I Refused To Be Reincarnated

'Shit.' He thought as he entered the dark room.

Dread trembled in his eyes as he beheld the chained carcasses of beasts sprawled across stone tables. Their stomachs, void of organs, lay open amidst pools of blood staining the ground. Tubes filled with various body parts added to the macabre scene, instilling fear even in him.

He advanced cautiously, cursing the tower and its chilling trial as he sank into deep contemplation.

He believed he had become immune to fear after everything he had endured but realised he was mistaken.

The madness of this place's owner terrified him. Death would be the least of his concerns, as he dreaded the potential consequences of failure. Would he find himself laid upon one of those tables and transformed into an abomination as well?

Should he give up on the boss?

He genuinely considered the question. He wasn't afraid of mighty figures like Vivian or The Beast emperor because they were ultimately bound by logic. If he thought and prepared enough, he was sure they wouldn't kill him. But the man who created these monstrosities escaped his comprehension. How was it possible for someone to do such disgusting things?

His mind slowly descended into chaos as he feared the mysterious being. Amidst it, he remembered his first two trials and the foes he defeated in them. He had been scared at that time, too. Yet, didn't he win?

Clap

A resounding slap brought him back to focus, fixing his chaotic emotions. "What am I afraid of? I'll just beat the madman like his creatures," With a firm voice, he declared, confidence returning to his eyes. Yet, his hands were still subtly shaking.

Using the pain as an anchor, he walked around the cold puddles and tables and reached the unlocked door.

He gradually pushed it open, sticking his head to peer at what awaited him, when two pairs of eyes locked on his figure.

Alerted by a faint sound, the two creatures howled and lunged at the intruder, murder gleaming in their eyes.

The sound of hooves and paws kicking rocks resounded as he gazed at the identical creatures. Two horse's back legs and two cheetah's front legs supported their bodies. With a monkey's torso and arms holding swords and a wolf's head, they looked like a grotesque, perverted version of centaurs.

The fear he believed he had banned in a deep corner of his heart a few moments ago instantly resurfaced like a flood as he thought about their creator. That was just too much! What's next? Animals mixed with insects?

As the threats closed dangerously, he stopped thinking, reverting to how he had been in the forest. Despite his trembling hands, he tightened his grip on the spear, charging forward, his eyes glinting with hints of madness.

With the wind slicing around him, he stomped the ground and leapt at the creatures.

In mid-air, he pulled his right arm back before powerfully outstretching it in a forceful thrust.

BOOM

He pierced one of the creature's head, engulfing it in the spear's radiant flare amidst a loud burst of light, causing the blast to rock his hair backwards.

Its body plopped powerlessly on the ground and slid for a few meters, carried by the momentum of its charge and leaving a long trail of putrid blood behind as he landed on the ground.

"Come! Let's see who's scared. Hahaha!" He screamed, slamming the shaft of his crystalline spear onto the ground, cracking it and intimidating the other creature. Unwilling to admit his fear, he subconsciously reverted to his survival mode, using the menace he faced to overpower his emotions. Stay connected with m v l e mpyr

'What fear? I'll destroy the threat before I can feel it!' he thought amidst his mad laughter as he glared at the second aberration with a wide grin, ready to quickly dispose of it and burn this nightmarish place. Yet, its next actions caught him off guard.

Despite its companion's demise, the creature's eyes glinted with primal excitement as it resumed its charge.

It circled Adam swiftly, carried by its powerful mixed legs like the wind, and reached its dead companion.

Then, under the human's stunned gaze, it bent its head and brutally devoured the carcass with eager purrs.

As the creature finished feeding on the last scraps of flesh, it raised its head and howled, its transformation unfolding before Adam's intrigued eyes.

The creature's body convulsed and twisted as bones snapped and reformed until a new form emerged from the grotesque scene.

Before him stood a creature unlike anything he had ever seen: its once twisted form now stood tall and proud, its features refined yet terrifying. Its four legs melded into two, now spotted and covered in yellow fur, and its skin became as thick as leather.

But it was its eyes glinting with intelligence that attracted his attention. The mindless beast was gone, replaced by something more dangerous and cunning.

However, the creature wasn't done surprising him as the howls transitioned from throaty sounds to coherent words, causing his eyes to widen.

"I finally evolved!" It exclaimed, its voice full of delight as it gazed at him and added. "Thank you for ridding me of that pest."

"Oh? How will you repay me?" Adam asked, smiling playfully and peering at the abomination.

As his fierce gaze lingered on its body, the creature fell silent, wondering why the human wasn't afraid of its evolution. Its newly formed intelligence grappled with the unexpected lack of fear in its potential prey, prompting it to consider its next move cautiously. Its eyes suddenly lit up after a second. It was certain to be stronger than him, and thought the human was a fearless fool.

However, that was exactly what he needed to escape this horrific place.

"I can help you escape." It said, twisting its dripping maw in a vicious smile and causing Adam to laugh.

"Why would I escape? I'm here to exterminate you all." He replied, causing the creature to fall silent.

After a momentary pause, it responded with a furrowed brow, "You're overestimating yourself. Forget about Ignatius; you won't make it past the second floor alive."

It had been stuck here for years, tasked to guard the laboratory and evolve by absorbing its companion. Yet none of them wanted to die, leading them to fight halfheartedly. But it knew they were only the bottom of the basket, the weakest among his terrifying creations.