The Primal Hunter

Jake had always liked to play strategy games, mainly those of the good old 4X genre. 4X was an abbreviation of Explore, Expand, Exploit and Exterminate, and was in 90% of cases, macro gameplay and economy ruled as one of the most important aspects. While they weren’t the most realistic, he and Casper had spent many hours nerding out over making optimal builds and strategies, and one of the most important factors was always location.

In these games, the resources you had available nearly entirely dependent on the starting location. You may have valuable metals or expensive crystals or be placed close to a forest for logging or seaside with great fishing possibilities.

The placement of the Pylons was a bit of the same. Most, if not all, citizens prefer to be within the scope of the Pylon for obvious reasons. It increased experience gain for non-combat-related activities, and the City Lord also wanted it for all their skills to work properly.

This meant that unless you had valuable resources extremely close by, you would have to travel outside of the safety of the city to get it, something very few liked to do. There was always the risk of some high-level asshole bird descending and killing you or some huge earthworm suddenly come up and gobble you down.

Haven, as an example, had a mine placed within the area of the city with some ores and metals. Perhaps a few gems and crystals too, but nothing worth writing home about, and far from enough to call it a strategic resource. According to Miranda, they already spent all the metal they mined, making them lack that a bit, so it wasn’t like getting more would be bad.

There was plenty of wood to go around being placed in a forest and all, with stones also aplenty primarily because they didn’t feel the need to expand senselessly.

Jake was already fairly confident that they wouldn’t lack monster material – again, forest – and fruits and foodstuff they also had plenty of. Heck, even herbs weren’t that hard to get, and Jake had collected a few during his hunts deeper into the forest, but it still took time, and most herbs he found he didn’t know how to use.

Other materials such as chemicals and cloth Haven didn’t have anything of at all as far as Jake knew. Haven would win out in nearly every area but wood or anything from monsters. They kind of needed everything but didn’t severely need anything. Except for herbs… because Jake wanted that.

The same wasn’t true for other cities. Sanctdomo appeared to lack nearly everything due to their large population but apparently had plenty of gems and crystals. Other cities had one or two resources that they all seemed adamant on not needing a store for.

All of this is to say… no one could fucking agree on anything.

Jake really just wanted to leave or go chat with one of his many acquaintances present, but that was a bit hard with all the borderline yelling going on between the City Lords. It would also just be rude to tell Miranda, Neil, and Lillian to leave the platform for him to invite friends over… so Jake had to wait. The only positive thing was that you really got a good feel for the other cities based on this entire thing.

A ”quick discussion so we can move on to other things” ended up taking nearly two hours, leaving only a single hour remaining before the actual vote would begin. Jake wasn’t even sure any definite agreement was reached; it just sounded like people would vote for their own thing. A massive waste of time. Everything except for the first five minutes where everyone agreed on herbs that is.

Finally free, Jake considered if he should go over and ask the undead a bit more about how their stats now worked, but he noticed a figure approaching before he could do that. He was from one of the lower-ranking cities and was a person Jake recognized by aura over appearance.

It was the sleek-looking man with a bloodline.

His brown eyes were a good brown with what looked like a small flame burning within, and his gaze seemed to pick up something no one else could perceive. Jake felt uncomfortable under his gaze… like his eyes bore into his body, and he was certain of one thing… the man had a perception-based skill like himself. At least it had aspects that allowed to ”see” something. No… it wasn’t a skill… it was his bloodline.

What does he see? Jake wondered as the man got closer. The man’s eyes flickered between Jake’s chest and face as an intrigued smile adorned his face.

”Pleasure to meet you, Hunter; I am Eron,” he said, extending a hand towards Jake.

Jake looked at him for a bit. Miranda and the two others stood uncomfortably behind him, not sure what to do or say. Before Miranda had a chance to come to the rescue, Jake just smiled as he shook his hand.

to make it harder for anyone but Eron to hear it. It wasn’t foolproof, and Miranda and the others still heard it as well as anyone using a

for why he used that

would be my pleasure to host you in the city of Cardius if you find the time and wish to speak further. I believe we have much to learn

were said a bit weirdly, and Jake

honestly just wanting the creepy guy gone. He got the heeby jeebies from

telling him that the man, Eron, wasn’t a danger to him. He was a D-grade, and he did have a

meaningless endeavor. He kinda wanted to try fighting all the D-grades present just to try and battle a fellow human at D-grade. All except for

smiled once more as he nodded. ”Know that you

not his eyes, but face… or perhaps

”Both of you.”

walked off, leaving a frowning Jake

that.

talking with

nice,” Lyra said,

of Priscilla and the schadenfreude of Casper. He

was damn intense, and she seemed to like fighting, which was a relief

than her in pretty much every way when it came to a straight-on confrontation. Her race was incredibly powerful, and something equally important was something Casper hadn’t

happy that his girlfriend would be safe in most circumstances. A bit like a lich, actually. It was weird how an item could both be functional equipment and essentially the body of a ”living” creature. He had been warned that certain soul-affecting attacks could still hurt her and that she was even a bit susceptible to

at it. They didn’t really need stone but actually really wanted wood. Many trees couldn’t grow within their area or wouldn’t last long, and they hoped that the store would

like some gems and crystals, but he wasn’t

a Dungeon Engineer, but that didn’t mean he could actually make dungeons… at least not yet. He could make certain areas with desired properties, and with his class as a Cursed Trapper, he could make some damn nice defensive fortifications. Together with Lyra, they had taken down quite a

experience gain a lot and wasn’t great

replied. Communicating telepathically with her had been a lot easier than he thought, and it

how do I say it… unsettling. I felt like he knew I was listening,”

out how funny it is that a ghost is

not scared! I said unsettled, not scared. Geez. If anyone is scary, it is that Augur. I feel like half of his words somehow touch my soul or something. I don’t think we should interact too much with him, at least

would do anything on purpose, but better safe than sorry. It also isn’t like people can’t change… and I wouldn’t have thought Caroline able to do what she did, so I guess I am not the best judge

while,

This would likely be the last time Casper could meet this casually with Jacob and quite a few others. The political stage had yet to form into circles

were only interrupted as the talks died down, and people began wandering. Casper didn’t think about going anywhere, but his attention was still grabbed as a “confrontation”

Progenitor vs. Sword Saint.

Church, were interested to see what would come of this, as the two