Path of the Slayer B2 67. From Above and Below

“Elder High God, the High God from the Defiled Covenant is on the transcommunicator for you. Would you like me to transfer the call?” asked Young Goddess Cassia, a talented human, hard working, sharp with numbers, and a tyrant with correcting mistakes.

The tremble of fear in her voice was unfortunate.

She’d taken pride in not reacting much to anything no matter what the Realm Verse System and their sadistic and horrifying God-Queen threw at them.

But Baldwin figured a little fear was par for the course, and he hadn’t reached his status as High God of the Crossroads Citadel World Realm without facing horrors beyond horrors and near-moments of attracting the System’s smiling wrath.

“Take from my stock of curative teas, Young Cassia,” Baldwin said.

“My Elder, there is no need. I can tough out the–”

“Do as you’re told. Your pride is much needed in service to me and this damn Realm of mine. But not while dealing with defilers.”

“Yes, Elder Baldwin.” She bowed.

She hurried over to the lacquered wood shelves of his humble office. After some time searching through one of his little tea chests on the shelf, she came away with the item. She brewed some for him and herself.

“Elder,” she called.

“Yes.”

“There’s a serious commotion at the Final Rose Auction House. Young Pathwalkers of significant families are scry-calling up the chain. A few concerning messages have reached me through my connections. Someone named Arden is causing trouble under the authority of the Dragon Princess.”

Baldwin was well aware of this.

He didn’t pay attention to everything that happened in his Realm. But anything significant enough could draw his attention for a moment to see if it was worth examining closer.

This Arden fellow stole half an hour of the High God’s precious time before other concerns drew him.

No random Young Pathwalker should draw that much attention from a High God at Level 480 on their Path. Baldwin felt something troubling afoot.

As always, he secretly cursed the God-Queen.

“The call with my defiler compatriot might have something to do with this Arden fellow,” Baldwin said, leaning back into his favorite office chair.

It was worn down these days despite the High Quality and Rank. But he still enjoyed it even after so many years.

A dark look appeared on the Goddess’s face. Such a look could kill a Young Pathwalker as easily as wiping away a speck with a finger. Such a look could wipe out cities easily.

“My Elder, allow me to send a dedicated squad of Veterans to investigate this Arden. Perhaps we can use the information and sell it to one of the four camps. I’m sure the Forever Crusaders will pay plenty,” she offered.

Before Baldwin could speak, a horrifying feeling touched the back of his neck. He froze and turned pale. Young Goddess Cassia remained unaffected and unaware while Baldwin had to sit there and endure.

The System.

She was breathing down his neck.

In.

Out.

In.

Out.

Then he felt her sniffing him before hearing her licking her teeth and smiling down upon him.

“Elder High God?” his assistant called.

“Be very wary of who you send, Cassia. Make sure they stay within their parameters with a tempered mind. They’re only there to gather information and no more. If others call about what’s happening, just tell them what’s apparently being spread, but keep what you can that’s more private. Now go and transfer the other High God to me.”

She quickly fled. That whole time he spoke, his energy leaked more than it should’ve and she had to endure the pressure on her shoulders.

That was a poor loss of control from him, but there were certain traumas he still couldn’t get over after so many years

“Baldwin, friend, how goes it?” asked the sick freak on the other end of the pearly orb on the desk.

High God Baldwin raised his tea from his work desk and took a sip of the curative. The defilement remained under control.

“New waves here and there. Some fortunes to be found in the citadel. Some losses, but nothing out of the ordinary. Well, except for a certain Dragon Princess seeking revenge at one of your embassies.”

“Ah, yes, some foolish juniors of mine stole from the Dragon Princess. That’s what I’m calling about. Word’s been traveling fast about this … Arden … fellow. Arden the Nomad. Path of the Artificer Warrior. Epiphany? ‘I’ll Keep Going.’”

Baldwin sighed. He hated how so many of his enemies were interconnected with him because of the purpose of the Crossroads. He’d been playing this game for so long that he found himself weary of his Path of the Trader.

He was possibly one of the most successful on the Path. There was only one Primordial on that Path, and his Senior lived as a rich recluse. But their Path was a slow, careful, and weak Path that relied on negotiation and smarts.

At the very least, he wasn’t the only one forced to work with the Defiled Covenant.

“We’re learning more about him,” Baldwin said simply.

