CROWNLESS REINCARNATION: NEW WORLD? NAH I'D WINC158: Reagan and Kros The Great One. [1]
Chapter 158: Reagan and Kros The Great One. [1]
[Three days later.]
[Avlyen, Sylvan Kingdom.]
"A fairy?"
Akamir couldn't help but frown as he looked at the little one in his hand.
She was just over the size of his palm with long translucent wings behind her.
Her silverish eyes blinked before they were filled with panic. "You can see me!?"
Akamir tilted his head in confusion. "...Yeah, I can?"
The fairy's tiny mouth fell open as she struggled in his grasp, flailing her arms.
"No-no-no! You're not supposed to! You're not supposed to see me!"
Akamir raised an eyebrow, still holding her gently between his fingers. "Well, too late for that."
He brought her closer, inspecting her like a rare artifact. "You're real, right? Not some illusion spell?"
She puffed up, her cheeks reddening. "Of course I'm real, you cabbage-brained mortal! Put me down!"
Akamir blinked. "That's a new insult."
He opened his hand slightly, letting the fairy sit in the middle of his palm.
She stood with a huff, brushing dust off her tiny dress, which was made up of leaf green and pink.
"I was doing recon!" she snapped, hands on her hips. "I'm not here to be manhandled b...by you! Who even are you?!"
"Akamir," he said simply. "And you?"
"...Lili."
"Where are you from?" Akamir asked, tilting his head. "Clearly you aren't from the spirit world."
"Hmph, stupid mortal." She replied, crossing her arms. "There aren't any fairies in the spirit world."
"So, you are from here?" Akamir pressed further. "Do you live on the world tree or something?"
"No!" She snapped, glaring at him. "I don't live anywhere near it!?"
'So, she lives on the world tree huh?'
The fairy was a terrible liar and Akamir could clearly see it.
"What about you?" Lili asked. "Why do you have such strong smells of fairies?"
"Hmm?"
Akamir wasn't sure how to react to that.
How should he know what that's supposed to mean?
"Are you forgetting that mimickers were once fairies." Nayomi suddenly said, "she can definitely feel a type of connection with you."
'..I see.'
Akamir thought, slowly nodding his head.
Lili narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "You're weird. You don't look like a fairy."
"I'm not," Akamir replied. "At least... not last time I checked."
He watched as Lili paced across his palm like a fussy little queen, her wings flickering with each step.
She poked his thumb with both hands like she was testing a piece of meat.
"You feel... different. Not full fairy, but not fully human either." Her silverish eyes narrowed further. "Half?"
Akamir shrugged. "Not sure. Maybe I'm just built different."
"That's not helpful," she muttered.
Just when she was going to interrogate more she stopped in her tracks.
She flew up off his palm and hovered at eye level.
"Yeah, I shouldn't waste my time." She said, hovering in front of him. "I hope I never see you."
Akamir looked at her flying away, "If you ever wish to see the spirit world, come find me."
Lili seemed to hesitate but flew away nonetheless.
'Why is she in such a hurry anyway?'
He let out a sigh as he blinked, taking in the surroundings.
Luca and Viros were walking in front of him, giving him a weird look.
Akamir frowned. "What?"
"Do you always talk with yourself?" Luca asked, a strange look on his face. "Or is it a phase?"
"Can you guys shut up." Akamir said, walking a little closer to them. "Are we there yet?"
They all looked in front where an elf was guiding them.
The elf looked back with a smile. "Almost there."
He was one of the locals that Akamir hired to lead them to Reagan.
Apparently, he is famous in the place as a teacher for young elven kids.
Akamir let out a sigh as he looked around the town.
The place had the touch of elves everywhere with small and big structures made out of wood.
Though it was far away from the world tree, there were quite a few marks of its roots here.
The flowers turned slightly when someone passed by.
Yet....
It felt strange to be in the place despite its calmness.
Akamir just couldn't point his finger at what was wrong.
"Are your senses tingling?" Nayomi asked, smiling softly. "Well, mine are."
Akamir sighed as he took a few quick steps to reach the guide.
"Did something happen here?" Akamir asked, his voice curious. "Or anything around?"
The guide gave him an odd look. "I don't think so?"
"Really?" He asked. "Nothing at all."
The elf guide thought for a moment before speaking. "Something did happen in the neighboring town."
His curiosity peaked. "Hmm, what could that be?"
"I don't have much information." He replied. "I just know something terrible happened and they are trying to hide it."
Akamir wanted to ask more but it looked like the elf wasn't interested in answering.
Their guide led them to a small clearing where a house stood, half-swallowed by the roots of a massive tree.
It looked old, almost ancient.
Thick moss draped the roof, and glowing mushrooms formed a neat line along the path.
"This is it," the elf said with a nod. "Master Reagan should be inside."
Akamir nodded and gave him the money.
Slowly he walked towards the door and both the brothers walked beside him.
"By the way." Viros said softly. "You never told us, why we are here."
"You don't need to know." Akamir replied as he pressed the doorbell. "Just keep quiet."
"Coming."
An old and aged voice came from the inside.
After a few seconds of waiting, the door finally opened up.
But the one who opened the door wasn't the one they were expecting.
"Huh?" Viros let out a startled voice as he looked at Master Reagan. "A teddy bear?"
Reagan blinked up at them, small button eyes glinting in the light.
The stuffed bear stood no taller than Akamir's knee.
Its fur was worn in places, patched with different colors.
A tiny monocle was strapped to one eye, and it held a carved wooden cane in its stubby paw.
"Huh? Humans," the teddy bear grumbled, stepping forward with surprising dignity. "Who are you guys?"
Akamir stared, his mouth half-opened.
Viros leaned close to Luca. "We're sure this is the right place?"
Luca, equally baffled, only nodded.
"...Are you Reagan?" Akamir asked, his voice soft.
"Yes, and it's Master Reagan for you, human child." He replied, looking up at him. "But who are you?"
"My name is Akamir." He said, bowing a little. "I am the student of Master Velyrian."
Reagan's face tensed up as he looked up at him.
He slowly walked to one side. "Come in."
Akamir walked in but Viros and Luca remained out as Reagan gestured them to stop.
When Akamir entered the house, he couldn't help but admire the place.
It was simple but beautiful, with only a few things on the shelves.
All the books and paperwork were thrown on the ground.
'It doesn't look like a place of a genius scientist.'
Akamir also noticed a packed bag placed on the side. 'Was he going somewhere?'
"Make yourselves comfortable," the teddy bear said, waddling ahead of him.
Akamir slowly lowered himself into a chair, his eyes still on the bear.
Reagan climbed onto a wooden stool and crossed his small legs. "So....What lies does Velyrian have this time."
Akamir frowned. "Pardon?"
"I asked him to come back but he sent a human." He said. "Tell me, what help does he need now."
Akamir drew in a deep breath as he took out the letter given by Velyrian.
He slowly passed it to Reagan.
The teddy bear looked confused. "What is this about."
"Professor Velyrian."
Akamir said, solemnly.
"Is already dead."
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CROWNLESS REINCARNATION: NEW WORLD? NAH I'D WINC159: Reagan and Kros The Great One. [2]
Chapter 159: Reagan and Kros The Great One. [2]
Reagan's home remained silent as he kept on reading the letter in his hand again and again.
His fluffy hands trembled violently as he held back his sadness.
"H..how did he die?" he finally asked, looking back at Akamir. "H-he should h-have a long life to live."
"He died in an accident," Akamir said, touching his space ring. "To create this for you."
A staff wrapped up in a cotton cloth materialized in his hand.
Akamir slowly passed the staff to Reagan.
Reagan's paws reached out slowly, almost hesitantly.
He took the staff with care, gently placing it on his lap.
His button eyes stared down at it in silence.
The soft ticking of a wooden clock filled the room, the only sound between them.
Reagan slowly began to open up the clothing over the staff.
The head of the staff bloomed outward like a budding flower, holding a small, humming core.
It was beautiful.
"...His final project," Reagan whispered, his voice hoarse, the sarcasm and sharpness long gone.
"I remember the staff, it was a prototype to stabilize my body and soul."
He looked up at Akamir.
"He finished it for me?"
Akamir nodded once and pointed at the core at the top. "Do you recognize that core?"
Reagan slowly looked up at the core, his hand hovering over it.
Finally, his button-like eyes widened in surprise. "Is this Ven Core?"
Akamir smiled faintly.
"Velyrian completed two of the projects that you abandoned," he said. "On his own."
Even though Akamir was the biggest help in achieving the breakthrough that Velyrian needed, he kept that to himself.
'It's better if I don't try to take credit for his creations.'
