make matters worse, they could check the same rooms several times if they were unlucky with the shifts.

After thinking briefly, Elysia responded, "What I'm about to say is only my speculation. It would be best if you didn't put your hopes in it, but I believe the grimoire carries Selene's will. If I'm right, you'll find his book, eventually. If I'm wrong, you must escape after four hours and a half."

"Well... Our success chances aren't looking that high," Adam said, holding the bridge of his nose while exhaling loudly by his nose.

'If everything goes according to her plan, we should face minimal risks,' Adam pondered, weighing his decision carefully. After all, if Elysia failed to deliver on her promise, execution awaited them.

Despite his reluctance, he added, 'What if Selene recorded a lost path in his grimoire? can I really pass on it?' Truthfully, that was what he expected from the book. After all, Kwame and Elena waited for an affinity-less individual to inherit their knowledge. What if Selene was the same?

But something bothered him. Elysia's ancestor was no archmage, or she would have mentioned it. 'An arcanist at most?' He deduced, frowning and giving up on his expectations. 'I hope his research was as incredible as she made it sound,' he concluded, a wry smile tugging at his lips as curiosity gnawed at his heart.

After pondering, his eyes glowed like two torches, scanning the drawing before he asked, "Can you map the entire floor? I want to spend as little time navigating the corridors as possible."

With a thoughtful nod and happy to see Adam didn't give up despite the challenges he would encounter, Elysia slammed her palm on the drawing. Mana gushed out from it in a wild dance before rising into the air. Soon, a vibrant green display of the underground formed, faithfully replicating the twists and turns of the heavily guarded place.

Upon seeing the magical display, Julius watched with fascination, understanding the teacher waited to confirm their willingness to participate in the plan before showing them a detailed map. Then, he scanned it attentively, memorising everything.

Meanwhile, Adam couldn't help but click his tongue at the complex's size. Not limited by the tree's circumference, the architect did his best to create something extremely annoying.

"Before you ask, it covers one square kilometer and a half," said Elysia before biting her lips. "There is something I didn't mention yet," she added, her heart pounding against her chest, knowing it was the moment of truth. With this last threatening information, she dreaded to hear Adam's refusal. That's why she kept it for later. However, she couldn't let him venture unprepared.

After noticing the worried gazes of the duo, she closed hers, opening her trembling lips and saying, "The rooms aren't always empty. Some will force you into a challenge to leave them, ranging from enigma to killing various tiered beasts."

"..."

Silence descended in the living room as Adam's rationality screamed at him to leave this mad woman's house for a second.

"Don't worry, only five contain tier-four creatures," Elysia added, trying to sound convincing to make the situation look a little better. Continue your adventure at empire

"Wow! Nice, we have five chances to die instantly and innumerable probabilities to be stuck or die after struggling," answered Adam, his voice dripping with sarcasm. With this last information, he understood how luck-reliant and dangerous retrieving the grimoire was.

Lost in his pessimistic thoughts, the unafraid boy chimed in. "Didn't you say you could be the luckiest person? I believe we can try and leave after a few rooms if things prove too dangerous."