"Beautiful," Olaf muttered as he saw the ethereal purple glow emanating from the blade along with the sharp aura it exuded. For the first time in his long life, he truly knew what a weapon with sentience looked like—one that had what every weapon lacked: a purpose.

To end.

A short but very powerful word. The inevitable fate of every single living creature. One that, no matter what we do, will always stay in the distance, waiting, watching.

But coming inevitably.

Putting down the rune pen, Samael caressed Void Raven's surface as he felt the blade hum in his grasp, almost as though it truly was alive.

He could feel a multitude of emotions he had never felt before—a mixture of feelings similar to that of a sentient beast.

Fulfilment.

Pain.

Excitement.

Rage.

All boiling under the black steel of the blade, swirling and waiting for the right moment.

"Soon," Samael muttered under his breath.

Summoning the Codex, Samael began to see the improvements in the weapon.

[Void Raven]

Rank: Saint I

Weapon Type: Axe

Description:

A blade reborn with one purpose. To End. A weapon of the Void Heir. Holds enmity against gods.

"Saint... Look at that, you even got ahead of me," Samael whispered to the weapon as the weapon trembled, as if it were laughing at him.

It was truly odd, that feeling that Void Raven wasn't just a weapon anymore but now a companion, someone that can understand.

But now it was time to see how far the rebirth got him.

Show me the skills.

Affirmative.

Let's begin with the offensive skills.

[Sear]

Description: Wounds inflicted by Crimson Raven are three times as painful.

[Bleed]

Description: Wounds inflicted by Crimson Raven are inflicted with status effect [hemorrhage], opting the opponents to bleed profusely if left untreated.

[Crimson Thirst]

Description: Increases the sharpness, durability, and status effects by consuming blood. Should the host feed the blade its own blood, drastically increase sharpness, durability, and status effects.

[Blind Wrath]

Description: Drastically increases the sharpness, durability, and skill damage of the weapon but inflicts great rage upon the user.

Bullseye

There were in fact changes in the ability of Void Raven. If Samael did not know this weapon to the most minute detail, he would have been fooled by what he was looking at.

Not only did the names change, but the effects also drastically changed. Some increased in the amount of effects they do, but some simply had an added skill.

If he was being honest, he was most interested in the effects of blind wrath and crimson thirst. Frankly, he had never fed Void Raven with his own blood, usually with the enemies blood after wounding them. But now that that option has been opened, it could offer a whole new probability.

Regarding the matter of blind wrath, Samael is interested in the benefits it'll give. He was afraid of using it due to its tendency and his tendency to go berserk, but now, with his training with Mendez, he has more confidence to resist its effects.

It would be a valuable weapon in moments of dire need.

Let's proceed with utility skills.

Affirmative.

[Harvester]

Description: Inflicts two effects on the enemies. The first effect [blood miasma] inflicts paralysing fear upon those exposed to it. Can be powered by the host's bloodlust and followed by the effect [Vulture's hunger], which allows the weapon to grow stronger by feeding off the fear of the enemy, increasing its overall strength and status effects.

Samael's eyes glittered for a moment. So far, this had been the most powerful boon he had gotten.

The ability to use his bloodlust to power the miasma effects of Void Raven? Now that was something else.

First of all, he is aware that his bloodlust is unusual. It is higher than most and even rivals the high table warriors that had lived twice, if not three, longer than he. Now that he can somewhat utilise it due to Mendez's training, it will be a power that can dwarf his enemies and paralyse them with fear.

[Flock]

Description: Allows the host to turn into a flock of ravens by infusing essence. The ravens can now attack as well, adding more chaos and giving the user the capability to use Mirage with one of the Ravens.

Yet another awesome boon. Samael knew the weakness of the ability flock was its inability to attack. It was merely a visual illusion incapable of even touching the enemy. Once they understood that, flock was nothing but an ability to dodge. But now? That changes.

Not to mention, the ability to use his skill mirage with the other ravens means he can deploy two of him to confuse opponents on which is which. Perhaps even lowering their guard should they terminate the false clone.

[Loyalty]

Description: Allows the weapon to return back by the will of the user and allows the weapon to change trajectories midair.

It was an okay skill. But changing trajectories midair is a good addition, but not something Samael uses often.

[Birds eye]

Description: Allows the host to deploy a Raven and see what it sees, hears, and smells.

Similar to loyalty, it was a good skill made even better. But not something he can benefit from most of the time. It is a useful addition to his scouting skills.

[Tracker]

Description: Allows the host to put a marker on an enemy he damages, allowing the weapon to chase after the enemy.

I take back everything I said, Samael swiftly thought.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

This ability tracker basically changed everything. With the skill to mark his enemies and use Void Raven to chase after them with the help of Loyalty's trajectory-changing capability, he can basically keep chasing after a running beast!

Pair that with birds eye view, and he can basically follow the enemy wherever it goes, with the exception that Void Raven is stopped by something.

