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.

Maja lived in the 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,

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

the two of them had started hanging out alone. Things developed as they do, and

paradox that going to see them seemed like such a hassle,

the only people in his life he was truly close to. The only ones he could openly joke and

were just average folk - the supporting and loving kind, who had never put him down for any decisions he had made but

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

were the

plane take off again?” Caleb asked as they were cleaning up

at the airport before 5,” Jake answered as

plans for

prepared everything for that stupid conference, so not

said as he put on

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 paid him

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 mother’s

Maja drove him to the airport as promised. With only his carry-on bag, he didn’t need to be there much in

brother a hug. The manly kind. Turning to Maja, he also gave her

said,

“None at all.”

get your shit

pretty sure it never will turn to anything,” Jake answered,

am not one to croak that easily,” Caleb answered,

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

as he walked through the

frown and the serious look in his eyes, coupled with his handsome features, made it look rather picturesque. At least Inera thought so as she

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

one unable to ignore him. Inera had been with the church since birth, yet she had never felt

had only ever read of in old scriptures but never

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

Augur through karma, conviction, and personal belief - his class reforged upon becoming a guardian, now possessing one

from the teachings her father had given him. He was even praised by the Grand Master, acknowledged for his foundation and ability to grow. His semi-immortality from his connection to the Augur was only making him

wrong, as such entities very rarely reached

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

close to non-existent. They asked questions even small children knew, and her father gladly explained everything to them. She had a hard time wrapping her head around anyone living in a world without the system,

the world. They questioned the pantheon’s goals openly, questioned their methods, and the very

Master didn’t react 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 the gods was far above

many orders of templars under the church. As a man solidly in the B-rank, he had great renown and

of the higher rank gods. He held the blessing of one of the subordinate gods in charge of their part of

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.

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