Two on one was definitely an advantage, and now that the tables had turned, Dallion had the upper hand. There was no question that a lot was thanks to Nox. The crackling had developed a lot since it had become his familiar. Now it no longer needed instructions to fight, not to mention that it had caught on to quite a few tricks. Either it had picked up a lot during the times Dallion had used it in battle, or Nil had been busy training it in the library. The mental image of a cat learning to read was stranger than anything Dallion had seen so far, but as long as it helped, he had nothing against it.

Reduced to a single entity, the copyette did everything to focus its attacks on Nox. However, on each occasion that the creature was in danger, Dallion would intervene with an attack of his own.

The harpsisword held by the guardian changed, transforming into a fan-like blade.

What the heck is that? Dallion thought.

That’s a sept-blade, Nil said, ending his self-imposed silence. Apparently giving on-the-spot advice was permissible. Only copyettes can use it adequately. Each blade is as thin as a sliver, but that doesn’t make them less durable. Also, they can form a full circle.

Interesting weapon and also annoying. The guardian was using it to simultaneously attack and defend. After a few more moments, a second one appeared.

Come on! Dallion thought. That was outright cheating! It was bad enough that he had to fight someone with his appearance and partial skills; having the guardian able to conjure any weapon in existence was way over the top. No wonder they had tried to take over the world. In the real world, they held a clear advantage over anyone else.

“Nox, go high!” Dallion shouted as he combined a slash attack with another music chord.

The copyette didn’t fall for it, deflecting the harpsisword, instead of blocking it head on. At the same time, he spun-kicked the crackling to the opposite side of the wall.

MINOR FAMILIAR WOUND

NOX’s health has been decreased by 20%.

A twenty percent kick? That was rather high for a minor wound. Then again, the creature was still level one. At some point soon Dallion was going to have to figure out how to level it up, otherwise Nox’s life would become increasingly in danger.

“You’re not used to singing in public, are you?” the copyette asked, folding one of the sword-fans and pointing the tip at Dallion. “Could be quite inconvenient.”

Instead of an answer, Dallion played another set of chords in rapid succession, nullifying all music attacks hidden in the guardian’s voice. Even so, his anxiety increased nonetheless.

“Better get over that stumbling block, otherwise you’ll never make it, even if you defeat me.”

“I’m going to defeat you either way,” Dallion replied, still jamming chords. “One way or another.”

I can do this, he thought. Awakening guardians were trials that were meant to be defeated. Like a puzzle. True, these were a bit stronger than most Dallion had fought—they had the intelligence of sapient species and millennia of experience, but even so they were limited by the dagger.

“Know any songs, Harp?” Dallion asked.

The sword remained silent. There were things that she wasn’t prepared to do, even for him. Apparently, Dallion was on his own. Ignoring his feeling of shame once more, he started singing.

The combat intensified along both fronts. Songs and blades clashed against one another. Markers flashed everywhere, like at a rave party.

Each thrust and slash Dallion did was easily blocked by the copyette’s sword-fan, in nearly the same fashion Dallion used his shield to protect himself from counterattacks. Every few seconds Nox would leap in, attempting to leave his mark on the battle, and to a degree he was successful.

Forging and music, Dallion thought, focusing his attention on the enemy’s weapons. Unfortunately, as it turned out, they weren’t made of metal. All he could see were the same emotions that the guardian had.

The fight continued for minutes. Despite Dallion’s initial success, neither side had an advantage. It wasn’t so much that the guardian was better, but it was countering everything that Dallion threw at it, Nox included. Kicks, strikes, even music were all countered and thrown back. The crackling too proved not overly useful. Each scar it left on the guardian’s weapons, the copyette would reshape it, leaving no trace.

As much as Dallion didn’t want to do this, it was time for some sacrifices. As they said “offense was the best defense.” Timing a double slash attack to coincide with Nox’s latest charge, Dallion jumped back and threw the harpsisword in the direction of the copyette.

From this distance, it was impossible to miss. The sword managed to pierce through the guardian’s defense, causing a moderate wound. Quite the lucky strike, one had to admit, but that wasn’t what Dallion was aiming for. Unstrapping the shield from his left arm, he threw it at the copyette.

Mid-flight, the shield extended, bending in the direction of its enemy. Realizing the intent, the copyette stopped paying attention to Nox and blocked the shield with both his weapons. Fourteen blades struck the approaching shield, keeping it away so it couldn’t envelop. At that precise point, Dallion charged forward, the harpsisword once more in his hand. The armadil shield contracted, jamming the tips of the blades between its segments.

“An opening,” Dallion said as he pushed on.

There was no way the guardian could block or deflect the attack now, so it did the only thing available—attempt to move back… only to trip backwards on Nox, who had strategically positioned himself just behind the guardian’s feet.

The copyette lost its footing. Determined to keep its balance, the creature changed form again. Dallion’s human appearance, along with the clothes, melted away, replaced by a semi-transparent blob. At that point, however, it was already too late. The harpsisword mercilessly pierced it, sinking halfway to the hilt.

FATAL HIT

Damage has increased by 500%

“Good one,” the guardian whispers. This was no longer Dallion’s voice, but the copyette’s own. It sounded remarkably clear, almost cheerful.

“A slime?” Dallion asked, still holding the sword firmly with both hands.

