“Shield, open a crack!” Dallion shouted as the shield sphere flew down towards the sand.

It wasn’t the fact that they were falling that worried him. Rather, it was the things that followed. At present, the shield and Lux’s help inside were enough to absorb the force of any fall. However, neither would be able to deal with what followed. Should the obsidian dragon decide to bury Dallion beneath the sands, there was nothing he could do except surrender.

The armadil shield opened up slightly

“Lux, carry the shield,” Dallion ordered. “Keep us above the sand!”

The firebird chirped, then flew out of the protective cocoon, causing Dallion to drop against the inside of the shield. A second later, the ball sprouted wings, slowing its descent to the ground, then reversing it.

A loud roar sounded outside, followed by a crash that knocked Dallion to the other side of the interior of the ball.

“Also, avoid any attacks, Lux!” he shouted. A series of seesaw movements suggested that the firebird had once again understood his order literally, driving like a maniac in an action movie. Clearly, this was no way to fight, but Dallion didn’t want to fight. This was a time to think about his next moves.

He only needed one more good hit. Now that the dragon was aware of the capabilities of the harpsisword, though, getting near it wasn’t going to be as easy. Dallion could easily order Lux to guide his weapon through the air, like an intelligent homing missile, but that wasn’t the approach he wanted to take. While there was every chance that such a strategy would earn him a quick victory, it was going to harm him in the long run. The way things were going, he would have to face chainlings and other creatures in the near future, possibly even other dragons within items.

Any advice you could give me, Nil? Dallion asked.

At present, either approach would work. Earning a quick victory, even if with your unorthodox methods, wouldn’t stunt your development. Doing it the proper way, though, would definitely give you experience for the next flying creature you face. In the end, it’s all up to you.

It’s always up to me, Dallion thought.

Your echoes, Gen suggested.

What?

Echoes, like during the trial against me. Remember how Aspian attacked with an army of clones? Why not do the same? They might not be as good as you, but they’re pretty close, and you can easily make four, or even five.

Five echoes against an obsidian dragon. None of them would be able to fly or have a real Nox dagger, but Gen was right—they would be skilled enough to confuse the enemy and even do some imaginative attacks on their own. That was one of the huge advantages of echoes—while they had all the memories and thoughts of their original, they also created their own.

“Lux, get me above the dragon!” Dallion said. “Shield, when we get there I want you to return to normal.”

No one said a thing, suggesting that either Dallion was on the right track, or everyone was just curious to see what he would come up with.

There was a loud pop outside, accompanied by a thrust. A second later, the shield returned to its standard shape, leaving Dallion in the air, twenty feet above the dragon’s head.

Without hesitation, Dallion concentrated. Four identical echoes jumped out of him, each heading in one of the cardinal directions. In that fraction of a second, Dallion saw each of them summoning their weapons—dartbows, swords, even a harp in one instance. While their weapons appeared to be like those Dallion used, he knew them to be simple versions linked to the skill. However, the dragon didn’t.

A cloud of obsidian sand emerged above the dragon, protecting him like a shield.

“Nox, rip it!” Dallion shouted. “Lux, grab me!”

One of the five Dallions gained wings, as the crackling emerged. Paws extended forward, the cub sliced through the protective layer, like a cat clawing down a silk curtain. All of Dallion’s echoes turned and twisted, holding their shields in front. Dallion didn’t, plunging through the opening Nix had created.

MINOR WOUND

Your health has been reduced by 5%

A red rectangle emerged, as parts of obsidian scarred Dallion’s cheeks as he passed. The pain was very much real, but he ignored it.

Thrust me to the side of the head, he instructed Lux.

A new layer of black sand emerged, rising like a wall.

Harp, I need your help! Dallion unsummoned the shield and held the harpsisword in both hands.

“Darude slash!” he shouted.

The term wasn’t something anyone would have recognized, but the harpsisword did. As Dallion did an arc attack, a slicing line of destruction was released, cutting through not only the protective layer, but part of the dragon’s wing as well.

Dallion didn’t stop, though, making a second slash, then a third.

Red rectangles filled the air, indicating a series of minor hits that had been done as a result. The number alone was impressive, even if they barely reduced the guardian’s life total. Weithing in pain, the obsidian dragon let its guard down for a split second, instinctively turning its head in Dallion’s direction to breathe a sandstorm.

“Thrust!” Dallion shouted.

This was the moment. Propelled by the firebird, he flew forward like a dart towards the bull’s eye. His mind’s eye could see the tip of the weapon reach the remaining red eye of the dragon, and after a fraction of a second prediction became reality.

FATAL STRIKE!

Dealt damage is increased by 500%

The much cherished red rectangle appeared.

“Clever,” the dragon muttered in a deep voice, as one would expect coming from a dragon, before bursting into a cloud of particles that disappeared in the air.

The moon vanished, replaced by a bright sun, marking the first day in the sphere item. Dallion had succeeded.

MIRROR Level 3 has been cleared.

You have fulfilled the MIRROR’s destiny.

Your attack skills have increased to 45.