Reagan didn't say anything for a long time, his paws gripping the staff a little tighter.
He stared at the Ven Core, that cast flickers of light on his fuzzy fur.
"This... this was impossible," he murmured. "Even when I was younger, I couldn't stabilize Ven energy without corrupting the vessel."
"He did it," Akamir said quietly. "Though, he lost everything by doing so."
Reagan gave a small, bitter laugh, brushing a paw across the top of the staff. "Typical Velyrian. Always the genius, always the fool."
Akamir didn't reply as he looked around the room curiously.
'There are a lot of things that I don't understand.'
Akamir sighed as he looked at a few items placed around but couldn't even understand what they were.
"...Did he suffer?" Reagan asked suddenly.
"I don't know." Akamir shook his head. "But he was always suffering even before dying."
Reagan let out a sigh. "Yeah... He also asked me to look after his daughter."
He raised the staff over his head, admiring it for a while.
"My maker didn't make me immune to curses," he said, lowering his staff. "Still I can see if I can help her."
Akamir just gave him a nod as his work was partially done here.
'If he decides to help her then I won't need to intervene.'
"By the way," he said, narrowing his eyes. "Who were you to Velyrian?"
"His student," Akamir replied. "I helped him with some small work."
"He entrusted his lifelong prize to you," he said, adjusting his monocle. "You must be special to him."
Akamir just nodded without giving him any explanation.
Reagan didn't press further. He stared at Akamir for a moment, then looked down at the staff resting on his lap.
"I'll repair the stabilization sequence," he murmured. "If I want to use it... God, why did he die f-for this."
Sadness clawed at him as the teddy bear closed his eyes.
"You should complete whatever is needed," Akamir encouraged him. "Don't waste his sacrifice."
He slid off the stool and began limping toward one of the cluttered shelves, his cane tapping against the wooden floor.
Akamir watched in silence as the teddy bear climbed up a small ladder and pulled out a dusty box.
"This has the rest of the designs," Reagan said. "I never opened it again after our fallout. Guess now's the time."
He dropped the box on the desk with a soft thump, then gestured for Akamir to come closer.
Inside were dozens of folded papers, blueprints, and sketches.
Half were in Reagan's messy handwriting, the other half clearly Velyrian's neat script.
"I'll need a few days to go through these," Reagan said. "The staff works, but if I want to enhance it for strengthening my body... I need to tune it to my own soul thread."
"Take your time," Akamir replied. "I could...."
Akamir's voice trailed off as Reagan**'s** attention shifted somewhere else.
...On the pair of earrings he was wearing.
"Where did you get these?" he asked, his voice laced with disbelief.
"Uh, I can't say that," Akamir replied awkwardly.
He doesn't want to go back and see the Exalted Empyrean Neaothea again.
"Did my maker give it to you?" Reagan asked, his voice trembling. "Did you meet with her?"
'Right, Velyrian did say his master was made by her.'
His fingers brushed against the earrings lightly, unsure how to respond.
"...Maybe," he said vaguely. "But I'd rather not talk about it."
Reagan stepped down from the stool slowly, his button eyes fixed on the earrings as if they held all the answers in the world.
"She's alive?" he asked in a whisper, barely audible.
Reagan's tiny hands trembled again. "Where is she? Do you know if... she's okay?"
"She looked fine," he replied after a pause.
Reagan let out a slow breath, sitting down on the desk as if his legs couldn't hold him anymore.
"So she still exists... after all this time." His voice had softened by a lot.
"Did she... did she say anything?" Reagan asked. "About me?"
Akamir shook his head.
Those words seemed to bring him back to reality as he drew in deep breaths.
Finally, he calmed himself enough and looked at him. "You aren't as simple as I thought."
Akamir didn't say anything as Reagan gestured towards the bag on the corner. "Grab it."
Akamir frowned but did as he said.
Reagan opened the door as he walked out of the house, Akamir followed behind.
Viros and Luca still stood outside playing with some elven kids.
"Call them," Reagan said. "We are moving."
"Where?" Akamir asked, gesturing the brothers to come.
"To the neighboring town, Malik," he said, his cane supporting his body. "It's been three months, I have delayed the matter long enough."
"What matter?" Viros asked, though he still had that awkward look talking with a teddy bear.
"Six months ago, I got the news," Reagan said, his voice deep. "About a dead body of a great one spawning in Malik."
Akamir frowned in confusion. "A Great One?"
"Beings made of mana," he replied, "they are essentially immortals."
"That's impossible," Viros scoffed. "How can it be immortal but still be dead?"
Reagan looked back at him. "How old are you, boy?"
Viros blinked. "Seventeen, why do you ask?"
"I am more than five thousand years old," he replied, looking away. "I know things that you can't even comprehend."
A serious-looking Nayomi came into Akamir's line of sight.
She looked at him, her voice dead serious. "Ask him which Great One?"
Akamir looked at Reagan. "Which Great One is it?"
"Kros, or as some say, Krosm," Reagan replied solemnly.
"The Blood of the Ocean."
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CROWNLESS REINCARNATION: NEW WORLD? NAH I'D WINC160: Reagan and Kros The Great One. [3]
Chapter 160: Reagan and Kros The Great One. [3]
[Malik, Salyan Kingdom.]
It took them half an hour to reach Malik's front gate from Avlyen.
Despite the protest from Viros and Luca, Akamir insisted on checking it out.
Just because of what Nayomi told him.
'A great one's curse that resulted in the death of millions of elves.'
From what Nayomi had told him, in the game Kros, the great one had cursed the elves.
The curse that became the reason why half their population turned into mindless monsters.
'It all happened because they messed with her corpse.'
Had they not done it, had they let her body float back, it wouldn't have happened.
'They got greedy.'
Akamir wasn't happy to know that their neighbours are going to turn their deadliest enemy.
'What a pain.'
"You don't have to be too concerned," Nayomi said, who floated beside him. "The ending of half their race is inevitable."
"Doesn't mean, I would let them all die." Akamir grumbled softly.
Even though he wasn't a saint, Akamir wouldn't sit there and see millions just die.
'I can't be that heartless.'
"Your involvement won't matter much, pretty boy." Nayomi said, her voice cynical. "I would advise to just run away before you are affected by the curse as well."
"...What's a great one anyway?" Akamir mumbled, glancing at her.
Nayomi crossed her arms as she explained. "Remember, how mana leaks from Clandestine?" she said. "These old ones also come from there."
Akamir frowned. "How?"
Nayomi floated a little higher, her eyes glowing faintly in the dim light of Malik's cloudy sky.
"No one really knows," she admitted. "Most plausible reason is they slipped through cracks thousands of years ago."
Akamir gave her a small thoughtful nod. "...I see."
There was so much in his mind right now, the most important being Kros' immortality.
'If they just let her be, then she would turn into pure mana and become whole once again.'
But...
They are messing up with her body, which they should never do.
'Well, I should do what I can and get this over with.'
"Do you usually talk with yourself often?" A voice echoed from his side.
Akamir glanced at Reagan who rode atop his shoulder now, his little frame surprisingly steady.
It made the walking easier, and he didn't protest when Akamir offered.
"No." Akamir said, looking forward. "Why did you wait for so long before taking action?"
Reagan's small teddy bear frame remained silent for a while.
"I was afraid." He admitted grimly. "What if that thing is still alive."
"...I see."
Akamir didn't ask anything else, he understood him.
'Fear what you don't understand and fear the unknown.'
It was one of the things that made him a wise king in his old life.
To never look down on what you don't understand.
---
They entered Malik through the eastern path.
The air felt thicker here, like it was soaked in grief.
Most of the houses were intact, but no one came out to greet them.
Even the trees along the path were wilting slightly, their leaves dull and brittle.
Reagan, still on Akamir's shoulder, spoke after a long pause. A notebook in his hand.
"There," he pointed, "the site was near the temple river. That's where the first sightings were."
Akamir looked at the river running on the side.
A temple was on the bank. "And the body?"
"Supposedly drifted to the sea," Reagan said. "But I doubt it."
Akamir just gave him a nod as they walked past the main gate.
The soldiers didn't stop them; instead, they bowed slightly towards the teddy bear.
"Aren't you famous." Viros said softly.
"I have been living here for thirty years." Reagan replied without looking back. "Of course, they know me."
The town was made on either side of the river with a long bridge connecting them.
'Do they not fear floods?'
Akamir wondered, rubbing his chin as they kept on walking down the road.
The place was eerily silent despite it being the daytime.
The few elves that passed by moved quickly, heads lowered, avoiding eye contact.
No children laughed in the streets. It was like a town holding its breath.
