I Refused To Be Reincarnated

A grin stretched across his lips as a notification window flickered open the moment he called for his interface. It was finally time to unlock his own talent.

[Personalised talent awakening protocol available. Proceed Yes/No]

Without hesitation, he pressed on yes, his soul shuddering in anticipation. His mind wandered, imagining the incredible passive boosts he could receive with sparkling eyes as he waited.

'You'd better give me something worth the wait!' he thought, hoping to obtain something on par with Julius' talent level. Becoming a cultivator always excited him, but unfortunately, without a body, a dan tian, and meridians, he could only let his imagination run wild before facing reality. Stay connected with empire

A sudden noise broke his reverie a few moments later. With a focused glance, he read the new notification, hope shining in his heart.

[Personalised talent awakened: I know you can be the best!]

[Description: A man sealed his emotions to ensure his survival. Ready to sacrifice all of humanity for his irrational determination, he later met a prankster and an amazing lady. Together, they...]

"I know the story already. Won't waste time reading it," he said, shaking his head after reading the amazing lady part. Luna was much more shameless than him in his opinion.

With the description aside, he focused on the fascinating part: the effects.

[Effects: Gaia loves you and believes you are the best. Sometimes, she'll give you incredible rewards after conquering a trial. Once every year, she'll help you raise a passive skill by a tier.]

"..."

For an entire minute, he spaced out as if a hammer colliding with his head shattered his views. Then, he recovered, a tsunami of thoughts crashing into his mind.

"I-Is that for real?"

The hesitant question reverberated in the white room. Using the noise as an anchor to calm his raging mind and the tremors jolting his body, he summoned his interface to confirm he didn't dream.

Name: Adam

Race: Primal Spectre

Affinity: Mana (Perfect)

Talent: Ex grade: I know you can be the best!

Job: Tier four alchemist

Class: T3 Primal Weaver

LVL: 9

Exp: 620/10240

HP: 534/534

Vitality: 53.4

Strength: 53.6

Agility: 78.4

Intelligence: 56.4

Free attribute points: 0

Items: Grimoire Lingua, Grimoire Beastaria, Luminous Wildblade, Blade of Adaptation, Gaston's Sovereign Eye, Misha's Genetic Code, Thomas' Swift Shadow Legs, Manacore Heartgem.

Spells:

Passive: Mana Control T4, Enhanced Intuition T1, Dagger mastery T1, Spear mastery T2, Sword mastery T1, Mana Shaping T3, Mana cape T3, Nova's lucky blessing T3.

Note: Steal from me again, and I promise you, I won't limit the clouds' strength not to shatter your soul sea. And I am amazing.

The first thing he noticed was the change in his race. Just like before, he didn't care about it. He wanted to be human and nothing else.

Then, his grin stretched to reach his ears. The talent was really here! Fists shaking in excitement, he imagined the boundless possibilities now within his grasp. He just had to stay alive to increase his strength. Of course, the time limit was a little long, but the effects were worth the wait.

Laughing like a kid after realising the greatness of his talent, he immediately tried to use it on a long-forgotten passive skill.

"I want to increase my enhanced intuition to the second tier!"

His cheerful voice echoed in the place as he raised his fists above his head in excitement.

Despite his hopes, a grimace crept onto his face. Even after two minutes, he felt nothing.

"Is it not working?" He sighed in disappointment before shaking his head. He must have overlooked something to activate it.

Rapidly, he checked his interface, searching how to use it before he read the threat on the note and paled. Luna wasn't messing around. She would really make him suffer if he went against her interests again. After all, he wasn't Prometheus.

He took a profound inspiration to calm the fear crawling into his heart. Then, he focused on the note, finding a hint... or so he thought. Anyway, he acted on his discovery without wasting time.

"Amazing Luna. Can you help strengthen my enhanced intuition, please? I promise not to steal your mana again!"

Gritting his teeth, his eyes rolled in their sockets as he apologised. Yet, he prayed inwardly that it wouldn't be a prerequisite to use his talent. Because no matter how amazing it was, he would hate it after a few times...

Fortunately, a warm sensation spread around his chest the next moment, breaking his negative thoughts and filling his mind with joy.

Since he never understood how to use his intuition actively, he checked his interface, noticing it jumped from the first to the second tier.

"Yes!"

He clenched his fists under his chin in joy. Even if part of the talent bothered him because he had to borrow Luna's strength to use it, in the end, the upgrades would be his. It was the same for his weapons. The trait he liked the most about them was the intuition boost. But he equally disliked the fact that it was an external improvement.

He pondered on this idea a little more, feeling he would need to improve his versatility to match the monstrous magus.

'I must become strong enough not to need weapons,' he thought, fixing a new goal. He didn't need them since mana was the sharpest one he possessed, anyway.

With everything checked, his eyes narrowed into focused slits, his elation vanishing in a puff of smoke. Julius was still in danger and needed his help.

Despite the pressing situation, he opted to act carefully and take his time. Julius would remain safe as long as he stayed in the dream place, according to Prometheus. So, instead of rushing like a furious bull into the lion's maw, he had to prepare himself.

Determination burned in his eyes as he crossed the towering gate to leave Prometheus' soul sea. Then, he rushed through the dream place's plaza under the red moon's glow and threw himself into the portal leading to his soul sea.

Without wasting a second, he flew above the verdant plain, cutting through the wind like a bullet for a few meters before kicking his box open and revealing its contents. More specifically, the human-looking puppet he had crafted.

He gazed at it for a few seconds, puffing his chest in pride at the stylish creation before frowning.

'He said that all my limitations were lifted,' he thought, hoping Prometheus didn't share his tendencies for pranks. 'It's the moment of truth.'

His soul trembled as he gently patted the puppet. Unlike his last try, he felt no resistance this time! His hand phased through it. Then his arm, and finally his entire frame, as he grinned. 'I can possess it!'

His soul nestled inside, he sent a surge of mana to activate the magic symbols engraved into the wood.

The familiar hum of mana filled the air for a moment as the puppet's vein-like channels came to life. Gradually, he sensed his soul bind his creation with joy.

When he moved his fingers, the puppet's responded. Then, he tried the arms, followed by the legs, and finally the head.

Realising everything worked as he had imagined, his laughter broke his soul sea's silence as he pushed his new shell off the ground.

"Hahaha! I knew I could be the best puppet master!"