The Primal Hunter

Before an important exam or test, there are many approaches to prepare oneself. Some studied intensely up to the very last second, in a desperate attempt to obtain as much knowledge as humanly possible.

This approach often leads to overload and stress, and that during the actual examination, one could not perform their very best.

Another way was to seek approval that one’s preparations were adequate. Asking fellow students or colleagues, hoping that perhaps they too felt as underprepared as you, indicating that maybe it was merely your own mind tricking you into thinking you were behind the curve. These people would be found camping outside the examination room for hours before it was their time, trying to probe for any and all useful information from those just tested.

A third way was the path of denial. Shutting down in panic, unable to act. The actual performance from these people, however, varied wildly. Some even performed with incredible confidence despite their panic beforehand. These were also the ones who felt the most relieved after the fact.

Some looked for a way to either get out of the exam entirely or avoid a fair examination. Cheating was the go-to for these. Obtaining the answers beforehand or even during the test. Perhaps even attempting to take high risks to peek at the ones beside you, searching their sheet for the correct answers. Performance-enhancing drugs were not even off the table for these. The most nervous and panicked were perhaps this group.

The final ones were the relaxed ones - the ones who simply rested, trying to get their brain in top shape before the test. Perhaps faux confidence led them to this, or maybe said confidence was well-founded. One could only know after the test was over after all.

Jake had, throughout his life, fallen into all these four categories at one point or another. He had studied till he had headaches and sat outside the exam room for hours, asking anyone for tips. Been a nerve-wrack the night before an exam, not getting a wink of sleep. Once, he had even tried to cheat by sneaking in notes not allowed. He hadn’t ended up needing them, and he felt like shit afterward, but he had still tried.

But the approach with the most success for him was the last. He would just relax the day before. Read a good book or even play some videogames, perhaps even a trip to the movies. And then finally go early to bed to wake up well-rested for the exam.

This had worked out for him very well. Jake was the kind of person to have high expectations of himself, often leading to panic. During his years of pursuing professional archery, perfection was the only option. He was competing with the best, so he had to be the very best he possibly could.

University had been very different. In archery, one can quickly come to feel like they had all the knowledge required to perform your best. That the only thing he had left to do was perform his very best in the moment.

When one studied theory on strategic business management, as an example, things weren’t as straightforward. There was always more to know, more knowledge to seek. If you felt like you knew everything, it meant you simply weren’t aware of how much you didn’t know. It was complicated, with endless theories formulated and expanded upon for hundreds of years.

The knowledge on alchemy in the small library, albeit still containing around a thousand books, was already far more than Jake could go through during the month he had been here. Even if he had spent every second reading, it wouldn’t be enough. Yet he knew what was in the library was only a drop in the bucket.

The knowledge gained only made him more aware as to how complex alchemy was. Ultimately, all professions were a valid path to power in the system and contained near-limitless possibilities. Even a path to godhood, according to the Malefic Viper.

So, with that in mind, Jake just had to accept that he couldn’t perfectly prepare. He had done what he could, and it would have to be enough.

The hours of the day ticked by as Jake relaxed. He read books he had set aside prior, books containing historical tales, reading more like a fantasy novel than actual history. Jake thought of his colleagues surviving outside but quickly tried to purge the matter from his mind. He had followed the number of survivors dropping by the day, and with only around a third remaining, he knew it wasn’t looking good. Some of them were very likely dead, and he wasn’t in any way looking forward to discovering who.

But he did have some time to reflect on his own feelings. The solitude had allowed him a lot of time to think if he liked it or not. He had made some realizations. His crush on Caroline had always been just that, a crush. He didn’t actually know her at all but only found her physically attractive.

His impression of Jacob hadn’t changed in the least. In his mind, he was still the same beacon of positivity and hope he had always been. He was also the one Jake hoped was fine most of all. It doesn’t help thinking about it; he reminded himself. He needed to get in the right mindset for the final push.

For the last eight hours, he slept and meditated, cultivating the plants he had prepared for the concoction was the only thing that could be called work. That concoction would determine his life or death after all.

Time passed, and it was finally time to begin. With only four hours to his potential death, Jake felt oddly serene. He felt prepared.

He began by collecting the moss and mushrooms. Carefully plucking them according to the methods he had studied. The techniques he had become oh so familiar with over the last month as he carried them to the mixing bowl.

Taking out the Bloodletting Dagger, he made a small cut on the palm of his hand as he focused on Blood of the Malefic Viper, as he saw the now green-tinged blood slowly drip into the bowl. After a couple of minutes, it was filled enough. He had to cut his hand two more times during that time, despite the enchantment making the wounds harder to heal. A testament to his high vitality and a good sign for what was to come.

Bluebright Mushrooms, carefully adding the slightly shiny blue liquid to the concoction, as he,

like electricity as the blood and mushrooms combined, he started grinding up the Aged Green Moss into a fine powder with a mortar. As he heard the sizzling and the cracking calm down, he added the moss-powder, once more seeing a

the concoction and guide it to where he wanted it. The necrotic properties were slowly eliminated from the

acted as a catalyst that strengthened that property. But now, the necrotic energy served as fuel for the vital energy, however, he

was because he only needed a very highly concentrated amount of necrotic energy to remain. That small, condensed ball of energy would become the catalyst for the Argentum Vitae Mushrooms,

liquid. He had tested and probed, and based on his Sense of the Malefic Viper, the condensed energy found within should be enough to help empower the vital

pool of 3150 was quickly being drained. He knew this would

had also shown its value, especially in complicated crafting processes such as this. Small changes in mana flow were unavoidable, but with sufficiently high perception, Jake could detect

finished the concoction now and would come out as a potent common-rarity

into the bowl. Nothing happened for the first few seconds, as he carefully observed, both hands on the bowl. But soon, the silvery layer on the mushrooms got eroded, and as soon

around half his mana remaining after quickly chugging his most powerful mana potion before he threw in the silver-shrooms. He had considered not putting the potion-use on cooldown and instead use a healing potion during the consumption, but honestly, if his plan didn’t work, a healing potion wouldn’t do

started affecting the concoction, and this was precisely the moment he had been waiting for. With a small suggestion through his injected

vital energy absolutely devoured it, and with his guidance, it assimilated the necrotic poison to fuel itself. The minutes ticked by, one by one, as he pushed his

about done. With a final push, spending over 200 mana, he finally heard a small

has been activated! The transcendent power of the Malefic Viper has forcefully increased the rarity of your creation to Rare, increasing

of Malefic Vitau (Rare)] – A new kind of creation has been made.

reached level 44

help but make a

the sum of their parts. It contains an immense power of vitality, powerful enough for it to turn into a

hoped for. He had gotten a whole level from it, as he had just leveled up from the last batch of poisons he

Truthfully, he wished it hadn’t. It had thrown all of his prior calculations off-course… he feared what he had

the timer, he

of

Time remaining: 2:38

the poison would flare up to take his life. At that moment, he would drink the sludge in front of him. He didn’t dare touch it but

there, looking at the timer tick down,

went to church, not even during Christmas. But today, he prayed. Not to the

met, but he was powerful. He had blessed him, allowing him to complete the miracle he had created today. He was the one behind his profession. At least it

- his prayer as

I end up dying from drinking mushroom-juice, I am

Just a vague emotion from beyond.

to himself. He had done what he could, and now it was up to his own willpower and

timer mercilessly ticked

0:28

he put his hands on the side

0:17

he thought