The Primal Hunter

Jake and Carmen stood outside of the small brick house. It looked cheaply built, which made sense as this was squarely in the slums of Puddlerock. Apparently, many of those who lived there had been exiled from Saint-something island due to breaking some of their stupid Holy Church rules. Or maybe they just had a bit too much independence to fit in.

“This is the place?” Carmen asked as Jake checked the paper in his hand.

“Definitely looks like it,” he nodded. “How did you find out about this Clinton guy anyway?”

“The Holy Church isn’t the only faction with people able to divine stuff. Valhal has Rune Seers and stuff like that. I just got in touch with one of the better ones, and she used my Records to track my family by linking me to them. This is how she found this guy, too, as his karma is deeply tied to theirs,” Carmen explained.

“I see,” Jake nodded. He still wasn’t clear on how Carmen wanted him to track her family, considering he had yet to see anything to go from that wasn’t just good old detective work. For the Primas, he could use their energy signatures, and he would need something similar if he was to track humans.

“Why are we stalling, by the way?” Jake then asked.

“I wasn’t,” Carmen said defensively as she raised her hand to knock on the door. She hesitated a bit before she finally built up the courage.

She knocked two times as the two of them waited. Jake wasn’t worried about no one being home, considering he could already see the man inside sitting in a chair reading a book. He was on the older side, probably in his late fifties to early sixties. Also, inside the house, Jake had already spotted a lot of fishing gear, and overall the guy called Clinton just gave Jake the impression of an average retired man who liked to fish.

When Carmen knocked, the man looked up, frowned, and placed the book on a table as he went to open the door. It didn’t take long before he was there, but he didn’t open it right away.

“Who's there?” he asked carefully.

“My name is Carmen… I am looking for some people you used to travel with, and I heard you could provide some information,” the warrior of Valhal said a bit nervously.

The man instantly responded as he opened the door slowly at first, but was surprised and swung it open rapidly when he saw her. “Who are you?”

Carmen looked a bit surprised herself. “I already told you my name.”

“Your voice just reminded me of someone else… sorry. Ah, where are my manners? Come on in. I hear you are looking for someone?” the man called Clinton said, finally calming down.

That is until he saw Jake wearing his mask and the hawk sitting on his shoulder. He stared at them a bit as Jake just raised his hand to give a friendly wave, Sylphie mimicking him as she raised her wing to also wave.

Cuteness won out as the man couldn’t help but smile at the sight and was further calmed by Carmen’s explanation. “He is a tracker I work with to help me find the people I am looking for.”

Clinton nodded once more as he invited them in, and after the usual pleasantries of being offered a drink and politely declining, they finally got to the main topic.

can already guess who you are looking for… you look just like her. Your mother is called Marcia, right? Your father, Antonios?” Clinton asked with a

felt a faint sense of relief. If it was because of the use of present tense implying they were still alive or the confirmation the man named Clinton knew

were also traveling with several others from

a few. I think it is lucky that an entire family could enter a Tutorial together. I remember your father mentioning you and saying how you were away at

Carmen muttered as her gaze turned a bit cold. “I am currently looking for them and

had no influence, so when I finally came across a safe settlement, I chose to make it my

to also enter the conversation as he asked: “Do you have something related to any of them? An item they crafted or used that

Clinton frowned, not questioning why Jake asked for it. “I may have

in another room. Jake had decided to butt in for two reasons. First of all, because it needed to be asked, and secondly, because he saw how hard Carmen was clenching her fists below the table. He

but had assumed it was similar to his own reasons. Having no plans to pry into her personal business, he would just let her handle it, and even if there was some bad blood between her and her family, it was for her to deal with. All would come to light if they

man said as he brought out a wand. Jake looked at it and instantly felt a mana signature from it. “This wand belonged to Antonios. He got a better one when we entered this city, and I didn’t have a high enough level to bind it to myself at the time… when I finally did, I

belonged to a person that wasn’t Clinton. Carmen was looking at him, and

it?”

in the Tutorial, and I owe them at least that. It was your father’s anyway, so returning it to his family

nodded

my greetings. I hope they are doing well,” Clinton said as he

called Beatrice with them?” Carmen asked in a

you drifted apart due to some differences. I hope you two can reconcile. After all, family is more important than ever in this new world. Do say hi

but nodded. “I will be sure to greet her when we meet, that I

chamber once more. He had

hundred times worse and less detailed. A lot of it was rough estimates with no proper identification of where dangerous beasts resided. This did partly make sense, as to the United Cities Alliance, an area filled with level 160 monsters was viewed as pretty much the same as one filled with C-grades,

give some insight into areas worth investigating, though. But before they would have time to head out and check the danger zones – hopefully finding two Primas on the way

why they should bring him along. He was well-known and had knowledge of all the areas they were heading to. With his reputation alone, he would remove all potential barriers to their travels just

twenties. He also just struck Jake as a bit green, even if his level was

weight,” he smiled. “Trust me, I will be of use,

know we aren’t your

more convincing and the man even pulling out a small satchel with snacks for Sylphie, their group was

of people who could run through the plains for twenty hours straight without exchanging a

of the city leader of Puddlerock. At first, he seemed a bit… well, dull, but the more the guy talked, the more

the massive faction on the planet to help out his father and because he genuinely wanted