Crownless Reincarnation: New World? Nah I'd win
Chapter 117: [Core Dungeon] [4]

Chapter 117: [Core Dungeon] [4]

[Event <Core Dungeon>]

"Stand back."

He said to everyone.

"It won’t take long."

The group stepped back, hesitant at first, but none of them questioned him again.

The eight beasts growled low, their deep breaths rumbling through the place.

Their eyes glowed faintly red, muscles bulging as they slowly fanned out.

’I shouldn’t show too much of my abilities with Bloodhounds watching me.’

Akamir slowly dragged his left leg back as he adjusted his stance.

He shot forward before the first one even blinked, his sword gleaming with a faint silver edge as he slashed upward across its chest.

"ARGHHHH!!!!!"

The beast let out a guttural roar, collapsing almost instantly as its thick hide split open.

The second came from the side, faster, swiping at him with massive claws.

Akamir ducked low and slid across the mossy ground, letting the claws pass above him.

He jabbed the blade straight into its stomach and then twisted it.

The beast convulsed before falling backward.

From behind, two more rushed at once.

Akamir leapt high, kicking off a tree trunk and flipping over them.

He landed on one’s back, driving his blade into the spine, and pushed off it again before the other could react.

Midair, he extended his free hand.

A short pulse of lightning bolt burst from his palm, striking the last of the pair in the chest and sending it crashing into the ground with a groan.

He landed on his feet before looking back over his shoulder.

Three more approached now, much more cautiously this time.

Akamir narrowed his eyes.

"Are they smart or it’s just their instinct?" he murmured.

He picked up a loose vine hanging from a branch, swung once, and launched himself toward the nearest beast.

He slammed into it feet-first, knocking it to the ground.

With one swift motion, he plunged his sword into its skull.

The sixth beast tried to attack from the side.

Akamir dropped into a low stance, rolled, and then struck its leg.

The beast howled as its limb gave out.

Akamir didn’t give it the chance to recover as he drove the blade through its neck before stepping over its twitching body.

The last two paused near the edge of the clearing, foam bubbling at their mouths.

One roared and lunged.

Akamir calmly raised his left hand.

A magic circle on his finger flickered before a whip of black flame surged out.

The flame wrapped around the beast’s throat mid-jump, and he yanked hard.

The creature slammed into a tree with a sickening crack.

The final one hesitated, moving back, its heavy chest heaving, eyes unsure.

Akamir didn’t give it time to decide.

He dashed forward, closed the distance in seconds, and with one clean strike, slit its throat.

The beast collapsed, twitching for a moment, then went still.

Silence fell.

Only the hum of insects and distant screeches filled the air again.

Akamir stood among the fallen bodies, not a scratch on him.

His breathing had quickened slightly, but otherwise, he seemed calm.

The rest of the group stared from behind the tree line, stunned.

"...Did he just..." Viros’s voice trailed off.

"Take down eight berserk-class beasts alone," Luca finished for him, eyes still wide.

"I... I was about to cast a support spell," Zaina muttered.

Akamir walked back toward them, sheathing his sword.

He looked at Zaina. "Don’t speak so loud next time."

She stiffened but didn’t argue.

The smell of blood was heavy now.

The jungle had gone quiet again.

Lyselle opened her mouth to say something but decided against it.

Viros chuckled under his breath. "I knew you were strong with all the beating I took, but really?"

Akamir blinked innocently. "What do you mean?"

"Why are you so strong?" Luca grumbled softly. "It’s like you aren’t even human."

Akamir tilted his head in confusion.

"You showed them too much," Nayomi informed him with a chuckle. "Even though you showed them almost nothing."

’Tch.’

Akamir didn’t like that one bit.

It wasn’t his fault.

He doesn’t know how much was actually acceptable and what was beyond human limits.

Akamir stopped at the front of the group. "Let’s go."

No one argued.

They followed, their pace quicker now, more alert.

