Limitless Path

Beth proceeded to put word to deed, heading up to the cafeteria to grab a lot of high potency alcohol. She also picked up a lot of a soft drink that was pretty similar to root beer, intending to mix the two and get quite drunk. The alcohol was specially produced with a high mana concentration, meant to be useful for people with high END and even poison resistances to still be able to get drunk.

To say she had a good time would be more than a bit of an exaggeration; she got way too drunk to try to forget an abrupt break-up and woke up the next morning feeling rather out of sorts. Fortunately, she was apparently one of those people that had trouble getting a hangover, though her stomach was more than a bit rough. Even more luckily, she didn't have to see her dinner or any of the drink a second time, as she managed to keep everything down, but she thought that maybe that wasn't the best way to handle an emotional blow.

"You good now?" Blood asked her around noon.

"No, but I guess we should take care of some stuff," Beth grumbled back.

"I would like to just point out, once again, that we don’t have to do anything," Blood said.

"Urgh," Beth grunted, slumping back on the couch instead of standing. "Maybe we don't do anything today."

"That's what I like to hear," Blood replied, walking over to lay down longways on the couch, simply slumping over top of Beth.

"Tomorrow, though," Beth grumbled, stroking Blood's hair and back. She only got a growl in response.

"Maybe you need a trim at some point," Beth said, see that Blood's hair was down past her butt in human form, spread across her thighs.

"Nope," Blood growled back and Beth let it drop.

That day was spent relaxing, Beth joining Blood for a long bath later in the evening. They slept on the couch, with Blood sprawled across Beth's lap, not seeming to care it gave her a slightly awkward sleeping position. The next day they were up fairly early, with Beth insisting they both go out, as some of the questions they needed answers to very directly related to Blood.

It was a bit awkward arriving in the lounge and see Sabs there, sitting at a table with some people Beth didn't know and talking. She gave the older girl a nod when Sabs glanced up to see who had entered before Beth took her usual spot at Baelvyr's table.

"Look like ya ate a slime toad, girlie," Baelvyr commented.

"Don't need any comments from the peanut gallery, thanks," Beth replied in a too sweet voice.

"And I don't need ya cloggin' up my table," he snorted in response.

"Well, I'm single, just to explain, and we can leave it at that," Beth said.

"Ain't bothered by yer personal life, girlie. Long as ya ain't up to anything shady," he rumbled at her.

"I'm not," Beth shook her head as she replied. "We have a couple questions."

"Yeah, I'm listenin'," he said.

"Don't know if you want to talk here," Beth said, glancing around.

"It's fine," he replied, tapping something on the table. Beth felt a slight pressure in the air around her and, upon looking around, could see a faint shimmering. "Sound barrier," he explained helpfully.

"Right, well, first of all, got any advice for using one of these?" she asked, sending him the information on the skill evolver.

"Eh, found one of them, did ya?" he rumbled. "My best advice is wait for a skill ya want to hit Gold, first. Yer skills are gonna undergone a big change, and that's not countin' the possibility they evolve, when they hit Gold. I'd wait to get used to what that's like before doin' anythin'."

"So, you don't think we should just use it now?" she asked.

"Nah, girlie. Gold's a big upgrade. Got a skill that ain't hittin' hard enough? Gold'll fix that. Got a skill that doesn't cut deep enough? Gold'll fix that. Ya get the point," he replied.

"Okay, cool. Guess we'll leave that for later," Beth said with a shrug.

"What else?" he asked.

"These," Beth replied, sending him a picture of the entombed heart.

"Ah, got one of those," he snorted while nodding.

"You recognize it, then?" Beth asked, Blood perking up a bit as well.

"Oh, yeah, they're rare, but they ain't that rare," he said before taking a huge quaff of his tankard.

"A little more detail would be nice," Beth said a bit sarcastically. "There's not a ton of information on them, or rather, there's a bunch of conflicting stuff and things that look like nothing more than guesswork."

"Because they ain't super common and they ain't well understood," he explained. "But sure, here's what I know. They're one of the few things ya can use to upgrade your humanization as a sapient beast. Now, what does that mean? It means someone like the wolf girlie here can use one in a ritual to increase her humanization factor, which would greatly increase her strength.

"It's also important to get one that aligns with ya. What that usually means is one that has a similar type and is from a similar beast. Ya don't want to be a beast based around ice, for example, and use a lightnin' heart. That won't work particularly well."

"So the one we have isn't useful for Blood?" Beth asked.

"Naw," he replied. "You'd want somethin' from somethin' at least related to canid beasts, and certainly somethin' orientated around blood, not void. Oh, also, don't use that shit for True Rebirth material, it'd be a damn wasted."

"Wasn't planning on it, but good advice," Beth said, glancing at Blood to see her simply shrug. "So, one more thing."

"Out with it," he grumbled.

"What's the Hell's Eye?" Beth asked, shuddering for a second along with Blood as an immense pressure poured out of Baelvyr, like someone had put a giant faucet on the ocean and turned it to full blast. The moment passed after no more than a few heartbeats, and Beth looked around to see that nobody else in the lounge had felt it.

