Path of the Slayer B3 18. New Gains & Hard Losses

Doomie had legs now.

They ended with working feet and articulate toes she would occasionally span or squeeze at random. If she stood on her own, she would be five-foot-three. She was also far weightier and solid than before, as if she could be her own person.

She refused to let me go, however, remaining on my back, her arms around my neck, her wings flapping gently from behind. The possessive pressure of her Brand-infused power kept hold of my ruined soul as always.

If that wasn’t a lot already, she also had freaky red eyes that pulsated in a malevolent way.

As she kept gazing obsessively at the side of my face, her red eyes flashing like the beat of a malignant heart, I sat on a piece of rubble and took a painful breather. I was afraid of looking at my gains under the endless mist and dim moonlight above the challenge floor.

Around me, the demolished courtyard looked like an army of giants had stormed through, obliterating everything and leaving vast craters. The two largest damages were the hole Merlin had drilled with all his wands and the pit where Doomie sat on Rory until he ended up squished.

I should be celebrating.

But I couldn’t.

I could feel the Soul Damage. I’d done so much energy transference that my own inner existence felt raw and pulverized. I’d known this was bound to happen, yet I was hoping for the best outcome.

I really shouldn’t.

Soul Damage wasn’t even the worst thing.

Hellion had been mostly nonresponsive after going inactive. He barely made a sound, his toxic green runes flickering weakly.

Then there was Hooker, lifeless and silent in my grasp. I hadn’t noticed anything wrong until after Merlin and Sabretooth helped me contract Doomie down to proper size.

Only then did I realize Hooker was … acting wrong.

Sabretooth let loose a worried growl while waiting near my right.

She was a big, tanky, black-bronze autocycle creature with wide wheels and thick tires that reached above my hip when I was standing. Her armored frame and Legendary Level 31 capabilities made her one of the strongest and most useful parts of my profile, especially with how she helped me and others recover Path Energy passively.

Her abilities grew even stronger when she had Hooker latched onto her frame. Without Hooker, the loss of their power synergy would be devastating.

Yet, I didn’t bother to use my Cursed User Control to check. For once, I let denial win me over, and Doomie’s power made it worse.

“What did you guys gain?” I asked, my voice sounding distant to my own ears.

While Sabretooth waited to my right, Merlin and Thumper shuffled and shifted uncomfortably to my left. They could both sense something was wrong without me having to say it.

“Go on,” I urged. “Your wins are my wins.”

Straightening up, Thumper went first. “I’m Level 83 now. Countering and ambushing a Nemesis did a lot of good for my Path of the Perfect Rogue. I also got really lucky with both of my Great Skills.”

[Congrats! Your Great Skill evolved! From Young Rex Toughness to Soldier Saurus Spine!]

[Soldier Saurus Spine: Level 31 (Rare): Hell yeah! You know how lucky as hell it is for you to have Great Skills and evolve them while still below Level 101. Very lucky. As for this, you can raise your toughness and strength greatly as you battle an equally tough or tougher foe. Bonus if there’s more than one.] [Cost: -2%]

[Congrats! Your Great Skill evolved! From Hunter Stalker Sprint to Velocity Raptor Pounce!]

[Velocity Raptor Pounce: Level 31 (Rare): Yes, yes, yes, keep it up! Don’t let the bad times stop you when you’re on a roll! With this skill, you instantly hit top speed and maybe further beyond when moving as fast as possible at an opponent. Your dexterity increases greatly when you attack near top speed.] [Cost: -2%]

“Damn, those are good as hell. Congrats,” I said as warmly as possible. It wasn’t easy, but I was trying. “I imagine with these upgrades, you’ll be leaps and bounds better at what you do already.”

Thumper nodded and fell silent.

Merlin kept hesitating, and I waited for him to pick up where we left off.

The wizard sighed. “Look, man, you should take some time off if you need it. You’ve been nonstop for a while. Like for a long, long while.”

“It’s okay. I’ll be alright. Just tell me what you got.”

Merlin took off his helmet and forced a smile on his face. “Alright, well, I’m up to Level 79 on Path of the Owl. As for Path of the Dragon, it went up to 82 after unleashing all that power on the Nemesis. Nothing changed with my one and only Great Skill … but …”

I stirred a little further. “Let me hear it.”

