The Spirit considered him for a while. It looked pale, which was impressive for a ghost. Thenβ
ππππ₯β¦ π€ππ π¦ππ ππ π₯ πππ§π ππππ π₯πππ₯ πππ€πͺ, it said.
Zane blinked at it.
ππππ₯ π€ππ π¦ππ πππ§π ππππ π ππππππ π₯π π₯πππ‘ππ£ πͺπ π¦π£ ππππππ. it choked. ππ ππππ πππ§ππ£π€ππ₯πͺ! ππ πππ§ππ πππ πΌπ§π ππ§π πͺπ π¦π£ πππππ! ππππ₯β¦
They stared at each other. They seemed to be doing that a lot. The Spirit started puzzling at him.
"Hmm," said Zane.
ππππ, it said at last. ππππ€ π¨π π'π₯ ππ . ππ π¦ πππ£πππͺ ππππππ π πππ§ππ π₯πππ£π, πππ πͺπ π¦?
"No."
β¦ππππ ππ₯ ππ‘π‘πππ£π€ πͺπ π¦ πππ§π ππ£π πππ π₯ππ π€πͺπ€π₯ππ.
Another silence. Zane wondered if he should say sorry or something.
ThenβNo. In Zane's opinion, one should never apologize for being too big. It would be another one of his wise sayings, he decided. He ought to write these downβhe wasn't sure he could remember them all. Usually he just told Reina when they came to him, which was pretty much the same thing.
The Spirit had its hands on its hips now.
"Uh," said Zane. "What now?"
βπ ππ π π, it said. π'π π₯πππππππ.
"Okay."
They stood there for a bit longer.
πΈππ£ππππ₯, said the Spirit. βππ£π'π€ π¨πππ₯ π¨π'ππ ππ .
It proposed they run the First Trial again, and again, and again. Rapid-fire. Until it actually tempered Zaneβsince that first go clearly barely did anything at all. "Sure," said Zane agreeably.
The theory was this should get his Shield adapted to taking some solid load. That meant throwing heavy-duty soul attacks at him until he felt it. Only then could it stretch beyond its limits.
So the Spirit fired up the ghost-dragon-thing again and got it to start spewing as fast as it could. When it ran out the Spirit just spun it up again. The shots splattered all over on Zane's Moon-shield. He kept holding on.
The dragon hacked out a few dozen more of those ghost-fireballs before he started feeling the heat. He closed his eyes, honed in on the sensationβon the way his Skill brought out the Pagoda within. Each time he drew on it it only deepened his connection to it.
At the start he had to grasp pretty hard for it. But a dozen shots inβ
πππππ π¦π‘!
ππππππ π π π₯ππ βππ ππ π π π -> ππ
Then again, another dozen shots laterβ
πππππ π¦π‘!
ππππππ π π π₯ππ βππ ππ π π ππ -> πππ
Thirty or forty shots in, he could reach for it pretty easy and it would come.
πππππ π¦π‘!
ππππππ π π π₯ππ βππ ππ π π πππ -> ππ
When that ghostly power hit him it got sucked straight into his Pagoda. Like it was making contact with a black holeβit struck the edge, and flared briefly, and justβ¦ vanished. Erased. There was no sign of damage to the treasure at all.
The Spirit had some theories as to why his version was so strong at the start. The treasure expanded to suit the wielder, it thought. So even though it was fairly low-Level, he could still use a pretty big chunk of it.
As the dragon-breaths stacked upβand the poor ghost-dragon-head started to wheeze and sputterβZane's moon started getting more robust too. Filling in. It went from almost a dark moon to coloring in a thick edgeβa sliver of a crescent.
Eventuallyβ¦
πππππ π¦π‘!
ππππππ π π π₯ππ βππ ππ π π ππππ -> ππ
πππππ π¦π‘!
ππππππ π π π₯ππ βππ ππ π π ππ -> π
By then it had reached a full proud bulky half-moon. And it came as soon as Zane called, like a muscle flexing. The ghost-dragon could hardly do anything to it now. Even after expending everything it had, over and over.
πππππ ππ§π ππ§ππ!
ππππππ π π π₯ππ βππ ππ π π [πΌπ‘ππ] π -> ππππππ π π π₯ππ βππ ππ π π [ππππππππ£πͺ] πππ
The whole thing took most of an hour, maybe two. The dragon seemed a little apologetic by the end of it, like it was trying its best. Zane was just a little too big.
