According to Grenol, one of the Rank 2 Transcendents from the Dafirae Tribe and the one acting as the leader of the group, they all entered a manor and picked the same door as we did.
But they're originally not together, the two Dafirae Transcendents were like us, they teamed up to collect more energy stones for themselves. Irja and Yatapa were among a group of six freed Transcendents tasked to clean up a ruin as well. And there's another group of six freed Transcendents.
Adding the two of us, there are already 16 from the Dark World in this possibly isolated space.
At first, they were confused about where they were transported, however, upon seeing the same layout of the structures in this place, they started exploring to find an exit. However, they found out that the manors were all closed shut and there's nothing beyond this place. This is a big caste town ruin but it's deserted. There are no other statues they could destroy or any special place they discovered.
Eventually, they ran into the enemy world's Transcendents. Thinking they might have the answer to their questions, they chased after them. Only to find out that they also have the numbers that almost matched theirs.
After trading blows for a while, they started suspecting that, like them, they also got transported here via entering a manor from a castle town ruin and have no idea how to go out.
"Well then, what about there? When we saw you fighting them?" Udann curiously asked.
If they already fought each other once, why were they fighting again?
"Ah, that? You see, I thought that only by eliminating them will we have the chance to go out. But as you can see, they got more people than us and you two evened that out." Grenol said before glancing at me once and made a snide remark. "However, one is still a Rank 1 Transcendent. How unlucky."
Well, he's not wrong. I'm still a Rank 1. Although I can tell the difference between me and an Exalted or a Monarch because of our overwhelming difference in UPL, gauging a Rank 2 Transcendent is a bit harder unless I've seen them going all out. But if he's looking down at me, he's probably above 400 in UPL. I don't know if I can bridge that. In any case, he's not an enemy anyway.
"Ember is…" Udann started but he immediately paused and looked at me. Probably thinking if it's fine for him to talk about my skill.
"Ember is not as simple as you thought," Irja interjected. "Try him."
This girl… I don't need you to vouch for me. Besides, is she still banking on her assumption? I've never shown her any of my prowess… Except for that broken Chain.
I see. That one made her or all three of them suspicious about my identity. I'm clearly a lowly Rank 1 Transcendent in their eyes but for me to break the Chain they couldn't break by themselves, they found that unbelievable unless I have a special identity.
"What do you mean to try him?" Monady, the other Dafirae Transcendent, inquired while her eyes who already judged me before once again scanned me.
"I mean what I meant. If you're all thinking he's a simple Rank 1 Transcendent then test him right now." Irja shrugged before stepping back and sitting on a broken stone chair.
Yatapa was at some corner, uttering nonsense again, however, his ear was turned towards us, clearly listening to their discussion.
Because of what Irja said, all of their eyes turned to me. Even the other freed Transcendents.
Well, I'm not inclined to talk so I stayed silent. Instead, I started observing everyone. A bunch of Rank 2 Transcendents. If they ever descended to a Mortal World, they would be kings or queens of that world. Even a World's Will's Incarnation will only be as strong as them.
If I categorize them by their Energy Intensity to estimate who's the strongest one, although it's not that accurate, that Grenol is surely one of the strongest. But if it comes to it, I will be able to escape from him.
"You just broke through, don't you?" One of the freed Transcendents asked Udann. He's probably the leader of the other group. I think they called him Devon.
"Yes. We are working together and with his help, I managed to breakthrough to the 2nd Realm of my Transcendent Pathway."
"I see. Isn't this fine? We can't be picky now. We still don't know how we can go out of this place."
"You're right. Just make sure he doesn't become a burd—"
Grenol's words were cut short when a loud noise suddenly echoed and it instantly filled our ears that all our eyes were drawn towards its source.
Up above the sky, an object that looks like a megaphone was floating. When the noise stopped, a clear surge of energy dispersed from it to create a projection screen.
What could be seen on that screen was a large square map reminiscent of those minimaps from a video game. And judging from the layout, it's the map of this castle town ruin.
"What's that?" Everyone except me had the same question in their eyes. Some even gripped the weapons in their hand, ready to attack in case something unexpected happened.
Perhaps it's the first time they're seeing something like that?
In any case, I continued to maintain my silence and observed the map.
At the westernmost and easternmost side of it, two circles of light are shining in two different colors, one red and one blue. In the middle, a golden circle is also shining with numerous smaller golden circles in its surroundings. There are also other groups of small golden circles spread out across the map.
Apart from that, there are groups of smaller red and blue circles. A group of blue circles is located in one part of the map on the eastern side. Judging from its position, it's probably us. There are also four more small blue circles on the northeastern side of the map. On the western side, there's also a group of red circles and a few scattered small red circles.
There's no doubt, the red ones are the enemy Transcendents...
Also above that map, two colored number 20 could be seen. And it doesn't need a genius to deduce what those numbers meant. Some common game knowledge is enough. There are 20 Transcendents on each side. The bigger blue circle was probably something that we needed to protect and the red circle is our target.
The golden circles were probably a neutral party or gold mines or treasures. Either way, we would only be able to confirm it if we approach them.
"I think I get it…" Irja suddenly muttered at my side. She pointed at the map and started explaining what she observed. Although it's a bit off from what I deduced, it's close.
To test it, one of the freed Transcendents tried to move away from our current location and towards one of the groups of golden circles nearest to us.
Upon seeing one blue circle moving and approaching the group of golden circles before going back, everyone praised Irja's deduction which made the girl proudly lift her chin up.
"Aren't you going to praise me?"
The question was surely directed at me since I'm the only one who didn't utter a word of praise towards her.
"Yes, amazing deduction. You're a genius." I said in a halfhearted fashion. I even clapped my hand for her satisfaction.
"That sounds too forced. Nevermind." Irked at what I did. Irja clicked her tongue before stepping forward to put forth more of her deductions.
Well, this way, I don't have to stand out anymore. I let her take all the praises as she tried to analyze everything that could be seen on that screen.
After a while, Grenol, who took up the mantle of the leader once more, sent two people to pick up the four smaller circles that have started moving. He also picked another five free Transcendents to join him and Monady to check the bigger blue circle at the easternmost side.
He also tried asking Irja to come with them but she rejected and told him that she wanted to check that big golden circle instead.
Soon enough, even the red circles started moving from their position. Someone from their side most likely deduced the details on that projected screen.
Before moving along with the others, I continued to look up at that screen to glean more information. However, apart from that map and the numbers displayed on that screen, there are no other explanations given as to what we will have to do.
"Ember, what do we do?" Udann who's already dependent on my buffs asked me when we started moving out along with Irja and the others.
Although the screen depicted our current positions, I doubt it will stay that way.
"Hmm? Grenol gave us our task, right? We follow those for now. We're all stuck in the same place. Besides, something will probably happen as soon as that screen disappears." I answered.
Irja who heard my words stopped in her tracks and raised an eyebrow towards me. "What do you mean? Did you find out anything else?"
"No. I'm only guessing. What's the point of having that above us? We can see each other's position."
Ambushing the enemy will be impossible if that screen stays projecting the whole map.
Furthermore, this will be like an AoS game if those big circles turned out to be a core or an altar that we needed to protect or destroy.
Whoever made this place is too lazy to list out the specific mechanics.
Also, the one big question I need to find an answer to is… in the off chance that we lose, will we die in this space?
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