Even Viros found it odd as he whispered, "What is wrong with this place?"
Reagan didn't answer right away.
He just tapped his cane lightly on Akamir's shoulder and pointed toward the bridge.
"Let's cross. You'll understand once we reach the old temple grounds."
The wooden bridge creaked with every step.
Below them, the river looked unnatural, with smooth, almost glass-like water.
The water should have been flowing fast, yet it moved slowly, as if something beneath it was pulling it down.
"I don't like this," Luca muttered, glancing over the edge. "This place feels cursed."
"Come on, boy!" Viros said, patting his chest. "I will protect ya!"
"No thanks." Luca replied, looking away.
Once they reached the other side, the air grew colder.
The sunlight above barely reached the ground through the darkening clouds.
But when they tried to walk towards the centre of the village—
A sudden whistle echoed within the place.
Akamir tensed up as he grabbed the hilt of his sword.
A few seconds passed and no one came out.
Until.....
"Halt! This area is under the supervision of House Faelor! No one is allowed inside."
The voice rang out sharp and commanding.
Akamir turned toward the sound, his grip still firm on his sword hilt.
From the misted path ahead, a group of elves emerged in silver armor.
Their cloaks bearing the crest of a blooming tree....a mark of House Faelor.
There were five of them, weapons drawn and eyes cold.
One of them, a tall elf with sharp cheekbones and narrow, suspicious eyes, stepped forward.
"Identify yourselves," he demanded. "This area is under quarantine. Leave at once."
Akamir didn't move as he simply stared back.
'Doesn't Lewin belong to the same house as well?'
Akamir remembered the Royal advisor who he had met a few days ago.
That man had the same surname as them.
Reagan tapped the side of Akamir's neck, then raised his voice.
"I am Reagan, I've lived in this place for three decades. This boy is under my protection, and I'm here to investigate."
The elf frowned. "Master Reagan? I thought you were gone."
"I was," Reagan replied. "Now I'm not, so let us through."
The elf looked at the others as they shifted uncomfortably.
"...Still, we have our orders," he said. "House Faelor's second son, Lord Elsin, is conducting a sealed investigation."
Viros scoffed. "Second son or not, he doesn't own the land."
"Tone your tone, human boy!" The elf snapped. "This isn't your home where you can say whatever you please."
Viros, who was clearly annoyed, wanted to say more, but Reagan used his cane as a hook and pulled him back.
The sea-green haired boy looked at him with surprise. "How the fuck do you have so much strength."
Reagan ignored him as he looked at the elf.
"We are not here to fight." He said, his voice calm. "Just let me through to check the place for my own satisfaction."
They didn't seem to take his words kindly as they all pointed their weapons at them.
The guard narrowed his eyes. "I advise you to turn around before things get messy."
Akamir drew out his sword and so did the other two.
But....
Reagan let out a sigh and stopped them.
"Let's go." He said, tapping Akamir's shoulder.
Akamir gave him a look but didn't rebuke.
He just turned around and walked away, the other two following behind him.
"Why did you stop us?" Viros asked, looking at him. "It's not like we can't beat them."
"Violence is never a solution." Reagan replied, looking at them. "They are soldiers of the Duke, you won't be left alone if you attack them."
Viros opened his mouth to rebuke but no words came out of it.
Akamir remained silent as he knew that Reagan had a plan in his mind.
'Wait, does he even have a mind?'
It was beyond him, how a teddy bear is a functional species.
They crossed the bridge once again and arrived on the other side of the village.
Just as they walked past a silent road....
"Huh?"
Someone grabbed Akamir's hand and dragged him into the alleyway.
Akamir was ready to punch him but stopped when he saw a child.
"Ekilo?"
Reagan said, recognizing the child.
The elf in ragged clothes immediately knelt down, tears trickled down his face.
"M..Master Reagan, h..help us."
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Chapter 161: Infiltration and Servents of Skinless [1]
The elf in a ragged cloth immediately knelt down, tears trickled down his face.
"M..Master Reagan, h..help us."
Akamir blinked in confusion, still holding his raised fist mid-air.
The kid in front of him couldn't have been older than ten.
He was skinny, dirt-covered, with bruises on his arms and a fresh cut across his cheek.
His golden eyes were wide, trembling with panic.
Reagan quickly slid off Akamir's shoulder and landed beside the child.
"What happened, Ekilo?" he asked, voice low and serious.
Ekilo's shoulders shook.
"T-They... the guards... they took everyone, Master, they said it was to 'keep us safe,' but..." he paused, choking back a sob, "...but no one who goes past the temple comes back."
Reagan's gaze turned serious. "Where's your mother?"
Ekilo lowered his head. "She was taken last night."
Akamir quickly grabbed the bottle from his bag and passed it to the child.
Ekilo took it as he began to chug down huge gulps of it.
Akamir leaned down slightly, his voice gentler now. "Can you tell me when the soldiers came?"
"Ten days ago," the boy sniffled.
"They put up walls, said there was a sickness. But I know it's not that. They're lying. People... people who get close to the river at night, they change."
Akamir glanced at Reagan who quietly patted the child's head.
'So the curse is already spreading.'
"I told you, didn't I?" Nayomi said, floating beside him. "There is no saving them now."
Akamir didn't reply as he glanced back at Viros and Luca.
They were looking around just in case someone came too close.
The boy wiped his eyes under Reagan's care.
"Are you leaving alone?" he asked, taking a step back.
Ekilo nodded in response. "Yeah...I have no one at home."
"For now go back and hide in your house." the teddy bear said. "I will come at night and will take you away."
"B...but, mama—."
"I will find her as well." he replied, smiling. "Don't worry about her."
The boy nodded as he turned the bottle back to me.
Akamir passed it back, "keep it and take this as well."
He took out a few snacks and gave it to the child.
Though it didn't make him happy, he did seem relieved.
"Hey, guys." Viros said, "a soldier is coming."
Reagan quickly pushed the child. "Go, otherwise you will be caught." he said. "Be ready and tell your friends as well."
The boy nodded and ran away.
They also began to move before the soldier could grab them again.
Reagan walked in front of them with the help of his cane without a word.
Even when they crossed the main gate, he remained silent.
"What's your plan?" Akamir asked, making him stop.
Reagan turned around and looked at him. "Let's go back to my house."
---
[Reagan's Cottage.]
The door of his cozy house slammed open as Reagan walked inside his house.
Akamir, Viros, and Luca followed behind him, observing the place.
Reagan ignored them as he began to search around the house.
He moved quickly, knocking over old scrolls and books as he searched a tall cabinet near the window.
"What are you looking for?" Viros asked, glancing around at the strange things lining the shelves.
Reagan ignored him once again.
He yanked open a drawer and finally pulled out a small, wooden box with a strange rune etched onto its lid.
"This," he said, brushing off the dust. "Is something I never thought I'd need again."
He placed the box on the table and opened it carefully.
Inside was a thick, silver coin-shaped charm tied to a red thread, a faded page with handwritten notes, and a tiny vial filled with glowing blue liquid.
Luca stepped closer, squinting. "What's that stuff?"
"Old protection charms," Reagan replied. "Used during the last outbreak of mana sickness, back when I was still flesh and blood."
Akamir crossed his arms. "You're preparing for a full confrontation?"
"I know how curses like this spread."
Reagan nodded grimly. "What starts at the river won't stay there for long."
He picked up the vial and handed it to Akamir.
"Drink that. It won't cure you if you're cursed, but it'll slow the spread long enough to fight back."
Akamir accepted it without a word and tucked it into his coat.
Reagan began to get more of his stuff like he was getting ready for a war.
"Remind me again why we are getting involved in this?" Luca asked, looking at Akamir.
Reagan stopped what he was doing and looked at Akamir as well.
He shrugged, under their gaze.
"My job was to give you the letter and the staff." he said. "Why should I involve—."
"Help me with this and I will help you too." he cut in his words. "A being with five thousand years of knowledge won't come across daily."
"..."
Akamir turned silent as he looked at the teddy bear without any words.
"He isn't wrong though." Nayomi said, floating on his side. "He is far more knowledgeable than I am."
Akamir let out a sigh as he looked at Luca and Viros.
Viros raised his hand meekly. "Can I ask you something?"
Reagan nodded. "Speak."
"Do you have knowledge about the werewolf god?" he asked, his voice low.
The teddy bear gave him a nod. "Help me and I will tell you everything."
"Alright, we're in." Viros nodded and surprisingly Luca didn't object to his decision.
'Are they that eager to know about him?'
Despite his curiosity, Akamir didn't ask anything to them.
He looked at Reagan again. "Do you have a plan?"
