The protector appeared just as Dallion had predicted, flying down from the sky the instant Dallion’s foot touched the first step to the dais. The entire sky exploded in cyan light, after which a large form swooped down, landing in the middle of the staircase.

PROTECTOR

Species: Bladeler

Class: Light

Statistics: 100% HP

Skills

- Flight

- Line slashing

- Wing shield

- Wing shards

Weak Spots: Unknown

This was the second protector Dallion had faced, although for all practical reasons, it might well be said to be the first. The being was a cross between winged armor and swords. Bright cyan light shone from within, connecting the pieces of metal, making Dallion wince when he tried to look at its face. For a moment, he could almost swear that he saw a small metal crown on its head.

Any idea what that is? Dallion asked, raising the shield so as to protect his eyes from the light.

A bladeler, Nil stated the obvious. Think of it as a colossus made of blades. I haven’t seen a winged one in quite a while. A word of warning, despite appearances, the protector is made entirely of blades. That’s not armor you’re seeing, but blades that fit together to create the illusion of armor. Also beware the wings.

I think I got that, Dallion said.

The wings—on closer examination—were rows of swords attached to the armor’s back. Each of them was made of an alloy that Dallion didn’t recognize, possibly one of the seven metals that he wasn’t familiar with. It was also obvious that they were nearly flawless. The invisible flaws in the metal were few and difficult to take advantage of. The same could be said for the armor, although it was effectively made of steel.

“Aren’t you fancy?” Dallion asked, using his music skills to put some dizziness into his enemy. “Any chance of us coming to an agreement? It’s very likely the people who made this are long dead, along with their ancestors. Protecting an empty chest isn’t a good use of your time.”

The vibrations seemed to bounce off. Whatever the protector was, music didn’t have any effect. That made things a bit more complicated.

“Do I at least get your name before we start the fight?” Dallion asked, this time using his music skills to calm and hasten himself. This was the first time he had tried such a combination, but at this point, he would be happy at every advantage he could get.

He won’t answer you, Nil said. Bladelers don’t speak. There are even arguments whether they are at all sapient. They follow instructions, can’t be reasoned with, and won’t stop until they’re utterly defeated.

There went the option of a draw, not that Dallion had high hopes. The title “protector” suggested that fighting them wouldn’t be as easy as facing a normal guardian.

Slowly, Dallion inched forward. The moment he did, the bladeler threw two blades in his direction without even an instant of hesitation.

Instantly, Dallion jumped up. “Lux!” he shouted, just in time to avoid another three blades that flew his way.

“You didn’t warn me he’s a ranged attacker!” Dallion kept flying about, avoiding the waves of daggers that flew in his direction. Even splitting barely helped, allowing him to avoid being hit two times out of five.

PERMANENT EFFECT - BLEEDING

You have been scarred by the attack. The scar will continue bleeding in the real world until the status is removed.

The status continues to be in effect in the real world.

A red rectangle appeared in one of Dallion’s instances. Immediately, Dallion chose another. Any permanent effects he could avoid would be better than the alternative.

Nox, go at him! Dallion ordered. I’ll keep him occupied on me, so—

Suddenly, the protector leapt into the air. His wings extended, revealing rows of swords, but instead of flying off towards Dallion, this time they flapped. The sight was almost mesmerizing. No physics on Earth would allow the event to take place, but in this world, that wasn’t an issue. The wings managed to pull up the bladeler up to the point at which he was level with Dallion.

A momentary pause followed.

Great, Dallion said to himself. We’re going to have an air battle.

Normally, that wouldn’t be an issue, but in this case, Dallion had a clear disadvantage—he wasn’t the one flying. Instead, all his orders were given to Lux, who took care of the execution. And as fast as the firebird was, it took considerably more time for it to figure out exactly what Dallion wanted.

Two bluish blades separated from the wings, flying directly at Dallion’s head and chest. White and green markers emerged, displaying the ways Dallion could evade or block the attack. The achievement he’d recently earned had definitely made a big difference when it came to combat. However, Dallion ignored all the suggestions, instead choosing to deflect the blades with a circular stash with his harpsisword. A loud clang filled the air, as the force of the strike pushed Dallion back. Deflected, one of the blades flew back to the protector’s wing. The other continued to fly towards the ground, split in two parts.

Well done, Harp, Dallion thought. At least now he knew that he could win.

Don’t celebrate yet, dear boy, Nil said. Now that the protector’s determined your strength, I will no doubt do something new.

Just how much stronger can that thing get?

The answer didn’t take long. The protector reached forward. A series of blades flew off his armor, combining in one large sword. The new blade extended over five feet in length. However, the surprises didn’t stop there. Holding the hilt with both hands, the bladeler performed a horizontal slash.

“Shield!” Dallion reacted immediately, holding the shield in front of him. Its metal segments increased in size, forming a metal semicircle just as the invisible strike crashed against. As before, the strength was considerable, but that wasn’t the attack’s greatest danger. From the corner of his eyes, Dallion saw the strike continue past on both sides of the shield. So it went on for hundreds of feet, chopping off tree branches as it vanished into the horizon behind Dallion.

