But the ability to use the Will stat is not the only thing that he knows makes the Sword Pathway special. He also knows that the Sword Pathway can also use the Mind stat, Body stat, and the Soul stat for power. That makes it a pathway that can use the whole of a cultivator’s existence for power.
According to his experience, most pathways are limited to one stat for power, like the Strength Pathway, which is limited to only the Body stat. Since the Sword Pathway can use every stat, it is no wonder that it can produce higher power than the Strength Pathway at the same level.
He knows that the Sword Pathway achieves this feat through the Sword Heart, which helps to unite all of a cultivator’s existence with their sword. This is rare, which is why he is further impressed that the Killing Pathway can do this even better than the Sword Pathway.
The Sword Pathway can use the Body, Mind, Will, and Soul stat with various Branch Metacs, but not all of the time. This represents its versatility.
The Sword Heart Core Metac can be used to create various effects based on whatever Branch Metac is used with it. However, the Killing Pathway can use all four stats all on its own to produce power without the aid of any Branch Metac.
The Weapon Seed Core Metac of the Killing Pathway uses everything and anything available as a weapon to kill, so it can consistently produce peak power that the cultivator is capable of without relying on Branch Metacs for direction.
When he thought of this, he chuckled and said, ’Of course it doesn’t need direction from Branch Metacs since it only has one goal and one direction to move in. This is why it can focus on power and only power.’
’As for the Branch Metacs, most of them are for killing anyway. Only a few are for auxiliary use, like escaping.’
’That Blood Escape Metac, and the Blood Evasion Metac are examples of the utility Branch Metacs. But I can argue that they can be used for killing. After all, one can be used to increase speed to chase an enemy, and the other one could be used to get closer to an enemy even if they are attacking me.’
The thought of these two Branch Metacs of the Killing Pathway made him sigh and say ’It is a pity that they couldn’t work with me. If they could have worked with my body, how great would that be?’
After saying this, he remembered that he possessed the Shifting Armor Life Ability, so he cheered up and said, ’I don’t need them anyway. I have the Shifting Armor for all of my defensive needs, and I have overwhelming power to make up for my speed.’
It is true that thanks to Fenrir, he can use more than one Pathway together. But some Branch Metacs of certain pathways are not compatible with each other and with him.
His inability to use the Blood Escape Metac and the Blood Evasion Metac is an example of incompatible Metacs. This incompatibility is all because of his metallic body.
Both the Blood Escape Metac and the Blood Evasion Metac need to convert his body into an energy-based existence made up of blood for a short amount of time. But the Forging Pathway has turned his body into metal, which the Blood Escape Metac can’t convert.
So the incompatibility is between the Forging Pathway and the Killing Pathway. This is the source of the incompatibility.
He curled his lips and said, ’It is not that Fenrir is incapable. It is all because some Branch Metacs are incapable. So I blame the Killing Pathway for this.’
’But aside from this, the Killing Pathway is great. I have to give it to the founder of the Sword Way Sect for creating the only two pathways that can use the Body, Soul, Mind, and Will for power. I guess this is what it takes to qualify to establish a sect.’
While he was admiring himself, something unfavorable was already going on in the sky.
This unfavorable thing is that the seer in the sky had already noticed that he was doing something suspicious the first time he killed someone.
She saw him kill the person, place his hand on their stomach, and pull out their Core Metac before absorbing the extracted Core Metac into his body. This drew her attention, so she began monitoring him to see what he would do next.
When she saw him do the same incomprehensible thing to another person, she decided to come down to ask him what he was doing. She really wanted to know why he didn’t target all the people that he encountered and only killed two random people before removing and taking the Core Metacs.
She figured that he would tell her what she wanted as soon as she appeared. After all, her power is overwhelming.
What she didn’t expect was that as soon as she appeared, Loki said, "You nosy bitch. You don’t know what’s good for you."
His words quickly incensed her. She glared at him and said, "Are you suicidal or are you just so stupid that you don’t recognize who you are talking to?"
In response, Loki sneered and said, "Maybe I am suicidal. I might even be stupid. Or both. After all, I believe that I can defeat you."
She could hardly believe the words coming out of his mouth. But he was speaking the truth.
At least, he was speaking what he believed to be the truth. She can tell that much because of the ability of her Core Metac, the Eye of Truth.
But even the fact that he was speaking the truth only made her more surprised at the audacity of that claim. She was so surprised that she decided to examine him thoroughly to make sure that she hadn’t mistaken his identity.
With the kind of confidence with which he spoke, he had to be either stupid or truly capable of defeating her. Since there was a 50% of him defeating her, she had to take that possibility seriously.