Reagan nodded his head. "I know another way in, but it'll take us underground."
Luca groaned. "Not sewers."
Akamir nodded. "We go tonight."
Reagan gave a small nod back, but there was worry in his button eyes.
He took out three devices and threw it towards them. "Have this, for communication."
Akamir looked at it and couldn't help but be surprised. "Cellphones?"
Reagan stopped and looked at him suspiciously. "You know about it?"
"Uh, I heard about it." Akamir replied, flipping open the thing. "The otherworlders had it."
Nayomi suddenly jumped over his shoulder and looked at the phone curiously as well.
"Never thought I would see it again."
Reagan raised an eyebrow but didn't question Akamir further.
"You guys get some rest." he said, looking at them. "The night will be hectic."
---
---
--
It was already evening when Akamir stood outside Reagan's cottage.
The villagers have all returned to their homes as nobody was moving around.
Akamir stood there quietly as he looked at the shadows.
...The ones that were moving.
The two Mimickers who he had summoned just now, waited for his order.
"Go to Malik village and check what's happening." Akamir said, looking down at them. "Give me information about the slightest thing."
"Yes, my lord."
They said, their voices disoriented as they vanished away.
Akamir didn't bother about them as he looked around.
....The village was completely empty now.
'I wonder, if I would meet something hideous today.'
He had a gut feeling that he would.
Both Viros and Luca were sleeping right now and Reagan was inspecting the staff.
Akamir let out a sigh as he began to walk around.
But....
He only took a few steps when he heard it.
The sounds of a few women singing.
Akamir froze in his place.
It wasn't cheerful or welcoming.
The voices were slow, heavy... like a funeral chant wrapped in a lullaby.
He turned his head in the direction of the sound.
Finally at the very far end on the top of a mountain, he saw a few silhouettes.
A few women dancing and singing enthusiastically.
'What the fuck?'
He couldn't help but frown at the absurd sight.
And despite the distance, it was unsettling.
"It's been a while since I heard it." Nayomi whispered, making him flinch. "They were common in my time."
Akamir frowned. "What are they?"
"It would be better if you don't stand alone." Nayomi suggested. "Go back inside the cottage."
"Are you going to say it or not?" Akamir said, even though he was moving back.
"They are the Maiden Minstrel." she said, looking at him. "They usually announce the arrival of Servants of Skinless."
Akamir stopped walking.
"Servants of... what now?"
Nayomi floated a little closer, her expression uncharacteristically tense.
"Just think of them as crazy maniacs that couldn't take a loss." she said. "Even after so long they are still salty."
Akamir frowned as he walked inside the cottage. "Are they dangerous?"
She shook her head. "No, not for you."
Reagan sat on his chair as he worked on his staff.
When Akamir entered, he looked at him. "Shall we go?"
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CROWNLESS REINCARNATION: NEW WORLD? NAH I'D WINC162: Infiltration and Servents of Skinless [2]
Chapter 162: Infiltration and Servents of Skinless [2]
[Malik, Salyan Kingdom.]
The underground sewage swelled horribly, thick with rot and the sharp sting of decay.
Murky water sloshed as the four figures moved carefully through the narrow tunnel.
The only light was coming from a small crystal lantern dangling from Akamir's belt.
"Urgh, I might throw up," Viros muttered, gagging slightly as he pinched his nose.
"Shh, don't make too much noise," Reagan snapped, perched firmly on Akamir's shoulder like an irritated owl.
Luca trudged behind them, glaring at the teddy bear.
"You aren't the one wading knee-deep in corpse juice," he grumbled. "I hope your fur soaks up this sewer stench for a week."
Akamir let out a chuckle as he floated just above the water. "We will be out soon."
Luca mumbled something under his breath as he pushed aside a floating pile of unidentifiable sludge with a stick.
They continued forward in silence for a few minutes, their steps echoing off the rounded stone walls.
Then Viros paused. "Do you guys hear that?"
Everyone stopped as a faint sound echoed from ahead.
Akamir narrowed his eyes as he brought his hand close to the hilt of his sword.
He then glanced at the teddy bear. "Reagan?"
The teddy bear's ears twitched. "Keep moving but slower."
Luca took a step back. "You said this path was safe."
"I said I thought it was safe," Reagan corrected. "Still, there shouldn't be anything that we can't handle."
It was his idea to move under the sewage that was built a layer lower than the river.
The only thing that could get them inside the other side of the village without getting caught.
'Though, I could have entered inside if I was alone.'
Akamir thought as they kept on pushing forward.
"What's up with this place anyway?" Viros mumbled as he looked around. "Why did elves have this in a village?"
"Elves have degraded a lot from their past glory," Reagan said, his voice soft. "They used to be top of the world."
"You were present in that time right?" Akamir asked, his curiosity getting the better of him. "During the time of the first elf's era."
Reagan gave him a faint nod. "I have seen all of it," he whispered. "Their most glorious era and their weakest time."
Akamir nodded silently as he asked softly. "Have you ever heard of the Seraphic Tablet?"
Reagan visibly flinched at the word as he looked at him, eyes wide. "...How?"
Akamir raised his brow. "Have you?"
The teddy bear looked at him before shaking his head.
He didn't even speak after that for a long while.
Akamir stopped asking as well as he focused on the task at hand.
But...
The whispers only grew louder as they kept on moving towards the source.
"It's not getting closer, is it?" Viros asked, hand moving toward the weapon at his waist.
"No," Akamir said after a moment. "It's staying in place."
He moved to the front and carefully turned the corner of the tunnel.
There, just ahead, was a collapsed section of the sewage path—rubble and stone choking the way forward.
And above the rubble was the path where the moonlight shone inside.
Akamir rubbed the back of his neck as he floated closer.
He looked up at the sky, finding the area clean to move.
"We can go up from here," Reagan said, his voice soft. "It's good enough to fit us."
Akamir nodded and floated higher, the crystal lantern swinging slightly as he rose.
He placed one hand on the damp wall, the other holding steady near the hilt of his sword.
The opening above was just wide enough for a person to climb through without scraping against the jagged edges of the broken stone.
"I'll go first," he said.
"Of course you will," Luca muttered, wiping grime off his face. "You're the only one not covered in sewage."
Reagan ignored the comment as he jumped on the dry rubble. "Check the area quickly. If it's clear, signal us."
Akamir climbed up through the hole and pulled himself into the open.
The sudden shift in air hit him right away, he felt nauseous in an instant.
'What is this feeling?' Akamir thought as he drew in a deep breath.
It's only been a second and he already felt sick.
"Wear the mask that Zaina gave you," Nayomi advised, floating beside him. "Your high concentration of mana is making you more sick."
Akamir nodded softly as he took out the Artifact and wore it on his face.
He immediately felt relief, like something was lifted off his shoulder.
He looked around, finding himself in an alleyway on the other side of the village.
A row of half-collapsed buildings lay in front of him.
Akamir looked around the place, finding anything problematic.
There were signs of recent passage, some footprints in the mud, and a single lantern flickering in the distance.
'Well, it looks like we are safe for now.'
He looked back inside the crack as he signaled them. "It's safe, come out."
Viros climbed through next, followed by Luca, who grumbled the entire time.
Reagan came up with the help of Akamir as he landed beside him with a quiet thump.
"So... we're in," Viros whispered, brushing his hands off on his pants.
"What now?" Luca asked.
The teddy bear remained silent as he examined the place for a while.
The others quieted down as well as they waited for his judgment.
After ten minutes of hiding in the dark, he was able to make a plan.
Reagan pointed toward the lantern flickering in the distance.
"That leads to the temple's rear courtyard. If the guards are moving people there... that's where we'll find the missing villagers."
Akamir nodded, his expression unreadable.
The group moved quickly but quietly, sticking to the shadows.
The air was heavy here. Not only with rot, but with something worse... silence.
The entire place felt like there was some kind of spell that binds all kinds of sound.
As they turned a corner, they spotted it.
The temple.
It loomed tall at the end of the street, bathed in faint blue light.
Cracked white pillars surrounded the entrance, and the walls were covered in strange markings—etched deep into the stone like scars.
Torches burned at the sides, guarded by two armored figures.
They looked like elven soldiers that Akamir had faced off against before.
"It's a temple of God Jerihan," Reagan whispered, his voice soft. "The old humans used to worship him."
Akamir gave him a soft nod as he looked back at the others.
Akamir studied the temple for a moment longer, his eyes narrowing.
The guards weren't moving.
They stood unnaturally still, like statues, heads lowered and arms limp at their sides.
"Are they cursed?" Viros asked under his breath.
Reagan nodded. "I think so. They don't seem like they are fully aware of their surroundings."
