Leveling up the world 3.., p.1
Leveling Up The World 3: A LitRPG Adventure, page 1
LEVELING UP THE WORLD 3
©2023 L. ECLAIRE
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ALSO IN SERIES
Book 1
Book 2
Book 3
Book 4
CONTENTS
Previously in Leveling up the World…
1. Old Complications
2. Catching Up
3. Guild Trials
4. Two Emblems
5. Performer’s Plaza
6. Mandolin and Ringchord
7. Stone Garden Awakening
8. Gremlin Settlement
9. Harp Wound
10. A Two and a Five
11. The Sword Expedition
12. Hidden Fears
13. The Ancient Trio
14. Army of Fear
15. Chainling Creation
16. Inner Revelation
17. Practical Lessons
18. Being Too Good
19. Rock Scouting
20. Terminal Wounds
21. Semi Plan of Action
22. Talk With a Shield
23. Lady Marigold
24. The Real Thing
25. Flight and Combat
26. Cracks and Priorities
27. Advanced Splitting
28. The Return
29. Realm Sharing
30. Job Offer
31. Complicated
32. The Gilion House
33. Ticks and Cracklings
34. Bog Attack
35. Elite Combat
36. Chipping In
37. Purple Moon
38. Tough as Nails
39. Up the Mountain
40. Secret’s Protector
41. External Consequences
42. Planned Surprise
43. Old and New
44. Forging Apprentice
45. Private Performance
46. A Debt Prepaid
47. Vermillion’s Tears
48. Guardian Unchained
49. On the Loose
50. Lifetime of Bad Habits
51. Attempt at Sixteen
52. If Words Can Kill
53. The Choice
54. A Close Friend
55. More Than a Coincidence
56. Festival Tournament Challenge
57. Application
58. The Path Onward
59. Water
60. Future Rival
61. Belaal’s Drum
62. The Gauntlet
63. Mage Impact
64. The Spectral Shardfly
65. Final Dagger
66. Artifact Prize
67. Echo Network
68. City Guard Visit
69. The Overseer
70. Final Warning
71. Dragged Down
72. Maze of Emotions
73. Three Killed, Three Remaining
74. Slime Bolts
75. Shadow in the Crowd
76. General Confirmation
77. Bidding War
78. Uncertain Reversal
79. The Final Round
80. Pure Skill
81. Felygn’s Boon
82. Seer
83. The Overseer’s Strength
84. Suspicions
85. Hidden Gem
86. The Abandoned Helmet
87. The Bladerer
88. Scarred
89. Sudden Celebration Plans
90. Invitations
91. Best Laid Plans
92. Consequences
93. Fighting a Cook
94. Into the Frying Pan
95. An Emperor’s Request
Dallion Seene
Thank you for reading Leveling Up The World 3
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LitRPG
PREVIOUSLY IN LEVELING UP THE WORLD…
After a night of intense partying, Dallion woke up in a room without a door or windows. The only object in the entire room was a glowing blue rectangle with the words “YOU ARE LEVEL 1” written on it.
Asked by the rectangle to choose between four traits—body, mind, reaction, perception—Dallion decided to increase his reaction trait, causing an exit to appear. The door led to a small corridor at the end of which a short sword and a buckler were visible on opposite walls. Choosing the bucker, Dallion acquired guard skills as his first skill, then suddenly found himself in the medieval village of Dherma.
Surrounded by friends and a family he knew, though had never seen before, Dallion was welcomed to this new world; a world in which all items, buildings, people, and areas hold “realms” within them that can be entered by all “awakened.”
Taught by his grandfather Kraisten, a village elder, Dallion barely learned how to enter and mend realms, when he was called for by the village chief—Aspion Luor—who tasked to improve a ring by entering its realm and defeating the guardian within.
It quickly became clear that the village chief was a tyrant who wished to seal away the awakened powers of all new awakened outside of his family by giving them impossible tasks to complete. Thanks to luck and skill, Dallion successfully improved the item, but that only increased the village chief’s ire.
Aware that he had to increase his level before the chief’s next trial, Dallion formed a pact with his childhood crush—the chief’s granddaughter Gloria—who then took him to a hidden awakening shrine to level up.
