They moved quickly and efficiently. Reece produced the association's badge that allowed them to use the teleportation circle. When they informed the staff of their destination, he frowned and asked them what they wanted to do there.
"Do you know this person?" Reece gestured toward Arthur, to which the staff looked at him suspiciously before shaking his head. "It's the Villainous Ghost!" Reece's tone was sharp like he was admonishing the staff. "The grandmaster has asked to see him; you've probably heard of the interest he's taken in him."
"Yes, yes. I'm sorry, please step inside the circle. Um, as for this person?" To Arthur's surprise, the staff became pale and started activating the circle. He then looked at Ivy curiously.
"She's the contestant's mom," Reece said without batting an eye. The staff nodded his head in understanding as if he was wondering how he couldn't see it.
"I'll kill you," Ivy whispered to Reece while the three stood inside the circle and Arthur could already imagine how much the shapeshifter would suffer.
The ground glowed and the world changed again, and Arthur found himself back in the fortress. Before anyone could say anything, Ivy made a spin and punched Reece in the gut. It was a 'light' punch that sent Reece to his knees.
"Do I look that old to you?" Ivy kicked Reece in the thigh and then turned to Arthur. "Do I?!" Arthur shook his head vigorously. After Reece complained and whined, the three started running through the corridors.
The second layer was different from the first, having halls and wide-rooms, unlike the cramped first layer. It seemed to stretch as long as the dome itself, a circle like an onion layer, interrupted only by rooms, grandiose halls, and machinery.
"You know we can't pass the second layer, right?" Ivy remarked as the three ran through the corridors. Arthur and Reece glanced at each and the former just shrugged.
"It seems you haven't seen the first two regions," Reece seed to Ivy's displeasure.
"Obviously, why would I waste my time on that? I was looking for any suspicious people."
"Yeah, it's better that you see it for yourself." Reece snickered and waited for the good show. Ivy hmphed and didn't say anything more. After a while, the trio finally reached one of the giant gates that led to the third layer.
"You better have a way in, or I'll kick your ass." Ivy glared at Reece.
Without delaying things further, Arthur stepped forward. Just like the encryption of the first layer, there was a layer of shifting runes to hide the mechanism underneath. Despite it being complicated and a bit beyond Arthur's understanding, he was still able to decode it, albeit barely. It took him fifteen minutes at his fastest speed.
A rumbling sound echoed and the giant gate slide to the side as gears shifted. It seemed the association has marked the decoding of the first layer as the prerequisite for teleportation. The three were awed as lighted shimmer from beyond the gate to reveal stretching fields.
"Space-expansion at its finest," Reece walked in and whistled with awe as he looked around. They felt like it was a different world as giant gears floated in the air and clunking sounds echoed from them. They were like beastly roars as if something dormant lived within them.
The ceiling stretched far in an intrados shape, marking the interior part of the dome. Further from the gate, they had just entered was another smaller dome with gears of many kinds. It was the gate for the fourth layer.
Bright lights danced on the walls and in the air as the whole spaces vibrated with the inscribed runes. Arthur took a deep breath inside and felt like his ability was resonating with this place as if he was finally home.
"Sier is right again," Ivy's sound came from behind him and he turned to see her look at him with amazement. "I heard the second layer can only be opened by Runes Masters, yet you did so effortlessly."
"I guess I'm not such a newbie now," Arthur grinned. Ivy made a sound that he thought might be a laugh before leaving him and walking farther inside.
They ran on a raised metallic path until they were close to the gates of the third layer. As they did, Arthur remembered a part of his conversation yesterday with Emma as he heard the gate close down behind them.
The Iron Dome would have been an invincible fortress if not for its lack of practicality. The gates could only be opened by runes master beyond the first layer and even they would need some time and effort.
As he closed in on the gate, they could see silhouettes from afar. A group of people was standing by the gate of the third layer, leading to the fourth. A single figure stood out from the group as he touched the gate as well.
"We need to hurry!" Reece's voice was tinted by a panic that the other two shared. They sped through the pathway but it seems the decoding abilities of the grandmaster were top-notch as rumbling sounds, like a beastly growl, shook the fortress.
The group of people soon entered the fourth layer and the door started closing behind them. Arthur was about to activate his legacy rune when Ivy grabbed his waist with one hand and Reece's with another and dashed forward.
Arthur's spine felt like it was about to break as he resisted the urge to cry out. They were faster than he could ever get with his legacy rune and they were able to pass the gate in time.
Their stop was a disaster as Ivy couldn't decrease their inertia due to the weight and the three stumbled and rolled on the ground like barrels.
"Ugh," Arthur's body cried in pain as if it was begging to be spared. As the three sat up and looked at each other's messed up clothing, they couldn't help but laugh.
"Pft, good call vermin but next time try landing a bit better! I give you three stars!" Reece had his left index finger on his forehead and the other pointed at Ivy.
"Shut up or I'll kill you." Despite her words, Ivy was laughing as well and she reached out to help Arthur get up. He remembered the day they met and he took her hand and stood up. "Seems like we grabbed their attention," Ivy said as she stared in the direction of the group from earlier.
They were now standing inside a large corridor that seemed to stretch infinitely into the darkness. The group, a mix of runes masters and envoys, were standing there looking at them due to the earlier commotion.
The second region was also the most uneventful one, as it was only a matter of time before a hundred contestants passed. It seems that's why the grandmaster took the time to entertain the guests, important characters from all over the world like Prince Kal and Prince Alfred. The other nations have sent important characters as well.
"Who are you?" Someone standing beside the runes' grandmaster stepped forward when Arthur's group approached. They stood a distance away from each other as the tension rose.
"Greetings, grandmaster." Reece stepped forward and bowed with one palm on his heart. "This young contestant has asked to see you. It seems he has some important things to discuss." It seems Reece decided against revealing he was disguised lest they lose their trust, so he played the staff role.
Arthur knew he had no choice but to step forward. His hood was still atop his head but his demeanor was slightly familiar to the present crowd.
"Is he the infamous Ghost?" Said an envoy from Ilios with a hostile expression. The reason was obvious as Ghost has already eliminated four of the Ilios contestants.
"Indeed, he is," The grandmaster said with a knowing smile. "It's rather impolite that you don't show us your face, youngster." Arthur nodded his head.
He took off his hood and the crowd was speechless by how ordinary he looked, except for his mesmerizing golden-flickering eyes. Only four in the crowd recognized, being the group from Yalen that has already met him with Alice Jenov.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, grandmaster." Arthur bowed slightly and mimicked Reece. "May I have a word in private, please?"
"Presumptuous!" Prince Alfred stepped up to the occasion of lecturing the commoner for his disrespect. "Who are you to order us around? Asking for this or that?" The more that Arthur heard, the more he realized this guy was probably the artifact-holder.
The rest of the crowd echoed his words and the runes' grandmaster had no choice but to sigh and comply with them. He asked Arthur to state his cause here.
"Very well," Arthur answered, unfazed. "I like to warn your esteemed selves that someone is planning an attack on the Yalen kingdom." His words sent waves of chaos through the crowd.