Path of the Slayer B3 25. Rexes & Summons

With a knowing nod, I walked out from under the impromptu crafting gazebo that housed the non-cursed area. It was made from the busted little teeth of the titanic dragon skull that held the entire fortress in its maw.

Most of the rubble from the fight days ago had ended up pushed aside or piled into one big bed for V to rest on when he wasn’t patrolling. With him being there, I walked over to where he laid his massive, scarred head.

The orange-red orbs that were his eyes shone on me as I clambered up his makeshift pillow and gave him a solid fist bump near the corner of his rictus frown. That shifted his head a little and made little pieces of his rubble-made bed grind up.

“I’m not your damn pet,” V growled at me, his breath a hot and volcanic gust.

“No, you’re not, but something tells me you don’t get enough concern going your way.” I kicked around the rubble until I found a fragmented block that served suitably as a seat. “I’m the same, honestly. I’ll work myself to the bone until I break. I nearly did the last day I was Rank 0, but someone special looked out for me. Because of her, I didn’t break when I should’ve.”

From one of my pouches, I took out a gyro. It was wrapped in enchanted paper that preserved its freshness and heat. It wasn’t exactly like a shawarma – which was still at the top of my list of extremely enthralling food discoveries – but the rolled-up, sandwich-style meal was a great substitute until I could revisit the nomad half-gob woman.

While V contemplated his next words, I took a bite of the delicious Rank 5 food and let out a delightful hum that I simply couldn’t contain. The pork was juicy and steamy. The pita bread served perfectly as the foundations to the tomatoes, onion, lettuce, and other ingredients soaked with a special sauce that brought it all together.

As I ate, I paid attention to my inner existence and noticed my soul felt … brighter. Happier? Definitely more whole.

I’d never noticed it before until after suffering Soul Damage, but taking better care of myself made my soul feel more reinforced. The more reinforced it was, the better I endured Doomie’s horrific pressure while she was still contained inside me.

That made me wonder if my next Spirit Blaze practices would go easier this way. Maybe I would risk less Soul Damage going forward, giving me an even greater edge.

How many Pathwalkers took the time to eat a lot of good stuff when it wasn’t necessary? Maybe the nobles would. But even if they did, how many nobles worked as hard as me?

I couldn’t say for sure, but the more I ate, worked, meditated, and took care of myself, the more confident I felt with my growth. Hence why I didn’t mind taking a break and waiting for V. His wellbeing was also part of my growth.

“I came from a time where there was nothing but war,” V muttered. “I worked with two Slayers, y’know? And both of them had been neck deep in the type of horrific and bloody fighting that makes this Cycle look soft. Nobody summoned me for anything outside of training or fighting.”

The Veteran Rex shifted a little before letting out a big, grouchy breath. “You’re wasting Path Energy keeping me around. I cost 4% every hour for you, y’know? I appreciate the update, but you might as well dismiss me if I’m not being of service, sir.”

I took another delicious bite out of my gyro and waited until it went down. “Sabretooth will be back before I need to top off again. And all the setup I needed to do is done. I’ll probably go non-stop the moment I finish checking on you, but I’ll prefer you to be active and present.”

“Our liege graces you with his concern, you big and old thing,” said Hellion, speaking aloud from my right. “While I understand your jest of unruliness is part of your relationship, do not look down upon his care. His time is limited, and yet he makes the effort for you.”

I shook my head, dreadlocks flailing. “Relax, Hellion. V’s being nice right now.”

The Veteran Rex shifted some more and grumbled. “Me? Nice? That’s an insult. I should slap you with my tail for that.”

He didn’t, though. He just flopped his head away from me like a moody and overly large cat.

Once a few beats passed, the Veteran Rex let out a defeated sigh. “You never asked what happens to us when we’re not summoned.”

I took out another gyro. “It’s been on my mind.” After unwrapping it and taking a bite, I said, “What happens?”

“It’s different from summons to summons. For example, your Bonded Treasures, they fade somewhere into your existence. They are a part of you, and you won’t fully understand that until you become a Veteran. But for summons like me, we’re mostly on loan. That loan depends on how far you go.

