Path of the Slayer B1 C48. Legendary

There were more notifications.

I wasn’t itching to check them.

It was hard to celebrate when Hellion was seriously broken.

I shut off all of my powers and examined my half ripper arm. I could still move it like a regular arm, but there was a lack of a spark to the crimson and edgy thing. Like the spirit inside was in a coma.

The cracks in its frame leaked dark blood that oozed slowly onto the corpse whose entire head was gone. The drip from Hellion was slow, and getting slower. It wasn’t a good sight.

“Well, you’re not dead completely,” I said. “You just need a month to recover. That’s all. If I can’t fix you now, then we’re definitely upgrading you when you get back.”

Hellion gave no response.

It was my fault, really. I hadn’t prioritized Hellion’s own growth. I wasn’t exactly sure how Bonded Treasures could grow.

Maybe replacing his parts with better materials and enchantments would push Hellion to a new tier of power. I’d have to ask the others or anyone who knew enough to confirm.

There was a lot I still didn’t know.

“I’ll Keep Going,” I said, the Epiphany boosting my mood.

Using my mouth, I slipped my storage ring onto a half ripper claw before I grabbed my greatsword and returned it to my back.

Magnus’s corpses dwindled back down to its prior form, a naked half giant. While it waited there, I took a knee next to Sabretooth, whose heart-engine was thumping along sluggishly. I rubbed my hand over her damaged body, feeling the cracks and her own bloody leakage.

Sabretooth purred under my touch, her handlebars turning toward Hellion.

I smiled sadly. “Your older brother is hurt. He’ll need time to heal.”

Sabretooth let out a sad grumble. She’d never shown that much affection toward Hellion before.

I couldn’t take it anymore. From my storage ring, I summoned another half arm I’d made before leaving the Raining Ruin Hell Realm.

It was non-cursed Rank 2 steel with basic functions, just like the old Rank 1 Artificer Half Arm, but thicker and better. It was nothing compared to Hellion, but the replacement was needed.

I dismissed the loyal half ripper so he could start healing.

[Your Bonded Treasure is being fixed! Hellion Half Ripper: 29 days, 23 hours, 59 minutes, 59 seconds until full recovery!]

Sighing, I propped on the Rank 2 prosthetic with only a brief struggle and a lot of help from my Path Energy. It glowed along the seams with blue artificing magic and connected to my nerves with a zap. The ring went on my index finger last.

“Thanks for waiting, girl. Now let’s get you fixed up,” I said, forcing some cheer into my voice for her sake.

Sabretooth perked up at that.

I took out the Cold Path Elixir and bit off the topper. After I helped Sabretooth onto her wheels, I spun the fuel cap off her tank and poured the elixir into her belly.

It wasn’t meant for her. It was meant for me. But it seemed right to give it to her, or so I hoped.

The soulful Pathwalker energy filled her with a cold light that spread beyond the fuel lines.

Cold light beamed through the cracks and damages in her frame, along her spokes, and from within the engine itself. The cracks in her heart-cylinder glowed the brightest while she made crunchy put-put noises and almost stalled out a few times.

“Uh, okay, maybe that wasn’t a good idea.” I lifted Sabretooth carefully and brought her to Magnus’s corpse. “Here, eat girl. One big hearty half-giant. Maybe that’ll help stabilize you before I get to doing some real repairs.”

While she dined sluggishly, I placed the big screw-all morningstar in my Icy Storage Ring. I yanked off a fat ring from Magnus that had storage magic.

That was the third one for my party. Well, technically the fourth, Merlin had his own storage device as a pouch. This one needed to get cracked as well to get past the ownership magic. Either Thumper or Merlin could handle that.

Wait a minute.

The encounter was over.

Where was Thumper?

Before I could find the rogue, Sabretooth finished her meal and something in my System Logs rushed up to the front. It was overt and forceful, desperate for my attention. 

I pulled up the notification directly.

[Congrats! You’ve bonded with the Sabretooth Autocycle: Rank 3 (Epic)!]

