I Refused To Be Reincarnated

His arms slashed down, warping the surrounding space. Ugly fissures ran along the empty air as an invisible, silent blade cleaved everything in its path in halves.

Eyes alight with hope, he gazed as the strike reached the unbreakable dome of darkness in the blink of an eye.

Unfortunately, they dimmed the next second. Just like the other elements, the space blade vanished like it never existed after touching the sinister protection.

Shoulders slumped and face downcast, he sighed in disappointment.

CRACK

As he did, a loud noise drew his attention back. The almost snuffed embers of hope and greed in his heart reignited at maximum strength as he gazed at the darkness.

Gradually, the elemental blade emerged as inky black tendrils gripped it, trying to hold it back like tentacles. Despite its fierce struggle, trashing and cutting the wrapping darkness, the blade lost the confrontation and vanished.

However, Adam's smile enlarged to reach his ears.

"Space works!"

His voice cracked with excitement as his arms came to life.

Without wasting a second, he imbued his blade's sharp edges with dense mana before delivering a flurry of strikes like an enraged mantis.

Terrible cracks crisscrossed the surrounding space again as the insidious blades crashed on the dome furiously.

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"Cut through!" He yelled, his fists shaking and eyes sparkling as they disappeared for a second before reemerging.

Then, he abused his circuits, feeling the detestable searing pain attack his soul as if magma had replaced mana. But he didn't care. If a bit of suffering was the price to get the Moon gem, why wouldn't he pay it?

Determined to endure the pain, he swung his arms again, creating more blades to assist the struggling ones and overwhelm the underground dome.

CRACK

Ear-shattering noises rocked the room as his new blades struck the old ones, propelling them with double the speed towards the barrier until one finally broke through the defending tendrils. Like a scalpel, it sliced and passed through the darkness, disappearing into what lay beneath.

With a wide grin, he immediately summoned his barrier. Shifting the element to space as more blades cut through the dome, he leapt on it.

SHATTER

Unable to support the sudden weight while riddled with deep slices, the darkness shattered before having time to heal. Still, nightmarish tentacles tried to assault the invader in a last attempt to protect the gem.

Unfortunately, it proved vain. The firm barrier eliminated anything trying to touch it. He didn't know how but shrugged it off.

'As long as it works!' He thought, trembling in impatience as he rolled to the ground to break his fall.

With a finger snap, mana condensed into a luminous sphere circling him, chased the darkness away, and revealed a somber underground.

Almost turning to sand, desolate soil littered the floor. Pushing himself off the ground, he noticed a colossal shadow extend towards him.

An icy shiver running down his spine, he raised his trembling eyes. There, before him, he saw it. The ominous branches extending several meters like lethal claws. The face-like protuberances on the trunk and the sea of mana the malignant tree absorbed each second.

Like an immortal tree in cultivation stories, it defied death for millennia despite a complete lack of nutrients, showcasing nature's awe-inspiring resilience.

Although impressed by the tree, slight tremors of fear shook his body. No matter the reason, something possessing such longevity couldn't be low-tiered. Therefore, without surprise, he guessed its origin.

"It's the silvery fruit tree!"

Sadly, it barely survived and was entirely drained yet...

'What if I can take it with me?'

The idea suddenly germinated in his mind. Like an explosion, it filled every corner of his psyche as the wild thought of tasting one of its miracle fruits filled him with unbridled expectation. After all, he could hasten the fruit's ripening once he mastered his time affinity.

Greed flashed in his eyes, and with his sly merchant smile stretching his lips, he took careful steps towards the tree.

Despite his fear of a reaction due to its ugly appearance, the tree remained still even as he placed his palm on its bark.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

"How do I take it out, though?"

He scratched his head, his lips twisting into a wry smile.

The colossal marvel of nature stood at least ten meters high. Even if it couldn't compare to Selene's thousand-meter-tall tree, it'll be troublesome to move.

With a pensive frown, his mind raced for a solution when a sudden notification resounded.

[Natural wonder compatible with soul sea detected. Soul bind available, proceed? Yes/No]

"YES!" He yelled, hands trembling above his head as Luna sent him a solution like an angel.

However, his eyes narrowed the next second.

"The tree is mine! Don't you dare take it!"

Grimacing at the possibility, he summoned his interface in a second to check the note.

[Tier 4 Elite Boss: Moonsilver Striker's leader. You have gained 500 experience points.]

[Enemy defeated while being at a much lower level, xp+100%]

LVL: 9

Exp: 4120/10240

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

Note: I'll take a seed after it bears fruits.

Relieved by the note, he sighed and smiled brightly. He didn't need to know why she wanted a seed, but if he had to guess? It probably had to do with her future plans for Earth. With such a powerful specimen, she could surely develop magical flora on the planet.

Yet, amidst his reflection, he squinted at the interface as confusion veiled his features.

"When did those question marks appear?"

Even if he rarely checked his item list since he didn't get any new ones, he was sure the mysterious ??? weren't there before last month.

Despite trying to recall everything he did in that time frame, he failed to find a connection...

'I'll just put that aside for now and investigate later,' he thought, unwilling to let the mystery undermine his joy after getting the Silvermoon Elves' treasure.

After all, he could see the Moon gem glint underneath the tree's dry roots.

Still excited, he pressed yes to bind the tree.

When he raised his head from the interface, it had disappeared alongside the gem.