A cone of air blasted from the dragonlet’s mouth, uprooting trees in its path. Before it was able to strike its target, the trial guardian contracted. The torrent of force hit the hardened bamboo shell, pushing the massive creature back. However, no red rectangles emerged.

“That’s a bit stronger than the ones I faced,” Dallion said, observing from the safety of the arena. “Still easy to defeat, though.”

Focusing, he was easily able to see the weak spots markers all over it. At present, if Dallion were going to fight a thing of that level, he’d probably just send Gleam to deal with it and hardly bother himself. In theory, the dragonlet should have been able to do the same. However, here was where the lack of experience reared its ugly head. Most of Dark’s combat in the past was done with the assistance of others. Even when fighting among his siblings, there was always an element of uncertain allies. In one-to-one battles against a determined enemy, Dark didn’t have the opportunity to wait for the best moment to attack, and it showed.

After several unsuccessful attacks, a grain of doubt appeared within Dark’s body. Instead of going all out, he hesitated, choosing to glide around the centivine, searching for a spot to go for. That was the precise moment at which the guardian launched its attack. Dozens of vines shot out from beneath the shelled segments, all aiming at the dragonlet.

Without hesitation, Dark split into a dozen of instances. Thanks, in part, to Dallion’s training, he was able to maintain them for several seconds. However, even that was a temporary measure. The longer the guardian failed to entangle its target, the more vines it shot out.

“What do you think, Harp?” Dallion asked. “Think he’ll manage?”

Probably, the harpsisword replied. It depends on the shock.

“I thought you’d have gotten him used to that.”

I made him get used to pain and many times of attacks, but not defeat. While he was in the realm, he knew that losses didn’t count. So, he never considered them a loss.

“Losing here isn’t a loss, either.”

That’s only part true. Losing doesn’t have the same consequences it would have in the real world. However, it’s not training. He won’t get advice and a chance to make up for his mistakes. It’s that lack of feedback that might make him freeze up.

“Right.” Dallion sighed. “Gleam, better get ready. If things get too bad, you’ll have to fly out and help him.”

“He wouldn’t like that,” July said, still sitting next to Dallion.

“Probably not.”

Dark breathed a few more torrents of air at the guardian. On one occasion, he even managed to rip through two dozen vines, however, that was only a reprieve. The roles had changed since the start of the battle. Now the dragonlet was on the defensive, and the longer he spent combat splitting, the worse things got.

“Why isn’t he using line attacks?” July asked. “I know he can.”

“That’s a very good question.” Dallion mused. He would have thought that was the first thing that Dark would have done. Dallion definitely would have.

The quickest path to success was always the best when it came to combat. Against a creature such as this, there was no need to use advanced tactics or strategy. The centivine didn’t even have the ability to split. And yet, the dragonlet was genuinely struggling.

He’s afraid that it might not work, Harp said. After his breath attack failed to do a thing, Dark is terrified that his line attack might prove useless as well.

“He’s afraid the attack might fail, so he’s not using it at all?” Dallion shook his head. “What’s he thinking?”

Now you understand what I’ve been going through ever since we met, dear boy, Nil added in a smug tone of voice.

Despite his inner urge, Dallion found the strength not to respond. Even he had to admit that the echo was right.

A new wave of vines darted towards Dark. Twisting around, the dragonlet evaded them, then turned to increase the distance between it and the guardian. That proved to be a mistake. Hundreds of vines shot up from the bog, aiming for the dragonlet above. In his eagerness to face the guardian, Dark had apparently forgotten that, so far, he was only focusing on the part above water. There was another, far larger part, that had remained submerged, and now it too had taken part in the fight.

The dragonlet burst into instances, but it was too late. Multiple vines wrapped around it, binding the dragonlet’s wings to its body. Soon, Dark’s mouth was also closed shut, depriving him of any option of attack.

“Gleam,” Dallion said.

Not yet, Harp interrupted. Give him a bit more time.

“When the rectangles start stacking up, it might be too late.”

If you constantly rescue him when he’s in trouble, he won’t learn much.

“You helped me out when I was in a hopeless situation.”

Yes, but he’s not in a hopeless situation yet.

Dark struggled as the vines pulled him down in an attempt to drag him into the swamp. Before they could manage, the dragonlet changed form, becoming a large shardfly. Pressing against the razor-sharp wings, the vines snapped, effectively slicing themselves up. Grasping the moment of freedom provided, Dark twisted around, slashing the few that were left and flew up.

The guardian didn’t take that lying down, shooting several hundred vines at the shardfly. This time, though, dark had a response as well. Flapping his wings, he let out a line attack. There was no telling whether he was aiming at the guardian, or simply wanted to prevent the vines reaching him. Whatever the case, the line sliced through the bog, continuing along the length of the centivine. Unlike before, the bamboo-shells proved no obstacle.

TERMINAL STRIKE!

DARK’s damage is increased by 1000%

A red rectangle appeared, followed moments later by a green one indicating that the dragonlet had successfully leveled up. Internally, Dallion let out a sign of relief. That had been too close for his liking.