That wasn’t the skill Dallion wanted to increase, but he couldn’t argue that was the one he had used the most.

“Lux, land me gently,” Dallion said. Meanwhile, three of his surviving echoes landed on the ground with a thump and a roll.

Firm sand beneath his feet, Dallion continued staring at the clear sky, waiting. Several seconds passed, then several more. And as they did, fear wormed its way into his being under the form of a dull stomach ache.

Feeling the tendrils of mild panic, Dallion looked about in the hopes he had missed something.

“It’s not there,” one of his echoes said. It didn’t sound all too happy, either.

No! Dallion thought. It has to appear.

That’s how Nox had become his familiar, and Lux as well. Dallion had followed the exact same steps. The result had to be the same.

Obtaining a familiar is rare, Nil said in a fatherly tone. Thousands of awakened have tried their entire lives to obtain one without success. It’s already extremely impressive that you have two.

There was a lot that Dallion wanted to say. What was the point in being a favored by the Moons if he couldn’t save a single creature? He had felt a connection with the guardian, he was so certain that once the item was cleared that an achievement would appear.

In his mind, he imagined the moons looking at him with disapproval. Had he become too arrogant? It was said that this world ran by their rules, but he didn’t know what the rule was, rather, he had assumed he’d have the power to help her. Whose fault was it then? Was it the Moons’ or his own? Right now, Dallion didn’t want to hear the answer.

“It was a good plan,” one of his echoes said, going closer to him. “All of it, not just the dragon.”

“Don’t forget that she felt joy for a moment,” another said.

“Besides, things aren’t what you think in the awakened world. There’s a lot you don’t know. All I can say is that it’s not as bleak as you fear.”

“Yeah, right.” Dallion tried to smile. He half suspected that the echo was just saying that to alleviate his fears. Even so, the notion that the shardfly could be out there in another realm, made him feel somewhat better.

One by one, Dallion’s echoes poofed out of existence. He, however, remained for over ten minutes, still looking at the sky, as if hoping that against the odds a rectangle would appear. It didn’t.

It’s best we get back to the real world, dear boy, Nil said. There’s nothing you can achieve here, and you have some preparation to do before tomorrow.

“I don’t feel like leveling up right now,” Dallion said.

I wasn’t talking about that. You need good food and rest, not to mention all the other trivialities of the day. I know how you feel, but you still have to earn your place at the tournament. The Star is still plotting something, remember?

“How could I forget…”

Also, I would strongly recommend you convince that despicable character to give you the dryad shield. Linking him to your realm would be far more beneficial than leveling up.

That was true. Being able to talk with the armadil shield through thought would undoubtedly make battles a lot easier, not to mention having another guardian protecting Dallion’s realm.

“Give me a minute,” Dallion said.

When the minute was over, the realm of the mirror disappeared, returning Dallion to the guildhall. He was back in the lobby, less than a minute after the meeting with March. The rest of the team had already left. Even Estezol was off, checking paperwork.

You can go rest a bit at the inn, if you want, Nil suggested. As long as you have a meeting with the general today, it doesn’t matter when—

The more I delay the more difficult it’ll become, Dallion replied, and left the guildhall.

The crowds were starting to pick up, making going through the streets even more difficult. Given what had just happened in the mirror, though, Dallion didn’t care much, slowly making his way towards the general’s club.

Just so that you know, the mirror’s ability is to capture light, Nil said. Capture and release, so to speak. No doubt the goal was for it not only to act as a glamour mirror, but also release that glamor on other objects, like a glamour torch.

Dallion just kept on walking, paying little attention. Time and distance had become insignificant. Next thing he knew, he was at the all too familiar building in the general’s neighborhood. The crowds surrounding the building were non-existent, possibly because there were a number of guards placed in front, making sure that there was a comfortable cushion of space around the building. One look was enough to tell that the guards were privately hired. Their uniforms had nothing in common with those of the city guards. Also, Dallion could tell that they were of a higher level.

Mercenaries, Nil said with a sigh.

Are a lot of them hired for the festival? Dallion asked.

More than you’d think. The nobles don’t need protection, but the wealthy don’t want to risk anything to hurt them. Anyone with a bit of money hired outside help. The common shop and innkeepers rely on the city guard.

Dallion nodded. Raising his head high, he made his way towards the entrance. He half expected the guards to try and stop him, but they didn’t move an inch, observing the people behind him instead.

Is this supposed to happen? Dallion asked Nil, continuing forward.

Before he could reach the entrance, the door swung open. The female fury that assisted the general stood at the threshold.

“Good morning, sir,” she said with a slight bow. “I’m extremely glad to see you. This way please, the general has been expecting you.”

“Expecting me?” Dallion arched a brow.

He didn’t like the sound of that. It was exactly like what had happened during the game of Dallion’s trial—the general was flexing his resources, trying to intimidate Dallion before the discussions could even begin. However, Dallion wasn’t the same person from a few levels ago.

“Of course,” the fury replied. “He’s waiting for you in his usual room. Would you like some refreshments before you go join him?”

“No, no thanks. I doubt I’ll be staying that long.”