The Royal Military Academy's Impostor Owns a Dungeon [BL] - Chapter 340

Chapter 340: Doors
“Hey, Kyle?”

“Hm?”

“…Do you think we could also be giants one day?”

Kyle didn’t look down, but the quietness in Ollie’s voice told him this wasn’t one of the usual mop-headed outbursts. The kind that ended with yelling, snacks, or spontaneous declarations of his brother’s greatness.

This one was different—gentler, like the question had been sitting with him.

“Mn. Yeah,” Kyle replied after a beat, adjusting their altitude as they hovered just inside the passage the Duchess had carved open. “Sure. I mean, you’ll definitely get there, especially with how many naps you take in a day.”

“That’s not—hey!” Ollie snorted, wanting to elbow the guy behind him, if not for the fact that it might endanger him too.

So he just pouted.

Kyle’s mouth twitched.

Because it worked.

It wasn’t much, but it was enough to loosen the tightness in Ollie’s chest. The pilot understood what he meant by that question, and already thought that these people with him were already giants in their own right.

Yeah. Even this one. But Kyle knew better than to say that, with how it would likely scare this shorty with responsibilities, as if he hadn’t been in charge of those before realizing how crucial they were.

So it was best to answer like this.

Because as soon as the Duchess had told them to go and entrusted them with finding the core to end this, the weight of it all had settled over them like a second skin.

He could feel Ollie clinging harder to the console. Could feel Luca go quiet in the comms. Even Xavier, usually calm, had grown sharper. More focused. More dangerous.

Because they had been passed the torch.

Now it was their turn to run with it.

And they did, barely waiting for the signal and not even turning back.

They all lunged forward, maintaining vigilance as they predicted the roots to thicken as they went even deeper.

Only to find a totally different scenario.

The moment they crossed a certain junction, the world suddenly changed.

And had they been on foot, they would’ve noticed how the scent of rot and sap evaporated, replaced by cool, sterile air.

But more than things that only D-29 and Sid could notice were the initially gradual, then suddenly massive decrease of the corrupted roots that once coated the walls of that last room.

There were no more pustules.

No slithering tendrils, and instead they were greeted with smooth, pale walls that could’ve passed for a sterilized medical ward.

Their mechas’ footsteps echoed differently now.

And Luca, who somehow had a shadow when it came to such halls, couldn’t help but think about the irony.

But this time, one little system was with them, finding all this odd.

As it was programmed to look for patterns, D-29 couldn’t help but notice how this very much looked like an internal access corridor. One that was used in early system management constructs.

Although that should be logical, considering that this was another dungeon.

However, why would such a beast be guarding this corridor in particular?

But they didn’t have the time to dwell.

Because the moment they passed the second bend, a sharp hiss cracked the silence, followed by movement.

Slots along the walls snapped open, and out stepped a formation of droids, their bodies matte black and plated with faded insignia that had long since been erased.

Their eyes glowed faint orange while their weapons were already aimed at the ready.

“Engaging hostiles,” the nearest one droned.

Xavier didn’t wait for the rest, and combat ignited instantly.

The prince was a blur of movement, ice blades flashing as he sliced the legs out from under two droids.

Kyle and Luca similarly moved, with Kyle finally able to use bolts against another machine. At the same time, Luca felt internally satisfied that his power tools were finally seeing the light of day, or well, any kind of light.

It’s just that it felt like they were sweeping through a simulation class back at the academy.

And just like those classes, they were able to clear out the enemies, too, but before they could get to the last three droids, they noticed how they froze mid-move.

One by one, they collapsed to the floor like puppets with their strings cut, eyes dimming until they powered off entirely.

“What?!” Ollie blinked from the screen. “Did we win or…did they fall asleep?”

“I think they were shut down, brother. Or lost power?” Luca said as he continued to look at the fallen droids, as D-29 figured it’d record the scene.

However, they didn’t stay for longer than necessary and were halted by another sealed door that was now definitely unlike anything they had seen in this dungeon.

Smooth. Pristine. And utterly modern.

They couldn’t open it remotely. No console, no voice prompt.

So Kyle and Xavier took to it physically, gripping the edges and prying them apart.

The metal screamed under the pressure, but they managed to wedge it open.

“…”

It was just that what lay beyond made them all stop once more.

And a quiet breath of awe escaped from Luca as they surveyed whatever this was.

For beyond that door, snow-like frost covered the floor, glowing softly, while blue crystals jutted from the earth, humming gently with uncorrupted spiritual energy.

And at the center of it all stood a white tree, its bark pristine, its roots curling through the crystal-laced soil that remained within what looked like a force field.

However, what was truly eye-catching was that thing embedded in the tree’s center. For on it was a massive, glowing red crystal, which honestly looked like a heart beating in slow, heavy pulses.

For a moment, they were all stunned by this unexpected scene.

But only until a flickering interface crackled to life in front of them:

[Unauthorized Entry Detected.]

[Containment Status: COMPROMISED.]

[WARNING: External corruption breach.]

And only now did they see it.

From every wall seam, every floor crack—

Black tar was leaking in, inching toward the white tree like vines of sin crawling toward paradise.

And this thinning force field was the only thing holding it all back.

Not that it would be able to do it for long.