The Primal Hunter

Chapter 484

Odd. The world was odd. Jake hadn’t noticed it much – at least not to begin with - but as he grew up, it became more and more apparent. It was as if someone was watching him. Not all the time, mind you, but this observer appeared at important events. That feeling of a gaze and a feeling of wrongness. It was also only in those moments he felt observed he truly felt this oddness of the world.

It was no security camera, no satellite locking in on his position… it was as if the observer didn’t truly exist, yet could observe him. Jake chose to ignore it for the most part as his instincts told him he could do nothing about it, and so far, this observer had no impact on his life.

Perhaps it was a guardian angel given to him after his parents died? Or was it a god? Some extraterrestrial being? A creature existing in a world separate from his own? Many theories dominated his mind, especially as the gaze felt so familiar. Familiar, yet different.

As time passed and he grew older, this silent observer seemed more and more familiar. He even began wondering if it was his unborn brother’s ghost. It would make sense if his brother would have been like Jake, right? That he would have the same abilities and be born with the same innate talents?

Sitting in a chair within the extravagant hotel room, he stared at where he faintly felt this apparition was. He shook his head and spoke out loud into the room, expecting nothing in response.

”I do wonder who or what you are, oh silent observer,” Jake muttered randomly.

And surprisingly enough… it felt like this apparition had heard and understood him.

Jake stared at his simulacrum for a moment as he felt the other familiar yet foreign man stare back.

”Wait… did he just talk to me? Nah, it shouldn’t work like that,” Jake said as he shook his head.

”You understand me?” sim-Jake asked, equally confused.

Two Jakes stared at each other. Both were in utter disbelief. The real Jake because his simulacrum, an apparition of the system or the Seat or the Seat of the Exalted Prima, was suddenly aware of him. Sim-Jake for talking to what he probably assumed to be a mere delusion giving him the sense it understood his words.

”What or who are you?” sim-Jake asked as he stood up and went over to where Jake was standing. He moved his hand, and it passed straight through Jake. Yet when it was around his heart, his hand stopped for a second as he frowned.

Jake also felt it. A recognition or resonance of sorts. Sim-Jake removed his hand and backed away as his frown only grew deeper. ”You’re like me?” he asked almost with a look of realization. He then smiled before he started laughing.

”I fucking knew it. I now know why this all feels so damn wrong. I’m not meant to be here, right? What the hell happened? Did I get thrown into a separate dimension or universe or some shit? Am I even human? Are you?” sim-Jake asked, with a lot of excitement.

The real Jake stared as he considered the questions and decided to answer despite the other version not being able to hear him.

”Eh, I guess I am not meant to be you? But there was no accident, just a different choice. And yeah, you are human. We both are. Just more human than anyone else, perhaps,” Jake said. Inside he was asking just as many questions as sim-Jake.

Firstly… how the fuck was this possible?

This was a simulation. The system was clear on that. Which just raised even more questions. This other version of himself had everything Jake had, including his Bloodline. He was Jake in every sense of the word, even to the level of being aware he was being observed by an outside force he should in no reasonable way be aware of.

Jake knew that the system itself made this simulation – it had to – and that it could be considered a real world for everyone in it. Maybe the system did just go above and beyond, and straight-up create a parallel universe to simulate what would have happened.

Then again, would that even be going above and beyond? For an omnipotent force, was there truly a difference between creating a speck of dust and a universe? Omnipotence was omnipotence, after all. A one or a trillion was equally insignificant before something infinite.

So… if it had just made a new world to simulate that one choice, why not do it perfectly? And a perfect Jake would know he was in a simulated world if he was. Well, he wouldn’t know-know, but he would be aware something was off and that he was being observed.

Villy had mentioned before that the system did not create Bloodlines, but never that it couldn’t. Just that it didn’t. Actually, that wasn’t even entirely true, as if the system controlled everything, wasn’t it also the system “creating” new Bloodlines when two people with Bloodlines had a child and their Bloodlines fused, making a new one? Or at least it allowed it to happen.

Jake shook his head as he considered all these questions he would perhaps never get a straight answer to. Even Villy made it clear he didn’t know. All he knew was that the system didn’t create new Bloodlines outright but recycled old ones for some system events, so for it to copy a Bloodline temporarily for such an event was not overly surprising.

What was a bit surprising was that this Bloodline in question allowed the other copy to recognize the event itself.

“real” version of itself speaking to

of the answer still seemed to confuse the simulacrum. Especially considering he didn’t actually hear any answer but had to go by pure

sim-Jake concluded. “Alright, yes and no questions. Hm… how

and forth while keeping an eye on sim-Jake. He, of course, noticed and picked up on it

you move to the left? My

Jake did so.

“And right?”

Jake did so too.

established,” sim-Jake joked. Real Jake knew he would have made

left is no; to

stepped to the right

of all, are

Jake confirmed that, yep, they were both

“And so am I?”

Yep.

we are

Confirmed.

others with

not others with his Bloodline. So… yes, but also

simulacrum frowned

say yes

“So you do know?”

Yep once more.

yet you will not say there are others like me. Us.

it was also way smoother than it should be. Jake naturally understood his own logic, and even with how differently they had lived and grown up, he understood his simulacrum. Perhaps that was telling of how much the Bloodline truly had

there were others who were special, there were only those two who were Jake-special. It was also a bit awkward when sim-Jake asked if they were related somehow. Jake had chosen just to

questions eventually turned away from the question of“who” and moved on to the question

interact and influence the world outside

are here to observe

to that one. It

only around at certain times…

equally big no

what you are

someone, and his simulacrum quickly picked up

of

Yes.

are here to observe me according to a set of rules. Which means you are here to see something specific about me. Considering that you mainly appear in or before combat situations or at other major events… is the reason

there to observe

guess. Is it

as that too was

either? At least not fully? Is it related

wasn’t. Jake didn’t really care who he killed, only how

is only

Big yeppers.

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