The third platform once again had a plinth with a bandolier holding twelve knives laid out... but no hourglass.

  It seemed like things were going to be a bit different this time, though Rylan had no doubt it would only end up being harder, not easier. Which meant he had to give it his all, as he’d already missed three throws on the last challenge.

  He’d gotten this far, and he was not going to fail now. He just hoped the mysterious being’s plans involved him getting a runegear of some kind.

  The disappointment of walking out empty-handed, he could probably stomach. What he could not stomach, was Tamina reading it off his face and pitying him.

  Hence why he chose to actually sit down cross-legged for a minute, and focus on calming down his racing heart and mind. Only when he was positive he was as ready as he was going to be, did he get back up, shake out his hands one last time, and grab the bandolier.

  《Your third and final challenge commences,》Ethereon’s voice spoke.《Twelve targets will appear in decreasing intervals. Using your chosen Skill, hit as many of them as you can before they disappear. The first will show up twelve seconds from exactly... now.》

  Show up? Show up where?!

  Rylan spun around as he donned his bandolier and drew his first blade, looking for any hint for where the target would appear from, but saw nothing. Anxious, he tried to count along in his head, charging up his blade in advance.

  He kept his head on a swivel as his count hit twelve.

  For a long moment, nothing seemed to happen. Then, from the corner of his eye, he spotted a blur.

  Whirling around, he found a familiar hexagonal shape zooming across the platform in a straight line. He reacted instantly, hefting his blade and hurling it forward.

  He held his breath as his blade spun through the air. For a moment, he feared he hadn’t led the target enough, and his blade would pass by behind it, but ultimately his knife flew true and hit the edge of the target, shattering it before spinning off over the edge.

  Fog, that was close...

  But he didn’t have time to reflect, already drawing his next blade and starting another count to twelve in his head.

  He was only at eleven when the second target appeared, taking a curved path over the platform from the opposite side compared to the last one. Rylan hefted his blade, but at the last moment, changed his mind and dashed forward. Instead of trying to intercept the target, he got behind it, and only then flung his blade.

  His strategy worked, and the second target was smashed to pieces, both the clay and his knife clattering onto glittering pink stone.

  He hesitated only a moment before rushing forward and snatching it up. Nothing wrong with having an extra knife.

  He wasn’t quite sure how many seconds had passed, but he estimated it at around five, and continued counting from there.

  The third target showed up just before he hit ten, this one moving up and down in a sinuous pattern as it passed over the platform. He got right in front of it, and hit it point-blank, once again retrieving his knife.

  When the fourth target came spiralling high over, he set up a throw... and missed, his blade sailing clear of the platform.

  However, the target didn’t turn transparent as it passed overhead, so he hurriedly turned around, and ran after it, quickly charging up a second blade, then launching it after the hexagonal slab.

  This time, he hit.

  Yes! Still one blade up, now I just need to—

  His eyes widened as the fifth target popped into view right in front of him, then swept low over the platform.

  Shoot, that’s right, they’re coming at decreasing intervals!

  He scrambled after it, but it moved too fast, and before he could line up a throw, it ducked under the edge on the other side, gone.

  Gritting his teeth, he stopped himself from going after it, and instead prepared for the next target, which popped into existence a mere two seconds later.

  It twirled overhead, and took two knives to take down, which barely left him time to prepare for the next.

  The targets came faster and faster, and moved in more and more complicated patterns. The seventh stopped abruptly, causing his knife to pass by in front of it, before it started to zig-zag. The eight appeared before he could take another shot at the seventh, flipping over end as it made a mad dash around the platform.

  He decisively went after it, only to have to duck when the ninth target came swooping in from the side.

  Rylan lost count as the last targets popped into existence one after the other. Realising his time was running out faster than his knives, he started charging and throwing them like a madman.

  He managed to hit what he thought was the eighth target, but missed three throws at another that was performing small loops before he switched to take a shot at a third target diving for his head. He hit that one, but had to shield his face from the spray of clay fragments that resulted.

  When he opened his eyes again, he didn’t see a single target. Swearing, he spun around, just in time to see the last target swoop down over the edge.

  He swiftly ran and dove to the edge, but when he peeked under the platform, there was nothing there.

  Letting out a deep sigh, he got back up.

  I only hit seven out of the twelve targets... Damn. Will it be enough?

  For a long moment, he waited anxiously. Then the pink stone beneath his feet started to rumble, and a bridge started to extend up towards the last platform.

  《Final challenge performance has been assessed,》Ethereon’s voice spoke.《Proceed to the final platform for your reward.》

  With his heart in his throat, Rylan started across the bridge.

