On their way back, to their surprise, the rest of their party was waiting for them.
“Hey, what are you guys doing here?” Hyde asked, walking up to them.
“We came to see you,” Zora smiled.
“Really? How’d you know where to find us?”
“Because Abe was stalking you,” Remi said. “He was following us?”
“I was just making sure that everything was fine,” Abe grinned.
“Oh, that’s really nice of you,” Hyde nodded.
“More like he likes being creepy,” Remi retorted.
“How mean!” Abe whimpered.
“Don’t worry it’s okay, we still like you,” Mila smiled.
“Wait, are you agreeing with him?” he asked.
“Anyway, let’s go,” Zora ordered. “Well done on moving up in the world so quickly by the way,” she added, while they trekked.
“Oh, I was just trying to catch up,” Hyde said, looking down at his feet.
“So where did you go?” Nitro asked.
“You found a goblin stronghold, right?” Zora commented.
“Yeah,” Hyde nodded.
“Thought as much when I was looking at the map,” she said. “You can see us on the map?” he asked.
“Yeah, everyone in the guild will show up on the map,” she explained. “It’s an easy way of keeping track of your friends.”
“Wait, you said you went to a fortress, right—how many goblins did you fight?” Nitro asked.
“Dozens,” Mari said.
“Dozens?” Nitro repeated.
“Mm-hmm. Hyde took them all on,” Mari explained.
“All of them?”
“Yep, I saw it too,” Abe added. “It was really quite incredible. He also put in extra effort to protect Mari too,” he noted.
“Really? I wish I was there so I could have shown off the true power of a high caliber demon, such as myself!” Nitro announced in her dramatic voice.
“Mmm, next time Lolo. Next time,” Remi whispered.
“My name is Nitro!”
“Sure it is.”
“Mila! Tell him!”
“Hey, where are we going?” Hyde asked, realising that they had gone far from Genesis, after checking the map.
“We’re here.” Zora said, stopping at the top of a hill. “C’mon let’s have some lunch.”
“Here?” He asked.
“Sure,” everyone else seemed to ignore him and instead set up around a nice fire.
“Fine, whatever.” Hyde gave up. “Hey, I’ve always wondered, why exactly do we eat in this game?”
“Because, isn’t it nice to eat with everyone,” Mila smiled as she held a spoon of grub in front of her drone, who looked delighted at it.
“Oh, now we’re all ears—wait, that thing can eat?” He cringed at the sight of her holding a spoonful in front of it.
“Of course it can, here you go Bluebell.”
“It has a name too?”
But what happened next was by far the weirdest thing he’d ever experienced in this world. He wasn’t quite sure how it happened but that tiny drone ate the food it was served or more precisely he knew exactly what had taken place in front of his eyes, it’s just he didn’t want to believe it. How would one explain that a small cute robot parted its body, revealing a mouth of sorts, to eat a spoonful of whatever it was served? Thus, that part of Hyde’s life was repressed in order to keep him from melting down. He’d seen some strange things, but this was tipping him over.
“Why wouldn’t we eat?” Remi said.
“Isn’t there a more concrete reason?” Hyde continued.
“I think it’s just nice to eat,” Abe smiled.
“Yeah and for demons, it’s essential to fight with full tummies!” Nitro added.
“Oh right, Lolo, can you pass me the salt?” Remi whispered.
“My name is Nitro!” she grumbled. “Mila!” She sought assistance from the drone feeder.
“Can’t someone give me a serious answer?” Hyde sighed.
“Well, it’s because we get hungry,” Mari noted.
“That’s true, but is it really that simple?” he asked.
“Mm-hmm,” she nodded.
“Get it now, Hyde?” Remi added.
“And food in this game can give special bonuses,” Zora explained.
“What? Really?” Hyde leaned in closer. “Like what? Does this meal do anything?” he looked down at the bowls of vegetable soup before him.
“Ours, nothing. But yours, it ups your defence somewhat.” she explained.
“How come only mine has an effect?” he asked.