What the heck was that?! Dallion glanced over his shoulder. It was as if someone had drawn a straight line in the air, slicing everything in its path.

That, dear boy, is a line slash. Hopefully, you get to learn it as well at some point…

Incredible! Dallion didn’t even want to think what attack level was necessary to perform this. Days ago, he was so pleased with himself for nearing level fifty on attack. Now, he felt that he was barely halfway there. A strike that not only could hit from a distance but also damages everything in its path. It was fortunate that the armadil was of such high quality, or maybe it would have snapped as well.

Summoning his dartbow, Dallion moved his shield just enough to fire a bolt at the protector, before moving the shield back in front of him again.

“You okay, shield?” Dallion asked, even if he didn’t expect an answer.

A loud cling sounded, though without a red rectangle. That could only mean that dartbows weren’t remotely effective.

Lux, fly towards him! Dallion ordered. “Shield, get ready!”

In the back of his mind, Dallion feared that the shield might be somewhat hurt by what he intended to do. Hopefully, the attack would prove less powerful than the isle snake. And just to be certain, Lux was also going to lend a hand.

Dallion thrusted forward, propelled by the firebird on his back like a miniature rocket engine. At one point there was a loud thump, as the shield crashed against the protector.

“Now!” Dallion shouted.

The edges of the shield—which had already flipped direction moments before the crash—extended more, forming a sphere round the bladeler. This wasn’t the first time Dallion had used this method against enemies, however, in this instance, the enemy fought back. Furious clanging came from the shield, as the protector struck the inside as furiously as possible.

Nox, change of plans! Dallion thought. Find the chest at the dais and claw it open. Lux. Get me there, quickly!

The sounds of metal hitting metal continued. The protector persisted with his attempts to escape the trap, and by the looks of things, he was succeeding. Elements of the shield moved back and contracted, relenting under the pressure. It didn’t seem like they would be able to withstand the punishment for long.

With a flash, Dallion found himself a few feet above the dais. A single chest could be seen, made entirely from iron.

The dryad won’t be able to handle the attacks for much longer, dear boy.

“I know!” Dallion said through gritted teeth.

All he was waiting for was Nox. It took two seconds for the crackling to reach the dais—for Dallion, it felt like an eternity. The cub instantly leapt at the chest, clawing it with both front paws. There was a faint sound, like tin crying. Streaks of light leaked through cracks in the chest. Then, a second later, the whole thing exploded in a ball of light.

ATHLETIC skills obtained

The rectangle made Dallion feel as if time had stopped for a moment. In his mind, he thought that he’d just receive another increase of the mystery stat, allowing him to finally discover what it was. Instead, he had gotten a skill… which was more than he could have hoped for. That made six skills he had learned so far, and while forging still caused problems, the levels of the remaining five could be increased easily.

The joy didn’t last long. Moments after releasing the prize, Dallion’s shield contracted again, releasing the protector.

“Lux, get us away!” Dallion shouted.

The firebird complied, thrusting Dallion away from his enemy with almost the exact speed as the series of blades that were directed towards the awakened’s head. Time felt as if it had frozen again. Green guard markers appeared, suggesting ways for Dallion to deflect the weapons using his shield. Splitting into three instances, Dallion tried all the options provided. To his relief two of them worked without incident. The third one failed, resulting in a severed arm.

Nil, what will happen if I just leave?

That is not the best idea. Battles against guardians are meant to continue until the end. Unless you use your guard skills, the Moons won’t like it.

That didn’t sound good at all. Dallion didn’t want to fight the monstrosity, but he didn’t want to get on the Moon’s bad side either, not when he had a promise to keep to one of them.

And if I return to the main part of the realm?

That’s a difficult one to answer. In general, he’s supposed to follow you, although this is the first time I’ve seen anyone claim the prize before the fight is over. It’s not out of the realm of possibility that you’ll lose their favor.

What favor? Dallion asked as he deflected three more blades.

Why do you think that the skill level cap no longer applies to you? You’ve been favored by the moons, and should you try to openly break their rules, you’ll face some punishment.

Dallion hadn’t even noticed. He had been so overwhelmed with everything that had happened in the last few days, not to mention pleased at having passed the awakened gate, that it had completely slipped his mind. Normally, he shouldn’t have been able to increase any skill beyond forty. The fact that he had without issue suggested that there was more to Felgyn’s boon than the Moon had shared. Of course, that made him further indebted to the deities.

“Fine, I’ll fight him!” Dallion said at last. “But that doesn’t mean I won’t play dirty.”

Athletics, Dallion thought while simultaneously releasing his current weapons and summoning the Nox dagger.

Orange markers appeared, indicating the best way to throw the dagger at the enemy. One direct hit in the head with that, and there was a strong possibility that everything would be over. Dallion, however, had something else in mind. Waiting for the bladeler to throw his next set of blades, Dallion aimed at the protector’s left wind and threw the dagger.