With how the manor looks from outside, one would think that there's nothing inside it. Run-down roof, walls filled with holes and moldy wooden windows. However, despite that, the architectural style of it still looked pleasing in the eyes.
Before approaching the door, we peeked through a hole first but with little light coming in from outside, we couldn't see anything. Slipping in our Transcendent Senses or even my Adaptability didn't work at all.
It's like the place was fully covered with a thick Energy Screen that nothing could pass through it.
And due to that, our curiosity was triggered at what's inside it.
With Udann taking the lead once more, he held his glaive in position before pushing the door open.
Whooosh!
As if a space devoid of any air, a huge suction force welcomed us, pulling us in together with the air we breathe.
Although we tried to resist, it happened too fast that the activation of any skill came short. Furthermore, the door closed by itself as soon as we got involuntarily sucked inside.
With my Adaptability always active, I immediately collected myself and observed our new surroundings.
Instead of seeing the interior of the run-down manor, we found ourselves in a wide square room with white walls and three identical doors to the one we entered from.
It feels like this is a separate space but there's no new notification from my system confirming it is which means this is still the Dimensional Space.
A waypoint, perhaps?
"Where are we?" Udann had a look of confusion on his face as he tried to stabilize himself. Being the first to be sucked in, he tumbled on the ground and hit himself many times over.
"Obviously, the inside of the manor. This isn't what we're expecting but… I think these doors will take us to another place in this Dimensional Space. The other manors were probably the same. Why don't we try it?" I answered and told him my current guess.
"What if we appeared in the middle of enemy territory?"
"There's that possibility but the door we entered from was already closed shut."
I already checked it but the door has now been fixed as if it's a door from those video games where it's just a part of the background. I can neither touch nor sense it as a physical object. We can only interact with those three doors.
"… Then let's not separate."
"I know. I'm your support. I'm useless without your offensive prowess."
When he stabilized himself, Udann took the front again and picked one of the three doors. There's a sweat dripping from his forehead and his grip on his glaive was even tighter than before.
The energy inside him was circulating furiously, ready to erupt at a moment's notice.
Likewise, I was also preparing the Flourishing Steps. Before I let him approach the door, the unnoticeable Elemental Nodes and the Spell Nucleus were already shining on my feet. By uttering the simple Magic Trigger I set for it will activate it instantly. Even though the Source Energy existing in the surrounding wasn't Elemental Energy, the Spells can instantly convert it to attain the same effect when it was used at the World of Elements.
Udann took a breath first before putting his hand on the doorknob. At the same time as he exhaled, he pushed open the door in front of him.
Whoosh!
Like earlier, the same suction force ensued, however, we're already prepared with it and stuck our feet on the ground. Nothing was sucked inside the room except the dust from the ground and rubbles large enough for the suction force to lift.
After dodging all those by crouching down, the ground beneath our feet moved and kicked us out of the room.
When I felt that, I instantly uttered the Magic Trigger, activating the Flourishing Steps as it transported me from the interior of that plain room to at least 500 meters outside it.
I glanced back only to see that the door already closed and Udann was stabilizing himself after using a Movement Skill like me.
"You? What are you doing here?" A confused but familiar voice echoed in the distance not far from where we were ejected. But that's not all, following behind that voice, the sounds of metal clashing with another metal along with the screams of people also echoed. Moreover, the energy in the surroundings was too chaotic due to the various skills being activated at the moment.
Because we were slightly distracted from being kicked out by the room itself, I hadn't noticed it earlier but in front of us, a battle consisting of a few dozen Rank 2 Transcendents was taking place not far away from the seemingly identical manor we entered from.
"… We're not at the same place we entered from, right?" Udann was confused once more as he alternately looked at the manor and those behind us.
This guy is slow at times… Use your eyes, will you? How many times have you been confused already?