The Spirit gave the beast a sympathetic pat on the head and dismissed it.
ππππ₯'π€ π₯ππ πππππ ππ§π ππ§ππ, π₯πππ? said the Spirit.
Zane nodded.
ππππ, π'ππ ππ. It opened its mouth as if it wanted to say more, then closed it and shook its head. ππ π¦ ππ π'π₯ π¨πππ₯ π₯π πππ π¨ ππ π¨ ππ ππ π₯πππ₯ π¨ππ€ π€π¦π‘π‘π π€ππ π₯π π₯πππ. βππππͺ ππ π£ π₯ππ ππππ ππ ππ£πππ?
It didn't even stop to let Zane answer this time. It just gave a grunt. ππ ππ π¦π£π€π πͺπ π¦ ππ£π. βππ£π π¨π ππ . ππππ ππ ππ£πππ: π½ππππ π π πππ€ππππ₯πͺ!
This one came subtly. A field of sprightly man-sized flowers bloomed around him, swollen with pollen and strange fungi that glowed radioactive colors. They started spraying him with all kinds of weird spores.
They didn't hit his Shield directly. They came softlyβlike they were trying to sneak past. It took a different kind of effort to resist. The first time he tried it, a few got through. He sneezed a bit, but that was the brunt of the damage.
πππππ π¦π‘!
ππππππ π π π₯ππ βππ ππ π π πππ -> ππ
And that was all.
He was pretty sure he would've been fine even without the Shield. It felt weird to him, but it wasn't too bad. It would've felt worse if he hadn't just Leveled his Shield a bunch, he knew. But as it was he could take it quite well.
ππππ₯ π¨ππ€ π₯ππ ππππ ππ ππ£πππ, said the Spirit. β¦πΈππͺπ₯ππππ? βπ ?
Zane shrugged.
It threw up its hands.
π½πππ¦π£ππ€.
It gave a pause. π'π π€π¦π‘π‘π π€ππ π₯π πππ§π πͺπ π¦ π₯πππ π₯π π£πππ π§ππ£, πͺπ π¦ π¦ππππ£π€π₯πππ. βπ ππ€π πππππ₯π πͺπ π¦π£ πππππ€. βππ£πππ‘π€ π πππ¨ ππ ππ₯ππ€ π₯π πππ₯ πͺπ π¦π£ π€π π¦π ππππ ππ¦πππͺ ππππ π£π πͺπ π¦ π₯π£πͺ πππππ.
"I'm ready," said Zane.
They resorted to spamming him again. Back-to-back-to-back.
Soon he got better at resisting the soft subtle things as well as the hard direct things. His connection grew so strong he could feel it and the corporeal bond inside of him, a brilliant bloody cord. And it bloomed strong every time he was under attackβalmost subconsciously now. Flaring out, taking shots at the slightest notice. Swallowing them utterly.
πππππ π¦π‘!
ππππππ π π π₯ππ βππ ππ π π ππ -> πππ
πππππ π¦π‘!
ππππππ π π π₯ππ βππ ππ π π πππ -> ππππ
πππππ π¦π‘!
ππππππ π π π₯ππ βππ ππ π π ππππ -> ππ
"You still don't need to rest? At all?" said the Pagoda Spirit. It was getting slightly incredulous again.
Zane shook his head. "I can keep going."
They kept going.
His moon shield just kept filling out, blanketing his soul in that form-fitting ironclad armor. Impenetrable. Untilβ
πππππ π¦π‘!
ππππππ π π π₯ππ βππ ππ π π ππ -> π
πππππ ππ§π ππ§ππ!
ππππππ π π π₯ππ βππ ππ π π [ππππππππ£πͺ] π -> ππππππ π π π₯ππ βππ ππ π π [ππͺπ₯πππ] πππ
Now it was a nice three-quarters moon. He felt strong. Good. Amped up.
