Chapter 105: Music Duel

Chapter 105: Music Duel

Music skills versus music skills Knowing what the skills could do, Dallions immediate reaction was to calm his thoughts. Moments later, he saw how pointless the attempt was. Music skills didnt grant telepathy, they merely allowed a person to see the emotions of others and manipulate them. Yet in that case, what was the way of countering them? Guard skills protected against attack skills, so if the copyette decided to attack there was nothing he could do. However, that also meant that if Dallion was first to act, then his enemy would be helpless as well.

I just need to focus, Dallion thought, and pulled the strings. All the blue blobs throughout the chamber resonated with the strings. Blue markers appeared. Just as Dallion was about to play them again, the other him played a tune as well. All vibrations suddenly stopped.

Not great. The copyette shrugged. Not terrible. The weapons too good for you, but maybe youll get the hang of it in a few decades.

Gritting his teeth, Dallion tried again. The result was identicalmoments after he played the strings, so did the guardian, stopping everything once more.

More? the guardian asked.

Apparently, there was a way to counter music, and it was remarkably simple, just like they said in physics class: every frequency had a counter-frequency that negated it. Since sound was the driving element here, negating the sound stopped the spell. Dallion was glad that finally something from school had real life practical applications. A pity he hadnt used more of his Earth knowledge up to now.

Level five? the copyette asked.

Eight, Dallion corrected.

Not bad. Single digit, though. Things really change further on.

The guardian pulled three strings of his own. Dallion felt goosebumps. A little longer and the copyette would have full control. Almost on instinct Dallion played a chord as well. He had no idea what it was, but after doing so the tingling sensation all over his skin disappeared.

The other him arched a brow. Not even Dallion expected hed pull this off. Back on Earth he had a terrible music sense. Could it be that his perception and music skills had given him abilities he didnt know he had? More likely, he was just lucky.

The rest of the party seemed to be doing quite well, too. Falkner had already defeated three statues and had moved onto the next on his way towards the throne in the center of the chamber. Bel and Cellano had combined forces, crushing their opponents with combo-attacks, and Arthurows Arthurows was doing a splendid job protecting Vend in the tunnel, a considerable distance from all the fighting.

It seemed that despite Dallions theory of the levels focus, this all ended up being a battle of attrition. The side that managed to withstand the attacks longer was going to win. The way things were going there was little doubt that Dallions party would end up being victorious, the only question was would all of them survive until the end of the trial.

Its been ages since I had a battle like this, the copyette laughed, playing another chord. Ive missed it.

Dallion countered with his own chord, they playing a string combination of his own.

Ive also missed having an actual conversation, the guardian continued. Being a guardian has its upsides, but the thing I still cant get used to is the silence. I even made a copy of people I used to know to have a chat, but that quickly gets bored. You can only surprise yourself that many times.

Glad to oblige, Dallion grunted. The pain in his temples had started to rear its ugly head again.

Dont talk on my behalf. The copyette paused for a few seconds. You still have to try and defeat me. Im rooting for you, you know. If I had the option, Id even let all of you pass. However, rules are rules. He jumped to the side, just in time to avoid two knives that Bel had thrown his way. Given your skills, Ive no doubt Ill see you all again. Well, I hope its you and not another bunch. Although who knows? Maybe theyll be fun as well.

A dozen steps away, Falkner sliced one of the surrounding quartz statues in two and rushed towards the copyette. There was no one blocking him. All the boy needed to do was land one good hit, and Dallion could take over. Unfortunately for both, the guardian had a counter for that as well. As Falkner thrust his weapon forward, planning to pierce the guardian through the back, the throne came to life.

That was undoubtedly true, but things were about to change. As painful as the headaches were, Dallion had another reason to yell out.

The copyettes attacks intensified, but so did Falkners. This was precisely what Dallion was hoping for. Taking advantage, he proceeded to complete a full defense sequence, then a second, and a third. Time slowed. In the past Dallion would use this chance to attack, but now he could do something betterperform a music attack. With speeds like that, even an experienced guardian wouldnt be able to counter. All he had to do was not mess up.

Nice and easy, Dallion exhaled and played the first cord. Markers appeared on the harpsiswords strings. This time, nothing interrupted them before they reached the end. Nailing the moment, Dallion pulled the strings again. The copyette froze completely. Now was the moment for him to

FATAL STRIKE

Damage dealt increased by 500%

What the heck?! Dallion froze.

Falkner had been faster, striking the guardian the moment he the music bonus had taken effect. That, in itself, wasnt the main cause for alarm. While disappointing, Dallion was no stranger to kill steals in all the online games hed been playing. However, seeing a strike capable of dealing five times the normal damage was more than impressive. That was quite a skill, though why hadnt the boy used it earlier, in that case?

DAGGER Level 3 has been cleared!

Claim your focus that suits you best and continue to fulfil the DAGGERs destiny!

The familiar blue rectangle emerged near the chamber gate, indicating the end of the level. It was sudden, it was unexpected, and it was a relief. With this, the trial might as well end. The party had completed what they had set out to do and now it was a matter of their guild seniors to decide which of them to take as trainees of sorts. However, no joy was visible on anyones face. Instead, there was anticipation and uncertainty.

I think Im going to throw up, Dallion thought, slowly putting his harpsisword away.

Around him, the entire chamber had been rendered bare. The statues had disappeared, along with the throne and the guardian.

Congratulations. Vend walked in from the tunnel, followed by Arthurows. Youre the first group to pass the trial. That increases your odds in the selection process. If things hold up, you might even have people fight to get you on their teams.

There were a few murmurs as everyone, one by one, went to increase their stats. Dallion picked the mystery attribute again. Once everyone was done, the rectangle disappeared, along with the gate to the next level.

I want to leave, Cellano said. You said we can quit once we complete this level.

Yes. Vend nodded. Seconds later, the large party member disappeared. Youre free to go. Anyone else want to stop here? Vend looked at the rest.

No one said a word. Despite his headache, Dallion still wanted to clear all the levels, if nothing else, just to see what would happen. Everyone else seemed to be following what he was doing.

A word of warning. From here on youll be entering unfamiliar territory. No one knows what creatures youll face or what the guardians will be. Also, you can say goodbye to the magic lighting. Until a level is cleared, it remains pitch black. Youll get one lantern if you want to continue and youll have to keep it whole. Breaking it, almost guarantees failure.

Failure? Bel crossed her arms. Didnt you just say we completed the trial?

You have, as long as you dont continue to the next level. Once you set foot there, youll need to clear it in order to complete the trial again. Vend smiled. Think of it as a way to test your faith in your abilities. At the end of the day, every decision comes with its own risks and rewards. All you can do is make the choice.