“I can’t say the exact details of my prior summoners, but I’ve always been summoned by those who were young and going up against hard odds. They don’t reach far enough where I become more permanent. Thus, I end up floating in a place that is like a dream that’s not a dream. It’s faint and unmemorable and neutral.

“It’s not bad. All of my aggression and stuff gets dampened a bit. It doesn’t all go away, however. It can never go away. But when I’m in that state, I just exist and float by. Time stops mattering. Sometimes it feels like I just blinked, then the moment between getting dismissed and being summoned again goes by like little happened.”

“Does that mean Slaughter is a loan?” I hedged.

“Don’t know. Maybe not with how you got her. Hell and damnation, that thing you call Doomie is a break in the parameters, too. So that’s all unpredictable and … different. But for me, I’m predictable. I’m certainly a loan, hence why I’m the only Veteran Rex among magic rex summons.”

He was right that Doomie was something different. She wasn’t listed in my profile, as if she could exist freely while linked to my Slayer Intent and Melody’s Doom Brand. I supposed Doomie wasn’t a major concern in permanence compared to others, or mainly V.

“I don’t like the idea that you’re a loan to my soul,” I said. “Do I need to become a Pathwalker God for that to be more permanent?”

V shifted slightly, his fiery eyes going dull. “I believe so. Can’t say for sure. Certain details get fuzzy when I try to think too hard ahead.”

With a huff, I looked away from V and glared at a random spot in the air. “Can you stop meddling, System?”

She responded with a large public notification: [No can do, my dear. Maintaining upper Grade secrets is part of my parameters. Hence why unique summons like your Veteran Rex may exist like they do. It’s part of certain agreements and patches after enough High God and Primordial complaints.]

I grumbled under my breath.

Damn High Gods and Primordials.

It felt like their complaints to the System were to secure their seats of power and make it harder for new Pathwalkers to grow freely. Hence why Pathwalker society was heavily structured the way it was.

The nomad in me grated at that, especially with what I knew now. Larger society pushed geniuses like Merlin to end up under huge and crippling debt or to make themselves bound servants to the aristocracy.

Even worse, Grimmy had a dark past I’d caught onto from overhearing tidbits of gossip among the juniors. If any of that stuff about Grimmy were true, she’d survived much worse than what I went through to grow as a Pathwalker.

The System made another public notification: [I’m sorry, dear. Being a young god on the rise has its perks, yes? But many have come before you, and long have they fought to leverage their advantages while also looking down on the youth for being … youthful.]

I let out a breath. “Thank you, System.” Then in a smaller voice I said, “Long may you reign, my goddess.”

Of course, she caught that and made a silly response followed by a big happy face.

[Squeee! I’ve been acknowledged by my Slayer! YAS! ]

[ : D ]

I shook my head and went back to eating my gyro.

“Been a while since I last saw the System talk to her Slayer and be so happy,” V grunted. “She was a lot colder during my younger years.”

“So, you’re allowed to know that, but nothing specifically too helpful.” I finished my second gyro and went for my third as I got back on topic. “Mm. Okay. Knowing more about the System is definitely on my list, but that’s for later. What do you want to do outside of training and fighting, V?”

The Veteran Rex hesitated. “I … I … I don’t want anything.”

“I call bull,” I said.

“I concur!” Hellion shouted.

V sighed. “Dammit, fine. Maybe I could use a proper massage. A hard one from the strongest there are. I’ve been wanting one of those for a long, long time.”

“Then so be it,” I said. “We’ll make it happen after the Embassy of Defilement.”

We sat in companionable silence for a while until a roaring noise reached us. That sounded like Sabretooth, and she wasn’t alone. There were the howls and moans of a horde of monsters that I heard along with her thumping heart-engine.

V couldn’t get up fast enough as he scrambled to demolish some Rank 4s Sabretooth must’ve brought over just for him. I couldn’t help but smile as my big and tanky autocycle rolled into the fortress and crashed into me, demanding pats to her front wheel as she held me pinned.

Maybe one day, we would find the time to relax more like this and just enjoy ourselves. But for now, I absorbed Path Energy from Sabretooth and got back to work on actual crafting.