The Primal Hunter

Jake stared at the fight with quite a bit of confusion. Sim-Jake crashed into the chimera and purposefully let himself be flung away. He charged again, but this time attacked while he used some odd version of Shadow Vault. His form seemed almost like it distorted for a moment as he was launched backward.

His other self noticed Jake when he entered and stopped fighting. That is when the second weird thing happened. When he stopped attacking, the chimera also seemed calmer, and even if it still looked aggressive, it no longer mindlessly ran at him.

At least not for a few seconds. Soon enough, hunger overtook it as it tried to eat sim-Jake whole, and his other self responded by making strings of mana like the real Jake and wrapped up the cursed beast.

”Came to take a peek?” sim-Jake asked.

”I got curious,” Jake shrugged. ”Good progress?”

”Really good. Your timing is also great because I will need you for this next part. At least a good portion of it. No rush, but I think it would be a good idea to practice with me before C-grade for the potential title,” sim-Jake said.

”Title?” Jake asked.

”We got one for making a legendary skill in E-grade, right?”

”Yeah?” Jake asked but instantly got it. ”You really think you, we, can do that?”

”If my entire Legacy will be a skill, it better be the best fucking one we got,” sim-Jake grinned. ”Mythical is not easy to reach, but it should be possible… if not, then at least a damn good legendary skill. I have been considering it a lot and even tapped into some memories of your talks with the Malefic Viper. I think we can do it.”

It had not at all been a goal of Jake’s to make a mythical skill while in D-grade, but it should be possible… shouldn’t it? Making one in C-grade would be far harder, but maybe sim-Jake could do it before they evolved? Yeah, if there was one thing Jake never lacked, it was self-confidence, even if that self-confidence was about another version of himself. He believed he could do it.

As for why it was harder to get it in C-grade… well, that should become clear when he evolved. Rarities were not created equal, and each rarity was relative to a grade. This meant that upon evolution, every single skill would be reevaluated by the system. Reevaluated in this case just meaning that a bunch of his skills would probably see themselves downgraded. Not all skills would be downgraded, and some he was sure would keep their rarities, such as the Malefic Viper ones and stuff like Brew Potion, never downgraded.

This entire downgrade thing was more or less a requirement, as, well, it just got easier to make skills when you got stronger. Any S-grade could teleport around, and most could even do some fancy time magic, both of which were considered rather mundane skills for them but would be ancient or higher skills for D-grades. As for why this downgrade only happened in C-grade? Well, because F, E, and D-grade were all considered the lower grades, and the difference between them was not that massive in sheer power, only relative power.

Not that any of this mattered for now; what happened during the C-grade evolution was something for future Jake to think about.

This naturally also meant that the requirements of a skill to be a certain rarity grew. So if Jake could get the Vault skill upgrade in D-grade, it would be best.

”Do you need me right now?” Jake asked sim-Jake.

”Not right now, no. I still need to finish some minor aspects, but you can begin practicing a few things while you are here anyway. Things that will be required,” sim-Jake answered.

Jake nodded. He had a few hours at least before he would reach the airspace above Haven, so he had the time.

”What kind of thing do you need me to do?”

Sim-Jake grinned. ”Sharing control.”

I say this… to your other self. Think about it, how do we, right now, exist as separate entities yet still share some memories, emotions, and whatnot? You are clearly the primary version, with me a secondary, and I am able to be the carrier of pretty much all Records related to Shadow Vault.

down

besides things related to our Bloodline? To me, it is my very existence. I exist as the Origin of an entire simulated universe, and the concepts to make me who I am today

that could actually stop our merging?” Jake

that would require us to make a Transcendent or something, and no fucking way that is happening. Nah, we will still merge, but the skill will still allow us to tap into the concepts if my

and smiled. ”This sounds insane enough to

their unorthodox practice as the hours quickly moved by,

there, we have reached the destination,” Sandy said, making Jake

do without you,”

slow,” Sandy teased him. ”By the way, will you stay gone longer this time around? I kinda want to know how far I can move away

way

here first. Maybe later. Though I will probably go

call,” Jake said, not paying the egg

the King. ”You ready

knew it probably would.

them both out as Jake waved off

truly peculiar creature you have helped create,”

Sandy has been Sandy even since before the evolution; the only thing that changed is what the worm

inability to recognize your impact on what is around you astonishes me once again,” the King jabbed at him. ”And I have no interest in

began flying down. He was pretty much back in top form after the rest inside Sandy, even if he did feel a

looked towards the depths of said forest

any issues, something he accredited to being close to Jake.

the street in front

from her desk. Jake decided to wait for her to come, and soon enough, she came down the stairs from her office on the upper floor and greeted him and

expected,” she smiled, but her smile soon turned

time shall alleviate,” the King

said. Nothing to worry about long-term,” Jake

was a clear indication she planned for them to leave the office

The Sword Saint should already be waiting there for us,” Miranda

it was still standing, which was a big relief. He could totally see Ell’Hakan or the United Cities Alliance choosing to destroy it just to be dicks. In fact,

knew, but clearly, it had never been a priority to investigate it, and if they expected Jake to die or at least to leave Earth, why destroy his stuff and not make use of it? Every faction

valley was very nostalgic,

bananas,” Jake commented, annoyed as he saw the time banana-tree-that-was-not-a-tree still there. All the bananas were gone, even if the magic circle left

Jake of one thing. One

about Rick down in the cave?” Jake asked

trouble for the troll and the two child trolls while he was

now and swings a mean club. Plus, it would be a PR nightmare as the troll is quite popular with all those who do the dungeon, as he always hands those who enter some small gift. Not to mention the small adorable trolls… killing them would have led to an uproar,”

relief. Relief for a moment until he saw something horrific. Within his cabin, a single figure was already waiting while