The Primal Hunter

Days passed as Jake entertained Reika, primarily through discussions on alchemy and just seeing the city. He had even given her a tour of his new alchemy laboratory, which she was quite impressed with, especially the room with the water basin in it, as well as the laboratory itself. She said that the craftsmanship was above anything anyone in the Noboru Clan could do, making Jake wonder how Arnold and Hank had pulled it off.

The best part of it all had no doubt been when they went to see the dungeon entrance and the under-construction garden, which had netted them both a big surprise.

“Why is there level 149 troll just below the city?” Reika had asked as she looked at the large troll digging through some soil with its hands. “And why is it wearing overalls?”

Jake didn’t have an answer for that as he looked at the troll wearing oversized blue dirty overalls covering its lower half as it worked. When the troll saw Jake and Reika, it waved happily at them, and soon enough, two small trolls ran over.

Reika looked a bit taken aback, but Jake calmed her down as one of the trolls ran up to him and handed him a shiny stone. It wasn’t an item or anything, just a bit shiny.

“Thanks,” Jake said, reaching up to the little guy. Yes, he had to reach up as the troll was slightly taller than himself.

The troll happily clapped and ran back to its parent while the second troll stayed and looked at Reika. It tried to poke her, but Reika backed away a bit from the dirt-stained hands of the troll. It looked sad, so Jake threw Reika a look, making her give in as he held out her hand and touched the little one’s hand.

It smiled and danced a bit in place as he held out its other hand to give her a small flower. Reika accepted that one, too, making the troll run back in excitement.

“Why did you get a flower when I got a rock?” Jake commented.

“That’s your takeaway? I’m wondering why you have a family of trolls living right beneath the city… isn’t this a hazard? And this close to the dungeon?” Reika said.

“Do they look dangerous?” Jake answered, smiling a bit. “They originally came from within the dungeon, and I chose to bring them out as I like them. The big one is also damn good at gardening; it is the one behind all this.”

The entire biodome once inhabited by the mushroom was already beginning to look a lot better, especially with the troll and its children now around to help manage things. The Cave Troll liked to dig up weeds, plant flowers, till the ground, and just generally tend to plants and just relax. It was a peaceful creature that had only been forced into conflict by the Deepdwellers in the dungeon. Now that it was outside, it could just dedicate itself to its true calling:

To be a troll gardener.

Ah, but not to misunderstand. The troll was still one of the strongest creatures in the city, and even after all Jake’s levels, he still didn’t want to take a direct clubbing.

commented. “I also noticed Sylphie, and you mentioned her parents were also around. Are you planning on opening up the city to beasts and monsters to also live

was never closed to them? If a bunch of beasts or whatever come and wanna live here, they are free to. They just have to follow the same rules as everyone

and unsafe,” Reika commented. “I am not saying it can’t be done, but it will take a lot of convincing, political

anyone has a problem with others living here – be they human, beast, monsters, or whatever – they can fuck right off and leave. This is my city and my rules. If any creature is intelligent

a difficult spot… they have nowhere else

anything besides not being bigoted assholes. If that is too much to ask, we are back to them fucking right off, and if they make problems or try

him on a fundamental level. Sylphie, Hawkie, Mystie, the trolls in front of him, Villy, the King of the Forest… were as much people as Miranda and Arnold. Shit, Casper was not a human

everyone else… except if it was a race giving better stats or something, in which case it was just better... okay, he didn’t see species making someone better. It didn’t even

one was superior to Jake anyway. That didn’t mean no one was equal, mind you, but Jake didn’t care how strong someone was or how influential or whatever. He would get as strong as they were or stronger one day

relented after a little while, but Jake knew she disagreed. He didn’t want to argue about it because he knew most thought like that. Jake understood, partly, and believed in due time, people would come to learn the world had changed. Like, how could one hate the cute trolls just minding their own business and being

entered the monkey territory back right after he was evolved and all that had happened was them handing him a banana and allowing

did mean Jake also held that mentality towards humans. If he entered a settlement and was attacked, he would

slew of other things. When Miranda finally came out of the dungeon, she was met with an avalanche of work as all of the folk from the Noboru clan needed proper housing in the actual

clan. Jake had come to learn that they planned on not just staying for a brief visit but would make it a long-term occupancy. At least until a teleportation circle had been established between Haven and Saya, which would no

to Skyggen, but it wasn’t that much, only about twice as far. The only reason Haven and Skyggen had one established was that both sides worked together from the beginning and were willing to offer resources to make it happen as a priority. Many other places, including the Noboru clan, were still a bit hesitant

ability to instantly destroy the circle, but what if the other side only needed one person? If someone like Jake or the Sword Saint decided to go through a circle, they could cause disastrous

other people than Jake to deal with. Something else he would also outsource was another thing Reika had brought up when she asked a very obvious

up one quickly, but “Trollie” probably wasn’t the best name when he didn’t even know the sex of the troll. Also, the look Reika gave him when he proposed it wasn’t an approving one. Well, he did find out later it was a male troll due to a member of the Noboru clan who specialized in alchemy to assist the growth of beasts and monsters

the explanation that a big part of the job of alchemists like him was to make sure the beasts reproduced. Needless to say, Jake didn’t like the guy from the get-go as he clearly still viewed beasts as lesser lifeforms to be exploited and used for the good of mankind. Something he more or less confessed. Jake considered just having Sylphie

have Miranda handle it, and he would just be the one to approve one. Well, the troll would be the one to ultimately approve if he

the Undergrowth Cave Troll could learn how to talk in primitive ways, and even if not, he could at least learn to write

with those from the Noboru clan, enjoying finally having others to talk to who knew a bit about it. It still ended up mainly being himself and Reika, as

to make Necrotic Poison. He also learned that they gained a lot from the experience, including levels. Jake’s Legacy Teachings of the Heretic-Chosen Alchemist coupled with Legacy of Man, the unique racial skill of humans, truly made a

he had also finally fixed his Cauldron of Supreme Simplicity and could now do some alchemy himself too. Overall this time was relaxed as soon three weeks had passed, and even if Jake only gained that single level, he would say his time

the fateful day