The Primal Hunter

He wasn’t sure if he should be disappointed or not as he entered the central temple. The inside sloped down a bit as he entered a small underground chamber – a perfect place for a secret treasure vault.

What he found instead was just a damn bush… tree… thing. As he looked at it, he actually found it a bit odd that his Sagacity of the Malefic Viper didn’t toss out a snippet of knowledge. His Herbology skill was also not giving him any idea what the hell he was looking at.

Luckily, the system still came in tight and offered a nice explanation as he used Identify.

[Ancient Celerita Musa (Ancient)] – This plant has been grown from an ancient Musa seed and brought new life by the advent of the system. Also commonly called a banana tree, this plant produces different sorts of bananas, a type of fruit unique to the newly integrated planet Earth. This tree has become intimately connected to the concept of time through unknown means, making its growth pattern highly unpredictable. Destroying this tree will have unpredictable effects, and using it in any kind of alchemical creation will require one to first anchor it in time. Can only grow in certain areas with intense amounts of mana.

You learn something new every day. Jake actually thought bananas grew on trees, something the system acknowledged. Maybe it was just being extra-nice with these new things and giving all of that sweet info? Either way, it was much appreciated. As for the banana Musa itself…

Well, this was without a doubt the rarest and most powerful herb Jake had ever come across. He felt the pressure just standing before it as he observed the weird plant.

It looked like it was growing in real-time. At least it was until suddenly it wasn’t. A minute or so later, a part of it suddenly began growing in the opposite direction – in other words, began retracting into itself as if time reversed. That was likely because time kind of did reverse… this was a time tree… time musa. Whatever. Anyway…kinda awesome, not gonna lie.

It wasn’t very big, only about five meters tall, though it was pretty wide with its large leaves. There was nothing else in the entire underground chamber aside from a few other minor herbs that Jake decided he may as well just pick up.

As he stood there considering that, something happened on the plant. One of the flower-like growths suddenly appeared to bloom as four small bumps began growing out. Within less than a minute, the bumps took the shape of bananas before the growth stopped.

It was – to the surprise of no one – bananas. Yellow and ripe, looking just like what Jake was used to buying in the supermarket. Jake was pretty sure modern bananas were selectively bred or something like that, but who’s gonna complain about delicious-looking bananas?

He went up to the tree – yes, Jake had decided to just call it a tree because it looked a bit like a tree - and felt like he passed a weird barrier as he got close. He felt like time being ever-so-slightly affected in the area a few meters around it.

Using Identify on the bananas, Jake was honestly a bit taken aback.

[Celerita Banana (Rare)] – As a banana from the Ancient Celerita Musa, this fruit contains intense amounts of Celerita-affinity mana with agility-enhancing effects. This fruit can be used in many different creations and is especially suited for flasks and elixirs. Due to this banana’s origin, it will be returned to the rivers of time if it is removed too far from the tree. Consuming or transforming the fruit will anchor the energies in time, removing this effect. +3 Agility upon consumption.

This was the second natural treasure he had seen that just stated how many stats it gave, the first being the Argentum Vitae Mushrooms all the way back in the challenge dungeon. These bananas were clearly a step better, giving three stats each.

With four of them, that was just 12 free agility. Well, not entirely free, as with most things, there was a cap.

Jake had considered at one point if the rich and entitled kids of the multiverse couldn’t just have their mama and papa give them a mountain of elixirs and whatnot and instantly make their children absolutely overpowered for their level, but that – luckily – wasn’t a thing.

Villy had explained to him that the cap was actually quite low and based entirely on race level. For level 1-24, aka F-grade, you could get 3 stats per race-level; for E-grade, you could get 5 per level and D-grade 15 per level. This ultimately resulted in Jake having a maximum cap of stat-bonus from consuming stuff sitting at 585 currently. Of course, he had already used a bit of that.

Jake had eaten his way to a total of 86 stats gained. 51 of it in vitality, 25 in toughness, and 10 in willpower. The stats were coming from the elixir he had chugged down after clearing the Valley of Tusks dungeon, the fucked-up concoction he had made to clear the challenge dungeon, and the mural with the history of the Malefic Viper in that same dungeon. Yes, things like that “glimpse” counted towards this cap too. This cap was pretty much everything you could get from outside sources.

this and something like equipment, though. First of all, it counted towards base values, and secondly, there was no limit to increasing any one stat. This meant Jake could go drink perception-increasing elixirs

was that he was under time pressure in front of a giant time tree-thingie that he really wanted, and based on all the descriptions going around,

put them in his storage, but he had a feeling they wouldn’t come out the way he wanted them. The barrier around the tree was likely what kept them ripe

the easiest way possible as he grabbed the first one and peeled

a powerful energy of

+3 Agility

had always liked bananas. They were like the candy of

things went well, this would only be the beginning as Jake took out an

any pre-programmed shape that the user desire. While unsuitable for combat,

should have totally given to some of the crafters back at Haven, so it didn’t just sit uselessly in his spatial storage like so many other things. Anyway, with that in hand, he

could even

to properly move it? Of course

this temple, and he would just kill it?

100% bank on his valley counting as an area with “intense amounts

bring it with

thought as he began digging it up, finding it a bit annoying as the soil randomly moved back from where he

here. This temple was in an area that would be swarmed with new D-grades within a day or two once they

from Haven, and it wasn’t like he could position anyone here. Even Mystie and Hawkie wouldn’t be safe at the temple with the kinds of beasts he saw around

the soil be put back all the time. Stupid tree. So, he dug around the tree just where the barrier was in a radius of three meters or so. It did take around two hours, which still left plenty of time to go

much of a shit for all the political bullshit that would be going on – that was for Miranda to handle – there was something he had genuinely been looking forward

to spend this time to bring the tree back because he did have time. There was just one minor issue

do I carry

cleaned his blade as he waited, not because he expected to use it, but to clear his mind as he got more used to his reforged body. His blue robe

clan would have twelve representatives present at the World Congress. Their preparations had been excellent, and Miyamoto was especially looking

over the latest reports and prepared for their final meeting before the World Congress. The Pylons had the ability to link up and connect to each other, which was undoubtedly one

hope of this World Congress was not just to link with a few of the remaining factions –

rocked back and forth with his son as he took the time to clear his mind and relax before the World Congress. Maja was with him as they talked about the upcoming meeting, not just between the many faction

were many powerful people on Earth, and while Caleb did believe in Jake, he was still worried as any family member would be. They hadn’t met in over half a year, and

only consolation was the words he had been given by Umbra in a divine message that his brother was fine. Besides that, he had only heard some vague rumors that may or may not pertain to Jake. He had to be honest; it would be

be courteous and recognize that some may be scared, at least to begin with. This will be the first time for many to see

of those people being Casper, who looked like he was listening but was actually more busy thinking about how much he really didn’t want to attend the World Congress and at the same time how much he would hate to miss it. On the one hand, it would mean meeting many people who would hate him by default

Jake and even Jacob again. At least

dress,” Carmen said as