Game Reincarnation: Reborn as the Strongest Villain-Chapter 104 String of Fate Strike Back.

"Okay, that’s enough!".

Dannan’s loud shout reverberated across the arena. He glanced toward the middle and saw an unbelievable sight.

Many candidates were sprawled on the ground, with only one of them standing up. The standing boy shrugged his shoulder, and a trace of his effort could be seen in his glistening skin and the erratic breath he inhaled.

Hours had passed since the skill test was being held, and now the sky had drowned in golden crimson, signaling that the time had almost ripened for night.

The boy, Jin, waved his hand and let the eastern wooden sword vanish. He turned around, giving the man a glare that froze his heart. ’Man, how can a kid like him have that much power and aura?’.

Mastery in swordsmanship and even his magic was way above that of even the teacher in the academy.

’This year might be the golden generation that this academy could produce’. Dannan muttered inside his heart.

He shifted his attention toward the white-haired boy, who suddenly desired to enter the fray with others to defeat Jin in groups. The boy lay on the arena floor with dirt stuck to his wet skin.

’There was also the prophesied kid from the Holy Empire.’ He chuckled, seeing the white-haired boy being sternly reprimanded by a girl, and a smile crept to his old face.

"What are you grinning about?".

A sharp voice laced with irritation jolted him from his daze. Dannan turned to the source and saw Jin had stood beside him, the boy’s eyes were shrunken as if wanting to strangle him alive.

Dannan gulped, trying to moisten his parched throat. "D-Don’t worry; I will make sure to say good things about you."

The man raised a thumb, making the boy twitch with veins visible around his forehead. ’Crap, did I anger him?’.

"Jin!".

A melodious voice rang across the arena; it came from the silver-haired girl who hopped at Jin’s side with eyes that flashed with worry. "Good work".

"Are you alright?". An Elven girl approached. She patted the boy’s shoulder and said. "That must be pretty rough".

"I have many questions to ask, but let’s hold it for now." Another blonde beauty arrived beside the boy, placing a hand on her waist. "You must be tired. Let’s search for a place to stay the night."

The boy exhaled sharply, throwing away all the irritation that swelled up in his heart. "That’s right. Instructor, is there a good place to stay around this town?".

"You don’t have to, the academy has already prepared the place for you to stay".

Dannan raised a hand to stop the candidates from wasting away their purses. He explained the place and its name before seeing the four kids leave.

"What a monstrous talent they have".

From all other candidates, those four whose backs were getting smaller vanished from his sight.

It wouldn’t be wrong to rank them above other candidates or even above the seniors who have already stayed within the academy.

However, all of those assumptions were only his raw thoughts. There was no other solid proof to back it, except that they clashed and emerged victorious in the duel.

’But, if it’s Jin’. Dannan’s body started to shudder, recalling when he faced that ominous aura that clouded even the heavens.

His breath stopped as cold sweats trickled down his back. ’He is the real deal’.

***

After separating from the teacher, Jin led the group through the bustling town.

He looked around and saw many towering building blocks. The building was built with reinforced materials and stood firmly on the leveled ground.

Looking back, he always saw a building in Medieval Europe, but the town before him was like a revolutionary city.

An apartment building encased with glass, reflecting the gleaming crimson light from the west.

’Their civilization was way beyond others’. Jin gulped and occasionally asked the passerby to show him the way to a place where they wanted to stay.

As he walked around the street, Jin noticed that many residents in this place were a mix of humans and Dwarves.

There were also a few Demi-human shows on his radar, but it could be said to be a minority compared to the two, especially Dwarves.

’As expected of the land of the Dwarves’. Jin was pleased with his eyes and walked through the street in silence.

Behind him, the three girls kept chirping excitedly, asking Iris who had been in this place.

"This place seemed too advanced from our homeland".

Silvia pondered, her brows furrowed together, as she looked toward the tall industrial building spewing smoke.

"Well, this was the land of Dwarves after all".

Iris shrugged and looked toward the east side. "This place was blessed with mountains that surrounded the borders, giving them a bountiful resource in crafting".

"I see, that’s quite insightful".