"That damn inheritance," he muttered, drinking heavily. "Fine, ask yer questions."

"Okay…what is it?" Beth asked.

"It's a Forbidden Zone," he rumbled, continuing at their blank looks. "Alright, long story short: Forbidden Zones are places, usually worlds, that have been overwhelmed by beasts and lost. They ain't always lost worlds, there's a bunch of other shit it could be, but a lost world, often leadin' to a lost solar system, is the most common.

"They're extremely dangerous, so don't go pokin' yer noses into one! Nobody should be messin' with them until they're Enlightened. Period. Yer chances of survivin' in there without a Mana Physique are just south of zero, so don't think about it. Ya got a long way to go before ya can challenge some of the crazier stuff out there."

"Warning received," Beth replied simply, getting a nod of agreement from Blood as well.

"Anyway, just to tell ya what's what, Hell's Eye is the name of probably the most dangerous Forbidden Zone in this entire damn galaxy. Not that there ain't more dangerous places, there are a couple, but it's pretty much agreed it's the most dangerous Zone. I went in there a few centuries ago, not that long after makin' Exalted, with a small, elite team of Ascended. We only managed to explore part of the outer area, and even that cost us two pretty strong Ascended. Dead."

"Well, that sucks," Beth said, not really knowing what else to add.

"Ha, people die, girlie. Sad, but ya get used to it after a couple centuries," he replied, a bit more gruff than his normal tone.

"What did you mean about the outer area, by the way?" she asked, trying to refocus the conversation.

"Yeah, Zones are typically broken up into a few different areas. Some have more than others, but they usually have an outer, inner, and core area. Just the outer area of Hell's Eye is more dangerous than pretty much anywhere I've ever been," he explained, happy to move on.

"Well, thanks for explaining all that, but it's just a bunch more stuff that doesn't matter right now," she said.

"Knowin's half the battle, or whatever they say," Baelvyr grumbled. "Now, what else?"

"Only other thing I have right now is whether we should do our next rebirth yet? Is there any reason for us not to?" she asked.

"Well, other than tryin' to polish yer skills some more, not really," he mused, staring into the depths of his tankard as if a great secret was present there. "Except, it's gonna probably be too expensive for ya."

"I mean, we have a handful of diamond coins between us," Beth said, glancing at Blood, who just shrugged again.

"Yeah, that might not be enough," he said. "The first True Rebirth is always the cheapest, in terms of materials, and that's if ya can find the stuff. Jaq's somewhat limited in exactly what he's got, to the point I doubt he's got everythin' ya need for yer second one."

"So, probably just head out for this Lord of Traversal stuff as we are now?" she said hesitantly.

"Stock up on some supplies, if yer low," he replied. "And get a new sword, girlie. Ya need it."

"Any other brilliant wisdom?" she huffed back.

"Don't go anywhere alone with people ya don't know. Don't brag about shit ya got or shit ya've done. Ask questions," he took a long pull. "Fight like hell."

"Alright, well, we have a less pleasant stop next," she said, standing.

"If'n he ain't got what ya need, come back and ask me, but I only got so much random extra shit. The two of ya might need to actually start travelin' around to find the stuff ya need, whether it's from killin' or findin' the right merchant," he said.

"I like the idea that Jaq isn't the right merchant," Beth chuckled, earning a snort and an eyeroll from the ogre before she led the way out of the lounge.

Blood trailed behind her a few steps as they headed back through the arena section and down into the underworks. Beth spaced out a bit as they tread the white marble halls, thinking about where they were at and what they needed going forward. She couldn't help as her mind drifted to other things, namely her lonely bed, but she forced herself to refocus as she walked into the commissary.

It didn't take very long for Jaq to appear, walking out of the left-hand door to stand across from them behind the counter, glowering at them before asking, "What now?"

"Couple things," Beth got right into business. "First, we need some supplies."

"Give me a list," he sighed. Beth sent him a list, mainly just rations and a few minor things, though she did request more clothes for both her and Blood. Jaq whipped that all up in under a minute and she paid, putting everything but Blood's clothes in her necklace.

"What else?" he asked shortly.

"Our next True Rebirth lists," she said, sending him a copy of each list.

Beth:

100 Tier 2 Beast Cores

50 Level 200 Rare Weapons

10 Diamond Hearts

1 Star Essence

1 Void Wisp

1 Dark Monster Heart

Blood:

40 Tier 3 Beast Cores

20 Royal Beast Hearts

10 Ruby Hearts

10 Monster Blood Essence

1 Tier 4 Life Essence

"These lists are frankly absurd," Jaq said after glancing at them.

"Is that a bad thing?" Beth asked, exchanging a decided look with Blood.

"Yes and no," he said, continuing on before either of them could interrupt. "Having very stringent requirements means it will be very difficult to obtain the materials, of course. That same high level in the requirements means that you will be building towards something particularly powerful, including that your mana reserves will likely increase more than what would be considered average."