The defiler laughed. “Oh, trust me. There’s plenty to learn. Especially if you can leverage some hooks into friends on Path of the Assassin. This Arden the Nomad fellow is a long and deeply planted weapon of the Dragon Supremacy. Came from a backwoods World Realm on the fringes. Yet, somehow, the Dragon Princess has brought him to the light with no one realizing until now. Though, their relationship is strangely colorful between one like her and one like him.”

“I’m too old for romantic fairy tales. What is it you want?”

“Allow my citadel embassy to act with more range. To give a larger welcome to Arden the Nomad. We might even invite some friends. There are always more Assassins who wish to prove themselves. And … well … Path of the Nemesis is always fun.”

Baldwin choked. “Why are you requesting so many against this one Young Pathwalker?” Before the defiler answered, a horrifying thought came to mind. “Wait, what is the status of the Fallen Slayer?”

“Corralled and studied as always,” the defiler said. “Don’t worry about that, dear friend.”

Baldwin felt his energy leak out. He made sure it didn’t leave his office and hurt anyone outside.

“Don’t you play games with me, defiler. The accords all of us hold with you require the constant containment of the Fallen Slayer and status updates. It is a worry for almost everyone, Gods, High Gods, and especially Primordials.”

Baldwin looked down at the scar in the middle of his hand. He still remembered the pain of a knife pinning his hand to a tavern table when he made the mistake of pissing off the wrong elf.

She was the Slayer long, long ago. He had friends who went to counseling because of run-ins with various versions of Slayer that didn’t end very well, yet they lived to tell the stories.

Sometimes, it was more of a blessing for the Slayer to kill you.

“The Fallen Slayer is still in your control, yes?” Baldwin asked.

“Indeed, still in our control, rampaging about in a string of lowly Hell Realms. There is no doubt he’ll remain that way for many years to come, and Path of the Slayer will be a problem we won’t have to worry about.”

Baldwin nodded.

No Path of the Slayer.

No Slayer.

No way to be screwed from above and below.

The High God looked up with a frown. He used to love the System. Now he could only pour money toward the most likely camp to rise above in the Grand Generational Passing and tear that overpowered witch down from her damn throne.

“Without her Slayer, the System is easier to deal with,” Baldwin said.

“Indeed, she is. Now, about my request? Increased range? More Assassins? And invite to Path of the Nemesis? Yes?”

Baldwin didn’t agree right away, of course. He drank more of his curative tea and talked it out with the High God defiler. They came to an agreement after a while.

Once the defiler exited the call, Young Goddess Cassia came rushing in. Her face was flushed, and her eyes were wide.

“What now?” Baldwin asked, feeling a metaphysical headache coming on.

“The Final Rose Auction House reported a record for the highest bid,” she said.

Once she told him the bid, Baldwin sat there, mouth slightly agape. The number was small compared to his position.

Compared to a Young Pathwalker who was a nobody just moments ago … It was too big. Arden the Nomad was clearly an unpredictable problem, and the old scar on Baldwin’s hand kept aching over it for some reason.

Silently, Baldwin cursed the System. A harsh idea came to mind that could heavily hinder or harm Arden while risking some negative karma.

Before he could open his mouth, he felt the System’s teeth on the back of his neck. With a quiet voice, Baldwin told his assistant to keep monitoring from a distance and that he wanted to be alone.

The System didn’t leave him alone for a while. He checked his ledgers quickly and saw the problem.

He might’ve taken advantage of too many ignorant communities for profit. His negative karma had accrued a little too much.

Baldwin quickly worked on fixing that issue. He wasn’t on a Path that had certain freedoms to act maliciously. He was on a neutral Path. He had to be very careful.

In the Realm Verse System, even a High God was just another toy of the God-Queen. But this toy could rebel. This toy could hurt the God-Queen in return.

This toy could help fund the Defiled Covenant to ensure her precious Slayer never returned.

“Play with us as much as you want, dammit,” Baldwin muttered. “We’ve taken out your favorite. And you’ve given us the means to overthrow you at long last.”

She didn’t respond or bother him again.

Baldwin felt satisfied by that. He left the business with the odd Artificer Warrior to others. His case was unusual, but it wasn’t the biggest concern.

Sooner or later, that ‘I’ll Keep Going’ Epiphany would be broken.

And everybody would forget about Arden the Nomad.