"I will take care of them," Akamir said as he walked forward.
Two short swords of mana formed in his hand as he moved towards them in silence.
'This Artifact is really good for anyone who can use multiple weapons.'
Akamir thought as he thanked Zaina for it once again in his head.
Taking in a deep breath, he reached them in a blink of an eye.
The two cursed guards didn't even lift their heads until it was too late.
Akamir moved like a shadow, the blue glow of his twin mana blades slicing through the dim air.
In one clean motion, he slashed the first guard across the neck.
A sickening crunch echoed as the cursed creature's head twisted unnaturally before collapsing with a dull thud.
The second one reacted, jerking upright with a strange, bone-popping screech.
... but it never got the chance to raise its blade.
Akamir stabbed it straight through the chest, the mana blade piercing deep and disrupting whatever foul energy held it together.
It twitched violently once, then went still.
Akamir exhaled, letting the mana blades dissolve in his hands.
Behind him, Viros and Luca emerged from the shadows with wide eyes.
"Okay, that was creepy and impressive," Viros muttered.
Luca just grunted, looking at the dust on the ground. "They didn't bleed."
"They weren't alive," Reagan said, hopping off Akamir's shoulder and onto the ground. "Just empty shells. The curse turns them into something unreachable."
Akamir stepped aside as Reagan inspected the entrance.
"We're lucky," the teddy bear said after a moment. "No alarm was triggered. They were linked to the outer seal, but you killed them fast enough."
"Now what?" Viros asked.
Reagan looked up at the temple doors. "Now... we go inside."
The group approached the tall, ancient doors, their surfaces carved with symbols that shimmered faintly under the blue torchlight.
Akamir reached for the handle, but Reagan stopped him.
"Don't touch it with bare skin," he warned. "Let me."
Reagan pulled a charm from his pouch and a small, rusted medallion wrapped in red thread and pressed it against the stone.
The door gave a soft click before creaking open slowly, revealing a dimly lit corridor.
The moment it opened, the air changed.
It became heavier.
A cold whisper brushed against Akamir's ear, even though no one was near him.
He tensed, hand instinctively moving to his weapon again.
What they saw inside made their blood turn cold.
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CROWNLESS REINCARNATION: NEW WORLD? NAH I'D WINC163: Infiltration and Servents of Skinless [3]
Chapter 163: Infiltration and Servents of Skinless [3]
[Malik, Salyan Kingdom.]
What they saw inside made their blood turn cold.
The corridor was long, narrow, and unnaturally quiet.
The corridor opened into a vast chamber the moment they stepped inside.
The air grew thicker, heavy with a strange warmth and the faint scent of iron.
Akamir led the group forward, and what they saw made them all stop in their tracks.
Hundreds of elves stood throughout the temple hall.
But they were no longer themselves.
Their skin had turned into a twisted mix of bright red and sickly yellow.
White veins glowed beneath the surface, like tiny stars trapped in their flesh.
Their limbs were stretched and malformed, some twitching uncontrollably, others fused into the floor or the walls.
Their skin moved like parasites were crawling all over their bodies.
Most of them simply stood there, heads bowed or rocking slightly.
Mutated, broken with no hope in their eyes, but somehow still breathing.
"What the hell happened here?" Viros whispered, barely able to look at them.
'...Is this the curse?'
Akamir thought grimly as Reagan's heavy breaths echoed in his ear.
Akamir stepped forward, ignoring the others.
His eyes caught a girl sitting against a broken pillar.
Her arms had become long, limp tentacles, swaying slightly even though there was no wind.
Her eyes were dull, barely blinking, but she looked up when she saw him.
He knelt down carefully, keeping his weapon sheathed.
"Hey," he said gently. "Can you understand me?"
Her voice was raspy and quiet, like it hadn't been used in days. "Who are you?"
"I am here to help," Akamir said softly, "What happened to you?"
The girl looked confused as her eyes were unfocused. "Help?"
Akamir nodded once, giving her a gentle look. "Yes, can you tell me what happened?"
Her body began to tremble as if she was going through immense pain.
"They... injected it. Over and over. Blood... dark blood. It burned. It kept burning... still burns."
Akamir tried to comfort her, reaching out without thinking.
The moment his hand touched her skin, a sharp sting surged through his fingers.
"Urgh."
He hissed, yanking his hand back as red welts began forming on his skin.
"Don't," Reagan said firmly as he stepped beside him.
The teddy bear climbed down and approached her slowly.
He placed a paw on her forehead, and her trembling eased slightly.
Akamir didn't know what he did, but the girl began to fall asleep.
While Reagan handled her, Akamir turned and approached another elf nearby.
He was an older man with a hunched back and a face covered in pulsing white veins.
The man looked up at him as he approached him.
"Hey, can you hear me?" Akamir whispered, looking at him. "Do you know what happened here?"
The old man looked at him with trembling eyes, one pure white and one black.
"It came from the sea," he whispered, voice breaking. "A... was a body.... body.... Huge, glowing dead body."
The old man began to cough violently as he struggled to breathe.
Akamir brought a bottle of water from his space ring, but the old man shook his head.
"Dead, but not dead," he continued in a whisper. "...It floated in through the river. We told the empress. We thought she would help."
"What did she do?" Akamir asked.
The elf's eyes darkened.
"She sent soldiers, armed from head to toe...They locked us in. Sealed the village. Then they slowly began to take us in the temple one by one."
Akamir felt his gut twist. "They experimented on all of you?"
The man nodded slowly. "For weeks. They kept speaking of 'awakening'.... Of the great power.... Said it was her will."
'The Empress' will?'
Akamir couldn't help but feel more and more disgust.
Once a king himself, he despised those who use their subjects for inhumane things.
He never liked to do that and would never like those who did it.
'I am going ahead of myself.'
Akamir quickly calmed down as he looked at the man once again.
Akamir leaned in. "Where is the body? The one from the sea.... The Great One, Kros."
The man lifted a trembling arm and pointed to the far end of the hall.
A large set of black stone doors stood there, sealed by chains that looked ancient.
"Behind there, they kept it with us so we can awaken even further."
Nayomi, who had been floating in the corner, reached him slowly.
"Keep in mind," she whispered in his ear. "The Great One isn't something you can fathom right now."
"So, what the hell am I supposed to do?" he asked, glaring back at her.
Nayomi didn't say anything as she looked at the gate as well.
"Let me see the dead body first," she replied, looking back at him. "Maybe I can help."
Akamir drew in a deep breath as he stood up.
He looked over his shoulder to the other two frozen boys.
"Viros, Luca," he said. "Help Reagan and do what you can for the others. Get them stable."
They nodded their heads as they came back to their senses.
Akamir turned and walked alone toward the sealed doors.
His footsteps echoed as he moved, the lantern on his waist flickering along the carvings of the god on the walls.
With every step he took, Akamir felt his head getting heavier.
...Like someone was hammering him again and again in the same spot.
By the time he reached the door, the whispers had returned.
But now they were louder, almost chanting.
His fingers trembled slightly as he reached for the handle... then paused.
"Keep it on," Nayomi whispered.
He nodded and adjusted the mask Zaina had given him.
The moment his hand touched the door, it clicked open with a deep, groaning sound.
A rush of cold air spilled out, making his body feel a chill.
Taking in a deep breath, he stepped into the room.
It was dark, and there was nothing to light up the place except his lantern.
And the other source of light was... Her.
A soft glow from the center, where something long and shining lay beneath layers of cracked glass.
Kros.
The Great One.
Her body was immense, stretching from one end of the chamber to the other.
Pure white in color, like polished bone and pearl.
Her form resembled a jellyfish, with long tendrils curled around her sides.
....But the body had been mutilated.
Her abdomen had been cut open completely, organs removed or melted.
Her spine was visible, thick and coiled like a twisted tree root.
Despite the damage, there was still a strange beauty to her.
Like something ancient that had been caught mid-dream.
"She would try to harm your brain and body," Nayomi said, her voice soft. "All Great Ones do that to those below them."
Akamir kept on walking towards her without replying.
He stepped closer, his breath catching in his throat.
....Slowly, he reached out to touch her dead body.
"Hm."
"Oh, lord saviour what have you lost~."
...Just before his fingers could brush her skin, music began.
Soft, eerie humming.
It came from behind him.
...He turned sharply.
A group of women had entered the room even though they weren't here just a second before.
...Dressed in long white robes stained with red.
Their eyes were closed, and they began to dance slowly in a circle, humming a song that made the air around him ripple.
...Akamir's skin crawled.
'The Servants of the Skinless.'
He backed away from Kros' body, drawing his weapon as the humming grew louder.
