Chapter 300: Unlucky Stroke (1/2)

To date, I've entered at least more than five Portals, if I included the Portal which Yumiko produced to escape back then and the Principal's own Portal which allowed him to travel from one place to another.

Though those two I've listed could be said to just be Teleportation Skills like the one Fleur used before, they're still cracking the space to arrive someplace else.

Looking at this Portal, like the one in the World of Spirits, there were also tubes connected to it which filled more tanks of Dark Energy aside from what was being filled by the Converter. Well, this one's spewing out more Dark Energy than what can be converted from a Level 1 Source Energy.

At the edges of the Portal, the spiral sparks could still be seen as they still kept trying to widen it from the other side. If I pass through this, I will surely be met by whoever's in charge there.

Before deciding what to do, I checked the Dark World denizens still running around to create a replacement for the four Transcendents. If I chose to close this right now… My current strength might not be enough. I will receive retaliation not only from the ones present here as well as whoever's watching from the other side…

Those two girls told me to close the Portal because they're not aware that the place will be like this. Jayna probably thought that it would be the same as that time in her world. The Portal Room was empty aside from the Dark Energy stash and the Portal itself.

What to do?

I only have a few minutes left on the Concealment Aura's duration and it's going down faster than normal due to the exposure to the Dark Energy wave coming out of this Portal.

”Another captive has been released from the Restriction Room. It's the World's Will Incarnation. Untar escaped from there and is now on his way back here.”

While I was deliberating about my next course of action, I heard one of the four Transcendents talk in a loud voice which reverberated throughout this place.

I guess they had general surveillance on what's happening in every Restriction Room, huh?

”He presented himself to be the executioner, in the end even that new guy died against a bunch of lower world Transcendents. Men are really useless.”

The only female Transcendent answered and remarked earning her clicks of the tongue from the other three.

”Hey. Hurry up, will you? Those guys were already about to arrive. They're bringing more Chains with them. I'm sure those guys will take the credit if they managed to catch those rats crawling in here. That useless Brave just wasted three of those. Why did His Excellency even trust that guy? To leave him those chains only for him to die without accomplishing anything...”

Probably irked by the female's remark, another one shouted at the Mortal Ranks who were already sweating from going back and forth to set up the tanks and the necessary device that would replace them at those circular plates which probably acted as the Formation Nodes.

I already observed the place thoroughly and determined that the Core of the Formation they activated was the Portal itself. Drawing in from their Source Energy that was being drawn together from that hole, it's enough to become the Core Component for this Formation.

Of course, using that as a Core probably only works here. And most likely, these four were just supplementing it to properly maintain the Formation. Even if they stood up from there, it will stay activated, just that it will be weaker than how it was designed.

Either way, in my eyes, it's already weak whether they're there or not. Someone could easily break it from outside the Formation. They're just wasting time themselves.

With their three captives already freed, I don't see any point in continuing to maintain this Formation.

But hey, it also works well for me.

Before that Untar and the reinforcements come… I need to get started here.

One against four might not be plausible but if I killed one of them before dealing with the other three…

I needed to be quicker than before.

I never fight a losing battle. I'm the type who runs away if it will not go my way… But that doesn't mean I will just shy away from an opportunity like this when they're still unaware of my presence.

I have no choice but to forget about the Portal to the Dark World for now. There's no way I will be able to close it when they're still here. Even if I'm also truly tempted to enter it, I still don't know what will be waiting for me on the other side…

After making up my mind on what to do, I pulled out the Willful Sword and inspected the four. Estimating their strength…

Just like when we ambushed that Dark Elf Transcendent, I might be able to stab someone on the back while they're still unaware.

Although the circumstances are different and the chances of being noticed before my sword kill one of them, I will just have to chase and finish the job, right?

The one on the leftmost Transcendent looked like one of those Darkbugs, however, instead of a Darkgen, he's filled with unknown devices and various modifications on his body. This is the first Transcendent I've seen who looks like he's out of place among the Dark World denizens. In any case, his Transcendent Pathway probably involved Psyche Type. Spirit + Psyche Pathway? Well, for now, I determined that he'll be the hardest to deal with among these four.

Next to him is the female Transcendent, she's wearing yellow robes adorned with red accessories which I couldn't figure out what for. There's a black pouch hanging on her waist, surely her weapon is in there. With just her external appearance, it's hard to guess her Pathway but she's not the weakest among them.

Then, the one who will be blessed by my sword will be one of the two on the other side.

Inspecting them, the one on the right looks like a middle-aged guy you will often see in a formal suit, knocking on houses. He doesn't have anything special in terms of external appearance but the armor he's wearing is a bit similar to the Dark Soldiers.

Lastly, the one next to him looked like another Dark Beastmaster, this guy had a hood on so his face couldn't clearly be seen, he's wearing dark robes, their standard uniform. There's no beast around him but his belt is probably made from unknown dark leather adorned with dark fangs of various shapes and sizes.

Well then, I have no choice but to pick the least likely to resist my surprise attack. I have to make sure that he will die to at least reduce the pressure that will fall down on me once I expose myself.

Alright. I've decided.