Crownless Reincarnation: New World? Nah I'd win-Chapter 95: Edevane Family [5]

"What is this...?" he asked quietly.

Zaina stepped back as the last of the dust settled.

The massive skeleton lay half-buried in the ground, its ribs like the arches of a broken cathedral.

"I don’t know," she whispered. "But it’s been here for as long as I can remember."

Akamir crouched beside it, running his fingers along one of the bones.

It felt... warm, as if the thing was alive.

Nayomi hovered just behind, eyes narrowed. "This isn’t normal, why is it here?"

Akamir glanced at her.

"You know what it is?" he whispered.

"A dead body," she replied softly. "Of a fire giant."

"Fire giant?"

Zaina frowned as she was focusing on him. "What’s a fire giant?"

"Remember how I told you about the story about the first elf?"

Nayomi asked, floating closer to the thing.

"Before the influence of the golden sun, there were many races... but only three were at the pinnacle."

Akamir waited for her to continue, ignoring the weird look Zaina was giving him.

"They were dragons, frost giants and fire giants."

Nayomi hovered closer to the skeleton, her voice quiet and steady.

"Fire giants were born from the heart of volcanoes," she said.

"They could burn down entire forests with a single breath. Their bodies were pure mana. That’s why even in death, this one’s still radiating pressure."

"Are they extinct?" Akamir wondered aloud.

"No," Nayomi replied, shaking her head. "You will find the last of his race at the southern pole."

"What?" He frowned. "Why there?"

"The first elf... Iriel of the Dawn," Nayomi whispered. "She gave him the punishment to keep the eternal fire burning till the bed of the world."

"....."

Akamir remained silent for a while as he looked at the giant’s skeleton.

’That’s some tough luck they have.’

He thought before he glanced at Nayomi once again.

"Is it dangerous?" Akamir asked.

"It was dangerous," she replied. "Now... I don’t know. But even in death, this thing has a mana pressure."

Zaina knelt beside Akamir. "I found it when I was little. I used to sit near it and tell it stories."

He turned to look at her, surprised. "You talked to it?"

She shrugged. "It felt lonely."

Akamir said nothing.

He stood up slowly, eyes still locked on the bones.

His mind was already racing with tons of possibilities.

The mountains weren’t just rich in minerals—.

’Maybe there is something else here.’

Zaina stood too, brushing dirt from her cloak. "No one else knows about this."

Akamir glanced at her. "Not even your father?"

She shook her head. "Especially not him," she replied. "If he knew then he would have taken it away from me."

Akamir gave her a slow nod without saying anything else.

He finally looked at Zaina again. "Can you give me a few moments alone?"

She tilted her head. "Why?"

"Just leave me alone for a while."

She gave him a suspicious look. "You aren’t going to steal it, right?"

Akamir tilted his head. "Why would I do that?"

Zaina squinted at him, clearly not convinced. "Because you’re weird. And you always look like you’re hiding something."

Akamir gave a faint grin.

"I am hiding things but just not this," he replied. "I will be back in a few minutes."

Zaina gave him one last look, then turned and began walking down the slope. "Five minutes. Don’t do anything creepy."

"I’ll try my best," he called after her.

Once they were gone, the clearing felt strangely quiet.

Akamir drew in a deep breath before he summoned his crown.

An animous red light began to shine in the place around him.

Slowly, five different portals began to open up close to him.

From it, five different deformed beings began to crawl out.

Akamir waited for them to assemble themselves.

They bowed in front of him, their creepy voice echoing in unison. "Master."

Akamir looked at the five beings in front of him. They were tall and twisted, like melting shadows with bones.

Akamir looked around the place.

"Scan the area and make a map," he ordered them. "Use any animals and take over their bodies."

He glanced at the dead body of the fire giant.

"Look for things that are abnormal," he continued. "And also find different routes of the mines that extract mana stones."

The five creatures bowed again, their forms flickering like smoke in the sunlight.

"As you command," they whispered, before scattering in different directions.

Akamir watched them go, then turned back toward the fire giant’s skeleton.

It still gave off that strange warmth that he didn’t like.

"What are you going to do with the mana stones?" Nayomi asked, floating closely. "Anything in mind?"

"You know when I first came here, I wanted to create a teleportation portal."

He said, as he began to walk away.

"I have seen the current ones but they use too many mana stones to work."

He then looked into her eyes. "I plan to make new teleportation portals that use way less mana stones."

The kingdom has one glaring problem.

They don’t use teleportation portals for the shipment of the goods.

One of the reasons is definitely the cross-border security but the main reason is the cost.

’Using teleportation portals to ship things costs a lot.’

It’s so much that the prices spike too much.

Akamir planned to change that.

Nayomi floated in front of him, blocking his path.

"Do you even know what you are doing?" she asked, staring into his eyes.

Akamir tilted his head. "Working to improve my compa—."

"You are changing the order of things," she cut in his words. "Why do you think humans of this continent have such backwards technology?"

"...."

Akamir stared at her without any words.

Nayomi continued with clear irritation in her voice. "It’s because that’s how it should be."

He frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Humans are the weakest race, Akamir," she replied. "Someone tried to forcefully bring them on top once... and the effects of the decision can still be seen."

Akamir’s brow furrowed.

He didn’t say anything right away.

"Don’t try to rise too fast," she whispered softly. "You will attract things that will destroy everything."

"...."

Akamir remained silent after that.

Nayomi moved away from his path and he resumed his walk, still deep in thought.

’Things far above me, huh?’

He thought to himself, placing his hand in the pocket once again.

’I wonder how many are there.’

Still deep in thought, he met with Zaina who sat by the pond.

She stood up, dusting her dress. "Shall we go back?"

Akamir nodded with a smile. "Yeah, sure."

Zaina nodded as she began walking with him. "By the way, what were you doing with the skeleton?"

"I was touching it inappropriately," Akamir replied with a straight face.

"What!?"

"What am I supposed to do with a skeleton?" he replied, looking at her. "I was just looking at it."

She narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Really?"

"Yeah."

"....I see."

Akamir ignored the suspicious look she was giving as they walked down the mountain.

But just as they reached the town, the thunderous sound of the bell rang within the town.

Akamir turned his head towards the Church of Goddess Morana.

The bell continued to ring, every sound louder than before.

"Is something special today?" he asked, looking back at Zaina.

She blinked. "You don’t remember?"

"I don’t."

"Well, today is the day."

She said, looking at him.

"When Polmona Dukedom, along with the members of the church, will enter the Core Dungeon."

Akamir slowly nodded his head.

’So, it began huh?’

He thought grimly.

’The downfall of the Polmona Dukedom.’