The Primal Hunter

Jake spent the next few hours researching Soulflames a bit more but eventually put it on hold and shelved the entire topic. Choosing a Soulflame was something he didn’t doubt he would eventually do, but he wanted to get a bit further on his path first. In fact, getting a Soulflame as a D-grade was generally viewed as a bad idea, and Jake had to learn how to make certain personalized arrays first anyway.

Due to that, Jake returned to studying neurotoxins. He also began actually selecting some lessons to attend in a week or so when the introductory lessons began. From a talk with Reika, he learned that another batch of new students had just arrived that day, and apparently, even more were coming. Not from the ninety-third universe, but just from across the multiverse. It seemed like the Order was really recruiting!

At least he thought so until he discovered this was just a normal occurrence every year. The real recruitment periods were far rarer and often had millions of new entries, while a few hundred every day were just the stragglers and transfers.

The reason it was like this was that – lo and behold – people talented in alchemy weren’t born according to the recruitment schedule of the Order. Due to that, it technically recruited all year round, but with just far fewer entering every day. Lessons for newer students were thus only held once a month or so when a good batch had arrived as teachers didn’t wanna waste their time holding lessons for a few dozen students only.

So far, Jake had picked a few lessons that he wanted to attend. They were widely spread out and covered a plethora of topics, as he had taken to heart the words of the scalekin projection during the dungeon. He had a shallow base, and he wanted to solidify it by getting a good grasp of many different topics.

With Sagacity, he could more easily pick up and learn skills he didn’t have the specific skill for as well. Jake still had no idea how to make some common alchemy products such as flasks and pills. Both of those were also mainstays, and Jake learned from Reika she already knew how to make pills. In fact, when it came to beneficiary products, she specialized in pills. So it looked like they would attend a few pill-making lessons together as Reika had gotten slammed during her own dungeon that her methodology was flawed, and she needed to pick up more traditional methods to shore up her weaknesses.

He did, however, notice one problem Reika also pointed out. The Second World Congress was coming up relatively soon, and he wondered how exactly that would work. Would he have to go back to Earth to attend, or would he get an invitation while in the Order? If he could enter while in the Order, where would he go, and didn’t he need to select people to enter with like last time? Many questions, so little time.

Questions he would ignore until they came relevant. He did as always and kept things simple. Even if he did not attend the Second World Congress, Jake honestly didn’t care much. He would go if he could as he was sure some important votes would prop up, but if it turned out to be annoyingly difficult to attend, he could just have Miranda handle it.

On the third day since he did his lesson with the dragon, a certain elf appeared. Almost on the dot, when three days had passed since she was given her task, Meira stood nervously outside the bedroom Jake had used to read in. What? Huge beds were great for reading.

She looked nervous as she stood with a small pile of papers. Meira kept looking down at them and even looked like she was on the edge of just leaving again.

Jake wasn’t giving her the chance to.

“Come in,” he said as he jumped off the bed and, with a string of mana, made the double-door swing open. She nervously stood outside and nearly jumped when he did so, clearly not aware Jake knew she was there despite Jake having shown to always know several times prior.

She quickly reacted as she bowed and presented the papers before her. “I have chosen five just as ordered!”

Jake didn’t move to take the papers but just stood there as he asked. “And why did you pick those five?”

He was already partly prepared to send her away again, but she unexpectedly had a good answer. “Because I believe they can change someone’s Path.”

Raising an eyebrow, Jake motioned for her to elaborate.

“The lessons of the Order will allow even a novice to step into the realm of alchemy. Even if it is impossible to become a master or even remotely skilled in only five lessons, it can help build a foundation and set a path for later development and even give access to more potent classes and professions,” Meira answered.

Jake nodded along with her words. However, he was not satisfied and threw her a look. He saw her grit her teeth a bit as she looked more nervous than before. Like she really didn’t want to say what she was about to.

one does prove skilled… it can allow someone to

was about to protest

skilled, perhaps even join the Order or

to do or decide. He had no profound realization or divine epiphany in mind he wanted to subtly guide her towards. He just wanted her to, for

satisfied as he nodded. “Leave the five lessons here, and I shall look them over. I will

Jake closed his eyes as she left to think as he subtly picked up

even a better

he heard it. It wasn’t his fault she thought she could hide from

was the one about finding out what you were good at. It was the one Jake fully agreed with

Metaphysiology For Beginners

at but ultimately filtered out for now as he frankly didn’t need it. He could learn such things through infecting foes with poison and track it. Also, it was the kind of thing Jake knew he was way better at learning during live

had some clues, but he wasn’t going to ask. Considering it was a bit of an odd choice,

& Touch-Based

was a bad idea to use himself as a basis of what one could expect after he had assumed Neil and the others to be utter morons for not being able to freely manipulate mana as mid-tier E-grades. That it was

Novice Potioneering

just touched on how to make potions for absolute beginners, and the only real

most interesting, and he

State: The Basics

would pick some he would very much disagree with, maybe one about how a servant could make their master

not expected was for Meira to select a lesson

read it over and had to admit it was probably a good idea, especially for someone like Meira. It was all about keeping a cool head and not losing one’s head in a stressful situation or during a crafting session. For Meira, it would allow her to hopefully become able to also improve her mindset.

he had gotten through to Meira at least partially, and she had actually put thought into her selections. There

again, but he was ready to “approve” them. He just wanted to make sure she knew the lessons were for her. Based on the selections, it could be anyone. It was entirely possible her interpretation had been to pick lessons a servant or a slave could take, but her final words as she left made him doubt that. Even if it was made for those…

day for a follow-up. She appeared even more nervous than the first time proving she really

you think these lessons are suited for?”

and someone generally lacking in insight and knowledge already possessed by most,” Meira

kind of

a suppressed faction,” she answered promptly again. He wasn’t sure if

he asked again, more directly. “Do you think I made you

to answer herself. It would indicate she at least believed it a possibility. Jake hoped he had made it

ideal if there are followers back in the ninety-third

looked at her with a raised eyebrow, his mask naturally invisible as he made