The Primal Hunter

Reika hadn’t even considered if she should go to the social gathering or not. It was a natural choice, and she understood that this party was as much networking as it was an actual celebration of sorts. She had talked a lot with many of her fellow students and slowly integrated herself with some who had more talented and higher-rated comrades.

The reason why this meeting was held now and not earlier was due to many outside observers wanting to get an idea of the new students. They wanted to see how they performed in the first classes, what they showed talent in, and if some were worthy of picking up and cultivating.

That’s right, this entire party was one big recruitment drive. Representatives of factions of the Order were present in droves, along with several auxiliary factions working with the Order. They were all talking with those from the ninety-third universe they found worth talking to.

There were also other new students present, but the representatives showed less interest in them. Reika knew that individuals from new universes had some special properties such as their Tongue of the Myriad Races, as well as apparently a boost in Records. Or, more accurately, a boost in that they were all Forerunners, automatically giving a good dose of Records right off the bat. This is what had allowed even the untalented and unmotivated back on Earth to get level 50 or so with little effort. Needless to say, this boost of Records was far from enough to be helpful in the long run, but it could be built upon with momentum. They lacked the boost of Records one got from powerful parents, but the ones from the new universe were considered better in many ways.

Then, of course, there was the fact many factions wanted a foothold in the new universe. It was something that was usually not that big of a priority in the early days for many factions, but this time it was different. Because according to the rumors, the Chosen of the Malefic One belonged to the new universe.

Jake’s existence made it essential for them to establish themselves in hopes of probably assisting him in the early days. They would gladly do this if it meant getting in the good graces of the Malefic One and his Chosen, even if it took sacrifices and much work.

Now, talking about Jake. Reika did say she hadn’t even considered if she should go before the event, but currently, she was seriously doubting her own decision-making skills. Reika herself had wanted to make allies. She knew that Jake was talented in areas she was not, but she was confident in her social skills after lots of practice in her younger days.

So how the hell had Jake turned out to get along so damn well with bloody everyone?

“Ya know, I just don’t get it. Why does Palate make shit taste better?” Jake loudly complained as he swung a bottle around. “This one got literal shit in it!”

“It’s from mushroom extra-“

“Literal. Shit,” Jake interrupted some poor early D-grade who tried to correct him.

“True!” a scaled dragonkin beside him said. “I grew up eating that garbage every damn day; no way I am now drinking it!”

The scalekin was perhaps the most popular figure present, with Jake hiding his identity. It was the one who carried the Divine Blessing named Draskil, and he was currently bonding with Jake over their shared hate for mushrooms, even though Draskil seemed to despise moss more than fungi.

They were surrounded by a whole crowd of primarily scalekin who had all gathered when Jake and Draskil, for some god-forsaken reason, decided that throwing acid to test the other’s scales was a funny side activity. To make it worse, both began laughing when Draskil’s entire arm fell off from getting corroded through.

same shit and poured acid over his own arm. It ended up still hanging on by a few centimeters of flesh as Jake

Reika had been afraid Jake would reveal something he shouldn’t, but nothing like that had happened so far. Plenty of things Reika thought Jake should not

while Jake had not really made any connections with the more humanoid races, he was sure a hit among

the sun?” Jake laughed as Draskil

and live underground and then suddenly get functional eyes and seek out the surface only to see three massive balls of fire! Down

you were blind?” Jake asked. Molemen were blind, right? Jake was pretty sure

Draskil corrected as he took a huge chug of a bottle. Putting it down, he looked straight at Jake. “Why

strongest foe I’ve ever fought,” Jake responded in a serious

treant of sorts?”

while pretty

bottle again. “Cheers to powerful

dozens of scalekin all around them

his alcohol quite well,

originally struck Jake as the silent type, but he had quickly come to learn it wasn’t quite like that. Draskil and Jake were very similar in that they both didn’t really like large social settings. Jake due to how he was, and Draskil due to the way he had lived his life so far as a solitary survivor. Molemen were a nomadic race that

life. He had to scour for food himself and eventually even began looting caravans of

just finally loosened up. He wasn’t the type to care about secrets, even if he was clearly a prideful man. Draskil had only spoken to a handful so far, and with Jake the most, as the

with it. It eliminated some parts of it while it allowed other parts to function. This meant Jake was drunk; he knew that. But he also knew he was drunk, and his thought process and mind were only semi-affected. That is why he could be both clear-headed and feel the joy of alcohol at the same time, almost like he could switch back and forth

did consistently work was Jake feeling way calmer and soothed overall. Also, he didn’t know why, but he really jelled with these scalekin as they all drank and

a political party thing. He got a bunch of contact numbers, including those of several brewers who had helped supply alcohol to the party. Yes,

it seemed like everyone had come. People were delayed due to them having lessons or other engagements to handle first. With that, it

everyone. In the middle of the hall, on a podium of newly-raised stone, stood the elf and human pair

[Human – lvl 161]

[Elf – lvl 167]

woman who looked a bit like Meira but had long red hair, while the human had a strong build and generally what Jake guessed would be described as “heroic” features. They looked like a

this gathering and influential factions within the Order, we are holding this get-together to not only get to bond with one another but to make new friends among those already established in

Aiborn of the Twinsoul Kingdom, and beside me is my wife, Queen Eilenria. As many likely can guess, we come from a planet where elves and

Draskil, who also just grinned and shook his head. Who cared if they were kings and queens or whatever? He was pretty damn sure they didn’t have the nobility titles from the system, that is