The Primal Hunter

Chapter 100

The family sat gathered around the table, enjoying their breakfast. The rays of sunlight hit the table, highlighting the vast selection to choose from. Scrambled eggs, bacon, sausages, bread, whatever one wanted. Caleb had even convinced their dad to make pancakes that morning. Mom had objected, but Caleb had gotten his will. It was only his birthday once a year, after all.

Jake was enjoying one of the aforementioned pancakes, with perhaps a bit too much honey on. Which, of course, resulted in an admonishing gaze from his mom across the table. One he tried to ignore as he sheepishly put the fork into his mouth, the honey dripping down on the plate.

It was three weeks before the system arrived. Jake had gone back to visit his parents and brother to celebrate his brother’s 27th birthday.

Also at the table were his parents as well as Maja, Caleb’s wife. They had gotten married at what many considered a young age, but Caleb felt it was the right thing to do after she got pregnant. A pregnancy she was currently seven months into. Also... it made the loan on their new house a lot cheaper.

Maja sat at the table, her stomach clearly showing, as she spoke to his mother, Debra. Debra gave all the tips about having a first child, along with embarrassing anecdotes about Jake and Caleb.

“Jake used to be very quiet, while Caleb kept us up all night every night,” she said, as she jokingly added. “Caleb was quite lucky we had Jake first, or we wouldn’t have mustered up the courage to have another.”

“Mom, come on, I can’t have been that bad,” Caleb protested, getting only a giggle from Maja.

“He still keeps me up all night even now,” Maja said without thinking.

The rest of the family all looked at her awkwardly for a moment with Jake’s dad, Robert, nearly choking on his coffee.

Maja seemed to realize the meaning of what she said as she turned red, and frantically tried to explain.

“Snoring! He snores!” she protested loudly, earning only a chuckle.

In an attempt to help his wife, Caleb swiftly changed the subject as he turned to Jake.

“So, how is work these days? Heard your company is quite busy after going public last month.”

Jake, getting the hint, helped dispel the awkward atmosphere and gladly answered.

“Yeah, management is all up in our asses about putting out the, and I quote, ‘biggest numbers to date.’ I am not even sure management knows what half of those numbers mean.”

“Can’t be all bad, don’t you get along with that Jacob fellow?” Deborah asked.

“He can only lift up the average intelligence of the management that much,” Jake joked.

“I agree; they can’t be all that bright,” Caleb said, nodding. “They were dumb enough to hire you after all.”

“Cal, be nice!” Maja said as she poked him in the arm with her elbow.

“Birthday boy using up his leeway fast,” Jake said, pointing his still honey-covered fork at his brother. “Going to have to take back presents if you don’t behave soon, young man.”

“I apologize, oh bringer of the big numbers,” he answered, holding up his hands in mock surrender.

It was the last time Jake had met his family. After that, he had been busy, and the trip back to his hometown was pretty long.

same town as his parents. It wasn’t big, but it was decently sized, having around 40.000 inhabitants. Caleb worked as a teacher at an elementary school, while Maja studied

part of the family forever. She grew up next door and was over almost every day. Jake had been the older brother, with

had started hanging out alone. Things developed as they do,

should. He was always in the weird paradox that going to see them seemed

he could openly joke and have fun around. He didn’t feel like he had to put up any walls or

who had never put him down for any decisions he had made but helped push him forward towards making the

his dad as an engineer. They had neither been rich nor poor, growing up

people were the most important in his

again?” Caleb asked as they were cleaning

at the airport before 5,” Jake

plans for the

for that

Caleb said as he put on

his day was spent walking around carrying heavy furniture. The two newlyweds had gotten a bigger house a month or so earlier, and they had waited for Jake to get home to provide his free moving service. At least he

gave his mom a hug, his dad a slap on the shoulder, followed by also giving his old man a hug. With that came a promise to return home for his

only his carry-on bag, he didn’t need to be there much in advance, but he was still kind of in a hurry. Not too

Cal,” Jake said, as he gave his brother a hug. The manly kind. Turning to Maja,

a side-note, Jake,” his brother said, “Any progress on the

“None at all.”

get your shit

to anything,” Jake answered, quite assuredly. “Take care, you two. I hope we meet

am not one to croak that

as he waved the two of them off. He started walking onwards, but instead of a gate, he saw a

are right, Cal,” he said to himself as he walked through the portal, the dream dissolving around him.

he read the oversized tome in front of him. The faint frown and the serious look in his eyes, coupled

been long since she had come here. Inera’s father had at the behest of the higher-ups arranged for several ancient and expensive tomes to be transported here, and she would personally act as a teacher for the young

was… different. Almost ethereal. He was weak, yet he gave off an aura and feeling that made one unable to ignore him. Inera had been with the church since birth, yet she had never felt a man

scriptures but never actually encountered. A rare

young Augur was another interesting one - the one called Bertram. Another mystery to her, as he too was a

through karma, conviction, and personal belief - his class reforged upon becoming a guardian, now possessing one just as mysterious as the Augur himself. And while the Augur himself could not fight,

growth from the teachings her father had given him. He was even praised by the Grand Master, acknowledged for his foundation and ability to

easily be compared to a summoned familiar. But even that was wrong, as such entities very rarely reached the level of sapience, and they all were more comparable

all, Inera found it equally puzzling and enjoyable to interact with the two of them. They were very different from anyone she had ever met before. Not just due to

even small children knew, and her father gladly explained everything to them. She had a hard time

the two uttered without a care in the world. They questioned the pantheon’s goals openly, questioned their methods, and

to it once. Almost as if he expected it. Inera also knew that her station was not one to question the Augur either. His level of recognition from

of Grand Master of the Templars of Morning Bright. One of the many orders of

the subordinate gods in charge of their part of the church, a blessing

than open up new paths. She was a priestess in the order and had recently been transferred to this

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