Leveling up the world 4.., p.59
Leveling Up The World 4: A LitRPG Adventure, page 59
“And not a moment has passed in the real world,” Nil continued. “With that you can proceed to leveling up, if that is what you wish. Before that, though, a quick test.” The echo tossed Dallion a scroll. “Read that.”
Curious, Dallion unrolled the scroll. Nothing but a single poem was contained inside—a sonnet, to be precise. Reading through it was as alien as Dallion remembered from literature class back on Earth. Even so, given Nil’s insistence, he attempted to make sense of things.
“It’s a love poem,” Dallion stated the obvious. “Judging by the imagery described, it must have been written centuries ago.”
“I wrote it last year,” the echo said, putting an end to Dallion’s bullshit. “Try to read it using your new ability.”
Dallion looked at the scroll again. Had Nil just given him a secret cipher or sorts? Concentrating, he focused on the letters. Soon enough, some of them seemed to float above the rest. Dallion’s first reaction was to try and form a message. When that failed, he concentrated more. Three layers emerged, then four, but still none of the messages made sense. No matter how Dallion rearranged the letters of each layer in his head, it only created gibberish.
“I see the layers,” Dallion said, closing his eyes. The pressure in his temples was instantly relieved. “But I can’t read the actual message. What does it say?”
“Just to try harder.” The echo laughed. “Go ahead and level up. Or don’t. The point is don’t forget to sleep regularly in the real world as well as the realms. You don’t have the mental strength to keep going on for weeks. Maybe when you pass the next gate you will, but until then…”
“I got it.” Dallion opened his eyes. “Thanks.”
While mixed feelings remained as to the necessity of spending a whole week resting in the awakened realm, Dallion had to admit that using his new ability was considerably less painful. It was looking like he was going to have to add this to his daily exercises…physical exercises in the real world, mental in the realms. If he were going to progress, he’d have to prepare a schedule and follow it.
Entering the corridor, Dallion headed to one of the trial doors. This time he didn’t open it. A thought crossed his mind, making him turn around and head for Harp’s domain. There was no question that it had become the best part of his realm by far. The inhabitants of the realm that could place their domains here had done so, while the rest simply had moved here themselves. In the distance, the islands of Vermillion were visible, adding a pleasant backdrop to the view.
“Slacking with taste, eh?” Gen asked. The echo was wearing clothes that would be suitable for a Robinson Crusoe scene. The outfit was complete with a straw hat and a large tome in his hand.
“Won’t Nil freak out that you’re taking his precious tomes outside the library?”
“He used to. Now he doesn’t bother to remind me how bad sand and water are for the paper. Lux is partially to thank. He’s saved a few books already. Also, the old man is just happy that someone actually reads. You should try it sometime.”
“Once things calm down a bit,” Dallion lied. Even he had accepted that given a choice, he would do anything else but this. “How’s Harp been?”
“Sad, but fine. She doesn’t want to discuss it for some reason.”
Probably because I’m pushing myself too hard in all the wrong directions, Dallion thought.
“You don’t have to level up, you know. Even if you pass it, it might end up exhausting you before the fight.”
“That’s a risk I’ll have to take. It’s not just about the tournament anymore.” Even if the tournament remained a large part of it. “It’s the only way I can get strong enough.”
“Don’t rush to a fight too fast,” Gen said.
Dallion snorted.
“At least consider it.”
“Yeah, yeah…” Dallion went back to the darkness of his normal realm. This time, he entered the trial door without hesitation. The usual blue rectangle appeared, informing him of the trial, though this time there was no corridor. Dallion immediately found himself in an endless desert. Large clusters of red stones were visible throughout, like mountain chunks in the sand.
A faint buzzing sound filled the air.
This is new, Dallion thought. Lux, give me a lift.
Wings of blue flame emerged from Dallion’s back, taking him to the sky. As far as one could tell, there was no clear threat in the area. That meant this was one of those trials in which he had to find his enemies and defeat them. Normally, it was an easy task, but he hated it most of all.
Nil, any advice?
This is another classic trial, the echo replied. Passing it shouldn’t be too difficult for you, I think. However, there’s a catch.
Isn’t there always?
Think of it as an opportunity. While it’s easy to complete the trial, there’s a hidden prize available as well. Naturally, claiming it is far more difficult and could potentially cause you to fail the whole trial.
A prize? You mean like in the paradox cubes?
Close, but not exactly. There are different requirements for revealing the prize. All I can say is to focus on what you’ve learned up till now and also use your skills sparingly.
In the past, such advice would come as vague, but Dallion had grown to decipher the intent between the phrases. A thought crossed his mind that was crazy enough to work.
“Wow, what a dump.” Gleam emerged next to Dallion. “What’s your plan for this one?”
“Shh.” Dallion put a finger to his lips. I must listen.
Listen? The shardfly sounded confused. What do you mean?
Closing his eyes, Dallion focused on the sounds in the distance. If seeing layers was linked to perception, there was no reason that it would only affect his sight. This was a good way to test the theory out.
