Grayness, numbness, cold… those were the sensations Dallion went through as his body transformed to stone. Being a gorgon’s boyfriend, he had occasionally wondered what it would be like to be petrified. It was very different from what he thought. The process was fast, but also considerably slow, almost like watching water freeze in a puddle. All sensations vanished away, as did the concept of color. The world around was transformed into shades of gray. Most unexpected of all, there was no fear or panic, just the realization of what was going on.

Well, that happened, Dallion thought.

Reality around him didn’t stop. The overseer’s tendrils continued forward, only to bounce off the statue like arrows off a shield.

Clever, Nil said. Definitely an unorthodox way of fighting, but clever.

Lux propelled the statue backwards out of the overseer’s reach. Since Dallion was an object, the firebird didn’t have to worry about maintaining a bearable speed.

She did it to save me, Dallion thought. Given the circumstances, it was the best solution, not to mention that both of them knew that Lux would remove the status relatively soon. A bigger question was whether Dallion’s spark ability required him to be fully himself. It was already established that his music skills were rendered useless, even if he still was able to communicate with others linked to his realm.

Gleam, at what distance can you reach her? Dallion asked.

Not close enough, if that’s your idea. Besides, I have a feeling she can see me at least in part.

What if you work together with Lux? We can’t win in a direct battle against her, so we have to be clever… and rely on others, both friends and enemies.

The shardfly snorted. She didn’t find the concept at all pleasant, but knowing Dallion well enough by now, she had to agree.

Maybe, Gleam said. It all depends on whether you can pull off that thing with your spark skill.

Dallion concentrated. However, no matter how hard he tried, he simply couldn’t combat split. Apparently, one needed to move in order to have options. Still, he had seen many workarounds in this world, so he attempted something else. Instead of performing actions, he focused on the one thing his new state allowed him to do: communicate with his familiars.

Concentrating on combat splitting again, Dallion gave two distinct orders to the firebird. Initially, nothing happened. In a few moments, however, he experienced the first sensation since Eury had petrified him: a faint itch in his eyes. The more he pushed on, the itchier his eyes became, until finally, two instances were created: in one the firebird moved him left, and in the other—right. Everything considered, that was good enough, at least it was going to give him a slight edge.

Nox, get back here! Dallion ordered. He knew that he didn’t have much time. Paradoxically, the healing abilities of Lux were now the greatest threat to his plan. I’ll need you for something.

The chainling cub meowed in annoyed fashion, then disappeared, only to reappear, leaping out from the dagger. Nox heard the sound of claws scratching as his familiar climbed up onto him.

Those will leave some marks, Dallion sighed. Unlike the dagger and whip blade, he hadn’t become indestructible. Everyone, we don’t have much time for this, so we’ll have to test it out fast. Lux, I want you to get me near any occupied chainling. Once there, I’ll try to use my spark on Gleam. Gleam, I’m relying on you for this. The moment you feel the glow, let me know. And Nox… you know what to do.

The cat meowed, content. In a way, it was like back in the old days, when Dallion was new to the city and the crackling was a mere level one. So much had changed since then, and yet so much had remained the same.

Now! Dallion ordered.

In a flash, the statue disappeared, only to reappear behind one of the chainlings who was attempting to fight Aspan. Once there, Dallion combat split into five instances. His eyes were itching him like crazy, but no tears could come out.

Spark, he thought.

Nothing happened.

Spark! Dallion tried again, splitting in four new instances. This time, Gleam reacted.

Got it! She said in one of the instances.

Immediately, Dallion chose that instance to be reality. A split second later the invisible whip blade split the air, impaling the chainling in the process. A terrifying scream filled the air, merging with the many other sounds of the battlefield.

Sorry, Dallion thought. He knew that somewhere beneath the black ooze there was a cultist, probably trapped there for years. Although the creature they had become was an enemy and threat, he felt a grain of sadness for not being able to save him.

The destruction was almost instant. Affected by the spark attack, the black silhouette popped like a balloon, fragments evaporating all around.

TERMINAL STRIKE!

Dealt Damage is increased by 1000%

Congratulations, dear boy, Nil said. It worked.

Dallion didn’t say a word. The petrification process had numbed his feelings to the point that euphoria couldn’t take hold. This was indeed a success, but in the grand scheme of things it was equivalent to completing a tutorial. The real fight was yet to start.

Go for it, Lux, Dallion gave the order. Lots of jumps. Make it confusing.

On cue, the firebird propelled the statue above the overseer. Just as he was about to fly to an even closer location, a cluster of tendrils shot from the woman’s body, hitting Dallion in the chest, shoving him away in the process.

She’s going for the heart, Dallion noticed. That meant that the overseer still believed there was a way for her to hurt him, even in that state.

PETRIFICATION EFFECT REDUCED by 25%

Damn it! Dallion cursed. He was starting to revert to normal too soon. Clearly, the firebird was much stronger now, possibly close to leveling up. However, this was the worst possible time. To make matters worse, there was no sign of Euryale anywhere on the stands, as far as Dallion could see. Most likely the gorgon’s health had been depleted, pushing her out into the real world.