“What do you think copyettes are?” the guardian let out one last chuckle before disappearing into a cloud of grey particles.

DAGGER Level 3 has been cleared!

Slimes were copyettes? Dallion hadn’t expected that, though it explained quite a few things. Logically, that was the best form to be able to shape-shift into something else; definitely better than a bucket of gel.

“Meow?” Nox sniffed the ground where the guardian had been, then let out a sneeze.

“You said it, Nox.” Dallion smiled. “I think we’ve deserved some rest.” He sat on the floor.

The fight hadn’t lasted long enough to tire him at his current level, though mentally he felt exhausted. The copyette was right about one thing: it would be nice to increase his mind if he planned to use so many skills simultaneously. That was something to think about moving on.

“Any comments so far, Nil?” Dallion asked. “How am I doing so far?”

No reaction.

“Back to silent mode, I guess. Any chance you can explain why the heck didn’t you say that copyettes were slimes?”

Then again, there was no explanation why the scylla had turned out to be a nymph. Nothing in the history or the guardian tomes had made any reference of the sort. Just like there was no clear history of the chainlings or even the crippled star. Each time Dallion had asked he had received the same explanation: “that’s a matter for the Order of the Seven Moons.”

The moments of rest became minutes, then stretch to half an hour. If Dallion didn’t know he was being watched by half the senior guild staff, he would have remained longer. With a stretch and a sigh, he stood up and went to the gate leading to the fourth level.

“Nox, stay close.” Now that crackling was out of the bag, there was no point in hiding him.

The fourth level was just as dark as he remembered. Normally he would have taken a lantern. This time, though, he had something better.

Music, he thought.

Faint outlines appeared. While not perfect, the music skill had granted him the ability to see somewhat once he had increased it beyond thirty. It wasn’t a lot, but if that was to be combined with the ability to see emotions of creatures, it was more than enough.

“Get ready, Harp,” Dallion whispered. Last time he was here he had been killed by a single jackalope.

Without waiting, he played a chord combining calm and fear and continued forward.

It didn’t take long for the first enemy to appear. The emotions were just as hostile as Dallion remembered them, causing him to stop in his tracks and even consider moving slightly back. Moments later, he saw something else—a vibration that hadn’t been present before, the same that he had been playing ever since arriving on the level: fear.

That was the psychological boost he needed. It was as if a puzzle piece had clicked in place, letting him get on with the fight, and that he did.

Green defense markers emerged around Dallion, but he ignored them completely as he rushed on, sword in hand. From this point on, it was all about the slashing. The armadil shield sensed Dallion’s tactic and extended, providing him with as much protection as it could without limiting his movements.

Zig-zag attack, Dallion thought. He felt his blade rip through creatures in the darkness only to feel lighter halfway through. Several blue blobs disappeared in the darkness, only to be replaced by others.

A few of the jackalopes charged at him, attempting to perform their antler rush. The attack was short-lived, as Dallion evaded it with ease and cut them down moments later. Soon the battle became just as one sided as it had been on the previous levels. Despite the speed and agility of the blocking creatures, they were no match for an awakened with adequate gear and the knowledge to use them adequately.

Half a minute proved necessary to eliminate the entire first wave of jackalopes. After that things got even easier. Seeing they were no match as a group, the next waves merged together into single giant entities. A series of strikes, combined with the harpsisword’s music sound enhancement and they were no more. Even Nox chose not to take part in the battle, finding the prey beneath him. After following Dallion for a while, the crackling had decided to return to his awakening realm and wait there for something more challenging.

Finally, after what felt like a long annoying walk through a swamp of enemies, Dallion finally reached the guardian chamber. Initially, he expected it to be dark, but after a while he started seeing a blue glow down the tunnel. Uncertain of what he was seeing, Dallion stopped using his music skills. The glow was still there, like the glow of a monitor bleeding under a door.

“Any help you can give me on this, Nil?”

Once again, the echo said nothing.

“Thanks anyway.” Dallion went on. If the previous two guardians were to be believed, the last guardian belonged to an imprisoned race. That meant that this one was a creature of some sort. Thinking back, though, Dallion couldn’t remember anything that glowed blue.

“Nox,” he said. The crackling appeared on his shoulder, then promptly jumped to the floor. “I’ll go first. You wait a bit, then if you have a chance attack from behind.”

Several strings on the harpsisword vibrated.

“It’s okay, Harp. I’ll be careful.” Or so I hope.

With each step, the glow became stronger. Something was illuminating the entire guardian chamber. From this distance, it was impossible to see what exactly. Music vision didn’t help either. Whatever the guardian was, it was in one of the sides of the chamber, making it impossible to see directly.

So you’re ready for me, Dallion thought.

Going back to his initial logic from back when he had entered with his party, the attribute to be tested had to be body. That meant most likely that Dallion would face a colossus or golem of some sort.

Dallion held his breath and rushed in, immediately going into a defensive stance. The moment he did, he saw that he couldn’t have been more wrong.

LEVEL 4 GUARDIAN

Species: Azure Firebird

Class: Fire

Statistics 100% HP

“A firebird?” Dallion gasped.

But it wasn’t just any firebird. Slimmer than the ones he had faced before, this one was made up entirely of blue flames.