I Refused To Be Reincarnated

A tense silence engulfed the grand hall as his words lingered.

Soma sent hesitant signals to Hecate as if asking if they should team up to kill him.

Meanwhile, the vampire Duchess' eyes narrowed as she bit her scarlet lips contrasting with her pale complexion.

She scrutinised him from head to toe, brows furrowed in confusion and eyes trembling.

"So, you're a ghost."

She muttered, shaking her head at Soma.

Then, she returned to her seat, assuming a regal bearing as she sat with the grace of a swan.

"I heard your demand and am inclined to negotiate a reprieve with Selene."

Her voice boomed in the hall as she halfheartedly stepped back, knowing the ghost was right.

However, disbelief tinged the end of her sentences as his lips curled into a mischievous grin.

"A reprieve?"

He giggled before turning solemn.

"You'll stay with Selene for a day or two. Once I get what I need, I'll help you escape and hide."

"You mentioned it last night as well. Mind explaining how?"

Soma interjected, stepping next to Hecate's throne and crossing his arm over his chest like a guardian.

Before answering, he turned to the group who had accompanied them. Raising his palm and smiling innocently, he mouthed sorry.

WOOSH

A wind blast pushed everyone out as he blurred and closed the carved doors before their widening eyes.

As the dust settled behind him, he approached Hecate, ignored Soma's glare, and sat comfortably before them.

"I'll set up a teleportation circle in his Bastion and will link it to the College of Alchemy and Transmutation. Use it after I leave."

He narrowed his eyes and raised his finger at their enlarging eyes.

"I'll only give you the means to escape. I'm not responsible if he catches you. Also, please don't be stupid enough to rush to me if he discovers your escape attempt. I'll throw you back to him."

He observed their rapidly shifting expressions, reading suspicion, hope, anger, and doubt.

The choice was arduous; he knew it. Therefore, he offered them the time they needed to ponder. And after five minutes, Hecate's voice cracked.

"Can you guarantee our safety once we escape? Are you sure the College will welcome us?"

Soma nodded, sharing her apprehension. After all, they could also hide in the wild and rebuild a city together. Still, they would live in constant fear. The slightest mistake would spell their doom, and they'd have no means to escape.

They both trembled, anticipating the answer.

"Actually, I can. The College's dean will soon claim his independence and build his kingdom. He'll need powerful individuals to advise him."

He rolled his eyes, thinking about Shepard's careless management before continuing.

"It'll be temporary. Later, my brother will conquer his birthplace. At that time, he'll welcome you with open arms and hide your presence from the world."

That's the solution he had come up with. Since Julius wanted to become a king against his wishes, he could only help him from behind the scenes.

'Everyone will end up happy. He'll get powerful citizens when they'll live in peace.'

Hecate and Soma sighed in relief. Even if the solution was far from what they wanted, it was a viable alternative.

In this atmosphere of cooperation and mutual benefits, he answered their questions and refined the strategy for half an hour before they finally nodded, hope sparkling in their eyes.

"As agreed, I'll show you the teleportation circle's efficiency, and you'll leave half your citizens in the College. We'll then proceed with the escape mission."

The sound of his clap echoed as he summarised their discussion. Since Selene didn't know how they grew in the past seven thousand years, he could tell him he found a few dozen of them instead of hundreds.

'Even if he suspects me, so what? He has no proof.'

He shrugged the matter off, rose to his feet, and told them to join him at the cave's entrance.

Once outside, he exhaled a mouthful of turbid air.

Despite the strong facade, this duo were powerhouses in their own rights, and he dreaded fighting them together.

'Not because I'll lose, though.'

He didn't believe they could overpower him. Yet, he noticed something interesting.

More than mere unique species, they complement each other perfectly. When Soma would keep him busy in melee, Hecate would bombard him with her blood affinity and heal her brother, making for a devastating combo.

'The fight would've lasted for ages. No, I'm a civilised individual. I'd rather talk it out.'

He smirked, casting a last glance back before leaving with the dwarves.

An hour later, around eighty vampires and hundreds of werewolves emerged from the cave.

He noticed the confusion and anxiety on their faces, and truthfully? It stung his heart. No matter the reason, leaving their ancestral homes on such short notice must have devastated them.

'My actions have consequences. I must raise my awareness and think about them thoroughly.'

His fists clenched as Hecate approached, her ancient red dress fluttering in the fresh evening wind.

"We're ready to depart. I also prepared enough materials to fuel the magic circle."

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"I've set my circle in the forest close to Durazmarn."

He nodded, pointing a determined finger south.

"..."

One of the dwarfs moved his hand east as the others exploded into laughter.

Gritting his teeth, he turned to Soma.

"I think you should proceed with your ritual. Turn them into werewolves after returning."

The mocking teenagers paled in fright, their laughter replaced by stunned gasps.

"Humph. Ungrateful kids."

With this final snort, they climbed on the werewolves' backs.@@novelbin@@

Their speed picked up as the sun dipped to the horizon a few hours later, and the moon bathed their powerful limbs.

In six brief hours, he stood before the slope he had hidden his circle in.

After a brief explanation, they stepped inside and disappeared, one after another.

He waited with Soma and Hecate, supervising the process and ensuring nothing wrong happened until only they were left in the empty forest.

As he gestured for them to go in first, Hecate turned and offered him a radiant smile.

"I'm grateful you're trying to help us. It's a shame you're a ghost, but I can help your brother refine his blood and organs to thank you."