The Primal Hunter

Chris worked with fervor as he cleaned and rearranged a few of the pillars, stones, and metal pikes. It had to be kept perfect at all times as the materials absorbed the necessary energy from the celestial objects above through the ritual.

The entire area was walled off and sealed away behind several one-way barriers to keep everyone out but still allow energy in. This entire project was a fickle one that required a lot of precision, and Chris had needed help from several talented builders, including Hank, to assist him.

Even Neil had come by to help calibrate and make sure everything with the magic circle seemed correct and helped Chris finish some parts he did not have the expertise to do himself. Not that Chris really had any idea what the fuck he was actually doing; he was just following directions and doing what he was told. All in the name of the Malefic One.

After he had received the blessing from the Malefic Viper and learned of Lord Thayne’s identity, his life had entirely changed. Before, he never really had any direction but was just another faceless survivor in his own mind. It was hard to establish yourself as “someone” in the new world, especially as every person of note was just so different from him.

Abby and Donald had both been utter shitbags, but they had also been powerful and rather talented in their demented ways. Miranda was extremely good at her job; Lillian was this weird, overly neutral person who never really displayed any emotions but just performed her tasks flawlessly. Honestly, she was the only other woman in Abby and Donald’s gang who was not elderly who had managed to avoid his attention, probably because of that personality and the face she herself had chosen to scar and never heal. Even now, she chose to keep it scarred for some reason.

Lord Thayne was not even worth mentioning when it came to outstanding individuals; he was the Chosen of a Primordial, after all. Neil and his party had once been enemies Chris had chased together with Abby and were individuals who had stood up to her. Neil had even beaten her in sheer talent with space magic to get the legendary item they had been fighting over.

Hank was a good builder… but out of everyone in Haven, there was one individual that stood out in his mind more than anyone – besides Lord Thayne, of course.

That was Arnold. Chris did not get the guy, but he was a savant who continuously created new things without any pause. Having helped build parts of his workshop, Chris had seen some of the things he had been up to, and it was just ridiculous.

He had launched a fucking satellite or something a little while ago, for fuck’s sake. Chris had no idea how the hell he had managed that with how their new planet worked and especially what was in the sky. Chris knew the sky was another world in its own right, with monsters up there none could beat. The atmosphere should also be able to destroy most things that tried to pass through it, yet the guy had seemed to get through and launch something into space.

Chris was thrown out of his train of thought as he got a response from one of his skills, making him aware one of the stones was fully charged and had to be moved. He did so, and while Chris had no idea how the monument or ritual circle or whatever he was making did what it did, he knew what it was meant for.

It was a gate. A way to establish a connection between another universe and their own, or in simpler terms, it was a way for the Chosen to leave Earth and go to the Order of the Malefic Order, and only to the Order. Well, he could go where he wanted from there, but this monument would only connect to a corresponding ritual circle or something on the other side. This was not a teleportation circle per se but was more like an odd kind of ritual only created for the Chosen, making use of his connection to the Malefic One as a Chosen. This had lowered the requirements significantly, apparently. Lord Thayne would be able to function as a beacon and allow the circle to activate to teleport anyone within. Chris had tried to understand it at first but had given up long ago.

Many people would probably be a bit miffed at getting forced into creating something so tedious as this monument, but Chris was happy just to get the opportunity. It made him someone… it made him feel useful. Also, while it was a bit selfish and had nothing to do with his task, it allowed him to get closer to his crush, Louise. No one had told him who he could ask for help, right? And he sucked at drawing, so he needed someone to draw the plans anyway.

It is a great excu- eh, reason, the young builder affirmed to himself.

He had no regrets as it had landed him a date with her later that day so they both could take a break. Chris had always been a bit scared of her father, Hank, but that fear had disappeared the day after he had gained his blessing. Okay, he was still a bit afraid, but for different reasons than the man’s power.

The day after he had been blessed, the Malefic One had spoken to him directly. Chris could barely remember the words as he still recalled the mind-shattering pain he felt at the connection that was made between them. The command had still been received, but for a moment, Chris had felt the true aura of the Malefic Viper, and it was something he was in two minds about.

On the one hand, he had never felt something so awe-inspiring. He did not know if it was because it was his first time feeling a god or if it was due to the blessing. Chris wanted to experience that feeling again from the bottom of his heart. However, at the same time, the lingering fear that came afterward and the feeling of being so insignificant couldn’t leave him, like he had been a moth before the sun itself. It was an insurmountable difference Chris had no hope to ever overcome.

that sun had given him a purpose; one he would strive his fullest to make a reality. To pay back Lord Thayne, Haven,

again, making him do the final rearrangement of the day. He smiled as he placed a hand on a large pillar and

with Louise. He looked down at

and some new clothes… I

carved himself sealed off with the corpses of termites. Another two days had passed since his first encounter

killed three of them and a few thousand weak D-grade termites too. By now, Jake was beginning to realize truly a “feature” of the system, if you

the Queen and the three Guards there, but since then he had only gained two more levels even if he had killed two more Queens, ten Guards, and thousands of the weaker variants of termites, about a hundred and twenty of them having given experience

has reached level 150 - Stat points allocated, +10

(D)] has reached level 149 - Stat

level

Arcane Hunter] has reached level 152 - Stat points allocated, +10 Free

has reached level 150 - Stat

because he kept killing the same type of enemy or because the fights got progressively easier as he now knew how they acted and took advantage

had five Guards each, and he had a feeling they were spawns or summons of the Queen herself. Ectognamorphs, as these termites were classified as, were

to go back

[Basic One-Handed Weapons (Inferior)]

he stared at it. Was it perhaps

[Basic Twin-Fang Style (Uncommon)]

Jake wasn’t sure; he just knew it was weird to still have an inferior rarity skill. It was his

still just meditating, he entered his Soulspace. He felt his presence shift, and his senses disappeared as he opened his eyes within

in his hand and swung it a few times, but it just felt off. He then switched it up and summoned two arcane daggers. With those, he had some

kept swinging it and making some moves, but he felt stiff. He knew he was just swinging the sword, and his combos were more based on movie choreography than

but that also felt

of pure curse energy. It was still just sleeping when he did so, so Jake was forced to poke it. He made the ground around it

in front of Jake, and finally, he reacted.

to the Chimera as his

Jake said as he waved his hand and trapped the Chimera again. Dispelling the arena he had created, Jake went back

first phase of the duel with the Sword Saint, the old man had said something that only really clicked now. He had commented on how it was evident Jake had no experience with cold weapons, which