The Primal Hunter

Jake looked at the man with his combed-back slick hair and casual demeanor. He wore a simple white robe that reminded Jake a bit of the coat doctors would wear based on its design, though it was clearly magical and enchanted. However, he wasn’t there to judge fashion but to kill a vampire.

“Move.”

Eron looked back at Jake as he shook his head. “I apologize; I’m unable to do that.”

“You’re gonna stop me?”

“Delay. I was contracted to delay your arrival in the Count’s chamber by one and a half hours. Ah, around an hour only now. In case you wonder, yes, it was the Augur and the Holy Church who contracted me,” Eron explained forthcomingly. “I shall be honest, I would prefer for this not to devolve into needless violence, so would it be too much to ask for us to simply sit down for a cup of coffee and wait? Or do you prefer tea?”

Jake looked a bit dumbfounded at the man who just stood there with a light smile on his face as he summoned a small coffee table and a pair of chairs. The issue was… Jake needed to go down this hallway. Like with the other Count chambers, the way there was linear. There was one way in and one way out.

Within his Sphere of Perception, he saw the other side of the metal door. A group of fifteen people stood close to the gate on the other side as they channeled mana into it. With them and Eron in front of him, the situation had suddenly gotten a lot more annoying.

Well played, Jacob.

Jake had to admit this wasn’t expected. Eron was one of the few unknowns of the planet that he couldn’t really understand. He was the one other person on Earth with a bloodline as far as Jake was aware, instantly making him a person of interest.

Sadly for Eron, Jake had no interest in being delayed.

“Yeah, no. Fuck off, or I’m gonna make you.”

Eron looked up at Jake. “Rude, but I guess your anger is understandable. Fine, I am looking forward to seeing your attempt at making me leave, as if violence becomes a necessity, let it at least have a purpose. I have heard much of you and your capabilities, so please show me your methods.”

Jake narrowed his eyes. He had already used Identify on the man, but the result had been disappointing.

[?]

No matter what he did, Jake couldn’t pierce it. It wasn’t that bad as Jake still got a feel for the madman’s strength… but all that told him was the same as during the World Congress. A feeling that fighting him would be a waste of time.

In the end, Jake sighed as he took a step. He appeared straight in front of Eron, who was still making his coffee. Drawing his blade, Jake placed it at the neck of Eron, who stood unfazed.

“Nothing?”

warrant a belief that decapitation would do me any harm. I would prefer to do without, though, as it would ruin my drink,” Eron answered as he

already inspected it with his sphere, and it was far from as well secured as all

into a bolt. Jake stopped what he was doing

it primarily out of curiosity. The moment the flame hit his hand, it just sank into Jake’s body, and instantly he felt like a warm flow went through his body… before it began burning, and Jake had to grit his teeth from the pain. It was only for a moment before his own internal energies

backed away. He genuinely had no idea what the fuck that magic was, but

I am to delay you. So please, can just we just relax for the next hour or so? Or at least

the first

attacked. He expected the other party to dodge, but the

his severed lower body simply disappeared as they exploded into red

he had seen the entire progress. This wasn’t nullification of damage. Eron had just taken some significant damage; Jake was sure of it. His Mark confirmed as much too. Yet the man seemed unaffected… he had just healed it instantly, without Jake even detecting any magic being

Natural extreme regeneration?

Eron having not even

I do not mean to sound cliché, but we are not so different, you and I. We both seek the pinnacle of what is possible - to explore behind all the doors this new multiverse has opened up! We have just chosen to open different doors. While you aim for destruction and death, I seek preservation

I can destroy you,” Jake said as he attacked again. He infused his blade with arcane energy as he stabbed Eron, who just

develop towards your own version of perfection… yet some things will forever be in common. I am not talking of the vain outward features but what is beneath the skin. The viscera- oh excuse me, internal organs will slowly disappear in the ranking of importance. The spleen, liver, large parts of the intestines.

most interesting. It is those that remain… or, more accurately, why they remain. Tell me, Mr. Thayne, why do you need lungs when you do not need to breathe? Why do

organs at all sure is fascinating,” Jake said as he repeatedly turned Eron’s insides to mush with Touch of the Malefic Viper, only to

but mana. We breathe to regenerate ourselves; it's why meditation is so closely interlinked with breathing techniques. We keep our stomachs not to get nutrients but simply for pleasure. In fact, many things remain only for pleasure. Human vanity. Now, some things make sense that they remain. The sexual organs will forever serve the purpose of reproduction as we are biological

what the fuck, too much information,” Jake blurted out as he smashed Eron into the ground again, making half of his body explode, including the head. His entire body regenerated

just skip the details then and get to the point. Besides those vanity organs or features, do you know what the last organs to disappear are in all biological creatures of the system? What has been deemed essential, and that we, even in our pursuit of perfection,

starting to get annoyed. Touch did nothing, his arcane magic did nothing, and he even tried Gaze of the Apex Hunter, but all

that does remain… but besides that, what remains is the heart and the brain despite their presence being less and less relevant. I do believe that I myself am a

thought process was that if he couldn’t kill Eron, he would

body burned with energy, and the madman exploded in a red explosion of pure vital energy and mist, a bit reminiscent of the

difference was that the Deepdwellers did not instantly appear again before the mist had

longer exist solely dependent on our bodies. As long as our sparks remain alit, we remain alive. This spark does not exist within our bodies… no, it exists beyond that,” Eron said as he

or what?” He had just seen him

For every spark there is, a force that can blow it out must also exist. At least, I believe such a balance is necessary. I do not doubt for a second that any god could whisk me out of

stood for a while as Jake considered what the fuck

the earlier topic… the brain and heart remain. The brain controls the body and speeds up reactions. It no longer houses who you are but is more like a complicated muscle that serves to amplify your

heart is linked to the core of your soul. It’s the point of contact between metaphysical existence and our tangible forms. When I heal, my heart is the first to appear,” he said, promptly ripping out his own heart to show. He then exploded the rest of his body as his

back to grounding the tangible. To transfer energy