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.

meters long monstrosity to only about a dozen meters from head to tail. While the reduced

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

he swung his mallet, forcing the beast to retreat. The poison mist released from its wings blanketed the entire area already, and the Protector knew the beast relied on it to

and several of his blows struck true, shattering the scales of the beast. He knew it was relatively weaker to physical attacks than magic

relied on its instincts and not intelligence, making

his kinetic blow missed

powerful beyond his 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

consume it and finish it off, not leaving the greedy Wyvern a chance to escape. He would be hailed a hero, and his renown would

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

contents of the bottle. He felt the liquid enter

What?

out his orifices as all the pent-up 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 failing to stay airborne. Had the alchemist lied to him? He knew some could alter the

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

soon realized… the Wyvern before him was the renowned alchemist known as Vilastromoz. From the beginning, this fight had been a setup... the antitoxin a trap he had fallen into with both

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

spurted out as he wavered in the air, but he activated a skill to temporarily at least stabilize himself a bit, seeing that the Wyvern was not continuing its

its large eyes staring

cough… the city… just take it,” the Protector said, before shaking his head and standing up a bit more straight. ”There is no reason for either of us to risk death. I do not care what happens to the city… let us

voice of the Wyvern echoed out. ”Remove the barrier and

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

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 didn’t hesitate as he began making his escape, not even bothering with his family or anyone

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 to be

away, he barely managed to dodge as the claw

We had an agreement!” he yelled as the Wyvern attacked him

”Oh, that? I lied.”

minutes later, the Protector fell as he succumbed to the ever-increasing poison in his

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

gaze to one side as it released a breath, 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

towards the central palace and the grand

a swipe of its tail, the upper parts of the tower were ripped away as the large blue gem within was

and unnoticed passenger that was simply on for the ride - one who was

the Protector, and even all the living souls in

truly immersed into the body of the Malefic Viper. He felt like he truly became the Viper and that the body of the Wyvern was his own. Every single small piece of energy moving within the large body was clear as

– perhaps due to the skill or his bloodline – he knew that this was when

Viper Jake very much recognized. The gemstone was slowly transmuted as it began turning dark 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

familiar and foreign. Instantly, he knew it was what would one day be named Palate of the Malefic Viper. But it was different from Jake’s version in many ways. It was far more potent for