The Primal Hunter

The room was filled with tension as both sides sat staring at each other. As always, it was a contest of who would speak first and break the silence. Both sides seemed to see it was a weakness to be the first to make their thoughts known, which is why Jacob reluctantly ended up taking that role.

“Ahem, gentlemen,” he started as both Hayden, and Richard turned their eyes to him. “As we discussed yesterday, Hayden, we did a thorough check of the people you presumed us to have killed, and after a lot of searching, we were still unable to have anyone take credit. In fact, the majority of the fights either have no surviving members from our camp or maybe… we were never the party fighting your men, to begin with.”

Hayden didn’t even react but still sat there stoically. The man was nearly as tall as Richard and as strongly built. No way anyone would think the man was a caster just based on his build. The spear on his back certainly didn’t help either.

The only thing really giving away his original class was the red robe he was wearing. It wasn’t the starting robe simply upgraded but likely an item of higher rarity. His spear was the same, also a far cry from the simple equipment given out at the beginning of the tutorial. Overall his look was sleek and deadly.

Richard, on the other hand, was built like a tank. Full plate armor and a massive tower-shield strapped to his back with a sword sheathed at his side. He had even acquired a helmet, truly finishing his look. While both men were huge, Richard still had a few centimeters on the other man.

As to who was most powerful… Jacob didn’t want to find out. Both had upgraded classes, of course, and he seriously doubted they were the standard kind.

“So, you are saying some mysterious third party is out there and wiping out squad after squad, and somehow none of us noticed? Wouldn’t that be a bit too convenient?” Hayden said, extremely skeptical of the entire premise.

“If the third party intends to somehow ‘win’ this tutorial, it is plausible. If the individual believes that victory entails wiping out all other survivors, that is. And based on the description and rules of this hellhole, it would make sense,” Richard said, as he leaned back on his chair, making it give out loud creaking noises.

“Think about it. Humans award far more experience and especially tutorial points compared to beasts. The system encourages us to actively kill each other for higher rewards. Would the final reward then not be highest for he who has managed to kill all other tutorial attendees?”

Hayden didn’t necessarily disagree, but that didn’t mean he believed the warrior.

“Oh, I am not saying it isn’t possible. But how the hell do you propose a squad could manage to dance around our detection for so long? Perfectly executing everything? The only way I see that being possible is if this group has information and a network within either of our factions. And I sure as hell don’t have some lunatic killer cult within my group.”

“Unless,” Jacob said, as he hesitated a little. “Unless it isn’t a group but one individual. An individual with powerful perception skills allowing him to avoid us. A person with the fighting skills to take down entire squads single-handedly.”

“And who do you propose this mythical being is? Me? This tin can?” He said, pointing at a slightly offended Richard across from him. Continuing, he raised his voice with a mix of anger and annoyance. “Or are you saying it is some other unaffiliated guy?”

“Jake Thayne,” Richard said. “A guy I had the misfortune of meeting early in the tutorial. He was a cocky bastard and threatened me, so I sent my best men, including my right-hand, after him. He slaughtered six of them and sent the last guy back a broken mess with a message. From the message, he seemed to enjoy having people after him and even taunted me to send more. Needless the say, the guy is a complete wacko.”

Hayden sat in silent contemplation for a while as he digested the information. But he quickly identified an issue he wanted to be elaborated on.

“You seem to know a lot about this enemy of yours. Also, you said this happened at the beginning of the tutorial. Do you have any proof this guy is even still alive?”

“I think Jacob should be able to answer the first part,” Richard said, as he waved his hand at his base manager. “As for why we think it is him? A member of my group encountered him. He isn’t a pushover by any means, and yet he barely managed to escape with his life intact due to a strong escape skill. The description fits like a charm. This member also told us that he saw Jake kill another member. A certain trapper you may have heard of.”

At that last part, Hayden’s eyes hardened. That damn trapper had killed many of the men he had sent to keep an eye on the enemy base. Yet he had disappeared not long ago, the magic in the traps he had laid down gone too.

continued as he asked: “So, what do

sigh as he started explaining the same things he had to Richard a

he knew about him. Jake had always been a very private person. He went to work, did his

Jake had killed the three attackers that night, all men of a higher level than himself. How he had

mentioned what Richard said about how they split from Jake and finally touched on William, who was the only one who had ever survived fighting him. Retold the story that William had told them about how Jake had killed Casper and tried

train Casper a bit. He explained his uncanny perception

that he believed the poison to be a

Jake, based on his own description

it became that Jake was able to do this. Plausible,

of killing. But he hadn’t been a complete maniac, and he clearly cared for his colleagues, which is why he

it based on a prior conversation. His old friend had

himself during that entire time was delusional. Unless he had been stuck inside a cave for a month, he had to be aware of what

but he didn’t know. If Jacob had to really choose one lone psycho going around killing people, it would be William and not Jake. Yet Richard had

During these last two days of negotiations, no one had been

same room together. Even if Jake wasn’t the culprit, heck even if no culprit existed at all, the

finding his son's murderer, and all Richard cared about was to make it through this tutorial with a strong faction to bring into the new world. Even if neither of them genuinely bought into the narrative, it was still beneficial for them to

this guy is the one behind this mess. What are

advise for us to create powerful squads to scour the forest. Find him and

definite proof, I think we shou-“ Jacob tried before

what you say is true, isn’t it quite idiotic to send more people after him in such a disorganized

them. Many are burning with a thirst for revenge. Having found an outlet and a target, many have

should be able to cover far more ground and avoid clashing out in the forest. We

it was time for their conflict to be put on pause indefinitely. As long as he could find his son's murderer, nothing else mattered. Even if this Jake guy weren’t the culprit, a closer relationship with Richard and his group would allow him to locate the killer more easily.

elsewhere, the perpetrator of this entire plot, together with Richard, was happily walking along a small cliff-path. He

beforehand. When William described his abilities, Jacob and Bertram were brought in, and they confirmed the guy to be someone named Jake Thayne.

about the negotiations; he was far too busy focusing on himself. He needed power… to prove that he wasn’t weak and to work with his new partner. William was beginning to really like the

mana potions the man had stowed away

over him. Two archers who had both beaten and broken him

with newfound vigor after waking up, and in only a few hours, got another level, also reaching 25 in his race. He had excused himself to his cabin, set up a

was so much stronger than him. Another evolution that nearly doubled the

be passed through. With some probing, William

His biggest blight of having no high-level enemies was gone.

inner area was a world of its own. As in, the inside was larger than the outside. If he had to guess, the inner dome's size