The Primal Hunter

Jake liked loot. Who didn’t like loot? Wait, did getting a weapon from a craftsman even count as loot, as he technically didn’t loot it off anything? Jake wasn’t sure, but he kind of hoped it did, and if it didn’t, he just refused to care and still classified it as getting loot.

Arnold escorted Jake back to the workshop and led him toward one of the walls that contained a large locked case. Jake could already see inside using his sphere and saw the weapon within, but he waited for Arnold to open it properly. Because there was one thing bothering Jake… it looked like the tip of the katar in the box was broken.

“The Nanoblade is still considered a work in progress, and constant iterations keep being made, with this being the newest deployable version,” Arnold explained as he opened the case. The moment he did so, Jake saw the weapon in its full glory.

The Nanoblade had now been attached to a handle to make it into a katar, and the design of the blade itself had changed a lot. Rather than being a single-edged cutting weapon, it was now a proper stabber, with thin edges on both sides, though that did mean Arnold had to add some more bulk to the middle. The blade was around the same length as his Eternal Hunger, so that was nice. It made sense as Arnold had based the design on the mythical weapon.

The handle was of a single design and did not include any guard, but the part he held with his hand still seemed a bit thick. The entire thing was of a grayish color, except for one part that really stood out: the tip of the blade.

It was pitch-black. Not normal black, but the kind of impossible black that made no damn sense. It looked impossibly dense, yet at the same time, Jake felt he could stare straight through like it was translucent. However, more than anything, it showed up weirdly in his sphere. Like there wasn’t a physical tip but that it was just made of pure energy.

Using Identify, he got some clues as to what was going on.

[Blackpoint Nanoblade Katar (Ancient)] – A katar with a nanoblade made of a composite alloy formed into an ultra-thin blade. The blade itself can cut most materials effortlessly but has little to no effectiveness against magical wards or defenses when not infused with mana. The tip of the blade appears to have been touched by the void. A coating on the blade allows it to have an incredibly high level of mana conductivity and can handle most types of mana. The handle contains a series of energy cores capable of storing mana of any affinity. This stored energy can all be released at once through the tip of the Nanoblade. . Enchantments: Extreme Conductivity. Blackpoint Burst.

Requirements: lvl 200+ in any humanoid race

The rarity surprised him, as Jake had not expected anything this good. There were a lot of parts at play, but Jake very much suspected this rarity came to be primarily because of that tip. Jake was about to ask more about the weapon, but Arnold began speaking without being asked.

“This version of the Nanoblade integrates far more concepts than any prior iterations and has moved away from Altmar-based methodology to one not fitting any set category. The blade is more durable than ever and has been strengthened through the merging of eleven metals and coating it with an improved version of the old aluabsorbant for improved mana conductivity and to facilitate the Blackpoint functionality of the weapon,” Arnold explained in detail. He pointed to the tip of the blade and continued.

“Rather than focusing on potent single-edged cutting, this weapon is optimized for stabbing attacks, taking inspiration from my current work-in-progress speartips. Through methods I will not disclose, I was able to momentarily allow the tip of the blade to touch concepts related to the void, allowing it to far more easily penetrate any matter. Make note that is all it does, and it has no inherent void-based abilities. However, as long as the rest of the blade retains integrity, the tip will never lose sharpness and remain virtually indestructible.

“Finally, there is the handle. Due to the design of the katar compared to a sword, I was able to make more use of it as I have inlaid energy cores capable of storing mana, including your arcana mana. This mana can then be unleashed through the tip of the Nanoblade, resulting in an explosion. It is heavily advised you activate the Blackpoint Burst enchantment after the successful insertion of the blade into your target for optimal damage unleashed internally. Only the tip will be able to release the stored-up mana, as it is the most resilient part of the blade and able to handle the pressure applied upon it caused by the intense outburst of mana. This was a necessary limitation, especially if it is meant to handle your destructive arcane mana.”

Hearing Arnold talking about how causing mana explosions inside people was a recommended feature of the weapon was a bit funny, especially with how he said it so… objectively. Jake also considered the part about the tip being the only thing to handle the blast… an issue Jake didn’t really have with Eternal Hunger. Destroying that weapon was just not a thing, especially as Jake could reform it if he somehow lost it.

“Can I pick it up?” Jake asked.

Arnold nodded. “The Nanoblade was created for you specifically, and I already view you as the owner of it.”

it around a bit. It didn’t sit as well in his hand as Eternal Hunger, but that was only to be expected. The mythical

“Initial thoughts?” Arnold asked.

okay, and the weight is balanced. However, I do need to ask about the durability of the blade as a whole. The last Nanoblade broke when I tried to block with it, and that proved quite problematic. How will this one stack up against serious brunt

is still possible; however, attempt to do so with the tip. It may seem counterintuitive, but it will

work?”

nullifying capabilities. Any force hitting the tip that has been touched by the void will thus be partly nullified. The same happens when you are striking a foe, making the tip automatically nullify some of your

would have to test in practice to truly understand. The mere fact it had anything to do with the void – a place only gods could go – meant it

Jake suddenly said as he had a thought. “The mana burst is released from the tip, right? Isn’t that counterproductive as it nullifies part of

is unaffected by the void concepts due to system-imposed natural laws,” Arnold simply

so system-fuckery makes it

moment before understanding. “System-fuckery does strike me as an apt description for these often non-sensical and

that the official

without even a moment

bad, I would have trademarked it if you had said yes to make big money. Then again, trademarking a term that may or may not end up being commonly used seems

not deign him a response as he looked towards another spot in the workshop. “I have other projects underway, but nothing that is ready yet. With the materials provided today, I will be able to restart them. I currently estimate it will be a month before most are operational if you

are you

“Yes,” Arnold confirmed.

or are you just

tone making Jake guess he wouldn’t get any specific information. He was curious

he would

let me know if you need another heavily-delayed shipment

will you take the payment? Assuming there is an itemized list,

been expensive? Yes. Was Jake still ridiculously loaded and could get access to near-infinite funds

well,” Arnold said, not arguing with him at all. Kind of refreshing to not have someone do the old back-and-forth where

the workshop with the Nanoblade. “Gotta go test this bad boy on an army

the metal dome and into the air was Arnold taking out some of the things Jake had gotten him and beginning to tinker with them. Next destination: termite

quite a bit of distance away, so Jake had

as he got into a rhythm. He flapped his wings and stepped down in an alternating matter, propelling him forward faster and faster. Air resistance soon

layer of stable arcane mana all over his body. On top of it, he then formed a

relied on mixed energy, and the destructive parts would try to turn all the stable arcane energy into the destructive variant, but if one part was pure destruction and the other pure stability, they would simply