[Blood bank]

Description: Allows the weapon to absorb the blood of its foes and use it rather than consuming the essence of the host. The higher the purity of the blood, the better and lower the energy will be consumed when used.

Blood bank remained the same. Not that it needed any upgrades, for it was already an amazing ability that spared his essence from draining.

Now it was time to see the defensive skills.

[Guardian]

Description: Protects the host from mental attacks by consuming them. However, it cannot consume multiple or mental attacks that are too strong for the host's current level. Enables the host to retrace who sent the attack and send it back to the enemy.

He had never personally used this ability before, for he himself already has a skill similar to it. But now, with this new ability, he can basically stack with tracker and loyalty. It is a handy skill to possess should a situation arise where it is needed.

[Deflect]

Description: Allows the host to deflect heavy attacks along with abilities at the cost of consuming essence.

Deflect is also another skill he has yet to use. His aggressive fighting style mostly meant he dodges the attacks and waits for counter opportunities, especially after Mendez. But it would be a clutch ability in moments of dire need. After all, there are no guarantees he will always fight alone.

[Nurture]

Allows the weapon to grow stronger as the user does.

Nurture remained the same. However, its skill-giving ability had also changed. It is not fixed anymore. Perhaps because Void Raven is now sentient, meaning it can produce its own abilities without any assistance.

Meaning the abilities he'll get will be more powerful and more tailored for him.

Samael let out a small, imperceptible smile as he twirled the blade a couple of times, the deep purple glow emanating from its surface lighting the room and casting shadows over the forge.

The Mellaguns inside the room couldn't help but be mesmerised at the sight of this blade. It was nothing short of legendary, a tale that will be passed on for generations to come.

Never had it happened, NEVER! Never once did a Mellagun reach the 10th fold. Never. And they were the pinnacle and masters of smithing.

But that changes today.

What Samael accomplished is unheard of. To reach that far and create a weapon with sentience and a purpose is simply impossible. Even the concept was hard to grasp for them.

Like fireworks, the Mellaguns exploded with questions as they began to crowd Samael. Olaf tried to stop them, but it was simply impossible with their sheer number and the size of the forge.

Samael simply smirked as his figure vanished in a blur, appearing in the small window at the top of the wall as he jumped down.

It was time to test the new skills he gained.

As Samael fell, the harsh winds whipped against his face as he muttered.

"Flock."

Exploding into a group of Ravens, Samael soared in the wind as he pushed his way through the forest, weaving back and forth as he landed down with a soft thud.

Looking ahead, Samael looked upon the approaching abominations.

Cracking his neck, he twirled Void Raven in the air, the purple and black glow of the blade leaving traces in the air.

As one of the abominations resembling that of a violent black ooze rapidly charged at Samael, he simply smirked as blood red smoke permeated the air.

As the ooze barrelled through the tall trees, shattering the ground it ran on, its body swiftly smashed down the muddy earth, skidding off the floor before fully halting inches from Samael's feet, spasming and twitching like a dead spider.

"Fear... a very powerful poison..." Samael muttered as he slowly approached the beast, the abominations in his vicinity hesitant to push closer.

"Time to test this," Samael said as he bought the blade close to his palm, slowly dragging it forward and leaving a cut in his palm.

Expecting it to bleed profusely, Samael watched in fascination as the blood was absorbed through the blade as if they were being magnetised, floating and darting towards the black steel.

Samael let out a short chuckle as he watched Void Raven's features grow sharper, its metal solidifying like crystal as it became more animalistic in looks.

Approaching the ooze squirming in the ground, Samael could smell the foul stench it released. A putrid mix of rotting corpses and something like a burning piece of leather.

The beast had no facial features; its body almost appeared transparent. But none of it mattered as Samael slowly sunk Void Raven's sharp edge at its body, the creature spasming violently under its effects.

As a few more seconds passed by, the futile resistance of the abomination died down as it fell limp on the floor, liquefying on the ground and burning everything it touched like acid. Yet, Void Raven remained unaffected.

The other abberations in the area remained far, watching Samael with their tails between their legs, afraid of what he was capable of.

Looking upon them, Samael's lips grew to a sinister grin.

Like an arrow, Void Raven flew in the air. With the help of his newly developed skills, the blade weaved and circled through the trees as the beast tried to run away.

However, it was too late.

One by one they fell down like leaves on a fall, their bodies limping down, headless, and severed.

When all was done, with a simple raise of his hand, the blade returned, soaked in blood for nothing but a moment as it began to greedily drink it.

Taking a deep breath, Samuel looked at the blade once more. It was time to do something more dangerous.

"Blind wrath."

Like a dam being opened, Samael took a step back as he felt himself being overwhelmed by the waves of rage smashing against his body.

Slowly, he could feel his reasoning slowly fade and his rationality begin to weaken. All he could feel was the growing urge to destroy and kill.

Samael's body trembled as he tightened his grip on the weapon. However, he remained still, not lashing out or jumping at the nearest enemy. No, he remained calm.

