The further Dallion went, the storm got worse. After discovering a way to get through Adzrog’s spells, he had expected things to get easier. As it turned out, he was very wrong. Half-way there meant that it was only the easy part that was over. Now, he had to chase down a mage through a storm that made the one before seem like a picnic. Trying to do so with anything less than eighty instances was virtual suicide. And the worst part of it was that unlike the echo, Dallion’s left arm hadn’t regrown.

In front! Harp said.

Without thinking, Dallion did a line attack combined with a spark. Dozens of waves were slashed in two, along with the form of Adzorg himself. Sadly, yet again no rectangle appeared.

There’s one more, Gleam said. He’s an illusion as well.

“Just perfect,” Dallion hissed beneath his breath, careful not to swallow any water.

Fighting in freezing rain wasn’t something he liked, even if he had gotten used to it. Looking in the distance, there was a chance that the rain might soon turn to sleet. And still, there was no telling where the real echo trial was hiding. The shardfly had been adamant that she had spotted him at the start of the chase, but ever since each encounter had been against a fake. That wasn’t to say that the spells Dallion was subjected to weren’t real. Chains of water, fireballs, and cages of ice had joined the waves and water sprouts, attempting to kill him.

Was this part of the trial? Dallion wondered.

It wasn’t reaching the other side of the sea, nor was it facing a mage in a storm. To be more specific, it wasn’t only those things. Maybe the main focus was finding a means to locate mages?

Another two waves slammed against each other in a display of raw power that could only happen in an awakening realm. Three quarters of Dallion’s instances were destroyed, quickly to be replaced by just as many.

“Is that the point, Adzorg?” Dallion shouted, adding notions of temptation and self-confidence to his words. It was a long shot, but at least it was something. More importantly, it made him feel better. “The trial of life? Surviving against all odds, no matter the cost?”

Two fireballs curved around an incoming wave, flying directly towards Dallion. Used to the spell, Dallion didn’t even flinch. Waiting for the right moment, he let Lux move him to the right, then struck the fireball with a spark attack. As it turned out, spark attacks also had the power to dispel fireballs, at last in Dallion’s mind.

“I thought you were against sneakiness.” He looked around. If there were actual spells, the actual Adzorg had to be somewhere nearby.

Found him! Gleam shouted. He’s behind the wave.

Gritting his teeth, Dallion flew in that direction. Moments before hitting the wave, he performed a point attack forward. The force of the strike punctured a hole through the mountain of water, letting Dallion fly through. As he did, the tunnel collapsed behind him as water fell to fill in the void.

The first thing Dallion saw on the other side of the wave was a fireball. Unfortunately, this time, none of his instances managed to escape unscathed.

MAJOR WOUND

Your health has been reduced by 50%

The pain lingered on slightly longer than last time, possibly because the fireball hit Dallion in what was left of his missing arm. If it hadn’t been for Lux’s regenerative abilities, this would have marked the end of the trial. The trial echo knew it, for he shook his head in disapproval.

“Even when desperate, you have to keep your guard up,” Adzorg said. “Otherwise, best just give up. There will be less pain that way.”

“Is that what you did when you were at the Academy?”

“Dear boy, you know that the answer I give you will be what you think it to be. I could have been kicked out, or I could have gone on my own accord. The truth is, you’ll never find out.”

“Never say never.” Dallion flew forward, swinging his blade around like a butterfly. While a line attack would have been simpler, he had done so many of those that his arm was starting to hurt. There was a while to go before it became numb, but there was no point in being reckless.

Surprisingly, Adzorg didn’t cast a protective spell, or even move back. Reaching out, he summoned a finely crafted sword and blocked Dallion’s attack. The most interesting part was that the sword was nothing more than a long, thin piece of metal attached to a hilt. What made the weapon really formidable was the transparent blade surrounding the piece of metal.

“Dame Vesuvia’s blade?” Dallion asked.

“Yes and no,” Adzorg replied as he went on the offensive. The attacks were precise and elegant, although not difficult to parry. “That was the only type of magical sword you’ve seen, so it was normal for you to associate magic with such a weapon. Combat mages used a lot more exotic weapons, attuned to their trait like your harpsisword is attuned to your music skills.”

Both sides seemed to be evenly matched. Dallion was stronger physically, but his missing arm negated his advantage. Also, he had two familiars to help him out. While Lux consistently restored his health, Gleam continued to attack the trial echo, her own attacks blocked by defense spells and water.

The swordplay continued for several seconds, after which yet another waterspout shot up, forcing Dallion to fly back to safety. Naturally, Adzorg didn’t have to do a thing.

Holding his breath, Dallion did another line attack reinforced by a spark. And just like at the start of the trial battle, his attack was negated.

“I must say, you have a rather high opinion of me, dear boy,” Adzorg said. “Adept mage and master swordsman. I’m tempted to check out what other skills you have granted me.”

“Why don’t you?” Dallion charged forward again with a triple slash arc attack.

