The Primal Hunter

Jake walked with Carmen towards the large gate with two guards out front. The two guards had clearly already seen them and noticed the black mask on Carmen and Jake wearing his own rather unique mask. Both were identifiers that they were guests of Paradise and likely wealthy individuals, which also meant the guards took a polite demeanor by default.

“Good afternoon, sir and madam. May I know your purpose for visiting the Salvento residence?” one of the guards asked courteously.

Carmen looked at the man for a moment before just saying: “Tell them that Carmen is here.”

The guard looked confused and exchanged a look with his partner. They didn’t argue back but just decided to do as asked. He felt the other guard keep an extra eye on Jake, making him guess the guy probably had some way to gauge people and how strong they were beyond merely using Identify - an ability like beasts had, making them know who not to mess with.

A few minutes passed before a few more guards made it out of the house before finally, Jake spotted someone that was clearly a member of the family. It was a man wearing a tailored tan suit who walked beside a woman in a relatively modest dress. Both looked to be in their forties to early fifties, and looking at Carmen’s conflicted reaction to seeing them, he had a good guess who they were.

Her parents.

Jake didn’t know what he expected, and neither did Carmen. He just stood back as they observed. Carmen looked at the two of them as they came closer, with the man clearly not in a good mood.

“Who are you?” he asked the moment they were within earshot. “What the hell do you want? Money? How dare you use the name of my dead daughter to-“

Carmen didn’t hesitate as she ripped off her mask and stared daggers at the man. “Who the fuck is dead?”

The man stopped with his mouth still half-open. His expression was odd, but the woman – Carmen’s mother – had the kind of reaction Jake would have expected from someone finding out their daughter was still alive.

She brought her hands to her mouth as she ran over and past the security guards, tears in her eyes. “Carmen? Is it really you?”

Carmen had no idea what to think. She saw her mother run over without any hesitation while crying like she was actually happy to see her. Meanwhile, her father still just stood there dumbstruck. She hadn’t seen or heard from her mother since her last court date. Sure, her mother had also been crying then, but she hadn’t visited her a single time in prison. She hadn’t even once made a call or sent a letter or done anything. How did she dare to suddenly act like she was happy to see Carmen after willfully not going to see her for nearly two years?

“What, surprised I am not dead?” she sneered at the both of them.

Her mother stopped a few steps away as the tears just kept streaming down. “I… I’m so sorry… about everything. I…”

“You what?” Carmen shot back.

“Carmen, do not speak to your mother like that,” her father said as he had now composed himself. “Stop making a scene and come inside if you want to talk.”

Glaring, she shot him a look as she felt her anger build. “What the fuck are you going to-“

She then felt a slight tap on her shoulder. She whipped her head around and saw Jake who was just shaking his head. Carmen looked into his eyes for a moment before taking a deep breath. Don’t get too emotional… you are in control here.

“Fine. Lead us inside,” Carmen finally said. Her mother seemed relieved while her father nodded, still looking deep in thought.

stared as she saw her father raise a hand. “Hold it. Who is this man, and why

discussion,” Jake just answered. “I have been hired to and have no intentions of shirking on

had said the words that he was hired, Carmen already

She wouldn’t stop crying and looked like she wanted to just

look like an utter asshole, but her mother’s relief and emotions felt incredibly genuine. Moreover, the glances the man tossed his wife were

had the lucky advantage that he quite frankly didn’t give a fuck about what happened to any of these people. All he cared about was Carmen not making

at the front. The woman looked like she wanted to say something or at least get closer, while Jake saw the man with a deep frown on his face that

had a stony face. He tried to give her an assuring look, and she nodded a bit stiffly. For now, they would let her family take the lead and see what they planned on doing and what they would do. Jake took his time to scan the mansion with his senses and quickly noticed a vast underground complex. He also

her father exchanged some words with a servant of sorts before leaving, practically dragging his wife along. Jake and Carmen

barrier of stable arcane mana, isolating them from

Carmen instantly shouted as she looked at Jake the moment he was done with

don’t figure things out, you may discover something in the future that will make you look back at today with regret. If they prove to still be absolute assholes, you will always be able

and stared at the expensive-looking coffee table. “What will you

shrugged. “Ah, but I did place a Hunter’s Mark

she still had no idea what she wanted to happen and that it all depended on what her family chose to do. It was

discuss how many people undervalued good form while in the gym and how important it truly was when building muscle, especially when focusing on building specific muscles.

even addressed them aside from the first servant. Jake had noticed many attempts to probe them and observe or listen in, but Jake’s barrier was too good for their bad scouting attempts to work. This wasn’t only

the room opened, and in came another servant.

didn’t seem to care much as she just got up. Jake had dispelled the barrier when

were led through the grand mansion and into what Jake guessed was a banquet hall. Jake already saw the gathering of people in the hall before the double door was opened. “Prepare yourself. It looks like they are pretty much all there,” Jake said,

fifty people were gathered. Around thirty of them were suits or dresses and other such fancy clothes, while twenty were guards or servants. It was quite something. Jake saw Carmen steel herself as the doors were opened, revealing the entire hall and the many people

expected many opening questions… but not even he could predict

earth are you wearing?” a woman who looked to be well in her seventies with frilly hair and

combat outfit. Cured leather, metal bracers, heavy combat boots, and generally, she looked ready for a fight at any moment. The only skin she revealed was her face and bare hands. Meanwhile, every other woman in the room wore dresses or other “elegant”

slack. She must have had a hard time traveling all this way,”

proper etiquette,” a third

those… things on his feet. Do the servants not

woman Carmen had mentioned was her hated aunt, the mother of her most-hated cousin, Beatrice. To note, then Beatrice was not present in the room currently, but Jake saw her in another room off to the side, clearly observing them through some monitoring device.

contact with you after so long, and I cannot tell you how happy we are to see you return to us. I am sure that if you work hard, then our family can find it in our hearts to forgive you and move on. With the world in such turmoil, isn’t it

her credit, Carmen didn’t lose her shit

finally asked after a good five seconds

this more difficult than it has to be!” her father yelled from across the room. He was red-faced, and Jake

is difficult here,”

Carmen. I must know, why