The Primal Hunter

Weird notifications all around. Well, except for the first one, as Jake had finally gotten a level. So that was nice, even if it was only one.

*’DING!’ Class: [Arcane Hunter of Horizon’s Edge] has reached level 201 - Stat points allocated, +50 Free Points*

However, that was not the notification bothering him. It was another message he had gotten shortly after slaying the Hive Queen, one he had never seen before. A weird one at that.

*You have been branded a heretic of the Endless Empire by the Fourth Desert Queen*

Now, Jake had no idea what all of this was about, but he reckoned that seeing how the Fourth Desert Queen was the one that had blessed the Isoptera Queen, then he had gotten this heretic branding from slaying her. However, that branding felt weird as he was already a heretic, which at least made the next message make more sense.

*Branding failed: True Heretic status already present*

Jake was apparently not just a heretic but a True Heretic. Did this mean he was an all-rounder heretic according to the system, hereticing all over everyone and anyone? He did find the notion a bit funny. Heretics did come in many forms, with the most common one being heretics of a specific Pantheon or god, branded by them like the Fourth Desert Queen had tried. The Holy Church especially liked doing this.

A general heretic – or True Heretic as Jake was called – was one that was just seen as a heretic against all gods. Someone who refused to acknowledge them or get any Blessings and perhaps even worked against them. It was people who conceptually hated gods. Jake didn’t entirely fit in this category as he just didn’t care much for them being gods, but few had the privilege to have that mindset.

Oh, but branding someone a heretic did have some limitations. Such as being impossible if the person already had a high-level Blessing from another powerful god, which is what made the next message even funnier.

*Branding failed: A Chosen cannot be branded a heretic*

Jake could not be branded a heretic because he was a Chosen, but also because he was already a heretic – which he couldn’t be because he was a Chosen. It was truly a nice little paradox. Not that either status mattered with the next message.

*Branding failed: blocked by Shroud of the Primordial*

Sure, Jake had only gotten the skill from his True Blessing, so maybe that shouldn’t count either, which left the last “branding failed” message.

*Branding failed: Successfully suppressed*

This one Jake knew was all him. How did he know? His gut told him. It was naturally the Bloodline coming in and being mad some damn god dared try to brand him. Seeing as this branding was likely a system feature of sorts, it probably didn’t directly take into account the power level of the people in question but relied more on qualitative and pre-decided factors to determine if it failed or succeeded.

As for worries if the Fourth Desert Queen knew all this had happened, the final message dispelled that.

*All tracking successfully blocked*

So, yeah, that entire thing was a nothing-burger, but it was something he hadn’t seen happen before, so at least it was a little interesting. He would definitely have to joke about it with Villy later, but for now, he saw no need to discontinue his hive dive.

of a potent barrier, likely put down by the Queen before she had left for the cavern. With her now gone, the eggs would

explosions later, not a single egg remained unbroken, making Jake nod as he looked towards the opening leading further down the hive. Ah, but not before looting all the natural

there perhaps only was one Hive Queen. That there were multiple D-grades made him relatively certain that there were also more C-grades, so he doubted that to be the case. There was also the

something odd. A recently collapsed wall based on a snapshot he had taken earlier, leaving only one way rather than a fork. The one way remaining way was a vertical hole. That was the direction he had planned on going anyway, but he still found it

the tunnel, he found the same thing as before. Tunnels had been sealed off, leaving only a single path deeper down

didn’t realize that he was being purposefully directed further into the hive. This pretty much confirmed that there was at least one more

because a trap was prepared? If that was the case, Jake welcomed the attempt. He wanted to see what these damn insects were capable of, and if that required him to walk into a trap, so be it. Picking up speed, Jake began running faster, speeding up his freefalls and teleporting when there were long straight tunnels. No termites got in his way, but some did hide out of his way, with others scrambling to run once they saw him. He left them alone as his curiosity grew with every second. They seemed almost too non-hostile. Were they

placed on the walls of the hive here and there, helping keep it down. Pockets of magma were purposefully avoided

as far as Jake could see based on the plants within. It had to be at least twenty-five kilometers across and more than four kilometers

cavern. Straight to where he expected a Hive Queen to be, and inspecting the snapshot, he tried to see if one was there, but he couldn’t. He was pretty sure she was, but all he saw was a mass of energy a few hundred

estimated he was nearly ten thousand kilometers down, which seemed like a lot, but one had to remember the planet was now nearly the size of the

the cavern in front of him. Within, he heard the clattering of termites, but more so than

Actual threats.

cavern, letting the dense mana within wash over him. At the entrance, there was only a single termite waiting. It looked like the Guards from before but was a bit larger and stronger-looking. Still

Queen’s Guard – lvl

and turning around as if wanting him to follow. Jake obliged as

from the bottom of the cavern to the top, pulsing with power. It looked like it

pillar was a large platform of stone, and as he looked at it, he saw them. Two forms stood on it, waiting. One was a creature Jake recognized as the Hive King that had whopped his ass the last time he had invaded

Hive King

could no doubt offer Jake a proper match. But the other creature on the platform still stood out more. He used creature and not termite as it looked quite a bit different from anything Jake had seen before. It was a lot smaller than the Hive Queen he had just killed and looked a bit similar except for one thing.

– lvl 272 – Greater

could tell – turned around. A female upper body with long hair, generous proportions, and not a single shred of clothes stared back at him, her skin brownish like the rest of her termite body. The upper part was entirely human-looking, except for the eyes that still looked firmly insect-like, now staring back

even now, I cannot see. Tell me, invader of my home, what are you?” she then spoke, taking Jake aback. Her voice sounded oddly sweet, and he knew there was some passive mental-fuckery going

answered, surprising the

my Patron assured me such a thing happening was nearly impossible. Your species is not known to be

even asking that makes me wonder if

Queen said dismissively. “Perhaps a mistake if beings such as you are up there. Human, are

to why the Queen was not hostile. “I am a leader of sorts, yes.

Are you capable of making

or want to just make decisions for others. If you told me what you wanted, it would be a lot easier

and the factions of man are of no interest to us, and thus we

tone was impersonal

this planet besides you, really,” Jake said dismissively. “Not to say I am not