[Would you like to make the Sabretooth Autocycle into a Bonded Treasure? This will change the crafted item into magic gear you can dismiss and summon.]

“Yes!” I shouted.

[Commencing Bonded Treasure Sequence. Commencing. Commencing….]

Everything slowed down.

I noticed dust motes in the air that caught the green glow of nearby gems. They almost looked like tiny fireflies.

I couldn’t move while golden energy streamed around Sabretooth’s entire body. It was just like when Hellion became bonded to me. I was just as excited and filled with wonder as the last time.

[Bonded Treasure Sequence complete!]

[Congrats! You’ve acquired a Bonded Treasure: Sabretooth Giant Hunter!]

[Sabretooth Giant Hunter: Level 31 (Legendary): She’s not a sleek and demure lady. She’s a big and feisty monstress of cursed artificing and primal hunger! Ride her flexible and armored body fast and hard! She can feast on enemies that are enriched by Vitality, Aether, or even Path Energy, making her stronger and colder. She even comes with size-shifting tires, lots of claws, long-reaching fangs, a flailing tail, and the ability to conjure and manipulate tundra magic! If that isn’t incredible already, she has some luxurious amenities, too!]

She really was a monstress of an autocycle.

The tires were thick, not quite like eighteen wheelers, but they had obvious weight to them that were meant for crushing and going over most obstacles. Every part of her was armored with a black and brown frame that thickened her body, leaving only the fur-covered cushion as the only soft bastion. There was even a windshield with a brown tint that was almost shaped like the head of a feline.

From the back was a long metallic black tail that whipped back and forth with a flanged mace at the end. Blue-white frost circled around her and came out of her exhausts with every guttural breath.

Then there was her heart-engine. The cylinder containing the center of her power was bigger even though there was still only one heart. She didn’t need any more. The one I’d given her was plenty enough and thumped readily.

Sabretooth rolled forward slowly, with her claws peeking out of her tires a little. I noticed her fangs stretching out monstrously from the radiator position like she was yawning … or preparing to eat me.

Then she sheathed her claws, put away her fangs, and bumped my hip with her front wheel. As she stood, her handlebars reached my eyes. If she could shift the size of her tires, then she could be even taller if she wanted.

“You’re beautiful,” I said.

Sabretooth purred merrily and bumped my hip again.

I think a combination of intense fighting, the administration of the Cold Path Elixir, and the consumption of Magnus’s corpse had led to Sabretooth being my Bonded Treasure. One that was Level 31 and … Legendary.

I nearly collapsed.

The realization struck me hard.

I couldn’t believe it.

Yet, she was right there in front of me. “Sabretooth, you’re … you’re … Legendary.”

Her long and deadly tail whipped about merrily. Chilly winds and drifts of snow circled around us. Her body flexed and shifted despite her heavy metallic frame, wriggling in ways that shouldn’t be possible.

She was stunning to witness.

And she was mine.

The urge to break down and cry nearly overcame me.

Great Skill activated: Rogue Nomad Stoicism.

Path Energy: 49%.

Moving on, I ignored the other notifications in my System Log and turned my attention to where Thumper had fought the pale nomad. There was blood, scraps of cloth I recognized to come from the nomad’s cloak, and the ravaged remains of a broken bow.

The destruction of a Rank 4 item was a shame. It would’ve been better served being carefully destroyed by me so I could learn its enchantments and deep runic secrets. At the very least, I had the morningstar and all of its big Rank 4 material and magic. The stuff inside the hunters’ storage rings might have more Rank 4 gear for me to cannibalize.

I looked past the broken Rank 4 bow and walked over to something even more interesting. Sabretooth rolled after me quietly, her big tires overcoming every dip and fall in the broken floor like it was child’s play.

I crouched next to a ravaged corpse that was missing half of its body. I couldn’t talk smack, though. I was still missing my left shoulder and arm. Until I found another source of Path Energy, I focused on sealing the wound, no blood leaking.