The women's dance became faster, more violent, their feet barely touching the ground.
Then he heard the crash.
Back in the hall, shouting erupted.
"They found us!" Luca's voice rang out.
Heavy boots thudded against the floor as soldiers stormed in from the temple's front gate.
Their armor was darker than before, covered in black runes.
Akamir ignored the women as he ran past them.
They didn't even try to harm him.
As he entered into the main chamber, just as Viros threw a dagger into one of the soldiers' necks.
Reagan was trying to shield the mutated elves, while Luca fought near the pillars with his axe, blood splattering around him.
"They're too many!" Viros shouted.
Akamir didn't hesitate.
He raised his hand and released a blast of wind magic, knocking several soldiers off their feet.
He rushed into the fight, blades forming again in his hands.
The room was filled with chaos.
Soldiers shouting, steel clashing, mutated elves screaming.
The dancing women moved closer, their song infecting the minds of the villagers.
Some collapsed and others began convulsing.
Akamir slashed through one soldier, spun, and kicked another into the wall.
Reagan stood near the entrance, holding the charm that had opened the door earlier.
"We need to fall back!" he called. "We can't win here!"
Akamir hesitated, glancing back at Kros.
....Then he nodded.
"Retreat! Get them out of here!"
But before they could even move out,
More soldiers had already surrounded them from all directions.
...They were already trapped.
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CROWNLESS REINCARNATION: NEW WORLD? NAH I'D WINC164: Infiltration and Servents of Skinless [4]
Chapter 164: Infiltration and Servents of Skinless [4]
"Retreat! Get them out of here!"
But before they could even move out.
More soldiers had already surrounded them from all directions.
...They were already trapped.
Despite everyone panicking in the situation, Akamir drew in a deep breath.
'....I need to end this before more arrive.'
Akamir, being the one in the front, didn't waste time.
The moment the soldiers charged through the open doors, he rushed forward.
Lightning crackled around him, forming sharp arcs that melted into the ground along his limbs and sword.
His boots skidded slightly on the stone floor, but he adjusted quickly and lunged into the fray.
The first soldier didn't even get the chance to swing.
Akamir drove his blade through his chest, the impact sending a pulse of electric force that threw the body back into two more soldiers.
They stumbled, and he used the opening to his advantage.
'They are all lower rank than me and I have the advantage here.'
He quickly assessed his situation as he twisted his body low and swept his leg beneath one of them.
As the soldier dropped, Akamir stabbed downward through the throat.
Blood gurgled out, and he turned before the body hit the ground.
Another rushed in from the right, using the slight delay to his advantage.
Akamir pivoted, raised his left hand, and released a short burst of lightning that shot out in a straight line.
It hit square in the chest, sending the soldier flying into the wall.
The sound of metal scraping echoed around them as more armored soldiers poured into the corridor.
Reagan and the others stayed back, helping the mutated villagers while watching Akamir fight.
Akamir gritted his teeth, his mana pulsing harder.
Sparks flew from his fingers, dancing up the length of his sword.
The blade glowed bright blue as he used chi after a long time.
Akamir drew in a short breath as he charged in once again.
A swing from an axe came down toward his head, but he side-stepped and slammed the hilt of his sword into the attacker's jaw.
His jaw let out a cracking sound, and then he spun and cut horizontally, slicing through two soldiers who had tried to flank him.
'....Fuck, we need to find a way out of here.'
Akamir rushed in once again as his legs moved on instinct, keeping his weight low and steady.
Every slash, every stab, every dodge was calculated.
The corridor soon filled with the smell of burnt metal and blood.
Even as more came, Akamir didn't falter.
He drew more mana from his core as he made two throwing knives that lodged into one of the soldiers.
He brought his sword overhead, and a bolt of lightning exploded from his body.
The light was blinding.
The impact burst outward, knocking several enemies off their feet.
Akamir used that moment as he lunged again, cutting through them one by one.
In a few minutes, the path ahead was clear.
Bodies covered the stone floor, blood seeping into the cracks.
The sound of clanking armor faded behind him.
Akamir stepped back slightly, catching his breath.
His lightning dimmed a bit as he turned to the others.
"Move now," he said quickly.
Just as they stepped forward... It returned.
The sound of humming by the ladies from before.
A soft, rhythmic song echoed through the chamber once again.
It wasn't something a human could sing.
The sound crawled down his spine like cold nails.
Akamir's eyes blinked and then they stood at the end of the temple room.
"They are here," Nayomi said, her voice low. "The Servants of the Skinless."
They moved slowly, limbs twitching like puppets pulled by invisible strings.
One of them was far too fat for his own good, his body abnormally big.
The other one's body was tall and thin, bones far too sharp for the skin draped over them.
....But it didn't look like their skin.
It was someone else's skin that was.... Loose, ill-fitting, and torn in places.
One had half a face stitched crudely in place, the eye still open but lifeless.
The other had arms twice as long as a normal person's, dragging the ground as they moved.
Akamir tightened his grip on the sword.
He didn't wait.
He shot forward, closing the gap between them.
His sword swung at the taller one, but the creature twisted unnaturally, bending backward as if its spine were made of rope.
It avoided the slash and grabbed Akamir by the arm.
Its fingers dug in.
"Urgh!"
Pain shot through his skin.
Akamir gritted his teeth and blasted lightning straight into its chest.
The impact pushed it back, but it didn't scream.
It didn't even react to the impact.
The second one was already behind him as Akamir turned but was too late.
A sharp claw raked across his back.
'Fuck!'
The claw dug into his skin, taking out a part of his flesh.
Akamir stumbled forward and turned to parry, barely raising his sword in time to block the next attack.
The two creatures circled him like vultures as Akamir got a hold of himself.
They moved in unison as one came from the front and the other from the back.
He ducked just as a claw grazed the side of his head.
He countered with a sharp upward strike, slicing off part of the creature's jaw.
Still...
The thing didn't flinch.... It just kept moving.
Akamir backed away, trying to get distance, but the second one grabbed his leg.
He fell hard.
The first one leapt at him.
He rolled, stabbing upward into its side, lightning bursting out again.
It jerked, limbs twitching, but instead of falling, it gripped his sword hand.
It tried to pull the weapon away.
'What the hell is wrong with them.'
Akamir snarled and sent more lightning through the blade.
Finally, it let go.
But by the time he stood, the second had already grabbed him by the throat.
Akamir kicked it in the gut, breaking the grip.
His breathing was heavy now.
The mana around his body sparked violently.
He clenched his jaw and narrowed his eyes.
'The more I waste my time, the higher my chance of losing.'
Akamir focused his mana into his legs and moved.
He blinked to the side, vanishing from sight.
Akamir appeared behind the first one and slashed downward with both hands, cleaving through its spine.
The creature didn't let out a scream or anything of that matter.
It just took a step forward and looked at Akamir's face.
"You are strong for a human," the fat one said, his voice abnormal. "Who are you?"
Akamir didn't reply as he rushed in once again.
This time he used the mask as he made a chain of mana in his hand.
Akamir jumped and looped the chain around his body and landed behind him.
"Hap!!"
He pulled both sides of the chain, making the creature stop in his track.
Akamir quickly turned to look at the others.
Reagan was on Viros' shoulder now and Luca was helping him fend off the remaining soldiers.
"Get out of here!" Akamir yelled, looking at them. "Now!"
They hesitated for a second before they quickly began to run away.
"You are forgetting something, human," the fat creature spoke once again.
Akamir's heart trembled, and he looked around, but....
He couldn't find the other one.
"Wait—!"
His words were cut short when he looked towards the group.
The tall creature now stood behind them.
...His claw dug deep into Luca's body.
'Huh?'
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Chapter 165: Infiltration and Servents of Skinless [5]
...His claw dug deep into Luca's body.
'Huh?'
The tall creature didn't pause after sinking his claw into Luca.
With a jerk, it tore him away from the group, flinging his body against the cold stone wall.
Luca hit the ground hard.
Blood pooled beneath him, the impact of the claw still fresh through his chest.
He coughed weakly, his hand trembling as it reached toward the gaping wound.
The puncture had gone straight through his heart.
"LUCA!" Viros shouted, moving to run toward him.
The fat creature twisted its head toward him. With a grotesque grin, it grabbed the glowing chain looped around its belly and tore it apart like it was made of thread.
Mana shattered into sparks, falling harmlessly around its feet.
Akamir's grip on the mana chain loosened, and in that brief second, the creature slipped free.
The two horrors regrouped, walking calmly through the trail of blood and corpses.
Their movements were unhurried, their expressions blank.