  It sounded like he was at least getting something. If the being interfered and he didn’t, he hoped he’d at least be allowed to keep the two knives and three bandoliers he was still wearing, but he reckoned that probably wasn’t going to happen.

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  As he approached the final platform, two things stood out. First, a floating, oval ring of shiny metal containing a shimmering silver surface—the exit, clearly—and second, a plinth that was both taller and wider than the ones he’d seen before.

  He quickened his steps.

  When he at last stepped onto the platform, he came to a halt with a frown. The plinth was empty. He opened his mouth, but before he got a chance to complain, Ethereon spoke once more.

  《Overall performance has been assessed. Reward selection—》

  Like before, Ethereon suddenly stopped talking. The hairs on the back of Rylan’s neck rose. This is it...

  《C-grade spiritgear selected,》Ethereon’s voice continued.《Congratulations on your successful completion of Equipment Dungeon AW2.》

  Rylan’s mouth dropped. S-Spiritgear? I got a sentient Runegear? Wait, is this the being that’s been calling me?!

  A flash of light came from the plinth in front of Rylan, immediately after which it started to shift, stone unfolding like a flower to present the prize inside.

  Rylan sucked in a breath as an intricately detailed ivory sheath was revealed, from which rose a handle made of bright yellow metal, wrapped in pristine white leather.

  “Ehm... hello?” he said hesitantly.

  The blade didn’t respond.

  Did I mishear? I thought spiritgear was supposed to be capable of communicating with its wielder...

  He frowned, before gingerly reaching out to pick it up, blinking in surprise at how easily the sheathed blade rose at the barest touch of his fingertips, seeming almost weightless. His eyes roved over the bright yellow pommel.

  No wonder; it's pure skymetal!

  Reverently, he grasped the handle, and pulled it out, revealing a bright-yellow blade covered in white-glowing runes, that indeed lay weightless in his hand.

  The moment he touched it, however, Ethereon spoke once more.

  《Unbound C-grade spiritgear acquired. To achieve full functionality, attunement is required. Would you like to—》

  Rylan froze as, for the third time, Ethereon fell silent.

  《Attunement initiated.》

  “Attunement?” Rylan repeated, perplexed. “Hold on, what does that mean?!”

  In lieu of an answer, however, came a familiar breeze of Quintessence. Except this time, rather than from some distance place, it came from all around him, flowing into his chest unimpeded and doing something in his spirit.

  A cold sweat broke out on Rylan’s back at the realization that whatever was happening, he had no say in the matter whatsoever. I mean, I probably would’ve agreed anyway, but once again, it would’ve been nice to have made that choice myself!

  Soon enough, the breeze tapered off, leaving behind a new node-like structure in his spirit, that seemed to connect to a tether stretching off in the distance. Rylan curiously tried to feel out the new structure. As he prodded the node with his consciousness, it pulsed. At the same time, the blade in his hand seemed to wiggle ever so slightly.

  Huh...

  He stopped prodding it, but the pulsing and wiggling didn’t stop. In fact, they both kept coming faster and faster. Then, suddenly, the pulses accelerated to the point where the blade was practically vibrating, and the node seemed to give off a sense of almost child-like glee.

  [Woah, what is this place?!] a boyish voice called out in his head. [I’ve never been here before—this is awesome!]

  “Great Spirits,” Rylan whispered reverently, staring down at the vibrating blade.

  For a moment, the metal stilled. Then it started up again, vibrating even faster somehow. [Woah, who are you?! Oh! Are you my wielder? Do I finally have a wielder?! That’s amazing! Can we go stab something? Please?! I’ve always wanted to stab something!]

  “Ehm... could you... stop vibrating so hard, please?” Rylan asked, as his hand was starting to grow a bit numb.

  [Oh! Sure, no problem, Boss—sorry, I’m just so excited; you have no idea how bored I was!]

  As the voice rattled on, the vibrating decreased in intensity, turning more rhythmic in nature, almost like the purring of a lamb.

  Rylan raised the blade to eye level, his thoughts churning. So this runegear really houses a spirit... I have a sentient weapon, like in the legends!

  [Oh! Boss, what’s my name going to be?! I’ve dreamt of the day I would be named for so long; can I have an awesome name, Boss, please? Can I have one now, like right now?!]

  “A name?” Rylan repeated dumbly. “Right now?”

  [Yes, right now, I’ve already waited sooo long! Come on, give it to me!]

  “Sure, sure... then, how about, ehm, Stan?”

  [Stan,] the blade repeated. [Stan... Staaaan. Huh. I, ehm, I was expecting something more along the lines of Thunderwhisper the Flying Deathblade, or Nightshade Heartstabber, or maybe even Edgelord, Mystic Razor of Eternal Doom... But Stan kinda sounds like stab! Stabby Stan! Yes, I like it—short and simple, something I never would’ve come up with myself. That’s why you’re the Boss, Boss!]

