Crownless Reincarnation: New World? Nah I'd win-Chapter 126: [Core Dungeon] [13]

"....No." Nayomi whispered, looking at Lyselle. "I don’t think so."

’...This is going to be painful.’

He thought, sighing for what was to come.

It took them only a few more minutes to reach an enormous gate-like structure that lay at the centre of the path.

Vareon’s womb twisted once again, making everyone flinch in disgust.

Even Lyselle had an uncomfortable look on her face.

Vareon pointed at the door, his eyes on Akamir.

"This is the way." He said, his voice shallow and ragged. "If you go inside, you will find a way out."

Akamir looked at the door and then at him. "How?"

"The... there is a shortcut." He said, trying his best to hide his uncertainty. "If you go up, you will return back to the upper floor."

"He isn’t lying." Nayomi said, floating beside him. "This is a trap to bring people from the fifth floor to this floor, making it impossible for them to return."

Akamir gave a short nod to her as he looked at the others.

’I wonder if they can keep themselves alive.’

"You can kill those three that are going to ambush." Nayomi said, her voice strained. "Just be careful about their soul attack."

’...Not very helpful.’

Akamir kept his hand on his sword as he studied the massive door.

It was covered in old runes, some glowing faintly with red light.

He turned to the others once again. "Everyone will go inside together."

Viros muttered under his breath, "Why do I feel like we’re walking straight into a beast’s mouth?"

"We are," Luca replied simply. "But it’s the only way forward."

Zaina shifted nervously, glancing between the duke and the door. "And what about him?"

Vareon was barely standing, his face pale and drenched in sweat.

He leaned heavily on Lyselle, who kept her eyes on the door.

"We take him with us," she said quietly. "He’s helping."

"No!" Duke Vareon yelled in pain. "Leave me be! You guys should go!"

"But, father—!"

"Listen, Lyselle, I am already on the brink of death." He said, his voice barely audible. "Only you can keep me safe in your heart!"

"We are going in." Akamir said, already over with his drama. "We are leaving him here."

"No!" Lyselle screamed, glaring at him. "We are—Father!?"

Duke Vareon fell on the ground, dragging her with him.

He breathed heavily, groaning at every other second.

"You guys should go." Vareon said, taking in deep breaths. "I wish to talk with my daughter for a while."

"...."

Akamir looked at him, then at Lyselle who was helping her father.

He felt pity for her but he didn’t stop anything.

’If she can survive for only a few minutes... until we are done with those inside.’

Her death won’t affect his plans, but Akamir hoped she won’t die a worthless death.

He sighed and turned around. "We are going to check if the inside is safe or not."

Akamir walked towards the door and pushed it open.

Surprisingly, it opened up without any problem.

The chamber beyond was pitch black, save for a faint green glow pulsing from deep within.

....One by one, they stepped in.

Just when Zaina stepped inside the chamber, the place shuddered.

Akamir turned to look at Lyselle, whose hand Duke Vareon grabbed tightly.

He blinked and the door slammed shut, separating them.

The chamber pulsed with an eerie green light that seemed to come from nowhere and everywhere at once.

Akamir didn’t waste time.

The moment the door slammed shut behind them, he drew his sword.

"Grrrrr!!!"

From deep within the chamber, a low growl rumbled, followed by a sharp clicking sound that echoed off the walls.

Viros raised his axe and Zaina gripped her staff.

Luca stepped back automatically, sweat forming on his brow.

Zaina raised her hands, muttering something under her breath.

With a quick burst, she released an enormous orb of light that surged across the entire chamber, swallowing the darkness.

"Oh, Lord."

"What the fuck is that."

....Then they saw them.

Three creatures slithered into view from different directions.

Their forms were tall and lean, with six jagged legs and eight tentacles rising from their backs like whips.

Their faces resembled cockroaches—chitinous, twitching, and glowing with slimy mucous.

Without a sound, they attacked in a blink of an eye.

