I Refused To Be Reincarnated-Chapter 467: A Glimpse of the Netherworld

Aurelius nodded, his brows creasing in solemness as he gripped the legendary blade.

Simultaneously, two notifications echoed in his ears.

[Shadow scout Anya joined your party.]

[Berserker Mage Aurelius joined your party.]

He set the experience points distribution to zero for himself this time since he had reached the cap before turning to them.

"We don’t have much time, so forgive me for the rough journey."

Without wasting time blabbering, he encased Aurelius into a wind bubble to protect him before shoving Anya into his shadow and lunging forward.

Like a fierce gale heralding a storm, his steps left deep gouges in the ground as he blurred past the trees, heading south.

"Err... Didn’t we have to go west? I’ll draw a shadow arrow on the ground. Follow it."

Anya stifled her widening smile with a shadowy hand, unable to believe their powerful friend still hadn’t learned the cardinal directions.

"It was to see if you were careful."

He grumbled, shifting to the west and raising a trail of dust behind him.

Before the sun could reach the middle of the sky, he crossed the small forest, passed by wheat and hop fields managed by dwarves, and finally reached a vast forest.

This chapter is updat𝓮d by freēnovelkiss.com.

The wind carried the fresh scent of nature as he stopped to observe the lush vegetation and healthy trees. Instead of admiring them, he narrowed his eyes, releasing Aurelius from the wind bubble.

"From now on, everything is a potential enemy. Don’t drop your guard, don’t engage in battle alone, and don’t play heroes."

"Sure. I only want to observe you in action after Anya recounted your adventures with the Dreg’nars."

Aurelius nodded, genuine interest sparkling in his eyes and promising to follow his commands in his heart strictly.

Yet, Adam suddenly released a mana blast, knocking the air out of his lungs and propelling him several hundreds of meters back like a rocket.

"Hide!"

Before his words lingered, leaves rustled as two figures dragging a slave emerged from the forest. Their dark clothes fluttered as they sighted through their mouth masks.

"He took his sweet time, right Cormac?"

"Ay. Let’s capture the bastard and return, Zack."

Without mercy, Cormac sent a surge of dark mana into the slave, killing him before Adam’s enlarging eyes.

As the body hit the ground, the poor boy’s skin sank and turned gray. The stench of decay wafted from him as he rose back to his feet, his dull eyes wide open.

He gritted his teeth, fists clenching and mana gathering into his eyes in a purple dance of lightning sparks.

"You dare use summoned as zombies?! No matter who you are, die!"

He instantly put two and two together, knowing they had used one of them to prepare an ambush through the chat interface for whatever reason.

’Probably under Aurora’s orders.’

Shepard advised him to stay cautious about her possible retaliation. But the realisation didn’t matter. Enemies awaited his arrival, and he’ll make them regret crossing his path.

In a flash, his horrible Macuahuitl glinted in his hand as he blurred into motion. From the corner of his eye, he noticed Zack drop something under the zombie.

No matter what it was, he doubted it could damage his powerful puppet anyway. So, he ignored it and pressed forward.

"Activate it before he beheads us!"

Cormac roared, his voice cracking with fear as he lost sight of their target.

*"Using this impure creature as a sacrifice, I call upon you, watcher of the netherworld. Gaze upon this realm and freeze the unnatural soul who dared defy death!"*

Zack’s voice echoed as he chanted and channelled dark mana into the nether stone he had dropped earlier.

As Zack’s words lingered, a soul-chilling mist emerged from the zombie. Like tentacles, they spread towards his fast-approaching figure, sending a wave of frost to collapse with him.

Before he could think about the strange phenomenon, his figure froze mid-air.

His pupils constricted, and a knot of dread tied around his soul as he felt his connection to the puppet weaken. His mana circuits also shut down without his consent, making him unable to cast spells and an icy sensation numbed his mind.

’The heck is happening?!’

An icy shiver rocked his soul as his eyes enlarged at the zombie.

Two eyes as deep as the void gazed at him. He could feel the anger hidden in their depths and the unparalleled power of the being they belonged to.

"Quick, extirpate his soul before the stone runs out of power!"

Cormac yelled as Zack already moved to draw symbols beneath him.

’They’re going to beat me without fighting?!’

The idea never crossed his mind. Of course, he knew some insidious spells could render adversaries powerless. But to target his soul despite his puppet’s protection?!

"Channel your mana! He totally bound himself to the puppet!"

The symbols on the ground sparked and glowed a misty light as he gritted his teeth under the being’s watchful eyes.

Then, his soul throbbed and shook in pain as it collided with the puppet’s inside.

’They’re going to pull me out!’

Instantly, he called for his Luminous Wildblade, hoping it would counteract the ritual with its enchantments.

However, even the connection to his soul sea grew chaotic under the pull’s influence, delaying the summoning.

’Shit! Those bastard dark mages!’

With each second crawling by, the mist intensified and tugged at him harder as he desperately tried to resist until the blade materialised.

"We’re almost done! Hold on, Zack!"

Cormac yelled, heart racing against his chest as he encouraged his sweating companion while pouring all his mana into the symbols.

And finally, a morsel of soul left the puppet, making them smile in relief while Adam’s heart sank in despair.

’RAHH! Even without the puppet, I’ll obliterate you fools!’

Despite his rumbling defiance and violent trembling, he couldn’t help but worry about what they had prepared next.

He didn’t know what tool or spell they used besides the knowledge available to the public. But Elena had written about her mentor sealing her parents’ souls. He couldn’t risk becoming their captive.

"Aurelius! Be useful and save me!"

He howled in agony, eyes darting in a frantic search for the boy. Yet, the teenager had heeded his command and hid without imagining he could end up in danger.

’Why is everyone listening to me only when it makes the situation worse?!’

As this thought emerged, his consciousness started to blur, unwilling to endure the soul-splitting pain anymore.

But before he sank into darkness, he heard a voice that sent his soul reeling and made him doubt his sanity.

"Pathetic. Remember this favor and pay me back."

’H-How is it...’

Unable to form his last thought, he fell unconscious.