I Refused To Be Reincarnated

"The reaction is so intense. Her affinity must be really high!"

Upon seeing the statue, Beatrix\'s blue eyes sparkled with joy. Not only was Morgane a super genius, but, contrary to her classmates, she even had a rare affinity to souls! Moreover, her affinity seemed to be naturally high.

Usually, kids who grew up absorbing mana naturally developed their elemental affinities at around twelve years old. They started with mediocre to low affinities and slowly improved them using mana absorption techniques related to their elements.

For example, Morgane\'s soul affinity allowed her to have vague feelings when in the presence of souls and ghosts. However, with her high affinity, she could pinpoint their location and feel their movements. With further improvement, she would be able to interact with and see them as clearly as she could see normal people.

And that was only the passive effect. Her spells would focus on soul damage, making her a mysterious and terrifying adversary. In addition, soul affinity was among the rarer and most useful as it could allow humans to fight back ghostly and some otherworldly entities.

Despite Julius\' low results on the mana test, his affinity to nature added to the promise of her teaching journey, alongside the few geniuses who obtained five strands or more.

Pleased with the results of the two tests and unwilling to waste time, she immediately calmed the dissipated class and walked to the door. "Line up behind me in silence. We\'ll head to the school\'s library now!" She said, excited to help those new geniuses choose the best technique possible.

Meanwhile, Vikram gazed at her with a hint of jealousy. During his time as a teacher, he only got mediocre kids in his class, making his days boring and repetitive.

Accompanied by the two teachers, Julius\' class exited the college\'s main building, heading to one of the two tall towers spewing mana continuously.

Julius and the rest marvelled at the tower\'s design. Contrasting with the golden walls of the exterior, the interior was made of smooth dark violet stones lined up in perfect symmetry. High above, close to the ceiling, a large golden ball provided light akin to a miniaturized artificial sun.

Thousands of bookshelves lined the walls, showcasing the wealth of knowledge put at the student\'s disposition by the academy.

Noticing their arrival, the handsome registrar, who guided the group to the ceremony this morning, welcomed them once again with an easy-going smile. "Welcome! I\'m this year\'s librarian and protector of the tower. I\'m Jean Castle. You can simply call me by my first name as I\'m not too fond of formalities."

After his short introduction, he proceeded to explain the library\'s rules, "As new students, you are granted access to books related to tier-one spells and alchemical recipes. Books about higher tiers won\'t do. We don\'t want you to suffer after failing a concoction or damage your mana circuits with spells out of your leagues."

"You can come to read books or take a maximum of two out of the library with you. However, you must return them in a week or you will be forbidden to borrow anything for three months as a penalty."

After Jean\'s explanations, Beatrix cast a discerning gaze over the assembled students. With a knowing smile, she stepped forward, her robes swishing softly with each movement. "Now that you\'re acquainted with our regulations," she began, "Allow me to offer my assistance in selecting the most suitable techniques for your studies."

Her offer sparked a wave of relief among the students, eager for guidance in navigating the vast array of magical knowledge at their disposal.

Surrounded by her students, she noticed with a frown that Vikram, ignoring the others, walked towards Julius\' group.

"Let me help you choose the best techniques," Vikram offered, smiling brightly before walking towards the bookshelves on their right.

As soon as he stood before the shelves, a bright magic circle appeared under his feet. The magic circle then suddenly floated upwards, carrying Vikram into the air and stunning the group.

"Pretty cool trick, right? You won\'t see a single stairway or ladder in this school. Everything works with magic!" He explained with a grin at his son\'s friends while picking books.

As Vikram descended from his magical display, he handed out mana-gathering techniques to Arun, Asha, Louise, and Julius. Each student eagerly accepted their assigned technique, trusting Vikram\'s judgement, their eyes glowing with determination to master the arcane arts.

However, as Vikram approached Julius, the latter\'s brow furrowed with uncertainty. He hesitated for a moment before speaking up, his voice laced with a hint of apprehension as he received a vibrant green tome, its cover filled with flower and animal depictions.

"Excuse me, sir," Julius began, his gaze fixed on Vikram with determination. "I appreciate your guidance, but I was wondering if there were any techniques specialized for mana manipulation and control?" A flicker of concern crossed his features as he glanced towards his unresponsive big brother.

Vikram\'s expression softened with understanding, "Ah, I see," he responded, nodding thoughtfully. "Manipulating mana without relying on elemental affinities is indeed a possibility, albeit rarely chosen. Let me see what I have for you."

Vikram retrieved an old, dusty tome from the nearby shelves. It seemed to have been left there, untouched and forgotten for ages.

He handed it to Julius with a reassuring smile. "This technique focuses on the fundamental principles of mana manipulation and control," he explained. "Study it diligently, and you\'ll be well on your way to mastering the art."

Grateful for the guidance, Julius accepted the tome with a sense of relief. As he flipped through the pages, absorbing the intricate diagrams and arcane symbols, his thoughts drifted to his brother once more.

"Big bro, I got you a mana-gathering technique." He murmured softly, hoping to be praised as a response. But despite his efforts, his brother remained silent and distant, lost in a world of his own making.

With a heavy sigh, Julius closed the tome and tucked it under his arm while checking his own.

Little did he know that the old tome he received would lead them deep into the mysteries of mana manipulation and uncover long-buried secrets that would shape the destiny of his family.