It didn’t take long for Dallion to feel the results. Soon enough, he was able to pinpoint the source of the sound, or rather the sources. There were thousands of them, gathered in clusters a long distance away. Two things were instantly clear, however: all sources were in front of him, and they were moving his way.
Dallion opened his eyes, focusing on the horizon. Black clouds were visible, but they weren’t of rain or dust. Rather, they were made entirely of insects.
Bugs? Dallion wondered.
In more ways than one, Nil said. Those are the distractions in your life. A large part is created by achievements, I must point out.
The “I told you so” was unmistakable in the echo’s tone. He had continuously cautioned Dallion against going achievement hunting, viewing it as a perilous shortcut, or even worse—an addiction.
They don’t look particularly strong, Dallion said.
They aren’t. However, they have a nasty sting, each of which distracts you from the rest.
What do you mean?
When one stings you, it directs all your attention on it, making you ignore anything else. And this will continue until you’ve dealt with the issue.
How come you’re telling me all this?
I’m telling you because that’s nothing more than another distraction, dear boy.
No sooner had Nil said that than Dallion felt a sharp sting in his neck. Immediately, he twisted, striking the annoying insect that had stung him. However, the attacker wasn’t alone. Dozens of black, wasp-like entities had surrounded him.
“How did they get so close?” Dallion asked as he summoned his harpsisword and performed a series of slash attacks around him.
Time moves faster when you’re distracted, Nil replied. Also, why are you so certain that I’m Nil?
Interesting approach. The echo enemy of this trial hadn’t made an actual appearance but acted as a distraction within Dallion’s mind…just like a limiting echo.
Get us away from them, Lux! Dallion thought, slashing more of the annoying insects around him. Unfortunately, no matter how many he destroyed, more appeared.
You can’t get rid of distractions by paying attention to them. Nil laughed. That would be like trying to extinguish a fire by covering it with hay.
The firebird attempted to pull Dallion away from the swarm, but no matter how fast he flew, insects continued to surround him, their numbers unchanged no matter how many Dallion smashed to bits.
Focus. Dallion concentrated. He strongly suspected that the trial had to do with ignoring distractions. Just in case, he split into five instances, each carefully examining the swarm. The moment an insect stung one of his instances, however, all the rest collapsed.
Oh, I forgot to tell you, the more instances you use, the greater the number of distractions you’ll face, Nil said.
Dallion gritted his teeth. This was something he should have predicted. Just as the echo had said, the swarm became five times larger in the blink of the eye. A thick cloud was surrounding Dallion, dozens of insects attacking him every second. At each sting, Dallion’s attention was drawn to the attack, often before he could strike the previous insect that had stung him.
Shield! Dallion shouted.
The armadil shield extended around him, creating a metal sphere that protected him from the insect attacks. However, even it wasn’t able to get rid of the constant noise of them hitting the metal surface, like raindrops falling on tin.
Gleam, any illusions? Dallion asked.
None I can see. They’re just bugs.
That didn’t make any sense. Every instinct told Dallion that there was more to it.
Lux, let us drop to the ground, Dallion ordered. Shield, when we do, open a crack so I can see the sky.
Getting a bug inside defeats the purpose of being cocooned, the dryad guardian said.
There’s something I need to check.
The orders were followed instantly. In several seconds, the sphere or metal hit the sand with a loud thump. As it did, some of the shield’s segments moved apart, allowing Dallion to see directly above him.
I knew it, Dallion thought. The bugs weren’t only black. There were also two red ones among them.
SILVER BUG
For every thousand black bugs, there was one red. Unlike the black, the red bugs rarely attacked, but when they did, they inflicted a minor wound, decreasing Dallion’s health by five percent. Finding a red bug among the swarm was difficult, killing one—ten times so. The difference was that once killed, the red bugs didn’t seem to respawn. Instead, a red damage rectangle appeared, indicating the damage dealt to the entire swarm.
Don’t attack it, don’t attack it, Dallion said to himself as he was being stung by black bugs. In his mind, he knew that it was pointless to react to them; however, the sting made it extremely difficult to ignore. It was the same as having an itch—scratching usually only made things worse, yet most people were unable to resist doing it.
Not too bad, Gleam said. The rest of the swarm is almost here, so things are going to get a bit more difficult in a few seconds.
That wasn’t what Dallion wanted to hear. Already the number of black bugs blotted out most of the sun, making him feel like trapped in a black cloud. That was another thing he had to focus on—killing enough black bugs so as to get a momentary crack of light.
That’s interesting, the shardfly noted. There’s a silver bug as well.
Silver bug? Dallion asked. The moment he did, the swarm around him seemed to double. That was another annoyance—each time he expressed curiosity toward something, the distraction bugs multiplied. It was bad enough that the initial buzzing of the insects had turned into whispers, each bug repeating past things Dallion had heard: results of his college application, questions about the eighth Moon, speculation about the nobles, fears regarding his grandfather… Listening to one created a new bug, making the swarm go exponentially unless one learned how to ignore them completely.