Even though the fight hadn’t lasted long, the tone had shifted.

The group moved in silence for a while, their steps lighter, more cautious.

Viros occasionally glanced at Akamir’s back, but said nothing this time.

Even Luca kept his mouth shut, which was rare.

They crossed a narrow path where the roots of trees curled out from the ground like claws.

Akamir hopped over one easily, barely slowing down.

The rest had to step carefully, making sure not to trip.

"...So," Zaina finally said, her voice low, "the speed at which you made the magic circle wasn’t normal... or was it just me..."

"Does it matter?" Raniga cut in before Akamir could reply. "He got the job done. That’s what we need."

They passed under a cluster of low branches when a strange sound came from above.

The group instantly froze, looking up.

A creature with wings,half-bat, half-wolf—watched them from a high branch.

Its eyes glinted with interest, but it didn’t move.

After a moment, it spread its wings and flew off.

"...Okay," Ronin exhaled. "So everything here is just designed to stress us out."

"Wait, that thing shouldn’t be here, you know," Luca said, narrowing his eyes.

"Those are wormbats, and I am pretty sure they are found on the tenth floor."

"Don’t be silly, ladyboy," Viros said, his voice nonchalant. "A higher-level beast can’t enter a lower level, that’s basic knowledge."

"Alright," Akamir said, looking at them. "Let’s keep on moving."

Akamir rubbed the back of his neck as he noticed the raven still following them.

’Just attack us already.’

He thought, feeling the stress boiling under his skin.

’I don’t want to wait under their eyes.’

He let out a sigh as he looked around the place.

"Do you guys know the story of that one otherworlder?" Viros said, taking everyone’s attention.

Akamir tilted his head. "Who?"

"His name was Makisuna," Viros said, trying to make himself look serious. "Apparently, he tried to make a cult."

Akamir glanced at Nayomi with a weird look on his face.

’What was wrong with these otherworlders?’

Akamir had heard a lot about them, and none of them seemed to be right in mind.

’All of them were crack heads.’

Akamir glanced at Viros. "What type of cult?"

Viros grinned like he had been waiting for someone to ask.

"Oh, it was wild," he began, throwing his hands up. "Makisuna claimed he heard the voice of the dungeon itself. Said it was whispering truths to him. He called it the ’Core’s Will.’"

"That sounds stupid," Luca muttered.

"It was stupid," Viros agreed, laughing.

"But he convinced like, twenty people to follow him. They wore wooden flower masks, painted their faces with monster blood, and kept chanting weird stuff like ’return to the heart, return to the source.’"

Zaina wrinkled her nose. "What happened to them?"

"They reached the eightieth floor," Viros said. "Then disappeared after that. Some say they tried to ’merge’ with the dungeon."

"What does that even mean?" Ronin asked.

"No one knows," Viros shrugged. "But his bloodline became cursed to grow horns all over their body."

"....That’s brutal," Akamir mumbled.

"Yeah," Viros replied, shaking his head. "They grow horns even there."

"..."

An awkward silence lingered between them as everyone glared at him.

Viros frowned. "What?"

"Makes me wonder," Luca mumbled, changing the topic. "Is the dungeon alive?"

"Well, we can’t be sure," Zaina said, her voice low. "We have things like Goddesses with us, then why not this?"

"..."

Akamir glanced at her without any words.

Maybe it was nothing, but he felt a belief in her voice.

Akamir looked forward once again, only for him to stop.

They had reached the stairs for the next floor.

"Alright guys," Akamir said, glancing back at them. "We are going to face the first core beast."

The entire group tensed up immediately.

Every fifth floor of the dungeon has them.

The beast with a core.

Those things always change, so it’s never clear which type of core beast they are going to face.

Akamir drew in another deep breath as he walked forward. "Let’s get this over with."

The group followed behind him.

In the far end, on a tree branch,

The crimson raven stared at the group before flying away.

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