The corpse was the pale nomad. There wasn’t anything else of note on him. One eye looked up darkly while half of his face was stricken with horror. He’d seen something terrifying before he faced his demise. 

Something that must’ve come from one of my companions. Something that ate the nomad alive.

“Alright, Thumper.” I stood. “Come on. Where are you? I need you to tell me what Merlin’s up to.”

He might not have met up with Merlin. He could’ve found me and the hunters first. Still, I wanted Thumper to come out of the shadows so I could check up on him.

I looked around.

There was the destroyed section of the floor and slow-moving motes catching in the green light of the gems littered everywhere. New openings had appeared after old ones were closed off, shifting the pattern of the maze once again.

Looking up, I wondered if getting to the top of the tall walls was possible, but after enough staring, I noticed a few strings of green energy flickering into appearance above. 

There was a magic net up there. Could be deadly. Going topside wasn’t an option, at least for now.

When I looked down, I noticed something white and scary peeking from around the corner of a new opening in the wall. It was a hundred feet past Sabretooth.

The giant hunter autocycle noticed my gaze and rolled around to look. She crouched downward, suppressions contracting, wheels spreading, bracing herself to pounce. I patted my metal hand on her plush seat before walking a few feet past her and no more.

“Thumper?” I called.

A creature that looked like a wolf fused with a man crawled out on all fours. It was big, bigger than Magnus, and would’ve reached thirty feet tall if it stood up straight. All of my instincts to fight came to the forefront of my mind. My body tensed up, and that made Sabretooth growl.

Still, I didn’t reach for a weapon.

I noticed the platinum blonde mane around its head and pale white fur on its body. I noticed the silver eyes and the noble shape of its entire face, like it was a wolf breed that came from a high pedigree. I also noticed how it moved jerkingly, hesitatingly.

That cinched it.

“Hey, Thumper,” I said.

“Hey, Arden,” the shifted half-giant said, his voice coming from his throat without his jaws moving much.

He stopped ten feet away while seated like a very stooped over wolfman. From here, I could see the mane on his head was like hair, reaching pretty far down. I had to crane my neck back just to see his face even with him sitting.

“You had shifter magic this whole time?” I asked.

“No.” He looked away nervously. “Not in the way you think it is.”

“Uh, okay.”

I was drawing blanks. Magnus had a shifter power that had turned him into a big half-bear, half-man. Thumper was now an even bigger wolfman. But it wasn’t a plain shifter power.

I hummed. “What is it?”

“Something dangerous.” He sniffed, his wolf nose twitching. “You should go find Merlin at the heart of the maze. He’s been using his Energy Tap to subdue the boss. But I think he’ll be at his limit soon.”

“You coming?” I asked before tossing Magnus’s storage ring up at him.

He caught it with his mouth. I assumed the other things he had were there somewhere.

“I’ll work on the rings. But I can’t come with you… I need to go before…” He got up and padded away.

“Before what?” I asked.

He stopped and looked back. “Before I lose control … this power is limited for a reason. I shouldn’t have used it. But the hunter nearly killed me … and … and …” He trailed off before finding his voice again. “Now I have to keep away until it ends. Or I might lose myself. In a bad way.”

“I got it. You don’t have to explain further. Find a corner to hole up in. Merlin and I will finish up and wait for you,” I said.

Thumper looked at me, studying me as if he was searching for the truth in my words. The guy came across as awkward and uncertain and lonely, especially in a big wolfman form. I’d been lonely, too, when my adventurer companions turned on me for being stuck at Rank 0.

The circumstances were different. I’d come from the slums while he was some fancy noble on the run.

But, eh, whatever.

Our Paths were aligned. I didn’t see why we couldn’t be friends.

I gave him one thumb up. “We won’t ditch you. I promise. Someone has to save me from brain rot when we reach the Modern Earth Realms.”

