Chapter 578: Realm of Purple
Realm awakening? Dallion wondered.
It was the first time the rectangles were so vague. Given that there was no telling what the realm was, it was as good a description as any.
You are in the realm of MAGIC.
Defeat the guardian of the REALM to keep its destiny.
Cute, Dallion muttered. Even the rectangles were magenta, unlike all the rest he had seen before. Two things were clear about magic: it was the embodiment and vanity.
There was no indication of level, but looking around, there was no need for any. The real itself was similar to a combination of a sphere item, a paradox cube trial, and possibly something else as well. The surroundings constantly shifted between plans, forests, deserts, lakes, and mountains. Looking up in the sky there was no sun or stars, just a single moonthe Purple Moon.
Is it unusual? a voice asked.
Splitting into instances to look behind him, Dallion saw that the mage was with him, or rather an echo of the mage. He could see faint blobs of emotion within hereagerness, enthusiasm, and unease for the most part.
Wouldnt an in-person visit have been better? Dallion took a step forward with one of his instances. The ground seemed solid enough.
Probably, but it wasnt worth the risk. While causing all sorts of exceptions, the feathers really dont like them. I tried to enter this realm for fifty years, before I gave up.
How long did you give up for? Dallions curiosity got the better of him.
A few decades, she replied in a vague fashion that suggested that it might well have been more than that. From what I have read, the guardian is an identical copy of the bird itself.
So, once we find it, itll tell us everything wed like to know?
You. It will tell you. Im not capable of talking to guardians. You, however, are a different matter entirely.
Lux, Dallion said.
Several moments passed, but the firebird didnt appear. Dallion tried and failed a few more times, after which he attempted to summon any of his gear. None of the items appeared.
I cant summon weapons, he said.
Nil, can you hear me? Dallion asked.
There was no response.
Did you give me a blocker item? Dallion looked at the mage.
Its for your own protection, the woman didnt even feel she had done anything wrong. Theres no telling how the aetherbird would have reacted, especially given that half your gear has guardian familiars.
I could have used them
Do all of them have the empathy trait? The mage looked at him as if he had been the one who had messed up. At best, things would be no different from what they are now. At worst, you would have been thrown out of the domain. Now, we can keep arguing about nonsense, or we can go ahead with what we came for.
There were many things that Dallion wanted to say, none of which were polite. Considering the number of enemies he had made since earning his hunters emblem, he chose not to. Maybe it was good to have at least someone at the Academy owe him one. Not that he thought that Eleria would even think she was indebted to him. In her mind, she probably honestly thought that she was doing him a generous favor. Hopefully, hell still get to talk to her once this is over.
Hours passed. The Moon disappeared from the sky, although the light remained. All of a sudden, Eleria stopped in place. Moments later, so did the surrounding environment.
Scrolls saying what would happen, eh? Dallion thought.
Whats wrong? Several of his instances walked to the mage.
Nothing. Were at a convergence point, the woman explained.
What does that mean?
Hello, an unknown voice said. It was the same that Dallion had heard upon touching the feather. Now that it was clearer, it sounded a lot stranger than he remembered. It was slightly high-pitched, but also hoarse, passing for both male and female, andunlike the combination of sounds that Harp used to compose wordssounded quite natural.
Hello, Dallion responded. Who are you?
Thats my question. No one else can hear me, but you can.
Is that why you let me here? Because youre curious?
Youre a curiosity. The woman tried breaking her way through my threads for so long that it became amusing. Even then, she couldnt hear me. You did it from the first try.
Thats because Im not using magic, Dallion allowed himself a smirk. Im using something else to talk to you.
The language was unlike anything Dallion had used before, and yet it came naturally to him, as if hed heard it somewhere before. In a way, it sounded somewhat similar to dragon.
Why dont you show yourself? Dallion used a dozen instances to look around. Sadly, even with so many, he had no idea where the sound was coming from. Somehow, it always sounded like coming from the side, no matter in which direction Dallion turned.
Why?
So I can see you as well. Dallion split into thirty instances.
You want to catch me.
The question surprised Dallion. It was only a momentary hesitation, but it turned out to be enough. The entire ground rose up. Soil rose up in long patches, turning into feathers of wings so large that they could barely be seen. The horizon itself shifted, breaking up into chunks.
Crap! Dallions hand reached for his whip blade, only to find the spot empty.
This was what the mage meant when she said that the realm was the feather. In truth, the realm was also the guardian. All this time Dallion had been walking through the realm, he was in fact walking on the aetherbird itself, going straight towards its head. The mage had probably known thisor at the very least suspectedand she had still not said a thing. Quite likely, this was her plan all along.
Dozens of instances dashed in all directions, trying to get off the giant bird. Before he could, all of them fell through, as if they were standing on air.
COMBAT INITIATED
A purple rectangle emerged. The instances faded away, leaving one single Dallion. At first, it felt like he was falling into oblivion. Moments later, the direction of the fall shifted, moving him back towards the massive creature.
Just great, Dallion said to himself.
Not only was he about to fight a guardian as large as the realm itself, but one that came with its own gravity. The bigger questions, though, were how exactly the creature was planning to attack and what his weak spots would be. Unfortunately, something told Dallion that no matter where they were, he wouldnt be able to see them.