Focused splitting… Dallion had seen it several times before, always done by Eury. At the time, he thought it was specific to the gorgon due to her incredible perception level. Apparently, he was mistaken. In reality, it was a learned ability that Vend knew and was now using with lethal precision. It took the combined efforts of Harp and Vihrogon to keep him from seriously harming Dallion. Had this been a real confrontation, either of them would likely have no issue dealing with the lieutenant. Unfortunately, as guardians, they were bound by Dallion and couldn’t use their full abilities, even in the awakened realm. What they were displaying at present was part of what they could achieve with the skills they were allowed to use.

Focus, Dallion thought.

Given a few weeks, he might well have learned how to use the combat splitting similar to Vend. That wasn’t an option, though. Right now, the only thing he could do was to think of an alternative solution.

At Vend’s speed, the defense markers were useless, as were any attempts to complete a sequence. Each time Dallion had made a few steps towards finishing a guard sequence, Vend would interrupt by throwing a hundred instances of a dagger.

Don’t, Harp told Dallion, fully aware of what he was thinking.

Ever since he’d known her, the nymph had given him good advice. This time, though, he wasn’t sure he could follow it. The recklessness that had been with him ever since his awakening pushed him forward, only this time it was a more focused recklessness.

If I don’t even know how he fights, how can I be able to counter him? Dallion asked.

Both guardians understood. A moment later, they, and all of their instances, vanished. The armadil shield was back, strapped to Dallion’s left arm, and a triangular hammer was in his right.

“One on one?” Vend asked, standing ten feet from Dallion. “Want a repeat of what happened when you fought March?”

“You’re not March.” Dallion gripped the hammer tighter. “You’re not even Vend.”

“Given my skills, I might as well be.” The man’s left arm moved up along his side, creating a fan of instances. The simplicity of the action was impressive enough to make anyone who knew a thing about combat splitting swallow in fear. Decades of practice had gone into polishing a gem of natural talent.

With each thump of his heart, Dallion felt fear spread through his being like a spiderweb of cracks. The more he considered the situation, the more he saw himself failing. It appeared that any move he made was going to be a mistake. The future fight played out in his mind dozens of times… then, suddenly, a realization came to mind that made the fear disappear completely.

“If combat splitting was everything, you’d have been a captain ages ago,” Dallion said. “Or even a noble.”

To his surprise, Vend nodded.

“We all have our flaws. That’s why we take great pains to hide them.”

Deep down you’re just like me, Dallion thought and charged forward.

Instances of arms appeared all around him, as Vend met his attack. There was no doubt that Dallion couldn’t do anything to prevent from getting hit, so he didn’t bother. While the instances were done at split-second speed, the actions were much slower.

MINOR WOUND

Your health has been decreased by 5%

Three red rectangles appeared in front of Dallion, stacking one after the other. Seeing them almost made him laugh. All this time he was so terrified of getting hit that he didn’t even consider that the damage was laughably low. It would take Vend another ten strikes to get him to defeat Dallion. In the end, it was all math, and according to the math, Dallion had plenty of time for one good strike.

Holding the hammer tightly, he raised it in the air. However, instead of attacking along a vertical arc—as was normal to do in hammer swinging—Dallion thrust it forward, as if it were a sword.

Vend took a step back. Engaging in focused splitting, he wasn’t able to leap out of the way, counting that the strike wouldn’t be enough to deal enough damage to him for Dallion to win outright.

“Darude,” Dallion said, focusing all his remaining strength in a final line strike. It was all or nothing. If he succeeded, the trial would be over. If not… it would be over with a somewhat different outcome.

A dull pain passed through his entire body, draining him of energy. Then, a single point emerged from the front-most part of the hammerhead, extending forward.

POINT DESTRUCTION

(+2 Body)

Doing a point attack is a feat on its own. However, it comes at a price. Doing it unprepared has a tendency to hurt the arm that did it, so keep that in mind.

MAJOR WOUND

Your health has been decreased by 50%

That’s more than hurt, Dallion said to himself as the pain radiated through his arm to the rest of his body. Clearly, there was a reason why the Moons kept people from using such abilities until they were prepared. If it weren’t for the achievements that had helped Dallion boost his body to such an extent, the attack might as well have killed him before his enemy. He was definitely not going to use that in the wilderness. In this case, though, it had also brought him victory.

The last thing that Dallion was able to see of vend, before his strike had sent him flying away) was how it had broken both his arms as the lieutenant was attempting to protect his chest. Clearly, that hadn’t succeeded, because a new rectangle had emerged, informing Dallion that he had broken through his fortieth barrier. No doubt this was the point at which he was going to be asked to choose a focus to improve. However, before he could, his surroundings blurred into darkness.

I still made it, Dallion thought, as he was on the verge of consciousness.

His body had lost all sensation. Darkness wrapped him completely, then was replaced by endless whiteness.

“You still have to make the choice,” a calm female voice said. In many aspects, it sounded almost identical to Euryale’s.

Instinctively, Dallion cracked an eye open. The room he was in had the general characteristics of the paradox cube, even if it was a lot smaller and static. The damage was still there, though, visible all over the walls and ceiling. The green rectangle continued to be a foot from his face, along with five smaller rectangles underneath representing the choices. Also, there seemed to be the silhouette of a figure behind.

Dallion reached up and touched the perception option. As expected, all the rectangles disappeared into fading pixels.

“Cute choice,” the figure said.

With the rectangles gone, Dallion could see it clearly—she was a woman dressed in a combination of glowing white clothes and incandescent armor. Three pairs of gauntlets, at least, hung from her belt, as if she had the habit of changing them frequently. Most important of all, the woman was a gorgon.

