Leveling up the World

Chapter 331: A Sword's Past

What did you do?! Nil shouted as darkness crumbled around Dallion in large fragments, like shattered glass.

It was my decision, Dallion replied. He suspected that he would be shouted at. Personally, if someone else had done it, Dallion would be the one shouting at them as well. There was no question that his recklessness had gone too far this time.

Thats precisely the thing, the echo went on. I cant tell you what you did.

Youre not making sense, Nil.

You did something that you werent supposed to be able to do, dear boy. And because of that, I cant tell you what it is until you pass the next gate.

It took several seconds for the explanation to seep in. When it did, a sense of euphoria flooded through Dallion. There was no telling what the gains were until he went back into his realm, but there certainly was something, and it was higher than his current level allowed. So, the power that was had decided to grant him knowledge of the skill after all.

The sound of horns filled the aira reminder that the gremlins outside were on their way to the city. Not only that, but the few that had remained were now aware of Dallions presence. Even with the source of cracklings gone, the armies already in existence were still there.

Time to go, Lux, Dallion thought.

The layer of blue flames that surrounded Dallion moved to his back, creating the familiar wings of fire. Moments later, Lux propelled him up the chimney into the open. There was no trace of the dryad echoes, as Dallion expected. The vine whale was also missing, suggesting that it had either been defeated or recalled by its guardian.

To the temple, Dallion ordered. Dont worry about speed.

No sooner had he said that when he regretted it. To the observers, Dallion poofed out of existence only to reappear near the temple. The sudden acceleration and deceleration, however, wreaked havoc on Dallion, making him want to puke. Thankfully, he was better used to it than before and he managed without any shameful displays.

You like overdoing things a lot, dont you? Gleam appeared next to Dallion while the firebird slowly lowered him to the ground.

Dallion wanted to say that he didnt, but reality had a different view on things. Looking back, he had done a lot of reckless things, mostly out of ignorance. A few of them were quite dangerous. As much as Dallion claimed that he wouldnt do them again, the truth was that, in all likelihood, he would. He could feel a hidden urge driving him forward, urging him to get better to achieve more. He wanted to acquire as many levels as possible just for the sake of it. Even his desire to win the festival tournament was initially born out of a desire to prove himself.

Sometimes, Dallion managed to say.

Once he felt a bit better, Dallion looked at the crackling city. The black walls were still there, as was everything inside. The only difference was that the main column of smoke was gone.

Admiring your work? The dryad guardian appeared a few steps from Dallion.

I was just thinking it would have been more dramatic if the whole thing had crumbled.

Its an empty shell, so you can say that it already has.

Wont the other cities fill it back up?

They cant. At least not immediately. With the heart gone, I can reclaim the land bit by bit. That would give the cracklings a few headaches. In time, theyll probably fill it up, but having more time is always good. Who knows, maybe March will figure out a way through the veil as well. It wont be as easy for her, but I have faith. Itll be an amusing fight.

Rivalry mixed with enthusiasm and awe appeared through the dryads body. Despite its soft voice and child-like appearance, it remained a guardian who was set on facing a challenge, not to mention a bloodthirsty one at that.

Has anyone defeated all world guardians? Dallion asked.

A few, a long time ago. Back then, humans couldn't reach the second temple. Now they are the dominant force that remains. Who knows? Maybe youll make it where others couldnt.

A red rectangle appeared above the guardian, but vanished too fast for Dallion to read what was on it. What he managed to catch was the word permanent. The guardian itself didnt seem overly concerned, even if clusters of annoyance emerged within him.

DUZHD has offered perpetual surrender. Do you accept?

A new rectangle popped up in front of Dallion. He had done his part and now the guardian was keeping to his end of the bargain. There was no point in hesitating. Dallion pressed yes.

You have kept your promise towards DUZHD.

The WORLD GUARDIAN has granted you a future boon.

That was surprising, although Dallion was secretly hoping for another achievement.

Now then, what do you want to know? the dryad asked. I dont know much about the world outside, and Im restricted by the Moons about what I can tell you inside.

What happened to this realm?

Going a bit wide there. The guardian laughed. I expect the usual. The realm was created for all who didnt want to participate in the war. A true sanctuary or prison, depending on who you talk about it. Hundreds of thousands entered in the hopes of safety and died here. The end.

Dallion could feel the deathly chill in each of the words. He felt as if he was facing his own inevitable doom. Sharp pain pierced his heart, forcing Dallion to grab hold of his chest.

How? he asked.

The usual way. Duzhd looked him straight in the eyes. Time. At first, everyone focused on creating a world that would mirror the good parts of the outside they thought they had lost. But even a perfect copy isnt enough to stop the yearning. Being placed in here wasnt the same as entering it through awakening powers. For the people here, it was like living in a world, and that included growing old and dying.

Even for the awakened?

Nearly none of those who entered were awakened to begin with. Those that were only got to be stronger.

