The Primal Hunter

"The fighting style itself cannot reasonably include a method to nullify negative environmental effects… we will need something else for that. There was potential in Pride of the Malefic Viper, but we need a proper method to not find ourselves in a similar situation,” sim-Jake said.

“Easier said than done, considering these kinds of enemies rely on their environments and will actively try and break down any defenses you have made against them. I could likely have made an arcane barrier isolating myself from the water pressure, but the shark would instantly try to destroy it for its magic to work,” Jake argued.

“I never said it was easy, just that it needs to be done. Maybe figure out how others do it. Though I will admit that it is a major hurdle. Moving in water is simply not optimal with the human body, and it eliminates all footwork and weakens every attack,” sim-Jake mulled over the issue. “I can see using the destructive arcane energy as a way to partly eliminate the pressure at all times, especially when striking, but that also creates problems.”

“Sustainability,” Jake nodded.

“Exactly.”

The mana cost from infusing every movement with mana would be too much for him to bear, and they both knew it.

“A solution will have to be found at some point,” sim-Jake concluded.

“Naturally,” Jake agreed before asking something that had been on his mind. “What happened, by the way? Not to be rude, but you were on your way out the last time we met. Now, you are more you once more. What changed?”

“Honestly,” sim-Jake said. “You should know it. I am you, and you are me, and not existing is one of the thoughts that we fear on a very base level. When I did feel myself begin to fade away and become nothing, something triggered in me. A sense of survival, even though I know that remerging with you is still me surviving. I guess you can just say that I don’t wanna die. After meeting Sandy and seeing Earth transformed and not just that boring mansion in the Order and the occasional mind-numbing alchemy lesson, I realized that I still want to enjoy at least a few more adventures.”

Jake had indeed kind of known this was the case but wanted to ask anyway as he wasn’t entirely sure what his other self was thinking. “But this doesn’t mean the merging stopped.”

“No, that it does not. But let us just say that I will immortalize myself one way or another. You won’t be rid of me that easily. Luckily too, because there is more to improve in our fighting style than I originally estimated, and two heads are better than one,” sim-Jake said. “Ah, and don’t worry, our new Vault skill will come, even if I know that the Records of that skill keeps me alive right now. Keeps me, me.”

“Just don’t begin to get any fancy ideas about taking over the body and replacing me,” Jake smirked.

“We both know that won’t happen. I can’t. Your Records trump mine so many times over it isn’t even funny. Being best buds with Villy is just cheating,” sim-Jake snickered in return. “Now go back to Sandy’s stomach and get to work. I have business to attend to.”

he exited his Soulspace, leaving sim-Jake

the chimera of pure curse energy. It looked satisfied after having a feast and didn’t even react as sim-Jake laid a hand on it. Closing his eyes,

he had lost in the body of the shark. Rather than needing to retrieve the physical object, Jake could use the remaining glove to regrow the other one on his formerly severed hand. It would have been cheaper to just retrieve the glove, but he had honestly forgotten about it as the item had turned inert after he cut off the hand. Sandy had already shot above the water and was flying through the sky, so turning

to the extreme, but he was not complaining. Once the glove was back in his hand – and put on his hand - Jake turned

eureka moment. More accurately, as he felt his blood flow and carry the vital

It was what made Blood of the Malefic Viper such a potent skill and why there were many creatures you could slay, and their blood turned into valuable items.

holes in the body was easier than healing a severed hand, even if the pure mass of flesh one had to heal was larger. Regenerating the hand relied mostly on transporting energy through the Soulshape, while holes in the body could be supplied with blood in the nearby area to heal faster. Healing potions also instantly attached themselves to the blood of the body and used

Blood of the Malefic Viper even gave Vitality, and it was a fact that someone with more Vitality could produce more blood than someone that had a lower stat. All

is a toxin more deadly than most poisons. Allows the Prodigious Alchemist of the Malefic Viper to turn their blood poisonous, imitating their Patron. It has been further improved, even carrying traces of the True Blood of the Malefic One within. The blood can be used as an ingredient in alchemy and as a deadly weapon against your foes. The nature of the poison is determined based on the Records of the Alchemist. The blood’s toxicity level is based primarily on Vitality and Wisdom but receives an increase from all physical stats. Passively provides 1 Vitality

Vitality, but nothing about the skill seemed to truly indicate it had anything to do with the stat. For all other skills, he saw it make far more sense, but not with this one. Heck, the toxicity of the infused blood scaled with Vitality andWisdom. They were equal when it came to scaling, but with all other skills, the stat it offered was also the one that empowered the

the skill. He had first gotten it at epic rarity and then upgraded to Ancient after the Trial of Myriad Toxins by absorbing the drop of blood from Villy. That had been the catalyst, and what was

then was by making the blood better when used and giving it far more scope. The

he had always used it as an external tool, either as an ingredient or a weapon. However, blood

was more difficult than Jake expected, and he ended up having to apply some methods from his usual alchemy as he effectively turned his body into a cauldron and the blood

he just couldn’t fix it. He needed to properly infuse more active vital energy into the blood, but he couldn’t control the process, at least not satisfactorily. As he wondered what to do, Jake

usual, bound itself to his blood. Jake then began the process again, but rather than trying to infuse vital energy from scratch, Jake used the

kept experimenting until the potion cooldown was ready, and he cut it off again. This continued for nearly an entire day as he slowly began to form a coherent idea and became more familiar with

was trying to achieve was besides making more active vital energy to make his blood better when it came to healing. Jake did feel like he made some progress, but he needed the healing potion every time to

usage of

steal here and there. It was understood that Jake did not want any more water combat, and Sandy, quite frankly, also didn’t seem to

so times total, sometimes choosing not to use a healing potion as he healed it. He also tried inflicting injuries on himself in other places. He even took some of the venom from that Emperor Urchin that the whale had given him and consumed it. It was potent enough to deal noticeable

was still missing something. Jake was certain that with another week or so, he would have it down…

to experience the Legacy of the Malefic Viper?

should use them all now, right? Also… he kind of liked learning about Villy. It was a bit like stalking your friends on social media for embarrassing photos from their teenage years,