The hunt inside the Tower of the Ancients proceeded without much disturbance in the lower levels. After three weeks, some groups managed to gain insights and find treasures. However, even after gaining a lot of insights and discovering useful treasures, only a few managed to find their way to climb up a floor in a level.
As for how many managed to gain enough points to move up a level, they could be counted with one's two hands.
To put their achievements into perspective, only eight groups managed to move up a level, with five of them successfully moving up to at least two levels. Finally, a mere three groups achieved a feat that was truly rare, by moving more than three levels. These were not just numbers, but testament to their exceptional skills and determination.
Such a feat was not really a first since there was a time when the Dragon Clan and Solis Clan representatives successfully reached higher levels.
Meanwhile, those few that were transported to a higher level at the beginning of the hunt failed to show any progress. A few groups managed to climb a few floors at the same level but had yet to receive enough points to move up.
The rest of the people with Kyran could not be considered to have moved up a level since they were transported to different rooms.
Just as Kairos said, most of the people in Kyran's group were sent to a room with no windows or doors. One would feel suffocated to see such a place, but because there were a few pieces of furniture— such as tables, chairs, and sofa— and a counter full of snacks and drinks, it was not that bad.
The atmosphere in the room was tense, especially with representatives from three clans that were at odds with each other. The air was thick with unspoken tension, each representative eyeing the others warily, their differences and conflicts simmering beneath the surface.
Ladon calmly observed the Solis representative, and the two Blade Dancer representatives that Kyran took as hostages. The Solis representative was still unconscious, and the two Blade Dancers, Shiloh and Uilleam, seemed to know him, so they decided to look after him.
On the other hand, Leif had already regained consciousness and was shocked at the scene that greeted her. At the moment, her appearance remained that of Lady Anahia, but she had an inkling that all the people there were already aware of her true identity.
'W-What did I miss?' Leif wondered as her eyes scanned the group of people in the room.
To her left, Ladon sat calmly with Thorn, who fiercely glared at the other group sitting opposite them. Near the counter, a few more people whose form Leif found pretty peculiar because of their translucency were present.
'Why are they here? Why am I with them? Who are they? And where is Null?'
These were only a few questions that swirled Leif's poor mind.
"Stop glaring at the Thorn," Ladon told Thorn, finding the latter's attitude toward Shiloh and the others a little childish.
"Can you blame me?" Thorn hissed. Those guys dared attack us, thinking we were pushovers."
"Regardless of what they did, they are now Null's hostages. Besides, it is not like glaring at them would do any harm. You'd only exhaust yourself. At least I feel exhausted just looking at you."
Thorn raised his brow and looked at Ladon, "Then don't look at me."
"I'm not. But you are within my peripheral view, so I can't help but see you. And don't ask me to diver my eyes to another spot because this room is not particularly big that I can see everything just by turning my neck a little."
Just as Leif expected, none of them, even Shiloh and his side, reacted to what the translucent woman had said. Meaning that her initial guess that they already knew she was not the real Lady Anahia was correct.
"Suit yourself," Diara replied with an unlady-like snort. She then looked at Ladon and Thorn and said, "How about you two? You seemed to have succeeded in acquiring the treasure just as the Realm Scion has wanted."
Thorn scowed at her, "Don't make it sound as if it is his will that allowed us to get the treasure."
"If not for him, you two would not have gone to take the treasure," Diara reminded. "You wanted to face the two Solis representatives."
Before Thorn could snap back a retort, Ladon stopped him and addressed Diara, "Is there a point to this talk?"
"None, actually," Diara admitted with a shrug. "I'm just bored. Aren't you all?"
"Maybe," Ladon replied. "But at the moment, we can only wait for Null's return."
Diara did not respond this time.
To be honest, she wanted to talk to them and see what they thought of the situation. In a sense, she was worried that these people would leak the news of a new Realm Scion to their clan.
They had not been discreet about calling Kyran as such because they thought he would kill the others and leave only those he trusted. In the end, he did not and they were beginning to worry.
Meanwhile, Cyneah, Aki, and Auto-one were sent to a room with an open balcony overlooking a beautiful garden. A big contrast to where Ladon and the others were sent.
The garden was filled with different kinds of flowers in every season, systematically placed around to complement their colors. Anyone would have enjoyed the view, especially with a clear sky gracing it from the background.
Unfortunately, in Cyneah's eyes, the garden looked like a black-and-white sketch that failed to catch its beauty.
Aki and Auto-one looked at their young mistress solemnly. Although Cyneah's eyes remained as beautiful as ever with them, reflecting all colors in the surroundings, they wondered what she truly felt at that moment.
A tea set with a few sweet delicacies on a beautifully arranged platter was served on the round silver and gold table on the balcony.
Aki and Auto-one's programming was focused on assistance and battle, but it did not stop them from properly serving their young mistress.
The two escorted Cyneah to one of the chairs and served her tea and some sweets while they waited for their master.
For the record, upon their arrival in that room, a voice greeted them and advised them that Kyran would come after meeting with someone. The voice did not tell them who Kyran had to meet, but it was not really hard to guess who it was after all the things they had learned that day.
At first, Aki could not fully trust what the voice had said, but Auto-one remained calm. He decided to keep an open mind while keeping up his guard.