“Oh, uh, thanks. And congrats on Sabretooth being Legendary. That’s really awesome. Later.” Thumper nodded and ran off. He moved far faster than the Rank 4 hunter elf and was gone before I could blink.

“Sheesh, that’s scary,” I said.

I glanced back at the half-eaten corpse of the pale nomad. “Hm. Was that a Legendary power of his? Maybe even a Bloodline power?”

Sabretooth growled an affirmative.

I waited a beat before realizing Hellion wasn’t going to fill the pause.

Shaking my head, I grabbed hold of Sabretooth’s handle and swung up into the seat. Even with her having a wide and armored form, the seating arrangement and leg positioning was comfortable. There were also foot pedals that would set the dual kickstands down or shift gears. The handles swooped toward me, easily within reach.

As my Path Energy streamed through her, an illuminated display beamed out of some surface-engraved enchantments at the center of her handlebars. It was almost like a dashboard, but projected.

It read out energy reserves, a speedometer, driving modes, combat modes, and other infographics. I poked at the amenities tab and received a wheel of options. One came with passive energy transfusion.

I patted Sabretooth’s frame and let out a cheer. “Hell yeah, that’s nice! You can transfer Path Energy to me!”

The giant hunter autocycle let out a happy purr that made her frame vibrate, shaking me up while on top of her. I chuckled at that.

She certainly wouldn’t give as much compared to what Hellion could give. She needed the energy the most. But at least I had another way to recover, even if slower.

I looked back and noticed there was a small patch of fur for a co-rider behind me. I also noticed there were footholds and grips on the sides of her large body for possible side-riders.

She was prepared to drive a whole party wherever needed.

“Okay. There’s still one more hunter who’s out there. Maybe wolfman Thumper will get her. Either way, let’s go find Merlin. You can take control, Sabretooth.”

The driving option blinked to ‘auto.’

The combat option chose ‘variable.’

Her gears shifted, her heart-engine roared, and Sabretooth shot forward faster than I was prepared for. I nearly flew out of my seat when her tail caught me gently and pushed me back into place.

I held on with a death grip as Sabretooth tore a trail faster than her armored form would suggest while leaving frost and chilling winds in her wake.

The air roared past us. Big chunky pieces, craters, piles of gem, and countless other damages spread across the lanes were rolled over easily.

Sabretooth swerved and fish-hooked into turns, taking the leftmost routes mainly. Every time she shifted gears, revved up, and accelerated, her heart-engine thumped so loud it shook every rock and pebble we rolled past with excess vibrations. It was a thrilling ride to experience, and I was pretty sure Sabretooth was holding back.

What would it take to upgrade her?

I would have to find out after I upgraded Hellion first.

Leaving her to handle the driving, I checked my other notifications in my System Logs and whooped aloud. Some of that excitement came from the adrenaline of being on a Legendary ride. Another part of my excitement came from the immense gains! 

Maybe that was wrong of me, after Hellion’s sacrifice, but I knew the half ripper would encourage me to look at the positives.

[Congrats! Your Great Skill evolved! From Pain Eater Gluttony to Pain Eater Devourer!]

[Pain Eater Devourer: Level 31 (Exquisite): First a punching bag, then a glutton, now a true devourer! At this point, you’re becoming scarier the more hits you absorb. Use this when you take some serious damage to raise your toughness, recovery, counter strikes, and strength to an extreme degree!]

Oh, yeah, that was some good stuff. The addition to getting an extreme strength boost would be amazing for me after absorbing some serious damage.

Unfortunately, the Exquisite Quality would make the Great Skill more expensive to use. Path Energy management was always a concern for me.

[Congrats! Your Great Skill evolved! From Brutal Musician Grace to Massacre Dancer Delight!]

[Massacre Dancer Delight: Level 31 (Rare): Someone call the cops! We got a noise complaint! Either they’ll boogie woogie with you or end up on the chopping block! As you make lots of killer noise, your agility, dexterity, and perception get a significant boost!]

Nice!

