The Primal Hunter

Okay, Jake had perhaps been a bit too excited about his evolution when he had gone to visit Arnold, and it was probably also not a good idea to annoy the guy you wanted to make stuff for you. Even if Jake didn’t want favors from him – which he did - pissing off a mad scientist with an army of drones also seemed unwise.

To make things worse, Jake planned on going to visit him to ask about the Nanoblade after all his evolutions were done, but now he had just turned things awkward. He could go and apologize then and there, but wouldn’t that just make things worse? He had no idea, and he failed to resist using his Sphere Pulse – the official new name - once more. He took a new snapshot only to see Arnold back at work, his neutral facial expression the same as ever.

At least he didn’t seem bothered, so Jake would just let it rest for now. He had evolutions to do, didn’t he?

He could evolve either his class or profession first, and while the order didn’t matter whatsoever, Jake did recall evolving his class first at D-grade. As a supporter of equality, Jake found it only fair to go with his profession first this time around.

Without further ado, Jake got started as he willed the message to appear, and his profession evolution could officially begin.

*Profession Evolution Requirements Met*

Living paradoxes tend to be transient beings, unstable amalgamations of circumstance that cease to be once the feeble balance is broken and one side has to give in. Yet you remain a heretic and a Chosen. The two sides are perhaps not equally represented in your Path, but a balance has still been struck that allows both to persist in harmony, amplifying one another. Your heretical actions instead seemingly bring you closer to your Patron, as you have gladly embraced the Legacy of the Malefic Viper. Not that you shy away from less-used means, willingly deploying curses to further your goal. Your alchemy has also only grown, your poisons ever more potent, yet something else has appeared too. Something that causes Origins, Records, and Paths to warp in your wake. To what extremes will you go?

Begin evolution now?

Y/N

WARNING: Postponing evolution for too long may have adverse effects, and no further profession-experience can be earned before the evolution is complete.

The system just kept being so nice in all these long messages describing his Path and whatnot. The message itself was as expected, primarily about Jake being a heretic and a Chosen, at least until the last few sentences. It mentioned Jake’s curses, his alchemy getting better, and then that ominous final part about warping Origins and Paths and whatnot. Definitely related to all the things Jake had done that created things like Eternal Hunger – both versions – and of course, Sandy. A bit of Sylphie, too, for sure.

He already had a good idea of what kind of profession upgrades he would get and stopped delaying as he jumped right into it.

The first option was indeed one he had expected.

of all who live on your planet to the Order and the Malefic One. Planetary Leader is a profession focused on managing and guiding a planet to glory. Grants skills related to management, economics, leadership, and control, as well as methods to protect your new dominion. However, be warned that should the planet be destroyed, you will not escape unscathed. Stat bonuses

was a pretty bad version of World Leader and didn’t even include any of his Chosen or heretic stuff in there.

in the Order of the Malefic Viper possess. If the Order had a

from 80 to 240. 160 put the profession above average but still

and Miranda would get offered skills related to being Ministers and on the council, with even the Sword Saint perhaps

walk it alone. Bring others into the fold, allowing them to see your reality and no longer merely serve the gods as their tools but as their equals. A foolhardy vision, perhaps, but it is your vision nevertheless. As his Chosen - his prophet - you still keep expanding the Order while not shying away from the heretical, creating a Path few would willingly follow. Your skills in Alchemy remain, but you create not for yourself or

what world had the system observed Jake and everything he did during his entire journey and reached the conclusion that, yeah, Jake would for sure love becoming a prophet. It

Malefic

suspicion that there existed way better versions of this, and

Moving on.

It is your aim to find out. You have begun to deviate from the Malefic One, implementing the power of curses into your Path – something even your Patron rarely did due to the innate volatility of curses. Your skills as an alchemist wane as you specialize in only the act of transformation and transmutation through the art of corrupting anything and anyone. As a heretic, the Legacy of the Malefic Viper is no longer contingent on

different it still was compared to his expectations. It wasn’t even an alchemy profession anymore but was all about corrupting things. It was some extreme version of transmutation from the looks of it. The stats were good, at 215 per level, which was only 25 short of the theoretical maximum. This did mean it firmly fell within the realm of having some drawbacks besides the whole heretic-chosen dichotomy. Probably had

definitely the curse

alchemy, and this profession would cut that away entirely, it seemed, with him potentially losing skills just from selecting

Jake was

gaze upon Records only known by the Malefic One. Allows one to combine the natural treasures of the world, and make potions, pills, transmute one material to another, with a slew of other mystical means to be discovered. This rare type of alchemist specializes in the production of poisons, contrary to the craft of potions. As a heretic, the Legacy of the Malefic Viper is no longer contingent on retaining any blessing from the Malefic Viper. May you continue to embrace your Path and all that comes with it. Stat bonuses per level: +50 Will, +50 Wis, +40 Vit, +30

Jake thought with a smile. It was his good old friend, Heretic-Chosen Alchemist of the Malefic Viper. The description was very similar but had sprinkled some more stuff in there, especially the part about also learning about his mortality. Clearly, the skill referred to Path of the Heretic-Chosen with many of these references, making him already sure it would be one of the skills upgraded or affected

the system

C-grade, putting him only 10 stats per level away from

made him wonder. There was one more evolution option available. What exactly could that offer which was better?

concepts within, resulting in the birth of things never seen before or long forgotten. As you embrace this Path, so will you affect the Origin within yourself, embracing it fully as you shun all else but what lies within. With it shall come power, and all those around you will bathe in a presence that

What he did know was that it was powerful. More powerful than any profession Jake had ever seen or read about – partly because the truly powerful ones were always kept secret. It practically oozed potential, and he did the rudimentary math to know how many stats

240.

drawbacks. Severe ones, from the looks of it, as Jake