Another cycle of stings made Dallion turn around and perform a series of slashes, temporarily thinning the swarm in the area. He had to focus on what was important, namely the red and silver bugs. From what he could gather, the goal was to kill all red bugs in order to pass the trial. The silver bug—if the fake Nil was to be believed—was a bonus, a potential prize that Dallion would receive. Ideally, it could range from an achievement to an item blueprint. A while back, the echo had said that it was in theory possible for Dallion to learn a skill in such fashion, but he strongly doubted that.
Gleam, direct me to the silver bug, Dallion said.
The familiar flashed in a bright blue light and started moving away. Without any prodding, Lux moved to follow her. All in all, Dallion was pleased with the degree to which the firebird had learned to anticipate his orders. The same couldn’t be said about the shardfly, who remained free-willed to the extreme. It was good that she was guiding the way to Dallion’s prize, although he would have preferred if she had joined in the actual fight. He had seen firsthand how destructive a shardfly’s wings could be. Instead of that, Gleam had cast an illusion over herself, making the swarm believe she was one of them.
Dallion extended his whip blade, spinning it around. That had proved to be the most effective method of creating a path. Not that he managed to kill any of the bugs—distractions, it seemed, could only be hit if targeted—but it allowed Dallion to move them about so as to see better forward.
Are you curious what the prize might be? Nil asked. Maybe it’s a new weapon blueprint. Having that will let you practice your forging and maybe create a masterpiece. Who knows? Maybe you’ll be able to make it in the real world as well. That would increase your chances of winning the tournament, possibly even patch up things with your gorgon.
The swarm thickened around Dallion. Concentrating, he was able to spot another red bug in the blackness. One measured slash with the blade whip and the swarm was dealt another wound.
Gleam, any other red bugs? Dallion asked.
A few, the shardfly replied. Three I can see. Maybe two more on your other side.
Between three and five bugs. Fighting them would be easy. What mattered now was for Dallion to kill the silver bug as quickly as possible.
Soon enough, the creature became visible. It was like a grain of sugar in a pile of coffee grinds. Focusing all his attention on it, Dallion was able to see exactly where it stood in relation to the rest of the swarm. Red markers appeared, indicating the fashion in which he had to attack with his weapon. Holding his breath, Dallion lashed at his target. The whip blade spun and twisted, its tip flying toward the insect along a wide arc. Then, just before hitting it, the insect reverted to a normal bug.
What the heck?! Dallion pulled back his weapon and immediately targeted a red bug. This time, there were no surprises.
You never know which distraction could lead to a prize. Nil laughed. Sometimes what you think is valuable turns out to be just another distraction.
Gleam, was that an illusion?
Not one that I could sense, the familiar replied.
Then where is it?
On cue, another bug changed color, obtaining a silver shine. This was clearly the catch. Completing the trial was annoying enough, but doable once one grasped the basic principles. Getting the prize, though, required vast amounts of skill. Thinking about it, it seemed that the trial had two parts: the minimal requirement to pass and the real one. If he wanted, Dallion could end the trial even now, but that would be a shortcut, and shortcuts were like poison for one’s development.
Once again, he attacked the silver bug, only to witness the same result. So far, the logic held. His hypothesis was that perception would be the key to solve this puzzle. In order to proceed forward, it was all right to notice things and react to them. However, if he were to substantially improve, he had to learn how to anticipate things before they happened and do so without the help of combat splitting…or familiars.
Focus, music, forging, Dallion thought.
For a moment, the distractions seemed to disappear. The majority of the swarm became transparent like air. The red bugs were fully visible now—there were three of them, covered with a faint coat of copper. As for the silver one, Dallion was able to feel faint traces of silver somewhere in the vicinity, and yet he couldn’t see it.
Dallion focused further. Slowly the sensation gained form. However, it wasn’t a single entity. Rather, it was a trail moving from one bug to another. At times it would stop and remain still, but he was still able to see the tail behind it as well as the nose directing it forward to the next target.
Like an eel in a swamp, he thought.
Congratulations. Nil could hear clapping somewhere away. You figured it out. Curious what it’ll give you once you kill it?
“Yes,” Dallion said as he swung his blade whip. The weapon moved along the length of the silver trail, slashing several insects as it did. Once the final one was dead, a blue rectangle appeared. “But not at the expense of everything else.”
CRESCENT BLADEBOW BLUEPRINT
A weapon of precision and elegance. One of the few weapons equally useful at close and ranged combat. With the proper ammunition, it can even wound creatures that appear invincible.
Not the reward Dallion was expecting, but something that could prove useful. Still, there were a few more bugs to take care of before he could call the trial completed.
Maintaining his concentration, Dallion turned around, waving the whip blade as he did. The sky silver fragments danced through the air, slicing through its targets one by one. Finally, with the death of the last red bug, the rest of the swarm disappeared.
You have broken through your twenty-fifth barrier.
You are level 25.
Choose the trait you value the most.
Level twenty-five. Everything considered, it wasn’t much, but for Dallion’s purposes it was good, steady progress. That meant he had already advanced five levels into being a seer.
After some thought, Dallion decided not to increase his empathy. It was challenging enough to talk with items a few steps away to risk hearing them across the city. The best solution for the immediate future was to get his body to twenty, then work on his reaction. Slow and steady was the way he wanted to go, at least until a better option came up.
