I Refused To Be Reincarnated
Chapter 572: The Carriage of Hope

Chapter 572: The Carriage of Hope

A blinding light erupted from the circle as elemental particles roared and infiltrated the kids’ bodies.

With meticulous care and drawing inspiration from Selene’s werewolves and vampires, he manipulated a colossal amount of mana to strengthen their minds and human parts, forcing them to devour the insects’ DNA rather than succumbing to it.

Under the kids’ widening eyes, their unfortunate companions’ chitin slowly turned into hard skin that ended in armored gauntlets and boots. Their mandibles receded into sharp triangular teeth, and their swelling limbs became well-defined muscles. A pair of translucent wings sprouted from the males’ backs, while colorful ones, akin to butterflies, unfurled on the females’ backs.

Sweat dripping down his creased brows, Adam exhaled as his Qi stabilised their conditions. Then, he nodded at his work and turned to the oldest kid from earlier.

"I did my best to save them..." He scratched his head, keeping it simple for the kids. "Listen well and repeat my words once they wake up. They’re around fifty times stronger than regular adults, so you must help them hide from the government."

The kid nodded, his eyes darting to his friends’ stylish wings and his mind rumbling, ’I want the same!’

However, Adam already moved to the buggies, vapor rising from his scalding hot palms and the metal turning a bright orange.

He removed the engines before combining the metals with his bare hands. Through the process, he wove mana threads into complicated enchantments in the blink of an eye until a spacious carriage the size of a room appeared before the kids’ wide eyes.

"Hop in!" He gestured at them. "It can move and avoid obstacles by itself. You just have to point the direction." He raised his finger, emphasising his words. "It’s a precious transportation tool with many features you’ll discover on your own, so don’t give it away. You can even live inside after adding a few pieces of furniture."

Finally, he retrieved a piece of parchment, wrote a message on it with a grimace, and handed it to the kid.

"It might never serve you, but we never know." He slapped the kid’s back, pushing him inside, prompting the eager others to follow. "I’ve done everything I could to help you. So, stay strong and live a happy life."

As he turned to follow Clarice’s trail, the kid tugged at his sleeve, his shy voice barely a whisper.

"Tell me your name, please. We don’t want to forget your kindness."

Adam offered him a bright smile and ruffled his hair.

"I’m Adam."

Then, the wind whipped against his clothes as he blurred to catch up with Clarice.

Meanwhile, another kid patted the oldest’s shoulder, his curious voice echoing.

"How is he so strong when he looks younger than you? Do you think it’s magic?" He pointed at the parchment, his eyes sparkling. "What did he write?"

Curious, he unfolded it, revealing rows of letters so elegant they seemed like calligraphy.

"To any summoned stumbling on those kids: protect them in the name of Prometheus."

"Who’s that?" They scratched their head before the oldest put it away and smiled wistfully at his friend. "I want to become like him, Adrian. D-Do you think I can learn magic and save others?"

Adrian’s gaze darted between the stable kids and his friend, an innocent smile blossoming on his lips.

"I’m sure you can, Lloyd! We’ll work together to become heroes like him!"

The others joined Adrian, eager to develop abilities, as Lloyd stepped inside a glowing magic circle at the carriage’s front.

"Where do you want to go?"

The motherly voice’s question made him jump in surprise before he coughed and bowed politely.

"Please take us out of the forest, Miss Carriage."

The carriage rumbled to life at his words, sky-blue mana running through its walls like veins to power the wheels.

Just like that, a hundred united kids began their journey towards the republic of Voltania. Would they find the freedom they had longed for many years in the dreary lab or face more challenges? They didn’t know, but one thing was sure: Adam was their role model, the guide who shone a light in their darkest time and their hero!

Meanwhile, an icy shudder ran down Adam’s spine as he jumped behind Clarice’s buggy.

"Who’s cursing me again?!"

His eyes darted left and right for a second before he enjoyed the wind’s caresses and the forest’s scenery.

The musty scent of the earth accompanied the three-hour-long journey before towering walls cast long shadows on his face.

He noted the bizarre cannons plugged by thick cables, but they didn’t matter compared to the soldiers’ intriguing equipment.

’They kind of look like the mana suit I conjured against the copy.’

He tucked his fingers around his chin, his eyes brightening as he observed the gem glinting at the center of an intricate amalgamation of alloys.

’Wait... Isn’t it a beast core?!’ His eyes widened. It was! ’They’re trying to make mana work with technology! Probably because they don’t have mana circuits yet.’

However, his eyes narrowed on the scrapped logo and brand.

’Voltia industry... That’s Misha’s family company!’ His lips curled into a bright smile. ’She’d love to know her cousins and uncles are doing great!’

However, he dismissed the excellent news as Clarice presented her badge and drove inside a heavily guarded building.

Without paying too much attention to his surroundings, he followed Clarice inside and took the elevator.

After a brief walk, she knocked on a door, prompting him to read the name tag: General Maxwell.

"Enter!" The man’s aged voice reverberated with confidence.

Stepping inside with the scientist, he gazed at the seated man’s uniform, the many medals strapped on his chest, gray hair, and blue eyes.

Meanwhile, Clarice pulled a chair and sat in front of him.

"To what do I owe your impromptu visit, my dear head researcher, Clarice?"

A bright smile curled onto Clarice’s lips as she chuckled.

"You’re jesting, general. Didn’t we get the order to close Ignatius’ underground complex?" She massaged her heavy neck, her voice growing somber. "I started to have horrible nightmares because of this place. You can’t imagine how delighted I am to leave it."

"What are you talking about? I didn’t issue this command!" Maxwell’s eyes narrowed into slits, his voice full of gravitas. "Explain yourself and tell me you didn’t kill the subjects yet."

However, horror gripped him by the gut the next second as blood smeared his neat uniform and painted his walls scarlet. He panted, his hand reaching for his magnetic handgun as he watched Clarice’s head explode without explanation.

BOOM

Before he could make sense of what happened, the windows exploded, sharp fragments slashing his skin. Fortunately, the floor’s mad shaking threw him to the ground. Seizing the opportunity despite his ringing ears, he lunged under his desk to protect himself.

Yet, his face paled as he watched dust cloud reach for the sky hundreds of kilometers in the distance—where the lab was.

Worse, a voice as commanding and icy as his echoed in his office.

"I gave the order to close this shit hole. A problem with that, oh great general?"

He crawled from under his desk, his heart almost exploding in horror as he faced a man in his late twenties. Those dark-brown hair and eyes, this face! Eyes wide, he gazed at the only poster in his office, a warrant offering a reward of 10 billion dragon coins for information about him and ten times the amount for his capture! A man they had to keep secret but hunt at all costs: Ignatius’ executioner and the only human who could use magic!