“Because it’s time for you to graduate,” she smiled as did everyone around him.
“What?”
“Uh… What is this thing?” Hyde asked, standing before the strange structure Zora had taken him to.
“This is a Trial of Strength.” Zora explained.
“What exactly is a Trial of Strength?”
“You’ll see.”
“Hey, wait is that a portal?” he said, noticing it in the mouth of the shrine looking thing.
“Yeah, why?”
“C’mon, have you already forgotten that I’m bad with that sort of thing,” he grumbled.
“Hyde, stop being a baby,” Remi said, encouraging him in his own way.
“We believe in you,” Mila smiled.
“When you come back you too shall become a demon such as yours truly!” Nitro chanted dramatically.
“What exactly am I getting myself into?” Hyde asked, shying away from the portal.
“Good luck,” Abe grinned smugly.
“C’mon, someone please tell me at least!” he pleaded.
“Just shut up and go!” Zora kicked him in and just like that he was gone, without a moment to prepare for the rollercoaster he was about to encounter.
“Don’t worry it’ll be okay,” Mari said, but he was already gone.
Everyone slowly walked away from the glowing House of Challenge.
“Anybody else want to continue eating?” Zora asked.
The answers came quickly, all were in favour of continuing their picnic. While they enjoyed their food, Hyde was having to fight to keep it down.
CHAPTER 13
Oh god… Hyde held his mouth and his stomach as he tried to ease his motion sickness. It took a moment until he felt better. When he lifted his head, however, he noticed what stood ahead. A huge curtain of darkness that seemed so boundless, so thick, that everything before him was hidden, aside from one place.
It looked like a spotlight shining down from the roof. A gentle tune trickled into his ears. The song iconic to the Trial of Strengths. Highpitched instruments tickled his drums and subtle beating vibrated against them.
“Where am I?” For some reason the music didn’t add to the darkness’s spookiness, but instead made it feel riveting and challenging. It was as if it asked him to walk into the pillar of light, which he inevitably did, one step at a time. He looked from left to right, tightly gripping the forte of his sword, but nothing jumped out at him. The walk to the circle was slow and silent. When he finally arrived, the ring expanded and soon the entire room was lit. It was huge, like the size of a sports field. The floor was panelled and had some sort of ancient symbols running across them. They resembled the ones that were on the shrine-looking housing with the portal he got kicked into. The roof was well lit and it too entertained the same type of symbols on what look like stained glass.
Wow. Hyde appreciated the amazing detail and intricacies of the flooring, ceiling and walls.
“Hello?” he finally said, looking about.
“Hello,” a voice came, slightly distorted, but it resembled his. “Welcome, young Dragoon.”
He turned to the source and what he saw was the spitting image of himself. However, this him was dark, shaded.
“You’re me…” Hyde said.
“Draw your sword,” Shadow Hyde said.
“Wait, what exactly is
this?” Hyde asked, but got no response.
“Draw your sword,” Shadow Hyde said again.
“Okay, okay,” Hyde did as he was told, and the moment he held his sword in front of him, the other him began approaching.
“What is a sword?” Shadow Hyde said, lifting his blade and resting it on his raised forearm, bent towards him, as he entered a top guard with his right hand tightly gripping the hilt while his left, loosely.
“A piece of metal?” Hyde replied.
Shadow Hyde said nothing and instead answered with a swing. The first strike was easily blocked, but the second… that one came almost without delay and lightly carved a wound into its opponent.
Doublet. Hyde thought, slowly backing away after being grazed, but the assault didn’t end there.
“What is a sword?” The words were repeated as Shadow Hyde stepped forth with his blade in tow and a shouldered charge on the ready. He kicked off and bashed into Hyde’s chest.
He staggered back and his strong stance faltered, leaving behind a moment of imbalance and vulnerability while his foe capitalised on the offensive front.
“A Sword is a Mace!” Shadow Hyde revealed, wasting little time in making his point.
No it’s not. Hyde thought.
