After experimenting with the unrelenting path of slaughter for a while, I realized it’s really not that bad. All I have to do is initiate it right when I see a beast to prevent myself from picking fights against rare spirit beasts or creatures that may be too scary to fight against. There’ve been a lot of those recently. That stupid spear-wielding rare spirit beast chased me really far into the southern pass, and a lot of the beasts I’ve seen recently have been emitting auras similar to Durandal. I tried going back north using my handy dandy mini-map spell, but… I managed to get lost. First there was an army of bear-sized ants marching in a line that I couldn’t go past, so I tried walking around them. Then there was a river with—well, it doesn’t matter what the river had because I can’t swim. After that, I encountered a mountain with molten rock spewing from its peak. I kind of gave up trying to go north after that. So I’ve been stuck hunting beasts that can almost kill me, and I’ve been running away from the beasts that are as scary as Durandal. I’ve named them Beastrandals.

And thus, that’s how I ended up fighting a giant lizard with splotchy green and yellow skin with green, mucus-like substances dripping out of its mouth. Recently, even when I mess up my steps in the unrelenting path of slaughter, I still have full control of my body which is a bit scary because the path would always bail me out when I was about to die. But I guess it’s a path for a reason and not a cheat that allows me to win every fight. Darn.

“Let me out! I want to fight it!”

“Shut up, you stupid sock spirit! I’m busy!” And I regret planting that spirit seed into my socks. He’s very loud, annoying, never shuts up about some person named Lan, and completely not my type. If it weren’t for the fact that he made my socks super comfortable, I would’ve thrown him away a long time ago. “Breaking Blade!”

Whew. It only took thirty Breaking Blades to cut off the lizard’s head. How tough is its skin? I bet I could make a house out of it and not worry about it breaking for the foreseeable future. I’ve also learned through experience that there’s a limit to how much I can store inside of my interspacial ring. So I only harvest the most valuable portions of the beasts I’ve slain.

“Stop cutting off animals’ penises!”

“I’ll cut off yours too if you don’t stop nagging me! Gold doesn’t grow on trees!”

“Did you do this to Lan!?”

“I didn’t cut his off! I don’t even know who Lan is!”

“He’s the spearman who owned me previously!”

“Stop shouting at me!” See? Isn’t he obnoxiously loud and annoying? Why couldn’t he be more considerate like Durandal? “I don’t know any spearmen.”

“…Are you alright in the head?”

“Don’t call me stupid!” Oh, nice. This lizard had a beast core too. I still haven’t finished using all the previous ones I obtained due to the first time experiencing the path of slaughter. Before he had fallen asleep, Durandal had told me to consume them slowly and fully incorporate them into my body or impurities would build up. I can’t use this one yet, but I’ll be able to soon! I wonder how much it’d sell for….

“You, you’re still a low-ranked spirit warrior, yet you’re able to kill a mid-ranked spirit beast. It’s no wonder why Lan lost.” The wolfman’s voice sounded a bit dejected, but that wasn’t my problem! I still haven’t found a good use for him yet. But how did he know I was a low-ranked spirit warrior? …Did I discover a new encyclopedia?

“You sound like you know a lot about spirit warriors.”

“Of course. My previous owner, Cuchulainn, was an acclaimed spearman at the peak of the spirit warrior realm. One more step and he would’ve became a divine warrior. But, like the Godking, he couldn’t cross that wall.” My socks sighed. That tickles!

“How do I become a mid-ranked spirit warrior?” That should definitely count as becoming stronger, right? And if I become stronger, Durandal will wake up faster. Tell me, sock spirit! Lead the way.

“Shouldn’t you already know? You’re Durandal’s owner, aren’t you? Why haven’t I seen him this whole time? I recognize his weapon body. I’d never forget it.”

Well, I guess it couldn’t hurt to let my sock spirit know about my weapon spirit, huh? “Durandal fell into a deep sleep before I became a spirit warrior. I have to get stronger to help him wake up.”

“Huh? A deep sleep?”

“Right. I was poisoned by a bastard, and Durandal absorbed the poison into his system instead.” Why is this lizard’s heart green? I wonder if it’s poisonous. Well, I’ll store it anyway. Now I just have to carve its bones with focus engravings and my next hunt can proceed.

“Durandal absorbed your poison, fell critically ill, and told you you’d have to get stronger to wake him up?”

“That’s right.” I thought wolfmen were supposed to have a good sense of hearing. Why do I have to repeat myself every single time? It’s like that Lan business all over again. Do you see how he’s super annoying?

“Out of concern for the stability of my future…, are you a bit stupid?” What. “It’d be better to just tell me now, so I can accept my fate for being bound to such an owner.”

“I’m going to set you on fire.” I really am. Where’s my barbeque ring?

“W-wait. Don’t you know what happens to weapon spirits when their spirit body dies?”

“They die, right?”

“…You killed me earlier, remember? Yet I’m still here. The only way to kill a spirit is to destroy its core. A spirit won’t die to something like poison, and they’ll recover by themselves naturally. Whether you get stronger or not won’t matter…. Durandal will wake up when he wakes up.”

“What.” I’ve been deceived! No! I refuse to accept that! What the hell did I work so hard for if that’s true!? Do you know how long it’s been since I last went to sleep or ate a decent meal!?

“It’s true—”

“No. You’re lying.” It’s not true. Durandal wouldn’t lie to me. I have to get stronger to wake him up. This stupid wolfy is trying to trick me! He’s jealous of Durandal and wants him to never wake up, yes, that must be it! “Just shut up and tell me how to become a mid-ranked spirit warrior.”

“…”

“Or I’ll set you on fire.”

My socks sighed again. “Alright, I’ll tell you.”