Reincarnation or transmigration

I opened my eyes, looking up. I saw that same cave ceiling.

"Man, this feels like déjà vu," I muttered under my breath, rubbing my temples.

Only this time, I knew what was going on, where I was, and why I was here.

Or at least, that's what I thought, because I had a dream. A vivid, all-too-real dream where I lived a life that wasn't mine. A new life in a different world.

"As the youngest son of a noble," I whispered, the words almost tasting foreign in my mouth.

"Man, is this really what I think it is?" I asked myself, running a hand through my messy crimson hair. "Some kind of reincarnation or transmigration?"

I looked down at my hands, flexing my fingers as if to confirm they were mine.

"Am I still… me? Or someone named Asher Emroy Crimson, the youngest son of the Archduke of the Aurion Empire?"

I didn't need an answer. I already had one, even if I didn't want to acknowledge it.

I sighed deeply and rubbed the back of my neck.

"Now, what am I doing here in this cave?" I muttered.

No… this isn't just a cave—it's a dungeon.

A dungeon that was supposed to be as easy as day. And yet, somehow, I died.

"Yeah, that's not funny."

How did I die? Well… someone stabbed me through my heart with a sword, that's how.

Sitting up, I pinched the bridge of my nose.

"Why does my death always have to be so stupid?" I muttered bitterly. "It's really weird."

Thinking about the guy who stabbed me, I couldn't help but sigh again.

"If I have to be honest with myself… this time, I kinda deserved it."

Standing up slowly, brushing dirt off my torn uniform, I thought,

"Now, what do I do? I mean, I have to get out of this dungeon, but…"

The thought of what might be waiting outside made me pause, my brows furrowing.

There's this thing called an ether core binder. It's like a phone signal or tracking device for your ether core. As long as your core is intact, the binder stays active, letting people know you're okay.

"Well, I'll worry about that when I get out," I decided.

There are two ways to leave a dungeon:

1. Go back the way you came—through the entrance.

2. Defeat the boss, which opens a new gate leading back to the entrance.

I glanced at the dark, ominous passageways.

"Now, which way should I go?"

People are probably already fighting the boss, so that room might be closed off until they win.

"I should go back the way I came," I thought, stretching my sore limbs.

I took a deep breath, steeling myself.

"Hmm… I wonder what's going to happen when I get out."

---

Outside the dungeon gate.

David narrowed his eyes, looking at Arthur, who stood like a statue, his arms folded.

"What am I supposed to do in this situation?" David thought, sweat trickling down his temple. "I can't take a step back. That would look terrible for the academy's reputation. But I can't confront Arthur either, especially since we don't even know the actual situation inside the dungeon."

David rubbed his temples and sighed inwardly.

"I should've taken a leave today," he thought miserably.

Right at that moment, the dungeon gate shined brightly.

Someone exclaimed,

"The dungeon gate is opening!"

As the gate began to shimmer, a group of students started pouring out.

In total, 21 students emerged, all of them looking tired, fatigued, and utterly exhausted.

But as they saw the outside world, their spirits seemed to lift.

One girl said with an excited smile,

"Finally! It's over! I can finally take a shower."

"Me too," another girl beside her added, wiping green blood off her face.

A boy, looking ahead at the gathering crowd, frowned.

"Is it just me, or is something wrong here?" he asked, pointing at everyone's peculiar expressions.

Hearing him, the others began to notice it too.

"Hey, Elvin, don't you think everyone looks weird?" a girl asked.

Elvin, who seemed distracted, replied half-heartedly,

"Umm… y-yeah."

The girl frowned at him.

"What's wrong with you? You've been acting weird ever since we got in the dungeon. Even in there, you were acting a little off."

Elvin, snapping out of his daze, stammered,

"Um… n-no, it's… it's nothing, Aria."

Aria, looking unconvinced, was about to press him further when someone exclaimed,

"Hey! Where's Asher? Shouldn't he be out here?"

Another student chimed in,

"Maybe he got back to the academy already."

As they chatted, a loud voice cut through their conversation.

"Okay, everyone!"

David, with cold sweat running down his back, began speaking.

"I see you've all finished the dungeon. The ranking will be decided soon, but before that, I need to ask some questions."

Everyone looked at him curiously.

David's voice grew serious.

"Where is Asher Emroy Crimson?"

The students looked stunned.

"Didn't he quit the dungeon and come out before us?" someone asked.

"What do you mean?" David questioned, his eyes narrowing.

"Well, we didn't see him in the boss room, so we thought he might've quit the exam."

David's expression turned grave.

"He didn't come out of the dungeon," he said firmly.

Confused murmurs spread through the group.

David, his tone sharp, asked,

"What happened after you entered the dungeon? Tell me everything."

One student, Sasha, spoke up.

"After we entered the dungeon, there were eight paths, so we split into seven groups of three. Asher was with Rony and Sara."

"But when we met up in the boss room," Sasha continued, "Asher wasn't with them."

All eyes turned to Rony and Sara, suspicion heavy in the air.

Rony and Sara, looking pale, hurriedly explained,

"After we entered our path, Asher said he didn't feel like doing the task, so he quit and went back to leave the dungeon!"

Arthur, who had been silent until now, stepped forward. His sharp gaze bore into them.

"So, he quit the task midway through?" he asked, his voice laced with suspicion.

But strangely, he could almost picture Asher doing something like that.

Just as everyone was preoccupied with their thoughts, the dungeon gate began glowing again.

Everyone turned, their eyes widening as someone emerged from the gate.

It was a young man with crimson hair and striking green eyes.

He was covered in blood, his pale face smeared with dirt, and his uniform torn. He looked utterly disheveled.

As the young man looked around, he noticed everyone staring at him with various expressions—confusion, surprise, and shock.

Suddenly, a grin broke out on his face.

"Hello, everyone," he said, his voice hoarse but amused. "Missed me?".

-----------

Whoa you finished reading the chapter.

Your a Ducking Beast....😲

I'll cut you a deal.

Add this book to your library for free and that's a great price...😎