Shadow Hyde moved his feet, pivoting his stance and grabbing the blade of his sword with one hand, with the other tight around the hilt. Within a second, an upward pummel strike was initiated and successfully connected with Hyde’s jaw. The pain was like an electric surge that halted all brain activity for the moment. He’d felt this before, during his training with the guild. The control effect he was currently under was Daze.
“It is the tool we use to dominate our foes. To inflict trauma upon their muscles and nerves!” Shadow Hyde continued as he rotated his stance, moving his feet and building up a furious momentum as he clutched the saber as if it were a club wielded by one of the goblins Hyde had fought.
Just before the pummel came for round two, he recovered from the disorientation. The moment he saw the sword hilt nearing his face, he jerked backwards, pulling his head away from the flight path. As a result, he managed to dodge the attack, but only barely with a small bit of room to get proper footing.
“A Sword is a Halberd!” Shadow Hyde advanced on his unsteady prey. Moving solely to rend his foe of his balance and blade, he stepped into Hyde’s more intimate space.
Hyde glanced down, only to see his foe in a position extremely detrimental to him.
“It’s the instrument we use to decimate defences. To shatter every chance and opportunity for our enemies to exploit!” His fierce words echoed as he jabbed the pummel into Hyde’s ribs.
The sudden strike forced his stomach to retreat inward and his lungs to empty through his parted lips along with a grunt and the remaining saliva in his mouth. Shadow Hyde left nothing to chance and stepped closer, taking advantage of his opponent’s momentary groan. He grabbed Hyde’s breastplate and pulled him closer, letting his feet run for a step or two until he let go of Hyde, who was still off balance as he stumbled past him.
“A Sword is a Dagger!” Shadow Hyde said, repositioning his hands on the longsword. One on the hilt and the other, on the blade, adjacent to the guard.
As Hyde tried to regain his footing, he instinctively looked over his shoulder to not lose sight of his adversary and sure enough, an attack was on the way.
Shadow Hyde shot his sword back to punish the novice Dragoon with a backstab. The calculated attack was avoided by a desperate retreat, even through the aching pain of his injuries.
Hyde repositioned himself after his hasty dodge roll, gaining some breathing room and solid footing.
“It is the device we use to inflict critical blows, to squander any hopes of retaliation!” Shadow Hyde continued, withdrawing the extended blade that had failed to draw blood, and slowly turning to face his foe.
Without a moment to waste, he marched forth with his sword lying comfortably on his shoulders and his arms curled around it.
I’ll show you what a sword is! Hyde thought, watching the non-chalant reflection of himself approach him. He held his steel steady, copying the top guard stance of his foe to the letter, all from the bent forearm, to the loose grip of his left hand. It was a flawless imitation.
The moment they were within striking range, Hyde drew a diagonal downward slash. It wasn’t quite Rend, instead it was a faster, lighter version of the Skill.
However, Shadow Hyde, without breaking a sweat, pushed back from the same guard stance into an Overwhelming Counter. The loud shrill of the metal striking one another irritated their ears, while the flicker of swords blinded their eyes.
“A Sword is also a Shield!” The maneuver was quick and seamless. He repelled the plummeting sword with equal force, Parrying without much effort and punishing the attack with a swift identical slash that was now unavoidable as Hyde was completely off balance.
“It is the item we use to shelter and fortify ourselves against the wrath of our foes. We bare it like armour and when we face a challenge, this bulwark will be the first to punish our oppressors.” The sword cut into Hyde’s flesh, the part between his shoulder and neck to be exact. It remained there as Hyde fell to his knees and bowed his head in defeat.
“Now, tell me,” Shadow Hyde said, lifting his chin and staring at the Dragoon by his feet. “What is a Sword?”
Without saying a word, Hyde gripped the blade with one hand, clutching it tighter than necessary. “It is the arm that will allow me to protect my friends,” he looked up at his own darkened reflection with a wide grin. The part of him that was responsible for his hesitation fell away, leaving him with the resolve of thousands.
