The feast was definitely on the pricey side. Considering the gifts Dallion had received, as well as the help in completing the area job, he was more than happy to pay. The experience, though. Got him thinking.

It was said that according to awakened etiquette it was rude to enter a realm during conversations. Dallion knew from firsthand experience how awkward that made things, and at the same time, he wanted to check on the harpsisword guardian. So, after a round of chatting, and once he had consumed enough food to relieve part of his fatigue, he did what he had to do.

PERSONAL AWAKENING

“I knew you would try this.” Nil was waiting for him in the awakening room. Judging by his body language, he didn’t fully approve of the visit. “It may seem harsh, but I would recommend against attachments with your items,” the echo said. “That includes myself and the library as well.”

Dallion rolled his eyes. This was a conversation he didn’t need right now.

“There is a thin line between care and obsession. Your objects shouldn’t be toys for you to play with, but they shouldn’t own you either. Item injuries happen, just as normal injuries do.”

“Are you telling me to ignore it?”

“In crude terms, yes.”

The answer came as a surprise. Dallion didn’t expect the echo to be so blunt about it.

“Mistakes were made. Learn from them, try to make sure they don’t happen again, and then move on. Everything else will hurt both you and the guardian you’re obsessing over.”

“Worrying when someone is hurt isn’t an obsession,” Dallion said as he walked past the echo. “And it’s not your concern.”

“It shouldn’t be yours, either. At some point you’ll have dozens of items linked to your realm. Would you worry about all of them the same way?”

Dallion didn’t listen. The old echo undoubtedly knew a lot of things, but it seemed real life wasn’t one of them. Maybe that was the result of age, and maybe in thirty years Dallion would become the same, but for the moment he cared and wanted to continue to do so.

Making his way through the corridors, Dallion entered the nymph’s area. As usual, she was playing her harp on the top of her tower. There was not even the slightest hint of sadness in her melody, though that didn’t make Dallion feel much better. Without a word, he climbed up the staircase to reach her.

“Hey,” Dallion whispered, so as not to disrupt her playing.

On second thought, it would have been better if he had stood silently and wait for her to finish. A few seconds later, she did. As the guardian moved her fingers away from the harp, the strings disappeared, becoming drops of water that flowed down the instrument into a small golden bowl beneath it.

“Nice tune,” Dallion said.

The nymph looked at him with a warm smile, her expression saying “I’m fine.”

“I should have been more careful. I didn’t think that cracks could affect you as well… which is stupid, since cracks are the embodiment of wear and tear,” he started rambling. “The thing is, I messed up and… I wanted to make sure you’re alright.”

“I’m battle gear.” The water in the bowl vibrated, creating words. That was her explanation for a lot of things. “What you see and what I do are different things.”

Suddenly, a blue flame poofed into existence, perching itself on the nymph’s shoulder. The firebird chick had clearly become familiar with the awakened realm, and also was expressing a preference towards the nymph compared to Dallion himself.

“I guess you’re right.”

Dallion turned around, looking towards the sea. The usually calming sunset didn’t have any effect. For some reason he worried a lot about her… in a way she reminded him of his mother—his local mother. Thinking back, it was rushed for him to venture out so soon after defeating Aspion. He could well have remained a few more months and helped with the leveling up of the village, however, the drive for adventure didn’t let him. No, it was more than a drive, it was a deep desire to find out more of this world and its link to Earth. Leveling up was supposed to be the means, yet somewhere on the way it had become the goal.

Why am I so confused about everything? Dallion wondered. This seemed very much unlike him. Or was this the real him finally shining through?

“Vulnerability,” the nymph said using the vibration of the water. “Each time you come across something new that makes you feel vulnerable you react. It’s normal. You’re a musician, after all.”

“A musician…” Dallion let out a dry laugh. She wasn’t wrong about the vulnerability aspect, though. “It’s because I’m reckless, isn’t it?”

“Everything you gain has its advantages and perils. Until you venture further into your realm and defeat these fears, they will remain lurking there, appearing when the occasion arises.”

So, that was the downside. The warnings the achievements came with weren’t just flavor text to make them sound mysterious—they were illustrating the consequences. Each achievement came with its own baggage; the more Dallion amassed, the more he had to deal with. On a subconscious level, he probably knew that because he had avoided venturing in his realm after that one time, despite desperately wanting to level up. There would always be a reason or excuse for him to delay. Quite possibly that was part of the challenge—in wasn’t just about defeating the echo guardian, it was about finding the courage and desire to do so as well.

