The Primal Hunter

Some lessons in the Order of the Malefic were limited to certain members. This was one such lesson, limited to individuals who had been in the Order for less than a year. The lessons were also held once a year, making it one you could only attend once. Jake heard that the Hall Master had missed some lessons in recent times due to being away training, but it didn’t have that huge of an impact who taught it. Rather than teaching much, it was an orientation of sorts, and Jake honestly only attended because it would be suspicious if he didn’t. Well, that, and one kind of ulterior motive.

As for the topic of the lesson? How to become a true member of the Order of the Malefic Viper. Currently, they were all members of the Academy, but they were not truly members of the Order. One had to remember that many who attended the Academy came from different factions from all across the multiverse. Risen, who were loyal to the Blightfather and the undead faction, people from the Altmar Empire, or even the Endless Empire of insect-like creatures. That wasn’t counting all those from minor factions.

Reika was still a member of the Noboru Clan and was loyal to Earth with no real sense of loyalty to the Order as far as Jake knew. Jake didn’t really know if he would consider himself a true member of the Order, even if everyone else would, for one simple reason: he had a Blessing. That was, to many, a clear indication he was a true member. Even if no such rule existed, those blessed just tended to be. Jake was sure it would be touched upon how easy those like him had it with Blessings from the Viper.

With plenty of knowledge of what he was about to experience, Jake walked through the portal to the lesson hall, and to call this one huge was an understatement. But it was more than that. It was not one of the regular lesson halls but was clearly one specialized for this kind of thing. Carvings of the Viper lined the walls, and at the podium in the center was a massive statue of the Malefic Viper. It was a huge coiling snake wrapped around a dragon and sinking its teeth into the neck of the larger beast, with the aura given off by the snake far more profound than the dragon. It was almost a statement that the Viper as a snake was superior to dragons.

On the ceiling was an equally impressive mural depicting the founding of the Order. At least, that is what he assumed it was about. It showed the Viper in human form followed by a huge swathe of people in robes as he demolished an army of beasts and, with a wave of his hand, created a massive hole in the ground to begin building the mostly underground headquarter of the Order of the Malefic Viper.

The entire hall was pretty much an for how awesome the Malefic Viper and the Order were. As mentioned, then Jake didn’t feel like he would get much out of this lesson, but he did also go for one other reason: to see familiar faces.

Being the hunter he was, he used his tracking skill to find the aura signatures of those he was seeking. He quickly spotted Reika with the other alchemists from the Noboru Clan, sitting with a bunch of other people and chatting away already. Jake had to admit that the other alchemists looked a bit haggard, but Reika looked full of positivity as she chatted with a female beastfolk Jake didn’t recognize.

Seeing as Reika looked a-okay, he left them alone. Jake scanned the room a bit more and spotted Draskil by himself, as always. By choice, mind you, as there were many who wanted to get close and talk to him. His Divine Blessing was just too effective at making people want to suck up to him and make him an ally or even friend.

Jake looked around and spotted a few more people he had seen or met before, including quite a few with whom he shared lessons. Ultimately, he decided to just go over to Draskil and sit with him.

One had to remember that Draskil had a standing higher than pretty much anyone there. He was no-doubt known as a loner who was too haughty to bat an eye when anyone approached, and those he would bat an eye at wouldn’t approach him.

So Jake got quite a few stares as he casually walked over and took a seat next to Draskil. It was naturally unoccupied as no one had dared sit and risk angering him. The Malefic Dragonkin regarded Jake as he sat down, with Jake taking the lead.

“167.”

asked, confused, before his eye widened in realization. “Was it a weak one? Barely

but not on the weaker side at all. Wielded both dark and space magic,

kill one while a few levels lower. He had to brag about it, and the Dragonkin seemed more than interested in engaging him in conversation. Much to the dismay of many of the observers who probably wondered how the

on the back, clearly elated at his kill. With great interest, he leaned a bit

Jake also grinned. “Man, it had this

in this lesson were aware of who Jake or even Draskil was before attending. All the get-togethers so far had consisted only of

present within the hall. Considering the Order recruited and allowed entry of people of all grades, Jake assumed there were separate lessons for them. It usually wouldn’t end well to mix B-grades with those significantly weaker as their auras alone would crush those present. E-grades – which there were a few of – already felt the pressure from the C-grades and stronger D-grades, making them all congregate at one

seats and the gates on all the walls closed. Down on the podium, in front of the statue of the Viper, a green portal opened as a green-haired human-looking woman stepped out. Her aura instantly

not have a shadow of doubt in his mind. She had an incredibly potent social-type profession. Probably even one called Hall

regarded everyone in the room. Her eyes stopped on Jake for a second, clearly aware beforehand he would be there. She also

attending, even more so in a time of celebration of our Patron’s return. No more words need to be said to fully establish that the Order is not the weak shell it

from the ninety-third universe but also some who had merely applied to the Order by doing an entrance test. Jake felt a bit good about others also being clueless about things they should

the Order, but outside our territory, you are not considered one. This lesson today is about your status in the Order, how to improve that status, and how to potentially truly join the Order of the Malefic Viper,” she continued as she waved her

in a simple fashion. At the very top was naturally the Malefic Viper himself, and right next

bunch more ranks Jake didn’t bother to remember before finally

she spoke as Jake felt her attention briefly on him, but her eyes didn’t even move, nor did she in any way indicate she was talking about him. “No, the ranks you can reach for are those at the bottom. Right now, the majority of you are the highlighted temporary outer members, which, as I

members, you do not need to formally join or have any true responsibility towards the Order. You can remain part of any other faction as long as they are not enemies of the Order, and we will have no control of your actions or if

was the end-point for most students of the Academy. Jake already knew that. Not necessarily because someone couldn’t join but by choice. As mentioned many times, factions often sent talented individuals to the Order to study for a time, and these would naturally only be temporary members. While in the Order, these people were formally recognized as members, and their status from their home faction decided how they were treated, making them even sometimes viewed as having a higher status than true members. If the Chosen of the Blightfather chose to attend the Academy, he would still only be a temporary outer member, but his