The Primal Hunter

An annoying ringing sound reminiscent of his old alarm woke Jake up from his nap. With a start, he sat up only to groan in pain as his body still hurt like hell. He wondered what was going on as the alarm kept blaring in his head until he finally found the cause.

“Villy… are you cosplaying as an alarm clock?”

“I was going more for a phone alarm with the most annoying option selected, actually,” the god answered.

Jake was about to ask why the god was doing that, but he instantly realized the reason, and Villy also gladly reminded him.

“Let us just ignore the fact that you effectively just demoted your own Patron – a Primordial – to a damn alarm to remind you of your own damn scheduled system events,” Villy said in a half-joking, half-scolding way. “Not that I am surprised. In fact, I am beginning to see a pattern here. Do you just like hunting dangerous prey while under time pressure? Either way, you got ten minutes till it begins, so get going with all the stuff.”

“If it is worth anything, then you are the best alarm clock I have ever had,” Jake said with a smile as he stood up. He had been using the now rapidly decaying corpse of the Panther as a bed, and he was a little bit dirty. Not to mention how his armor was shredded and his body filled with holes that were still healing.

“It is not,” Villy said. “Now go on with what you have to do. We will talk more after the system event. If my guess is correct, this one will be like the others and not necessarily only concern Earth. Good luck with it all… and good fight, mate.”

Jake nodded in appreciation, a smile still on his lips. He hurt all over, but he felt elated. Killing a C-grade was not easy, and the Phantomshade Panther was not a weak C-grade either. Checking his notifications, he saw that while the beast had been C-grade, it was only barely. Also, the clone level had been right.

*You have slain [Phantomshade Panther – lvl 204]–Bonus experience earned for killing an enemy above your level*

*’DING!’ Class: [Avaricious Arcane Hunter] has reached level 165 - Stat points allocated, +10 Free Points*

…

*’DING!’ Class: [Avaricious Arcane Hunter] has reached level 169 - Stat points allocated, +10 Free Points*

*’DING!’ Race: [Human (D)] has reached level 168 - Stat points allocated, +15 Free Points*

*’DING!’ Race: [Human (D)] has reached level 169 - Stat points allocated, +15 Free Points*

Jake had gained five levels from that one fight. Killing a level 199 didn’t even give him a full level anymore unless it was a particularly strong specimen, so seeing how much he got truly demonstrated the difference between D and C-grades.

Jake turned his attention to the beast in question and began using Alchemist’s Purification to remove the last of the remnant poison lingering behind. Once done, he checked for loot and found a C-grade Beastcore attuned to dark and space affinities and something even more interesting.

It was a black fang that hummed with intense energy. Jake frowned as he looked at it but quickly realized what type of item it was.

Digested Phantomshade Fang (Unique)] – A Phantomshade Fang granted by the system to the newly integrated ninety-third universe. Contains a vast amount of energy and Records that will allow any compatible beast that consumes it to grow far faster and gain magical skills and abilities

D-grade, but a far more potent version… perhaps one good enough to push a beast

still wanted to take it with him and not leave it rotting on the ground. A C-grade corpse had to have some innate value, and this

just one more thing. When he had escaped that spatial tunnel with Moment of the Primal Hunter active, Jake had managed to go above and beyond anything prior and had upgraded One Step Mile. With great

vast distances. It is said that the very space between the user and their foes shrinks with every footfall. By drawing on the concept of space, this skill allows the user to cross far longer distances with every step than otherwise. Note that there must be a clear path between you and your

-->

cross vast distances. It is said that the very space between the user and their foes shrinks with every footfall. By drawing on the concept of space, this skill allows the user to cross far longer distances with every step than otherwise. Note that there must be a path between you and your target. Grants a noticeable bonus to the effectiveness of Endurance and

takes as he looked at the descriptions… a description where nothing had changed. Okay, saying nothing was not accurate. One fucking word was gone. It had gone from “there must be a clear path” to “there must be a path,” which was so damn minuscule it barely counted. Was that all his improved

skill name. Jake wondered what was up with that

well, One Step, Thousand Miles as it is called now…

mean?” the god gladly asked in

upgraded, but nothing

What did you expect to change?” Villy once more asked. It wasn’t even in a

changing when upgrading. This one just got a bit better, and nothing else,”

Step-line of skills is far more powerful than you give it credit for. It is a skill known to pretty much anyone of power and influence, gained by far more individuals than you would expect. It is simple, elegant, and a core skill that has

is a bit like your “Of the Malefic Viper”

It is not bound to any individual or any Path; it merely is. The skill is one that you can keep upgrading and using all the way to the pinnacle, going from simply stepping a bit through space for a few meters and, with a single step, appearing anywhere in existence you so desire. However, fundamentally it

even more. Thinking about it, didn’t it fit him quite nicely? It was

deep lore of my movement skill,” Jake

Goodbye again. For real this time. You got

already seen the timer, and as it

The Call of the

all those who have managed to form keys to allow their entry. Anyone entering the Seat of the Exalted Prima can participate in the Path

current warriors of Earth may not be ready to face yet. Should they unleash this danger and come out victorious, it shall reward the entire planet, while should you fail, it may fall to

with you, and may your world come

Exalted Prima, enter the

key from his inventory and used Identify on it once more. He had expected it and was proven

key to the Seat of the Exalted Prima. Allows entry to the Seat of the Exalted Prima. Use the key

teleported to it after accepting a system prompt but could choose to teleport there. Nothing said he had to go right away either.

death with an incredibly powerful opponent, Jake used the key.

was finally time to find out what