Crownless Reincarnation: New World? Nah I'd win
Chapter 162: 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.