He found the first group of monsters a few minutes later. They were centipedes, with skin made out of obsidian and veins of lava running through their bodies. His analysis of them told him that they were called Stoneswimmer Centipedes, and he found out why as he approached. The pack seemed to meld with the earth beneath them, and they traveled through it, before popping out underneath Jonathan. He leaped over a set of grasping mandibles, and brought his club down, dazing the creature. With his Dexterity, he was able to use the weapon like he was far more proficient than he actually was.
He slowly led them towards Hushar, blocking and striking with his weapon in equal measure. He could feel something burgeoning within him, and he focused on that feeling, channeling his experience with his weapon into it. With his heightened stats, it was far easier to get a hang on the weapon that it would be normally. In addition, his experience with the memory stone in the Twilight Dungeon had given him a solid basis of footwork for any martial endeavors. As he approached the Uthraki, he was met with a notification.
You have gained a pathway skill!
Club Mastery: Novice 6
You have demonstrated a small level of competence in wielding clubs, and this is reflected in your pathway skill. Continue along this path, and perhaps you will eventually transcend the guise of the uneducated caveman.
He closed the message, and swapped out the club for his mace. By this point, he was only a few dozen feet away from Hushar, and the man joined him. A veritable arsenal of stone wrought armaments formed around the Uthraki, acting like a blender. The monsters that were caught within the field were eviscerated, their stony skin cracking and breaking.
Jonathan weaved in and out, letting his ally get most of the essence. Instead, he focused on adapting his martial prowess to his mace. It was differently weighted to the club, and required a bit more technique to use properly. However, fifteen minutes later, he was able to combine everything into one cohesive whole.
You have gained a new pathway skill!
Mace Mastery: Novice 5
Many think that a mace is nothing more than a tiny step up from a club, but they would be wrong. A mace is a venerable weapon of war, one with depths that most will never see.
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With that under his belt, he was finally ready to combine the skills. All he needed to do now was to get them all to Journeyman Rank. He fought alongside Hushar against the centipedes, and soon their rocky corpses littered the ground. Hushar shot up multiple levels within that time, and his Legendary class ensured that they were well worth it. Jonathan gained two levels in that time, mainly because the monsters kept coming, sensing the disturbance.
He had over two hundred stat points waiting to be allocated, but he held off. None of these creatures were much of a challenge for him to fight.
However, that all changed half an hour later. The ground began to rumble, and one of the hills revealed itself to be the shiny carapace of a titanic centipede, dozens of times larger than its smaller brethren. Clearly, it was here to avenge its weaker cousins. A billowing cloud of strength expanded out from it as it rose, and Jonathan instantly realized that this was a monster that was far too risky to fight. He pulled out the token, and transported Hushar and him back to the town. He had gotten enough out of that excursion anyway.
Rather than hunt more monsters out in the fetid marshes, he instead consolidated his gains with his new pathway skills. With his bonuses from his existing Journeyman Martial Arts skill, as well as the memories from the Master ranked swordsman, he was able to fly up Novice rank, and well into Student with both of the Pathway skills.
You have reached Student 4 with Club Mastery!
A club is the weapon of a brute, but it is an effective weapon at that. Using its weight and size to empower the strength of those who wield it, a club can be a devastating weapon.
Bonuses: +3 to Strength, +2 to Dexterity
The other notification was basically the same, but Jonathan still read through it.
You have reached Student 3 with Mace Mastery!
A good mace is like a fortress. Strong, durable, and not exactly the most eye-catching of things. However, as any wielder of this weapon would attest, beauty matters not if it does nothing to save your life.
Bonuses: +3 to Strength, +2 to Dexterity
The bonuses were small, but they would ramp up eventually. Stretching, Jonathan left his small hut and stepped out into the paltry sunshine of Mire. The motion had no meaning at his level of power, but it was still comforting nonetheless.
“Maranta! Bordeg! Tukar!” He shouted out into the village. “It’s time.”
He had a hunch that he could bring all three of them to Tartarus at the same time, considering their lesser classes and overall weakness. If he could do so, it would be far more efficient than bringing them one at a time. Any amount of lessened danger from their pursuers was welcome. Besides, Edgar and Hushar were more than capable of taking care of themselves against most foes they might face.
The three Uthraki strode up to him, and waited for his commands. He explained his idea, and then held out the token. All three Uthraki seized it, and he triggered it. There was a resistance at first, but he powered through that with his will and a small injection of mana. The token flashed into life, and transported them to Tartarus.