Splitting four instances, Dallion had Lux propel him away again, then immediately near the overseer, from all four cardinal directions. The effect was no different. In each case, a cluster of tendrils would emerge and shove him away. There were no red rectangles, fortunately, although this time Dallion felt the slightest amount of pressure each time the tendrils hit his chest.

You won’t be able to out-instance her, Nil said. In terms of ability, the overseer is well over fifty.

That made her twice Dallion’s current level, not to mention she had unique abilities far better than his. The one thing she clearly didn’t have, though, was out of the box thinking.

Gleam, how good are your illusions? Dallion asked.

Good as always, but not against her. I might fool her for a moment, but that’s all, and it’s a big if.

A moment is all I need, Dallion said.

Are you willing to gamble on that?

Gleam, Dallion laughed mentally. Saving you was a gamble, but it was worth it.

As much as he tried to appear calm, even he had to admit it was more reckless than anything he had done before. The only difference was that this time, Dallion had a well thought out plan. It relied on the overseer getting confused, of course. However, as long as he combined several layers of deception, there was a chance she would miss something.

Here goes, Dallion thought, and split into five instances.

Nox, split in four and leap at her the moment Lux pops us near, Dallion ordered in each instance. Gleam, make all the Noxes look like me. Lux, do your thing!

There was one minor difference in the instructions given: each instance was at a slightly different location. Once again, Dallion disappeared, only to appear again ten feet from the overseer, floating in the air. Five times four Noxes, disguised as Dallion, moved forward merging illusion and instances in one. That was the beauty of Dallion’s plan. He knew that the overseer could see layers, he also knew that she could see illusions, but merged together she had to deal with sixty possible attackers—an easy feat as long as she was mentally prepared. As it turned out, she wasn’t.

Tendrils shot in all directions, though less certain than before. In nearly all the cases, they managed to hit Dallion, and the illusions respectively, in the chest same as before. However, there were two cases in which that didn’t occur, at least not entirely. While Dallion himself was still hit, one of Nox’s copies managed to evade the cluster of tendrils, shredding them with his claws. That was the opening Dallion was hoping for.

Spark! he thought, shouting in his mind.

A faint shimmering appeared around him. Then Gleam took action. The whip blade extended, though not forward; it flew to the side, darting to the spot at which the successful Nox had been, then made a ninety-degree turn, going along the corridor the crackling had created.

For once, the overseer had no time to react, leaving the blade to pierce her through the neck.

TERMINAL STRIKE!

Dealt Damage is increased by 1000%

There was no shriek or scream. In an instant, all tendrils, as well as Dallion’s other instances, disappeared. It was as if time itself had stopped. Dallion could feel himself stuck within the moment, watching as everything and everyone else remained perfectly still. Then, a new rectangle appeared.

PETRIFICATION EFFECT REDUCED by 25%

“Good work.” The overseer turned around and took a step forward.

What? Dallion felt a small degree of fear spread within him. I failed?

“No, dear child, you didn’t fail,” the overseer said. “The fight is over, but I have powers in this realm. After all, just as I’m not purely a chainling, I’m not just an area guardian either. Even after all this time, part of me remains human.”

Patches of her dress fell off as she walked, like wet tissue paper, revealing what was underneath. At first Dallion thought that the new clothes were the standard adventurer’s outfit, but as more of it came into view, he saw that it was some kind of military uniform.

“I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised. I hoped it would never come to this, that you would remain a carefree adventurer, exploring items and serving tables at the Gremlin’s Timepiece. For a while, I even hoped that you’d find love.”

Half of the veil fell off, revealing the face of a young woman… one that he had seen twice before, all in the awakening realms.

“You’re really too much like your grandfather.” The overseer smiled. “And despite my efforts, I failed to keep you from walking in his footsteps. I guess he and my brother failed as well.”

You’re Aspion’s sister, Dallion thought. I thought you were killed…

“In a way, I am. As I said, I’m no longer fully human. During the war, someone had to willingly sacrifice part of themselves to become what you see now—a monster that would win the war. Your grandfather wanted to use himself, but I didn’t let him. Even after everything that happened, I still loved him. So, I made the sacrifice, instead.”

Dallion felt his stomach churn. Even semi-petrified, the thought of what she had gone through was painful. Dallion himself had only had a glimpse of what it was like to be enveloped in void good, courtesy of the Star. To have her do it willingly and go through the entire process…

What exactly did happen? Dallion asked.

“Always curious?” The overseer laughed. “You know the rules. I cannot tell you that, not yet.”

More laws of the Moons?

“They are what protects us. They are what protect you. There are still things you’re not ready for yet, but the way you’re going, you will be. Just like your grandfather was.”

NEROSAL level increased

NEROSAL has been improved to SECOND COUNTY CAPITAL

“We’re out of time,” the overseer said. Her body had already started turning into dust particles that faded in the air. “Thank you for letting me see you, and for bringing Veil and Gloria. I hope you do well.”

No! Auntie, wait! Dallion shouted in his mind, but it was already too late. The overseer had already disappeared.

You have broken through your twenty-seventh barrier.

Choose the focus you value the most.