Crownless Reincarnation: New World? Nah I'd win
Chapter 115: [Core Dungeon] [2]

Chapter 115: [Core Dungeon] [2]

[Event <Core Dungeon>]

The moment Akamir stepped into the portal, a strange coldness brushed against his skin.

The light around him twisted, pulling his body forward like he was being sucked through water.

He clenched his jaw, staying still as the energy surged.

Finally, something flashed around his eyes.

The light vanished.

His feet landed on solid ground the next second.

"Ugh..." Viros groaned next to him, stumbling slightly. "That felt like being shoved into a freezer."

Akamir looked around.

The dungeon was dimly lit, the ceiling high with sharp, jagged stones poking down like claws.

Faint glowing moss clung to the walls, casting a sickly green light that barely illuminated the area.

The ground was uneven, damp, and littered with cracked bones that looked old and dried.

It smelled like mold and dried blood, like a battlefield.

"Where the hell are we?" Luca whispered, adjusting his gloves as he looked around.

Zaina stepped forward beside Akamir, hand resting on the hilt of her glowing staff. "Looks like the first level."

"Of course it’s creepy," Raniga muttered behind them, her voice bored. "Wouldn’t be a dungeon otherwise."

"Alright," Akamir said quietly, "stay in formation."

They moved forward cautiously.

Every step echoed slightly. It was quiet...too quiet.

"Where are the rest of the students?" Viros asked, looking around in confusion. "Are we the only ones here or what?"

"The first floor is too big," Zaina mumbled softly. "They might be somewhere far from us."

Akamir nodded as he noticed no monsters in the place.

Viros leaned over to whisper to Luca, "So, still scared?"

"I’m not scared," Luca snapped back. "Just alert. Unlike you, I actually care about not dying."

Lyselle let out a small yawn behind them. "Are we gonna fight anything or just keep walking?"

"Don’t jinx it," Akamir said, glancing at her.

As they moved deeper, they entered a wider chamber.

Finally, a soft clicking noise echoed.

Akamir’s face tensed up. "Stop."

The group froze.

The clicking grew louder and louder as seconds went by.

Then finally, they saw dozens of red eyes appear in the shadows of the chamber.

"...Spiders," Zaina muttered. "Of course."

Long-legged creatures crawled out of the dark corners.

Each one was the size of a wolf, with sharp fangs dripping venom and barbed legs clattering on stone.

"There’s too many," Luca said, backing up. "We can’t fight them all at once."

Akamir drew in a deep breath as he took out his sword.

’Alright, let’s kill them in one strike.’

But before he could move, a hand on his shoulder stopped him.

He looked back, finding Zaina.

"May I?" she asked.

Akamir blinked innocently but nodded nonetheless. "Sure."

She beamed in excitement as she quickly stepped in front of the group.

Taking in a deep breath, she raised her staff and waved it, muttering. "Lance spear."

The air twisted around her and five different loops began to form.

They soon drilled faster, turning into spinning spears.

Zaina threw them at the approaching spiders.

The spinning spears shot forward like bolts of lightning.

They pierced through the air with a loud whirr, slamming into the spider swarm before they could even react.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Three spiders were impaled instantly and two spears struck the ground.

They exploded into a burst of magical wind that sent nearby creatures flying back, their bodies twisting midair before crashing into the walls.

In just one shot she took out all of them.

Akamir blinked, slightly impressed. "Nice shot."

Zaina lowered her staff, her breathing steady. "You like it?"

Akamir smiled. "Yes."

He walked towards her and patted her head gently.

The girl squirmed but didn’t say anything else.

Akamir then began walking towards the corpses and Viros walked beside him.

"Wait, how are we going to take their ears?" he said, his voice filled with confusion. "They don’t have any."

Akamir sighed. "Then we take their heads," he mumbled, "help me."

He nodded and began cutting off their heads.

Viros made a face as he held one of the spider heads by its fangs. "This is so disgusting."

