I Refused To Be Reincarnated
Chapter 508: The World’s Best Alchemist’s Apprentice

Chapter 508: The World’s Best Alchemist’s Apprentice

[Tier-five Triton, The sea paladin’s tendons’ soulbound.]

"It’s not from a sea beast?"

He frowned at the familiar display, knowing that a name and a title couldn’t fit mere creatures.

"Ding, ding, ding. Correct! It comes from a half-human. This one ruled over an abyssal city millennia ago, but..."

Her voice trailed off, and grief veiled her face for a second.

"After reaching the fifth tier, he thought to be strong and... and..."

He imagined the worst for a second, regretting asking and bringing back painful memories.

Hand rambling, he bit his lips and prepared to apologise before she slapped her leg in amusement, breaking the facade and bursting into laughter.

"That fool told me he wanted his independence. Can you believe it? Right in the middle of my territory? What a clown! I pulled his tendons out to punish him and deprive him of his strength. In the end, his flaw became his reality. Serves you right for being the hanged man. Hahaha!"

’The more I talk with her, the more scared I am about the future...’

He drew a deep breath to calm his raging mind and banish all the horrible scenes it showed him to focus on the tendons.

With a thought, they appeared in his hand, followed by their stats a second later.

Triton, the sea paladin’s tendons’

Rank: Tier 5

Rarity: Mythic Material

Description:

Triton could control the tides and call maelstroms through his powerful tendons. Unfortunately, he messed with the mad archmage and lost his pride, tier-seven future... and title to her.

Abilities:

Elasticity Mastery: Like Triton, you can manipulate your tendons’ elasticity to stretch and contort your limbs at impossible angles without breaking your bones.

Tensile Strength Enhancement: Triton’s tensile strength makes your tendons virtually unbreakable.

Energy Conduit: As natural energy conductors, the tendons are both physical and ethereal. They carry and redirect various forms of energy through the body with extreme smoothness.

Sea Benediction: Triton had the blessing of his birth environment, granting him underwater breathing, inhuman swimming speed, and a boost to all his stats.

After reading the effects, he struck his palm with his fist and stifled a victorious roar.

Despite the lack of ability compared to other mythical items, he didn’t feel he lost anything. On the contrary, the energy conduit was so potent that it took two spots.

’Various forms of energies.’

He mused the ability for a second before his lips curled into a smirk reaching his ears.

’It means mana but also life force! After the tournament, I’ll get my hand on a dan tian to complement it. A mage cultivator! Hahaha! Where is that copy who mocked my fighting style?! I know I can become the ultimate mage brawler!’

As joyous inner laughter enlivened his mind, Marina’s angry voice shattered his peace like a hammer striking a vase.

"Humph. So you don’t want to tell me how you’ll do it? I won’t teach you the recipe for the life-extending potion, then! You’ll die of old age like everyone else after reviving, reincarnating, or crawling out of a deep hole."

With a scratch of his brows and a sigh, he met her blue eyes and explained.

"My method is not reliable. It’s a gamble I’m willing to take. If it works, I’ll tell you how I did. If it doesn’t, you won’t waste time on the subject."

What else could he tell her? That he would throw all his materials in the fusion pool and probably jump in it like a madman without guarantees? And even if he did, she would ask where it is and what it’s used for next.

’She doesn’t need to know I’m a summoned and about the dream place.’

He shook his head and walked out of the treasury, the lustrous riches shining at the corner of his eyes, inconsequential in the face of the burning desire animating his steps.

A moment later, Marina joined him with a pile of shining fabrics and materials.

"I’ll teach you alchemy for an hour and magical knowledge for another every day. You’ll create an enchanted item at the archmage level during your free time. I want one every week at minimum. If you don’t meet the quota, I’ll stop teaching you until you do. Don’t forget my tier-seven water-attuned staff. But I’ll give you the entire year to craft it since I want perfection!"

She spoke as they retraced their steps through the open corridors, throne room and garden.

After five minutes of admiring the palace’s interior, they walked into a library smelling of old leather and dust.

Shelves filled with books reached for the ceiling, causing his eyes to sparkle as the dull noise of Marina dropping the materials on a reading table echoed.

"This is the mage’s order library. It’s the palace’s most important place and where I brew potions. You can browse the books when I’m not teaching you so long as you don’t use it as an excuse to slack off and not craft my clothes."

He rolled his eyes at her sheepish smile as an inner snort echoed in his mind.

’You would never use the word slack off before me if you know who you’re speaking to.’

"Let’s start."

She clapped her hands and retrieved a big round body from the pile.

"You can forget everything Shepard taught you. His methods are outdated and limited to the confines of the knowledge the magus allows. With me, you’ll learn new techniques and how to sublimate recipes. Ah! I’ll also show you this order’s speciality: the linked potions. In short, they’ll resonate with one another and give you mysterious abilities if you consume three or four."

Her eyes narrowed into slits, and her voice grew solemn.

"But don’t abuse them. Even their creators labelled them as forbidden because of the random effects."

Then, her demeanor shifted back to joyful as she giggled and raised her fist like a teenager.

"I’ll also show you how to consume potion without side effects. Actually, we consciously added them to the recipes to slow everyone’s progress under the soul sucker’s commands. So, forget about the yearly limit, but remember that your body will develop a natural resistance against them, anyway."

While she lined the other materials neatly on the desk, he pondered her words, deducing two things from them.

’Theodore’s potion compendium came from this place, and the yearly limit is not really one. It’s more of a method to control and dilute the mages’ progression in time.’

He massaged his eyes, not believing what he was thinking.

’First, it’ll raise the perceived value of each tier because of how hard they are to reach. Second, the gradual progression forces everyone to focus on refining mana in a desperate quest instead of asking the right questions. Finally, the magus wants old and mature adepts to prevent any power abuse and ensure they’re somewhat wise.’

Truthfully? The magus dealt the magical world a crippling blow with a single addition, and it horrified him.

What kind of mind can push its desire for control so far? What did this powerful beyond common sense individual fear?

He bit his lips in frustration as Marina’s carefree smile split her face.

’Our views are too different, and with my goals, I don’t doubt I’ll meet him eventually. Until then, I’ll focus on what I can do to progress and forget about the veil of mysteries encasing his every action.’

With a determined nod, he moved to Marina and began his year-long apprenticeship under the world’s best alchemist.

’She is for now, but I know I can become the best alchemist in a year.’