When the time came for the second task, the village chief banished Dallion in the realm of the village well without any obvious means of escape. Facing cracklings—beast-like creatures of darkness that are the physical embodiment of real-world cracks and decay—and the well’s guardian itself, Dallion managed to make it back to the real world, though to little fanfare.
After a conversation with his grandfather, Dallion learned that the village chief had used his awakened powers to insert an echo within the realms of all villagers. Representing a mental copy of him, the echoes ensured that the people remained subservient and dissuaded from discussing topics that Aspion didn’t approve of, including anything dealing with the world beyond the village.
Before the village chief could send him on another trial, an envoy of the area’s Archduke arrived at the village along with a cleric of the Order of the Seven Moons. Using her authority, the envoy demanded all capable awakened join the hunt for the chainling monster—an awakened creature causing devastation in the Archduke’s domain. Left with no choice, the village chief volunteered Dallion, as well as his own grandchildren, Gloria and Veil, to join the hunt.
Evaluated by the albino cleric of the Order, and the envoy Lady Vesuvia, the trio received small crossbow-like weapons—called a dartbows—and were taught to use them in battle.
Learning the weak spot of the chainling from a volunteer called Havoc, Dallion destroyed the village chief’s echo within his realm, then set off on a reckless charge at the monster. With the help of Veil, Gloria, and the cleric, they succeeded in injuring the chainling to the point that Lady Vesuvia could kill it off.
The hunt successful, Dallion, Veil, and Gloria were to their home village. Receiving the dartbow in thanks, Dallion snuck to the awakening shrine, where he leveled up. It was also there that he passed through the first awakening gate, granting him the ability to enter area realms as well as create echoes of his own.
Refusing the village chief to marry into the Luor family, Dallion challenged Aspion, resulting in a fight within the realm of the village itself. After an exhausting fight, Dallion took advantage of a minor mistake and snuck into the chief’s personal awakening realm. There, he experienced a memory fragment of Aspion’s past.
It turned out that four decades ago, Aspion, his sister, and Dallion’s grandfather were close friends who went to the city of Nerosal. Initially, they had fun there for a few months, when Dallion’s grandfather decided to volunteer as a soldier in the Wars of Succession.
The fragment ended abruptly, but the village chief pleaded to be
Dallion felt for the village chief, however, not enough to forgive him for everything he’d done since. Sealing off Aspion’s awakened powers, he ends the fight, returning to the real world. As a result, Veil and Gloria assumed control of Dherma, along with the village elders.
With Aspion defeated and all his echoes destroyed, things returned to normal. Dallion’s grandfather revealed that he, too, was originally from Earth, arriving in this world decades ago. He also warned Dallion to be careful in larger towns and cities.
Determined to explore the world, Dallion prepared to leave the village. Before that, he made one final visit to the realm of the well to keep the promise the guardian made during their previous encounter. As a result, he is granted his first familiar—Nox, a crackling cub that can live in Dallion’s realm.
Using Nox’s ability to create cracks in anything it touched, Dallion unsealed the awakening powers of his mother—previously sealed by Aspion—making her an awakened once more. Thankful, though still heartbroken to see him leave, his mother shared the rare skill of music with Dallion.
Receiving a traveller’s emblem to keep him safe in the wilderness, Dallion said his goodbyes to everyone close and set off for Nerosal…
Arriving at Nerosal, Dallion manages to get hired at the Gremlin’s Timepiece inn by the owner Hannah. There he met the first non-human being since in this world: the fury Jiroh.
As per Hannah’s agreement, Dallion went to get registered at an awakened guild. Following Jiroh’s advice Dallion went to the Icepicker guild where he was tested by March and Nitiello Adzorg—two of the guild’s captains—and accepted as a temporary rookie member.
Between his guilt activities, his work at the inn, and exploring the city, Dallion was given a library ring with an echo of Adzorg, and also had the good fortune to buy a harpsisword—an awakened weapon for music users. Purchasing some additional gear from Jiroh’s friend, the gorgon Euryale, he then proceeded to take part in the guild selection trial.
