I Refused To Be Reincarnated
Chapter 689: A Squirrelly Introduction

Chapter 689: A Squirrelly Introduction

The sun rose on the cultivation realm, chasing the night’s darkness away. As the last stars faded into the soft orange sky, Adam stepped into a forest hundreds of kilometers west of the Order of the Venomous Path’s mountain.

He sighed, a little disgruntled that Misha chose not to accompany him today.

"I’ll bring William the grimoires you prepared for him last night. We must also discuss rules and management. In short, time-consuming matters you don’t need to attend, especially since this is your vacation month. Have fun discovering new things, Adam. I’ll join you soon." She had said before planting a kiss on his lips, then pushed him outside their room.

She wasn’t wrong, though. Just like her with alchemy, he had little interest in managing people, much less a city. Still, he wanted to help her, even if only with his presence. But she was unrelenting in her desire to develop the city on her own. And here he was, in the middle of nowhere and en route to a mage’s dwelling.

Well, not entirely. Xie Lian’s map had an interesting annotation next to her dwelling: the Witch of the West. An evocative name that made him ponder its origin. Were her methods of weaving mana different, or was it just the name of her school of magic?

Both cases promised discovery, and he could hardly contain his excitement.

Twigs cracked and luxuriant leaves ranging from classic green to gold, pink, and purple crumpled beneath his hastening steps. The perfumes of magical woods filled his nose, sometimes with sweetness, others with bitterness.

The vibrant, shifting canopy above cast refreshing shadows on his face, rustling softly with the wind and letting the morning sunlight filter on strange, glowing mosses that clung to roots and rocks.

Immersed in the simple charms of nature, he continued for a few minutes until he reached a bright clearing.

Flower beds sprouting in a vivid palette of colors replaced the musty soil. More than a garden, he felt like he had stepped into a dream-like painting surrounding a picturesque wooden cottage.

It was surprisingly round, with the left half covered in the same glowing moss he had seen earlier. Flower pots lined the wooden railing, permeating the air with a pleasant scent.

"Not half bad, right?"

A sudden voice echoed beside him. He snapped his face to the right, eyes narrowed. Yet, they widened as he didn’t see the witch or a person at all. Instead, a squirrel rubbed its cute little head with the back of its paws while perched on a branch, its eyes sparkling with unnatural intelligence. Weirder, its life force was low enough for him not to notice it, making it a regular, weak animal.

Powerful magical beasts could speak like the four valley guardians and the centipede had, but a mere squirrel? Just what was going on?

As he wondered, the amused voice of the squirrel echoed again. However, he discerned the high, feminine pitch this time.

"Visitors are rare this deep in the forest, and those your age are even rarer. Tell me, boy, what business do you have with the Witch of the West?"

’Want to prank me?’ Adam raised a brow, his lips curving into a smirk. ’Try again after training for a century or two.’

Instantly, his expression collapsed, and his face paled. He coughed like a dying man, his eyes snapping shut in pain. "I braved countless dangers, almost died at every twist and turn on my journey from the central region—all to learn from the legendary Witch of the West. Yet, she’s a squirrel! Oh, heavens, why are you so unfair? Why do you condemn me to suffer in your stubborn rage?"

He peered through his half-closed eyelid for the squirrel’s reaction, expecting to see it confused or even scream that it was just a spell and that the witch was human. Yet, unaffected by his theatrics, it shrugged. Even worse, its finger moved to its ear and it... picked it.

"That’s sad to hear, really. I just can’t remember who asked about your life."

Adam’s posture straightened, his face hardening. Before he could speak, though, the squirrel delivered him a devastating blow.

"Train your acting for another hundred years if you want a slight hope to fool me."

"Tsk. You’ve been tailing me." He clicked his tongue.

The forest brimmed with wildlife. The extent of her spell was unknown, but it wasn’t far-fetched to imagine she saw him approach the clearing through their eyes. After all, how could she have broken through the acting of the self-proclaimed best comedian?

"Good for you." He continued, his voice growing solemn. "Basic courtesy dictates to invite me in for a talk, or at least, to come out in person, don’t you think so?"

"Or I can kill you where you stand for trespassing, then lying in my domain. So young, yet already so self-entitled. I guess I’ll still give you a chance to wash your foul mouth by escorting you out of my woods."

Before the squirrel’s words faded, flower beds rumbled. Tentacle-like vines erupted, followed by mouths filled with putrid acid and ending in sharp teeth.

He watched the green abomination emerge, remembering Lili and the tier seven plant he had killed to brew the life-extending potion. Then, he shrugged, unimpressed.

"Or I guess I’ll let you see another sunrise to learn your knowledge. Oh, I can also do it after burying your mangled corpse. Your choice, but I suggest you stop before things become ugly."

"Humph. Devour that fool." The voice came from the cottage this time, icy and merciless.

"Wrong answer."

Qi burst from Adam’s eyes, roiling like tides into threads as he threw a casual punch forward. The air cracked under its pressure, solidifying like a block of enchanted metal. It whistled with raging abandon, distorting space.

But what Adam saw was different. A hulking gravity arrow pointed toward the magical plants, turning the shockwave hundreds of times faster.

WHOOSH

Almost soundless, yet as lethal as his explosions, his strike crashed into the abomination, blasting its head like a rotten melon.

As jagged fragments and acid rained down on the garden, dissolving flowers with disturbing sizzles, his figure flickered. The next moment, he stood before the cottage’s door, one hand on the smooth handle, the other knocking on it.

"See? That’s how civilised people act. But I don’t mind reminding people like you whose fist is bigger, first."

"A cultivator?! We had an agreement! Wait for me to report your breach to the Verdant Peak sect." Her confused voice echoed, but the confusion about his age and strength barely had time to settle before her voice cracked in horror as he pushed the handle down. "Y-You can’t enter!"

"Too late." He smirked, pushing the door open.

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