The Primal Hunter

Jake considered what his next step would be as Reika was hard at work.

After dividing all the loot and telling the people outside they could enter, Reika called her followers to keep watch over the smithy as her followers also called some smiths while making their way there. They only took a few minutes to arrive, and Jake saw they looked a bit more haggard than before, and he sensed the remnants of curse energy on their bodies. It was easy to see they had been fighting those cursed armor golems.

The two followers stood guard at the smithy as they waited for members of the Noboru clan to arrive. A few had already been in the gallery of observers before, and now, more were coming from a basecamp in the central plains.

Reika and Jake walked out of the armory, and the room with the puzzle in was now near-empty.

“Something has been on my mind for a while,” Reika suddenly said. “Why would one hide an armory in the middle of enemy territory like this? It doesn’t make any logical sense, much less to ensure it with some magical puzzle and not a key or something like that.”

“I actually think it makes a lot of sense. Especially to make it a magic puzzle. That meant one had to have some level of power and experience to open it, and you couldn’t just take a random unturned human and have that person open it with just a bit of mana,” Jake chimed in.

“What stops a vampire from just solving the puzzle?” she asked him, genuinely confused.

“Vampires don’t have mana. At least not the same kind as you and I or really anything else I have met do. Instead, they seem to have some kind of unique energy that serves many of the same functions but is fundamentally different. I think this energy may have also been the cause of their downfall,” Jake answered.

He had fought the Count and noticed this difference in energy pretty much right away. He just called their energy, blood energy in his head because it was red and looked like blood, and knowing the system’s naming sense, he was probably right on the money.

“They don’t? That… I didn’t even consider that.” Reika looked to be deep in thought as she considered the implications of that.

As Reika stood there, Jake noticed one of her followers come out of the armory towards them. It was the communications guy, as far as Jake could tell.

“Mr. Thayne, I bring a message from the Patriarch,” the man said, confirming he was the communications guy. Reika also perked up at the mention of the head of the Noboru clan, and Jake raised an eyebrow – hidden under his mask, of course.

“Do tell,” he answered.

“The Patriarch relays the message that you should have your meeting in the center of the Mistless Plains at the hidden tower once all keys are gathered, and he would like to propose a bet. There are nine keys… so the one to bring five will get priority in exploring the hidden tower,” the man said, adding. “He also expresses his hopes that you and his great-granddaughter are getting along and that you treat her kindly.”

Jake bit onto that first part. “Oh, so he’s out there hunting Counts too, huh? Better tell him to hurry up. Also… I don’t mean to be an ass, but let’s not assume it’s only he and I who are capable of matching those vampires. Especially not after what we just found.”

The man smiled almost triumphantly as he added: “He knows you are one key ahead and that others are also capable of defeating these Counts… but he still stands by his words to bring five. Because if you don’t, he will.”

I’ll take that as a challenge, Jake thought as he just heard the Noboru clan make it clear they were willing to challenge any other faction who managed to obtain a key. Which meant either Jake would have to do the same… or just get those five keys by himself.

turned to Reika. “Oh, and do remember to make use of the wooden stake. Maybe give it to him. Perhaps he will need it

looking a bit embarrassed since the conversation began, no doubt due to the whole thing about treating her well. Jake got it. It was always awkward when a grandparent said something like that in front of others, making him smile

before she steeled her look. “Don’t think he will be the only one from the

to you. But be warned they aren’t that easily taken down, and I would advise you against trying to beat one with numbers, as weaker humans are little more than walking health potions to

naturally split up after the puzzle was

left with a wave over his shoulder

care and stay safe,” she half-yelled as Jake smiled under his

that last part. Jake wasn’t known as the type to take care of himself nor stay safe. He was more the type that would head straight for danger. Sadly, he could not go to the next tower right away but had to find a Mark of Blood first. He did throw a mental message towards Sylphie, and she sent back something about having fun, but that the next floating

in the distance and a response from his boots that there were treasures. However, he also felt the mana of other people, and he didn’t have any inclinations of coming in and stealing any loot. He was confident that what had been

of the tower, and when he reached the bottom, he saw many

a bit too much for even him to spend half an hour slowly burning off a gate with people passing by and looking weirdly at him all the meanwhile. No… he would have to play

100% still going to steal

slash using her long claws on the human

the man and sent blood splashing everywhere as his entire body was ripped apart. The severed arm hit the wall, and his guts

only sign remaining the newly made splatter of blood and some more guts on the floor. He stood the exact same place he had

were sluggish and slow, the red glow in her eyes dimming. Meanwhile, the man only moved to comb back his hair and continue staring at her, never allowing

on her body. Even

blood but found itself poisoned by the vitality she consumed, dealing even more damage. It was not the first time she had tried, but she was desperate. Finally, the vampire just slumped back and sat on the ground, heaving. The tomb was completely locked, just the

the vampire was done fighting… unable to go on… the man made a sad smile as

“Thank you.”

hand on the top of her head as he comfortingly spoke at the vampire. “Your sacrifice will

up at him, her eyes dimming as her life came to an end, with not a single wound on

outside it. They all looked at the man, complicated emotions in their eyes,

woman were ready to receive him. “How

the happenings before this, sighed. “The sparks are corrupted… broken… yet whole. I know more now, but still not enough. Come, lets us continue as we seek out one of

was pure carnage inside. Guts everywhere, severed limbs by the hundreds, and the smell were absolutely horrific. Everything was just red, even the walls and ceiling. Yet the worst

liquid on the

All of it human.

away from the tower. He was headed towards one he was certain no one had been to before due to the long distance and how it was slightly hidden behind two other hills and several actual towers. Not mountain towers, but buildings made to look like buildings. He decided to check those out first and sprinted along the plains, scanning them with his sphere all the meanwhile. He noticed everything was cleaned up already and considered who it could be until he

it was camouflaged and nearly invisible, a lot like the vampire’s invisibility. But, as he saw it, he also spotted a common-rarity staff of sorts embedded in the ground, seemingly just

staff. He wondered what it was but saw that the moment

stopped touching the ground,