"You fight well, human," the fat one said, tilting its head unnaturally. "We are Garel and Thum, servants of the Skinless."
Garel looked like he had already taken an interest in Akamir.
He gave him a sharp smile as Akamir kept on staring at Luca.
"We were created for this," said the tall one, its voice a sick mix of distorted tones. "Our master gave us purpose."
"To complete the glorious task," the fat one added, arms spreading wide, his stitched face grinning. "To bring the flesh of Kros to its rightful use."
Akamir didn't respond. His eyes stayed locked on Luca, who now lay motionless on the floor, gasping for air.
The tall one took another step forward. "You're strong, human. Leave the elves. Join us. You can witness rebirth."
'....What the fuck, did he say?'
Akamir's jaw clenched.
His heart pounded, but his breathing steadied.
"Don't let your anger get the better of you," Nayomi said, her voice floating close by. "They will be using this against you."
Akamir drew in a deep breath as he stared at the two of them.
One was smiling but the other wasn't.
His fingers curled around his sword.
Akamir's grip on his sword tightened.
The air felt heavier now, thick with blood and something darker—something crawling just beneath the surface.
He looked up slowly, eyes cold. "Go to hell."
There was no hesitation.
He shot forward, mana surging through his body like a tide.
Lightning flickered violently across his limbs and blade as he charged the two abominations.
The fat one, Garel, opened his arms wide in welcome.
Akamir didn't take the bait.
He blinked to the side and slashed at the tall one, Thum, aiming straight for his ribs.
The blade connected but not deep enough.
It scraped through layers of stolen skin and stopped at something dense underneath, like bone or armor.
Thum swung his arm, but Akamir ducked and rolled, avoiding the claw.
Garel was already behind him.
Akamir turned just in time to block the heavy swing of a malformed fist.
The impact sent a jolt down his arm, his feet sliding back over the blood-slicked floor.
He gritted his teeth and pushed forward again, lightning bursting from his sword with every strike.
But they were still too strong.
Their movements weren't fast but they were precise.
Garel blocked a blow with one massive arm while Thum clawed at his side.
Akamir jumped back, blood now dripping from a fresh gash across his waist.
He panted, sweat rolling down his face under the mask. His vision blurred for a second.
'Dammit. I'm losing momentum.'
He needed to get to the others. He needed to get Luca out.
Akamir feinted left, then blinked to the right, appearing just behind Garel.
He didn't attack. Instead, he ran.
He sprinted past the two, ignoring the tall one's claw that grazed his shoulder.
Viros had reached Luca and was trying to keep him conscious.
Reagan stood guard, his small form shaking slightly but still defiant.
Akamir didn't stop. He placed a hand on the ground, focusing.
Mana surged around him, flaring up in sharp blue waves.
The crown on his head flickered into existence and began to illuminate the place in a bright light.
A circle of light opened beneath their feet.
A portal.
Reagan turned. "Akamir—"
"Grab Luca. Now!"
Viros didn't argue as he and Reagan pulled Luca's body toward the center of the glowing circle.
Blood trailed behind them.
The portal buzzed louder, growing unstable with the amount of mana being poured into it.
Akamir stood guard at the edge, sword ready.
Garel and Thum didn't rush.
They walked forward slowly, the tall one dragging one claw against the stone wall, sending sparks flying.
"You'll regret this," Thum rasped.
"We would've made you eternal," Garel added.
Akamir didn't answer.
He waited until the others were through the portal, then turned, stepping in last.
The instant his boot crossed the edge, the portal snapped shut behind him, cutting off the room, the blood, the monsters, and the death.
Darkness swallowed the temple once more.
— — —
The group landed hard on a stone platform in an abandoned ruin far from the village.
The portal hissed out of existence with a faint crackle of mana.
Akamir collapsed to his knees, gasping for air.
His sword fell from his fingers.
He didn't even bother to catch it.
"Luca," Reagan said quickly, his voice trembling. "He's not... he's not breathing."
He was already moving, pulling out a pouch of crushed herbs, a glass vial, and a piece of cloth.
"Help me roll him," he ordered.
Akamir forced himself up and knelt beside Luca, tearing the cloth off his mask.
Luca's eyes were open, but barely.
The hole in his chest was still bleeding. Slower now.
Akamir placed a hand near it, mana flowing weakly from his palm.
"...He's dying," Nayomi said softly, floating beside him. "But you've bought him time."
Reagan poured the vial over the wound but despite all this Viros stood calmly on the side.
"...Guys," he said, his voice low. "Step aside and let him be in contact with the moonlight."
Akamir frowned as he looked at him. "What are you—!"
"Just trust me," he said, his voice soft.
Akamir glared at him but when he saw Reagan moving away... he did the same.
When the moonlight hit the body of dying Luca...
...It began to heal slowly.
Akamir finally got the confirmation about what race they were.
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CROWNLESS REINCARNATION: NEW WORLD? NAH I'D WINC166: Esperanza Of Fox-Kin [1]
Chapter 166: Esperanza Of Fox-Kin [1]
Akamir watched in silence as the pale moonlight touched Luca's chest.
It was faint at first, barely anything more than a shimmer, but then the light grew brighter, outlining the wound with a soft white glow.
The blood that had soaked Luca's tunic began to draw back.
The edges of the torn flesh knitted together slowly, like something pulling the pieces of him back into place.
His breathing, which had nearly stopped, became steadier.
The hole in his chest shrank bit by bit.
It wasn't perfect, nor was it fast, but it was working.
Reagan let out a shaky breath, still clutching the empty vial in his tiny hands. "Ahh... Just as I thought."
Viros stayed quiet, watching Luca as the healing continued.
Akamir stood, wiping the sweat off his forehead with the back of his sleeve. "You knew this would happen."
As Akamir kept on looking at Luca's body healing, he soon began to notice.
From beneath his messy hair, a pair of ears began to rise—not human ears.
They were pointed and covered in soft gray fur, twitching slightly even though Luca was still unconscious.
"...Are those wolf ears?" Akamir muttered.
Viros didn't seem surprised. If anything, he looked like he had been expecting it.
"I guess it couldn't stay hidden anymore," Viros said quietly.
Akamir turned toward him. "You've got five seconds to explain."
Viros sat down beside Luca, resting his hands on his knees. "Do I need to say this out loud?"
Akamir frowned. "Yes, you do."
Viros let out a sigh as he grunted and stood back up.
"Well, I should formally introduce myself then."
He said, looking at Akamir who sat on the stone.
Viros bowed dramatically.
"My real name is Virocan El Esperanza." He said in a soft tone. "I am the son of Beastmen's council member—Drago El Esperanza."
"A Beastman?" Reagan asked, his voice curious now.
He moved and sat down beside Akamir. "What type of Beastman?"
Viros let out a sigh as he took out his ring. Immediately, his body began to transform.
A pair of sea-green colored, fox-like tails materialized behind him.
Akamir stared at the glowing tails, his brow furrowed.
Reagan leaned in slightly, his small eyes wide. "Fox-type...?"
Viros gave a nod. "Specifically, Vulpira. It's an older branch of the fox Beastmen... It's rare these days."
The soft flicker of moonlight made the sea-green fur shimmer faintly.
The air around Viros felt different now.
Akamir tilted his head slightly. "So you've been hiding this the whole time?"
"Of course," Viros said, flicking his tail lazily behind him. "You think I'd walk between humans flashing this around? Half the continent still thinks Beastmen are second-class monsters."
Reagan snorted. "They're not entirely wrong. Most of the ones I've met have tried to bite my arm off."
Viros shrugged. "We have temper issues."
Akamir let out a tired breath, rubbing the bridge of his nose.
"So Luca's a Lycan, and you're a fox-type Beastman. Anyone else want to reveal something before we move?"
Reagan held up his stubby arms. "I'm a teddy bear. What more do you want?"
That pulled a weak laugh out of Akamir, though his face stayed tired.
They all looked over as Luca stirred again.
Akamir rubbed his temples as he once again looked at Viros.
'This isn't what I expected...'
Akamir thought that they both were Werewolves but wasn't completely sure.
And he was wrong as Viros wasn't one.
"...So, why were you with humans?" Akamir asked, tilting his head.
Viros looked at him. "...Things are going rough in my hometown." He whispered. "We are partially at war."
Akamir wanted to ask more but it doesn't seem Viros wanted to share more.
...Not yet at the very least.
"Are you going to explain?" Reagan said, looking at him. "What was that?"
"What?"
"That portal." He said, his eyes narrowing. "Was that a grade one Artifact?"
Akamir flinched visibly as he glanced at him. 'Damn, he is scarily accurate.'