Each of the swings was deflected with ease on Adzorg’s part, after which he counterattacked. The old man tended to prefer piercing attacks, despite his weapon’s clear slashing characteristics. Multi attack followed multi attack with both sides, increasing the speed and ferocity of their strikes. Red rectangles appeared constantly, stacking up on both sides. Half of them were damage related, while the rest were health restoration.

“Annoying, isn’t it?” Adzorg laughed. “That’s why anyone with healing power is so highly valued, especially those who can share that power with others. If you had remained in the guild, you would have become a lieutenant by now, at least. Maybe even a captain.”

The last was a lie. Dallion had improved considerably in the last year and so had his ability to judge the strength of others. March, Adzorg, and all the other captains were way beyond him, as this fight was making abundantly clear. The echo simply outclassed him in every possible way, giving him no chance to use any skill effect bonuses.

Combat, acrobatics, and arts, Dallion said to himself.

Many of the awakening markers disappeared, leaving only several sets combining the skills he had said. They were far less than normal, mostly because his art skills were so low. Euryale had told him to practice his combat threading, but since that wasn’t something particularly useful when fighting in the wilderness, Dallion had been neglecting it. Now, that neglect was precisely his greatest advantage: it was something the trial echo wouldn’t be expecting.

Spinning in the air, several instances of Dallion then flowed forward in a motion as fluid as a wave of water. If Adzorg was surprised, he didn’t show it, for he met the attack as he normally did. It was at that point that Dallion tried out a specific ability of the reaction trait he seldom used: simultaneous actions. His left arm moved so fast that it created the illusion that a second arm had grown from Dallion’s right shoulder. That wasn’t all, though. Dallion added one more thing to the mix, taking advantage of his speed to consistently summon and unsummon two weapons: his dartblade and his harpsisword. For a brief moment of time he had entered a state in which he was simultaneously with both weapons simultaneously. Adzorg did the same, protecting himself from the blows of both. What wasn’t planned for, was Dallion, using a spark to shoot a pair of bolts from almost point blank range.

FATAL HIT

Dealt Damage is increased by 500%

FATAL HIT

Dealt Damage is increased by 500%

A pair of red rectangles appeared, dealing a devastating amount of damage before the echo could manage to heal himself. A split second later, the storm suddenly stopped. The massive waves froze in place, then splashed down into the sea, making it as calm as a mirror. The clouds had vanished, the wind subsided, only Dallion and Adzorg remained several hundred feet in the air.

Not bad. Gleam fluttered onto Dallion’s shoulder.

Dallion burst into instances again. As tempting as it was to thank her, he was still quite tense. After all, his opponent hadn’t disappeared.

“No need for the long face, dear boy,” Adzorg said. “You won this one. Which only proves that your lack of progress isn’t due to any weakness or low skill. It is your complacency that caused you to stall.”

“You haven’t vanished.”

“I have the ability to take advantage of loopholes. The truth is that I have lost and disappeared the moment you got me with you dartblade. Always good to know you’ve finally learned how to use adequately. What you see now is just an afterimage of me. Think of it as a future instance.”

“Alright.” Dallion didn’t feel too convinced.

“You have eleven more levels until you reach the fifth gate. I won’t sugarcoat it. Regardless of what you think, each next challenge will be more difficult than the last, and all of them will involve physical survival. That doesn’t mean you won’t have to think about strategy as well. In short, it will be a harsh struggle for a meager reward, comparatively speaking. However, it will be worth it.”

“Because of what’s beyond the gate?”

“And there you go again, spoiling your achievement,” Adzorg sighed. “If you’re strong enough to survive your trials, it means you’re strong enough to survive similar challenges in the real world. Cultists, nobles, mages, all are still ahead of you, but with every level the gap grows smaller. With luck, by the time you come across someone strong, you’ll be close enough to fight solo and win.”

Dallion nodded. He had a lot more advantages in the real world, but he understood what the old echo meant. At this level, being strong wasn’t just about mastering most of his skills, it was about mastering all and, to such a degree, that would compensate for the difference in level. Whatever secret lay behind the fifth gate, it had to be quite significant indeed.

“Also, keep your guard up. Splitting must become a constant habit for you, no matter where you go.”

“Is that real advice or is it my fears talking?” Dallion asked.

“Next time you see Vend, ask him. That way, you’ll know for certain.”

You have broken through your sixty-ninth barrier.

You are level 69.

Choose the trait you value the most.

The familiar green rectangle appeared. A second after Dallion glanced at it, he noticed that Adzorg was no more.

That was a tough one, Gleam said. Good thing you made it. I wasn’t going through this storm a second time. Do you think he was lying about the other trials?

“Your guess is as good as mine,” Dallion said. “They’ll probably be tougher.” He had chosen this one because he thought it would kick him into shape—and it had—but it was also true that he had failed in every other trial he had tried as well.

When the seven rectangles appeared, indicating Dallion’s traits, he immediately chose body, increasing its value to thirty-seven. With what was to come, this was his new priority. Now all he had to do was remain alive for the next time he leveled up.