Going from a mere boost to a significant boost was always welcomed. The added perception part was great, too. With all the noise I could make, having enhanced perception could pick out the important details.

The increase in cost was still a niggling issue.

I’d tried weakening their effects, which made them weaker in power, but the cost remained the same.

The more my Great Skills evolved, the more mindful I needed to be with their uses.

I was suffering from my success.

No. I was suffering from having low Path Energy. I need more than Exquisite Quality.

Setting aside my concerns, I refocused on the gains. I was getting a lot.

[Congrats! You’ve acquired a new Great Skill: Crazy Underdog Luck!]

[Crazy Underdog Luck: Level 11 (Uncommon): Okay, hear me out. You need to get your head checked. How many fights are you having with you as the underdog? Either you’re a fool or you’re a really lucky fool. Might as well be the latter, so whenever you’re in the underdog position, hit this to become luckier.]

I twisted the throttle by accident and gassed Sabretooth too much, shooting her forward faster than she attended, missing a turn. Instead of jerking to a sudden stop on her front wheel, the air turned frigid around us while thick clumps of snow and ice streamed ahead.

The tundra magic formed a frosted lane on the floor that became a turning ramp Sabretooth rolled onto. Without having to slow down, the ramp took us on a complete U-turn and had us back on course.

On the magic dashboard, she flipped between the driving options of ‘auto,’ ‘self,’ and ‘assisted’ multiple times in a cheeky manner.

I chuckled. “My bad, I got excited. Let’s stay on auto.”

The auto driving option remained, and I examined my newest gain.

Crazy Underdog Luck.

I’d never heard of anything based on luck before.

How could a power like that be an Uncommon Great Skill at Level 11? It would only cost me -2% in Path Energy. Just earlier, I was complaining about rising costs, but a luck-based power being this cheap was strange.

What could luck do in the Realm Verse System?

There was nobody I could talk with about it.

I imagined all the greater Pathwalkers above me would want to capture me, study me, and maybe even dissect me if they knew I had these powers. Senior Codex’s warning about my Path of the Slayer and my talent for Great Skills remained in the forefront of my mind.

I shook my head and checked my Path Energy.

It was back up to 50% after three minutes. Definitely on the slow side, but much faster than meditating for a whole day.

Granted, I could recover all of my Path Energy in one day of meditation. Merlin and Thumper and most other Pathwalkers needed two days of meditation to fully recover.

Riding and keeping Sabretooth fueled could take my Path Energy from 1% to 100% in five hours. There was no transfusion sickness, either. Would the rate remain the same if there were other passengers? That was worth testing later.

Strangely enough, there was still something new in my System Logs that begged for my attention.

What more could I gain?

[Congrats! You’ve acquired a new Great Skill: Energized Body Conservation!]

[Energized Body Conservation: Level 1 (Uncommon): Ohhhh, yeah, you’re going to like this one! You’ve finally unlocked a PASSIVE skill, which has no cost! Whenever you use Path Energy to enhance your body naturally, the cost is reduced by a solid chunk for that natural enhancement.]

***

[Arden, “I’ll Keep Going,” Pathwalker

Path of the Slayer: Level 43

Path Magic: Path Energy (Exquisite), Tyrannosaurus Roar (Rare), Path Magnetism (Rare), Path Lightning (Rare), Relentless Surge (Uncommon), Apex Fervor (Uncommon).

Great Skills: Energized Body Conservation (Uncommon), Pain Eater Devourer (Exquisite), Striving Elementalist Mastery (Rare), Massacre Dancer Delight (Rare), Gear Modder Speed (Uncommon), Multi-Striker Potency (Uncommon), Sword Player Flurry (Uncommon), Rogue Nomad Stoicism (Uncommon), Gaining Lifter Focus (Uncommon), Low Techie Fabrication (Uncommon), Crazy Underdog Luck (Uncommon).

Bonded Treasures: Sabretooth Giant Hunter (Legendary), Hellion Half Ripper (Recovering/30 Days).]