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.

40.000 inhabitants. Caleb worked as a teacher at an elementary school, while Maja studied

next door and was over almost every day. Jake had been the older brother, with Caleb and Maja being the two younger siblings due to their closer

moved away for university, the two of them had started hanging out alone. Things developed as they do, and the two ended up going out, getting married, and were

closest family as much as he should. He was always in the weird paradox that going to see them seemed like such a hassle, and he always looked forward to just relaxing alone after

them. They were the only people in his life he was truly close to. The only ones he could openly joke and have fun around. He didn’t feel like he had to put up any walls or to filter

and loving kind, who had never put him down for any decisions he had made but helped push

had neither been rich nor poor, growing up solidly in the upper-middle class. The classical family unit, if

four people were the most important

off again?” Caleb asked as they were cleaning

5,” Jake answered as he put

plans for the

for

now you do,” Caleb said as he put

had waited

dad a slap on the shoulder, followed by also giving his old man

airport as promised. With only his carry-on bag, he didn’t need to be there much in advance, but he

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

said, “Any progress

“None at all.”

get your shit

never will turn to anything,” Jake answered, quite assuredly. “Take care, you

not one to croak that easily,” Caleb answered,

walking onwards, but instead

to himself as he walked through the portal, the dream

of him. The faint frown and the serious look in his eyes, coupled with his handsome features, made

been long since she had come here. Inera’s father had at the behest of the higher-ups arranged for several

feeling that made one unable to ignore him. Inera had been with the church since birth, yet she had never felt a man as holy and at the same

in old scriptures but never actually encountered. A rare

the one called Bertram. Another mystery to her, as he too was a

upon becoming a guardian, now possessing one just as mysterious as the Augur himself. And while the Augur himself could not

father had given him. He was even praised by the Grand Master, acknowledged for his foundation and

such entities very rarely reached the level of sapience, and they all were

to interact with the two of them. They were very different from anyone she had ever met before. Not just due to

her father gladly explained everything to them. She had a hard time wrapping her head around anyone living in

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

also knew that her station was not one to question the

of Morning Bright. One of the many orders of templars under the church. As a man solidly in

gods. He held the blessing of one of the subordinate

hoped to one day get one. She instead had something called a Baptism on her status screen in place of the blessing, and it did nothing more than open up new paths. She was a priestess in the order and had recently been transferred to this area to help train new acolytes. What she hadn’t known was that the only ones she was meant to help train would be Jacob and Bertram. And

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