Like Mendez taught, Samael did not let his emotions get him; rather, he won over it.

Slowly, Void Raven's appearance became even more terrifying as it grew sharp points and crooked edges, the raven in its end growing more animalistic as the crimson glow it emanated dispersed in the area.

Approaching a nearby tree, Samael slowly, without any power, put the weapon forward and watched as the edge of the blade cut through the bark like a hot knife to a butter.

It was unbelievable how something like that can happen.

Pushing his hand across, the tree did not even fall down due to how fine the cut was, making it appear as if it was never severed.

However, what surprised Samael was something entirely else.

Before, he had to innately channel Void energy through Void armament, making the weapon have the ability to corrode and destroy the enemy that way.

But now it can do that on its own.

Samael watched as the tree began to corrode away, almost as though it was rotting at a very fast degree before turning into dust.

Truly a massive boon and achievement.

Samael shifted his gaze towards the distance. There were only a few more days of their stay here. He had accomplished many things and returned to his roots. There were many things to answer and even more questions to be asked.

Now, he has one final objective. To finish Mendez's training, the final part.

The kill path.

***

"The kill path is, as the name suggests, a path. It is a way for you to 'reach' the enemy," Mendez said. "I cannot truly describe it aside from that. It gives you a clear method, a road you can traverse, the most efficient one."

"How do I accomplish it?" Samael asked.

"First, you utilise what you've learnt these past few weeks. The eyes and the bloodlust will pave the path forward," Mendez said. "Achieving the harmony of both opens a completely different perspective."

Those were Mendez's last words before completely vanishing.

Ever since then, Samael has spent a great amount of time contemplating what the man said.

Occasionally he would attempt to do it, but often it would lead to failure.

However, in the last few days he's been thinking and pondering about its concept, the more he began to somewhat understand.

If anything, perhaps it was because of his ability to see. The all-seeing eye was a completely mysterious skill. It granted him the ability to see through things he had never seen before. Things he believes no human was meant to see.

The more he grew stronger, the more he felt less human.

Samael stared at his palms.

The Codex said he was not human anymore, but rather a Void spawn. But is a person's species what defines him as a human?

Perhaps it was time to embrace the unknown more. To see beyond his understandings of how things work.

Samael took a deep breath as he felt the wind blowing his hair back and forth.

The all-seeing eye.

Yes, it was the perfect place to start in.

Standing up, Samael looked at the makeshift dummy he erected.

The all-seeing eye. Whenever he used it, he did so like it was as natural as breathing air. However, if he did so, it always feels as though it was the first time he had opened his eyes. He could see so many new things, and so many he was blinded to.

Perhaps if he based it off of that, but instead through his new insignia Void Seeker and his control of his bloodlust.

Closing his eyes, Samael innately willed for a change as he felt his vision shift within, turning sharper and more focused. Clenching his jaw, his bloodlust followed close as he channelled it.

Opening his eyes, Samael saw the world change before his gaze. Everything felt a lot more vivid and colourful, almost magnified.

Looking at the dummy in front, he saw... himself. Yes, he saw a wisp of himself, walking forward frame by frame and in the end delivering a swift strike at the dummy, specifically at the massive red spot on its neck, a critical area.

However, due to his fascination, the apparition shattered like smoke blown by the wind.

Samael blinked a couple times as he digested what had just happened.

How... fascinating... Samael's lips formed a small smile.

He did not know if that was what Mendez sees as well, but it was truly an out-of-this-world experience. It felt as though he was advancing in time, seeing how he would move.

However, how would it fare against an enemy that is alive?

Samael walked deep in the forest as he began to enter enemy territory. Without fear, he made known his presence to the predators lurking in the tree lines.

Surely enough, one could not hold its hunger and greed as it revealed itself, pushing past the tall bushes, growling as saliva dripped down its massive canine fangs.

Samael shot a glance at the beast, nonchalant as he began to focus.

Seeing this, the creature let out a gnarly roar as it pounced with everything it got, raising its claws forward and opening its maw, revealing a set of razor-sharp teeth.

Yet, as the beast neared rapidly, Samael simply stood there, unflinching with his eyes and body relaxed.

When he finally felt that same sensation as before, he finally opened his eyes, revealing the crimson glow it emitted.

He knew the abomination was too weak and slow for his level, so he did not worry. This allowed him to fully experiment with this new ability.

Looking at the slowed creature, Samael saw the same blood-red wisp of his figure moving forward, frame by frame, making its way towards the creature and enacting a counterattack. However, it seemed his initial thoughts showed his future actions were a mistake.

There were not only one but seven distinct ways the wisps took. Some were straight into the gaps in the enemy's defences; some were unpredictable, and he utilised his great acrobatics capabilities to create and access critical points in the enemy's body.

But what if I wanted to simply hurt it?

As if reacting to his will, the wisp swiftly shifted like clockwork, showing even more possible paths for him to take to reach the white areas in the enemy's body.

With that, he finally succeeded.

Project Kill Path is a success.