Even after all this time, the “Armoury” remained well stocked. There were dozens of weapons made of sea iron and even rarer metals. The clothes that went with the suits of armor had long rotten and dissolved to dust, leaving nothing but metal fragments on the floor. However, that wasn’t the whole of it. A barred section was further in. A quick glance revealed that the more exotic weapons, such as bows, swords, and even crossbows, were placed there, safely locked away. Furthermore, a large vault door sealed off an entire other section of the building. What was notable was that there were no locks visible on either door, but rather a puzzle combination mechanism. Whoever had designed this seemed to believe in skill: those with the brain and skill to open the doors would merit a better weapon. Everyone else had to make do with what was available in the front end.

“Is there any danger taking any of this?” Dallion asked as he checked the weight of a sky iron dagger. It was a three-level sphere item with nothing special other than the material it was made of.

That’s hardly a good thing to ask while in a temple of the Star, the echo reminded.

Dallion looked at the weapon again. Nothing indicated that he’d be in trouble if he just took it along. That was precisely the reason he didn’t. He could always buy special metal elsewhere. Besides, this wasn’t the reason he had come to the building. The shimmering he had seen from outside was somewhere beyond the vault door.

Under normal circumstances, Dallion would have entered through the small side window and taken it directly, but as it turned out both the building itself and the bars that covered the windows were indestructible, just like everything else here.

Music and forging, Dallion thought, concentrating on the lock mechanism of the gate.

From what he could tell, it was a simple tumbler mechanism that could be opened with a dagger or piece of metal. The mechanism wasn’t more than a standard lock. Anyone with a bit of practice, or enough forging skills, would be able to pick it open. Just to make sure Dallion used combat splitting as well.

After half a minute of careful poking, and a series of clicks, the door of bars sung open.

“So far, so good,” Dallion said. “Thanks, Nox.” He lowered the dagger.

A dozen racks of weapons, and five rows of ex-armor suits separated Dallion from the vault door. Habit made Dallion check whether the vault wasn’t, against all odds, breakable. It wasn’t.

Well, it was worth a try, Dallion said, as he looked loosely at the mechanism.

The vault mechanism lock was the same that Dallion’s father back on Earth had for his suitcase: a combination lock with a six-symbol alphanumeric password. Since it was in English, the first thing Dallion did was to arrange the letters to form the word “Broken.” Unsurprisingly, that didn’t do anything. The solution had to be a bit different.

Dallion tried to combine his music and forging skills to get a sense of the wheels, but that didn’t give him any insight. Unlike the previous doorlock, this one had its elements concealed in such a way that no tampering was possible. Using echoes to brute force it was one option, though a rather unappealing one. What was more, Dallion felt that there was a simple solution to the puzzle. It was obvious that the Star had attempted to make a system similar to the overall awakening trials, however, instead of focusing on resolving internal flaws, he had based it on Earth knowledge and ingenuity.

You seem to know what that is, Nil said.

For once, Dallion was the one who knew something that the echo didn’t. The notion was mildly amusing.

“It’s a lock,” Dallion replied. “An unbreakable lock that only someone who knows the correct combination of symbols can open.” There was a slight pause. “Unless you can help me out.”

Nice try, dear boy. Nil laughed, but his laughter was noticeably tenser than usual.

“Don’t worry. I know you can’t come out here.” Dallion placed his hand on the vault. “That’s why I’ll be joining you.”

AREA AWAKENING

Area? Dallion wondered. He was almost certain that it would end up being a sphere item. Apparently, the Star could be quite crafty when it wanted to. The vault wasn’t just a door, but an entire room within the armory itself, as if it wasn’t enough for one thing to be indestructible.

You are in a small metal room.

The VUALT’s destiny has been fulfilled.

As we know this place doesn’t have a guardian, Nil said.

It was more than that. Like everything before, the realm was completely barren. Endless plains of steel continued as far as the eye could see. The only thing that broke the monotony was a series of hills that rose up in the distance.

Could it be? Dallion wondered. Every logical thought suggested that the answer couldn’t be so simple. And still…

“Nil,” Dallion said.

Instantly, the firebird appeared and surrounded him with blue flames. Moments later, Dallion darted towards the closest hill. Halfway there, it became obvious that his initial suspicion was correct: four more hills had appeared, but those weren’t hills, they were giant gears emerging from the ground.

“I suppose there’s a way to shape the inside of a realm?” Dallion asked.

Nil didn’t say a thing, but he didn’t have to. Back when Dallion was part of the Icepicker guild, Captain Adzorg had boasted in person that he had shaped the inside of all training items. Clearly, he wasn’t the only one.

Considering the size of the gear teeth, it would have taken an awakened considerable effort to climb to the top, not to mention it would be quite difficult to memorize a symbol the size of the Nazca lines. Having the ability to fly, though, made the task childishly easy.

This is a task for mages, Dallion thought. Of all awakened only they had the ability to fly. Everyone else would be completely confused, left trying to figure out the solution to a puzzle they could never see.

“Sneaky,” Dallion whispered, as he ordered Lux to take him up even higher.

The password was both easy and difficult. Looking at the gear symbols, the word EARTH emerged. What made it slightly tricky was that the last “hill” was completely blank. Most probably, back in the time, otherworlders weren’t that rare, and the Star wanted to make sure that a random awakened couldn’t just guess.

You seem rather pleased with yourself, Nil said. Anything to share?

“Just something that made me think of my world,” Dallion replied.

You aren’t thinking of going back, are you, dear boy?

“No.” My life is here, now. “This place just made me reminisce of my childhood a bit.”

Without warning, Dallion left the realm, not even bothering to land. The experience was slightly painful, making him almost lose balance for a few moments. However, since this wasn’t the first time he left a realm in such an abrupt fashion, Dallion’s body had gotten used to the experience.