πΌπ£π£, said the Spirit. ππππ₯'π€ πππ π₯πππ£π ππ€, π₯πππ. πππ π€πππ ππ π₯π£πππ ππ€ π₯ππ πππππ₯ π π βπ π£π. βπ π¨ πͺπ π¦ π€ππ π¦ππ ππ ππππ π₯π π€π₯π π‘ π π€π πππ π₯πͺπ‘π ππ£π π πππͺ βπ π£π ππ¦ππ₯ππ§ππ₯π π£βππ§ππ π₯ππ ππ π€π₯ ππ©π₯π£πππ π π π€π‘πππππππ€π₯π€. ππ π¦π£ ππππππ ππ€ πππ£ππππͺ π§ππ£πͺ π£π ππ¦π€π₯.
"Hm," said Zane. He felt like he'd barely gotten started. He said so to the Spirit.
It considered him for a long while. It had a strange look in its eyes. Like it was debating whether it should do something it wasn't supposed to.
ππππ, it hedged. πππππ πͺπ π¦'π£π πππ£πβ¦ π π€π¦π‘π‘π π€πβ¦Β It paused. Shook its head.
βπ βπͺπ π¦ π€ππ π¦ππ π€π₯π π‘ πππ£π. βπ ππ ππππ π¨πππ πͺπ π¦'π§π π£ππππππ βππ€ππππ₯. π½π π£ ππ π¨, πππͺ ππ π£π ππ€ π π§ππ£ππππ, π₯π£π¦ππͺ. πππ ππππ£π ππ£πππ π€πππ‘ππͺ ππ€π'π₯ πππππ₯ ππ π£ βπ π£π βπ¦ππ₯ππ§ππ₯π π£π€.
Zane perked up. "What?"
πππ ππππ£π ππ£πππ π€ππ π¦ππ π πππͺ ππ π₯ππππ ππͺ π₯ππ π€π π π§ππ£ πππ§ππ πππ. ππ π₯ππ βππ€ππππ₯ ππ π¦π π€π₯πππ,it clarified.
"No," said Zane. "Before that."
ππππ₯? said the Spirit. β¦ππ πͺπ π¦π£ πππππ πππ§πππ€ ππ π£π, ππ₯ π¨π π¦ππ ππ π π§ππ£ππππ?
Zane nodded. "Give it to me. I will take this Third Trial."
You're serious.
"Yes."
ππ₯'π€ ππ π₯ ππππ π₯ππ π π₯πππ£π€, warned the Spirit. ππ₯'π€ ππ π ππππππ£πππ₯ πππππ¦π πππ₯π πππ₯πππ£βπͺπ π¦'ππ ππ π₯πππππ π ππ¦ππ-πππππππ βππ€ππππ₯ ππ π¦π ππ¦ππ₯ππ§ππ₯π π£'π€ π€π π¦π ππ₯π₯πππ!
"Give it to me," said Zane. "I want it. I want to be overkill."
Something about the idea pleased his Spirit, deep downβ¦ and so far, nothing had even challenged him. He had this. He was very confident in his bodyβbut in matters of the soul, he was even more confident.
The Spirit hesitated. Thenββ¦ππππβ¦.π π€π¦π‘π‘π π€πβ¦
It gave him another once-over. πΉππ! πΈππ£ππππ₯. ππ π¦ πππ π₯πππ ππ₯. πΌπ§ππ ππ πͺπ π¦π£ ππππππ ππππ₯ππ£π€, πππ πͺπ π¦ π₯πππ π₯ππ πππ π¨ ππππ-π πβ¦
It puzzled it out like it was doing some back-of-the-napkin calculations, then nodded, satisfied. ππ π¦ π€ππ π¦ππ π€π¦π£π§ππ§π. πππ€βπ₯πππ£π'π€ π₯π π ππ¦ππ π π πͺπ π¦ π₯π ππ ππ π¨π. β¦ππππ₯ ππ€ π€π πππ₯ππππ π πππ§ππ£ π₯ππ π¦πππ₯ π'π π€ππͺ.
"I am big," Zane agreed.
πππ ππππ£π ππ£πππ, π₯πππ, said the Spirit. π»ππππ π π π₯ππ πππ¦ππππ£ π»πππ π!