I will face anything that stands before us, even if it’s myself. He threw the sword up, paying little attention to the piece of steel drenched in his blood, as he drew his own blade, quickly grabbing the hilt with his blood soaked hand and with his other, the forte itself. With his legs moving like springs and his muscles like pistons he pushed off the ground and with the tip of his blade he slashed at Shadow Hyde. The wound wasn’t deep but it left a nice gaping red smile across his breastplate.
Hyde’s retaliation didn’t end there. He gripped the hilt of his sword with both hands and with all his might, he Shoulder Bashed his foe, gaining the upper hand as Shadow Hyde staggered back.
The moment he gained his footing, he looked up at the silver blade coming down like a guillotine. It dug into the exact same place his blade had on Hyde. The vulnerable flesh between his shoulder and neck. The heavy force sent him to his knees.
“It seems you have learnt what a sword is,” he said, as Hyde ripped his steel from his flesh, gripping the blade with both hands. He performed a follow-up to Rend, an attack that could only be described as an execution. Dragoon’s Fury. With all his power he quickly sent his sword down, with the guard digging into the fresh wound.
He was sure he’d bested his foe when he pulled the silver free, watching the dark body fall to the ground lifeless, before vanishing into crystal dust.
After his usual attack of portal-sickness, he reappeared, covered in blood and successful in conquering the Trial of Strength.
“Hyde’s back,” Mari said, looking up from the crackling flames.
“What?” They turned and sure enough he was there.
“Hi,” Hyde gave a tired wave with a small smile.
“Welcome back,” Zora said, giving him some room to sit next to them around the fire.
“Congrats!” they exclaimed.
Hyde looked from left to right and smiled at every face beaming his way.
“Thank you,” he said, finally relaxing in the presence of his friends.
“So which Strength did you get?” Remi asked.
“Strength?” Hyde whispered, cocking his head back.
“You didn’t even tell him that?” Remi eyed Zora, who quickly looked in the opposite direction.
“Strengths are sort of like… hm…” Abe began.
&
nbsp; “They’re traits that define you as a Dragoon,” Zora explained.
“Oh, so what Strength did I get?” Hyde asked.
“You don’t know?” she exclaimed.
“Am I supposed to?” he replied.
There was a moment of silence after his words faded, it was almost like no one bothered to tell him.
“Check your tablet,” Remi finally said.
And Hyde did. Right next to the Skill Tab, a new one had shown up, the Strength Tab. He pressed it and quickly found a screen of circular design with the Dragoon icon at it’s centre with paths leading to the outer icons (basically a mindmap). All but one of them was dark.
Half Swording. That was the strength Hyde acquired. The ability to utilise the entirety of his longsword, allowing access to Skill Chaining.
“Oh so this is what you’re talking about,” he said.
“Yep,” Zora replied, looking over his shoulder. “So, Half Swording is what you got.”
“You have something different?” he asked.
“Yeah, I’ve got this one here,” she pointed at one of the dark icons. “Halberdian. Like Half Swording, it gives you greater control over your weapon.”
“Oh okay, do the rest of you have a strength too?”
“Mm-hmm, can’t graduate without one,” Mari smiled.
“Oh, does that mean—” he began.
“Yup, now you’re a fully fledged member of the—uh—what was our temporary name again?” Zora paused.
“The Blinking Spiders,” Abe whispered at the same time as Nitro said, “The Crimson Demons.”
“The Crimson Spiders—I’m going to hit the both of you!” Zora retorted.
“Congratulations, Hyde,” Mari smiled.
“Thank you.”
CHAPTER 14
Today. It was unanimous. No training, no hunting, just chilling.
The nameless guild took the day off, for some reason after filling every hour of everyday with combat training and other preparations, relaxing was hard. Or it was for Hyde at least.
Everyone else seemed to find it easier.
The sun was up and early as could be, with its warm gaze blanketing the city, from the roofs to the walls to the streets and everyone in them. Only the faintest of breezes tickled on their skin as it gently ruffled with their hair and clothes.
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