One leapt toward Zaina, Viros, and Luca.

The other two came straight for Akamir.

Akamir didn’t even hesitate.

His sword met the first with a sharp metallic clang, slashing through one of its tentacles.

The creature screeched, more annoyed than injured, and retaliated with its remaining limbs that moved fast.

Akamir ducked, parried, and moved just out of the range of its limb.

Each tentacle strike cracked the air like a whip, but he kept cutting through them, one at a time.

Behind him, chaos exploded.

Zaina cast a barrier spell just in time to block the creature that lunged at her.

Viros rolled under the swipe of its leg, but Luca was slower.

A tentacle wrapped around his torso and hoisted him off the ground.

The creature’s mouth opened and dozens of small, needle-like teeth vibrated inside.

A translucent mist began leaking from Luca’s chest, drawn towards its maw.

It only took them a moment to understand... that’s his soul.

"Shit!" Viros yelled, hacking at the tentacles but not getting through.

Akamir turned his head sharply as he created a distance between himself and the creatures.

Without breaking pace, he raised one hand and unleashed a pulse of telekinesis.

The force slammed into the creature holding Luca, ripping it from the ground and sending it crashing into the rocky wall with a wet crack.

Luca fell hard, coughing and shaking, but alive.

"Group up!" Akamir shouted.

Zaina moved to his side, casting a defensive barrier.

Viros helped Luca to his feet, and they all gathered behind Akamir.

One of the creatures lunged again, but this time Akamir was ready.

...He stepped forward and spun his blade.

In one clean stroke, he severed its front limbs, then slammed his boot into its chest and drove his sword straight through its open jaw.

It twitched violently, then went still.

One down.

The remaining two backed away for a second, their tentacles twitching erratically.

Then they shrieked and charged again.

Viros stepped up this time, hacking his axe on them as he kept on aiming for the joints.

Zaina threw a fire lance, this one sharper, that aimed at their eyes.

She also kept her barrier between the group and the advancing beasts.

Akamir sidestepped another tentacle, then used it to pull himself closer, landing a series of fast cuts along the creature’s side.

It screeched, flailing wildly, but Akamir didn’t let up.

He drove his knee into its midsection and swung his sword in a wide arc, severing three tentacles in a single blow.

The creature twisted in pain, trying to retreat, but he caught its movement and slammed it against the stone wall with a telekinetic push.

Black blood sprayed the ground, steaming wherever it landed.

Viros, on the other side, wasn’t doing as clean.

He managed to land a few hits, his axe splitting through one of the beast’s legs, but the creature was faster than he expected.

It ducked low, sweeping its limbs under Viros’ feet and knocking him flat.

On the other hand, the beast howled and slammed Akamir against a stone pillar.

Akamir rolled with the impact, flipping over its back and driving his blade through its upper neck.

The beast let out a scream but it soon turned into another corpse.

Now only one remained.

This one was cautious now, limbs tense and twitching.

It turned to run but Zaina wasn’t letting it.

"Don’t let her kill it." Nayomi said, floating beside him. "If she does then we would be trapped here."

Akamir glanced at her before he grabbed Zaina’s hand.

She looked at him but he shook his head. "Not yet."

Despite the protest on her face, she didn’t go against his words.

The creature was injured and its blood made a marking that would lead them to it.

Akamir panted slightly, wiping the sweat from his face. "Everyone okay?"

"Barely," Viros muttered.

Luca nodded weakly, still shaken. "Thanks... for that."

Zaina kept her eyes on the corpses, her voice panicking now. "What are those things!?"

"That’s okay, but what about Lyselle?" Viros asked, as he looked back at the door.

Akamir turned and rushed towards the door.

He pulled it with all his might, using telekinesis to get a grip.

The door creaked open and he got a glimpse of the other side.

Lyselle...

....Covered entirely with blood.

This 𝓬ontent is taken from fre𝒆webnove(l).𝐜𝐨𝗺