And storm clouds puffed up the skies, growling hungrily. Howling winds swirled, lashed all around him. And the whole lair dimmed, blackenedβ¦
πΉπ π¨ππ£πππββππ€ππππ₯ ππ π¦π ππ¦ππ₯ππ§ππ₯π π£π€ πππ§π π₯ππππ ππ π₯ππ ππ£πππ₯π π π βπππ§ππ πππ πΌππ£π₯π! ππππͺ ππ©ππ€π₯ ππ π£π πππ£ππ πππ π¦π€ππͺ π¨ππ₯π π₯ππ ππππ§ππ£π€π, ππ ππ π₯π π£πππππ₯πͺ πππ π₯ππ πΈπ€π₯π£ππ βππππβ¦
A spirit creature broke out of the dark masses. At first, Zane thought it was just another chunk of cloudβand it was, kind of. It was very buff. Each muscle was a puff of storm-cloud. It was a nebulous thing, letting off jet streams. Its eyes were crackling balls of lightning. Lightning crackled down the length of itβit opened its black maw, let out a screech. Pure howling wind.
Tornado and thunder raged down its gullet. Gestating some electric blast.
Zane watched it all expectantly.
There really was something different to it. It was not bigger than Zane. But it did glow with a different kind of brightness. Like it existed more solidly in the Astral Plane than Zane did. Its aura felt more solid here too. The Spirit was rightβit did feel on a whole different level to those other two.
He braced his Shield.
It opened its mouth. Mouth lighting up a buzzing, blistering white. And blasted him.
A mad rush of lightning, spewing wildly. His world whited out. He took it right to the face.
He staggered a good two steps.
He felt it crackling all over his shieldβit felt like it'd been walloped by a hammer. Most of it pulsed into the Pagoda, grounded thereβbut for a second there he'd been kind of jittery.
He was mostly just surprised. Twitching a little, blinking the light out of his eyesβnot really hurt. Just wobbly.
He was pretty happy with how he took that. Even he was pleasantly surprised. That was a Nascent Soul-Level shotβand he just ate it.
πππππ π¦π‘!
ππππππ π π π₯ππ βππ ππ π π πππ -> ππ
It was already the highest-grade Skill he had. Earth - Mythic. After this it would be the next rank entirely.
Then he realized the demon wasn't done. Its mouth was still open; its gullet still seethed lightning. That was just the opening volley.
Uh-oh.
Then it hit him.
Slammed right into his shield. Crashed all over itβ¦ cracked it down the middle. He had to really fight, grit his teeth, just to keep it togetherβ
πππππ π¦π‘!
ππππππ π π π₯ππ βππ ππ π π ππ -> π
The more it raged at him, the more it smacked at him, the more he felt his shield adapting. Getting stronger.
But not as fast as it was breaking. He was doing his best to keep it all together but it was starting to look like the surface of a dropped eggβblinding seams splitting down the length of it. The whole red disc started to tremble, his crimson armor cracking at every jointβ
Then it all shattered.
The Pagoda didn't shatterβjust his connection to it. And the last of the lightning descended on him.
Smashed straight into him. Tore through his soul-bodyβand had its way with him there. He didn't have any of the protections of his mortal body. The only thing he had was that it had to spread quite far to cover him, so no one part of him got roasted too bad. But stillβ
For a second he stood there. Just shuddering. Grunting. Teeth clenched. He was mostly only upright because his soul was locked dead-tight. He was having trouble mustering a coherent thought.
And then, slowly, like an old tree toppling, he fell over.
He landed facefirst, which was not surprising. For a while he just lay there flat, whole body twitching and spasming, feeling everything spiking up in sharp stabbing painsβ¦
He ended up a smoking flat heap.
He rolled over, groaning. He saw the old Spirit standing over him wide-eyed. It looked concerned.
Zane picked himself up, brushed himself off. He frowned at his hands.
"Ow," said Zane.
β¦πΈπ£π πͺπ π¦ πππ£ππππ₯?
"Yeah."
He stretched a bit. Everything hurt. It got him pretty goodβhis head especially. It felt like a raw soul wound; it throbbed something awful.
But he was still thinking about his Shield, the moment it broke. Frowning.
He could still take more. He had been way too relaxed there. That was not his best effort. It was from the last two Trials, he feltβhe got complacent.
πππ₯'π€ π₯πππ π ππ£πππβ
"No," said Zane. He clenched his fists. His eyes grew bright. "That just caught me off guard."
But now it had woken him up. For the first time this whole Trial, he had a challenge.
For the first time, it gave him a real fight.
He smashed his fists together.
"Again."