The Primal Hunter

Jake and everyone else in the Treasure Hunt all got the notification at the same time.

While the curse slowly claimed their world, the inhabitants of Yalsten did all they could to fight back. As a final gambit, they created a device to seal the curse forever and banish it from their homeland. Yet the curse was too powerful and the device too weak… so they waited - empowering the device as the curse slowly weakened.

During this time, when Yalsten deteriorated and the nobility began weakening, they sought ways to preserve their heritage and wealth for future generations. To do this, Vaults were set up with the most priceless of items, hidden away within the cursed mist till the day Yalsten was ready to rise again.

That day never came… and now the Treasure Hunters from another universe have come to seek them out. Nine Counts have fallen, the keys assembled, and the spire summoned. As the curse is made to retreat and the mist washed away, the vaults have been reactivated once more.

However, the keys to these Vaults have long been lost and forgotten. To acquire the treasures in the Vaults, the Treasure Hunters must overcome their defenses, and whilst these defenses have weakened with time, they are not to be underestimated.

Be warned… that legends long forgotten may be released as the Vaults begin to open.

May your continued Hunt be fruitful.

What is a good system message without ending with a warning and then telling you to do the exact thing it just warned you about, Jake joked with himself.

He was a bit surprised at the system just spelling things out like that, but perhaps that was a part of the rewards for clearing the first phase? Or maybe it was to get everyone up to speed, as it assumed most of the influential forces who had hunted down Counts knew this already.

Which, from what he had gathered, they did. Most had found out through old recordings or messages or such left behind. Jake was pretty sure he had lucked out with the projection, even if the information he had received was a bit flawed. It said there would be a treasure left by that True Ancestor in the center of the Mistless Plains, and Jake had a hard time seeing that be the big crystal spire. Primarily because the True Ancestor should have left the treasure there long ago, while the spire was made to fight a curse that came to be later on.

Jake also wasn’t sure if that crystal tower could be called the “greatest treasure” either, so he felt pretty damn lied to.

Well, technically, the projection hadn’t lied… for in the eyes of the vampires, this tower probably was the greatest treasure to be found in this world. It was their final hope of fighting against the curse - a way to seal it in and then possibly take the entire spire and toss it away somewhere.

Of course, that would still leave all the usual vampire problems, but at least they would have cleaned up one issue.

But… there was still one thing bothering Jake a bit. Why was this entire plain devoid of mist while it existed everywhere else? The spire didn’t remove the mist itself; it only absorbed the curse in it. Perhaps the altars had absorbed the mist? Or was it something else?

While he saw many others around the plains begin to group up again, Jake headed straight towards the spire to get a better look at it. The red runes still dominated the inside of the circle, with the energy walls still present, but Jake didn’t feel any danger towards the energy. It was just there for the spire and not harmful to him.

He made his way towards the spire and, with his sphere, saw complicated devices that appeared to be made of the same black beneath the ground. All of it was organized in a highly complex matter, giving the magic circle both a magical and physical form.

Jake kept getting closer and saw the complexity only increase the closer he got to the crystalline spire. Sadly, he had to stop when he got within a hundred meters of it as the power of the curse began invading his body, proving that while it was contained, it wasn’t fully suppressed.

This would have stopped him if not for his special little Root of Eternal Resentment. He summoned it, and instantly the curse let him pass as he moved closer to encompass more of the spire, but more importantly, what was below the spire.

A coffin.

The bottom part of the spire encased a coffin that was even more intricate than any of the other ancient-rarity coffins. Within it, Jake saw a figure lay, and the moment he did, a shiver went up his spine. Strong. Below the coffin itself was not an altar, but what looked like a giant safe of some kind… a giant safe that was pure darkness when he tried to look inside it. Like a system lockbox, Jake noted.

the final boss of the Treasure Hunt

basecamps out of the Mistless Plains, as he had a feeling whatever was sleeping below the pillar wouldn’t be in a good mood when it awakened. At least not

“tell others to move their basecamps,” he naturally meant his allies. So Caleb, the folk from

themselves and didn’t need a heads-up, right? And if they didn’t prepare, and some powerful creature went on a rampage and began tearing things up… those in the camps better

am I

the factions saw everyone evacuate the Mistless

meet up with her and Carmen but was surprised to see that Caleb had also come and was currently conversing with the two women. Sven and his ‘pets’ weren’t anywhere to be

just had to be

little traitor was clearly sharing stuff he shouldn’t. Miranda was smiling,

me in?” Jake said when he appeared

you,” Caleb confidently stated with a smile, the two

heard my

have misheard. It happens,” Caleb dismissed

I have more perception than all three of you combined,” Jake

a wonder of the multiverse,” his brother said as he

hours straight because he was too scared to ask out his now-wife and

Jake for a moment. “It wasn’t eight whole hours, and it wasn’t

time she tried asking you something,” Jake kept

was like sixteen,

out because he was too much

just move

a table at a family restaurant but accidentally chose the wrong

have something more important to do!?” Caleb yelled, waving his hands dismissively, muttering under his breath. “Besides… it was fine… they had plenty of

“I didn’t say anything; you must have misheard me. See, that’s what happens when you don’t invest properly in

I assume you will go and

Also, tell everyone to evacuate the Mistless Plains. I believe we have a final boss on our hands, sleeping right below the large crystal spire. No doubt it will be released at some point, and ancient entities that have

Shadows will spread even more out from here… do be warned that when three days remain of the Hunt, we will switch

Miranda

to Carmen. “I cannot say the same about the members of Valhal. While those unassociated with larger factions will be prioritized as targets, those

dismissively. “I don’t really give

just shaking his head. “I’ll

nod in acknowledgments, with Jake giving him a big wave as he headed off, soaring into the sky, Sylphie

wanted a cute feather ball like Sylphie, but only his head was

“I wanna go and find these Vaults and possibly do near-suicidal and reckless things to clear some of them quickly… would you two be fine taking care of Sylphie meanwhile? You can always contact me through her if any problems come up, and I can

than with others. Miranda and Carmen also both seemed to have taken a liking to Sylphie

primarily based