Chapter 474: Weapon Armor

Chapter 474: Weapon Armor

No one felt more surprised than the one that relied on surprises to win. More often than not, Dallion had relied on out of the box thinking that hed come up with on the spur of the moment when facing an impossible situation. Thanks to the lack of awakened limits and his time back on earth, he had found several ways to surprise and ultimately defeat his opponents. Even back when he was volunteered to take part in a chainling hunt, he had managed to create rockets out of dartbow bolts. Naturally, in most of the cases, hed had additional help, but it was his unorthodox thinking that had led him to victory, one of the things he prided himself on having. Seeing March do something that defied his expectations had left him virtually petrified.

Weapon armor, he thought.

There was no reason for him not to have suspected that. He had already seen shapeshifting weapons when fighting in the Nerosal festival tournament. Just because March had never resorted to using that trick up to now was no excuse to ignore it. In hind-sight all the signs had been there. Of course, in hindsight, everything was obvious.

Did the idea come from me or the real March? Dallion asked, trying to calm his breathing.

Does it matter?

It matters for next time, Dallion replied. It matters for the real world. It might change the way I behave.

In that case, consider that its from the real one and act accordingly.

That wasnt a useful answer, though the lesson behind it was. If he had assumed the same thing at the start of this battle, things would have been very different. At the very least, he would have followed his attempt to cocoon her with a subsequent attack of his own. Instead, Dallion had been so certain that his plan had worked, that he had effectively stopped fighting.

Better luck next time, March said, then swung to strike Dallion with her mace.

Before the weapon could reach him, however, Dallion took a step back, vanishing into the wall. Not expecting such a turn of events, the woman tried to redirect her blow, but it proved impossible. She was already midway through the strike, so doing anything different until it was over proved impossible, even for her. The delay was only going to last a few fractions of a second, but in such circumstances, a few fractions were enough.

Nox! Dallion ordered.

Three black silhouette cublings leapt out of the wall, claws bared, aiming straight for March. Normally, that would hardly be a concern. However, in addition to having a cat-like appearance, the creatures were also cracklings; their claws had the power to crack through any non-indestructible material. What they couldnt break, theyd weakenleaving spiderwebs of cracks behindto the point that anything else could break.

One landed on the womans shoulder, clawing her neck guard off before March dispatched it.

MINOR FAMILIAR WOUND

NOXs health has been reduced by 20%

A red rectangle emerged in front of Dallions eyes, followed by two more, just as Marchs piece of armor crumbled to pieces. This was more than enough distraction. If he couldnt win under such circumstances, he deserved to lose the trial.

Bursting into twenty instances, he leapt forward, dagger in hand. The wall, or rather the illusion of the wall, vanished allowing him to go on an all-out attack. His speed, naturally, was no match for that of his opponent, but of twenty possible attacks, two were met with a block. Naturally, one of those two instances was the one Dallion decided to accept as reality.

The Nox dagger sliced through Marches gauntlet. Its edge shared the properties of the familiar itself, cutting through sky iron, flesh, and bone.

CRITICAL STRIKE

Damage dealt is increased by 200%

Youre not the only one with surprises, Dallion whispered, going into a series of counterattacks. One hit was precisely what he needed to keep going, striking at armor joints just as fast as March protected herself.

Shes right, though, Nil said. You ruffled a few feathers here and there, but for the most part youve kept in the wilderness, far from intrigue in the cities. When you get involved with an archduke, youll be considered a real threat.

I doubt Ill be involved directly. Besides, March will be there. Shell attract a lot more attention than me.

That much is true. Just try not to stand out too much, dear boy. Your level is starting to show.

Dallions surroundings disappeared, returning him to the forge. He felt somewhat relieved after the experience, but still didnt have the will to forge a thing. Apparently, some of his new flaws ran deep. After a few more minutes, he decided that it was better that he went back home. If nothing else, he could grab some food on the way. Things might have changed a lot in the last year, but his appetite after leveling up remained the same.

Despite not having used the forge, Dallion put everything in place, cleaned it to a shine, and only then left. It wasnt even evening outside, the sun still a quarter of its way to the horizon. Last winterand the only winter that Dallion had experienced as an awakenedhad been rather mild in the area. In Nerosal itself, it was almost as if it hadnt occurred at all. Sure, the wind was a bit colder, and the temperatures were a bit lower, but the city overseer made sure that none of the chill and snow that had been present elsewhere. Even Dallions own village further south had experienced a far harsher winter. All that was in the past, though, for now spring had begun bringing with it warmth, harvest, and a whole lot of magical creatures, not all of them merely mischievous.

The city offered a vast range of inns, taverns, and food stalls for awakened and ordinary people alike. Still, there was one particular place that Dallion liked to pass by each time he had the chance. If circumstances permitted, hed go there every day, but the innkeeper and Euryale didnt get along well at all. As a compromise, Dallion would pass by, have a bite, and take several large portions home. The innkeeper would pretend that she didnt know who they were going to, and Euryale would pretend that she had no idea where Dallion had gotten them from. It was a weird arrangement, especially since both women were quite logical when it came to pretty much everything else. Despite that, the food was worth the minor inconvenience.

The Gremlins Timepiece was one of those inns that people usually didnt notice due to how good it really was. It wasnt at all flashy, located in an ordinary neighborhood, twenty minutes walk from the nearest city gate. Only the local regulars and those whod have the chance to stay there during the festival knew what a gem it really was, more specifically, the food.

Two dozen steps away, Dallion could smell the fine aromas coming from within. He had no idea what the exact recipe was, but instantly recognized it as an Aspan original. A smile on face, went to the entrance and walked inside. As usual, there were half a dozen regulars there. Each of them waved to Dallion as he made his way to the bar. There was a time when he had worked here, though that was before some of the large transformations had taken place.

So, youre back, the innkeeper said with a grumble as she slid an empty mug along the counter in Dallions direction. Tall, red-haired, and with an attitude that could crush stone through sheer will alone, the woman was known for several things, chief of which was her grumpy attitude and always finding a way to remain in the black.

Nice to see you, Hannah, he greeted. Something needs improving? he looked at the mug.

Dont get mouthy with me! she slid a bottle of glowing amber liquid. One of my regulars was short on coin, so he gave me this to make up for the difference. Supposed to be some exotic fruit from somewhere. No one can afford a cup, so youre buying the whole thing!

Sure. After all the favors she had done to Dallion, he couldnt refuse, not to mention that money wasnt an issue right now. Without asking, he emptied half the pouch he got from his last job. Eighteen gold coins rolled out. Enough?

The innkeeper didnt say a thing, instead collecting the coins with one swift action.

One of these days Ill figure out if youre an awakened, Dallion told himself. Im here to see Aspan.

Hes busy right now. Wait until dinner is over. You can see him then.

Dallion looked around.

Dinner doesnt start in a few hours.

Thats right.

So, that was it. He could tell she wasnt upset with him, thanks to his music skills, and still there was a distinct sound of determination coming from her.

Ive already prepared a table, the woman said with another grumble. Have a drink of that stuff. Youve already paid for it.

And offer you a drink as well, I guess? Dallion grabbed hold of the cork.

No. I need to be sober for what Im about to ask.