"Okay, that's both good and bad, but what about the lists? Do you have any of that?" she asked.

"The beast cores will be the easiest," he replied, glancing at their lists again. "The requirement for fifty weapons of at least rare rarity and level two hundred or more required will also not pose a significant challenge, though it will pose a significant cost.

"To continue with you, our problem child, first, I will explain the other four pieces you need. The diamond hearts are produced from ore and crystal veins where diamond is present and there is a very high mana concentration. I don't think I need to explain to you how rare, and valuable, such items would be? In any event, they are not impossible to obtain, just very difficult. I do not have any on hand, and it would likely take me a long time to get even a few, let alone all ten.

"Star Essence is interesting, as it is formed in stars with fairly high mana concentrations. Because there are so many stars in the universe, and so much mana, it isn't all that rare, but it is difficult to acquire nonetheless. Star mining is not an easy thing, whether by magic or technology, and the complications of solar beasts and other hazards makes it an often highly dangerous prospect. I don't have a single Star Essence on hand, as it's not used by any less than Master-ranked crafters, but it can be acquired. It's not quite as rare as a diamond heart, but each piece is more expensive, as diamond hearts are less dangerous to harvest, even if they are somewhat less common.

"Void Wisps are generated in a handful of very dangerous places that have high concentrations of void mana. I will spare you all the details for now, as you can research it yourself if you so desire. And no, knowing more about them won't mean you can go get one; they're in areas simply too dangerous for you.

"Finally, something you can get your hands on yourself at your current level of power. Any monster over level two hundred has a high chance to drop a monster heart, and all you need to do is find a dark-aspected one. Should be simple, yes?"

"I don't actually know if you're being sarcastic or not," Beth replied, very deadpan.

"Yes, well, the wolf girl now," he replied with a small sigh. "The beast cores aren't challenging, as I stated before."

"We have enough beast cores, pretty much," Beth interrupted.

"Yes, someone that spends so much time in the wilds focused on fighting would certainly have enough. Now, the royal beast hearts aren't particularly challenging, either. Any royal-labeled beast can have a Royal Heart drop, though it really only starts occurring at level two hundred-plus. Even so, they're not a super rare material, so they don't have a very high price.

"The ruby hearts are very similar to the diamond hearts, only with ruby-containing ore veins. The price is slightly higher, as ruby is slightly rarer, but it's very much the same thing. The monster blood essence is more difficult, and I am slightly surprised that your second rebirth requires it. Only monsters above level two hundred fifty have a chance of dropping it, making it rather rare and quite expensive, especially with its many uses in alchemy and enchanting. I also do not have any ruby hearts or monster blood essence in stock.

"Finally, the Life Essence. Here we come to something to rival the void wisp, and something I certainly don't and likely wouldn't ever have in stock. Life Essence is only dropped by beasts or monsters at the minimum of a power level equivalent of a boss. They are tier-equivalent to beast cores, as well, meaning your tier four essence would have to come from a level three hundred plus beast of at least boss strength."

"So, you don't have most of the stuff we need, other than the stuff we already can farm?" Beth asked to clarify.

"I'm afraid not," he replied. "Welcome to the joys of attempting True Rebirths. Essentially, until you become much more powerful and can risk attempting to obtain resources like these yourself, you need to buy them. Which means finding them for sale and then paying a commensurate price."

"Well, okay, last thing then," Beth said, getting a single, perfectly arched brow from the ornery shopkeeper. "I need a new sword."

"Greatsword?" he asked blandly.

"Yepper," she said.

"I have something just for my favorite customer," he said, turning and disappearing through the central door.

He returned a moment later and waved one hand over the counter, making an item appear with a light flourish. And what an item it was, as a five-feet-long blade, polished to within an inch of its life, sat on the counter. The blade was a smooth, perfectly forged golden metal that was as reflective as any mirror Beth had ever seen, around six inches wide and over an inch thick at the center. The cross guard extended out nearly four inches before curving upward sharply, though not sharp enough to point back towards the blade. The hilt was easily large enough that she could grip it with both hands, even with her gauntlets on, and was finished with a large pommel that contained a dark red gem. She picked it up, noting that it was very heavy, though absolutely not more than she could handle, admiring the double-edged blade and the way it shone before finally Identifying it.

Golden Crushing Edge

{This blade, forged of an alloy of mana gold and mithril, is both extremely heavy and extremely durable. It is enchanted with durability, repair, and mass adjustment.

20% increase in STR.

Minimum Level 200}

"Fine," Beth sighed. "How much?"

"Fifty platinums," he replied calmly, though Beth made a choking noise and nearly dropped the blade.

"Good equipment is expensive," he continued.

"Fine," Beth repeated, sighing a second time. She dumped half-a-diamond worth of coins on the counter, which Jaq made disappear instantly, before Beth made the sword disappear into her necklace.

"Anything else?" he asked.

"I think that's all for now," she replied, giving him a nod before turning and leading Blood out.