A Cultivator's Path

"Of course, who wouldn't want to?"

Liam stared into Ava's eye. Her blindfold to be exact.

And because Ava was a lot taller, Liam was looking up at her to match her gaze.

The Goddess can see Liam's weird ink-black eyes. It was too dark. Darker than anything she had ever seen.

"A cultivator is destined to walk the path of eternal damnation. You'll kill, steal, and destroy your surroundings just to have a chance of growing stronger."

Hearing that, Liam couldn't help but put his fingers on his chin.

"It is the only path mortal can take to have extraordinary strength. How ironic, isn't it? We strive for power, only for it to destroy us." Ava sighed.

Liam could feel Ava's depression and sadness.

"Do you still want to be a Cultivator?" Ava asked again.

"Yes," Liam replied while laughing.

His laughter echoed in the cave. His laugh was full of confidence and pride.

With a crazy glint in his eyes, he explained.

"I'm a foreigner of this world. I don't have any attachments in this place. Killing? That sounds fun and exciting! Stealing? If it's the only way, why not? Destroying? I'm already an expert at it!" Liam's twisted nature was on full display.

"You might not know it, but back in my place, there is no such thing as Stigmas. We are only mortal, vulnerable to death. But here it is different, if I can conquer the world using these powers and abilities, then I would do so. All I care about is excitement. The thrill!"

Ava listened carefully.

"You have a demonic nature, Keir Blade."

Liam smiled.

"Demonic? I don't care. This is who I am. Why should I live as a hypocrite if I can just be true to myself?" He laughed out loud.

Ava nodded.

"But that crazy nature is what a cultivator must possess to have a chance of being stronger."

Ava suddenly poked Liam's forehead with her index finger.

"Live true to yourself. Kill for strength. Steal for resources. Destroy your way forward. That is the cultivator's way."

After hearing that, Liam smirked.

"Roger that, Goddess."

***

The moons were high up in the sky emitting three lights. Stars in different shapes, colors, and sizes were faintly shining. It was a strange yet beautiful sight.

'A fantasy world. I'm actually transmigrated at this awesome place?' Liam can't still believe he was about to live the rest of his life here.

A golden flash woke Liam up in his stupor.

He stared at the woman in front of him. She was holding five skewered meat. But this time, the smell and appearance of the meat were different from the previous meat they ate the last time.

Seeing Liam's curious face, she described the food.

"This is the meat of a Rank 7 Chicken Drake." Ava handed four of the five skewered Chicken Drake meat to Liam, keeping the last one to herself.

Liam stared at the Chicken Drake skewered meat with a daze. He slowly bit the meat and ate it slowly.

'Hm, it has a crunchy texture. It has the same taste as an ordinary chicken. But it's somehow spicy. I like it! How good will it taste if Ava has some condiments with her.' Liam sighed

"Then what kind of meat did the last food we ate come from?" Liam broke the silence.

"The last meat we ate the last time was the meat of a Rank 7 One-eyed Bear. I happened to see a fresh corpse of it in the middle of the forest."

Liam's face contorted.

"Did the One-eye Bear has a vertical cut from its belly to its face?"

"Did you happen to also see the corpse on your way?" Ava's mood was different this time. She was polite and reserved when speaking. Now she was conversing with Liam in a comfortable tone.

"Ah yes, since I killed it with this short sword." Liam showed his cutlass in a prideful manner.

"You killed it?" Ava was stupefied.

"How can a mortal defeat a Rank 7 monster?" She immediately put her attention to Liam's short sword.

"Can I have a look?" Without waiting for Liam's permission, she grabbed the blade.

She examined it for a while. Her hands passionately stroked the scabbard. She slowly held its hilt and slowly unsheathed it.

Liam started having weird ideas.

The short sword was approximately 16 inches in length. There was a golden cross engraving on the hilt. The scabbard itself was made of strong materials. It can even be used to guard against a sharp projectile. There were also golden engravings on it. Runes of differing shapes and sizes were on the scabbard. The blade itself is sharp on both sides. Ava could feel a demonic aura from the blade so she sheathed the blade after fully observing it.

"A Rank 5 sword blessed by the Heavenly God. Why do you have this sword? Where did it come from? Who crafted it? What enchantments are engraved on it? What are its drawbacks?" Ava's cool look instantly vanished. It was replaced by an enthusiastic look.

"Uhm." Being suddenly attacked by a barrage of questions made his head ache. Memories were continuously being triggered in his mind.

"It is the sword bestowed to David Blade by the church when he became a Priest. Then he gave it to me as a means to protect myself." Liam blurted out.

"Its drawback is that every time I killed someone with it, I must eat their meat, or I'll grow weaker faster than usual." Liam continued with a strange expression.

'So you're telling me, I'm lucky that Goddess picked up the meat or I'll be weak for days if not forever if I'm unable to eat the One-eyed Bear's meat?' He lampooned.

Ava almost smirked after hearing the drawbacks of the sword.

"The short sword, what is its name?" The Goddess inquired.

Liam skimmed his memories until he found them.

"Blade of Avarice."

"A decent name for a decent sword. Its drawbacks are a little unique, killing a man means committing cannibalism. It is only suited for hunting food unless necessary." Ava nodded and handed back the blade to Liam.

"If I knew you were just a weak mortal back then, I could have killed you and stolen this sword." She added with a teasing tone. Although her face still has that expressionless look.

Liam was also interested in Ava's swords. So he initiated a new topic while eating.

"Your swords, what kind of swords are they?"

Ava smiled for the third time today.

"I'm glad you asked."

She then proceeds on unbuckling the leather belt binding the swords to her waist.

She placed the first sword in front of her.

"This sword is called the Grass Cutter. It is a Rank 5 sword, the same level as your short sword. It is crafted by a Rank 5 Elven Blacksmith. It contains the power of nature and possesses a Stigma of its own called Forest Bind."

The sword was thin. Even its scabbard which was green in color was thin. It gives a feeling that it was alive. To be exact, it feels like Liam was staring at a plant. The hilt was shaped like a flower.

Liam grabbed it and unsheathed the sword. The blade was light green in color. It was long, it was 50 inches in length. Its blade was incredibly thin.

Liam stood up, he picked up the Grass Cutter before he started swinging it.

It was super light. It felt like he was just swinging an ordinary pencil. He can even hear a loud swooshing sound. He imagined the sword cutting air itself.

"A keen sword. Incredibly sharp. I can see it cutting a head out of its neck in a perfect manner" Liam joked.

Ava nodded. Liam can even tell that she was holding back her smile.

"Its drawbacks are simple. You need to soak it in water for twenty minutes and let it absorb the power of the sun for thirty minutes per day. If you refrain from this ritual, the sword will refuse to cut anything. It will become dull, unable to cut even the thinnest leaves."

Ava then pulled out the second sword.

"This is called the Night's Fall. A blade that can even cut the darkness. Its blade is invisible, you can only see its hilt. You will die without knowing how you got stabbed by this long sword."

The sword's scabbard was black. When Liam grabbed the sword, it was heavier than Grass Cutter. The hilt was the same as that of a baton police use to carry around back on Earth. It doesn't have a guard.

When Liam unsheathed the blade, he was surprised. It felt like he unsheathed something but he saw no blade. He tried touching it and felt the hard surface of the blade.

"So cool!"

Ava showed a satisfied face when he heard Liam compliment her blade.

"Even I haven't seen the blade's exact appearance."