The Primal Hunter

Jake didn’t know how much time had passed before he opened his eyes once more. Or, to be more accurate, he saw out of his already open eyes. He found himself in a rather lovely-looking room. Scratch that understatement; it looked like the presidential suite of some over-the-top fantasy world.

Gaudy, clearly magical, chandeliers hung from the ceiling, with every piece of furniture overly ornated with extremely detailed carvings - all of them depicting a snake.

“So, how long ya gonna stand in the middle of my bedroom before saying hi?” a voice said, startling Jake out of his stupor.

Turning around, he saw a scaled man, now wearing quite a nice-looking outfit. It was a combination of a modern suit and a more old-school style. If he had to put his hand on it, it looked like something Dracula might wear.

“How did I get here?” Jake asked frowning. He couldn’t remember what he was doing before this and got a headache whenever he tried to.

“Now, this is where it gets interesting. Our connection from the blessing is two-way, you know? Though this is a first for me for someone to appear like this. Just know that you did this,” the Malefic Viper said, chuckling as he added. “Though I did help a little bit.”

Bringing a hand to his head, Jake still had no idea what the hell had happened. Turning to the Viper, he asked. “Where exactly are we?”

“My bedroom,” The Malefic Viper said, still smiling. “More accurately, we are in the headquarter of my little Order. The great, the magnificent Order of the Malefic Viper!”

Spreading out his arms with a goofy smile, Jake could only chuckle a bit. “Very humble of you.”

“Well, a certain amount of ego is certainly required for one to ascend to godhood,” the Malefic Viper said, as he took a seat at the table. “Come on, take a seat, and calm down a bit.”

Following the advice, Jake sat down on the chair as he rested his head in his hands. What exactly was he doing before he got here? He remembered wanting to meet his colleagues. But after that, everything seemed all murky to him.

He had made contact… met them… ambush… Jake suddenly opened his eyes wide as he remembered. He had been betrayed. He had run. He got through a barrier, and the final thing he remembered was charging into a group of three raptors before he blacked out.

“I died,” Jake muttered as he looked towards the ground. “I fucking died.”

The Malefic Viper looked at him a bit as he laughed out loud. “So, is this the afterlife you expected?”

Jake, still somber, looked up at him. “So… this is what happens when you die? You appear in a gaudy room with a god cracking jokes?”

“Well, that entirely depends on a lot of things, but yes, a blessing can affect where your soul ends up after death,” he answered. “Though no, unless extraordinary circumstances represent themselves, death means death. End of story.”

“Does dying during the tutorial count as such extraordinary circumstances?” Jake asked bitterly.

“Sadly not. At least I have never encountered it,” the Viper said. “Death, no matter how it happens, will result in you leaving the tutorial for good and all rewards lost. Besides anything directly related to circumventing death, dying in combat results in just that: Death.”

He made a big silly smile at Jake as he finished, the archer looking back confused at him. Until it finally hit him.

“Wait, what the fuck, I'm not dead?” Jake asked as he perked up, staring daggers at the Viper. “What the hell, man?”

The Malefic Viper answered by laughing hysterically at Jake's outburst. “You should have seen yourself! Pure gold! Pure gold!”

His amusement was shortlived, however, as he turned severe. “This doesn’t make your situation good, though. Your body is in a shitty state, and your lifeforce is unbelievably weak. Your physical body is likely in a very vulnerable state right now.”

Jake, hearing that, also turned serious. “What can I do? And how the hell am I here if I am not dead?”

anything except trying to calm down. Your body is healing by itself; you just have to not stress and inhibit said regeneration. As to why you are here… because you chose to. Or

is exceedingly risky. One could say that a part of your soul has traveled through the karmic bond created by the blessing I gave you last time we met. I would recommend not doing it this way again, as if the other party has even the faintest of nefarious intent towards you, crushing your projection, and thus the fragment of your soul would be extremely

scared upon hearing that. “How the hell did I manage to

things like that are not exactly common knowledge,” the Malefic Viper said as he shook his head. “Perhaps you simply sought to

when Jake thought about it. Perhaps his instincts had taken over and, in desperation, somehow managed to do it. Which also kind of was an example of how his instincts were just that: Instincts. It was fast kneejerk reactions and

so he shouldn’t be in any danger. But making his way back to his body and the tutorial was, without a doubt,

to my body somehow? Or is my consciousness split or something? How exactly does this work?”

is ready, you will naturally return. I made sure of that. It’s also just a small part; it ain’t like you made a clone,”

was still in such a merry mood despite his possible demise at any moment. “I barely dare ask, but… what would

said as he made a small cloud of smoke

Jake asked, sour at

I have a feeling you'll be just

to trust him for now. “So… what am I supposed to do in

the least you can do is to entertain me a bit,” the Malefic Viper said jokingly. “What have you been up to

last meeting. To his surprise and embarrassment, the Malefic Viper

but quickly found that there really wasn’t much to talk about, so they did like their

as she thought of how to handle the Malefic Viper’s return. The

the ignorant ones that the Malefic Viper had

walk the halls. She was the Hall Master after all. The Lord Protector had returned to his realm and had begun making his own preparations together with his direct

up close to her Patron's chambers. Not wanting to disturb him, she

of you,” an

area of the Order, and yet she didn’t recognize this one. She considered scanning

was this person speaking to? Could it be

break. I thought it sounded like a great plan at the time,” she heard the Malefic Viper answer

slapped across the face, then sure,” she heard the

without her knowledge? But what god would dare come here and talk so casually with

if her life depended on it. Perhaps it was a test to see her devotion by not

way to the room. She already decided to enter, but teleporting in would

opened, revealing the happenings within. Two people were sitting at a small table. No, one god and a… projection? She felt the faint aura of the Viper himself coming from the conjured image, but

big boss of my Order. Well, Snappy and I not included. Boss of the mortals, I guess,

looked at each other

Jake, she looked… impossible. Green hair, glowing yellow eyes, and a face that would put any model from Earth to shame. Quite frankly, she looked far too perfect for it to be natural. Perhaps she had a hidden

didn’t really care for that, so he

looked into his eyes. She couldn’t quite

a message. That he was chosen. Most holders were known as popes, prophets, saints, and champions. It was a way

to meet you,” Jake

one,” Viridia said as she knelt,

take a seat. We were discussing how to

a bit downtrodden. “Though I

goal now is to move forward. And get your sweet revenge, of course. You fucked up this time, stupidly walking into an obvious ambush like a moron, and got smashed. Learn from it,

just thought that

wrong. Stop being so naive and trusting. You're