I Refused To Be Reincarnated

"Morgane Belloria."

Upon hearing her name, Morgane walked to the teacher's desk. Unbothered despite being under everyone's scrutiny, she silently touched the crystal, her expression nonchalant.

"How many strands do you think she'll get?" Julius murmured curiously to his preoccupied brother.

Sadly, only silence answered his question. Adam started to feel overwhelmed by the mounting pressure from Shepard's potential actions. With each passing second, he felt like his demise was drawing nearer.

Adam couldn't help but shake his head in frustration. Even after twelve years, he remained the same ghost, scared of being discovered and powerless to protect himself. Memories of past incidents flooded his mind, weighing heavily on him.

'Haa... Why does it look like what happened in the guard post all those years ago.' he thought bitterly, his head cast down in resignation.

Seeing his big brother lost in thought and unwilling to disturb him, Julius redirected his attention to Morgane.

Soon, the first strands began to appear. Within seconds, she matched Asha's performance with six strands materializing in the crystal. Then, she surpassed Arun, astonishing everyone present.

However, Morgane wasn't done yet as the crystal continued to display new strands, refusing to stop until they reached twelve and set an unbeatable new record.

The class erupted into an uproar at the girl's talent for magic. After all, it was well-known that the closer you were to possessing ten strands without using any technique, the higher your chances of becoming a tier four mage were.

"If she unlocked a talent related to mana, she is guaranteed to at least become a mage," Arun said, unhappy to lose his first place.

"Wow, who is she? What a genius."

"Her family name is Belloria. Is she a part of the country's royal family?"

As the students discussed Morgane's achievement, Julius finally understood why Lucius was excited enough about his potential to adopt him into his family.

Yet, amidst the chatter, his curiosity about Morgane's origins lingered, his frown deepening with contemplation. Under Eleanor's guidance, he learned about the Belloria kingdom's royalty and was sure no one called Morgane was part of it.

At the same time, Beatrix's eyes lit up in excitement, eager to teach such a super genius and help her reach her full potential.

She then clapped her hand to attract everyone's attention and exclaimed, "Silence everyone! Calm down!"

Unfortunately, the kids were way too dissipated and didn't follow her command.

Unwilling to be taken for a pushover, especially on their first day, Beatrix's blue eyes suddenly emanated wisps of ocean-colored mana, casting a brilliant azure glow around her.

"I said silence!" Her words reverberated in the room, carrying the weight of authority akin to an emperor's edict. Without hesitation, she extended her right hand, fingers outstretched in a gesture of command. After a short incantation, a torrent of cold water washed over the excited kids, calming them down instantly.

Amidst the finally silent room, Arun snorted angrily, attracting his classmate's annoyed gazes. "Ahh, I'm wet now because of those low-ranked nobles! Idiots who can't stay calm!"

Vikram and Asha simultaneously face-palmed at Arun's arrogant statement. Then, Vikram opened his eyes menacingly and gazed into his son's pupils, making him pale and shut up.

"Alright, It took you five minutes to calm down." Beatrix said in reproach before adding, "Let's proceed with the elemental affinity test now."

As she spoke, she placed a weird-looking device on the desk. "Put your hand on the device and channel your mana into it. The statue will then change color according to your affinities."

Subsequently, she called the students one by one, following the same order they used for the mana test.

During Arun and Asha's passage, the statue turned a vivid red color, signalling they had a fire affinity, like Vikram, while Louise was attuned to the earth element.

Next, Julius approached the desk, his eyes widening in surprise as he noticed that the transparent statue they used bore an uncanny resemblance to Shepard.

The meticulously sculpted features mirrored the college's director's strong jawline, determined expression, and distinctive stance. Julius couldn't shake the feeling that the director might be its creator.

Under the curious gaze of his classmates, he placed his hand on the smooth, transparent surface of the sculpture and focused, remembering how to channel mana instead of Qi after such a long time.

Soon, the transparent statue took a beautiful green color under Beatrix's gleaming eyes. She liked this batch of new students more and more.

She nodded in approval and said, "Affinity to the rare element of nature!"

In response, Julius looked at her in confusion. Every other student had affinities to earth, wind, fire or water. Why was his different?

Done with his testing, but his mind filled with questions about its results, he walked back to his desk and sat next to Arun, who noticed his confusion.

"I'm sure you can guess what the four common elements are." Arun started his explanation, smiling playfully. "In addition, there are what we call rare elements. Some are stronger than the common four, while others are weaker. Most of the time, they have unique use in magic."

Julius' eyes brightened after hearing Arun's explanation. It seemed that each element had different purposes and uses. For example, mages possessing wind affinities tended to focus more on movement and cutting spells as the element favored these kinds of applications.

But what about his nature affinity? What was its strength or special uses? Could he even use it? After all, he walked on the path of cultivation instead of magic.

Julius pondered while the other students tested their affinities until it was finally Morgane's turn.

A deafening silence pervaded the room as she approached the teacher's desk with measured steps as everyone was dying to discover what affinity this super genius had.

Julius watched her place her hand on the transparent statue and waited, as excited as the other. Despite her mysterious origins, he felt a wave of nostalgia after learning that she came from the Belloria kingdom. He wanted to speak with her again if possible and maybe become friends.

However, after a few seconds of intense observation, the statue didn't show any reaction despite the girl's infusion.

Just as he was about to turn away in disappointment, a faint, ominous hum filled the room, sending shivers down his spine.

Morgane's gaze remained fixed on the seemingly unresponsive crystal, her calm demeanor contrasting with the suspense that gripped the room.

As the seconds stretched into an eternity, Julius couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. The air seemed charged with an unknown energy, and the anticipation in the room reached a new peak.

Just when he thought the moment had passed, a subtle tremor shook the statue, and an ethereal glow enveloped it. The revelation left the entire class in awe, sparking a new wave of whispers and astonished murmurs.