Merlin revealed his latest big gain.

[Congratulations, Pathwalker! You’ve acquired a new Master Cantrip: Telekinesis Grab Spell Cast!]

[Telekinesis Grab Spell Cast: Level 61 (Epic): No passive this time, but you can bet this active cantrip is one of the strongest versions of a grab. Basically, this master spell can affect nearly anything within your perception. The range and strength of your grab depend on your wizarding prowess, your enhancements, your energy, your Level, and the powers you’re willing to infuse with it. Yes, my adorable dweeb of a wizard, this counts as a spell all by itself. I’m sure you’ll know how to abuse the hell out of this.] [Cost: -20%]

“Huh, from what you told me, I thought all Master Cantrips were passive powers,” I said.

“Yeah, well, I thought the same. Apparently, my knowledge was incomplete. Go figure, don’t completely trust a dropout.” Merlin sounded disappointed.

Somehow, I found the inner strength to respond cheerfully. “The description says it’s going to be one of the strongest versions of a grab spell. How many wizards have an Epic Master Cantrip like that below Level 101? I wouldn’t be surprised if you could pick up a castle and throw it at another castle.”

“Yeah, what Arden said,” Thumper encouraged softly.

Merlin rubbed behind his neck. “Huh, damn, I guess you got a point. The cost isn’t that heavy either. I can probably mix in regular grabs at first and then surprise an enemy with the master grab when they least expect it.”

“Your regular grabs are strong enough already. It’s when we’re up against a Nemesis and the Defiled Covenant you’ll want to push your master grab,” I advised.

Thumper snorted.

Merlin glared up at the half-giant. “What?”

“Nemesises. Defilers. A Royal Quest. Another bigger quest. And all the other challenges surrounding us while making our way to the Grand Generational Passing. It feels like we’re in a hell of a chaotic story with a demented GM.”

“No. No, no, no. Don’t dissociate or anything. Don’t say reality-bending stuff like that. The last thing we want is for the System to get even more creative and throw more heat at us.”

“Jinx,” me and Thumper said together.

I was glad I learned that much out of all the Modern Earth lingo that got thrown around. Granted, the idea behind jinxes wasn’t that foreign to my old world.

As Merlin let out a low moan, a blue notification flickered above us at an angle I alone could see. It featured a face that used a semicolon and a single parenthesis curved into a smile.

[ ; ) ]

She was winking at me, and before anyone else could notice, the notification was gone. I didn’t even bother mentioning it. My gaze turned to the pulsating red eyes of the incessantly clingy Doomie.

“It’s hard to rest when she’s all over me,” I muttered.

“Is she stronger?” Thumper asked.

“I wouldn’t know. I can’t look at her with my Magic Vision or I would get driven mad with fear,” Merlin grumbled.

“She’s weightier. She has legs now. If anything, maybe she can kick someone trying to get behind me. But enough about her.” I shook my head. “Let’s get past the inevitable.”

With a lifeless rattle, I raised Hooker Slaughterhouse in Merlin’s direction.

Sabretooth let out a loud and sad growl, undercutting the noise coming from our juniors being put to the test under the care of our new Veteran. I couldn’t even pay them much mind while Merlin used his Magic Vision on my Epic treasure.

Sighing, the wizard shook his head, the glow in his green eyes dimming. “It’ll be easier to confirm her condition with an identification spell. But from what I can see with my Magic Vision … there’s no cursed energy. She comes across as Common Quality.”

The pressure on my soul increased. Doomie’s pulsating red eyes became fiercer, seemingly more malevolent.

Was she taking pleasure in my pain? 

For some reason, I didn’t think so. Or maybe I was trying to cope as Sabretooth let out another mournful, engine-thunking bellow.

Bracing myself further, I checked my System Logs.

[Congratulations! You’ve slain Pathwalker Rory, “I’ll Ruin What You Rely On,” Legendary Level 92 Path of the Nemesis!]

[Congratulations, Pathwalkers! You’ve ended a Nemesis Link without losing any of your party members! Bravo!]

[Slayer: You’ve slain all foes in a significant encounter. Reward: 50% Path Energy!]

I stopped there and braced myself even further.

The next notifications were going to hit me hard.