Right, Dallion thought. One couldnt enter a realm while inside a realm. The only exception was domain linking.

Think of it as banishment. It was only through external will that the people inside could return to the real world. A small group of us were offered to serve as guardians of this new world, and we accepted. Trust me, the alternative was worse.

Large balls of shame emerged, reducing the guardians other emotions.

After a few generations, differences between the domains emerged. Cities became independent, then turned into kingdoms In a thousand years, empires were born, fighting against one another for dominance and ideals. Some were even set on finding a way to escape the realm. The main problem was that there was nowhere left to go.

The dryad walked to Dallion and reached towards the shardfly. Dallion expected Gleam to disappear back into his realm, as she usually did. Untypically, she remained.

Hes using some skill, isnt he? Dallion thought.

No one in his realm answered.

With the end of the war, the entire dryad race was banished. We could only be guardians in other realms. And even if those in this realm werent subjected to this punishment, all those who had the knowledge how to get them out were gone, locked away somewhere else.

And yet, there remained a wayVermillions tears. The item had already granted one banished being its freedom. Surely it could do so again. For some reason, the ring on Dallions hand felt heavy. If he had appeared earlier, could he have had the power to free the inhabitants of an entire world? What if he still had the power to do so? Maybe he could free the guardian here and now, or better yet, the guardians of his harpsisword and armadil shield.

Differences became resentment. At first, we could handle things adequately, though even we had our restrictions. We could defend our domains, but anything beyond that was out of reach. When cracklings began appearing, it was clear that the realm wouldnt last long.

Thousands of years of history told in mere moments. Dallion had no idea about the exact details, he didnt know the names of the rulers that rose and fell, their succession, nor the causes for the conflicts that ensued. However, he could see the big picture all too well. It was obvious that there was a lot that the guardian omitted. The cities were in too good a condition for the people to have died out. The overall gist, though, was true. Dallion couldnt see any deception within the guardian. Besides, there was little point in him lying about it.

What about the Eighth Moon? Dallion asked.

All the dryads emotions vanished.

Why interested in that?

There were murals in the temples. They had eight moons, and yet there are only seven in the sky.

Yes. The guardians smile vanished. There are only seven in the sky. The carvings you saw in the temple are of a different time, when people hoped of a Moon of Salvation.

Oh? Youre lying, Dallion thought. It was subtle, but visible.

It usually takes a few thousand years for myths to take hold. The people knew of the seven moons in the sky, but they also knew of another place theyd come from. So, an Eighth Moon was invented to explain that discrepancy.

Clearly, the guardian was sticking to that story. Since music skills werent always reliable, Dallion was going to have to stop his inquiries here.

Whats beyond here? he asked instead.

More of the same. Barren lands with crackling cities going on for miles, followed by wilderness. Here and there you might come across small tribes of nomads and scavengers, like the Minotaurs you saw, but thats it. There are no dryad survivors. Of course, youre free to go on if you dont believe me. Just keep in mind that my protection doesnt extend beyond my domain. A lot of us are curious about you, but not enough to let you pass. And flying through crackling territory might be trickier than you think.

That sounded somewhat like a threat. Either that or a warning. In any event, Dallion felt risking it would be pressing his luck too hard. He had already done things that were beyond reckless. As tempting as it was, going further towards the hilt of the sword would make things worse. Under normal circumstances, he couldnt even defeat the first guardian, let alone the fifth.

Is there anything hidden within this realm?

Who knows? The dryad shrugged. There always are things hidden. The real question is whether you can get them.

And can I?

No. The guardian shook his head. But Im sure youll try.

The conversation ended there. After resting a bit, Dallion entered the temple. Since the guardian had surrendered, he didnt provide any resistance. The goal, as in the previous temples, was to learn more about the Eighth Moon. Unfortunately, the murals werent much help. The scene was similar to the ones before, with the only significant difference was something that seemed like a hierarchy. The Awakening Moon, was first, of course, followed by the Green and Purple Moons, then the remaining four. The Eighth Moon was positioned beneath them all, almost like the odd one out. Dallion, of course, used some ingots to copy the images and returned them to his realm. That done, he left the Sword altogether.

The first thing that greeted him in the real world was the sensation of weight. Relying on Lux to carry him for so long, Dallion had gotten used to being a quarter lighter. Several moments passed while he readjusted to the new reality.

I really should stop jumping in and out of realms like this, Dallion thought. Item repair and improvement was one thing. Spending vast amounts of time was completely different and confusing.

Splitting into instances, Dallion made sure that he could leave the room unseen. Before doing so, he took a good look at the sword hanging from the ceiling. Rust and decay continued to cover large parts of the blade. As far as he could tell, no changes could be seen. Even so, he knew that his actions had helped prolong the existence of a realm. When he got stronger, he was going to return and explore further either as part of an expedition or not.

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