Although it looks like the same castle town ruins, the rubble from the statues we destroyed was now nowhere to be seen. In place of that, traces of battle now dotted the place. Add to that, there are also the two groups of Rank 2 Transcendents based on the intensity of their attacks that are currently fighting. Counting their heads, there's more than a dozen for each group and everyone was locked into a heated battle to the death.
"It appears so…" I replied before turning to the familiar voice. "Dodge that first, Irja." I pointed at the incoming Rank 2 Transcendent that was trying to take advantage of her current confused state.
Right, the owner of the voice was the same woman who visited me the day before the opening of the Dimensional Space. She left confused after failing to confirm her assumption. As to why she's here or who they are fighting, it's still unclear at the moment.
But upon a simple observation, it's easy to deduce. That unfamiliar surge of Energy and abilities borne from it… Their adversaries are from the enemy Transcendent World.
"Idiot! Don't stand there and watch. Help us!" She angrily shouted as soon as she stabilized herself after dodging the attack I pointed out.
The Rank 2 Transcendent attacking her was an unnaturally buffed man wearing a white outfit close to a karate uniform. Although he still looked human, the way his body swelled reminds me of that rubber guy whenever he will use his Gear 3rd or 4th.
Observing the other Rank 2 Transcendents wearing the same white outfit, some of them also have the same abilities as him. I guess that's a part of their Transcendent Physique Pathway or just an ability they got from their Mortal Pathway.
Instead of answering Irja, I smirked and waved my arm, sending in a few Energy Explosion Projectiles aimed at the man's back.
At the same time, Udann who also heard her shout followed up by activating his Rusting and the same movement skill he just used to charge towards him.
Observing the other group, Irja is not the only familiar one here. Yatapa, the guy who wished for his own death, is also faced with a Rank 2 Transcendent. Although he looks like he's lazily dodging, none of the enemy's attacks could land on his body.
So much for wanting to die, huh?
The others that are also currently contending against one or two enemies are freed Rank 2 save for two crimson-dressed Dafirae Tribe Rank 2 Transcendents.
Everyone here is Rank 2 except me.
"They have reinforcements! Retreat!" Upon noticing us joining the fray, one of the white-clad Transcendents of the enemy World shouted.
When they heard that, every white-clad Transcendent promptly broke off from the clash and followed his command to retreat even though some of them were at an advantage.
"Don't chase them! We're evenly matched now that we got more people. There's no point dragging it out against them." One of the crimson-dressed Transcendents from the Dafirae Tribe shouted which stopped some of the freed Transcendents to jump up to chase after the retreating enemies.
After that, he turned his head towards me and Udann who already stopped in his tracks when the Transcendent attacking fighting Irja also retreated. "You two, did you also enter a manor?"
Wow. No thank you or anything? This guy probably thought our help was a matter of course.
Instead of answering, my eyes pointed at Udann to let him answer on our behalf. I'm still trying to be low-key and well, that guy's eyes also tell me that he's looking down at my current strength of being a Rank 1 that he only spared me a single glance.
"Yes. May I ask what this place is?"
"We also don't know. We were tasked on clearing a ruin and got sucked in when we opened a manor door where our Transcendent Senses couldn't pass through."
I see. So everyone's the same. And it appears that the castle town ruin we entered from wasn't a unique place. I guess their World's Will only filled up the squares with random structures when it created this space.
I turned my head to Irja and saw her nodding at me confirming the Dafirae Transcendent's word.
"Anyway, you should stick with us. That door is already closed shut and this space only consisted of this castle town ruin. Even if you went to the entrances, there's only an endless space waiting for you there."
"I see. Then we will be imposing on you." Udann readily agreed after thinking for a while.
For now, that's the only option… I still don't know the purpose of this place after all… Although I only saw this place as a farming zone to easily progress with my Pathway, I guess I shouldn't forget the real purpose of this Dimensional Space. A space to build a real connection from their world to the Dark World.
Read 𝓁at𝙚st chapters at (f)re𝒆we(b)novel.com Only