Still, Akamir had no plans to just accept his judgment.
"We should move back to your house for now." Akamir said, his voice soft. "We still aren't safe."
Viros nodded as he put back the ring, hiding his tail and ears.
He quickly grabbed the unconscious Luca and carried him.
Akamir kept on ignoring them as they began to move towards Reagan's house.
---
Once they reached the house, they put Luca back on the bed.
Akamir stood on the side as he looked at Viros and Reagan.
"I will look out in case we are attacked again." Akamir said, looking at them. "For now, you guys should rest."
Reagan gave a small nod and moved toward the corner of the room.
He fell asleep as soon as he got on his bed.
'Come to think of it, he can't live for long.'
Akamir still remembered what Velyrian had told him.
He still knew that Reagan is in his last breath.
"He should be fine in a while," Viros murmured, brushing some of Luca's hair away from his face. "He just won't wake up for a while."
Akamir stood at the window, eyes scanning the quiet stretch of land outside Reagan's small cottage.
The trees beyond were still, swaying faintly under the moonlight. For now, it was calm.
"Make sure you get some rest too," Akamir said without looking back.
"I will," Viros said, voice low. "Just... give me a moment."
Akamir gave a faint grunt and stepped outside, pulling the door closed behind him.
---
Outside, the night was bitter cold.
The wind brushed past the fields quietly, and the stars overhead blinked in a clear sky.
Akamir slowly took off his shirt as he hardly looked back at the wound on his back.
He rubbed his temples. 'Fuck.'
Akamir took out a healing cream from his space ring to apply on his back.
But he couldn't properly use it on his own face.
"Hm?"
Just when he was about to give up, Nayomi came in front of him.
Her face inches away as she extended her hand. "Give it to me."
Akamir gave her a long look but passed the cream to her.
Surprisingly, it didn't fall through her hand, like he thought.
"You can hold things now?" Akamir asked as she moved behind him.
"I could do that since the day you became blue core."
"And you kept it a secret from me?" Akamir asked, annoyed by her habit of hiding things.
"I could have told you." She said. "But didn't feel like telling."
"The fuck does that—hiss."
Akamir bit his lip as he felt her cold hands on his back.
Nayomi didn't say anything after that.
Her fingers moved gently, applying the cream across the torn skin.
"You were sloppy," Nayomi said suddenly, her voice calm. "You let them get too close."
"I didn't expect them to be that fast," he admitted. "I thought I'd be able to kill at least one of them before they reacted."
"You underestimated them," she said, pressing her thumb a little harder against a wound. "And Luca paid the price."
Akamir didn't answer for a moment.
His jaw tightened. "Yeah... I know."
"Still, they underestimated you as well." Nayomi said, her voice soft. "Otherwise you wouldn't have been able to come back alive."
Akamir didn't say anything for a while.
When Nayomi was done applying the cream, she came in front.
Akamir looked into her sky blue eyes. "Who are they?"
Nayomi looked into his eyes. "The servants of Skinless." She replied. "The one who always lose in the end."
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CROWNLESS REINCARNATION: NEW WORLD? NAH I'D WINC167: Esperanza Of Fox-Kin [2]
Chapter 167: Esperanza Of Fox-Kin [2]
Akamir looked into her sky blue eyes. "Who are they?"
Nayomi looked into his eyes. "The servants of Skinless," she replied. "The one who always lose in the end."
Akamir frowned in confusion. "What do you mean?"
"You know, there wasn't much that was told about them in the game," Nayomi said, looking at the sky. "I got to know them when I came to this place."
Akamir didn't say anything, though he got even more curious.
"The Skinless was a god whose name is unknown," she continued, looking at him. "He was once a well-known god, but his everything was taken away later on."
Akamir frowned as he asked, "Taken away by whom?"
"The first elf, Iriel of the Dawn," Nayomi said, looking at him.
"Six thousand years ago, she was the one who began massacring all believers of other religions."
Akamir's eyes narrowed. "The first elf... she started a religious purge?"
"She wanted only the Golden Sun to be the one religion," she replied, nodding her head. "She wanted to erase any existence that didn't believe in him. So, she began with the weakest."
"The Skinless," Akamir murmured.
"His true name was erased," Nayomi said, her voice calm.
"His temples were burned. His followers slaughtered. His image removed from every scripture. But before he was destroyed, he did something no god had dared before."
Akamir looked at her, waiting.
"He tore off his divine form."
"...What?"
"His flesh. His bones. Everything that made him recognizable as a god—he stripped it away."
Akamir frowned in confusion. "What do you mean?"
"He left everything behind and became a raw energy," Nayomi said softly. "Iriel couldn't kill what had no body. So instead, she locked it away somewhere unknown."
Akamir rubbed the back of his neck as he thought about it. "Let me guess, the servants of Skinless are trying to bring him back?"
Nayomi nodded without explaining anything else.
There wasn't any need for her to do so.
Akamir fell into deep thought as he began to think about those two he met before.
The more he thought, the grimmer his expression became.
"They were playing with us, weren't they?" Akamir said, glancing at Nayomi. "They could have killed me anytime, but they didn't."
Nayomi nodded her head. "They see no point in killing you," she replied. "I bet they want to skin you alive and make you one of them."
"..."
Akamir rubbed his face as he let out a tired sigh.
Nayomi leaned against the wooden railing of the porch, arms crossed, her eyes distant.
"They're patient, Akamir," she said quietly. "Too patient. That's what makes them dangerous."
Akamir didn't reply. He just sat down on the steps, staring at the dirt road ahead.
"They weren't trying to kill me," he repeated, voice low. "They were testing me."
Nayomi looked down at him. "Probably."
Akamir rubbed his hands together. "What if I spoil their plans because they left me alive?"
"Have I not been clear enough?" Nayomi said, floating beside him. "Nothing you do now will change anything... The elves are already doomed."
"..."
Akamir didn't reply as he kept on staring at his hands.
"Why are they trying to curse elves anyway?" Akamir asked, looking back at her.
"They are generational haters," she replied, her voice filled with disgust.
"They were attacking the elves on the other side of the world, but they couldn't do much damage, so they came here."
"To kill the less threatening and peace-loving elves, huh?" Akamir said, and Nayomi nodded her head.
"That's how things are here, my boy," she said, smiling. "The weak always lose."
Akamir stared at her, blinking slowly. "That does make sense."
"It always does," Nayomi said, sitting down next to him, her legs crossed mid-air like she was resting on an invisible bench. "This world runs on twisted rules."
Akamir leaned back against the porch post, letting the silence settle between them again.
"What's up with those creepy ladies?" he asked at last, eyes fixed on the stars. "Why do they sing and dance?"
"Oh, them?" Nayomi asked. "You see, back in the days, Iriel used to make the widows and children of Skinless servants dance over their dead family."
Akamir winced at her words.
"She was cruel, wasn't she?" he whispered. "And they are doing the same as a way to mock her?"
"Precisely why," Nayomi replied. "They are doing the same as the elves move to their inevitable doom."
"That's twisted," he said eventually, his voice low. "Dancing on their own grief. Mocking the pain they were forced to endure."
"That's what life was for them," she whispered softly. "That's how they are living."
Akamir didn't say anything for a long while.
---
---
"Urgh!"
When the first light of the sun bathed the place, a low groan echoed in the room.
Luca coughed violently as he sat back on the bed.
His eyes blinked as he noticed all three of the others already up.
Akamir smiled as he sat inside the cottage's main sofa.
"Yo, boy!" Viros said, smiling at him. "He already knows our identity."
Luca frowned. "Why did you tell him, you idiot!"
Viros held up both hands defensively, still grinning. "Relax. It's not like we could've hidden it forever. He saw your ears, remember?"
Luca groaned again and leaned back into the pillows. "Damn it..."
Reagan, sitting cross-legged on the floor with a warm cup in his tiny hands, looked up. "If you can move, then join us."
Luca grumbled beneath his breath as he moved and sat with them.
"So, what are we going to do next?" Viros asked, looking at Akamir. "Are we going back to Krivos—"
"Not yet," Akamir said. "We are still not done yet."
"What else is there to do?" Reagan said, his voice soft. "The elves are the ones who are doing all this to themselves."
Luca nodded in agreement. "Didn't you hear that old man?" he asked. "He said the empress was the one who sent the soldiers."
"We can't be so sure about that," Akamir said, his voice soft. "Remember it was the royal advisor who got the news first."
Reagan looked at him. "Are you saying she isn't aware of it?"
Akamir shrugged. "I am not too sure, but I hope so."
"So," Viros mumbled. "What now?"
Akamir waited for a while before saying, "I am going to meet the empress myself."
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