Crownless Reincarnation: New World? Nah I'd win-Chapter 127: [Core Dungeon] [14]

[Lyselle’s POV]

The door slammed shut behind her, the sound ringing in her ears.

She jolted, her heart jumping to her throat as her father’s grip tightened around her wrist.

"F-Father?" she asked, turning to him.

He didn’t answer immediately.

His head was bowed, his shoulders trembling, and every breath he took came with a rattling wheeze.

Then, slowly, he lifted his face, his eyes hollow and unfocussed.

"I’m sorry," Vareon whispered.

Lyselle froze in her place.

Her breath hitched as she looked down... his stomach was no longer just swollen.

The grotesque bulge twisted under the armor, pressing outward in sharp angles as if something inside was clawing for release.

"W-What... what’s happening...?"

She stumbled backward and fell onto the ground, still staring at him.

Her body refused to move, caught in the shock of her father’s condition.

"ARGHHH!!!"

Vareon’s body shook violently.

His back arched and a raw scream tore from his throat.

Then finally... it burst.

His chest cracked open, ribs splitting apart as a grotesque mass pushed through flesh and armor.

A creature spilled out—wet, half-formed, with too many limbs and a face that didn’t resemble anything human.

Its skin was slimy and black, glistening in the dim light, pulsing like it was still breathing through his flesh.

"Ahhhh!"

Lyselle screamed and scrambled backward.

The creature snapped its head toward her.

It was still connected to her father by a thick fleshy cord, pulsating with blood and glowing veins.

Vareon groaned weakly, still alive, even as the thing that had been growing inside him began crawling toward her.

She reached for the weapon at her side but found nothing.

Her eyes darted around, panicked, until they landed on a jagged stone near the broken edge of the wall.

The creature lunged and she barely rolled out of the way.

Its tentacles slapped the ground beside her, cracking the dirt.

It was fast, even though half-born, it was too fast.

She stood, grabbing the stone with both hands.

Her fingers trembled around it.

Her heart pounded.

The creature didn’t come again right away.

It writhed in the air, turning toward her and toward Vareon, twitching like it couldn’t decide.

It wanted her.

No... it needed her.

And in that second, she understood.

It couldn’t survive without a host.

Her father had been that host, but now his body was giving out.

It wanted to enter her, to continue living inside her.

"No..." she whispered, her voice hoarse. "No, no, you won’t..."

She ran toward her father.

"L-Lyselle...!" Vareon choked out. His eyes were wide, filled with terror. "Don’t... don’t do it! Please... help me... don’t leave me like this!"

Tears burned her eyes.

Her knees buckled as she stood over him.

"Kill the beast," he whispered, "not me..."

But it wasn’t the beast that kept breathing.

It was him.

That cord connected them.

His life was feeding it, and as long as he lived, it would stay alive.

As long as she didn’t kill him, it would survive and eventually, it would get inside her.

"Please, my child..." he whispered again, reaching a shaking hand toward her. "Be a good daughter and save me... let me live..."

Lyselle sobbed, shaking her head.

Her hands trembled as she raised the stone.

"I’m sorry, Father..."

"No! No, wait! Lyselle—!"

She brought the stone down on his face with full force.

It crushed his entire face.

She did it again and again.

Her cries drowned beneath the sound of bone breaking.

Her arms moved on their own, smashing down the stone until his pleading stopped.

She stopped when the creature shrieked.

A high-pitched, unnatural sound that filled the place.

It flailed, convulsed, then collapsed beside the corpse.

The cord connecting them snapped and disintegrated like ash.

It spasmed once more, then lay still, its body already beginning to rot.

Lyselle stood there, her knees giving out beneath her.

She collapsed beside the two corpses, blood dripping from her hands and splattered across her face.

Her chest heaved with every breath, but she couldn’t cry anymore.

She had nothing left.

The man she wanted to save and needed to save—had begged her not to.

And she’d killed him anyway.

When the door creaked open behind her, she didn’t look up.