  “Sure... thanks,” Rylan mumbled, feeling a little embarrassed about his impromptu choice. He had in fact been thinking of Stab, but changed his mind at the last moment.

  Still, ‘Stan’ was better than any of those names. I mean, Edgelord? Zeph preserve me...

  Rylan cleared his throat. “So, Stan. What is it you do?”

  [Do?] Stan repeated, sounding rather baffled. [I’m... I’m a throwing knife, Boss. You’re supposed to throw me. And then I, you know, stab stuff, when I land. You know what, it’s all right if you don’t know how yet, Boss, we’ll, you know, we’ll figure things out together!]

  “No, I know how to throw knives, Stan,” Rylan replied, suppressing the urge to rub his temple. “I meant to ask what your runework does.”

  [My what now?]

  “Your... your runework. You know, the glowing symbols etched into your blade filled with a substance that can channel mana?”

  “Oooh, that’s what you mean! Not gonna lie, you had me worried there for a sec, Boss! Well, uh, my runework is, ehm, it’s really great! It makes me, ehm, stronger and-and stabbier? And, uh... more awesome?]

  Rylan suppressed the urge to sigh.

  While he was still incredibly grateful to have obtained a spiritgear like in the legends, he’d be lying if he said he hadn’t expected it to be a bit... smarter. “You don’t know what it does, do you?”

  [Haah, you got me, Boss! Can’t fool you, can I? Yeah, I’ve had them for as long as I can remember, you know? And it’s not like there was anyone around to explain them to me...]

  Rylan’s brows twitched a little at the deep sense of melancholy that pervaded Stan’s words. “Do you... remember anything about the smith who forged you?”

  [Nope! I just kind of woke up one day, hanging off a rack in the middle of a void, with lots of other throwing knives.]

  Huh. Does this mean Stan is one of those naturally born spiritgear the professor mentioned?

  [Funny story, actually,] Stan continued. [I tried talking to them, you know? But I guess they either couldn’t talk or really didn’t feel like it, because I tried for so long, and they never responded, not even once!]

  Rylan stared at the blade in his grip for a long moment. Great Spirits, that was... bleak. “That’s, ehm, that’s quite the story,” he replied weakly, trying not to let his pity show. “Did they all have runes like you?”

  [Nah, just a few of them. But they didn’t respond either! After a while, I just went back to sleep.]

  [Anyway, that’s all in the past, because I just woke up in the hands of Boss! Oh boy oh boy, this is going to be so great!]

  “Right,” Rylan said absentmindedly, as his brows pulled together. “Hold on, you just woke up? But, aren’t you the one who called me?”

  [Who, me? Nah, Boss, that wasn’t me. I mean, I got some tricks, some moves, but nothing like that—that was her, all her.]

  “Her?” Rylan repeated, leaning a bit closer, even though he wasn’t entirely sure how and even if the blade could perceive such a thing. “Who are you talking about?”

  [The sad lady! Oh, you want her name, duh! She’s called... Maris.]

  A shiver went up Rylan’s spine at the reverence in Stan’s voice. “How do you know it was her? Did... did Maris tell you? Can you talk to her?”

  [I know because she told me in a dream!] Stan replied. [That’s the only way she can talk to me; she can’t visit ’cause she’s stuck—that’s why she’s sad. But she didn’t want me to be sad too, so she’s been sending me nice dreams, shown me all kinds of stuff... But in the last dream I had, she wasn’t sad, she was excited! She told me she was going to help me out, and—oh! Right, I was supposed to pass a message to the one who freed me. That’s you, right, Boss? Let’s see, where did I put it...]

  Rylan blinked. Put... it? What could you have possibly put where?!

  [Ah, there we go! I was supposed to give you... this.]

  A prickling sensation erupted in Rylan’s chest, originating from the brand-new node Ethereon had just installed. From there, the feeling quickly spread outward and upward, washing over him in numbing waves that made his limbs and eyelids grow heavy.

  “Wha’s happening?” he slurred with an alarming lack of urgency. “What... did you...”

  [What did I what? You should really finish your sentences, Boss, I can’t read minds, you know? Hey, maybe you should lie down or something, Boss, you don’t look so good!]

  Rylan’s knees buckled, and as the ground rushed up to him, his vision went dark, then bright.

  fish as we know them, the kind that dwell in liquid water, would come up. (Because those do exist in this world.)

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  The Whispering Crystals is available on KU, Audible, and in print:

  : Unnatural Laws

  : Unusual Enemies

  : Unimagined Adventures

  : Unchained Potential

  : Untamed Spirit

  : Undivided Worlds

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