“Good work!” he shouted. “Pick your prize and come here!”

“That was kinda cool,” July said in his usual, quiet tone.

“He should have done it from the start,” Dallion whispered. Something told him that in the next battle that was exactly what the dragonlet would do. Now that Dark had discovered a foolproof way of fighting, he was going to rely on it until necessity forced him to think of something new—exactly as Dallion had been doing.

Don’t beat yourself up, dear boy. The vast majority of awakened act that way. That’s why thinking out of the box is so unusual. Compared to mostly everyone else, you’re a virtuoso.

With the knowledge I have, I should be way better, Nil, Dallion thought.

Maybe, but that part of life. As much as you change the world, the world also changes you.

“What is the best thing to choose?” Dark asked. He had resumed his standard form, looking at Dallion for advice.

“How the heck am I supposed to know?” Dallion snapped. “I’m not a dragon! I’ve no idea what’s best.”

“Seriously?” Judging by the intonation, the only reason the dragonlet didn’t cross its arms was because it was physically unable to in its current form. “Aren’t you supposed to be my mentor and such? That’s what Felygn said.”

“Look, I can’t give you solutions. I can just guide you.” Now I understand why everyone else is always so evasive. They’re just as clueless as I am! “It all depends on how you want to fight. Key things are that perception helps you target weak spots better and mind is good if you want to combat split or create echoes.”

“I can create echoes in combat?” Dark sounded surprised.

Dallion did his best to remain calm. The reaction seemed scarily familiar.

“What about empathy?” the dragonlet went on. “Should I increase that?”

“Not sure. You already have enough of that to be useful, so maybe don’t bother for the moment.”

“Okay,” Dark didn’t sound too convinced. “What about magic?”

It took considerable effort for Dallion not to jump to his feet. He had completely overlooked this. He knew well that a dragon was a being of pure magic. He also knew that Dark was an awakened. However, he had never combined the two in his mind.

The realization made him look at the creature in an entirely different light. It was the same as realizing what the cute tiger cub one brought home would turn into a dozen years. Back when Dallion was back on Earth, he had watched several internet videos on the matter.

“Pick magic,” Dallion said.

“Are you sure? It doesn’t offer much.”

“Your breath attack must be magic. The more you increase the trait, the stronger I will become.”

“Okay.”

There’s nothing to be afraid of, Harp reassured Dallion. Magic creatures progress slowly. It will be centuries before he’s as strong as you.

Dallion nodded. He had seen firsthand the strength of two dragons. Then again, he had seen a mediocre made—if Nil was to be believed—dispatch one of them.

Good thing I’m on your good side, Dallion said to himself, looking at Dark.

Done with his selection, the dragonlet returned to the arena. Once he did, one more arch had been barred out.

“That wasn’t so difficult,” Dark said preemptively. Shame ballooned in his chest, suggesting that he didn’t agree with his own words.

“Why didn’t you use a line attack from the start?” Dallion asked in a calm voice.

“Would have been too easy. I wanted to see how good—”

“First rule—always go for easy. This isn’t a competition anymore. All you need to do is win.”

“Dad told me that the strong play fairly.” The dragonlet pouted.

“You aren’t strong,” Dallion said. “You won’t be for a while. Besides, if your father was so fair, he wouldn’t have used illusions and other sneaky means to attack me.”

Dark had nothing to say.

“This isn’t the same as fighting your siblings.” Dallion moved closer, patting the creature on the neck. “I’ve told you this before. You can decide to kill your opponents or let them go. However, you only get to make that choice when you win. Otherwise, you put yourself at the mercy of the other side, and you can’t guarantee what they would do.”

“Yeah. Right.” Dark pulled away, then changed form as he made his way to the next open archway. “Stupid small doors,” he grumbled.

“They weren’t made for dragons,” Dallion shouted from behind. “Remember. Start strong, but don’t be a glass cannon.”

“Yeah, yeah…” Dark grumbled, then suddenly stopped. “What’s a glass cannon?”

“It’s…” Dallion paused. There was no good way for him to explain exactly what that meant. “Starting with a bang and fizzling out soon after.”

“Ah. I get it,” the dragonlet lied.

Shrine trial 18 chosen!

Prepare for combat!

“What do you think it’ll be?” Dallion asked.

Probably something stronger, Nil replied.

“The centivine wasn’t a creature that I’d seen.” As he thought about it, he had rarely seen any of the creature guardians in the real world. Nil had claimed that firebirds existed, and obviously dragons did, but most of the rest had been extinct for centuries.

It really doesn’t matter, dear boy.

Beyond the archway, the environment changed again, this time transforming into an icy peak. Before the guardian could even appear, Dark spanned his wings, then flapped. A thread of force flew forward from him, slicing through the tip of the mountain as if it were made of cheese. Snow poured down all sides of the mountain as the peak tilted and slid down one side.

“You had to tell him about the glass cannon.” July shook his head.

No, Harp said. There’s a reason for it.

Dallion concentrated. His layer vision let him see through the layers of snowflakes in the air. After a while, he saw it.

“Lux,” he said. “Better be ready as well. You might be more needed on this one.”