Lucya replied, grasping her silken blonde hair that cascaded to her chest. "So, this was where all those advanced applications within our Kingdom were made, huh?"

The princess’s expression darkened as she stared at the glimpse of shadows within the towering buildings. "I hope there is a way...".

Jin’s ear perked, hearing those fleeting wishes carried by the winds.

"Lucya?".

He stopped and looked back. The other two also noticed that her shadow had vanished from the group. They turned and saw the princess staring vacantly at the faraway land.

"Lucya? What’s the matter?". Silvia asked, her voice jolting the stiffened girl.

"Nothing, I just noticed that no matter where I am, I’ll be the center of attention".

Lucya brushed her golden hair and stared at the people watching her beauty.

"Again with that, let’s go, we almost arrived". Silvia exhaled in exasperation.

This was not the first time Silvia had to deal with the princess’s confident streak. She walked toward the blonde beauty, who began to smile on their way.

"What an interesting child, right, Jin?". Iris asked.

But Jin was focused on Lucya. He observed the girl’s subtle change in expression, thinking that the earlier whisper was, ’Is it my imagination?’

The group resumed walking for about half an hour and arrived at a massive hotel.

It stretched to both sides and had the same square architecture, reminding him of his previous life. But the building was painted a golden-brown color that matched its luxurious vibes.

Jin ascended the stairs, followed by the girls. As they entered the lobby, the floor was draped with blue carpet.

A main stair branched into two sides, leading to the second floor. The place was buzzing with guests’ activities, and the crews loitered around.

He approached the round table at the counter in the middle.

"Welcome to our Inn. Did you have any reservation beforehand?".

The woman wore a simple white shirt and green vest. Her short brown hair, which was wavy around the edges, stood out.

"We are the candidates who were taking an entrance exam within the academy. I heard that this place was under the reservation from the academy".

"Understood, thanks for confirming. Is it for four people only?".

"Yes, the other might be coming soon".

"Understood, please pick out your room key and fill out this paper with your names".

Jin and the receptionist continued their conversation. After discussing it with the other, Jin picked four rooms that were a bit far away from the entrance.

"Please, enjoy your stay here". The receptionist bowed, seeing their guest who had left the counter.

The group stepped up the stairs. They continued down the left hallway and arrived at the four rooms on the corner.

"Rest well, you guys." Jin glanced at the other as he twisted the key through the hole.

"Alright".

Jin pushed the door as he received their overlapping answer, letting the trapped air inside brush his skin.

The room was spacious, with another door on his left. When he walked inside, he saw a twin bed with pristine sheets in the middle.

A round table and a pair of wooden chairs were set beside the window, where the room’s curtains were closed.

Jin walked toward the bedside and almost let his exhausted boy drown in the soft embrace of clouds.

"Right, I’m still sweating". Jin pulled his outfit and felt the dirt sticking to his skin, making his face grimace.

He took off his clothes and went toward the bath. Once inside, Jin closed the door tightly with a thud and began to take off his remaining fabrics.

The bath was joined with the toilet in one room, only separated by a curtain.

Jin shrieked the curtain open and widened his eyes. "A shower, really!?".

Jin twisted the faucet embedded on the wall and let the water pour from above.

It was cold yet effective in easing the accumulated exhaustion after the test earlier.

He closed his eyes as the water drop pounded on his scalp. It soothed his throbbing skull as his mind began to wander.

A moment passed in silence before his closed eyes snapped open. "No, no, I still have problems to deal with...".

Jin ordered with his thought and saw the two Quest Panels that popped out before him—a grim reminder of his future.

"What should I do with this?". Jin gritted his teeth, the exhaustion and the mental strain that weighed on his being returned.

The boy struggled for a minute before his eyes shone in gleaming focus. Jin watched the panel before him and almost chose his path. ’I’m sorry, Iris, Silvia. I will explain everything later...!?’.

As his finger hovered between the choices, his vision dimmed before a golden light burst forth, with letters floating around, dancing wildly like fireflies.

A red string of fate coiled around his hand. It was like a distant hum that whispered to him to choose an alternate ending from the written script.

[String of Fate Active]

.....

His pulse stopped, "What!?". His voice was drowned in the rushing water that washed his body.