The Primal Hunter

Getting a massive sandworm to eat you was actually way easier than Jake had expected. Not that Jake should have expected much from the get-go, it was a stupid expectation. All he had done was just land on the sand, get semi-close to a natural treasure while using Arcane Stealth, and boom, a worm popped up and swallowed him. It was a level 198 worms, so damn close to evolution too.

The worm nearly instantly noticed it had caught something it didn’t want and tried to spit him out. However, Jake held on inside its massive maw as he spoke. ”Hey! Worm! Make a deal!”

It did not react but kept trashing and trying to spit Jake out. That is when he realized that the sand worms had no ears and probably not even a sense of hearing, making him switch to telepathy.

”Worm. Make deal. You help me, I help you. If not, death.”

As he said the words, Jake took out a handful of earth affinity herbs and tossed them down the gullet of the worm. It was a gamble… that paid off immediately as the worm stopped moving. By now, Jake was hanging onto the flesh walls of the giant worm’s mouth as he spoke again.

”If you help me get that way,” Jake sent telepathically as he poked the side of the giant worm’s mouth with a weak arcane bolt. ”I will feed you. Okay?”

It should not come as a surprise that the giant worm could not speak. Jake was really gambling on this idea as he assumed that these sand worms were dumb as bricks and-

”I apologize; I think there is some kind of misunderstanding. I did not mean to try and eat you… actually, what are you?” Jake heard a deep rumbling voice in his head.

Wait, what? Jake questioned himself.

”You understand me?” Jake asked, confused.

”I think? I am more questioning how you can speak. You aren’t a worm. Or are you? You don’t look like one, but I have seen weird worms before…” the creature spoke.

”I am not a worm, no,” Jake made clear. ”I am human and ended up here on accident. All I am looking for is a way out of the desert.”

”Human? What are those? And why leave? You can’t move properly outside. A few tried. Oh, unless you get stronger and evolve, I saw one able to do it. Are you evolved?” the overly curious worm asked.

Jake had to admit, when he began his plan, he had not expected to have a conversation with a worm. He had more hoped to communicate his intent and perhaps find a way to nudge the worm in the right direction while bribing it with stuff.

”I am not evolved, no, but I can move properly outside. I cannot move properly here, though, which is why I need your help,” Jake said. ”If you can help me get out of the desert, I can give you good stuff in return.”

The worm fell silent for a few moments, still just sitting there while poking out of the sand like a tower with its mouth wide open, making it so Jake could fly out at any moment. ”What kind of stuff?” it finally asked.

Jake smiled a bit to himself as he took out one of the orbs he had looted from one of the many Earth Elementals he had killed while traveling with Carmen. ”Things like this,” Jake said as he threw the orb down the long tunnel that was the worm’s mouth.

Seconds passed before the worm answered. ”Okay. I will help you, human. Also, don’t I have to? If not, I will die.”

He had kind of forgotten he had threatened death before. Jake had only really done it, as that kind of intent was something animals tended to understand.

”I promise I won’t hurt you at all. Instead, let’s make this something to benefit us both.”

a hint of sarcasm in the voice. Had he found himself

good at magic and moved primarily through some kind of

another while in the area, and often a single C-grade always stayed close to the larger groups of worms to help them in case anything went wrong. There were creatures besides the

outside the desert as he also guided where they should

expect, the inside of the worm was not moist at all but dry as the desert outside. The walls of the mouth were also rough and tough like rock, likely from repeatedly swallowing sand. Something the worm would

speed of a bullet through the desert, and Jake faintly felt a few worms around them at times, but being inside of one made them all ignore him. The worm did say that a few detected him, but the worm just explained it away somehow. Jake chose to trust his driver in this, as honestly? It seemed like a stand-up worm. Would

finally found time to rummage on one of his most pertinent issues: what if Ell’Hakan could do that weird transportation skill

but Jake saw no reason to gamble on that one. Even if he didn’t have more orbs or a ritual circle, it was a huge risk anyway, simply because Jake had no way

of it, it wasn’t space magic. Jake had a strong feeling that even if he managed to break through and use One Step, he would not have been freed. Maybe he would have moved a bit, but the skill would still have taken effect and

that was purely space magic. It relied one hundred percent on the concept of space to travel, so if space magic was just a part of it, it wouldn’t allow him

his first escape skill was Shadow Vault, Jake popped into

the moment he

had seen be used to escape a very perilous

was naturally thinking of Wings of the Malefic

the Holy Church and United Cities Alliance while the Risen tried to preserve their numbers and strength. They tried to only send out the stronger parties from their side as this was not a battle they could win. Only delay. Priscilla stayed back

I think about it, Casper thought to himself as he released his curses upon the

in curses. Yet, Casper realized that he hadn’t actually killed any humans since the Tutorial. Not even during the Treasure Hunt had a taken a single life due to how

Until today, that is.

not only more powerful, but more talented individuals. War was far more than a single fight. It was a long struggle and something that forced you to not only train your skills but your mind. Those who came out of a war on top either

Tutorial. He knew he was not made for war. He hated it. He despised the senseless killing of people fighting for things that were either lies or that they barely believed in. Most of the invaders from the Holy Church or United Cities Alliance were only there because of what their factions had lied about or due to sheer ignorance. They had no personal reason. Casper hated every moment he spent

didn’t help that he was really fucking good at

of the area. One had to remember that the Risen were the defenders, and even if many of their defensive measures had been sabotaged, far from all had been struck. The most potent defenses only

time a splinter hit someone, they were struck by a mental attack. Those unable to resist lashed out and began attacking those

hundreds. Within the first day, over a thousand. It slowed down with time as they adapted, but Casper was just stronger. Some were not even D-grade, and Casper quickly realized something was off but kept fighting. At the beginning of the second day, after a long rest where others had to take to the battle, he pushed forward as he killed more and more, soon leaving behind the other Risen. If he was ahead of the others, he could

Casper soon found himself close to enemy lines. He stopped, and as

for now. They are just throwing bodies at us to tire

everywhere. Most were from the Holy Church, but Priscilla was right… these were just meat shields. Proof once more of the ruthlessness of the Holy

Awakening – a one-time use item that would send a specially attuned death mana pulse out to reanimate those who had died as undead. Not risen, just mindless monsters. But the Church and United Cities clearly knew this as flames constantly swept across the battlefield, burning the bodies of the fallen, followed by pulses from the priests

out!” Casper suddenly

a second attack arrived, this time

to isolate me in an ambush…”

as the party members of Bertram. It was the healer Noor, the swordsman

two replacements were also an archer and a

as they enter the Holyland with honor,”

fanatics, Casper cursed as he saw no need for further words. With the pillar still floating behind him, Casper counterattacked as he prioritized getting back to safety. Lucian cut him off and tried to strike Casper but was intercepted by a wooden

a beam of light that forced Casper to dodge as he sent cursed stakes in retaliation. The archer and warrior also joined the fray and tried to pressure the