"Just don’t think about it," Akamir muttered, tossing another one into the sack they brought.

Zaina walked over, wiping the dust off her robes. "Should we take the venom sacs too? They’re worth something."

"Good idea," Luca said, crouching next to a corpse. He pulled out a small knife. "Careful though. If it bursts, the poison might eat through your gloves."

Viros immediately stepped back. "Yeah, nope. I’m not touching that."

Raniga hovered nearby, arms crossed. "Why are we even doing the dirty work? Can’t we just leave them?"

"Wait, what even happens if we leave them?" Viros asked, curiously.

"They dissolve back in the dungeon," Zaina replied, looking at Akamir. "The Dungeon then recycles them."

Akamir glanced at her. "You did your research, didn’t you?"

She blushed and looked away. "....Yeah."

Viros on the other hand grinned at her behavior.

He didn’t comment though as he looked forward. "Shall we move again?"

He placed the last head into the device, wiping his blade clean on a torn piece of cloth. "Yeah. Let’s go."

The group moved forward again, deeper into the dungeon.

The air was colder here, and the walls seemed to tighten, closing in around them.

The soft glow of the moss flickered now and then, like a dying lantern.

"By the way," Viros mumbled, glancing back at Lyselle. "Is there no news of the Polmona Duke?"

Lyselle glanced at him but refused to make any comments.

"He should be safe," Luca replied instead. "He did take an army with him."

"What if there was something that he couldn’t beat down there?" Viros pressed further, his voice glum.

"It’s been fifteen years since the last floor was conquered."

Akamir didn’t stop walking as he responded. "If something did happen to him, we’ll find out eventually—"

"Nothing will happen to my father," Lyselle snapped, glaring at him. "My father isn’t some weak person like you."

"Sure," Akamir mumbled, without looking at her. "He is super amazing for forcing others to help him."

Lyselle clenched her fists but didn’t say anything else.

She turned her face away, walking a few steps ahead with quick, stiff movements.

’She really is trying her best not to grab too much attention.’

Akamir understood her way of thinking.

If something really happened to her father, then there is a high chance that she would lose everything.

’She has an uncle, right?’

Akamir was sure her uncle would either marry her or marry her off to some wealthy old man for benefits.

’Her brother will most probably be assassinated.’

"Nice going," Viros whispered to Akamir with a smirk. "You always know how to make friends."

"I didn’t say anything wrong," Akamir replied calmly. "I just don’t like people who act high and mighty because of their last name."

"Oh, that’s some thinking," he mumbled softly. "You would fit well with the werewolves."

Akamir gave him a look. "What do you mean?"

"Oh, they also have that lone wolf type attitude," he replied with a chuckle. "Bunch of wannabe alphas."

Akamir noticed the little hatred in his voice.

"Seems like you hate them."

"Not really," he shrugged. "Can’t do anything about them."

Akamir shook his head as they reached a different place.

It was an enormous cave that led to a different floor.

Akamir drew in a deep breath.

"Let’s go."

---

[On the other side of the first floor.]

The air around the place hummed as a teleportation portal opened up in the place.

Slowly, eight figures emerged from it covered in entirely crimson colour.

The eight figures stepped out of the portal, one by one.

Their cloaks shimmered faintly in the dungeon’s dim light, dyed in crimson from head to toe.

Hoods covered their faces, but the air around them felt heavy, like something dangerous had just been released.

They didn’t speak.

The tallest among them stepped forward, boots crunching softly over the bones and dirt.

He raised his hand.

The others stopped immediately.

A small, pale girl standing beside him tilted her head, listening.

"She is on the second floor," she whispered softly. "I can feel Morana’s blessings."

The tall man and their leader nodded his head.

"We give her a quick death," he said. "It wasn’t the poor girl’s fault to be born with the curse."

The others nodded as they began to walk.

....The Bloodhound Omen had officially begun their hunt.