She just sat there in the silence, clutching the bloodied stone in her hands.

---

Akamir looked at Lyselle as he walked out from the door.

She sat on the ground with her eyes hollow, staring at the ground. freewebnøvel_com

The others also walked in and were immediately shocked at her condition.

’Well, this didn’t go well.’

Akamir thought as he let out a sigh.

Viros was the first to break the silence. "Did she... kill him?"

"She had to," Akamir said simply, not looking at them. "He was already gone."

He approached slowly, giving her space, but not too much.

"Lyselle."

She didn’t respond.

He crouched in front of her, trying to meet her eyes, but she didn’t blink, didn’t move.

Her breath was shallow, barely noticeable.

His hand reached out slowly and gently took the stone from her grip.

He turned to the others. "Zaina, give her water."

Zaina quickly moved, pulling a small flask from her belt and kneeling beside Lyselle. "Here, can you drink?"

She gently placed the flask against her lips.

The girl didn’t react.

Zaina looked up, helpless. "She’s in shock."

Akamir nodded. "We don’t have time to wait for her to come out of it."

He stood up and turned to Viros. "Can you check his body?"

Viros grimaced but obeyed, stepping cautiously toward Vareon’s broken form.

He used the edge of his axe to nudge the remaining armor pieces aside.

The man’s chest was split open, the flesh collapsed inward.

"Whatever was inside... it’s dead." He said. "And so is he."

Akamir nodded without any words as he glanced at Vareon.

’Pity, mimickers can’t copy dead beings otherwise I would have a Duke as my puppet.’

He turned his eyes back to Lyselle.

She was blinking now, slowly, her hands trembling slightly more than before.

"I killed him," she whispered.

Akamir didn’t speak.

"I killed my father..." she said again, her voice cracking.

Zaina took her hand. "You didn’t have a choice."

Lyselle turned toward her, her lips quivering.

"He begged me to let him live..."

Her eyes welled up, but no tears came out.

"He was... he was already gone," Zaina said softly. "That thing was just using him. If you hadn’t done it..."

Lyselle looked away.

Akamir crossed his arms, his tone calm. "He was already gone, we all warned you."

She didn’t answer.

He sighed. "Can you walk?"

Lyselle didn’t reply immediately, but after a few seconds, she nodded weakly.

Akamir reached a hand toward her. She stared at it for a long moment before taking it.

He pulled her to her feet, her knees wobbled, but she stood.

"You can mourn later." He said softly. "For now, we need to get out."

Viros gave a slow nod. "Yeah... let’s go."

Luca muttered something under his breath, but followed.

Zaina stayed close to Lyselle, supporting her as they started walking.

Akamir walked ahead, leading them through the far archway in the chamber on the other side of the door.

Nayomi once again floated in front of him. "Follow the trail of blood that creature left."

Akamir looked into her eyes. "Why?"

"So you can find a way out." She replied, her voice sweet. "And to eliminate the danger that might attack you."

Akamir looked at her in confusion. "Is there something else?"

"You think those weak creatures were real threats?" She asked. "No babyboy, the real threat can kill you in an instant."

"And you want me to go where that thing is?"

"It’s not active." She replied. "Just follow me and you could kill him instantly."

Akamir frowned but nodded nonetheless. "Fine."

"Do you always talk to yourself?" Viros asked curiously. "Or it’s just—."

"Shut up." Akamir frowned. "Just follow me."

"Aye, aye."

Akamir led them further inside as he followed the trail of blood.

"You know, it’s hard to believe that we are surviving in such lower floors." Viros said softly. "It’s not normal don’t you think?"

"Which one of us is normal here?" Luca muttered. "Us two foolish fuckers, an Apostle and... whatever this thing is."

Akamir glanced at Luca but didn’t say anything.

They kept on moving in silence as they finally reached another chamber.

But....

This time they all turned alert as they looked down.

Below them, the entire floor was submerged in crimson liquid.

Viros mumbled uncertainly. "Is this blood?"

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