Tonight, Dallion thought. I’m breaking the cycle tonight!

“Thanks, Harp.” He turned towards her. “You always help me out.”

The harpsisword guardian smiled.

“I have a name, you know,” she said through the bowl. “You’re free to use it.”

“I know.” And I’ll use it the moment you start talking, he added in his mind.

One moment later, he was back at the table with Veil and Gloria, enjoying an overpriced meal. No one had caught on that he had been gone for about ten minutes.

“So, when are you going through the second trial?” he asked.

“Tomorrow, the day after.” Veil shrugged. “Sometime this week probably.”

“We can get enough money from the guild to do it now,” Dallion went on. “I’ve no idea how much this job is worth, but it’s not cheap. And if it’s not enough, I’ll pay for the difference so—”

“Thank you, Dallion,” Gloria cut him short in a manner suggesting she didn’t want any help. Although they considered each other friends, the Luors weren’t the type of people that would appreciate handouts. “We’ll get there on our own. Meanwhile, you’re been very quiet about the things you’ve been doing here. I had to learn more from Hannah, since you wouldn’t share a word.”

Dallion felt a ball of ice form in his stomach.

“Oh?” he did his best to keep a calm appearance. “What has she been saying?”

“A few things. That you got in some serious trouble, for one.” There was a momentary pause. This wasn’t a direction Dallion expected the conversation to go. “Mugged in broad daylight? Making deals with sketchy characters for gear…”

Sketchy characters? Given that it was coming from Hannah, Dallion wasn’t sure if Gloria was referring to the general or Eury. Both fit the bill, and to some degree, Dallion would have preferred if the Luors didn’t find out about either of them.

“Okay, okay. I promise I’ll share some things from now on. “Dallion smiled. “Some,” he stressed. “I still say we go to the guild after finishing here. Even if you don’t have the test today, you could use a few coins the way you’re spending.”

“Nah, you take care of that.” Veil waved a hand, completely disinterested. “We’ll go exploring on our own. No need to drag you along like a limp puppy.”

“But—” Gloria began. Clearly, she had other plans.

“Give the guy some space.” Veil sighed. “You’re not lovesick, right?”

The comment was meant to be casual, but did manage to get her slightly flustered. That pretty much put an end to the conversation. Everyone finished their food, occasionally resorting to casual small talk, Dallion paid the bill, then all went their separate ways. Veil and Gloria were set on visiting a few of the city guard forts—for what reason Dallion could not imagine—while he set off to the Icepicker guildhall with the promise to try and get their pay. There was no point in telling them that things didn’t work that way. No one was allowed to gate someone else’s money, just like that. If they couldn’t claim it themselves, it’ll just remain at the guild to be collected later.

You really are something, the armadil shield said. Having such close friends. I’m envious.

“Yeah, we get along.” Dallion had to agree.

It’s more than getting along. They trust you a hell of a lot more. You just don’t know it yet.

“But you do and just don’t want to tell me?” While it was nice that the shield was acting more like its former self, it still managed to find a way to annoy Dallion with a sentence or two.

“And just for your info, I’m not lending you to either of them.”

That’s a shame. And here I thought I’d be perfect for either of them. Oh well, there’s no such thing as perfect happiness, I guess.

“That’s not even a… You know what, never mind.”

Yep, things were back to normal. No doubt about it.

It was midmorning by the time Dallion reached the guild hall. This time, in addition to the usual greetings, Dallion got bombarded with questions about the Luor. Those who hadn’t seen them were curious about them, and those that had wanted to know when they were coming back. Initially, Dallion started responding, but Nil quickly told him that the best policy in such a situation was to blindly ignore everyone and get to his business.

Estezol was there, as usual, going through guild reports. According to the brief conversation Dallion had had with his echo, the day was mostly reserved for admin work with few actual jobs, which made it perfect to pass by and claim his pay. Another thing that became clear was that the guild ring didn’t merely act as a sort of pager and adviser—it was also a guaranteed way to prove whether a job had been done or not.

“Hello, Dal,” the short man greeted. “I can’t give you any jobs before you finish the one you have.”

“That’s alright.” Dallion crossed his arms confidently. “Because I’ve actually done that.”

The comment made Estezol pause, look up, crack a smile, thinking that Dallion was pulling his leg, then—realizing that Dallion wasn’t—raised both eyebrows in utter astonishment.

“You cleaned up the entire garden?!”