Placed in a group of four other candidates—among witch the eager noble Falkner, and the slacker Arthurows—with the goal to clear a dagger artifact. Taking charge of the group, Dallion led them through three of the five levels. Overconfident in his abilities, Dallion chose to try and clear the entire artifact. Thankfully, he was given a second chance by Vend—the guild elite overseeing the trial—to try again in a month. Meanwhile, he would be allowed to clear artifacts as part of the guild.
After a few successful missions it became clear that Dallion must gear up in order to be more efficient. Going through second hand shops, he came across Arthurows who offered to help him.
Feeling bad for Dallion’s failure, Arthurows introduced him to a noble called “the General,” who loaned him a rare armadil shield with a dryad guardian.
Accepting the offer, and buying additional gear from Euryale, Dallion felt ready to take the world, when a guild emergency is announced. Several Icepicker members had lost consciousness while exploring a twenty-level artifact. Searching for the cause, and a way to help them, a massive expedition was sent to the item’s realm.
Thanks to Nox, Dallion and his group come across a mini-chaingling. During the fight it became clear that the monster was a corrupted guild member. Through a bit of lock and a lot of effort, Dallion successfully managed to defeat the chainling and save the person it was consuming.
Following the celebration of the rescue, Dallion went to the temple of the Order to level up to twenty. On the way he was attacked by an unknown fury who takes his money, harpsisword and armadil shield, leaving him wounded.
Dragging himself to the Gremlin’s Timepiece, Dallion learned he was likely targeted by the underground awakened organization the Mirror Pool. A group was formed of Jiroh, Euryale, and a few guild members, which went to a Mirror Pools locations and reclaimed his gear.
Healing up after the encounter, Dallion borrowed some money from Falkner and went to level up. He was successful, passing his second awakening gate which granted him the power to level up from his own realm.
Just as Dallion was about to hold his second guild trial, he was contacted by the General, who altered their deal. Dallion is thus forced to become indented to him before he could proceed.
Taking the Icepicker trial, Dallion fought his way through the creatures of the artifact. In the process, he obtained a new familiar: a cyan firebird he named Lux.
At the final level, Dallion unexpectedly came upon Arthurows. The slacker revealed that he is in fact the Twisted Star and attacks. Aided by his familiars and a mysterious voice, Dallion defeated Arthorws and fulfilled the dagger’s destiny.
Sharing events with the rest of the guild, Dallion was accepted as a permanent member and given the artifact as a reward. Relieved but also somewhat concerned, Dallion made Nox the guardian of the dagger, ready for what the world would throw at him next.
OLD COMPLICATIONS
KALEIDOVRIMA Level 2 has been cleared!
Continue on to fulfil the KALEIDOVRIMA’s destiny.
That was two levels cleared without any health loss. Dallion waved the rectangle away, then sat on the chamber floor. His progress couldn’t be called fast, but then again, Dallion didn’t care. All he was focusing on was clearing the entire item without losing any health in the hopes he’d earn an achievement. At least that was what some of the guild members had said. When he had tried doing it in a group, nothing had happened, leading to further clarifications that he had to do it on his own. Potentially that means without relying on familiars, either.
What’s the holdup, dear boy? Nil asked. You’re supposed to be able to do this with your eyes closed.
“It’s not like anyone could tell the difference,” Dallion replied. While alone, he preferred to voice his conversations, especially when in awakened realms. “It’ll be done when it’s done.”
Suit yourself. Frankly, I find that obsession of yours on achievements alarming. The echo sighed audibly. Then again, it’s hardly unexpected. I had hoped you’d skip that phase. Turns out you only delayed it.
“That’s the fastest way to increase traits,” Dallion replied.
It had been five days since he had become an official member of the Icepicker guild. Originally, he was supposed to start training under Vend the very next day. Due to complications relating to the Arthurows situation, though, he had been given some time off. In short, he had been asked politely by Estezol to refrain from visiting the guildhall for three days, during which things were sorted out. It didn’t help that Euryale still hadn’t returned from her mission. The gorgon had managed to somehow send him a letter apologizing for the delay—as well as going into detail on just how much she missed him. The letter had appeared attached to the outside of his window, unseen and unheard, along with a flower blossom. A nice gesture, though Dallion felt somewhat weird being the one getting flowers.