“Emion,” Dallion whispered.

“I’ve no idea why Felygn chose you,” the Moon said unapologetically. In this aspect, her attitude was very similar to that of Euryale. Most probably, that was a gorgon thing. “You excel in certain areas, but at the same time leave such flaws that a child with the right combination of skills and gear could give you a hard time.”

Isn’t that combat in a nutshell? Dallion thought and instantly regretted it. He knew from past experience that the Moons had the ability to read minds. Thankfully, Emion let the comment slide.

“Knowing you, you’ll probably push forward as you always do, but I’ll still say that I don’t think you should continue through the next gate. You’ve already plenty of skills and abilities, including one you’re not supposed to have.” The snakes on her head stirred in a sign of minor irritation.

“You’re asking me to stop leveling?”

“It would be a shame for you to end your journey here, but it would be better for you. I know that each time you are told that beyond the gate, things become dangerous, and that is true. But from this point on, death and banishment aren’t just theoretical concepts. By stepping through the gate, you are in effect, saying that you are strong enough not to rely on our help. You understand, right?”

“So, I’m on my own against the Star?”

All of the Moon’s snakes turned to stare at him. The experience was painful, making Dallion prefer that he went through another fight like the one he’d nearly lost than to be subjected to this for much longer. It felt as if each and every single one of the snakes was making its way through his eyes and into his brain. Thankfully, after a second it was over and the snakes returned to their usual state.

“We still protect the world,” Emion said. “If you are attacked directly, we’ll intervene, same as we’ll intervene if you break any of the vows and rules. If you go seeking trouble on your own, you’re fair game.”

Dallion had a notion that would be the price, although he didn’t consider it said in such direct fashion. The previous Moons always acted more like friends or guides, explaining things carefully and thoroughly, as if they wanted Dallion to continue on. In this case, he was directly threatened with consequences, and quite serious ones at that.

“What lies beyond the gate?” he asked.

“You must decide whether you want to go before you learn.”

“Isn’t it supposed to be the other way round?”

“No.”

The response was clear—despite the complicated framework of rules, it was the Moons that created them, and they had the discretion to change them however they wished. The Green Moon had done that to Dallion’s advantage in the past, so there was no reason for him to complain now.

“Can I ask something else, then?”

“You’re wondering whether everything said in the thirty-nine trial was true,” the Moon said, in an almost annoyed voice. “Whether you can return to your world or another. Would it matter if it were? You’ve already made your choice, and there’s no way to undo it.”

“Why wasn’t there a way to the gorgon world?”

“You assume I should know or tell you?”

“You are the Moon of gorgons.” Dallion answered the first half of the question.

There was a moment of silence. The Moon put a finger on her chin and tapped a few times.

“There are ways to go to that world,” she said at last. “Not many of them, but some. It’s possible for her to find them, but not you.”

“So, there’s no way for me to join—"

“I’ve answered your question,” she interrupted. “Now you must answer mine. Do you want to step through the gate, or have you had enough leveling up?”

Now it was Dallion’s turn to remain silent.

“As I said, you have more than enough abilities to make it far in this world, abilities you’re completely unaware of. Domain sealing, link breaking, focus splitting… It would take you a lifetime to learn them all.”

“Eury went through the gate,” Dallion said.

“She did.” The Moon’s snakes stirred. “Does that mean you’ll follow?”

“Yes.” The single word echoed throughout the room, bouncing off the walls as if it were a rubber ball. Long after Dallion had closed his mouth, he continued to hear its echo.

Cracks were everywhere, though different from the ones Nox could make. Entire rectangles were peeling off, transforming the space into an open field beneath the sky. As Dallion looked, any trace of stone disappeared, replaced by an endless meadow with a single iron gate in the middle of it.

Seven Moons shone in the dark sky, their rays focusing on the area around the gate.

No walls? Dallion thought.

“Walls won’t be an issue from now on,” the White Moon said. “Once you take the final step, there will be nothing to keep you back. There won’t be anything to keep the threats from reaching you, either.”

“I understand.”

For the first time since she had appeared, the Moon smiled. It was a slight smile that quickly faded away, but it was there nonetheless.

“I’d tell you that you could use a spark to fight the creatures of the wilderness, but you were given that already.” A note of disapproval returned to her voice. “That comes as part of our blessing. You can channel part of our power in combat, as well as to bless items.”

Dallion’s hair stood on end, though not out of fear.

“Yes, that means you’ll finally be able to create emblems to shield you in the wilderness, as long as you have the knowledge to do so.”

The timing was quite convenient. Furthermore, it explained why Euryale had asked Dallion to wait until he passed the gate before going to the Order’s temple regarding his newly created emblem.

“Also, that allows you to modify the structure of your domain—something you can definitely do with.” The glow of the Moons intensified. “From today, you are no longer a seer. You’re an initiate.”

“Thank you.” Dallion didn’t know what to think. Not even two years after his awakening, and he had reached levels he didn’t think possible. What was more, he had virtually become the same rank as Dame Vesuvia—someone who he believed—at the time—to have superhuman abilities.

“Pass through the gate and don’t discuss anything you’ve learned except to other initiates.” The Moon turned around and started walking away.

“Will I see any of you again?” Dallion asked.

The white gorgon stopped. Several clusters of her snakes turned back, giving Dallion a semi-stare.

“If you level up as many times as you already have, you’ll reach the next gate. Achieve that and someone else will come have a talk with you.”