“Earth, eh?” Dallion turned the dials, making sure to leave the last one blank. There was a loud click.

Dallion felt a shiver of excitement pass through him. Gripping the vault door wheel, he turned it, then pulled. The massive circle of metal moved to the side held by its hinges. A small room was revealed, its walls made entirely of light crystals. In the center of the ceiling stood a single large barred window, directly beneath a small pedestal with a tin box on it. This was what Dallion had seen from the outside. Even now, the tin was surrounded by the typical shimmering light, indicating that it originated on Earth. It wasn’t anything special, just a cheap biscuit tin like those Dallion’s grandmother used to keep old photos in. However, merely seeing it created a feeling of nostalgic joy.

Quite a bit of craftsmanship must have gone into that, Nil said. Is that what you came for?

That was a rather good question. It was only at this point that Dallion looked around. Near the walls, were rows of display cases. Protected by panes of thick glass were stands made of sky iron, upon which was a crystal gem.

That immediately caught Dallion’s attention. Keeping his guard up, Dallion went to one of them for a better look. There was no doubt that the prize hidden here was a skill gem. Normally, Dallion would have rushed at the opportunity to claim it—or in fact all of them. It was the single drop of blackness trapped within the otherwise clear gem that made him pause.

Stay away from those! Nil almost shouted.

“I know,” Dallion replied in a calm manner. “Do you think they’re actual skill gems?” Judging by the color, there had to be several kinds.

They are, but you’ll get way more than you bargained.

“You’re seen them before?”

I don’t have to have seen them, to know what that in the center is! Like everything else made by the Star, it gives the foolish a little something, while taking a whole lot more. If the followers aren’t strong to begin with, they become brainless cultists that barely have any mind of their own.

“I don’t feel anything.”

That’s because the skill gem keeps it hidden.

“So, if Nox and Lux consume them, they’ll get a few more skills?”

The echo didn’t answer immediately. On the one hand, there was no denying that having stronger familiars would be beneficial. However, no one knew precisely what had gone into creating the gems. It was just as possible that the creatures died or turned into monsters. Neither option was desirable.

“Nos, think you can handle this?” Dallion asked.

I guess, the crackling replied, not in the least interested in the prospect. For a split-second Dallion considered using combat splitting and see what the results would be. The thought lingered a bit longer, while Dallion considered the options. Part of him was of the opinion that even a chance of anything to happen to Nox wasn’t worth risking it. Yet, Dallion found himself still staring at the gem in front of him.

Dal… Nil said.

“Give me a second, Nil.”

Dallion kept contemplating the possibilities. Having Nox learn awakened skills was quite significant. Maybe it was worth the risk?

Dallion…

“I said give me a moment, Nil!” Dallion snapped. “This is an important decision! I need a bit to think.”

You’ve been thinking about it for an hour.

The sheer surprise was enough to make Dallion look away. The moment he did, he felt some tension in his foes. Looking down, Dallion found that he had been standing on them. Unsure what was going on, Dallion relaxes. A faint crunching sound told him that there was something beneath his heels. When he next looked up, he found that the section of glass in front of him was broken. The gem was still there, now less than a hand’s length away. Not trusting himself, Dallion instantly took a step back. The moment he did, all the gems in the display cases became pitch black.

What the heck?! Dallion took another step back.

That’s why I didn’t want you coming here! Nil said.

“An illusion?” Dallion concentrated, then focused on the walls of the vault again. The display cases were still there, but they were all broken. Dust and glass covered the floor. The black gems, though, were still there, untouched for millennia.

Temptation, Nil said. You were fortunate to be following a Moon path. If you hadn’t, you’d have been a cultist by now!

“What?” Dallion was conflicted. In part, he was certain that he wouldn’t have fallen for such an obvious trick. At the same time, he knew enough of this world to know not to take anything for granted. “Why didn’t you warn me?”

I’ve been yelling at you for the last hour! Nil grumbled. We all have! Not only did you ignore us all, but you broke all the glass in the room.

“That’s just—"

Look at your hands!

Despite the sudden wave of fear, Dallion did so. There was no denying it—both his knuckles were covered in scars. It was only now that he felt the pain.

What the heck did I do? Dallion asked himself, terrified.

The same that everyone who entered before you, Nil said. You did exactly what the Star wanted you to do. Now, can we finally get out of this place, or do you want to test fate again?

Dallion hesitated. The moment he did, the gems changed color again. Now they were blue, green, red, and orange once more. One could almost believe that they were skill gems created by the Star for his followers to use. Of course, Dallion knew now that to be fake. Looking at them, though, he started having questions. Had the Star really made skill gems? The dryads were able to… so if they could, why couldn’t the Star? Maybe somewhere in this temple there was a real untainted gem that would let Dallion learn one of his missing skills? If he were very lucky, that gem might even grant him magic.

No! Dallion closed his eyes. He had been through this before during a leveling trial. At this point, he didn’t have the strength to face the Star directly, however, he didn’t have to. He could allow the Green Moon to help him. While the Moons had said they wouldn’t protect him, he could at least rely on them to keep him from falling for obvious tricks.

The armory could well be the means to reward those who were strong enough, but it was also possible to be a way to find those who had a too high opinion of themselves and turn them into chainlings.

Dal, Nil said.

“What? Has it been another hour?”

No, but I really suggest we get out of here. The longer we remain, the more dangerous it will become. And I’m not talking about you. I meant for everyone.

“I know.” Dallion turned around. “There’s just one last thing I need to do.”

Splitting into three instances, Dallion removed the cover of the tin box. There were a lot of things he expected to find inside: a trap, another illusion, or even a hidden chainling. Instead, there was nothing but a Swiss pocket knife.

What are you doing here? Dallion asked.