Death Guns In Another World

Chapter 2093: Dungeon Race 2

The sun was low, painting the sky in oranges and purples. Alex and Saeko stood before another dungeon entrance. This one was called the Shifting Spire. It wasn't a cave, but a strange, twisting tower of polished white stone that seemed to grow right out of the forest floor. It hummed softly.

They exchanged a glance. A tiny nod. They stepped inside.

The first room was circular. The floor was a giant, slow-turning disk. Powerful, random gusts of wind shot from holes in the walls, strong enough to throw you off your feet. Floating in the center were four translucent, jellyfish-like creatures—Air Wisps. They pulsed with light and controlled the chaotic gusts.

Saeko took a step and the wind pushed hard against her. She steadied herself.

Alex didn't move from the entrance. He drew his magi-tech revolver. He didn't aim at the Wisps. He aimed at the holes in the walls.

Crack-hiss.

He fired a bullet of pure, condensed mana. It wasn't explosive. It was a plug. It shot into a wind hole and solidified into a shimmering barrier of force. The gust from that hole stopped.

Crack-hiss. Crack-hiss. Crack-hiss.

Three more shots. Three more holes sealed. The room became still and quiet.

The Air Wisps, confused, floated aimlessly. Saeko walked across the now-still disk. Her katana moved in four silent, precise flicks. Each Wisp popped like a bubble, releasing a sigh of air. The floor stopped turning. They moved on.

The next floor was an indoor garden, but the plants were all made of grey, living stone. Thorny vines, stone flowers that snapped like jaws, and walking, root-like creatures clattered toward them.

Saeko moved forward to engage. A cluster of stone vines lashed at her legs.

Alex raised his gun.

Crack-hiss.

This bullet glowed with a soft green light—a Wood element bullet. It struck the ground near the base of the vines. Instantly, real, supple green vines erupted from the stone floor. They twined around the stone vines, holding them fast, pinning them down.

A walking root-creature charged Alex. He shifted his aim.

Crack-hiss.

A bullet of deep brown, packed earth shot out. It struck the creature in the chest but failed to pierce. It splattered, becoming a heavy, clinging mud that coated the creature, slowing it to a crawl. Saeko darted past it and cut down the snapping stone flowers with ease. She finished the mud-covered root with a single thrust. They cleared the garden without breaking a single stone pot.

This room was a hexagon made entirely of mirrors. Their reflections were copied a thousand times. Then, the copies stepped out of the mirrors. Dozens of mirror-clones of Alex and Saeko, silent and deadly, advanced.

A clone of Saeko lunged at the real Alex with a wind-enhanced strike. Alex holstered his gun. He raised his right hand, his black fingers splayed.

He snapped his fingers.

A pulse of pure sound, visible as a rippling wave, blasted out from his hand. It didn't hurt them. But it hit the perfect mirrors.

The entire room filled with a deafening, shattering CRACKLE as every single mirror fractured at once. The clones, connected to the mirrors, fractured too, dissolving into shimmering dust. The room was now just a dull, scratched hexagon. Problem solved.

A dark, still pool of watoccupied up tentireole floor. The only path was a series of small, sinking stepping stones. Beneath the inky water, dark shapes circled.

Saeko stepped onto the first stone. Immediately, a long, shadowy tentacle whipped up to grab her ankle.

Crack-hiss.

Alex fired a bullet that burned with brilliant, white-gold light—a Holy element shot. It struck the tentacle. The shadowy flesh sizzled and vanished with a silent scream. The light from the bullet lingered on the water's surface, keeping the shadows at bay.

They moved across the stones. Each time a tentacle rose, Alex was ready. A Holy bullet. A searing Fire bullet. He provided a moving cover of light, keeping the path safe. Saeko never broke stride, reaching the other side. The shadows sank away, disliking the light.

The final room. In its center floated a crystal, slowly spinning. It was the Spire's Core. Each time it spun, it changed color and the room changed with it. Red: waves of heat blasted out. Blue: the floor became slick ice. The poisonous gas filled the air. Yellow: gravity increased, pulling them to the floor.

They stepped in. The core turned red. Heat washed over them.

Alex was immediately fired.

Crack-hiss.

An Ice bullet. It struck the core just as it glowed red. The core shimmered, confused. The heat wave sputtered and died. The room just felt warm.

The core spun, turning blue. The floor beneath Saeko's feet became a sheet of ice. She started to slip.

Crack-hiss.

Alex fired a Fire bullet. It didn't hit the core. It hit the floor in front of Saeko, melting the ice in a patch, giving her a stable footing.

The core spun green. Gas began to seep from it.

Crack-hiss.

A Wind bullet. It created a small, fierce whirlwind around the core, sucking all the poisonous gas in and shooting it straight up into a vent in the ceiling.

The core spun yellow. Alex felt his body grow heavy, like he was wearing lead armor. Saeko's knees bent under the pressure.

This time, Alex looked at Saeko. He gave one sharp nod.

As the gravity pinned them, Saeko used all her strength. She didn't fight the pull. She used it. She dropped to one knee, braced herself, and threw her katana.

It wasn't a stab. It was a javelin throw, powered by the intense gravity and a final burst of her wind. The katana became a silver streak.

It struck the spinning core dead center.

The crystal stopped. It didn't change color. It just hovered, a hairline crack where the blade had hit.

Then it shattered into a million harmless, glittering pieces that rained down like dust.

The room was still. Normal. The floor was just stone. The air was clean.

Saeko walked over, retrieved her katana, and sheathed it. Alex holstered his gun, the barrel faintly smoking.

They looked around the empty room. Another one done. Another symphony of silent, elemental force completed before the last light of day faded outside.

Without a word, they turned and left the Spire, stepping back into the cool, quiet evening.