The Primal Hunter

You have claimed a Pylon of Civilization.

By controlling the Pylon, you have claimed ownership over the surrounding area. Your aura seeps into the area itself, marking it as your own. While within your own domain, all mana regeneration is significantly increased. Protect it; expand it, reclaim the planet that was once yours. May you lead your domain and your world through the new age it has entered.

Bonuses for all citizens within your domain:

Increases all experience earned while within the domain by a minor amount for all non-combat related activities.

Congratulations! For being the first human to claim a Pylon of Civilization, your nobility title has been upgraded to: [Nobility: Earl]. May you lead your world to glory.

Jake read the messages and very quickly understood why the Viper had wanted him to claim it. He felt his mana drain into the crystal as if it was a piece of equipment. He instantly felt a connection with it. At the same time, the Pylon began giving out a slightly different aura.

It was like when the mole tried to claim it. Only it wasn’t allowed to do it properly. It was rightfully Jake’s, and he was happy he had gotten here rather quickly as it would suck to lose out on rewards because of his own tardiness. While he still had 72 hours to claim it before other creatures could, there was a chance someone else could claim a Pylon elsewhere before him.

Looking at the rewards he gained for being first, he nodded in satisfaction. While he couldn’t exactly feel the increased mana regeneration as his mana pool was pretty much full, it would, without a doubt, be nice while grinding alchemy.

The experience gain was even better. As with most other system-related things, it didn’t give Jake an indicator for how much it increased it. Only the word ‘minor.’ For all he knew, it could be 10% or 0,00001%. Though either way, it was a welcome bonus. That it only worked on non-combat related activities didn’t bother him either. Unless it counted alchemy as combat-related. It shouldn’t, right?

One part he didn’t like was the whole ‘ruler of your domain’ vibe. All he wanted was a nice place to settle down for a while. He still had no intentions whatsoever to found some great city. Also… this was a goddamn forest.

Looking on further, he saw that his Nobility title had indeed been updated.

Titled earned: [Nobility: Earl].

[Nobility: Earl] – A Lord that was the first to claim a Pylon of Civilization on Earth, becoming an Earl. Allows you to control a Pylon of Civilization. Grants access to certain events and opportunities exclusive to nobles. Opens many new paths to power.

It was another thing he didn’t really care that much for currently. Though, in some ways, it was pretty cool to call himself an Earl. It was also an interesting observation that it adopted the British nobility system. Or maybe it was just the translation.

However, he was relatively sure that he had skipped a few nobility ranks by being the first to make a city – hopefully, something that would prove an advantage in due time. The part about granting access to certain events and opportunities was also noteworthy. But once more, time would prove if these things were beneficial or not.

The last part about new paths was something he had seen many other times already. Never had he seen it be so immediate, however, as he looked at his next message.

*Profession Change Available*

very first human to found a city on Earth. Now on a path to create a haven for the survivors in the new world. A home to defend. City Lord is a profession focused on managing and guiding a city to glory. Grants skills related to management, economics, leadership, and control, as well as paths to protect your new dominion. However, be

Prodigious Alchemist of the Malefic Viper profession may be lost or changed

out. Sometimes the system really misfired, offering stuff he would

also pretty damn sure this wasn’t something

he somehow suffered a mental episode and changed profession, he would lose all skills with ‘of the Malefic Viper’ in them, as well as generally everything to do with alchemy. Which is to say every goddamn skill

and below would be lost. So unless this new profession threw Jake a stack of

it just gave free points. And it even gave quite a lot of free points. He could totally see why someone focused on combat would take this profession to keep

He was surprisingly durable for being an archer, and his high wisdom was also out of the ordinary. Nevertheless, he

for the wonderful opportunity to change profession and closed down

just stood there

…

Looking around, he didn’t see much of interest or a nice place to settle down. Besides, the stench of blood and the many corpses made

wrapped his arms around it.

feel through his connection with it that he had turned it off. With it no longer spreading his mana, he also felt the atmospheric mana return to

was actually relatively light. Scratch that, it just straight up didn’t weigh anything. It was like lifting a balloon. It wasn’t just his stats either; the thing just didn’t actually

he knew that only he could move it. And that, when activated, it was

settle down and chill with his new cauldrons. Despite the Pylon not weighing anything, it was still quite unhandy, but with it not weighing anything, he could just wrap a few strings of mana around it and move it around with that. He

tall Pylon floated leisurely behind him. Not a single beast got in his way but instead scurried out the way whenever they saw him, which was quite nice, actually, as he didn’t feel like fighting with a crystal Pylon in tow and

was looking for. It was like when he was out shopping for an apartment. He always had that kind of ‘I’ll know it when I see it’ mentality, despite him being fully aware that he still did

he wanted thick walls and good noise-isolation. He liked bright rooms and good natural lighting, and of course, having good internet available was

his requirements were a bit different. First of all, he wanted a source of water. Not because he really needed to drink much anymore, but because of alchemy. He could purify water and use it

the top of the list. He didn’t know if some

to be honest, he didn’t feel like he was that picky -

for quite a few hours, with his version of ‘wandering’ being slightly faster than a car on a country road. But in the end, he

of meters across, caused by a waterfall falling down from the cliffs above. The valley had only a single real entrance, which was really lovely too. Of course, you could just enter it from the cliffs above, but it still felt like it provided

best part of it all, however, was the caves. Yes, caves, with an ‘s.’ Two of them, with their entrances less than a kilometer apart. Jake hadn’t explored either much, but they both went downwards, and he

better when he entered one - his Sense of the Malefic Viper on full display.

living in a cave, but decided against it. He wanted to keep the crystal close, and he would prefer to live under the sun than in a cave. Besides, the valley was still filled with trees, offering some

mess with it somehow. He wasn’t afraid of the thing breaking as it appeared damn near

bought as a tutorial reward, he used it for the first time. In its basic form, it was just a small ball of liquid… something, but when he injected mana and willed a shovel, it transformed into one. A big one.

he performed feats that would put large excavators to shame. It didn’t take him long to make a five-meter deep hole, just

he saw that there was still a bit over two meters