“Check.” Dallion extended his ring hand forward.

Without hesitation, Estezol put his finger on the ring, then moved it away again.

“Quite the account.” The neared man nodded a few times. “And just the three of you. Do you mind if I take the ring for a moment?”

“Sure,” Dallion replied.

However, doing so ended up being easier said than done. Getting the metal band off Dallion’s finger proved more cumbersome than some of the battles he had done through. After trying for a few seconds, Estezol took out a vial of olive oil to assist. Apparently, Dallion wasn’t the first person this had happened to, nor would he be the last. A minute later, his efforts were rewarded and he handed a very oily ring to Estezol. In return the short bearded man gave him a piece of cloth to clean his hands, then disappeared elsewhere in the guildhall.

That could have gone smoother, the armadil shield remarked.

“Very funny,” Dallion grumbled. “You’re in a good mood today. What happened?”

Oh, I was just touched you were so worried about me. Not to worry, though, I’m perfectly fine and healthy as you’ll find out when you visit. That is, if you still intend to keep your promise.

That was a low blow, but there was no getting around it. Dallion had said that in a moment of concern during the battle, and he knew better not to keep his word.

“Dal!” Estezol shouted from the staircase. “Come up here for a moment, please?”

“Sure.” Dallion placed the oily cloth on the counter, far away from any paper, and rushed up.

Estezol lead on to the fourth floor, after which he continued further till. At that point Dallion felt a sense of unease and excitement. From what he knew, the guild master and his assistants occupied the top floor, along with the occasional captain. Going there was the equivalent of being called to see the boss of the company.

In many aspects, the floor was no different from the rest. A T-shaped corridor led along wooden walls of doors. Judging by the size, Dallion would expect that each room was about a hundred square feet or less.

Estezol took to the end of the corridor, knocked on one of the identical wooden doors, then opened it for Dallion to go in. Not knowing what to expect, Dallion stepped right in, only to have the door close behind him without warning.

“Morning, Dal.” March said from across the room. “It’s time we had our second chat.”

The casual clothes she was wearing made her no less intimidating. Standing by the single window of the room, the woman held Dallion’s guild ring, moving it between her fingers as if she were about to perform a magic trick.

Dallion swallowed. Looking at things objectively there were two conclusions he could come to: the captain had something important to say, and this wasn’t the captain’s room—it lacked any furniture or decorations. In fact, the only item in the entire room was an old, massive sword hanging down from the ceiling. The weapon itself was made of a metallic-green material Dallion hadn’t seen before. About a third of the blade was flawless, shining with a pleasant green gleam. the guard and hilt, on the other hand, were heavily corroded with patches of rush.

“I saw that you’ve cleaned your first area,” March said. “Good initiative, although you still need some work on the execution side.”

“I’ll get there,” Dallion replied. “I’m learning from my mistakes.”

“I know, and you have a lot more mistakes to make until you’re ready.” She tossed Dallion his ring back. “What do you think this is?”

“A sphere item?” Dallion knew this was a trick question, he just didn’t know what the trick was.

“It’s a world item,” March clarified. “Similar to a sphere item, but different, and much, much larger. You’ve seen complex sphere items. You know how large they could be. This is beyond that. Each level is a world in itself, but also isn’t.”

Dallion blinked.

“Each level is a realm the size of a city, and just as intricate. Each realm has a gate that leads to the next. The guardian only appears when certain conditions are met. However, once you defeat the guardian, it doesn’t go away. It only lets you pass further. We’ve explored less than a dozen levels, but one thing became clear from the beginning—these levels were inhabited.”

“A whole world in a sword,” Dallion whispered

“A very dead world, from what we have determined. We’ve come across lots of ruins, but no inhabitants.” The captain took a step closer to the sword, her hand reaching out, but stopping an inch from the metal surface. “There aren’t many of these items out there. The truth is that no one is sure what they are exactly. This one was lent to us by the Magic Academy. Since they failed to explore it, they agreed to part with it for a price.”

“Just like that?” Dallion couldn’t stop himself from asking. Fortunately for him, a smile appeared on the woman’s face.

“The guild master has his ways. Needless to say that this has been the guild’s major investment and as such the faster we finish exploring the item, the better. That is where you come in.”

“Me?” Dallion felt pressure as if an anvil was placed on his shoulders.

“I want you to gain enough area experience and when you do join the expedition to explore the sword to the hilt.”

Dallion swallowed. This wasn’t something he had expected.