The Primal Hunter

Jake closed his eyes and focused on his Path of the Heretic-Chosen as he tried to get it to activate – just long enough to make him wonder if he hadn’t reached an adequate understanding of any of his skills. Which, to be fair, he could perfectly understand. Jake himself was full of doubt about what exactly he needed to understand.

Yet just as this thought appeared, the skill reacted:

Do you wish to experience the Legacy of the Malefic Viper? Uses remaining: 1

Jake didn’t hesitate but instantly accepted.

Sylphie, who had been sleeping on the chair, woke up with a startle as she felt the mana in the air moving weirdly. She felt like the entire space shifted for a moment, and she barely managed to register the human disappearing into thin air.

She looked around a bit confused but soon after just lay her head back down to keep sleeping. Nothing to do about humans acting weird.

Jet-black wings blanketed the skies as a massive frame covered the land beneath it in an almost unnatural darkness. Humans, elves, demons, and many other kinds of species hid away within their houses in the city below as the beast headed towards the central tower.

It was a city of impossible proportions based on the standards of old Earth. It spanned thousands of kilometers with buildings, housing billions of the myriad races – their only solace being the trustworthy barrier protecting their home.

Yet the Wyvern of the Desolates had come anyway - a monstrous beast that had wiped out all life on one of the massive continents on their planet. In its wake always followed death and destruction, and many families of the city already began mourning those who failed to enter the safety of the barrier in time.

The entire city went into complete lockdown, and as the poison mist that swirled around the mighty wyrm encountered the barrier, it sizzled and burned but remained stable. It was put down by the city’s and country’s protector, a mighty warrior who sat at a higher position than even the King.

It was a being none could look down upon with his level placing him firmly as a mid-tier C-grade.

”ROAR!”

The Wyvern opened its maw as it spewed out a beam of green energy that impacted the barrier and made the entire city shake.

Yet the barrier held up.

But it wouldn’t be able to do so forever.

It was made by an early C-grade companion of the Protector, and while it would hold up for a while, the Wyvern’s attack was especially effective at these kinds of prolonged standoffs. With no other choice, the Protector would have to move personally.

No matter what, it wouldn’t be an easy fight, for the Wyvern was mid-tier C-grade just like him.

Far above the city and barrier appeared a single figure. It was a muscular red-skinned demon wearing heavy armor and carrying a massive mallet and large tower shield. His entire body hummed with power as his glowing white eyes stared at the Wyvern that had come to attack his home.

”What do you hope to accomplish by coming here?” he asked in the common tongue of their planet.

Getting nothing but a breath of toxic green energy in return as the wyvern attacked.

form became smaller, shrinking from being a several hundreds of meters long monstrosity to only about a dozen meters from head to tail. While the reduced size made the beast appear less threatening, the Protector knew it was just the opposite – because while it became smaller, its

release as the claw hit, but he shrugged it off as his armor nullified most of it. What he wore today was a set of armor he had personally made specifically for this day – for he knew the gluttonous and greedy Wyvern would one day come to

blanketed the entire area already, and the

the scales of the beast. He knew it was relatively weaker to physical attacks than magic – a trait of most winged lizards – hence

in the end, but a beast. It relied on its instincts and not intelligence, making it inherently

was transformed. A new valley was created when his kinetic blow missed and sent a shockwave down into the ground and a

expectations, but he knew he had the upper hand. It relied on its poison building up in his body, but he was prepared. Just a few months earlier, a renowned alchemist had visited his city. He was a mid-tier C-grade just like himself, and from him,

greedy Wyvern a chance to

exchange later, and the beast managed to barely scrape him with one of its long fangs, drawing blood. He felt the extra-potent toxin enter his body and knew it was time. He had managed to land a mighty hit in return

the contents of the bottle. He felt the liquid

What?

poison in his body suddenly got renewed life and exploded with power. The Protector felt his insides begin to rot as he stumbled back, nearly

fan of my concoction?” the Protector heard a familiar voice say as

the renowned alchemist known as Vilastromoz. From the beginning, this fight had been a setup... the antitoxin a trap he had fallen

how could he possibly have suspected a mindless beast like the Wyvern of the Desolates to be an alchemist? How was it even possible when it as a beast did not possess a profession? He knew it was possible to craft anyway, but he hadn’t heard of a beast

out as he wavered in the air, but he activated a skill to temporarily at least stabilize himself a bit,

Wyvern asked, its large eyes staring down at

said, before shaking his head and standing up a bit more straight. ”There is no reason for either of

voice of the Wyvern echoed out. ”Remove

to do so. He didn’t believe that the Wyvern genuinely wanted a fight to the death. In the battle they had been somewhat evenly matched, and like most powerhouses, he had methods to make a last stand if things got too dangerous. The only reason why he had any confidence in

the city, the citizens saw the barrier that ensured their safety slowly began to disperse as they despaired. The King of the land inside the grand palace, a peak D-tier man, cursed at the Protector for abandoning them as the poison released by the Wyvern descended upon the capital. The King

about to take his leave as he saw a potion appear before the Wyvern as the beast swiftly chomped down on it. Seconds later, the broken wing had regenerated, and the beast looked

away, he barely managed

he yelled as the Wyvern attacked him

”Oh, that? I lied.”

Protector fell as he succumbed

turned into pandemonium as everyone tried to flee, yet escape was impossible for most. The dark green cloud had well and truly descended on the city, and soon there were more rotting corpses than living citizens in the once grand capital of one of the

with a fleeing King and a few of his guards in its crosshairs. The King took out a protective item to try and save himself, but the shield generated by the marble barely held up for a second before

to distract it, the Wyvern dove down towards the central palace and the grand tower that adorned its middle – a mighty mage tower housing an

ripped away as the large blue gem within was revealed. The gem had

so did another soul. It was a silent and unnoticed passenger that was simply on for the ride - one who was just there to observe and experience the annals of history and the Records of what once happened during the first Era of

been present. He had felt the thoughts of the Viper, the Protector, and even all the living souls in the

of the Malefic Viper. He felt like he truly became the Viper and

bloodline – he knew that this was

green and giving off powerful toxic energy. None of this was very enlightening to Jake, but he did notice a few areas where he could improve his own ways of using Touch of the Malefic Viper.

inside the Wyvern’s body come to life that felt both familiar and foreign. Instantly, he knew it was what would one day be named Palate